The Washington Informer - January 16, 2020 by The Washington Informer

Vol. 55, No. 14 • January 16 - 22, 2020

Ulysses Currie, ‘Dean of Senators’ Laid to Rest

Step Afrika! Step Xplosion / Page 38

Debate Continues Over Impact, Relevance of ‘Just Mercy’ Smithsonian Screening, Discussion Shed Light on Biased Judicial System By D. Kevin McNeir WI Editor @dkevinmcneir Hundreds of area residents swarmed into the Smithsonian on Saturday, Jan. 11 anxious to be part of an evening both revelatory and painful with a screening of the powerful film, “Just Mercy” and a discussion between Black scholar, Dr. Henry Louis Gates and the author of the book on whose life the film is based, attorney Bryan Stevenson, founder of the Equal Justice Initiative. The film does more than just address a specific injustice suffered by a Black man from

JUST MERCY Page 46

5 The Rev. Tony Lee (right) hugs the Rev. Shirley Gravely-Currie during a funeral service for her husband, Sen. Ulysses Currie, at Allen Chapel AME Church in Southeast on Jan. 11. (Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer)

By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill Gentle. Firm. Infectious smile. Racquetball phenom. Those are just a few words family, friends and former colleagues used to describe the late Maryland state Sen. Ulysses Currie on Saturday during a funeral service attended by hundreds at Allen Chapel AME Church in southeast D.C. Currie, 82, worked nearly 30 years in the Prince George’s County Public Schools system in Maryland as a teacher, principal and supervisor of the county’s Head Start program. He became affec-

tionately known as “Dean of Senators” during his more than 30 years as a state lawmaker. Former state Sen. Gloria Lawlah, who represented southern Prince George’s, said the son of a North Carolina sharecropper chose a key person in his life. “Thirty-five years ago, Ulysses Currie was a handsome, eligible bachelor… with lots of ladies in pursuit,” Lawlah said as laughter filled the church. “Ulysses Currie made a great decision. He proposed and married Shirley Gravely here at Allen Chapel.” Some former Senate colleagues that included Sen. Kathy Klausmeier (D-Baltimore County), who knew

Currie for more than 15 years, traveled outside the D.C. area to express their condolences. “I will always remember that smile,” she said about Currie. “He was respectful. Always willing to listen. He was a genuine article.” Currie, who died Dec. 27 at his home in Forestville, Maryland, instilled education as one of his main priorities. In one of Maryland lawmakers’ final votes in 2018 before Currie retired, they chose to rename the state’s Head Start program the “Ulysses Currie Head Start Program.”

CURRIE Page 52

5 Bryan Stevenson, author of Just Mercy, a true story, during a discussion and screening of the movie at the Smithsonian Institute’s National Museum of African American History and Culture on Saturday, Jan. 11. (Shevry Lassiter/The Washington Informer)

Democrats Tackle Foreign Policy, Health Care and Impeachment in Iowa Debate

Warren Goes After Sanders for Allegedly Discounting Women as ‘Presidential’ By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer @StacyBrownMedia Maintaining a strong U.S. military presence in the Middle East and Iran, and the ongoing nuclear weapons threat from North Korea were at the center of the seventh Democratic Debate just ahead of the Iowa caucuses on Tuesday, January 14.

The candidates also tackled health care and impeachment during the debate. “I’d like to get our combat troops out,” stated Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, whose position was echoed by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. However, former Vice

DEBATE Page 40

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Farm, Wellness Hall in Prince George’s law enforcement. She said they Holistic threat,” she said. had come together to bring a Among the programs Marlow in Ward 8 uniformity the way wants to see implemented are The ACLU of Maryland, Life sense After of Release and in Space

