Vol. 55, No. 17 • February 6 - 12, 2020
Black History Month Section Pages 32-37
Black History Month Celebration Kicks Off at Civil War Museum
5 DC Black History Celebration Committee Director Chuck Hicks (left) presents the Black History Community Service Award to Sandra Butler Truesdale (right) with African American Civil War Museum founder Frank Smith and Aaron Holmes present at the event held at the museum in Northwest on February 1. (Roy Lewis/The Washington Informer)
By Sam P.K. Collins WI Contributing Writer @SamPKCollins
Kansas City Chiefs Patrick Mahomes speaks with the press following the team’s comeback victory against the San Francisco 49ers Sunday, February 2 in Miami FL. (Photo Gregory Reed) For more photos go to Page 44.
Researchers Dive into Blacks’ Desires for 2020
By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer @StacyBrownMedia
The ceremonial start of Black History Month pro-
vided local organizers, mavens of industry, politicians and others the opportunity to celebrate four prominent
CIVIL WAR Page 46
Donald Trump Delivers State of Union Under Impeachment Cloud
Several Democrats Boycott the President’s Address
Black people are not monolithic. That’s a primary conclusion from a multi-round research initiative conducted by District-based think tank Third Way and the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. “The impetus for this effort was to help address the dearth of public opinion research on Black people in this country by digging underneath the surface to understand nuances based on attributes like age, education, gender, income and urbanity,” according to a news release touting the dual report, “A Nuanced Picture of What Black Americans Want in 2020.” “Rather than
BLACK AMERICA Page 42 5 Courtesy of the Leverage Network
By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer @StacyBrownMedia The annual State of the Union Address counts typically as a time when both of the nation’s political parties come together in a joint session of the U.S. Congress to hear the president’s remarks
on the how well – or how poorly – the country currently fares and what he proposes going forward. But, there’s little if anything typical about the state of America in 2020. With Donald Trump only the second impeached presi-
STATE OF UNION Page 52
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COMPILED BY D. KEVIN MCNEIR, WI EDITOR @DKEVINMCNEIR
EndtheyDomestic Violence Mobile DCPS Budget law enforcement. She said threat,” she said. had come together to bring a Among the programs Marlow Guide for Familiessense of uniformity in the way wants to see implemented are
By Tia Carol Jones WI Staff Writer
When L.Y. Marlow's 23-year- domestic violence victims and stricter restraining order policies, On Monday, February 3, Mayor MurielareBowser old daughter told her the father survivors treated. more rights for victim's families the DCthreatened Public Schools Guide, a new ofunveiled her daughter her Pocket “She's using her own personal to intervene on behalf of a victooland to assist students, parents, andown staff personal to life, the life of their child, guardians story, her pain to tim, a domestic violence assessshe knewschool-based something had to be The discuss budgeting. pushannouncement forward,” Davis-Nickens ment unit coupled with further done. of Shot her frustration kickedOut off Fair February, a series engagements saidofabout Marlow. training for law enforcement with lawofenforcement's handling ahead the Fiscal Year 2021 BudgetDavis-Nickens Presentation in said anyone agencies, a Child's Life ProtecofMarch. the situation, she decided to haswho readsstudents, Marlow's book will tion Act and mandatory counselSince October, DCPS engaged start the leaders, Saving educators Promise cam“get it.” She said she “puts the ing for batterers. school and community members paign. in such a way, the average “If we are ever going to eradithrough budget roundtables, publiccase hearings and com“It seems to be Bowser, a viciousjoined cycle by person canFerebee, get it.” She said at the cate domestic violence, we must munity forums. Dr. Lewis that won't DCPS, turn my familyadditional end ofinvestments the day, the book will look at both sides of the coin. chancellor, also shared loose,” Marlow said. Marlow help people begin made in DCPS that will support students, schools, ed- to have a dia- We need to address both the vicshared with the audi- logue about domestic violence. tim and the batterer,” Marlow ucator,her andstory the community. ence at the District Heights Also present at the event was said. Domestic Violence Symposium Mildred Muhammad, the exMarlow would also like to see on May 7 at the District Heights wife of John Allen Muhammad, Prince George’s County’s Department Family Serprograms designed to ofraise Municipal Center. The sympo- who was sentenced to sixvices consecawareness among of children announces its continuation the Meninand Boys sium was sponsored by the utive life terms withoutConference parole public and private She MoMENtum Seriesschools. “MoMENtum: A Family and Youth Services by a Maryland jury for his roleVision in feels children need to be educat2020 Towards Ending Domestic Violence.” The Center of the city of District the Beltway Sniper attacks in will ed elevate about domestic violence. conference the dialogue to educate men and Heights and the National Hook- 2002. Mildred Muhammad is haverelationships to stop being young males on“We healthy and paswill be held Up of Black Women. the founder of After the on Trauma, poorin chilSaturday, sive-aggressive March 21 at thewith Camelot Upper MarlMarlow has written a book, an organization that helps dren about violence,” boro. the The keynote speakerdomestic for this year’s conference will “Color Me Butterfly,” which is a survivors of domestic be violence Marlow said. Eugene Schneeberg the founder of Fathers Forward. story about four generations of and their children. Marlow has worked to break Conference details include: community service hours domestic violence. The book is “I lived in fear for six years. Six the cycle of abuse in her family, available; Father’s Day men’s pledge boards; free health inspired by her own experiences, years in fear is a long time. It is and is confident the policies she screenings by Doctor’s Hospital Mobile Bus; and lunch and those of her grandmother, not an easy thing to come out is pushing for will start that and giveaways. Youth in middle school and older are her mother and her daughter. of,” she said. process. invited to attend. She said every time she reads Mildred Muhammad said “I plan take these policies to Free registration at: tohttps://pgcmen321.eventbrite. excerpts from her book, she still people who want to help a Congress and implore them to com For more information, call the Department of can not believe the words came domestic violence victim must change our laws,” Marlow said. Services, Domestic Violence and Human Traffrom her. “Color Me Butterfly” be careful of how they Family go into “I will not stop until these polificking Division, 301-265-8423. won the 2007 National “Best the victim's life, and understand cies are passed.” Books” Award. that she may be in “survival Tia Carol Jones can be reached “I was just 16-years-old when mode”. at tiacaroljones@sbcglobal.net my eye first blackened and my “Before you get to 'I'm going lips bled,” Marlow said. to kill you,' it started as a verbal WI Elaine Davis-Nickens, president of the National Hook-Up WIWomen, Contributing Writer John Muller will lead a discusof Black said there is no sion of the history of American consistency in the way domestic journalism, the pantheon of the Black Press careers violence issues are and dealtthewith by and contributions of Frederick Douglass and T. Thomas Fortune, under the auspices of the T. Thomas Fortune Foundation & Cultural Center. “Lost History: The Radical Friendship of T. Thomas Fortune and Frederick Douglass” takes place at the Fortune Center, Saturday, Feb. 8, 6 to 8 p.m., 94 Drs James Parker Boulevard in Red Bank, New Jersey. With the development of the first national press organization for African-American journalists and editors, Douglass and Fortune worked side by side. Fortune, in 1892, visited Cedar Hill, the D.C. home of Douglass and wrote one of the most revealing and personal newspaper profiles of the “Lion of Anacostia.” A Q&A will follow the one-hour presentation. Online registration is free but donations will be suggested in support of ongoing activities and operations of the T. Thomas Fortune Cultural Center. of T. Thomas Fortune and Frederick Douglass. For more information on T. Thomas Fortune Foundation and Cultural Center visit: https://www.tthomasfortuneculturalcenter.org/. To register, visit Facebook, https://tinyurl.com/r38t3b5 or Eventbrite, https://tinyurl.com/ t25ckwz.
“
Lecture to Focus on Black Press and the Radical Friendship of T. Thomas Fortune and Frederick Douglass
We have to stop being passive-aggressive with poor children about domestic violence. I plan to take these policies to Congress and implore them to change our laws. I will not stop until these policies are passed.
“
SOMETHING NEW EVERYDAY
Women the Cycle of wi hotBreak topics Domestic Violence County Continues Initiative to Bowser Launches New
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L.Y. Marlow
AROUND THE REGION Adofo Mixes Politics and Civic Activism
Ward 8 Commissioner Feted for Passion
WE DEFEND THE RIGHTS OF D.C. SENIORS.
By James Wright WI Staff Writer @Jamesdcwrighter Advisory neighborhood commissioners are mandated by D.C. home rule charter to respond to neighborhood concerns and serve as a political representative but Salim Adofo, as a commissioner, has gone beyond doing that and has drawn compliments for his work. Adofo serves as the advisory neighborhood commissioner for single-member district 8C07 in Ward 8 and therefore serves as the chief advocate for his constituents with the District government. He won the seat over longtime commissioner Mary Cuthbert in 2018 and told The Informer he has been working hard for his constituents ever since. “I believe in community engagement and getting people activated for change,” Adofo said. “I consider myself a public servant and even though I am not compensated for being a commissioner, I still give it my best.” Adofo spent the early years of his life in Jersey City, N.J., which he said had an active Black culture that focused on political and cultural activism that influenced him to fight for civil and human rights. After high school, he attended Grambling State University in Louisiana before leaving to join the military because he could not afford to pay for his education. Adofo spent several years in the Army before ending up in the District to take a job in the Washington area. In 2009, he moved to Ward 8 and “[hasn’t] thought about moving anywhere in the city since.” When he settled in Ward 8, Adofo said he joined organizations such as the NAACP and the National Black United Front (NBUF) to fight for the rights of African Americans. While these activities kept him busy, his interest in ward politics did not wane. He became so concerned about the condition of his neighborhood that he decided to give elected office a shot in 2018. “When I ran for the commissioner position, I didn’t run against Mary Cuthbert,” he said. “I ran to keep our residents informed about what is going on in the neighborhood, the ward and the city.”
Call our Hotline at 202-434-2120
5 Ward 8 Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Salim Adofo discusses community issues with Krish Love at Sankofa Café on February 1. (Roy Lewis/The Washington Informer)
COMMISSIONER ADOFO
Adofo has held events in his Congress Heights-based district that have dealt with the 8C advisory neighborhood commission budget, police-community relations and the District’s proposed comprehensive plan. As a candidate for the 8C07 position, he noted that events designed to inform citizens on the latest developments in the District government didn’t take place consistently. Adofo’s activism has attracted the attention of Mayor Muriel Bowser (D), who appointed him to the D.C. Commission on African American Affairs (CAAA) in November. Ashley Emerson, executive director of the Mayor’s Office on African American Affairs that works directly with the commission, said Adofo has become an asset. “He is a pleasure to work with,” Emerson said. “Whether it is on the census or job fairs, he is committed. He is serious about training residents on advocacy and engagement. He doesn’t just work for our commission on behalf of his constituents or Ward 8 but for everyone in D.C.” The commission teamed with the NBUF, NAACP and others on Jan. 18 for the inaugural “MLK Feed the Hood” event at Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School, which he said provided over 1,000 care packages delivered to at-risk families in the city. He coordinated a vigil for late basketball great Kobe Bryant on Jan. 30 and, according to his Facebook page, he will later this year conduct his sec-
ond tour of historically Black colleges and universities for high schoolers and their families. In addition, Adofo won an election as the second vice president of the Ward 8 Democrats in September.
‘THE GOLD STANDARD’
The work Adofo has done has drawn plaudits from community leaders, including Philip Pannell, executive director of the Anacostia Coordinating Council and advisory neighborhood commissioner in Ward 8. “Salim is a hard-working commissioner and I have seen few like him in that position since I came to this city 45 years ago,” Pannell said. “He puts in the commissioner’s job like it’s fulltime. He constantly has programs going on and his newsletter is great. “I wish we had more commissioners like Salim. He is the gold standard,” he said. “I am fortunate to be his constituent and we are fortunate to have him in Ward 8 and the District of Columbia.” Mustafa Abdul-Salaam, who represents district 8C05 and works with Adofo on the 8C advisory neighborhood commission, said Adofo has been productive. “It is a joy working with Salim,” Salaam said. “He is a hard worker and goes above and beyond what he is supposed to do.” Adofo said he doesn’t know for sure whether he will run for higher office in the future. “We have to see how things will work out,” he said. “Right now, I am focused on helping my community.” WI
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FEBRUARY 6 - 12, 2020 5
AROUND THE REGION
black facts
FEB 6 - 12, 2020 SOURCE: BLACK AMERICA WEB
FEB 6
1882 – Famed Black poet and civil rights activist Anne Spencer is born in Henry County, Virginia. 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 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
1887 – Famed pianist Eubie Blake is born in Baltimore. 1965 – Comedian and actor Chris Rock (top) is born in Andrews, South Carolina. 1974 – The Caribbean country of Grenada declares its independence from the United Kingdom. 1991 – Jean-Bertrand Aristide takes the oath of office as Haiti’s first democratically elected president.
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1944 – Writer Alice Walker, author of “The Color Purple,” is born in Putnam County, Georgia. 1965 – Martin Luther King Jr. meets with President FEB. 8 1944 – Harry S. McAlpin becomes the first African Amer- Lyndon Johnson to discuss ican journalist admitted to a White House press conference. Black voting rights. 1986 – Oprah Winfrey becomes the first African Ameri- 1971 – Pitcher Leroy “Satchel” Paige becomes the first Negro League veteran to be can woman to host a nationally syndicated talk show. nominated for the Baseball Hall of Fame. 1995 – Bernard Harris becomes the first Black astronaut to walk in space.
FEB. 10
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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.
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1920 – U.S. Air Force fighter pilot Daniel “Chappie” James Jr., the first African American to reach the rank of four-star general, is born in Pensacola, Florida. 1977 – Clifford Alexander Jr. is confirmed as the first Black Secretary of the U.S. Army. 1990 – Human rights activist Nelson Mandela (above) is released from a South African prison after serving 27 years.
FEB. 12
LEONTYNE PRICE
6 - FEBRUARY 6 - 12, 2020
1909 – The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, or NAACP, is founded after race riots in Springfield, Illinois. 1926 – Historian Carter G. Woodson founds Negro History Week, the precursor to Black History Month. 1983 – Famed pianist Eubie Blake dies in Brooklyn, New York, at 96. WI
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JIMMIE WILLIAMS / It’s no secret that men are not trying to be played for a fool, with a man dressing as a woman, and lying about his sexuality. We as Blacks are being hoodwinked with this sexuality indifference when we haven’t even begun to break ground on police brutality, nor have we begin to address our judiciary inequality with the justice system. But, you think we need to be concerned with some sexual choices when Blacks are being killed over the color of their skin?
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I’m glad they are addressing an ongoing issue because whether you agree with their lifestyle or not, it’s still a Black human being dying and that’s not OK. Period.
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FEBRUARY 6 - 12, 2020 7
The World According to Dominic BY D. KEVIN MCNEIR / WI EDITOR / @DKEVINMCNEIR
‘Black History Remains an Epic Saga Whose Truth Remains Untold’
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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 – an industry upon which the United States, both those living in the South and the North, would increase their
coffers, grow fat in their excess desires and become wealthy – all on the backs and with the blood of a people whose only “sin” was being of a different color. Meanwhile, we would embrace stories of Tarzan which only reinforced the so-called superiority of the white-skinned, 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 – stories which 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 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 oncemighty 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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AROUND THE REGION
District Election Roundup By James Wright WI Staff Writer @jamesdcwrighter
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GOODWIN RUNS AS FORD WANTS A WARD INDEPENDENT FOR 8 DRIVEN COUNCIL SEAT Two years ago, Marcus Goodwin BY EDUCATION, ECOran unsuccessfully against at-large NOMICS Council member Anita Bonds in Yaida O. Ford, an attorney, wants to use her skills set and experience to represent Ward 8 on the D.C. Council with improving its education system and fostering economic growth as priorities. With education, she will call for a moratorium on new charter schools coming into the ward. “We have a crisis in our community that is manifold; school choice has presented a complex problem for us because enrollment in our public schools are down, which means our funding is down in those schools, which means our kids are not getting the services that they need,” Ford said. “Resolving this will require doing more than thing but I want to start a conversation on the education front now because we also need to address trauma in schools. Many of our kids are not learning regardless of whether they are in public charter or public school. “We have created a false narrative that ‘public charter is better’ but that entire notion is dunked by empirical data,” she said. Regarding economic development, Ford said the ward 8 is “slated for major development in the next 3-5 years.” “I want to make sure our residents interests are protected in that process,” she said. “Right now, some of our residents are frustrated by efforts from our current councilman to block development in the Anacostia neighborhood. This was a foolhardy move. “If there are concerns about displacement, then there are proven methods to address that,” Ford said. “But to do it requires knowledge, skill and the ability to partner with the right enterprises to make sure there is as little adverse impact as possible on our most vulnerable residents. Without new leadership, frustrations will mount and the people who need to be protected the most will get the
the June Democratic primary, finishing closely behind Bonds and activist Jeremiah Lowery. This year, however, Goodwin will run again for an at-large council seat, this time as an independent do help all Washingtonians do better. “I grew up in neighborhoods where there were too many barriers to success and too few opportunities to get ahead,” he said. “Because of just a couple of opportunities that were provided to me, I was able to get ahead and change the trajectory of my life.” Goodwin, who has worked for development firms Neighborhood Development Company and Four Points LLC, graduated from St. Albans School and got his bachelor of arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania and his master in design studies from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design. “Stories like mine are far too rare in the District, but it doesn’t have to be that way,” he said. “That’s why I’m running for the open at-large seat on the D.C. Council.” Goodwin, who recently stepped down as president of the D.C. Young Democrats, joins former Democrats such as the D.C. State Board of Education’s Ward 8 representative Markus Batchelor and D.C. shadow Rep. Franklin Garcia in the race for the council seat held by David Grosso (I-At Large). The
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independent at-large election will take place Nov. 3. Goodwin said he will fight to narrow the wealth gap between Blacks and whites, lower student loan debt and support D.C. employees earning a living wage. “I will not compromise on principles,” he said. “I want to see my hometown and its people prosper.” WI
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AROUND THE REGION CAPTURE THE MOMENT
A 5 bedroom, 3.5 bathroom home was presented by real estate investor Dr. Joseph Asamoah to Keeyonna Musgrove, a single mother of 5 children on January 30, during a ribbon cutting event to showcase the positive impact DC government funding programs and investors have on families who would otherwise be priced out and to bring awareness to investor housing as a solution for offsetting displacement caused by gentrification. (Robert R. Roberts/The Washington Informer)
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“Children have never been very good at listening to their elders but they have never failed to imitate them.” “Not everything that is faced can be changed; but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”
– James Baldwin
(1924-1987)
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AROUND THE REGION D.C. Mayor Bowser Endorses Mike Bloomberg for President By James Wright WI Staff Writer @jamesdcwrighter
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser recently announced that she wants Mike Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York City and a candidate for the Democratic nominee for president, to be the next occupant in the White House. “We can resolve our nation’s most pressing problems if we have the right leaders in place to turn innovative ideas into reality,” Bowser said with Bloomberg by her side at a campaign rally at the Atlas Performing Arts Center in Northeast on Jan. 30. “Mike Bloomberg is the only candidate who will unify our country and defeat Donald Trump and has a blueprint to rebuild America and improve the quality of life for all Americans. He is committed to giving every American a fair shot through his housing affordability and All-in-Economy plans, putting an end to gun violence with
common sense reforms and mitigating the causes of climate change. “I have known Mike for many years and his long-standing commitment to making cities stronger, more prosperous and inclusive are why I’m endorsing him for president,” she said. Bloomberg, who led New York City from 2002-2013, named Bowser as a national co-chair of his campaign during the rally. Bowser said she has endorsed Bloomberg, fully understanding the concerns of Black leaders in New York City in light of the Big Apple’s former controversial “stop and frisk” City Police Department policy which drew the ire of thousands for allegedly targeting Black citizens. “I held a conversation with Mike and he expressed regret for pursuing that policy,” she said. Bowser shared her belief that Bloomberg, should he emerge victorious, will work to prevent discriminatory police strategies like the much-maligned “stop and frisk” pol-
icy with a Department of Justice far more sensitive to similar initiatives. Bowser said that she supports Bloomberg’s approach to housing affordability which includes ideas such as federally-guaranteed rental assistance and a goal of one million African Americans becoming homeowners in the near future. She added that Bloomberg has plans to open two campaign offices in the District and that he’s pledged to work for D.C. statehood as president “from Day One.” Following her announcement in support of Bloomberg, the presidential hopeful pointed out that the District has two elected executives: president of the U.S. and mayor of the City, then assessed the job that those currently holding those offices have done. “One [the current president] has broken promise after promise on the issues that matter,” he said. “The other has emerged as a national leader on affordable housing, economic opportunity, sustainability, safe streets, good schools and
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5 D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser stands next to presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg at the Atlas Performing Arts Center in the District during which she announced her endorsement of the former New York City mayor for president of the United States. (Photo by Shevry Lassiter/The Washington Informer)
equal rights – that’s Mayor Bowser.” “Washington, D.C. could not be in better hands but she and local lead-
ers around the country deserve a true partner in the White House and that’s what I’ll be,” he said. WI
FEBRUARY 6 - 12, 2020 11
PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY Suitland Elementary School Exemplary of Kirwan Plan By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill Antonio Logan holds up various pictures and asks his prekindergarten students what are the first letters each represent. “Is this a T?” he asks, holding photo of a hedgehog. “No, that’s a H,” some of the children say enthusiastically. This type of interactive learning goes on daily at William Beanes Elementary, but Principal Dana Tutt said the 500-student school in Suitland could be even better with a few additions, namely a full-time mental health profes-
sional, art teacher and nurse. William Beanes, one of 45 designated community schools in Prince George’s County, has about 90 percent of its students who receive free and reduced lunch that signifies the majority of families live below the poverty rate. “You [must] have money to buy resources for programming. You have to have money for those things,” Tutt said. “We purchase coats for children. It’s not just about education. If they don’t get feel good about themselves, they are not ready for learning.” The school joins thousands of others that seek a portion of the proposed $4 billion statewide education plan based on recommendations from
Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education. Public education enhancements from the 25-member group, also known as the Kirwan Commission, remains one of the biggest topics in the General Assembly. One of the most critical parts of the plan, supporters say, would go toward early childhood education that includes expanding prekindergarten for 3- and 4-year-old low-income children, build more family support centers and provide additional teacher training. The other four pillars focus on hiring a high-quality and diverse teacher workforce, college and career readiness programs, resources for special education and English-language learners, and accountability. The goal would be to implement plan by 2030. William E. “Brit” Kirwan, the former University of Maryland System chancellor who chaired the commission, reiterated that teaching children early makes them successful when they reach high school and beyond. But it doesn’t help that the state’s fourth-grade reading and math scores ranked 29th in the nation last year, he said before a Senate committee last month. “We recognize that Maryland has some real good schools [and] excellent teachers, but we came to the conclusion we don’t have nearly enough of either,” he said. “We’ve got to have a
5 Jalah Berrian, a fifth grade student at William Beanes Elementary School in Suitland, jots down notes during a class discussion on climate change. (Anthony Tilghman/ The Washington Informer)
reconstructive surgeon. Fripp hosted an informal chat Friday, Jan. 31 at the University of Maryland Capital Region Health office in Bowie on how to maintain a wholesome lifestyle based on a New Year’s resolution’s goals. Unfortunately, she said most resolutions fail by Jan. 12. “I know how hard it is to try something new, but we must,” said Fripp, who celebrated her one-year anniversary with the University of Maryland on Saturday, Feb. 1, the same day her twin boys turned 7. Fripp focuses on surgical procedures between the clavicle and the knees and nonsurgical operations on the face such as microdermabrasion, chemical peels and laser hair removal. Her practice provides an opportunity to see a plethora of patients who may suffer from diabetes, heart complications and various forms of cancer. As a women’s health advocate,
that can provide additional academic and social services for students and peer mediation. Tutt, the school’s principal, said some parents can receive job training programs because they’re either unemployed or “receiving just enough to make ends meet.” Cultural competency training, which provides for the ability to recognize subtle social differences, for teachers has also been a focus as part of the Kirwan recommendations in dealing with children from an urban and rural background. Tutt graduated in 1989 from nearby Suitland High School in an area previously known for its violent crime and blight. Former County Executive Rushern L. Baker III, whose children graduated from Suitland, pushed for economic development that includes ongoing construction of the $400 million Towne Square at Suitland Federal Center. It will incorporate 1,000 residential units, a six-story senior apartment for those 62 and older and a performing arts center. But there’s still some children who need special attention. Tutt talked about a 7-year-old boy who dropped his lunch in the cafeteria and just cried. After she talked with the student, she found out his mother recently died in a car crash. “That’s what cultural competency is — being able to identify that’s something is not right and then [asking], ‘What do I do for that kid?’” she said.