By Tia Carol Jones WI Staff Writer

Whenorganizations L.Y. Marlow'swill 23-yeardomestic other host a town hall atviolence 4 p.m. victims and stricter restraining order policies, DC Greens, old daughterJan. told20 her attheLanham father United survivorsMethodist are treated. more rights for victim's families Monday, in partnership ofChurch her daughter threatened her “She's using her own personal to intervene on behalf of a vicin Lanham. The program focuses on an life, and thethelife of their child, tostory, her informaown personalwith painThe to Green tim, a domestic violence assess“Expand Ballot” campaign provide Scheme, Friends she knew something had to be push forward,” Davis-Nickens ment unit coupled with further tion for returning citizens and those incarcerated to done. her frustration of Oxon Run, said about Marlow. training for law enforcement receiveOut voterof information. The ACLU currently has with law enforcement's handling DC DepartDavis-Nickens anyone agencies, a Child's Life Protecproposed state legislation to require the state Depart- said the ofment the situation, decided to who reads mentwill of Parks Marlow's book tion Act and mandatory counselof Public she Safety and Correctional Services to start the Saving Promise cam- “get it.” She said she “puts the and Recreation, ing for batterers. institute a program that includes distributing voter paign. case in such a way, the average “If we are ever going to eradiand the DC registration applications, work with state and local “It seems to be a vicious cycle person can get it.” She said at the cate D e p a r t m e n t domestic violence, we must boards of elections and post a notice on its website that won't turn my family end of the day, the book will look at both sides of the coin. of Energy and to inform all persons can vote. Eligible loose,” Marlow said. released Marlowtheyhelp people begin to have a dia- We need to address both the vicEnvironment, votersher include misdemeanor offense and shared storythose withwith the aaudilogue about domestic violence. tim recently an- and the batterer,” Marlow others being held on pretrial a conviction. ence at the District Heightswithout Also present at the event was plans said. nounced In addition, the bill would require the state Board Domestic Violence Symposium Mildred Muhammad, thedevelop ex- a farm Marlow also like to see space in to andwould community wellness of Elections to incorporate a program for returning on May 7 at the District Heights wife of John Allen Muhammad, programs designed to 8 named The Well at Oxon Run. raise citizens and inmates as disseminating voter in- to sixWard Municipal Center. Thesuch sympowho was sentenced consecawareness among The children Designed by SHoP Architects, Well atinOxon Run formation at least 30 days prior to thelife registration sium was sponsored by the utive terms withoutwillparole public and private schools. She flower host vegetable gardens and pick-your-own deadline.and Youth Services by a Maryland jury for his role Family in a classroom, feels children need tolibrary, be educatgardens, a little free features of loMeanwhile, Del. of J. Sandy Bartlett Center of the city District the(D-Anne BeltwayArunSniper attacks in ed about domestic violence. cal art and a memory forest for DC residents who have del County) have aHooksimilar bill reviewed before Heights and thewill National 2002. Mildred Muhammad is to gun“We have and to stop being pas- resulted died due violence, more. This vision theofHouse and Means Committee on Thursday, Up Black Ways Women. the founder of After the Trauma, sive-aggressive with poor chilfrom two years of brainstorming sessions with partners, Jan. 16. The difference in Bartlett’s legislation isthat helps Marlow hasmain written a book, an organization the dren about domestic violence,” community leaders and neighbors of Oxon Run Park. it would the which state department of corrections “Color Me permit Butterfly,” is a survivors of domestic violence Marlow said. The space will serve as an economic and cultural resource to provide votergenerations informationof for and returning citizens story about four their children. Marlow has worked to break built together with the vibrant communities of Congress domestic violence.a felony The book is who completed sentence. “I lived in fear for six years. Six the cycle of abuse in her family, Heights, Washington Highlands inspired herisown experiences, “Herbybill much simpler,” saidyears Yanet Amanuel, in fear is a long time. It isBellevue and isand confident the policies shein Ward 8. “We are excited to build on our years of and those of her grandmother, public policy advocate for the ACLU. we to come out is pushing for will start thatexperience not “That’s an easywhy thing managing theprocess. K Street Farm to establish this collaboraher mother herprovide daughter. of,” she have a townand hall to information so said. that more tive, productive, in Oxon RuntoPark,” said She said every time she reads Mildred Muhammad said “Ivibrant plan tospace take these policies people can vote.” Director of DC Greens. excerpts from her book, she still people who want to Kate helpLee, a Farm Congress and implore them to site, 300 Valley Southeast,said. and located can not believe the words came domestic violence victim The must change ourAvenue laws,” Marlow four blocks High these School, Simon Elefrom her. “Color Me Butterfly” be careful of how they within go into “I will of notBallou stop until polimentary School and Hart Middle School, and a numwon the 2007 National “Best the victim's life, and understand cies are passed.” ber of other community-based organizations, will Books” Award. that she may be in “survival Tia Carol Jones can be reached offer a prime opportunity to create a safe and welcoming site for “I was just 16-years-old when mode”. at tiacaroljones@sbcglobal.net my eye first blackened and my neighborhood youth. “Before you get to 'I'm going lips bled,” Marlow said. to kill you,' it started as a “The verbalWell will WI change the narrative around urban Elaine Davis-Nickens, presifarms and community health hubs by being a space dent of the National Hook-Up where all residents and community groups will engage in of Black Women, said there is no healthier living and other community priorities that are consistency in the way domestic educational and culturally engaging,” said Ronnie Webb, violence issues are dealt with by executive director of The Green Scheme. DC Greens has launched a capital campaign to support construction of The Well at Oxon Run. They plan to launch the first growing season in fall of 2020.

“

We have to stop being passive-aggressive with poor children about domestic Health Serves as the Focus on MLK Day of Service violence. I plan to take these Anyone seeking to begin the new year on a healthy start can participate in a local MLK Day of Service Saturday, Jan. 18 at Templeton policies to Congress and Elementary School in Riverdale. Kaiser Permanente will host the event along with the Central Keimplore them Community to change ourCorp. and nilworth Avenue Revitalization Development Neighborhood Design Center. Activities which begin at 9 a.m. include flu vaccinations, Zumbanot classes stop and a soccer game inside the laws.yogaI andwill until school gymnasium. For more information, go to https://ckarcdc.org/. these policies are passed.

“

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Women the Cycle of wi hotBreak topics Domestic Violence DC Greens to Develop New Returning Citizens Town

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L.Y. Marlow

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Council Member Floats Bill to Protect Residents from Mold By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer @StacyBrownMedia D.C. Council member Anita Bonds recently introduced two bills that would make the executive boards in common-interest communities responsible for mold remediation in common areas. Bonds’ legislation would also make it easier for condominium owners to draw warranty funds for developer defects in newly-constructed or renovated buildings, according to a news release. Like others, the council member has heard horror stories of tenants from across the District who have expressed concern with the city’s inaction regarding mold in housing. Public health officials said mold can cause or exacerbate a wide range of health issues, including allergic reactions and skin rash. In October 2018, residents at 1320 Nicholson Street NW began a rent strike to protest substandard living conditions. Reportedly, they described a litany of problems, including mold. Last month, after more than a year into the rent strike, the building got a new landlord. Bonds, who chairs the council’s Committee on Housing and Neighborhood Revitalization hopes that her bills will force all landlords to do better. ”The first bill, entitled the Common-interest Community Air Quality Amendment Act of 2020, makes the common-interest community’s executive board responsible for remediating mold problems within shared spaces,” Bonds said in a news release. Under current law, owners and members of common-interest community homes are required to individually manage the removal of mold from within their homes but have no clarity around who is responsible for the removal of mold in common areas such as laundry rooms and hallways.

If passed into law, this bill would give these homeowners the same rights as renters regarding mold in common areas by requiring the residential board of such communities to be responsible for mold remediation in the common areas. The bill would also give the association member or owner the right to take legal action for negligence by the board and provides financial assistance from the Indoor Mold Assessment and Remediation Fund to low-income owners. Bonds’ proposed second bill, the Condominium Warranty Amendment Act of 2020, would clarify how the condominium warranties provided to repair structural defects in newly constructed or renovated condominiums will work better in the future. When a condominium is newly built or renovated, current law requires that the developer set aside 10 percent of the cost in a warranty fund to address structural defects within the first two years. ”This bill fixes administrative and technical issues, making it easier for condominium owners to claim and use the warranty money for repairs due to defects left by the developer,” Bonds said in the release. The bill also transfers the administration of the warranty bond from the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), which lacks the infrastructure to administer the warranty and returns responsibility to the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA), Bonds said. “These bills place greater emphasis on residential cooperation and provide financial support and protection to the homeowners in common-interest communities who need it most,” she said. ”Their introduction is significant because it shows that you are not on your own once you have decided to become a homeowner, particularly in a common-interest community.” WI

5 Mold has remained a problem for District residents. (Courtesy of 24Restore)

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black facts

JAN 16 - 22, 2020 SOURCE: BLACK AMERICA WEB

JAN. 16

1871 – Jefferson Long becomes the first African American from Georgia to be elected to the United States House of Representatives. 1920 – Sorority Zeta Phi Beta is founded at Howard University. 1941 – The War Department announces the creation of an all-Black fighter squadron to train at an airfield in Tuskegee, Alabama.

JAN. 17

1759 – Quaker businessman and abolitionist Paul Cuffee is born in Cuttyhunk Island, Massachusetts. 1942 – Boxing legend and civil rights activist Muhammad Ali (top right) is born Cassius Clay in Louisville, Kentucky.