PG HEALTH Page 20
KIRWAN Page 14
workforce as good as any … in the world.”
‘TRAINED IN SUITLAND’
Williams Beanes opened in 1972 and housed one of the school’s first principals, the late state Sen. Ulysses Currie. As a community school, it can receive support from local organizers
Doctor Offers Humorous yet Serious Health Tips By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill
5 Dr. Vikisha Fripp, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon, conducts a microdermabrasion procedure on Leslie Smalls on Jan. 31 at the University of Maryland Capital Region Health office in Bowie. (Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer)
12 - FEBRUARY 6 - 12, 2020
Prince George’s County seeks to encourage residents live healthier lifestyles, but remains one of the unhealthiest places in Maryland with those who suffer from heart disease, high blood pressure and obesity. According to an interactive zip code map from the county’s Health Department at https://bit.ly/2UhF4bJ, the highest health needs are in neighborhoods inside the Beltway such as Hyattsville, Bladensburg and Riverdale. When driving around the county, fast food restaurants line streets around the county that doctors such as Vikisha Fripp said are cheaper to purchase than fruit and vegetables. However, your body will feel better. “I will not lead people in the wrong direction and I am also smart enough to know what I’m not good at,” said Fripp, a board-certified plastic and
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Digital Ads Could Bring Additional Revenue, But Face Legal Challenges By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill ANNAPOLIS — Paul Romer praised Maryland lawmakers for offering proposed legislation to tax digital advertising that would help fund public education. Romer, an economist and 2018 Nobel laureate, said in interview Friday, Jan. 31 called the plan “innovative” and affect mainly two companies — Google and Facebook — that earn about 80 percent of the revenue in the industry. According to the proposed bill sponsored by Senate President Bill Ferguson and Sen. Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr., it could generate up to $250 million. Because Maryland lawmakers are proposing a new tax that would be the first of its kind in the nation, Romer said there could be legal challenges. “These rich people don’t want to pay taxes, so of course they are going to hire lawyers,” he said. “They make billions of dollars every year, so they are going to hire a bunch of lawyers. They are
PGCPS BRIEFS Compiled by Dorothy Rowley WI Staff Writer
SCHOLAR OF THE WEEK
Vanessa Velas Romero, a senior at High Point High School, joins PGCPS’ Scholar of the Week honorees. Well on her way to pursuing her dreams, Vanessa was recently named a Posse Scholar and awarded a four-year, full-tuition college scholarship to the University of Rochester where she will major in
going to spread a bunch of lies. This is just business as usual these days. “I just think the [lawmakers] need to do stay focused on doing what’s right,” Romer said. “If there’s a court challenge, fine. If the court issues an injunction to stop the tax from being collected, see what the court objected to in the bill [and] write a new bill that goes around those objections and then just keep going. This is going to be a long fight.” Romer testified in support of the bill Jan. 29 when he visited Annapolis and sat at a table with his father, former Colorado Gov. Roy Romer, Miller and Ferguson. The bill, which was discussed for about 90 minutes, would tax revenue of internet companies between 2.5 percent to 10 percent on users with a Maryland internet protocol (IP) address. The figures would depend on a company’s annual gross revenue. If revenue exceeds $1 million, then a company would file a state tax return to outline how much money was generated and to keep a record of the sales. The state comptroller would administer the tax with gross revenues going
political science and minor in international business. Armed with a 3.9 grade point average, her career goal is to become a lawyer and ultimately, a senator. Vanessa, who is enrolled in Advanced Placement courses in Language and Composition, Psychology, Human Geography, U.S. Government and Politics and Calculus AB classes, serves as executive board president of the Student Government Association, editor of the Yearbook Club, student member of the Board Advisory Council, and a member of the National Honor Society, swim and art clubs. In her spare time, she enjoys volunteering at her church, reading, drawing and spending time with family and friends.
SUMMER YOUTH ENRICHMENT PROGRAM
The Prince George’s County
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY
5 Paul Romer (foreground) testifies in support of proposed legislation to tax digital advertising to help fund restructuring Maryland’s public school system on Jan. 29. At the table with Romer is (from left) his father, former Colorado Gov. Roy Romer, state Sen. Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. and state Senate President Bill Ferguson. (William J. Ford/The Washington Informer)
toward the education plan. The bill would allow companies to report how much they earned from digital ads. Romer suggested a modification to the bill to focus solely on how much revenue is generated in the United States and not add on money that comes from outside the country. The Commission on Innovation
and Excellence in Education proposes a $4 billion plan to expand early childhood education, incorporate college and career readiness programs and social services for schools with a high concentration of poverty. “If we do it right … that is the single best way that we can enhance productivity in the state of Maryland,”
Youth@Work/Summer Youth Enrichment Program is an award-winning, nationally-recognized program that helps young people ages 14-22 launch careers with free job readiness training and paid summer employment. Youth@Work/SYEP offers six weeks of enriching entry-level employment at governmental, nonprofit and business worksites in Prince George’s County and the greater D.C. area. The program is part of County Executive Angela Alsobrooks’ commitment to youth development, which aims to prepare and empower the county’s youth to achieve their full potential into adulthood. Applications for the 2020 Youth@Work/Summer Youth Enrichment Program will be accepted through Feb. 28.
schools for inclement weather is not taken lightly, PGCPS officials say. Information about the weather is gathered from many sources, including the National Weather Service, county agencies and neighboring school districts. PGCPS transportation supervisors survey roads, school driveways and sidewalks throughout the county. PGCPS communications channels issue notifications in numerous ways, including the school website, email and text, phone bulletin board and local media. While some technology may be faster than others, all communications serve as official notifications from PGCPS. In the event of inclement weather, the decision to open or close schools will be made prior to 5:30 a.m. on the day in question and communicated as soon as possible to the media, parents and staff. WI
SCHOOL CLOSINGS AND DELAYS
The decision to delay or close
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Ferguson said. “Building a strong public education will be fundamental to creating that economic grown in the future.” Some view the legislation as harmful to businesses. Sen. George Edwards, a Republican
DIGITAL Page 20
5 Scholar of the Week Vanessa Velas Romero (PGCPS photo)
FEBRUARY 6 - 12, 2020 13
BUSINESS Ward 4’s Todd Floats Bill to Help Seniors Get Jobs By James Wright WI Staff Writer @jamesdcwrighter
Despite the years and experiences that senior citizens possess as workers, they are sometimes the victims of age discrimination in employment, but D.C. Councilman Brandon Todd wants to change that by offering businesses tax incentives to hire them. On Jan. 7, Todd introduced the Senior Employment Tax Credit Amendment Act of 2020, saying seniors are “often an overlooked group when employers look to hire.” “Seniors sometimes face a disad-
vantage in the hiring process because employers feel that they will not be long-term team members or may not be mentally fit,” the Ward 4 council member said. “Ironically, the exact opposite is often the case. Furthermore, seniors miss job postings that are exclusively found online — where the overwhelming number of jobs are advertised in today’s day and age. As a result, I am introducing this legislation to encourage Certified Business Enterprises (CBEs) and Small Business Enterprises (SBEs) to hire senior citizens.” The legislation defines seniors as individuals who are 65 and older. Ward 4 has one of the largest popu-
lation of seniors in the District, with 10 percent of its population ages 6069, according to the 2018 American Community Survey of the U.S. Census Bureau. Todd said many of the seniors in his ward are eager to get to work but face obstacles based on false perceptions of competence as opposed to younger workers. He pointed out that many seniors cannot live on Social Security alone, may not qualify for that program or may just want to continue working. “Research indicates that working at older ages can keep seniors mentally sharp, physically active and socially connected,” he said. The bill received a referral by Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) to the Committee on Business and Economic Development. The committee chair, Kenyan McDuffie (D-Ward 5), said he hasn’t reviewed the legislation and couldn’t comment on it. However, fellow Council member Anita Bonds (D-At Large) has come out in favor of Todd’s bill. “The reality is that age discrimination does exist, and it often keeps far too many of our most qualified adults from joining the workforce and contributing their thoughts and talents to make our society work better for all people,” Bonds said. “That’s why [the bill] is so important, it brings some of our community’s most knowledgeable and skilled persons back to work
KIRWAN from Page 12 “A lot of times we see it show up as a disciplinary matter, but that’s not what it is. “My kids are amazing and they are so bright, but they come with some much baggage,” she said. “I’m not trained in mental health, but I’m trained in Suitland.”
‘OUR BLUEPRINT’
During the political discussions on how to pay for the Kirwan recommendations, a funding formula highlighted the state would contribute $2.8 billion and the 23 counties and Baltimore City at $1.2 billion. Prince George’s and Baltimore, the two majority Black jurisdictions, would pay the highest among at nearly $361 million and $330 million, respectively. The two presiding leaders in the General Assembly — House Speaker Adrienne Jones and Senate President Bill Ferguson — have said work would be done to
14 - FEBRUARY 6 - 12, 2020
5 Ward 4 Councilman Brandon Todd (Shevry Lassiter/The Washington Informer)
and allows our businesses, nonprofits and other institutions to benefit from the wisdom and institutional knowledge. Most importantly, senior citizens have both the professional and lived experiences needed to grow and train the younger people who are tomorrow’s workforce.” Louis Davis Jr., state director of AARP District of Columbia, said even though he hasn’t read Todd’s bill, it sounds like something he and his organization could possibly favor.
“Principally, AARP DC supports initiatives that create opportunities for residents 50 years and older to continue to work and thrive in the workplace,” Davis said. “We will aid and abet efforts that will help seniors achieve financial stability. I look forward to reviewing the bill in its entirety and working with Council member Todd and the D.C. Council to see that seniors gain full employment in the District.” WI
restructure those figures. Some of the funding would pay for resources to help special needs students, in-school programming and technology and other supplies for teachers. Prince George’s current enrollment stands at more than 136,000 as the second biggest school system in the state. Instead of Prince George’s public schools CEO Monica Goldson focusing on the politics in how to pay for the recommendations, she allowed two high school seniors to speak Friday, Jan. 31 before the county’s House delegation in Annapolis to show how funding could produce even more high-achieving students. Vanessa Valez, who attends High Point High School in Beltsville and moved to Maryland at age 6 from El Salvador, plans to attend the University of Rochester in New York in the fall on a full scholarship to study political science. She wants to become a member of Congress. “I hope one day I get to see you on
my campaign trail,” she said to the delegation. “I’ll write your first check,” said Del. Joseline Peña-Melnyk (D-District 21) of College Park. Jeremy Kiggundu, who attends DuVal High School in Lanham and immigrated with his family at age 6 to the county from Uganda, remains undecided on where he wants to attend college. With nearly 30 college credits he’ll earn by graduation, he has a few schools in mind to pursue engineering: Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “Jeremy and Vanessa … are just two of the 136,500 reasons that I am blessed to serve as the leader of this amazing school district,” Goldson said. “This is not just a legislative bill for students, families and employees of our community. This is our blueprint for systemic investment, priorities and an opportunity to tell our students that they matter.” WI
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Sexual Assaults Spike in Military: Report By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer @StacyBrownMedia Sexual assault has increased more than 30 percent over the past year, according to a Department of Defense (DOD) report. Midshipmen and cadets at the Air Force Academy, Naval Academy and West Point had the most significant jumps — with a total of 122 reported incidents in 2019. In 2018 and 2017, the number of reported incidents of sexual assault totaled 92. Following the DOD report, CNN reported 10 Democratic presidential candidates have signed on to a pledge by Protect Our Defenders, an organization devoted to ending rape and sexual assault in the military. The pledge would strip the power to investigate sexual assault from senior offices and allow soldiers to report
such crimes to a trained, independent military prosecutor. The DOD report noted that “sexual assault prevalence at the academies is comparable to rates observed in civilian colleges. However, the DoD holds itself, and the academies, to a higher standard of behavior.” According to the Military Times, the report also found that the number of cadets and midshipmen experiencing sexual harassment “remains high at the academies.” In addition to those 122 reports, another 19 involved students who had reported an assault that occurred before they began their assignments, and another eight from non-student service members and civilians assigned to the academies. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) and South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg are among the Democratic presidential candidates to sign the pledge, according to CNN. They are
BUSINESS the only two veterans in the race. “Pete believes that if our service members can sum up the courage to put their lives on the line to defend our country, our elected officials should have the courage to break from the past to ensure safe and healthy environments for our men and women in uniform,” Rachel Thomas, Buttigieg deputy communications director, told CNN. Statistics covering 2018 revealed that the prevalence of sexual assault had been rising since 2014. Prevalence increased from 8.2 percent in 2014 to 12.2 percent in 2016 to 15.8 percent in 2018 among women, according to the Military Times. In men, the number rose from 1.1 percent to 1.7 percent to 2.4 percent. According to 2018 data, about 12 percent of assaults at the academies are reported, compared to about 30 percent in the active force. That is up from 6 percent reporting at academies in 2008. “The Department recognizes the challenge of combating sexual assault in the military service academies and the high cost of not succeeding,” said
5 A sailor from Navy Expeditionary Combat Command carries a pair of shoes, painted teal to symbolize victims of sexual assault, as she participates in the “Walk a Mile in Their Shoes” command event at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek on Aug. 25. (Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Lisa Reese/Navy via Military Times)
Elizabeth Van Winkle, executive director of the Office of Force Resiliency, said in the statement. The Military Times reported that an unnamed West Point senior told a focus group that everyone has heard of or has been a part of a conversation where “there’s something that … oth-
er people would find sexually charged and offensive if they were to have heard it.” “And I think that would be … proof that sometimes we don’t necessarily place [responsibility upon] ourselves as much,” the senior said. WI
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FEBRUARY 6 - 12, 2020 15
NATIONAL Oprah’s ‘2020 Vision’ Tour Lights Path to Ultimate Healing and Success By Ronda Racha Penrice Urban News Service
The estimated 45,000 attendees of Oprah’s 2020 Vision: Your Life in Focus Tour’s first three stops — Fort Lauderdale, Minneapolis and Atlanta — discovered just how serious the talk show legend was about being more intimate about her life than she’s ever been. Considering that Winfrey built her brand on her openness, from battling weight issues to grappling with childhood sexual abuse, few could imagine her getting even more vulnerable. But she does just that as she helps others deal with their own stuff. “My purpose for being here is because I have the most magnificent life of anybody I know,” Winfrey said after taking the stage Jan. 25 at State Farm Arena in
DIGITAL from Page 13 who represents Allegheny, Garrett and portions of Washington counties, said the new tax could force some businesses to relocate out of state. “I think we need to be concerned,” said Edwards, who serves on the committee. “It’s the rich areas of our state … that can afford it. Some parts of the state cannot afford it. We don’t want to drive businesses out of the state of Maryland.” More than a dozen people lined up to testify against the bill that included representatives with the MDDC Press Association, Maryland Chamber of Commerce and Motion Picture Association. “We are in support education, but we just don’t think this revenue source is the appropriate way to go,” said Vans Stevenson, senior vice president of governmental affairs for the MPA. “We al-
16 - FEBRUARY 6 - 12, 2020
Atlanta, explaining why she embarked on this nine-city tour to share with others. Done in partnership with WW, formerly known as Weight Watchers, Oprah’s 2020 Vision puts an initial focus on wellness and weight loss. Ultimately, the event, at its core, is about transforming your own life. To that end, there is a customized journal. And Winfrey does that by heavily interacting with the crowd, as well as revealing super intimate details about her own life, including her strained relationship with her mother and how she found peace through forgiveness. The woman who, from the outside looking in, has it all, admits here that she didn’t always have the one thing that she wanted – a strong, supportive relationship with her mother who passed in ready pay to the state of Maryland on the gross revenue to advertising earnings. It would be double taxing the same revenue.” Bill opponents said the legislation discriminately targets larger companies that could eventually pass on higher fees to customers. In addition, they state the bill violates the commerce clause, which permits states from taxing on digital commerce. “This new tax is an animal,” said Pat Reynolds, senior tax counsel for the D.C.-based Council on State Taxation. Romer challenged the discriminatory claim, pointing out that Google and Facebook largely monopolize that market. “The firms are trying to say, ‘Well, we’ve monopolized this industry and now you can’t tax us because that would be discriminatory,’” he said. “That is just absurd.” WI
5 Dwayne Johnson and Oprah from Oprahs 2020 Vision Tour Atlanta Stop (Courtesy photo/ WW George Burns)
2018. Winfrey’s failure to connect with her mother, Vernita Lee, who was a teenage, Black single mother living in Jim Crow Mississippi when she was born. So Winfrey was the daughter she didn’t want. The billionaire didn’t reconcile those issues until her mother’s final days in 2018. “Many a day I didn’t think you were the mother that I wanted you to be,” she said she told her mother on her deathbed. “But I know now that you were the mother that you could be.” She forgave her mother, Winfrey shared, and thanked her for not aborting her or giving her up for adoption. Today she sees how her circumstances contributed greatly to her phenomenal success. “My life opened up in ways I cannot even explain. I didn’t even know I needed to forgive it so deeply. And now I celebrate the fact that I had a mother who didn’t give me all that I need, because my ability to offer it to other people comes from what I actually needed,” s Prior to revealing the details of her mother’s last days, an emotional Winfrey admitted that she had been a hypocrite for avoiding a confrontation with her mother — while advising others everywhere to be brave. Using aspects of her own life, including her rags-to-riches fairytale and emotional scars, Winfrey stands as an example of what is possible when
people embrace who they really are. “My life, just like yours, has been marked by many a miracle,” Winfrey said. “Everybody in this room has been through some stuff. But you’re still here.” Winfrey doesn’t just rely on her own life experiences. She also shares the stage with other luminaries, interviewing others with remarkable triumphs like former first lady Michelle Obama, Tracee Ellis Ross, Jennifer Lopez and Gayle King. In Atlanta she spoke with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson onstage about his own journey to success, spending a lot of time on his father who has passed away just nine days before. Even though Johnson’s father, the famed wrestler Rocky Johnson, wasn’t as affectionate as he felt he needed at a child, he acknowledged his father’s challenges and expressed great pride in how he broke new ground as a Black man wrestling in the South during the 1960s and 1970s to pave a way for him and other wrestlers. “This all-white audience who would never cheer a Black man cheered him in these arenas,” Johnson said in a moment of poignant praise. “And it’s not like he was wrestling these other Black men; he was wrestling other white wrestlers.” “He was a trailblazer,” Johnson said. “He did a lot of things that had never been done, but he
also changed audience behavior, which was so hard.” This breakthrough is exactly what so many of the attendees in Atlanta especially applauded. While moving with the global dance party phenomenon Daybreaker and Hough, along with group meditation, are nice highlights, it was the potential for emotional transformation that got the most enthusiastic response. “What you see in the world cannot explain the peace,” she said of her life on Jan. 24, days before her 66th birthday on Jan. 29. “What you see in the world, all the material stuff — and on the red carpet and the things and the acquisitions — cannot describe the contentment and the joy. “A successful, full life is being able to live with the peace and the joy,” Winfrey added. “Few regrets, few regrets. So, here’s a full day for you to focus on that peace for yourself.” Winfrey told her cheering fans that, these days, she’s spending her time exactly as she likes. At this point in her life, she said, “I don’t do nothing I don’t want to do.” For more information on the remaining dates of the tour, which wraps March 7 in Denver, or to catch Winfrey’s conversation with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and other special guests, go to facebook. com/oprahwinfrey. WI
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NATIONAL
Kweisi Mfume Secures Win in MD’s 7th Congressional District Primary
Former Congressman Should Have Easy Path to Washington to Finish Cummings’ Term By Hamil R. Harris WI Contributing Writer Kweisi Mfume, former president of the NAACP, defeated a crowded field of candidates Tuesday, Feb. 4, winning the Democratic Special Primary in Maryland’s 7th Congressional District. His victory in the heavily-dominated Democratic District all but assures that he will win the April 28 General Election and finish out the unexpired term of Rep. Elijah E. Cummings who died in October last year. Mfume, 71, who served in Congress for a decade, just one election away from returning to the House of Representative, defeated leading candidates including Maya Rock-
eymoore Cummings and former Maryland House Delegate Jill Carter in a race where he received more than 44 percent of all of the votes cast in a District that has a half a million voters. He next faces Republican Kimberly Klacik who won more than 40 percent of the votes cast in a field of eight candidates. It was Klacik who sparked President Trump’s harsh tweets against Baltimore after she posted videos about how the 7th District was filled with trash and blight. Klacik faces an uphill battle in a District long-known as a Democratic stronghold. Mfume’s win marks the end of a campaign for the widow of Elijah Cummings who sought to replace her husband and continue his lega-
cy on Capitol Hill. Early Tuesday, as she entered Eutaw Mashburn Elementary to cast her ballot, she said to a group of reporters, “I feel like he is here with me and would be proud.” She came in second place garnering nearly 17 percent of the vote. In a District filled with proud families and strong labor leaders, Mfume secured the assistance of labor groups including the AFL-CIO. In other results among Democratic hopefuls, Carter, a lawyer and former member of the Maryland House of Delegates, came in third and University of Baltimore Law Professor F. Michael Higginbotham came in fourth. Other candidates included: T. Dan Baker, Alicia D. Brown, Anthony Carter Sr., Matko
5 The Maryland Special primary was just a warm up for the April 28 Democratic primary and November General election. (Courtesy photo/Charles Robinson)
Lee Chullin III, Jay Fred Cohen, Nathaniel Costley, Jermyn Davidson, Darryl Gonzalez, Mark Steven Gosnell, Leslie E. Grant, Dan Hiegel,, Paul V. Konka, Adrian Petrus, Saafir A. Rabb, Charles U. Smith and Charles Stokes, according to
the Board of Elections. Klacik defeated a Republican field that included: Christopher M. Anderson, James C. Arnold, Ray Bly, Brian L. Brown, Reba A. Hawkins, Liz Matory and William Newton. WI
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Nigerian Politico Rails Against U.S.’s Visa Restrictions The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the last general elections, Atiku Abubakar, has reacted to the visa restriction imposed on Nigeria, Eritrea, Myanmar, Kyrgyzstan, Sudan and Tanzania by the United States of America. In a statement he personally signed Saturday, Feb. 1, Atiku said that the U.S. should have considered adopting measures that individually target those in government who have failed in their duties of serving Nigerians, rather than target the entire population. “The current Nigerian administration may have its deficiencies and deep faults, but the Nigerian people ought not to be punished for their inefficiencies,” he contended. Reacting further, Atiku said that the ban does not take into account the pro-American sentiments of the Nigerian public and the solidarity previous Nigerian administrations have had with the U.S. “I urge the government of President Donald Trump to consider the history of U.S.-Nigerian relationships,” Atiku said. “Nigeria was one of the few African nations that joined the U.S.-led coalition during Operation Desert Storm between 1990-1991 when the United States championed the liberation of Kuwait. The Trump administration may also consider the pivotal role Nigeria, in partnership with the U.S., played in bringing peace to Liberia, an American sphere of influence, that now enjoys democracy because Nigerian blood and money paved the way for peace in that nation.” Atiku added: “Nigeria has also consistently voted in support of the United States and her allies at the United Nations and other multilateral world bodies. This is even as we are perhaps the biggest trading partner that the United States has in Africa, even where we had alternatives. Nigerians love the United States and have been a major force for the positive development of that great nation: 77% of all Black doctors in the United States are Nigerians.” Declaring that Nigerians “are also the most educated immigrant community in America bar none,” Atiku said, “Surely, the U.S. stands to benefit if it allows open borders with a country like Nigeria that is able to provide skilled, hardworking and dedicated personnel in a two-way traffic.” WI
caribbean now Hundreds to be Trained Under Global Sector Services Program Jamaica’s Global Sector Services (GSS) Apprenticeship program, aimed at equipping some 400 personnel for higher value-added jobs in the local industry over four years, was officially launched Jan. 28. Beginning in April, 100 apprentices will benefit from inhouse training per year at GSS firms. The objective is to promote the growth and expansion of the sector by building the capacity of existing staff and upskilling them from entry-level to supervisory roles. GSS firms include those operating in the business process outsourcing, knowledge process outsourcing and information technology-enabled services. Diane Edwards, president of Jamaica Promotions Corporation, in her address at the launch held at the agency’s head office in New Kingston, said the program will serve as a lynchpin “in driving Jamaican young people forward.” She said that the outsourcing industry, which employs upwards of 36,000 persons, is a dynamic and fast-moving sector; therefore, upskilling the workers will enable them to occupy higher-end jobs. Edwards said firms in the GSS collaborated and agreed on the modules of the supervisory training curriculum and formally endorsed the course outline on Nov. 15. “HEART/NTA, a key beneficiary partner in the GSS Project, graciously offered to build out the training curriculum under the guidance of the industry that will result in each apprenticeship receiving national certification,” she said. WI
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HEALTH Coronavirus Outbreak Spreads to U.S. Shores By Lindiwe Vilakazi WI Contributing Writer A new coronavirus that has killed hundreds worldwide in the past month and sickened more than 20,000 others has many Americans on alert, as international health officials work to contain the disease. The novel coronavirus, a rare respiratory infection causing shortness of breath, coughing and fever symptoms, was initially reported to be contracted by a woman in Shanghai visiting Germany for business matters. The woman reportedly returned to Shanghai with symptoms that were later confirmed to be the coronavirus
on Sunday, Jan. 26. The airborne infection has spread rapidly throughout various parts of China and other countries. With the number of confirmed cases on the rise, U.S. authorities are implementing stricter safety measures. President Trump assembled a coronavirus task force, which issued strict bans on travel to and from China. The new restrictions pose a challenge for American citizens currently delayed in the return back to their regular lives. Annually, 60,000 to 65,000 people travel from Wuhan, China — which has been on lockdown since the initial outbreak — to the United States, potentially leaving a
5 Travelers wear masks to prevent an outbreak of coronavirus. (Courtesy photo)
large number of people vulnerable to contact with the virus. “The main reason for this declaration is not because of what is happening in China, but because of what is happening in other countries,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO). “WHO doesn’t recommend, and actually opposes, any restrictions for travel and trade or other measures against China.” Nevertheless, Trump signed a presidential proclamation to temporarily suspend entry into the United States of any foreign nationals found to pose a risk of transmitting the novel coronavi-
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she said education remains key for Prince George’s residents to research and understand how to maintain a healthy lifestyle. For instance, she may recommend patients see a behavioral specialist if it’s determined they want to undergo a procedure in order to keep a husband, get a better job, or spur a boyfriend to propose. “None of those things will happen,” she said. “We want the entire person to be healed.” Physically, she advises patients to maintain a three-day food diary that she also conducted herself. She received help from a nutritionist. Fripp noticed she replaced Planters nuts in a container every Monday and Thursday. “You don’t recognize how many calories in nuts, especially if I’m eating a half a jar every day,” she said.
rus stateside. Non-U.S. citizens are banned from entering the country, while American citizens returning from the infected territories will be quarantined until cleared by selected health experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “Currently, the risk to the American public is low,” said CDC Director Robert Redfield. The CDC has begun targeting airports, with 193 individuals currently being held in quarantine while authorities monitor their symptoms. However, businesses trading with China has already taken a
few steps amid the health scare, as various business entities have already either cut ties or delayed trading partnerships with Chinese distributors under the threat of the coronavirus spreading. The consequential cut in business with China could ultimately translate into an increase of factory and production jobs for United States citizens, a revelation not lost on U.S. officials. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross views the threatening health issue in China as “an economic win for the U.S.” “I think it will help to accelerate the return of jobs to North America,” he said. WI
“I didn’t know and I’m a doctor. I can imagine patients thinking they are doing the right things. It’s small things you can do.” “Realistic” goals Fripp suggests include: • Lose 20 pounds in the next four months. • Start exercising at a gym close to the job or home, then sign up with a trainer at least three times a week. • Be a better person and eliminate negative comments, thoughts and actions. If any lifestyle change involves medication, one should check with their primary care doctor. “We don’t want you to drool on yourself. It ain’t cute,” she said among laughter in the room. Fripp will also train at the new $543 million regional medical center under construction in Largo,
scheduled to open next year that will feature two rooftop helipads, a surgical oncologist and 205 beds to serve residents in Prince George’s and Southern Maryland. Fripp also performed a microdermabrasion procedure on Leslie Smalls, using a handheld device to gently remove top layers of the skin, cleaning the pores and reinvigorate the skin to get blood flowing. Afterward, she rubbed an oil consisting of vitamin C and E onto Smalls’ face to soothe the skin. Microdermabrasion is a cosmetic procedure not covered by insurance, so the estimated cost ranges from $95 to $125. ‘It felt like a facial massage. It was very soothing and no pain at all,” said Smalls, director of operations at University of Maryland Capital Region office in Cheverly. “It gave me total relief.” WI
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HIV is a manageable chronic disease and is more preventable than ever before! From getting tested and knowing your status, to preventative options like PrEP and PEP, here are a few options to consider adding to your HIV prevention toolkit! Get Tested. Getting tested for HIV and STIs is the first step in anyone’s HIV prevention journey. Depending on a person’s sexual health practices and activity, getting tested every 3-6 months can go a long way in preventing HIV and STIs. Untreated STIs make it easier to become positive after an exposure to HIV, so it is important to get tested. Learn about Whitman-Walker Health’s testing hours and locations at whitman-walker.org/testing. Walk-in HIV and STI testing is available at the below locations, but be sure to check our website for the most up-to-date hours! • Max Robinson Center, 2301 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave. SE • Whitman-Walker at 1525 14th Street NW • Whitman-Walker Youth Services, 651 Pennsylvania Ave. SE If you receive a negative HIV test result, ask about PrEP. PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, is a daily pill that can prevent HIV. According to the CDC, when taken every day, this pill can prevent a person’s chance of HIV infection that is transmitted through sex by about 99%. Learn more at PrEPforDC.com! Contact Whitman-Walker’s PrEP team at 202.939.7690 or prepclinic@whitman-walker.org. PrEP may be a good HIV prevention tool for you if you… • Have been diagnosed with an STI in the last 6 months. • Are sexually active and don’t always use external or insertive condoms. • Are unsure of your sex partner’s HIV status. • Are HIV-negative and are sexually active, or have a sex partner who is living with HIV. • Identify as someone who injects drugs or are having sex with partner(s) who inject drugs. If you are HIV-negative and think you have been exposed to HIV, ask for
PEP. PEP, or post-exposure prophylaxis, is a 28-day course of medication that can prevent HIV after a possible exposure. PEP must be taken within 72 hours of an HIV exposure to be effective. PEP is for emergency use and is available at Whitman-Walker. To access PEP with Whitman-Walker, call our PEP line at 202.797.4439 or walk into our Logan Circle or Anacostia health centers. PEP is also available at all emergency rooms. Whether exposed to HIV through consensual or non-consensual sex, or sharing needles and works, it is important to seek PEP within 72 hours of exposure to HIV for it to be effective. If you receive a positive HIV test result or are living with HIV, seek treatment. Talk with your medical provider about your treatment options. When a person is living with HIV, they can manage their HIV by taking their HIV treatment as prescribed. By being on treatment, you can help prevent new HIV infections. This is known as “Treatment as Pre-
vention.” People living with HIV who take their treatment as prescribed can achieve an undetectable viral load. An undetectable viral load means there is effectively no risk of a person transmitting HIV sexually. This is known as “U Equals U” or Undetectable = Untransmittable. Missing just a few days of treatment could mean regaining a detectable viral load, so it is important to take your treatment as prescribed. Start treatment. To start treatment, walk into either of Whitman-Walker’s Logan Circle or Anacostia health centers and say “Red Carpet” to the client services representative. You can also call us at 202.745.7000 or email us at appointments@whitman-walker. org to schedule an appointment. Just mention “Red Carpet” and our team can help you start treatment for HIV. If your community or organization is interested in the Whitman-Walker providing mobile health services in your neighborhood, contact mobilehealth@whitman-walker.org or 202.487.0067! Access PrEP, PEP or start treatment for HIV with Whitman-Walker Health at Max Robinson Center, 2301 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave. SE or Whitman-Walker at 1525 14th Street NW.
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Helping Our Neighbors Stay Warm in the D.C. Area Submitted by Washington Gas Temperatures are dropping across our area as the winter season continues, and many residents face the need for emergency heating assistance. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to obtain because fewer than 2 in 10 people eligible for federal energy assistance receive it. There are simply not enough funds to meet the demand. That’s the inspiration behind the Washington Area Fuel Fund (WAFF). Created by Washington Gas with The Salvation Army over 35 years ago, the program fills this critical gap, providing essential funds so that our neighbors in need can stay warm during the frigid months of the season. Washington Gas proudly pays all costs of operating the program while The Salvation Army assists clients and manages the disbursement of the funds. Neighbors in need can receive heating assistance regardless of how they heat their home—whether it be electric, gas or some other fuel. Through its merger with AltaGas, Washington Gas established the Merger Fund Program to broaden WAFF help eligibility for Washington Gas customers. “The passion to help our neighbors with heating assistance has never been greater and that’s why we are so dedicated to raising awareness about this critical issue,” said Donald “Blue” Jenkins, President and Chief Executive Officer, Washington Gas. “As a company committed to caring for our community throughout our 171-year history, we know our neighbors will always join us in helping those in need.” Since WAFF’s inception in 1983, more than $29 million has helped 300,000 families in the Washington metropolitan area.
ELIGIBILITY
Utility assistance is available regardless of the type of fuel used to heat your home. That means residents do not have to be customers to receive assistance. In general, a family of four earning up to $75,050 could be eligible. WAFF applications are accepted January 1 through May 31 at the nearest county or city where The Salvation Army maintains offices. Help is only a click away at WWW.WAFFHELP.ORG.
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Serving Wards 1 – 6 The Salvation Army Social Services Department 1434 Harvard St., NW, Washington, DC 20009 (202) 332-5000 Serving Wards 7 – 8 The Salvation Army Social Services Department 2300 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., SE, Washington, DC 20020 (202) 678-9771
MARYLAND
Prince George’s County Salvation Army 4825 Edmonston Rd., Hyattsville, MD 20781 (301) 277-6103
PREPARE FOR THE WINTER HEATING SEASON Reduce Energy Use and Lower Your Energy Bill Nearly half of your energy budget is spent on heating and cooling. Low-cost, simple steps will help you and your family decrease energy costs, stay safe, warm and energy-smart when temperatures drop. Enlist in these proven programs: • Create a Home Energy Profile, washingtongas.energysavvy.com/ residential: discover your cost savings potential. • Enroll in the Budget Plan: spread your cost of winter heating over the entire year. Simple everyday ENERGY SAVINGS TIPS go a long way: TIP 1: Keep your water heater below 120°F using the warm or low setting. TIP 2: Wash full loads of laundry and dishes, as opposed to numerous smaller loads. TIP 3: Use cold water for laundry and specially formulated cold-water detergents. TIP 4: Caulk and weather-strip around doors and windows. TIP 5: Change or clean furnace and air filters once a month. TIP 6: Install a high-efficiency appliances when possible. TIP 7: Look for the ENERGY STAR® energy-efficient product label when shopping for new appliances. TIP 8: Purchase a programmable thermostat that automatically lowers and increases the temperature based on when you’re home.