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1870 – Hiram R. Revels 1966 – Robert Weaver is sworn in as the first secreis elected by the Missistary of Housing and Urban Development, becomsippi legislature to fill ing the first African American to be appointed to a the Senate seat once held U.S. Cabinet-level position. by Jefferson Davis, the former president of the Confederacy. Revels is the first JAN. 19 African American ever to sit in Congress. 1918 – American businessman and publisher John 1954 – Chicago advertiser W. Leonard Evans, Jr. H. Johnson, founder of the Johnson Publishing founds the National Negro Network, the first BlackCompany and the first African American to appear owned radio network in the country. on the Forbes 400, is born in Arkansas City, Ar1986 – Martin Luther King Jr. Day is observed as a kansas. federal holiday for the first time. 1961 – The PGA of 2001 – Colin Powell is sworn in by President George America removes its W. Bush as U.S. secretary of state, becoming the first “Caucasian-only African American to hold the position. clause,” opening the 2009 – Barack Obama is inaugurated as the first door for all players Black president of the United States. to participate in professional golf JAN. 21 tournaments. 1913 – Fanny Jackson Coppin (above right), a famed African-American educator and missionary who was one of the first Black women to graduate from college, dies in Philadelphia at 75. 2013 – A public inauguration ceremony is held for Barack Obama’s second presidential term coinciding with Martin Luther King Day.

JAN. 22

COLIN POWELL

6 - JANUARY 16 - 22, 2020

1906 – Aviator Willa Brown, the first African-American woman to earn her pilot’s license in the United States, is born in Glasgow, Kentucky. 1931 – Famed soul singer-songwriter Sam Cooke is born in Clarksdale, Mississippi. 1973 – George Foreman wins by second-round technical knockout over heavyweight champion Joe Frazier in a battle of unbeatens, most famous for announcer Howard Cosell’s call, “Down goes Frazier!” WI

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With the NFL postseason in full swing, the dearth of Black head coaches is noticeable —only three in a league that’s over 70 percent Black. The Rooney Rule, enacted in 2003, is a league policy that requires teams to interview ethnic-minority candidates, but not necessarily hire. Some are calling for the NFL to revise the rule. What are your thoughts?

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Also, blame the head coaches. They usually hire their own staffs, therefore, have the power to hire minorities into coordinator positions, which usually leads to head coaching jobs.

CLARENCE PAYNE / WASHINGTON, D.C.

Wow. The Rooney Rule was supposed to correct this historic problem and the owners said, ‘to hell with that rule, this is our system and we will continue with the good ol’ boy way of business.’

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Just like affirmative action, the Rooney Rule gives you at least a chance at the position. The chances of getting a high-profile position depend on your relationship with the decision-makers. If you do not have that relationship, forget it. Over the years, I applied for many high-profile positions, but only if I knew the decision-makers.

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AROUND THE REGION The World According to Dominic BY D. KEVIN MCNEIR / WI EDITOR / @DKEVINMCNEIR

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If you’re a sports fanatic or one who frequents the quirky offerings shared on Instagram, you’re probably already aware of the recent meltdown suffered by the talented former NFL star Antonio Brown. And from the looks of things, if he ever thought he had a chance of getting back on the gridiron, with this latest in a serious of miscues and totally bad plays, he probably sealed the door on ever getting a chance to suit for a professional team again. But just in case you missed it, Antonio went into a profanity-laced tirade early Monday morning hurling four-letter words and a whole lot more at police officers outside of his Hollywood, Florida home and at the mother of his three children. No, I didn’t stutter – his “three children.” Then, adding insult to injury, Antonio, perhaps seeking to add more “color” to his already colorful life, decided to live-stream the disturbing incident on Instagram for our “viewing pleasure.” In the video, he accuses his ex-girlfriend, Chelsie Kyriss, of attempting to steal a Bentley that was parked in

his driveway after she picked up their children. After police were called to the scene and began to question Brown about the vehicle, he became incensed – even throwing a bag of penis-shaped gummy candies at the officers. I didn’t know they sold candy like that, did you? After calling his ex and the officers words that I would prefer not sharing, the children were seen getting into a patrol car while Brown yelled expressions of love at one of the kids. Brown continues to spiral downward, caroming about in very bad places both emotionally and mentally with erratic outbursts, seemingly oblivious to the potential outcome of his forays. And you have to wonder how long he can maintain the stance that he just has “a few things to work out.” He last played with the New England Patriots in September while caught up in sexual assault allegations and had a chance to sign with the New Orleans Saint at the end of the 2019 season but he dropped the ball on that opportunity as well. Is this simply another case of an over-the-top egomaniac – a professional athlete who has been treated so judiciously and pumped amid so much pomp and circumstance up as