For more information, visit washingtongas.com or call 844-WASHGAS (927-4427).
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FEBRUARY 6 - 12, 2020 23
Healthy Foods and Cancer Prevention Submitted by AmeriHealth Caritas District of Columbia Let’s talk food! February is National Cancer Prevention Month. This month we ask, “Does eating certain foods help prevent cancer?” No one is yet able to say for sure that a given food does prevent cancer. But we know that some foods show qualities of helping your body fight cancer. Studies suggest that eating lots of colorful fruits and vegetables can help us avoid heart disease and diabetes, and maybe avoid cancer, too.1
GOOD NEWS, GARLIC LOVERS
This little plant is a health-promoting superhero. Garlic fights bacteria.1 It may reduce your risk of developing breast, esophageal, stomach, pancreatic, and colon cancers.1 But what about garlic breath? The parts of garlic that cause bad breath are the same ones that may stop cancer-causing substances from forming in your body. They may even help your body repair itself and kill cancer cells.1
• Broccoli, cabbage, kale, and cauliflower. These may help prevent cancers of the head, mouth, neck, esophagus, breast, lung, stomach, liver, bladder, prostate, and colon. • Carrots. These are loaded with nutrients that fight disease. They might guard against cancers of the breast, mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, and stomach. For the most benefit, cook them. Leave them whole, and cut them after cooking. • Spinach. You may have heard it’s nutritious and good for your eyes. Some experts say it could also guard against cancer of the mouth, esophagus, and stomach. • Tomatoes. That bright red comes from an antioxidant that also may help prevent prostate cancer and heart disease. For the most benefit, enjoy tomatoes cooked or processed. You can find them this way in tomato juice and pizza sauce. • Whole grains. Their fiber is great for health. They also have
other substances that might fight cancer. Look for bread labeled “100% whole wheat.” If it just says “wheat bread,” it might not have whole grains. Sources: 1. Elizabeth Lee, “Seven (Easy to Find) Foods That May Help Prevent Cancer,” WebMD, https:// www.webmd.com/cancer/features/ seven-easy-to-find-foods-that-mayhelp-fight-cancer#1. 2. “Mediterranean Diet: A HeartHealthy Eating Plan,” https://www. mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/ nutrition-and-healthy-eating/indepth/mediterranean-diet/art20047801 All images are used under license for illustrative purposes only. Any individual depicted is a model
The World Health Organization recommends eating a clove of garlic a day for its health benefits.1 For best results, peel and chop the cloves, and let them sit 15 minutes before cooking.
MORE IS MERRIER
Here are some other foods that may help protect you against cancer:1 • Berries. Strawberries and raspberries are rich in antioxidants. These berries seem to help destroy cancer-causing substances and slow the growth of tumors. They have components that may prevent cancers of the skin, breast, lung, esophagus, and bladder. Blueberries can reduce inflammation and have one of the most powerful antioxidants.
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#BestMe Corner The Heart-Healthy Mediterranean Diet February is also American Heart Month. It’s a good month for trying out a few new heart-healthy dishes in your diet. If you’d like heart-healthy meals with a zest for flavor, the Mediterranean diet might be for you. There’s no one list of dishes for a Mediterranean diet. Instead, this diet lets you combine foods and flavors from all around the Mediterranean Sea.2 You might try dishes from places as diverse as Greece, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Israel, and Morocco. These recipes tend to have some healthy things in common. They often include eating:2 • Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats. • Fish, poultry, beans, and eggs. • A moderate amount of dairy foods and drinks. • A small amount of red meat. Here are some tips to help you get started:2 • Eat more fruits and vegetables. See if you can get seven to 10 servings of them each day. • Eat whole grains. Whole grains still have the fiber, iron, and vitamins that get removed from more processed grains. Choose whole-grain bread, cereal, and pasta. • Use healthy fats. When cooking, try replacing your butter with olive oil. For instance, olive oil can taste good on bread, instead of using butter. • Eat fish twice a week. Grilled fish tastes good and needs little cleanup. Avoid deep-fried fish. • Eat less red meat. Substitute fish, poultry, or beans for most of your red meat. • Eat some low-fat plain Greek yogurt. Add some fruit and whole grains to plain yogurt for an easy and filling breakfast. • Use small amounts of different cheeses. • Boost the flavor of your dishes with herbs and spices. Use less salt. The Mediterranean diet isn’t just about food! It is also about keeping your body active. Doing some physical activity most days is part of the healthy lifestyle that surrounds this diet.2 Last, but not least, this diet is about sharing meals with family and friends.2 This lifestyle encourages us to enjoy good food with good company, and feel good because of it.
The AmeriHealth Caritas District of Columbia (DC) Enrollee Wellness Center
offers healthy cooking classes and advice on healthy eating for AmeriHealth Caritas DC enrollees. Wellness classes are provided at no cost for all AmeriHealth Caritas DC enrollees. To learn more or sign up for classes, call 1-877-759-6224. You can also visit our website at https://www.amerihealthcaritasdc. com/member/eng/healthy-living/wellness-center.aspx. View our fitness and wellness calendar at https://www. amerihealthcaritasdc.com/pdf/member/wellness-center/wellness-calendar.pdf for information on classes at the Enrollee Wellness Center. These articles are for educational purposes only. They are not intended to take the place of your primary care provider (PCP). If you have questions or are on a special diet prescribed by a provider, talk with your PCP before making any changes. If you think you need to see your PCP because of something you have read in this information, please contact your PCP. Never stop or wait to get medical attention because of something you have read in this information.
Find us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/amerihealthdc. • Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AmeriHealthCaritasDC.
#BestMe
Rewards Program
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 member • Are 12 – 21 years old • Get an annual physical exam
Visit www.amerihealthcaritasdc.com/giftcard to learn more. Note: A member cannot get more than $50 in incentives each year.
ACDC-19433327-2
www.amerihealthcaritasdc.com
All images are used under license for illustrative purposes only. Any individual depicted is a model.
AmeriHealth Caritas District of Columbia complies with applicable federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. English: ATTENTION: If you speak English, language assistance services, at no cost, are available to you. Call 1-800-408-7511 (TTY/TDD: 202-216-9885 or 1-800-570-1190). Spanish: ATENCIÓN: si habla español, tiene a su disposición servicios gratuitos de asistencia lingüística. Llame al 1-800-408-7511 (TTY/TDD: 202-216-9885 o 1-800-570-1190). Amharic: ማሳሰቢያ፡ አማርኛ መናገር የሚችሉ ከሆነ፣ ከከፍያ ነጻ የሆነ የቋንቋ ድጋፍ አገልግሎት ይቀርብልዎታል፡፡ በስልክ ቁጥር 1-800-408-7511 (TTY/TDD: 202-216-9885 ወይም 1-800-570-1190) ይደውሉ. 1-800-408-7511 اﺗﺼﻞ ﺑﺮﻗﻢ.ﺎن ﻓﺈن ﺧﺪﻣﺎت اﳌﺴﺎﻋﺪة اﻟﻠﻐﻮﻳﺔ ﺗﺘﻮاﻓﺮ ﻟﻚ ﺑﺎ، إذا ﻛﻨﺖ ﺗﺘﺤﺪث اﻟﻠﻐﺔ اﻟﻌﺮﺑﻴﺔ: ﻣﻠﺤﻮﻇﺔ: Arabic .(1-800-570-1190 أوTTY/TDD: 202-216-9885 )رﻗﻢ ﻫﺎﺗﻒ اﻟﺼﻢ واﻟﺒﻜﻢ
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FEBRUARY 6 - 12, 2020 25
EDUCATION Nat’l Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day Offers Support and Education
Prevention Remains Primary Goal; Theme: ‘We’re in This, Together’ By D. Kevin McNeir WI Editor @dkevinmcneir Friday, Feb. 7 marks the yearly opportunity to increase HIV education, testing, community involvement and treatment among the nation’s Black communities. Outreach efforts and new initiatives will take center stage here in the District and across the U.S. for National Black HIV/AIDS Aware-
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ness Day [NBHAAD] – an annual observance first held in 1999 as a grassroots education effort targeting Blacks and other communities of color. The day, planned and led annually by The Strategic Leadership Council, highlights the continuing disproportionate impact of human immunodeficiency virus [HIV] infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome [AIDS] on the
African-American population. During 2018, Blacks represented 13 percent of the U.S. population but accounted for 43 percent of all newly diagnosed HIV infections. In February 2019, a new national initiative, Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America would be launched, calling for intensified efforts to diagnose, treat, prevent and respond to HIV infections in the U.S. with an overall goal of reducing new HIV infections by 90 percent by 2030. On Friday, a landmark report will present data about Blacks in the U.S. and the Black community’s ongoing struggle with a disproportionate burden of HIV. Consider the following information which the report will include: Black men account for 49 percent of new HIV diagnoses. New diagnoses increased for Black gay men ages 25-34 by 40 percent from 2010 to 2016 according to the CDC. Four out of 10 people infected with HIV in this country are Black. One in 48 Black women will become HIV-positive. One in 2 transgender women are at risk for HIV. Since Magic Johnson’s HIV admission, coverage of the impact of HIV in the Black community remains all but nonexistent. Black Americans are eight times more likely to be diagnosed with HIV as white Americans despite being only 13 percent of the total US population. HIV must be addressed not
merely as a public health issue but as a racial and social justice issue. Black communities need to mobilize to reform laws and policies that impede the fight against HIV in Black America. Black communities need to elect leaders who make fighting HIV a priority and support access to healthcare. It is recommended that the nation enact laws that recognize the diversity of gender identity, prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and implement gender affirm laws, policies and practices. No state across the South has such laws in place. Meanwhile, the Black AIDS Institute [BAI] will unveil a groundbreaking and comprehensive campaign and report on Friday, “We the People: A Black Plan to End HIV in America which aims to set the precedence for anti-racist/sexist HIV mobilization in the U.S. While the phrase We the People continues to inspire efforts to form a more perfect union, the gap between the vision of people-empowered government and the reality of life in the U.S, gaping from the country’s founding, continues to persist today. In FY 2020, the Trump Administration has allocated an additional $250 million to end the HIV epidemic within the U.S. in 10 years. The initiative reportedly seeks to provide the “hardest hit communities” with tools, technology, and resources to combat HIV. But many medical experts and HIV/AIDS prevention advocates insist that a plan to end the HIV
epidemic without specific attention being paid to structural oppression which marginalizes at risk communities will always fail. “Black communities have been disproportionately impacted by the HIV epidemic since the start due in part to the lack of engagement and transparency with Black communities around health policy, funding, and long-range planning to address barriers to healthcare. The communities most impacted by HIV must take the lead in articulating their needs and priorities in order for health and social services to be effective” said Raniyah Copeland, BAI president and CEO. The plan outlines four major recommendations to effectively center the most marginalized communities and end the HIV epidemic: 1) Dismantle anti-Black practices, systems, and institutions that endanger the health and well-being of Black people and undermine an effective, equitable response to HIV in Black America; 2) Invest in Black communities through resources and services that address the fullness, richness, potential, and expertise of Black people and mitigate social and structural factors that worsen health outcomes in Black communities; 3) Ensure universal access to and robust utilization of high-quality, comprehensive, affordable and culturally- and gender-affirming healthcare to enable Black people to live healthy lives in our full dignity; and 4) Build the capacity and motivation of Black communities to be the change agents for ending HIV. WI
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DCPS
BRIEFS Compiled by Dorothy Rowley WI Staff Writer
PROPOSED CHARTER SCHOOLS
The DC Public School Board is reviewing proposals for its 2020 charter application cycle. Each applicant is evaluated through a rigorous review process that includes capacity interviews with community public hearings to voice opinions
EDUCATION on proposed schools. The proposals include: • Capital Experience Lab: The mission is to empower students in Washington, D.C., to harness the resources of their world-class city in the service of their dreams. If approved, Capital Experience Lab will serve students in grades 6 through 12 and seeks to locate in Ward 6. • The Garden School of Business and Entrepreneurship: The mission is to holistically prepare students to build their future. They aim to intellectually grow, culturally affirm, financially educate and emotionally support the next generation of innovators. If approved, The Garden School of Business and Entrepreneurship will serve students in grades 9 through 12 and seeks to locate in Ward 8. • Global Citizens: The mission is to inspire and prepare the next generation of global citizens, of-
fering dual language immersion in both Mandarin-English and Spanish-English. If approved, Global Citizens will serve students in grades PK3-5 and seeks to locate in either Wards 7 or 8. • Washington Arabic: The mission is to believe that the intellectual promise of each student is enhanced in a multi-lingual community that incorporates and celebrates diversity. They challenge students to think critically and creatively, to know themselves as learners developing into global citizens in a joyful environment. If approved, Washington Arabic will serve students in PK3-5 and seeks to locate in either Wards 1, 4, 5 or 6
YOUTHBUILD STEP PROGRAM
Five years ago, the YouthBuild Public Charter School team implemented a personalized learn-
ing program called Student Transition and Education Portal (STEP). STEP was designed to help students to track their progress as they improve their math and literacy skills, work to earn a GED, and strengthen the community as they build their construction skills. STEP also helps students develop resumes and college applications, meet with employers, college admissions offices, practice interview techniques, and master job skills. YouthBuild’s transitions coordinator creates partnerships with colleges, employers, and groups such as ACE Mentoring — which pairs students with mentors in architecture, engineering, and construction. Last year, more than 75 percent of Youthbuild’s students enrolled in college or secured a job three to nine months after leaving the school. More than 90 percent of
them retained employment.
‘INTERMISSION’ PROGRAM
Educators at Inspired Teaching Demonstration Public Charter School give students two opportunities a year to do a deep dive into an area of interest that falls outside of the usual curriculum called “Intermission,” a program that gets students energized about exploring new topics that intrigue them. Students choose their Intermission course based on a set of options designated for each class. For example, PK students choose from topics ranging from slimes, food science, animation, mud and more. During the animation intersession, students studied different types of animation and watched “Steamboat Willie,” one of the first cartoons created. WI
The Public School Lottery
Apply today to DC public and public charter schools for school year 2020-21 at MySchoolDC.org.
APPLICATION DEADLINES: 202-888-6336
info.myschooldc@dc.gov
February 3, 2020 – Grades 9-12 March 2, 2020 – PK3 - Grade 8 @MySchoolDC
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FEBRUARY 6 - 12, 2020 27
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THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM
OPINIONS/EDITORIALS
EDITORIAL
U.S. Senate Fails America in its Obsequious Embrace of Party Politics
Don’t blame Donald Trump for the recent actions of the Republican-dominated U.S. Senate who in their “ignoble wisdom,” have shown that what matters most to them is partisanship and victory at any cost, rather than living up to the oath each senator took after being elected to Congress – upholding the tenets of the U.S. Constitution, ensuring such essential elements of our democracy like “truth, justice and the American way.” In the unbridled choice of the majority to serve and obey their Republican colleague – the president – instead of holding fast to the rubrics of an objective legal trial, our nation and the world have seen the dichotomy which exists between justice for the privileged class versus justice under which the clear majority of Americans as well as those seeking U.S. citizenship have no choice but to accept. While we predicted the outcome from the start – an outcome which Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell promised even before the Senate received the two articles of impeachment – we still held onto the slight hope that Americans would have the chance to know the truth – the whole truth and nothing but the truth. But for that to occur, as in any court case, one would need to hear from witnesses and have evidence presented to the jury – in this case the members of the U.S. Senate itself. As we know, this case has been decided without the luxury, the necessity, of both those who could shed light on what happened behind the scenes and the documents that spoke to those events. It is tragic, indeed a travesty, to see the lengths that elected officials are willing to go to maintain power, to sustain the status quo as established by our nation’s white majority of silver-spoon bearing, grey-haired men and women of similar ilk. The only other rationale, as we see it, is that members of the Senate fear the wrath of the president more than they respect the constituents whom they serve. Once upon a time, if you believe the rhetoric, justice in America was blind – guaranteed and distributed equally for all U.S. citizens, regardless of race, religion, economic status, education or any other differences. It seems that such a notion, crucial to the workings of our nation’s highly-touted experiment, is nothing more than a lofty ideal. In ancient history, it was the Roman Empire that fell to ruin because of its failure to provide for the fair and just welfare of all its citizens. But in modern history, in our refusal to learn from the pages of the past, America has taken a giant step backwards, following in a path similar to that taken by the emperors, soothsayers and prognosticators of that once mighty Roman Empire – a minority of men who held fiercely on to the reins of power and privilege at any cost. Thus, the adage, “absolute power corrupts absolutely,” continues to illustrate a truth that now defines America – and the American way. WI
Dr. Carter G. Woodson: A ‘Radical’ Author and Scholar Dr. Carter G. Woodson was a self-proclaimed radical. Born the son of slaves in 1875, Woodson carried with him deep-seated anger over the long-held practice of denying Black people, especially in the South, the opportunity to learn to read and write and secure to formal education. Despite his inability to attend school at an early age, Woodson persevered and taught himself enough to master basic subjects. He entered high school at age 20, went on to graduate from college and later became the second African American to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard University. Woodson, who became a teacher and taught in the D.C. public schools, is best known as the Father of Black History. More significantly, he established Negro History Week, which is now a month-long commemoration in February. But Woodson didn’t trust the American educational system. He articulated his beliefs in his book, “The Mis-Education of the Negro,” where he decried the whitewashed teachings that were devoid of any mention of the significant achievements or contributions made by Black people throughout history. He knew it to be intentional and proffered: “When you determine what a man shall think you do not have to con-
TO THE EDITOR RIP, Kobe
Ulterior Motives
I was utterly shocked and dismayed when I saw that Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash. I was in disbelief for hours. Many of us has seen Kobe since the ‘90s when he was a high school prodigy, championships with the Lakers and now him as a retired “girl dad.” This hurts. No matter what, he was one of us. He will be missed. Gone but never forgotten.
Hmmm … your “Black Mayors Converge for Meeting of the Minds” was interesting. It’s hard for me not to believe that these same mayors weren’t strategizing on how to better support presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg. They are all in each other’s pockets. If you don’t believe me, Google these Black mayors and Bloomberg and see what ya get.
Gary Glenn Washington, D.C.
Clinton Modest Washington, D.C.
cern yourself about what he will do. If you make a man feel that he is inferior, you do not have to compel him to accept an inferior status, for he will seek it himself.” Woodson believed, “The mere imparting of information is not education,” and he set out to educate a nation about Black history and culture until he died in 1950. Yet, to the dismay of many who continue Woodson’s work of researching and studying Black history and culture, his name remains unfamiliar in many African-American households. The Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), the
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organization Woodson founded 105 years ago, still carries on his work today, including the annual publication of the Journal of African American History, which he started publishing in 1916. Woodson’s declaration of a week dedicated to teaching Black history was only a symbol of what he wanted a Black child or adult to learn about themselves every day. We need more “radical” teachers like Woodson, educating children about the untold stories of African-American “hidden figures” past and present in our classrooms today! WI
FEBRUARY 6 - 12, 2020 29
OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnist
By Julianne Malveaux
Everybody’s Got the Right to Live More than 900 people crowded into the Church of the Epiphany, an Episcopal church in Washington, D.C. They had gathered to hear Rev. William Barber, the dynamic and prophetic co-leader (with Rev. Liz Theoharis) of the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival. They came not only to hear Rev. Barber but also to sing and bond and lis-
ten to poor people tell their own stories. This late-January gathering is one of many that the Poor People’s Campaign is having all over the country, leading up to a Mass Poor People’s Assembly and Moral March on Washington on June 20. With 43 state coordinating committees actively working in communities, Barber and Theoharis are planning to peacefully “take it to the streets” in downtown Washington and to make the statement that “everybody’s got the right to live.”
Guest Columnist
To assert that everyone has a right to live seems obvious. But many of those who live in poverty have to fight to live. The poor have to scramble to eat, to afford medication, to find an affordable place to live. They have to watch their neighborhoods being decimated by gentrification, as rising housing costs push long-time residents out. As many as 45,000 people a year die because they don’t have health insurance. And more than 10 percent of the U.S. population is “food insecure,” which means that
they either skip meals, eat less at meals, or cannot afford nutritious food. One in six children is food insecure. Several of the poor people told their stories, while Reps. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) and Brenda Lawrence (D-Mich.), among others, listened to the harrowing personal narratives from homeless people, a deaf student whose financial aid was cut when her father got a small raise, a woman who was arrested and incarcerated in front of her children
when she sold food on the street, and many more. The audience was urged not to clap but to shout supportively, “Somebody is hurting our people, and we won’t be silent anymore.” Poverty is trauma. Poverty can be the source of enormous stress, and perhaps even some mental illness (though you don’t have to be impoverished to be crazy!). Poverty or near-poverty affects 140 million people, nearly half of us. Rev. Bar-
MALVEAUX Page 53
By Marc H. Morial
Kobe Bryant, Once a Basketball Wunderkind, Remembered as a #GirlDad to transition to civilian life, and the homeless.” — Kevin B. Blackistone “The kid we had first seen as spoiled — bickering with established stars next to him to whom we thought he should have shown deference — we saw now as an avuncular figure generously sharing his knowledge of the game with younger players who grew up idolizing his talent … We watched him step into the role of a retired athlete, not commentating on TV, but lending his energy, fame and wealth to foundations to help people in need — kids at risk, veterans struggling
The Census is one of the most powerful tools the African American community has to claim our rightful voice in the political, legislative and social institutions of our nation. The sudden death of a beloved public figure in the prime of his life is always a shock. When Kobe Bryant took the basketball world by storm in the mid-1990s, anyone could have predicted he’d leave his mark on the game. Many could even have predicted he’d transition into a successful
Guest Columnist
business career, as so many former pro athletes have done. Few could have predicted one of the key ways that Bryant is being memorialized on social media, with the hashtag #GirlDad. Several years ago, ESPN’s Elle Duncan, who was pregnant at the time, encountered Bryant backstage at an ESPN event, and the discussion turned to children. “I would have five more girls if I could,” Bryant told Duncan. “I’m a girl dad.” That he died alongside one of his four beloved daughters compounds
the tragedy of his passing immeasurably. Gianna, nicknamed Gigi, was the daughter he considered most like himself — fiercely competitive and passionately in love with the game of basketball. He told ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel, “The best thing that happens is when we go out and fans would come up to me and she’ll be standing next to me, and they’ll be like, ‘You’ve gotta have a boy, you and V gotta have a boy. You gotta have somebody to carry on your tradition, the legacy.’ She’s like, ‘Oy, I got this.’” “I’m like, ‘that’s right. Yes, you do,
you got this.’” Bryant is survived by his wife Vanessa, and daughters Natalia (“Nani”), 17; Bianka (“B.B.”), 3, and Capri (“Coco”), 7 months. Nani is an avid volleyball player. It is sadly ironic that Bryant used helicopters as a frequent mode of transport because, he said, it allowed him to spend more time with his family. He credited his love for his daughters with changing his view of women in sports. He became a champion
MORIAL Page 53
By Barbara Reynolds
Republicans Have Coronated Trump as King
So now with the Republican-controlled Senate’s rush to acquit Trump in this rigged impeachment trial, Trump will soon be free to continue using foreign countries or any other illegal acts to ensure his reelection in 2020. What the Republicans have done is to coronate Trump a king who now has the green light to operate above the laws of our democracy
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without any consequences. So without any checks and balances, the Trump one-party rule is free to continue as the most criminal White supremacist enterprise in our nation’s history. Once Trump declared that if he shot someone in the middle of Broadway, nothing would happen and unfortunately, he was correct. In fact, this expected acquittal without witnesses is like declaring all crimes are legal as long as the king and his Republican court are the perpetra-
tors. And of course, somehow, these antics always usually benefit his Russian benefactors. For openers, as a result of this sham trial and acquittal foreign countries — as well as U.S. businesses — can be cajoled, intimidated, extorted, bribed to force compliance with Trump’s all-out, scorched-earth plan to retain the throne. In our new system of one-party rule, there are no enforceable laws to stop Trump. Also, he will continue raiding public funds
to cut Medicaid, food stamps and housing funds while he sprinkles the money like fairy dust over the heads of his billionaire compatriots. If not for a few brave whistleblowers, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Rep. Adam Schiff, the independent GAO and the Democrats who valiantly exposed Trump’s crimes, his wrongdoing would have just remained that underground shadow government that Trump, Rudy Giuliani and their cronies operate to enrich themselves and keep their boss
in power. “They were all in the loop, Trump knew everything,” according to Lev Parnas, a Giuliani aide who has been speaking to news sources. He, of course, was among the many firsthand witnesses who the Senate did not allow as witnesses, an unheard-of practice in all but sham trials. But the worst infraction was not allowing former national security adviser John Bolton to speak, a
REYNOLDS Page 53
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OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnist
By Donnell Williams
The Upward Trend of Black Homeownership The National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB) is guardedly optimistic regarding the current upward trend of the Black homeownership rate of 44% as stated by the U.S. Census Bureau in its fourth quarter 2019 report. The reported rate represents a second straight increase from the third
quarter rate of 42.9% and an uncharacteristic jump from the second quarter 2019 Black homeownership rate of 40.6%. While we remain positive about the upward trend, NAREB is mindful that a nearly 30 percentage point gap separates the current non-Hispanic White homeownership of 73.7% from the Black homeownership rate of 44%. As stated in a previous look at the third quarter rates, brisk seasonal
Guest Columnist
sales could account for the increased Black homeownership rate. However, these back-to-back quarterly increases into the fourth quarter indicate to us that Black Americans are purchasing homes at a higher, more consistent rate. The nation’s economic vibrancy, lower unemployment levels, a restored confidence in purchasing real estate and low interest rates, coupled with an increasingly more-informed
Black consumer can all be factored into the six months of rate increases. NAREB’s belief in our boots-onthe-ground approach will continue to support and contribute to the upswing in Black homeownership. It is important to note that the last time the Black homeownership rate neared the fourth quarter 2019 level was in the fourth quarter of 2012, when the U.S. Census reported a 44.5% rate that ticked consistently
downward until the third quarter of 2019. NAREB remains mindful of the volatility of the real estate marketplace, but trusts that Black consumers, coupled with our concerted efforts to educate and inform Black home buyers about the wealth building benefits of owning a home, will continue to boost Black homeownership and economic futures. WI
By Benjamin F. Chavis Jr.
Hidden Tax Increases on Airline Tickets Won’t Fly
Why is it that poor people are always asked to pay more in America? Last year, I warned about the possibility that Congress might try to impose a new tax on air travelers. Well, it’s 2020 — and here we go again. Even in the midst of a historic impeachment trial and potential military conflict abroad, lawmakers on Capitol Hill have managed to find time to dust off their plan to soak air travelers, including working people who struggle every day just to make ends meet.
Make no mistake about it: this is a tax hike, even though backers of this plan won’t call it a tax hike, for obvious reasons. And it’s one that hits relatively low-wage workers harder than it hits those who make a lot more money. And it hits those who routinely fly for business especially hard too. This week, Democratic leaders are expected to unveil their broad infrastructure agenda for the coming year - a plan that is sorely needed given our aging highways, railways and other transportation needs. But here is what is galling: sources tell me that buried in the broad array of transportation initiatives is a proposal to raise the so-called Passenger
Askia-At-Large
Facility Charge (PFC), a hidden fee on airline travelers that Congress enacted long ago to help pay for renovation projects at airports around the country. Most Americans have probably never heard of the PFC, now capped at about $4.50 per person for each leg of a flight. But working families across the country, including our readers, may soon feel the impact if some members of Congress have their way. Here is how the fee works. Passengers are charged the fee at the ticket counter, allowing the airport that collects it to keep it for local repairs and renovations. Current proposals in Congress include one to nearly
double the fee to $8.50 per person for each leg of a flight. Another possibility is eliminating the cap entirely, thereby allowing airports to charge whatever they like. If the fee is raised to $8.50, a family of four on a trip with a connecting flight would pay nearly $150 in this tax alone - a tax that is layered on top of the price of the ticket itself, a major reason people don’t notice it. Such a substantial increase could be the deciding factor between that family taking a much-deserved vacation or staying home. While most people agree that it is in the public’s best interest to have safe and efficient airports that can accom-
modate increased passenger travel, proponents of increasing the passenger fee have been a little misleading about the condition of the nation’s airports. In reality, airports are undergoing something of a revitalization, particularly when compared to rail or highway travel. Passengers are traveling at record rates, airport revenues are at all-time highs, and infrastructure upgrades are booming across the nation. Just take a look at the balance sheets of our nation’s airports. U. S. airports have over $16 Billion of unrestricted cash and investments on hand, with $7 billion sitting in the aviation trust
CHAVIS Page 54
By Askia Muhammad
State of the Union? ‘We’re Lost’
At this time every year, people in this country look forward to the president delivering the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress. It wasn’t always so, however. The name was attached in 1934 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. In 1947, his successor Harry Truman began the custom of live remarks, rather
than the written report. Donald J. Trump is the first president to drop a SOTU address while still under the cloud of impeachment. The Senate “acquitted” him of the two articles of impeachment — abuse of power and obstruction of Congress — so he will not be removed from office by that method. First, there is no unity in the Union. Better than half the population knows this guy to be a serial liar, a cheat, a whoremonger, a
philanderer, a business failure and otherwise unworthy person to be a dogcatcher, let alone president of the United States. A majority of the House of Representatives and a plurality in the Senate know him to be unfit for office, but that’s not enough to remove him. The country just remains divided. But before the impeachment schism, The Donald insulted and disrespected the Pentagon chiefs and generals, the intelligence community, the diplomatic communi-
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ty, even members of his own Cabinet, and otherwise sympathetic members of Congress. He did not like anybody in the government “deep state” and the folks who did not cower before him and tremble in his wake, turned against his mistake-prone leadership. That’s no way to run a government. But the economy is humming along (on a $1 trillion deficit) and folks happy with the performance of their 401(k) retirement plans are tickled, even though many ab-
hor his other policies, his style, his mannerisms, his ugly mug. The state of the union as a political entity is on shaky ground, however, thanks to the Republican “ride-or-die” love affair with this really immoral, disgusting human being who is president. Of all the right-wing ideologues who could be in This Dude’s place, there must be some who didn’t pay porn stars hush money, who weren’t
ASKIA Page 54 FEBRUARY 6 - 12, 2020 31
BLACK HISTORY month
Alvin Ailey Returns for New Season of Choreographic Splendor Hope Boykin, 20-Year Veteran of Dance Theatre, Prepares for Final Bows By D. Kevin McNeir WI Editor @dkevinmcneir The internationally-acclaimed Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre [AAADT] has returned to the District much to the delight of faithful fans and fittingly during Black History Month, with a mixture of classic favorites, new productions and exciting premieres on the Kennedy Center’s Opera House stage for seven performances – now through Feb. 9. Robert Battle, artistic director, leads the iconic company long heralded for its contributions to and impact on the world of modern dance while celebrating the Black cultural
experience. Premieres choreographed by Donald Byrd and Ailey dancer Jamar Roberts illustrate the company’s commitment to highlighting social issues with “Greenwood” and “Ode,” respectively. Darrell Grand Moultrie’s “Ounce of Faith,” a work for 12 dancers which focuses on the powerful, lasting impact of a teacher’s influence on a young child, will make its D.C. premiere. Roberts’ “Ode” serves as a meditation on both the beauty and fragility of life occurring during a time of escalating gun violence, set to a jazz score and featuring costumes designed by the choreographer. The piece serves as the first in a three-part series which
“Dance has been a struggle but glorious – painful but harmonious. I’ve been on stage while in pain and tears but have always been smiling simply because I’m there.” – Hope Boykin
5 AAADT in Alvin Ailey’s Revelations. (Courtesy photo/Nan Melville)
Roberts is creating in his new role as AAADT’s first-ever resident choreographer. Byrd’s work, his fifth for the company, centers on the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre in the city’s segregated Greenwood District which will mark its centennial next year. The ensemble piece will navigate though one of the worst incidents of racial violence in American history. But for one dancer, well-known to and much respected by this writer, this touring season will be one that could be aptly described as bittersweet as she prepares to take her final
bows, bringing an end to a stellar 20year career with AAADT. “It’s been love and a lot of hard work – it’s been the best of everything,” said Hope Boykin who will be a featured dancer in “A Case of You” along with dancer Clifton Brown. “Dance has been a struggle but glorious – painful but harmonious. I’ve been on stage while in pain and tears but have always been smiling simply because I’m there. One of my favorite books describes what athletes endure when playing injured and says true professionals do not wait until they’re
well to do their best work. You just take two aspirins and do it.” Boykin recalls times during which she wondered if she’d ever be able to return to the stage after as serious injury suffered last year forced her to miss the company’s annual stop in the District. She would undergo surgery and four months of rehabilitation. Then, last November, another injury forced her to rethink her future. “I was not ready to stop, not yet. I was determined to go on, to give 100 percent each day and to treat each day as if it were my last performance. I’ve learned to refuse to ever hold back. In fact, I do even more than anyone, including me, might expect.” Boykin says she will always be grateful for being given the opportunity to join AAADT – something that could well have remained just a dream given her unique body size and the criticisms she received from directors like Jamison and mentors who had made a name for themselves as professional dancers. “It was my mother who reminded me the number of times I heard ‘no’ and that I always refused to listen,” she said. “Judith was among a handful of directors who told me that I had great potential but first I would need to find my best body. And I did. She gave me a chance and I realized that I was in charge of my future.” “It’s a lesson I learned very early and continue to share with young
AILEY Page 34
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BLACK HISTORY MONTH
African-American Woman Goes from Homeless to Yale Medical School By Curtis Bunn Urban News Service Looking out into the darkness beyond the windshield of her mother’s car, where Chelsea Fearce and her mother were spending the night, her dreams of Yale Medical School seemed impossible. Fearce and her mother moved around Atlanta a lot. Sometimes shelter was an extended-stay hotel. More often, it was her mother’s car. She learned to survive on one meal a day. She stayed focused. She refused to let homelessness delay her ambitions. Her persistence and hard work slowly paid off. She graduated high school as valedictorian with a 4.5 grade point average. Spelman College awarded her a full scholarship. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa with
honors with a degree in biochemistry in 2017. From there she worked for two years at the National Institutes for Health, researching drugs for neurological and psychiatric disorders. Now she’s a first-year medical student at Yale Medical School, while also enrolled in a Ph.D. program at the same time — on another scholarship. She wants to be a child psychologist. Those desperate nights that could have broken her are now the stuff of rearview mirrors. “I just tried my best to focus on the future and what I had to do,” Fearce told Urban News Service, a division of Zenger News. “I always told myself that the future would be brighter than this. I also truly believe that education is the most suitable and attainable way for me to get out of a
Frederick Douglass (1818 – 1895)
life of poverty.” On the really difficult days, Fearce said, her faith gave her hope. “I would just open my Bible to any page and for the most part, whatever page I landed on usually corresponded to what I was feeling,” she said. “Reading the Bible helped keep me sane and focused. It helped me understand that because of the temporary battles I was facing, I would be a lot stronger in the future.” Fearce’s remarkable trek doesn’t surprise her mother, Reenita Shepherd. She praised her daughter’s fierce determination and hopeful outlook. “Chelsea has always been a loving and studious child,” Shepherd said. “She never gave me any problems growing up and always did what I asked her to do.” Shepherd gave her a strong exam-
Frederick Douglass was an American social reformer, abolitionist, orator, writer, and statesman. After escaping from slavery in Maryland, he became a national leader of the abolitionist movement in Massachusetts and New York, gaining note for his oratory and incisive antislavery writings.
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34 - FEBRUARY 6 - 12, 2020
ple to follow. She grew up in foster care in Mississippi, bouncing around to 17 different homes. Sometimes between placements, she voluntarily slept in detention centers or jails for her own safety. Her cancer diagnosis was her low point. Now Shepherd is the founding CEO of Crusade to Nurture Children’s Success, an Atlanta-based organization that supports foster children. Shepherd has four biological children; Fearce is one of her three adopted kids. “I couldn’t afford many things her friends had, but [Fearce] was humble and never held anything against me because we were poor,” Shepherd said. Fearce said she drew strength from how her mother handled her struggles. “l learned the value of education from my mother,” she said. “I learned how to love from my mother. I learned the value of hard work. I learned how to persevere. But most importantly, I think I learned how to be a Black woman in America. I learned that I have something to say and that I should never compromise on my beliefs and always stand up for what I believe in.” Fearce said she talks “every day” with her older sister Chelsea Shelton, another honors college graduate. “She was a great role model to me,” Fearce said. “Watching her work multiple jobs and still excel gave me the motivation to make her proud. I
hope that I inspire my younger siblings in the same way.” She said her experience at Spelman “shaped my life in so many ways. It gave me my best friends and some of the best memories of my life. Spelman had Black men and women as professors, something of which I truly appreciate, as I don’t see that here at Yale at all.” Attending a famed historically Black college was “truly was the best decision I ever made,” Fearce said. Yale Medical School is challenging in new ways. “It is way more than I had ever expected,” she said. “There is an endless amount of information to know.” Fearce’s journey can be an example for others. “People can learn [from my life] that whatever they are going through is only temporary, in most cases,” she told Urban News Service. “I want people to learn that despite what they are going through, they can reach their ultimate goals and that whatever they are experiencing in the moment will only make them stronger. “I understand my privilege,” she said. “Though I grew up poor, I grew up poor in America, and I am afforded so many opportunities to excel. I want people to know that I am always and will forever be on the side of the marginalized and I will do my best as a future physician and just as a person to treat everyone I meet with dignity and respect and try to understand their life experiences.” WI
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before the audience,” she said. “And I teach and challenge my students to do the same.”
the door. But you have to be prepared to strive even harder than you ever imagined and believe that there are no limits to what you can achieve.” While this marks her final season with AAADT, the future looks bright. Boykin will return to the District in August, again at the Kennedy Center, sharing her gifts, talents and experience for the second year in a row with young dancers (ages 9 – 12) in her stead as the Center’s Artistic Lead for the KC Dance Lab – a two-week intensive training seminar which focuses on empowering the youth to be dancers of impact. “Sometimes you have to be willing to create a lane of your own and envision yourself on stage. I’ve celebrated being in my lane and taking my place
The company, whose origins can be traced to 1958 with its founder Alvin Ailey, and later directed by Ailey’s handpicked former standout dancer and choreographer, Judith Jamison, has come to the Kennedy Center on an almost annual basis since the Center’s opening performance in 1971 when AAADT participated in the world premiere of Leonard Bernstein’s “Mass,” choreographed by Ailey. Tickets can be purchased at the Kennedy Center box office, by calling Instant Charge at (202) 467-4600 for those living in the area or at (800) 444-1324 for those residing outside of the DMV. WI
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Dance Theatre of Harlem Brings Black Excellence to Prince George’s County By Lindiwe Vilakazi WI Contributing Writer The theaters of dance worldwide do not often present the regal talent and images of Black professional ballet dancers. But on Saturday, the Center for Performing Arts at Prince George’s Community College in Largo did just that, as the Dance Theatre of Harlem, a 18-member, multi-ethnic company of ballet dancers touring nationally and internationally, continued its 50th anniversary tour with a one-day-only performance. The collective of highly skilled dancers opened the show with a
colorful ensemble of six swaying gracefully across the stage and setting the tone for the acts to follow. The company’s lead choreographers crafted a well-scripted show, incorporating both soft, eloquent routines of classic ballet and closing the show with a few high-energy, sultry sets of dance to the likes of Aretha Franklin and James Brown. The two-hour show had a heavy African American presence as well, a refreshing visual experience in the arena of classical ballet that does not usually host a large number of Black ballerinas worldwide. The company likewise showcased a vast range of diversity
BLACK HISTORY MONTH among its dancers, not only regarding cultural representation but its ratio of male to female members as well. County resident Cheree Sanders, viewing the dance troupe for the first time, said she came out to enjoy the ballet as well as support the new venue in her community. “I love the art, and I think they did an excellent job,” she said. “My favorite part was the soulful part, when they did the dances to Aretha Franklin and James Brown. I thought it was an excellent performance.” The Dance Theatre of Harlem was co-founded by late trailblazer and legendary dancer Arthur Mitchell, who worked to assemble a team and production that could “dance through barriers” (as they call their arts education program) and transform the typical notion of what ballet truly is. The organization stresses that classical ballet belongs to everyone, with no
5 The Dance Theatre of Harlem performs at the Center for Performing
Arts at Prince George’s Community College in Largo, Maryland on February 1. (Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer) boundary of race or gender. The company’s next performance will be on Feb. 4 in Kulz-
town, Pennsylvania, as it continues the anniversary tour throughout April 18. WI
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FEBRUARY 6 - 12, 2020 35
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
James Baldwin’s ‘Amen Corner’: Black Excellence Personified
Shakespeare Theatre Company Takes Us to Church, Feb. 11 - March 15 By D. Kevin McNeir WI Editor @dkevinmcneir In a 1950’s storefront church in Harlem, Pastor Margaret Alexander rails at her congregation for their vices and her teenaged son for his wayward desires. As her son attempts to bond with his ailing father with their common love of jazz, and the gospel choir singing songs of redemption, Pastor Alexander must soon face the music herself when someone reenters her life – a life that once was filled with its own troubles and shadows. James Baldwin’s “The Amen Corner,” which comes to the stage Feb. 11 – March 15 at the Shakespeare Theatre Company [STC] in Northwest, confronts the role of the Black Church in Baldwin’s work, written immediately after his breakthrough novel “Go Tell It on the Mountain.” The play was first adapted for the stage and presented on the campus of Howard University at Spaulding Hall, May 11, 1955 at the urgings of Owen Dodson, a writer and director of the Howard University Players. In the STC production, Whitney White, winner of the Susan Stroman Director Award, makes her Shakespeare Theatre Company directorial debut in this powerful production rich with music, humanity and Baldwin’s lyrical prose. In next week’s edition of The Washington Informer, we chat one-on-one with the amazing director White, along with one of the most versatile actors of this generation, E. Faye Butler and native Washingtonian, actor and singer, Nova Y. Butler.