the “second coming” that he believes that he can really walk on water? Or is Antonio Brown in real trouble? I tend to lead toward the later. While I know nothing about the relationship between him and his former girlfriend, and have even less interest in the details, it’s impossible to condone a father blasting his children’s mother outside in the cul-de-sac while the kids are forced to watch. As for the Hollywood Police Department, Brown should be thankful that they didn’t toss him to the ground, zap him with their Taser and haul him off to the hoosegow. After all, history has shown that Black men in Florida, when in a conflict with law officials or other white men allegedly “standing their ground,” tend to suffer serious injury – including life-ending injuries. However, in this instance, and perhaps due to his celebrity status, the police chose not to take the bait. Antonio Brown may be a superb athlete. But he’s also, clearly, a very disturbed brother. We should pray for him. And we should tell our children that being a superstar carries great responsibility. Even the mighty can fall from grace– just look at Antonio Brown’s Instagram post for evidence. WI

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Bowser, Homeland Security Brass Urge District Residents’ Acuity

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Soleimani Killing by Trump Spurs Safety Concerns

By James Wright WI Staff Writer @jamesdcwrighter D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and her homeland security team recently said although the city remains safe in light of the assassination of top Iranian general Qassim Soleimani ordered by President Trump, residents should be vigilant about their surroundings just in case. “There is no immediate threat to Washington, D.C,” Bowser said at a Jan. 9 news conference with her homeland security team. “I will continue to receive high-level briefings on security and our administration is in close contact with federal and regional partners.” A number of cities throughout the country have been on high alert since Soleimani’s death on Jan. 3. Iranian officials vowed retaliation for the assassination with the launching of U.S. missiles against U.S. military bases in Iraq on Jan. 7 taking place. However, no Americans died during the bombings. Nevertheless, Christopher Rodriguez, the District’s director of Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency, said the

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DESIGNER EYEWEAR 5 D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and Christopher Rodriguez, director of D.C.’s homeland security and emergency services management agency, address the media during a Jan. 9 news conference. (Roy Lewis/The Washington Informer)

city will continue to be alert to potential threats. “We have increased the police presence around the District,” Rodriguez said. “The police, fire and emergency management services departments are well-prepared for these types of events.” Rodriguez said that Iran “is a sophisticated cyber actor” and advised District residents to be hyper-vigilant with emails and to change passwords frequently. “Residents should stay vigilant online and off,” he said, recommending a subscription to the District government’s DC Alerts texts for the latest developments. “More importantly, trust your gut. If it doesn’t look right, it probably

5 A heavy police presence is noticed in areas frequented by tourists. (Anthony Tilghman/ The Washington Informer)

isn’t.” Jeffery Carroll, the District’s assistant chief of police for its Homeland Security Bureau, said city businesses and entertainment spots such as nightclubs should be ready for an attack by a foreign adversary. “Business owners should review their emergency action plan with their employees,” Carroll said. “Residents need to be prepared and know what is going on in the community.” WI

“I will continue to receive high-level briefings on security and our administration is in close contact with federal and regional partners.” – MAYOR MURIEL BOWSER

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AROUND THE REGION CAPTURE THE MOMENT On Friday, January 10 Amerigroup DC presented Us Helping Us with a $15,000 grant to help start a food pantry for Us Helping Us clients and the community. (L-R) Steve Emmert - US Helping Us; Orrett Thompson - Amerigroup; Linda Elam - Amerigroup, DC; Gerrard Davis - Us Helping Us; Charmekia Martin - Amerigroup DC; DeMarc Hickson - Us Helping Us; Latricia Hall – Amerigroup. (Shevry Lassiter/ The Washington Informer)

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“Affirmative action really isn’t about preferential treatment for Blacks. It is about removing preferential treatment whites have received through history.”

– Julian Bond

Speech, 89th NAACP Convention [August 1998] (Jan. 14, 1940 – Aug. 15, 2015)

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District Election Roundup By James Wright WI Staff Writer @jamesdcwrighter