AMEN, BALDWIN! A LIVING CELEBRATION
In conversation with The Amen Corner, STC will also host a series of special events titled Amen, Baldwin! A Living Celebration throughout February and March. Amen, Baldwin! celebrates the legacy of James Baldwin and his impact upon Washington, D.C., uniting institutions, community partners, and local artists and activists. For more visit: http://www.shakespearetheatre. org/amen-baldwin/ WI
Black Leadership Summit Convenes
5 (L-R) Karen Bass (D-Calif.) chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, Joyce
Birdsong Beatty (D-OH, 3rd District), Steven Alexander Horsford (D-NV, 4th District), and Bonnie M. Watson Coleman (D-NJ, 12thDistrict) members of the Congressional Black Caucus held a press conference to announce a Black Leadership Summit to discuss critical issues of the day: 2020 Census and Voting Rights. (Robert R. Roberts/The Washington Informer
36 - FEBRUARY 6 - 12, 2020
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Professor’s Book Chronicles Struggles, Heroics of Black Women of the Suffrage Movement By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer @StacyBrownMedia This is part of an ongoing Washington Informer series about the Women’s Suffrage Movement and an initiative that includes Informer Publisher Denise Rolark Barnes that will use the lens of history, the fabric of art and culture and the venue of the public square to shine a light into dark places, equipping all with a compass to chart the way forward. The initiative lives in the institutional home of the Washington Informer Charities. As the centennial anniversary of the passing of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States approaches, talk of heroines grows. Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton will likely top the list of names recognized for their fight for women’s suffrage. Their stories have become the standard, but professor Martha S. Jones has continued to show that the overwhelmingly white women’s movement wasn’t the deciding factor that won most Black women the right to vote. Securing those rights required a movement of their own, Jones writes in her forthcoming book, “Vanguard: How Black Women Broke Barriers, Won the Vote, and Fought for Rights for All.” According to her biography, Jones, the Society of Black Alumni Presidential Professor and professor of history at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, is also a legal and cultural historian whose work examines how Black Americas have shaped the story of American democracy. She’s also the author of the 2007 book “All Bound Up Together: The Woman Question in African American Public Culture 1830-1890” and the co-editor of the 2005 book “Toward an Intellectual History of Black Women.” Basic Books, the publisher of “Vanguard,” wrote that Jones “offers a new history of African American women’s political lives in America. She recounts how they defied both racism and sexism to fight for the ballot, and how they wielded political power to secure the equality and dignity of all persons.” From the earliest days of the republic to the passage of the 1965 Voting
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
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5 Martha S. Jones (Photo by Aaron
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Rights Act and beyond, Jones excavates the lives and work of Black women — Maria Stewart, Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, Fannie Lou Hamer and others — who were the vanguard of women’s rights, calling on America to realize its best ideals. In a 2019 essay for The National Endowment of the Humanities, Jones dissected the challenges African Americans faced during and after the suffrage movement. She noted that, in 1923, in the wake of the 19 amendment’s ratification, Hallie Quinn Brown denounced a proposal by the United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC) to dedicate a monument to the mythical Black mammy of the South — a figure in servant’s garb cradling a white infant. “[Hallie Quinn Brown’s] words cut: Rather than loyal supplicants, ‘slave women were brutalized, the victims of white man’s caprice and lust. Often the babe torn from her arms was the child of her oppressor,’” Jones wrote. She noted that, as president of the National Association of Colored Women, Hallie Quinn Brown spoke the thoughts of many thousands, descendants of enslaved women who derided the hypocrisy of white southerners who in “one generation held the Black mammy in abject slavery [and in] the next would erect a monument to her fidelity.” She doubted the “deep reverence and gratitude” professed to undergird the monument. White Southern women would better “make restitution,” Hallie Quinn Brown advised,
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by interceding with their husbands content, and loyal to slaveholders,” Washington Informer | 1/2 pg | 5.85” x 9.5” | 4c | new | and fathers to “with one hand upraised Jones continued. … stop mob rule and lynching.” Although the monument appealed “The ‘mammy’ figure, rather than to Congress, African Americans stood new, was part of a long-standing Lost strong against it, seeing through its iroCause myth that relied on the fiction ny, Jones noted. that enslaved people had been docile, “The ‘mammy’ monument con-
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troversy erupted at a historic crossroads,” she wrote. “It was one part a story about how the UDC promoted the Lost Cause. It was also a story about the emerging power of the NAACP.” WI
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LIFESTYLE Celebrated Journalist Gwen Ifill Honored with Black Heritage Stamp By Sam P.K. Collins WI Contributing Writer @SamPKCollins Over the span of her storied journalism career, Gwen Ifill secured a reputation for upholding the principles of her profession, taking public figures to task and opening doors for future female reporters of color who would follow in her footsteps. That’s why, during a celebratory unveiling of the U.S. Postal Service [USPS]’s Gwen Ifill Forever Stamp, Ifill’s friends, family members and colleagues debated how she might respond, if still alive, to the Trump administration’s marginalization of journalists, particularly Black and female reporters who, like her, did not shy away from the difficult questions. “We all know that Gwen would be using her voice and platform to uphold these important things right now. She would have something to say about the press being cordoned off while trying to cover the impeachment trial,” said Michele Norris, a veteran radio journalist who served as mistress of ceremonies during a dedication ceremony for the 43rd stamp in the USPS Black Heritage Series. “[Gwen] was just 61 when she died in 2016, and the term ‘fake news’ was just being injected into the American vernacular,” Norris said. “She would’ve stomped that out with dignity and facts. She was the voice of calm and integrity and spoke out when she thought the journalism industry was going in the wrong direction.” Ifill joins Harriet Tubman, Ella Baker, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Marvin Gaye, Bessie Coleman, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Anna Julia Cooper, and several other Black historical figures hon-
ored in the Black Heritage Series. During the recent ceremony, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) declared Jan. 30 “Gwen Ifill Day.” The two-hour dedication held at Ifill’s spiritual home, Metropolitan AME Church in Northwest, attracted hundreds of people, including former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, U.S. Rep. Danny Davis (D-Ill. 7th District), U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wis. 4th District) and other elected officials along with a bevy of veteran journalists who, with Ifill, used the National Association of Black Journalists as a vehicle to diversify mainstream newsrooms across the country. Throughout her career, cut short upon her untimely death on November 14, 2016 and which occurred shortly after the election of President Donald J. Trump, Ifill made historic strides within the journalism industry. Months earlier, she and Judy Woodruff, her co-anchor and co-managing editor on PBS NewsHour, broke new ground as the first female duo to moderate a Democratic presidential debate. That milestone followed several others, since her graduation from Simmons College in 1977, including her becoming the first Black woman to host a nationally-televised political talk show in 1999. As the Rev. William H. Lamar IV, pastor of Metropolitan AME Church, told those attending the ceremony, the achievements and accolades which Ifill, the child of an AME minister, garnered never deterred her from embracing her roots. Nor did her many successes cause her to forget the overt racism she often experienced early in her career. “Gwen didn’t accept the tantalizing offer to graduate from her blackness. She found gifted, talented Black
women and opened doors for them that she had to kick down,” Lamar said. “She sat here Sunday after Sunday with no entourage, lending her power. She radiated with the Black dig-
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nity and beauty of our grandmothers and grandfathers when she moderated a press debate and signed off on Washington Weekly. She owed a debt of excellence and paid it in full.” WI
5 The Gwen Ifill Forever Stamp was unveiled at Metropolitan AME Church in Northwest on January 30. (Shevry Lassiter/The Washington Informer)
FEBRUARY 6 - 12, 2020 39
LIFESTYLE
Richmond’s Avenues Honoring Confederate Heroes Now Include Black Images By Dorothy Rowley WI Staff Writer As communities and organizations across the U.S. continue to celebrate Black History Month, two statues which grace Richmond’s historic thoroughfares stand in stark contrast to dozens of controversial Confederate sculptures showcasing white Civil War heroes. One bronze statue pays tribute to Virginia-born, African-American tennis icon Arthur Ashe – erected along the city’s historic Monument Avenue more than two decades
ago – but not before many residents voiced their discontent. The most-recent addition that bears witness to the contributions of the nation’s Black citizens reveals a hoodie-garbed Black man with dreadlocks and Nikes perched atop a horse. The “very different work of art” created by Nigerian-American portrait painter Kehinde Wiley serves as a permanent installment at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts [VMFA] on the newly-named North Arthur Ashe Boulevard which intersects Monument Av-
enue, unveiled before a crowd of supporters that included Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney and Virginia Governor Ralph Northam last December. “In these toxic times, art can help us transform and give us a sense of purpose,” Wilde, 42, said in a statement prior to his famed “Rumors of War” unveiling. “This story begins with my seeing the Confederate monuments,” he said. “What does it feel like if you are Black and walking beneath this? We come from a beautiful, fractured situation. Let’s take these
A KNOCK-YOURSOCKS-OFF DRAMA. “
fractured pieces and put them back together.” According to Richmond’s history, Monument Avenue, where the majority of Civil War statues now stand, traces its origins to 1870 when efforts began in search of a fitting memorial to General Robert E. Lee following his death. Richmond’s leaders had also sought to erect statues for three Virginians who had helped defend the city during the war. Nearly two decades later, city plans showed the proposed site, which consisted of a circle of land, just past the end of West Franklin Street, in a premier residential avenue. VMFA writes that Richmond’s newest Black sculpture, previously unveiled in Times Square on Sep-
tember 27, 2019 in New York City, “commemorates African American youth lost to the social and political battles being waged throughout our nation.” During the unveiling ceremony in Richmond, Stoney said, “It’s taken more than 100 years, but the rest of [our] residents finally have a monument of a man on a horse who looks more like them.” Two other Black statues commemorating the legacies of Bill “Bojangles” Robinson – bestknown for tap dancing his way into history with childhood star Shirley Temple in the 1930s – and entrepreneur Maggie Lena Walker, grace the skyline in Richmond’s bustling historic Jackson Ward communities. WI
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5 A statue honoring Arthur Ashe, the first Black so honored in Richmond, was unveiled nearly 25 years ago along the city’s historic Monument Avenue but not without heated debate among many longtime residents. (D. Kevin McNeir/The Washington Informer)
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Racially Discriminatory Legislation and Policies Must Be Stopped The Unintended Consequences of a Menthol Cigarette Ban to Black America From pro-slavery laws to Jim Crow, to Prohibition, to racial profiling, to Stop-andFrisk, history is clear: racist laws and discriminatory bans have been devastating for Black America.
Today, Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP) and National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) have joined together with other African-American law enforcement executives to call on you - our readers in Black communities across the nation - to see the warning signs of yet another proposed racially discriminatory law: the menthol cigarette ban. It is a well-known fact that over 85 percent of African Americans who smoke prefer menthol cigarettes. There is no factual basis to assert that a menthol cigarette ban will stop African Americans from smoking. In fact, the unintended consequences of such a racially discriminatory ban will set the stage for more negative and more likely counterproductive interactions between law enforcement and African Americans.
While proponents argue that a menthol cigarette ban could encourage menthol cigarette smokers to quit smoking cold-turkey, another possible outcome could be extremely dangerous—the creation of an illicit market. If this happens, illegal sales of menthol cigarettes will likely be concentrated in communities of color, leading to a greater police presence, citations, fines, and arrests for selling a product that for the past 50 years has been legal.
Possible bans on menthol cigarettes are now being considered throughout the United States as add-ons to e-cigarette bans. It must be said that while FDA has deemed teen vaping an “epidemic,” there is no teen menthol cigarette epidemic. The fact is teen cigarette use has steadily been on the decline over the past decade. Recently in New York, the mothers of Trayvon Martin and Eric Garner courageously issued a public statement warning against the consequences of a proposed menthol cigarette ban. Sybrina Fulton and Gwendolyn Carr stated, “When you ban a product sold mostly in Black communities, you must consider the reality of what will happen to that very same over-represented community in the criminal justice system.” Law enforcement leaders like Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP), National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE), Grand Council of Guardians, and National Association of Black Law Enforcement Officers (NABLEO) have stated countless times that a ban on menthol cigarettes will have unintended negative consequences, especially for African Americans.
Over the past 30 years, we have reduced tobacco consumption overall across this country by about 40 percent. And we did not do that with the criminal justice community. We did that with education, we did it with treatment, we did it from a health and educational perspective. Let’s continue with that. Let’s not do something that’s going to end up with these unintended consequences of increasing interaction between police and community members. Major Neill Franklin (Ret.), Executive Director of the Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP): “I dedicated 34 years of my life to public safety, enforcing the laws that our legislators placed before me. That’s what cops do, and we trust that those laws are well thought out, studied and based upon sound data and evidence. As we begin to mirror the days of alcohol prohibition with tobacco bans, expect the violence and corruption that comes with the illicit market and add something else, the over criminalization of the black community.”
Jiles Ship, President of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives – New Jersey (NOBLE): “Banning menthol cigarettes would be a 21st Century attempt at Prohibition, a past failure of government to restrict a previously legal product. As we learned with Prohibition, every time the government tries to ban something, it seems to cause other problems. And unfortunately, a menthol cigarette ban would be another example of government action that disproportionately disrupts the Black community.” Charles Billips, National Chair Person of Grand Council of Guardians, “The first question I asked is how are they going to implement this ban on menthol cigarettes, knowing that a large number of Black and Brown people smoke menthol cigarettes? It would be best to educate the communities on the affect it has on our health instead of a ban enforced through Law Enforcement.”
As The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once prophetically said, “The time is always right to do what is right.” And the right thing to do for our families and communities and for all who stand for freedom, justice and equality is to speak out against all forms of racial discrimination and disproportionate law enforcement, as well as the systems, laws, bans and policies that perpetuate them. We oppose the following bills in the Maryland State Legislature: Maryland House Bill HB3 and Maryland Senate SB233. Speak out against racism. Stand up against discrimination. Let your voices be heard.
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FEBRUARY 6 - 12, 2020 41
LIFESTYLE BLACK AMERICA from Page 1
2019/20 SEASON MATTHEW WHITAKER
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looking at a small oversample to make broad generalizations about what all Black people think, this research captured similarities as well as key differences between subgroups.” Among the findings: Black people in America have different identities and experiences. For example, just 45 percent of those surveyed live in cities. A majority live in suburbs, small towns or rural areas. Twenty-two percent have a fouryear college degree, but another 37 percent have some amount of postsecondary education. Among the employed, one in five works more than one job. A third of people go to church every week.
FEELINGS ABOUT THE 2020 ELECTION VARY.
Forty-six percent identify as strong Democrats, and 57 percent of them are more interested in voting next year than they were in 2016. But this share drops to 34 percent with the one-third of Black people who are less attached to the Democratic Party.
FINANCIAL SITUATIONS AND PRIORITIES DIFFER.
Just 22 percent of Black Americans say their finances have improved over the past two years, but women are 11 points more likely than men to say their situation has worsened. Black people prioritize kitchen-table issues and urgent priorities, but not always the same ones. Women’s top priority is affordable housing while men’s is health care costs.
Just 22 percent of Black Americans say their finances have improved over the past two years, but women are 11 points more likely than men to say their situation has worsened. FEELINGS ABOUT RACE AND RACISM ARE COMPLEX.
Eighty percent of Black Americans say that Trump’s election has made people with racist views more open to expressing them. But college graduates are 19 points more likely to believe this than those with a high school degree or less.
GENTRIFICATION IS AFFECTING PEOPLE IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
Gentrification was brought up by participants in all nine of our focus groups. And views on it vary. Black people who live in suburbs believe gentrification has done more harm than good by 16 points, but this margin narrows to four points among city dwellers.
VIEWS ON VALUES DIFFER BY AGE AND EDUCATION.
Young Black people, especially those with college degrees, are more likely to side with values associated with liberals. For example, those over 55 say you must believe in God to have good morals by a 54-point
margin. But a slim majority of young college graduates reject this notion. Third Way and The Joint Center, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary, said the task for the research initiative was to better understand the attitudes, priorities, and values of Black voters and non-voters across America. In their statement, organization officials said, “Broadly, we found that Black people are politically engaged ahead of the 2020 election. One contributing factor to this is opposition to Trump, a president who most believe has ushered in more racism since he took office.” They said Blacks prioritize kitchen-table economic issues and urgent challenges that are threatening their neighborhoods and want policymakers and candidates to do so as well. And they are in sync with the activist Democratic base on some core values while quite divergent on others. “To address the concerns of Black Americans young and old, urban, suburban, and rural, college-educated and non-college, men and women alike, we must stop painting them with a generic brush and really listen to their experiences, priorities, and values,” researchers said. To view the full report, go to thirdway.org. WI
Stay Informed!
www.washingtoninformer.com 42 - FEBRUARY 6 - 12, 2020
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LIFESTYLE
wi book review “Franchise: The Golden Arches in Black America” By Marcia Chatelain c.2020, Liveright $28.95 336 pages
By Terri Schlichenmeyer WI Contributing Writer Your hand is in the bag again. Those french fries you bought aren’t going to make it home, that’s for sure. You should’ve bought a double order; your burger won’t taste the same without them alongside. Sometimes, a craving hits and that kind of food saves the day; in the new book “Franchise” by Marcia Chatelain, that kind of food once changed neighborhoods. What did you have for lunch today? If you’re like a third of your fellow Americans, you ate lunch or some other meal at a fast-food restaurant. It wasn’t always so: a century ago, cooked ground beef was a food for the lower and working classes, not for the masses. Eventually, though, the taste of a burger and fries won over just about everyone — and then came McDonald’s which, says Chatelain, “has affected the ways Americans eat, play, and work.” The restaurant also affected the civil rights movement — and vice versa. In 1961, after Ray Kroc assumed control of the chain he created, he began flying around the country in search of places to further expand his McDonald’s restaurants. There were already two in the Chicago area and they were profitable. Though both stores were then owned by white men, one store was run by a Black manager; that was fine with Kroc, as long as the place was profitable. The idea of a restaurant that served everyone, regardless of race, intrigued African American southerners who were living under Jim Crow laws. When McDonald’s moved to their areas, segregation was in effect but the Civil Rights movement was coming, along with protests and sit-ins. Kroc tended not to get involved, preferring that franchisees deal with situations on their own. By spring 1968, that was no longer tenable. White-owned restaurants were an “irritation” in Black neighborhoods and after Dr. King was assassinated, resentment boiled over. Kroc decided that it was best to find black franchisees to assume ownership of such restaurants in those areas. So by the end of that year, Herman Petty of Chicago proudly opened the first Black-owned McDonald’s location … With a subtitle of “The Golden Arches in Black America” on the cover of this book, one might think that it would include something about nutrition. It does — but not much, and not until the end. Instead, author Marcia Chatelain uses “Franchise” to focus mostly on a history of the chain itself and its business relationship with the Black community. It’s a 60-year account that’s tasty, but there’s not always a happy story to go along with the Happy Meal, which Chatelain explains, starting at mid-century. It’s a tale of unknowns who are usually unsung, and some that are total surprises; Chatelain also examines oft-told civil rights stories as they relate to the McDonald’s chain, showing history from a different spot at the table. This is not your run-of-the-mill business book, nor is it an everyday history read. It’s actually a little of both, and worth a look. If you’re seeking something to learn and enjoy, “Franchise” has it in the bag. WI
horoscopes
FEB 6 - 12, 2020
ARIES Thoughtfulness can encourage reflection and bring a chance to connect with your deeper feelings on key issues. You might also be more inclined to follow your dreams and spend time exploring their deeper meaning. Watch out for a touch of inspiration and sheer genius midweek when a spirited Mercury-Uranus tie could bring ideas out of the blue. Lucky Numbers: 5, 20, 28 TAURUS The sun in your sector of goals can be an opportunity to shine. Use this time to showcase your best skills. If you sense that it’s time to take a step forward, do your best to impress. Talkative Mercury enters your social sector early in the week, and it can also inspire you to have more fun by making you inquisitive and eager to find out more. Lucky Numbers: 3, 9, 30 GEMINI With dreamy Neptune already in this zone, it can sometimes be difficult to separate what you want from what others want. Lively Mercury could encourage you to look at the facts and apply some common sense. However, you’ll also be more aware of your instinct and sixth sense, and applying both could make it easier to form a sensible strategy. Lucky Numbers: 4, 7, 19 CANCER Inquisitive Mercury moves into your sector of travel and adventure on Monday, and you might be in the mood to expand your options. What is normal and familiar may seem a tad boring, and you might look for fresh alternatives that excite you. Lucky Numbers: 24, 35, 43 LEO While the sun lights up your sector of relating, encouraging you to reach out and connect, inquisitive Mercury moves into a more intense zone on Monday. You may find yourself reflecting on issues that require closure. For this to happen, though, it might help to talk things through with someone you feel comfortable with. It could be a counselor, life coach, or even a friend. Lucky Numbers: 8, 15, 18 VIRGO The illuminating sun is in your lifestyle sector, making this a good opportunity to consider your routines and how you might use them to enhance your life. And with a supermoon, or turbocharged full moon, building up this week and taking place this weekend, this is a prime time to let go of those habits that have been holding you back. Making the intention to adopt a healthier outlook and sticking to it can soon leave you feeling fit and fabulous. Lucky Numbers: 12, 13, 36 LIBRA Indulging in hobbies that you enjoy can recharge and restore you. Plus, romantic options could light up your life, especially since this is the month with Valentine’s Day. Logical Mercury enters your sector of work and service early on, so you may find that getting organized helps you to be more productive. Make lists and timetables, use strategies that can help you stay on track, and you’ll find that your concentration is enhanced and you won’t miss a trick. Lucky Numbers: 15, 42, 50 SCORPIO As articulate Mercury enters your leisure zone on Monday, it encourages you to explore avenues that can inspire and inform. You might benefit from attending cultural events like art exhibitions, concerts, theater, and anything else that you’re drawn to. This is also your romance sector, so you may find you most easily connect with those who share your interests and whose conversation appeals to you. You may be seduced by someone’s mind rather than body. Lucky Numbers: 4, 6, 29 SAGITTARIUS Home and family life perk up this week as convivial Mercury moves into this sector and encourages conversations about key issues. You might also have plans that you’re ready to put into action. These could range from starting a home business to learning more about cooking to getting organized in general. Lucky Numbers: 2, 17, 34 CAPRICORN Sobering Saturn eases away from powerful Pluto in your sign, which indicates that a key issue could seem less fraught. Any pressure you’ve felt might slowly melt away. Plus, with the sun in your money zone, its presence can shed a light on your current situation and encourage you to make wise investments. Lucky Numbers: 29, 39, 41 AQUARIUS With the sun illuminating your sign, you may note a greater sense of confidence and vitality. This is something you can channel into your plans and projects as well as your daily life. Chatty Mercury moves into your money zone on Monday, making this an excellent time to get organized and perhaps create a budget or savings plan. If you’re looking for a special item for the home, you may find exactly what you hope for online. Lucky Numbers: 3, 14, 36 PISCES With the sun continuing in your spiritual zone, you’re still in a phase in which you may benefit from reflection and tying up loose ends. This can be an opportunity to let go of emotional baggage that may have snarled up your efforts in the past. Talkative Mercury moves into your sign on Monday, though, so you may be able to give voice to your dreams and any ideas you’ve been hatching over recent days and weeks. Lucky Numbers: 4, 6, 31
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FEBRUARY 6 - 12, 2020 43
SPORTS For more photos, visit www.washingtoninformer.com
Scenes from Super Bowl LIV (Photos by Gregory Reed)
DC Defenders Gear Up for Home Opener WI Staff Report
Six days after the NFL season ended with the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory, more football will be played Saturday, Feb. 8 in the District. The DC Defenders, one of the eight teams in the revamped XFL, will host the Seattle Dragons at 2 p.m. at Audi Field in Southwest, home to the DC United soccer team. Some players on the Defenders roster includes Cardale Lake, the former Ohio State quarterback who played in the 2015 college football championship game against the Marcus Mariota and the University of Oregon. Another player, Derrick Hayward, played tight end at the University of Maryland in College Park from 201317. World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) CEO Vince McMahon,
44 - FEBRUARY 6 - 12, 2020
along with Alpha Entertainment, invested in the pro football venture that will be televised on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, Fox and Fox Sports 1. The previous XFL league faltered in 2001 when McMahon attempted to compete with the NFL by focusing more on gimmicks than gameplay. According to ESPN.com, McMahon invested $100 million of WWE stock into this season’s league, which will last for 10 weeks with playoffs on April 18-19 and the championship game April 26. The Defenders will be in a the league’s four-team East division, along with the New York Guardians, St. Louis BattleHawks and Tampa Bay Vipers. Seattle is joined in the West division by the Dallas Renegades, Houston Roughnecks and Los Angeles Some plays pro football fans don’t see in the NFL will be on display in
the XFL. For instance, there will be multiple forward passes, no extra-point kicks after touchdowns and the clock will stop after each play in the final two minutes of each half. In regard to point-after-touchdown attempts, teams will have three options: running a play from scrimmage at the two-yard line, worth one point; from the five-yard line for two points; or from the 10-yard line for three points. “In all four scrimmage games, we averaged 173 plays. There is going to be one or two delay-of-game [penalties], which isn’t the worst thing in the world,” XFL CEO and Commissioner Oliver Luck said Jan. 25 on the league website. “By and large, players were cognizant of the rules because they’ve been working on them since early December.” To view the Defenders schedule, go to xfl.com. WI
5 DC Defenders quarterback Cardale Jones (Courtesy of DC Defenders)
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SPORTS
Lady Bears Maul Bison 6 Howard Bison guard Ayonna Williams is pressured by Morgan State Bears forward Charity Barnes during Morgan State’s 68-52 win at Burr Gymnasium in Northwest on Saturday, Feb. 1. (John E. De Freitas/The Washington Informer)
5 Howard Bison guard Iyanna Warren drives against Morgan State Bears guard Jihayah Chavis during Morgan State’s 68-52 win at Burr Gymnasium in Northwest on Saturday, Feb. 1. (John E. De Freitas/The Washington Informer) 5 Howard Bison forward Imani Bryant drives past a Morgan State Bears defender during Morgan State’s 68-52 win at Burr Gymnasium in Northwest on Saturday, Feb. 1. (John E. De Freitas/the Washington Informer)
Morgan State Defuses HU Comeback
5 Morgan State Bears guard Stanley Davis defends Howard Bison guard Wayne Bristol Jr. shot during Morgan State’s 89-83 win at Burr Gymnasium in Northwest on Saturday, Feb. 1. (John E. De Freitas/ The Washington Informer) 3 Howard Bison guard Nate Garvey shoots over a Morgan State Bears defender during Morgan State’s 89-83 win at Burr Gymnasium in Northwest on Saturday, Feb. 1. (John E. De Freitas/The Washington Informer) 4 Morgan State Bears forward David Syfax Jr. attempts to take a charge from Howard Bison guard Charles Williams during Morgan State’s 89-83 win at Burr Gymnasium in Northwest on Saturday, Feb. 1. (John E. De Freitas/The Washington Informer)
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FEBRUARY 6 - 12, 2020 45
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5 Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton speaks during the Black History Month kick-off at the African American Civil War Museum on February 1. (Roy Lewis/The Washington Informer)
CIVIL WAR from Page 1 D.C.-area figures, as well as remind participants of the work left to do in preserving the protections that define American citizenship for Black people. While much of the focus centered on voting rights, Black History Community Award honoree Rev. Dr. Sandra Butler-Truesdale spoke about what she described as the District’s health care crisis, by which she has been affected. Moments after basking in her accolades, Butler-Truesdale made known her intentions to tackle this issue with the help of fellow award recipient Ambrose Lane Jr. of D.C.’s Health Alliance Network. “I [recently] sat in the GW emergency room for 28 hours. One of my musicians sat in the emergency room for three days,” Truesdale, principal/curator of the Emma Mae Gallery, told audience members at the African-American Civil War Museum in Northwest on Saturday afternoon. “I’m working [with Lane and Joni Eisenberg] to make some changes. The fight has just begun. “I’m here to fight and [African-American Civil War Museum founding Director] Frank Smith knows when I start fighting, we just want to get the battle going,” said Butler-Truesdale, also a founder of DC Legendary Musicians Inc. The citywide Black History Celebration Kickoff, sponsored by the
DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities and the DC Black History Celebration Committee, counts as the first of several educational and cultural events scheduled to take place in the District throughout the month. As detailed in a widely circulated booklet, festivities will wrap up Feb. 29 with a tribute to Black Broadway on U Street, scheduled to take place at the Lincoln Theatre. On Feb. 1, D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) spoke about an upcoming markup of D.C. statehood legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives, and Ashley Emerson, executive director of the Mayor’s Office on African American Affairs, read aloud a proclamation issued by Mayor Muriel Bowser (D). Along with Butler-Truesdale and Lane, Jeffrey A. Banks, vice president for commercial services for United Bank, and Humanities DC Executive Director Joy Ford Austin also received the Black History Community Award for their work in the banking and arts sectors, respectively. They, too, didn’t shy away from highlighting policy related to their industries. Banks in particular stressed that Black-owned businesses had resources within the District government to increase their capacity to hire returning citizens and other marginalized groups within the Black community.
Earlier in the program, Frank Smith revealed major construction on the grounds of the African American Civil War Museum, scheduled for completion before the 2021 Black History Month celebration. By that time, a newly erected statue of President Abraham Lincoln signing the Emancipation Proclamation would face the African American Civil War Memorial, located across the street from the museum. Anticipated exhibits include one highlighting former first lady Michelle Obama’s lineage from enslavement to the White House, and the voting rights legacy of Black soldiers who fought in the Civil War. In his keynote address, historian C.R. Gibbs framed the Black freedom struggle internationally, showing the audience at the African-American Civil War Museum that much of what Black people in the United States created and fought for, they brought from the motherland. “It’s important to understand that there are African [survivors] in American culture,” Gibbs said Saturday shortly before imploring young people to read. “Where we had the chance and made the space, we brought our traditions and cultures here. In New England, that even meant [electing] our own chiefs and governors. Our familiarity with the vote is not an American concoction, but known to some societies in Africa.”
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RELIGION the religion corner WITH LYNDIA GRANT
A ‘Bloody’ Red Summer
A Facebook post I read on the first day of Black History Month linked to an article published by The Grio, titled “Hundreds of Black men, women and children burned alive, shot, lynched white mobs during Red Summer.” The title alone captured my attention. It is a true story about America in the summer of 1919 and how the streets in cities across the nation ran red with blood from racial violence, and yet today, 100 years later, not many people know it even happened. It rolled right through, in small towns like Elaine, Arkansas, in medium-size places such as Annapolis, Maryland, and Syracuse, New York, and in big cities like Washington and Chicago. Hundreds of African American men, women and children were burned alive, shot, lynched or beaten to death by white mobs. Thousands saw their homes and businesses burned to the ground and were driven out, many never to return.
It was branded “Red Summer” because of the bloodshed and amounted to some of the worst white-on-black violence in U.S. history. Beyond the lives and family fortunes lost, it had far-reaching repercussions, contributing to generations of black distrust of white authority. But it also galvanized blacks to defend themselves and their neighborhoods with fists and guns; reinvigorated civil rights organizations like the NAACP. Researchers believe that in a span of 10 months, more than 250 African Americans were killed in at least 25 riots across the U.S. by white mobs that never faced punishment. Historian John Hope Franklin called it “the greatest period of interracial strife the nation has ever witnessed.” The bloodshed was the product of a collision of social forces: Black men were returning from World War I expecting the same rights they had fought and bled for in Europe, and African Americans were moving north to escape the brutal Jim Crow laws of the South. Whites saw blacks as competition for jobs, homes and political power. “Ethnic cleansing was the goal of the white rioters,” said William Tuttle, a retired professor of American studies at the University of Kansas and author of “Race Riot: Chicago
Mt. Zion Baptist Church
in the Red Summer of 1919.” “They wanted to kill as many black people as possible and to terrorize the rest until they were willing to leave and live someplace else.” In 1919 alone, violence erupted in such places as New York; Memphis, Tennessee; Philadelphia; Charleston, South Carolina; Baltimore; New Orleans; Wilmington, Delaware; Omaha, Nebraska; New London, Connecticut; Bisbee, Arizona; Longview, Texas; Knoxville, Tennessee; Norfolk, Virginia; and Putnam County, Georgia. In the nation’s capital, white mobs — many made up of members of the military — rampaged over the weekend of July 19-22, beating any black they could find after false rumors of a white woman being assaulted by black men spread. “In front of the Riggs Bank the rioters beat a Negro with clubs and stones wrapped in handkerchiefs; the bleeding figure lay in the street for over twenty minutes before being taken to the hospital,” Lloyd M. Abernethy wrote in the Maryland Historical Magazine in 1963. “Sensing the failure of the police, the mob became even more contemptuous of authority — two Negroes were attacked and beaten directly in front of the White House.”
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.
LYNDIA Page 54
(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 6 - 12, 2020 47
RELIGION The Miracle Center of Faith Missionary Baptist Church
Pilgrim Baptist Church
Bishop Michael C. Turner, Sr. Senior Pastor
Rev. Louis B. Jones II Pastor
9161 Hampton Overlook Capitol Heights, MD 20743 Phone: 301-350-2200 / Fax: 301-499-8724
700 I Street, N.E. Washington, D.C. 20002 (202) 547-8849
Service and Times Sunday Worship Times : 7:30 AM 7 10:00 AM Communion: 1st Sunday Sunday School: 9:00 AM Bible Study: Wednesday, 12 Noon Bible Study in homes: Tuesday 7:00 PM
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
Rev. Dr. Alice Greene Interim Pastor
Bishop Lanier C. Twyman, Sr. Senior Pastor
Rev. Cheryl J. Sanders, Th.D. Senior Pastor
4001 14th Street, NW Washington, DC 20011 (202) 265-6147 Office 1-800 576-1047 Voicemail/Fax
3845 South Capitol Street Washington, DC 20032 (202) 562-5576 (Office) / (202) 562-4219 (Fax)
5757 Temple Hill Road, Temple Hills, MD 20748 Office 301-899-8885 – fax 301-899-2555 Services and Times Sunday Early Morning Worship: 7:45 AM Church School: 9:30 AM Sunday Morning Worship: 10:45 AM Tuesday: 7:00pm/Kingdom Building Bible Institute Wednesday , 12:30 PM Mid-Day Bible Study Wednesday: Prayer/Praise/Bible Study-7:30 PM Baptism & Communion Service: 4th Sunday – 10:30 AM
1204 Third Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 202-347-5889 office / 202-638-1803 fax
Service and Times Sunday School: 9:30 AM Sunday Morning Worship Service: 11:00 AM Communion Service: First Sunday Prayer Service/Bible Study: Tuesday, 6:30 PM
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
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
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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. Reginald M. Green Interim Pastor
Web: www.mountmoriahchurch.org Email: mtmoriah@mountmoriahchurch.org
St. Matthews Baptist Church
Emmanuel Baptist Church
King Emmanuel Baptist Church
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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 6 - 12, 2020 49
LEGAL NOTICES
LEGAL NOTICES
LEGAL NOTICES
LEGAL NOTICES
LEGAL NOTICES
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION 2020 NRT 000001
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
2019 ADM 001404
2020 ADM 000004
2019 ADM 001397
Charlotte H. L. Hughes Name of Deceased Settlor
2019 ADM 001303
Edith A. Watkins Decedent
Vera Jean Rogers aka Vera J. Rogers Decedent
Ellaretta P. Matthews Decedent
NOTICE OF EXISTENCE OF REVOCABLE TRUST
Steve Larson-Jackson 1629 K Street, NW Suite 300 Washington, DC 20006 Attorney
Caren M. Webb, Esq. 1308 Ninth Street, NW, Suite 250 Washington, DC 20001 Attorney
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Diane P. W. Barker, whose address is 3351 Brothers Place, SE Washington, DC 20032, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Edith A. Watkins who died on December 22, 2019 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 7/23/2020. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 7/23/2020, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 1/23/2020 Diane P. W. Barker Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Acting Register of Wills Washington Informer
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Constance R. Williams, whose address is 13017 Broadmore Road, Silver Spring, Maryland 20904, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Vera Jean Rogers aka Vera J. Rodgers who died on October 31, 2019 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before July 23, 2020. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before July 23, 2020, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 1/23/2020 Constance R. Williams Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Acting Register of Wills Washington Informer
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
2020 FEP 000003
2020 ADM 000018
July 21, 2017 Date of Death
Daphne O. Tuah Decedent
Barry Stuart Engel aka Barry S. Engel aka Barry Engel Name of Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS Marsha S. Engel, whose address is 7751 East 6th Avenue, Denver, CO 80230 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Barry Stuart Engel aka Barry S. Engel aka Barry Engel, deceased, by the Probate Court for Denver County, State of Colorado, on August 8, 2017. Service of process may be made upon Antonoplos & Associates Attorneys at Law at 1725 DeSales Street, NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20036 whose designation as District of Columbia agent has been filed with the Register of Wills, D.C. The decedent owned the following District of Columbia real estate. 2/3 interest in 539 Randolph Street, NW, #3, Washington, DC 20011 The decedent owned District of Columbia personal property. Claims against the decedent may be presented to the undersigned and filed with the Register of Wills of the District of Columbia, 515 5th Street, NW, Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001 within 6 months from the date of first publication of this notice. Date of first publication: 1/30/2020
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Maria Tuah Roxbury, whose address is 3826 2nd Street, Baltimore, MD 21225, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Daphne O. Tuah who died on November 27, 2019 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 7/30/2020. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 7/30/2020, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 1/30/2020 Maria Tuah Roxbury Personal Representative
Marsha S. Engel Personal Representative
TRUE TEST COPY
Nicole Stevens Acting Register of Wills
Nicole Stevens Acting Register of Wills
Washington Informer
Washington Informer
50 - FEBRUARY 6 - 12, 2020
Florence Stewart, whose address is 15277 Bowmans Folly Dr., Manassas VA, 20112, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Ellaretta P. Matthews who died on December 20, 2019 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 7/23/2020. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 7/23/2020, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 1/23/2020 Florence Stewart Personal Representative
Charlotte H. L. Hughes (name of deceased settlor), whose address was 644 Kenyon Street, NW, Washington, DC 20010, created a revocable trust on April 4, 2011, which remained in existence on the date of her death on September 23, 2019, and Milsun Isaac Butler, whose address is 644 Kenyon Street NW, Washington DC 20010, is the currently acting trustee, hereinafter the Trustee. Communications to the Trust should be mailed or directed to Milsun Isaac Butler at c/o Attorney Ethel Mitchell, 8403 Colesville Rd., Suite 1100, Silver Spring, MD 20910 The Trust is subject to claims of the deceased settlor’s creditors, costs of administration of the settlor’s estate, the expense of the deceased settlor’s funeral and disposal of remains, and statutory allowances to a surviving spouse and children to the extent the deceased settlor’s residuary probate estate is inadequate to satisfy those claims, costs, expenses, and allowances. Claims of the deceased settlor’s creditors are barred as against the Trustee and the trust property unless presented to the Trustee at the address provided herein on or before 7/23/2020 (6 months after the date of the first publication of this notice.) An action to contest the validity of this trust must be commenced by the earliest of (1), 9/23/2020 (One year from date of death of deceased settlor) (2), 7/23/2020 (6 months from the date of first publication of this notice) or (3) Ninety days after the Trustee sends the person a copy of the trust instrument and a notice informing the person of the trust’s existence, of the Trustee’s name and address, and of the time allowed for commencing a proceeding. The Trustee may proceed to distribute the trust property in accordance with the terms of the trust before the expiration of the time within which an action must be commenced unless the Trustee knows of a pending judicial proceeding contesting the validity of the trust or the Trustee has received notice from a potential contestant who thereafter commences a judicial proceeding within sixty days after notification. This Notice must be mailed postmarked within 15 days of its first publication to each heir and qualified beneficiary of the trust and any other person who would be an interested person within the meaning of D.C. Code 20-101(d). Date of First Publication: 1/23/2020 Milsun Isaac Butler Signature of Trustee
TRUE TEST COPY
TRUE TEST COPY
Nicole Stevens Acting Register of Wills
Nicole Stevens Acting Register of Wills
Washington Informer
Washington Informer
Winnifred E. Greaves aka Winnifred Eleith Greaves Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Arthur Lindo and Joan Lindo, whose addresses are 122 Bullard Circle, Rockville, MD 20850 and 315 Peabody St., NW, Washington, DC 20011, was appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of Winnifred E. Greaves aka Winnifred Eleith Greaves who died on September 4, 2019 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 7/23/20. 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 7/23/20, 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: 1/23/2020 Arthur Lindo Joan Lindo Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Acting Register of Wills Washington Informer
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
2020 ADM 000012
2019 ADM 000814
2020 ADM 00008
Douglas E. Moore aka Douglas Elane Moore Decedent
Helen Greene aka Helen P. Greene aka Helen Pillmon Greene Decedent
Maurice Leatherman Decedent
Howard Haley, Esq. 7600 Georgia Ave., NW Suite 405 Washington, DC 20012 Attorney
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Doris E. Hughes-Moore, whose address is 7114 Alaska Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20012, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Douglas E. Moore aka Douglas Elane Moore who died on August 22, 2019 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 8/6/2020. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 8/6/2020, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Earlease Jackson and Tangent Askew, whose address is 8216 Harvest Bend Lane, Laurel, MD 20707, were appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of Helen Greene aka Helen P. Greene aka Helen Pillmon Greene who died on February 1, 2018 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 8/6/2020. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 8/6/2020, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.