AUSTIN TO CHALLENGE TRAYON WHITE IN WARD 8

Mike Austin, chairman of the 8C advisory neighborhood commission in Ward 8, has decided to challenge D.C. Council member Trayon White (D-Ward 8) in the June 2 Democratic primary. Austin said if he wins the primary and the Nov. 3 general election, he will be “a champion for all Ward 8 residents and their families.” “Our people are suffering under this current leadership,” he said. “Our community problems have gone on long enough. I’m tired of broken promises, it’s time for progress. “If we don’t solve these challenges now, then we may never figure them out,” Austin said. “It’s time for better — it’s now or never.” Austin has been employed as vice president of public relations and corporate secretary for the United Medical Center and has worked as legislative director for both the Office of Deputy Mayor for Greater Economic Opportunity and for LaRuby May, a Democrat who represented Ward 8 on the Council from May 14, 2015, to Jan. 2, 2017. In addition, Austin has served as a legislative fellow with the Executive Office of the Mayor, Office of Policy and Legislative Affairs. Austin holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans and a juris doctorate from the former Charlotte School

of Law that operated in Charlotte, N.C. Community activist Stuart Anderson and former union leader Richard Campbell are among the candidates joining Austin to challenge White in the Democratic primary. The winner of the Democratic primary could face independent Christopher Cole in the general election. White hasn’t officially declared for reelection, though political observers expect him to do so. Austin said he plans on using his experience in the District government to serve the residents of the ward. “I plan to bring a creative, balanced and responsible leadership style that listens to the community,” he said. “My experience in workforce, small business and health care gives me a unique background for the council. I will use that perspective while working closely with community leaders and partners in Ward 8 to create a plan within my first three months in office. That’s the urgency that we need on the council.”

AROUND THE REGION

bers of the D.C. Council, council members of Wards 2, 4, 7 and 8, shadow U.S. senator and U.S. representative and national and local party committee members for the Democratic, Republican and Libertarian parties are available to be picked up at the D.C. Board of Elections office located at 1015 Half Street SE, Suite 750. Petitions are due on March 4 at 5 p.m. On other matters, the resignation of Ward 2 Councilman Jack Evans on Jan. 7 created a vacancy for the seat. On its website, the D.C. Board of Elections indicated that a special election will be held June 16 to fill the remainder of Evans’ term, which ends Dec. 31. WI

5 Jack Evans served on the D.C. Council from 1991-2020. (WI file photo)

5 Mike Austin serves as the chairman of the 8C advisory neighborhood commission. (WI file photo)

ELECTION SEASON OFFICIALLY UNDERWAY

The election season for the 2020 cycle officially started on Jan. 10 when petitions became available for candidates who want to run in the June 2 primaries. The Democratic, Republican and Libertarian parties will hold their primaries on June 2. Petitions for the nominees for president of the United States, delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives, at-large mem-

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www.washingtoninformer.com JANUARY 16 - 22, 2020 11

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY Md. Lawmakers Settle In for Three-Month Session By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill ANNAPOLIS — State Sen. Jill Carter said the first several days of the Maryland General Assembly aren’t too challenging because she and other lawmakers are used to multitasking. For instance, the Democrat from Baltimore City must handle constituent services, maintain a law practice and draft policies. Unlike most of her colleagues, she also plans to run for the 7th Congressional District previously held by the late and popular Elijah Cummings, who died of cancer in October. Carter will face more than two dozen challengers in the special election for the seat that includes parts of the city and neighboring Baltimore and

Howard counties. “We always have to juggle a lot of things,” she said Friday, Jan. 10. “There is an endless string of community meetings. Neighborhood association meetings. Community events. It is absolutely not even close to a part-time job, but we do full-time work for the people.” Although there hasn’t been a huge flurry of activity in the session’s first week that began Jan. 8, dozens of bills have already been introduced. The first two bills in the House and Senate, labeled the Built to Learn Act, focuses on a $2.2 billion public school construction plan that would authorize the Maryland Stadium Authority to issue bonds and support from the Education Trust Fund of $125 million annually. In terms of education, hearings are scheduled for this month for the

5 Del. Adrienne Jones (center) is officially sworn in as Maryland House Speaker on Jan. 8. She is the first Black and first woman to hold the position. (Brigette Squire/The Washington Informer)

ongoing $4 billion recommendations from the Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education, also known as the Kirwan Commission. Gov. Larry Hogan, a staunch opponent of the proposal’s price tag and no specific mechanisms to pay for it, targeted this year’s 90-day assembly as the “accountability session.” The legislation he will introduce includes granting the state’s Ethics Commission the authority to assess civil penalties on state employees and public officials charged with wrongdoing. Currently, the commission must request a court to consider fines of at least $5,000. “I’m all for accountability. I think

taxpayers work hard for their money. I pinch taxpayers’ pennies as hard as I pinch my own,” said Sen. Cheryl Kagan (D-Montgomery County). “We all should live on tight budgets and that includes the state.” In the meantime, lawmakers could review thousands of bills during the 90-day session. Here are a few of the proposed bills scheduled for discussion:

HBCU LAWSUIT

Led by the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland, a settlement of $577 million to end a more than 13-year-old lawsuit could be presented as legislation. That’s because the plaintiffs rejected Hogan’s counteroffer of $200 million.