Date of first publication: 2/6/2020
Date of first publication: 2/6/2020
Doris E. Hughes-Moore Personal Representative
Earlease Jackson Tangent Askew Personal Representative
TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Acting Register of Wills Washington Informer
TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Acting Register of Wills Washington Informer
Age: 92 Marquita Moye, Esq. 504 Brummel Court, NW Washington, DC 20012 Attorney
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Lynn Leatherman Lybrand, whose address is 3617 Licata Court, Punta Gorda, Florida 33950, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Maurice Leatherman who died on July 7, 2019 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 8/6/2020. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 8/6/2020, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 2/6/2020 Lynn Leatherman Lybrand Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Acting Register of Wills Washington Informer
THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM
LEGAL NOTICES
LEGAL NOTICES
Superior Court of the District of Columbia
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
Case No. 2019 DRB 003191
2020 ADM 000010
NATASHA RUCKER, Plaintiff
Odelle S. Thomas Decedent
Versus JASON CONRAD POOLE, Defendant
Next Event: Initial Hearing on March 10, 2020 at 11:30 a.m. in Courtroom 104 (500 Indiana Ave NW, Washington, DC 20001)
NOTICE TO DEFENDANT JASON CONRAD POOLE The object of this action is Plaintiff Natasha Rucker’s Complaint for Absolute Divorce from Defendant Jason Conrad Poole, filed
September 9, 2019. Upon the Court’s Order Granting Plaintiff’s Motion to Authorize Service by Publication, filed January 3, 2020, it is this 8th day of January 2020, hereby ORDERED,
that Defendant Jason Conrad Poole cause his appearance to be entered on or before March 10, 2020; that the Court will
hold a further initial hearing on March 10, 2020 at 11:30 a.m.
Howard Haley, Esq. The Haley Firm, PC 7600 Georgia Ave., NW #405 Washington, DC 20012 Attorney
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Stephanie D. Bell, whose address is 2312 Hawks Landing Ct., Waldorf, MD 20601, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Odelle S. Thomas who died on October 8, 2019 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 8/6/2020. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 8/6/2020, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.
CL ASSIFIEDS
CL ASSIFIEDS
CL ASSIFIEDS
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in Courtroom 104 at 500 Indiana Avenue, NW, Washington,
Date of first publication: 2/6/2020
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Defendant Jason Conrad Poole does not appear at the hearing
Stephanie D. Bell Personal Representative
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DC 20001 regarding Plaintiff’s request for divorce; and that if or otherwise respond to Plaintiff’s complaint, the Court may
issue a judgement by default on Plaintiff’s complaint on that
date without further proceedings. SO ORDERED. Elizabeth C. Wingo, D.C. Superior Court Judge.
TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Acting Register of Wills Washington Informer
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
2020 FEP 000005
2020 ADM 000045
November 22, 1998 Date of Death
Nathaniel O. Jackson Decedent Howard Haley, Esq. The Haley Firm, PC 7600 Georgia Ave, NW #405 Washington, DC 20012 Attorney
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Brian C. Jenkins, whose address is 2213 Gaylord Dr., Suitland, MD 20746, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Nathaniel O. Jackson who died on May 18, 1997 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 8/6/2020. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 8/6/2020, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 2/6/2020 Brian C. Jenkins Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Acting Register of Wills Washington Informer
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
Jeralee G. Richmond Name of Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS John M. Garner, II whose address is 1208 D Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Jeralee G. Richmond, deceased, by the Orphans Court for Prince Georges County, State of Maryland, on December 27, 2019. Service of process may be made upon Nakia V. Gray, Esq. 800 Maine Ave., SW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20024 whose designation as District of Columbia agent has been filed with the Register of Wills, D.C. The decedent owned the following District of Columbia real estate. 511 21st Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002 Claims against the decedent may be presented to the undersigned and filed with the Register of Wills of the District of Columbia, 515 5th Street, NW, Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001 within 6 months from the date of first publication of this notice. Date of first publication: 1/30/2020 John M. Garner, II Personal Representative Nicole Stevens Acting Register of Wills Washington Informer
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dent to give the Address, and U.S. lawmakers still battling over what many viewed as a sham impeachment trial in the Senate, an uneasy tone dominated the Address. Even beforehand, several prominent Democratic lawmakers decided not to attend. “To think that I would attend the State of the Union to hear the message of an impeached president is a thought that in no way would be consistent with my fight and struggle against this dishonorable president,” Rep. Maxine Waters (D-California) said in a statement. “I will certainly not be there,” she stated. Others echoed her sentiments. “Because of an impeached, reckless, ruthless, lawless, shameless,
corrupt and unapologetically bigoted president who’s still engaging in a coverup, the state of the House, the state of the Senate and the State of the Union are divided,” said Rep. Al Green (D-Texas). “I will not attend the State of the Union,” Green stated. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York), Ayanna Pressley (D-Massachusetts), Steve Cohen (D-Tennessee), Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon), Hank Johnson (D-Georgia) and Frederica Wilson (D-Florida) also declined to attend. “After much deliberation, I have decided that I will not use my presence at a state ceremony to normalize Trump’s lawless conduct and subversion of the Constitution,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote on
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“After much deliberation, I have decided that I will not use my presence at a state ceremony to normalize Trump’s lawless conduct and subversion of the Constitution. None of this is normal, and I will not legitimize it.” – ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ
Twitter. “None of this is normal, and I will not legitimize it.” On the eve of Senate Republicans “covering up transgressions and spreading misinformation, I cannot in good conscience attend a sham State of the Union when I have seen firsthand the damage Donald J. Trump’s rhetoric and policies have inflicted on those I love and those I represent,” Pressley said in a statement. The Address, which he promised would be “low key, served as Trump’s third State of the Union. He claimed responsibility for reviving America, making it great again. “In just three short years, we have shattered the mentality of American decline, and we have rejected the downsizing of America’s destiny. We have totally rejected the downsizing,” Trump said. “We are moving forward at a pace that was unimaginable just a short time ago and we are never going back.” Trump said his tax cuts, the new North American Free Trade Agreement and a partial trade agreement with China, should be viewed as keys to America’s success. “To those watching at home tonight, I want you to know: We will never let socialism destroy American health care,” he said. At one point during the Address, Democrats shouted Trump down Trump when he spoke of lowering prescription drug costs. They yelled “H.R. 3,” a bill that passed the House in 2019 that would reduce drug costs but has been stalled by Republicans in the Senate. He also derided those who sanction Sanctuary Cities. “The United States of America should be a sanctuary for law-abiding Americans, not criminal aliens,” Trump stated. WI
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diverting funds from the military to build his wall, cutting off Obamacare that helps the non-rich afford health coverage, raiding budgets for the homeless, the hungry, the sick to continue the transference of wealth to his Billionaire club. Also, he can continue purging from the Executive Branch, the Diplomatic Corps and the military all who dare not kowtow to his demands. Recent tapes show that Trump ordered Parnas “to take her out,” a reference to Ukraine Ambassador Marie Yovanivitch who was criticizing Trump’s move to stop the much-needed aid to Ukraine. Some noted that phrase has been associated with Mafia activities and the ambassador, herself, said she felt threatened. There, of course, is still one cliffhanger. About 70 percent of those polled said they wanted the GOP controlled Senate to allow crucial witnesses and documents. And if the public remains unwilling to be governed by a monarchy rather than a democracy, the Trump kingdom can still come down. WI
firsthand witness with a new soon to be published book that reportedly said he was a witness to the taxpayer funds being illegally used as a weapon to force Ukrainian officials to help Trump. And, as Pelosi has said, “all roads lead to Russia.” In 2016, Trump publicly called upon Russia to find thousands of his opponent Hillary’s emails and reports show that they hacked into cores of strategic websites and used fake websites to create chaos in tightly contested voting sites. So now with all the rigmarole, it should not be forgotten that the Ukraine mess where U.S. taxpayers funds were used to try to force Ukrainian military officials to “dig up dirt,” on his main rival Joe Biden also had a pro-Russian benefit. Witnesses before the House of Representatives, such as the acting chief Ukraine envoy, testified that Russia was the chief beneficiary of Trump’s decision to hold up military aid to Ukraine. “Our holding up of security sys-
Representatives, such as the acting chief Ukraine envoy, testified that Russia was the chief beneficiary of Trump’s decision to hold up military aid to Ukraine. tems that would go to a country that is fighting aggression from Russia for no good policy reason, no good substantive reason, no good national security reason is wrong,” said former ambassador William Taylor. Aside from Trump acting as if he is more of an agent of Russia’s Putin than the president of his own citizens, there is so much a king can do that a president who is accountable to legalities could not do. First of all, Trump can and will use any means to stay in office and fuel his private agenda. That could mean starting wars, draining tax funds from states trying to correct voting irregularities,
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the way players controlled the path of their own careers, orchestrating a deal among teams that landed him with the Lakers, his preferred franchise. He will be included on every list of all-time great athletes, of those who transformed the game. But to be remembered as a devoted father, and an unapologetic champion of opportunity for his own children and everyone else’s, is his unique and loving legacy. Our hearts go out to Vanessa Bryant and her daughters, as well as the families of all the others lost in the crash. WI
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of women’s basketball, both college and professional, often using his immense social media following as a platform to promote it. In one of his final interviews, he insisted that some of the WNBA’s top players — Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore and Elena Della Donne — could play in the NBA. And he wasn’t just a cheerleader for women in sports. As a coach to Gigi’s youth basketball team, he was actively helping to create the next generation of stars. The helicopter crashed en route to a youth basket-
ball tournament, and the other six passengers included two of Gianna’s teammates, their parents, an assistant girls’ basketball coach, and the pilot. Bryant was more than just an extraordinary basketball player. The first guard ever to enter the NBA directly from high school, he was seen as a bridge between the old guard, represented by Michael Jordan, and the new, embodied by LeBron James. Just the day before he died, Bryant tweeted his congratulations to James on surpassing Bryant’s career total of 33,643 points. His career represented a change in
ber says we must have “righteous indignation” about poverty. Instead, we seem to accept poverty as something we can do nothing about. We walk by homeless people on the street, drive past homeless encampments under freeways. Some of us turn up our noses and are appalled by the odors that some homeless emit without wondering why there are odors and whether there are places where they can get showers or a bath. Some of us find the homeless “unsightly” and lobby to have them moved from visible commercial corridors and upscale
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they would reduce or eliminate it. Speeches and debates go by with nary a mention of poverty. The candidates who choose to ignore poverty seem to forget that poor people vote. Or perhaps they are counting on poor people to be absent from the polls, especially when some forms of voter suppression require voters to incur additional costs to vote. Between 2016 and 2018, hundreds of polling places were closed, and if some have their way, there will be even fewer in 2020. Our electoral system is biased against Black people, Brown people, poor people. WI
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neighborhoods to places where we don’t have to look at or think about their plight. But homelessness is the most visible manifestation of poverty. And when we endeavor to render the homeless invisible, we are also attempting to eliminate the scourge of poverty. Dr. Martin Luther King once called poverty “an abomination” and compared it to cannibalism. Just a few weeks ago, we celebrated Dr. King’s birthday, but there were too few mentions of poverty. Indeed, while some of the presidential candidates have paid attention to economic structure, fewer have candidly discussed ways
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54 - FEBRUARY 6 - 12, 2020
fund. And, in the last decade, more than $165 Billion in federal aid has been directed to airports for improvement projects at America’s largest 30 airports alone. Some of these projects have been completed. Others are currently underway. And some have received approval to move forward in the coming months. For example, Los Angeles International Airport and New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport are both undergoing multi-billion-dollar upgrades. Smaller facilities like the Long Island MacArthur Airport and the Shawnee Regional Airport are also upgrading their terminals and runways.
The bottom line, then, is that there is no substantive basis for a fee hike. And it makes even less sense politically. With Election Day just months away, most lawmakers will likely make the safe calculation and reject any proposed hike presented on the floor for a vote, lest they stir a voter backlash. Yet it should be worrisome that House Democratic leaders appear willing to put a fee hike on the table for consideration. It could be nothing more than a trial balloon released in an attempt to test whether rank-and-file lawmakers have the stomach for taking up such a measure in an election year. But even if it is just that, there’s still reason for
concern, given that even unpopular ideas have a way of gaining sudden momentum in the topsy-turvy politics of Congress. Air travel remains one of the most popular and necessary forms of transportation because it is relatively safe and convenient. But it should not become more expensive because a hidden tax that few people expected is added. Congress should not put air travel out of the reach of American families who are still trying to get out of poverty. Thus, increasing taxes on airline tickets won’t fly for Black Americans and won’t fly for all others who believe in economic fairness and equality of opportunity. WI
The reason that Trump with-
every single day,” said Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), according to The Hill. “So I expect he’ll use the State of the Union to lie about everything he’s doing.” And that’s exactly what he did: thumping his chest about the economy which is running on a borrowed dime, and lying, and exaggerating all the facts about everything going on in the world, so all will appear to favor Trump, Trump, Trump, with a gaggle of sycophantic senators lapping it all up. It’s really disgusting. “I’ve never seen a more insufferable & pathetic group of Sen-
ators than those in the GOP,” said Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) via Twitter. “They’ve chosen to strap themselves to a corrupt con man they KNOW is guilty. They’re all cowards. None of them belong in the Senate. They should go home and grow a backbone!” So, the State of the Union is not only led by a despotic ruler, whose power now approaches being unchecked, but the country is woefully divided, with a crook at the reins of power. The failed impeachment was a chance to save the union, and it failed. The lead House impeachment manager, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), stated the nation’s dilemma in simple terms: “If right doesn’t matter — if right doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter how good the Constitution is. It doesn’t matter how brilliant the Framers were,” Schiff said in his impeachment closing argument. “Doesn’t matter how good or bad our advocacy in this trial is. Doesn’t matter how well written the oath of impartiality is. If right doesn’t matter, we’re lost. If the truth doesn’t matter, we’re lost.” WI
every moment to be lynched myself.” In Elaine, Arkansas, poor black sharecroppers who had dared to join a union were attacked, and at least 200 African Americans were killed. Ida B. Wells, a pioneering black journalist and one of the few reporters to interview victims, noted a woman named Lula Black was dragged from her farm by a white mob after saying she would join the union.
“They knocked her down, beat her over the head with their pistols, kicked her all over the body, almost killed her, then took her to jail,” Wells wrote in her report, “The Arkansas Race Riot.” “The same mob went to Frank Hall’s house and killed Frances Hall, a crazy old woman housekeeper, tied her clothes over her head, threw her body in the public road where it lay thus exposed till the soldiers came Thursday evening and took it up.” WI
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ASKIA from Page 31 required to pay back $25 million to students defrauded from a fake university, who didn’t bankrupt a handful of casinos. He is a poster child for the type of person you don’t want in office. But it’s not just The Donald who’s a bad example, a majority of the U.S. Senate — the socalled “world’s greatest deliberative body” — concluded after a thorough presentation of some of his gross misdeeds that the witnesses and documents that would prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that this guy is a crook, the Senate agreed to acquit him, without even insisting on investigating all the facts. That’s because the more the charges against him are studied, the more incriminating evidence will be found. The reason that Trump withheld documents, and blocked folks in his administration from testifying because he knows if they tell the truth, they will only make him look guiltier than folks already know him to be. “[Trump’s] an unhinged, lawless person who lies
LYNDIA from Page 47 Carter G. Woodson, the historian who founded Black History Month in 1926, saw the violence up close. “They had caught a Negro and deliberately held him as one would a beef for slaughter, and when they had conveniently adjusted him for lynching, they shot him,” Woodson wrote. “I heard him groaning in his struggle as I hurried away as fast as I could without running, expecting
held documents, and blocked folks in his administration from testifying because he knows if they tell the truth, they will only make him look guiltier than folks already know him to be.
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