Education, Medical Cannabis Among Priorities of Black Caucus

5 Del. Darryl Barnes (D-District 25), who chairs the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland, speaks Jan. 8 about the organization’s legislative priorities for this year’s 90-day General Assembly session in Annapolis. (William J. Ford/The Washington Informer)

12 - JANUARY 16 - 22, 2020

By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill The Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland outlined its list priorities for this year’s 90-day General Assembly session in Annapolis that includes education, medical cannabis and criminal justice. The session also marks the first time ever one of its own members in House Speaker Adrienne Jones (D-Baltimore County) lead the House of Delegates. “We are excited to support her and stand with her 100 percent,” said Del. Darryl Barnes (D-District 25) of Upper Marlboro, who also chairs the caucus. “With our legislative priorities, we are charging ahead and making sure that we address concerns that affect the African American community.” One major item will be improving

public education based on recommendations from the Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education, also known as the Kirwan Commission named after William E. “Brit” Kirwan, former University of Maryland System chancellor. Some of the proposals in the $4 billion plan ($2.8 billion from the state and $1.2 billion from counties and Baltimore City) include early childhood expansion, increase in teacher salaries and counselors and mental health providers for schools in schools with a high concentration of poverty. However, a funding formula proposal suggests the majority-Black jurisdiction of Prince George’s County would have to shell out the highest amount of nearly $360 million toward the plan by 2030. Del. Julian Ivey (D-District 47A)

BLACK CAUCUS Page 13

Del. Darryl Barnes (D-District 25) of Upper Marlboro, who chairs the caucus, summarized how Mississippi settled during an HBCU lawsuit for $517 million 20 years ago. The dollar amount from Maryland plaintiffs’ lead counsel, Michael Jones, equates the dollar amount to $791 million in today’s dollars based on inflation adjustments.

VOTING RIGHTS

The ACLU of Maryland has a draft bill to ensure eligible inmates and returning citizens receive the right to vote. According to the bill, it would require the state’s Department of Public and Correctional Services to display information stating that any person no longer incarcerated has the right to vote. The agency must also provide each person with a voter registration application and other voting informing. In addition, it would establish a program with state and local boards of elections to inform returning citizens how they can vote.

VOCATIONAL TRAINING

A bipartisan bill from Sens. Cory McCray (D-Baltimore City) and Chris West (R-Baltimore County) would authorize a local school board to credit high school students with a diploma, postsecondary credential, or both, for achieving one vocational course per semester. As long as a career and technical program receives approval by the board, a student would also receive credit toward school attendance. The time could include work-based training with an employer under a registered apprenticeship program. WI

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PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY BLACK CAUCUS from Page 12 of Cheverly, who supports the Kirwan recommendations, said an item within the funding formula could affect areas with underserved communities. “There is a clause that if you don’t adequately implement these recommendations, then the state could send 25 percent less of those promised dollars back to the local jurisdiction,” he said. “We could run into an instance because a jurisdic-

tion does not have enough revenue … they would then be punished for not having enough money. We do champion that our dollars are used the right way, but we also want to make sure we are not punishing poor people for being poor.” Sen. Obie Patterson (D-District 26) of Fort Washington serves on the Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee, which held a briefing Tuesday, Jan. 14 to discuss the Kirwan plan. Before the committee session,

5 Del. Julian Ivey (D-District 47A) of Cheverly talks about the proposed Kirwan Commission education plan on the House of Delegates floor in Annapolis on Jan. 8. (Brigette Squire/The Washington Informer)

Patterson said Friday, Jan. 10 procurement opportunities for, small, minority- and women-owned businesses should be included in the proposal. For instance, a minority business could be hired to paint a building or tutor students for a specific academic program. “We need to make the school systems that are going to be administering these monies … to make every effort to include minorities, women and small businesses in our community,” he said. Another agenda item will be pushing to add more Blacks in the medical cannabis industry. The caucus seeks to eliminate caps on licenses for growers and processors to ensure more minority representation. Only one Black has a processor license so far. “If you open it up to the free market, then that cuts down on any corruption or any bad deeds that one may want to do,” he said. “It opens up the playing field for all that qualify to participate.” He said a closed-door meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 16 with an invitation for the state’s attorney general and industry officials to discuss the cap proposal and any updates on the medical cannabis business. He also mentioned how former Del. Cheryl Glenn (D-Baltimore City) helped bring the industry to Maryland.

Glenn, 68, resigned Dec. 18 and five days later, federal authorities charged her with wire fraud and bribery for allegedly accepting more than $35,000 in exchange to pass medical cannabis legislation and other offenses between March 4, 2018, and Feb. 11, 2019. The state’s Medical Cannabis Commission is named after Glenn’s mother, Natalie M. LaPrade. Glenn, who chaired the Baltimore City delegation and served as former chair of the state’s Black Caucus, has a court appearance and arraignment

scheduled for Jan. 22 at U.S. District Court in Baltimore. “Del. Glenn was a friend to me and I made no bones about that,” Barnes said. “I do not condone the things she is alleged of doing, but I do commend the work she did. I think all of us stand with her as being a delegate that was advocating and fighting for African Americans to be a part of an industry that we were left out of.” WI

Global Economies

Global economies are being fueled by local companies. The New York Times recently published an article noting: “Globalization is thus gradually giving way to localization, which makes this a promising time for countries with domestic markets large enough to support significant expansion in local businesses.” {Ruchir Sharma, author of “The Rise and Fall of Nations: Forces of Change in the Post-Crisis World,” is the chief global strategist at Morgan Stanley Investment Management and a contributing opinion writer.} Reliance on major corporations meeting the needs of wise consumers is slowly giving way to the nimble small companies that are cleverly utilizing cloud and other technology to meet demand. Even now, 70% of the national and regional workforce reside in small local companies. Small companies are flexible to address innovative work places that bend toward diverse work needs and lifestyles. In addition, many have collaborative structures that lend to fast track innovation and invention. For these and other reasons, small businesses must thrive! Thriving, local business must be on the top of the procurement chain for public and private contracts; and must be in front for providing local infrastructure. Looking outside of a jurisdiction boundary for these and other services, reduces revenue and workforce talent needed to grow communities. Instead, jurisdictions must increase local procurement opportunities that will, in turn, invite business investment and raise revenue. In short, think globally by investing locally! Not a member? Please visit our website, www.pgcoc.org or drop by for a visit to get started! Membership is good for a full calendar year, so it’s always a good time to join! David C. Harrington President & CEO

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JANUARY 16 - 22, 2020 13

BUSINESS D.C. Has Highest Monthly Average Starting Salaries: Report They then assigned a heavier weight to the former, considering that factors in that category most heavily influence a job seeker’s decision in The District counts among the na- terms of relocation for employment. Researchers then evaluated the two tion’s top places to find a job, accorddimensions using 31 relevant metrics, ing to a new report. While the nation’s capital isn’t which were graded on a 100-point among the top 10, the city ranked scale, with a score of 100 representing 50th of the 182 surveyed by Wal- the most favorable conditions for job seekers. letHub, a personal finance website. Finally, they determined each city’s To determine the best job markets weighted average across all metrics in the U.S., WalletHub compared 182 cities — including the 150 most to calculate its overall score and used populated U.S. cities, plus at least two the resulting scores to rank-order our of the most populated cities in each sample. In determining their sample, state — across two key dimensions, WalletHub also considered only the “Job Market” and “Socio-economics.” city proper in each case, excluding By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer @StacyBrownMedia

cities in the surrounding metro area. Charleston, S.C., Orlando, Fla., Columbia, S.C., Salt Lake City and Cincinnati ranked as the top five cities for job opportunities. Newark, N.J.; Brownsville, Texas; Bridgeport, Conn.; and Detroit counted as the five cities with the fewest job opportunities. The District tied for first with six other cities for the highest monthly average starting salary. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ most recent jobs report, the national unemployment rate is 3.6 percent, just a bit higher than the 50-year low of 3.5 percent seen in September 2019. College graduates particularly will see a healthy boost in their job prospects. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, employers plan to hire 5.8 percent more members from the Class of 2020 than from the previous graduating cohort, according to the WalletHub report. However, finding work depends mostly on location. “The job market will continue to be strong in 2020,” said Anoshua Chaudhuri, a WalletHub expert and professor and chair of the Department of Economics at San Francisco State University. “With retirements

5 DC counts among the top cities for job seekers. (Courtesy of FlexJobs)

and new jobs such as the health care sector, job seekers will see a strong job market and unemployment rates will continue to be low. Even if there is a recession, health care jobs will continue to grow, as it did in the last recession.” Yang Liang, a WalletHub expert and assistant professor of economics at San Diego State University, cautioned that imposed high tariffs of 15 percent to 25 percent on billions of dollars of trade between the two largest economies in the world create an

enormous amount of uncertainty for businesses to make new investments or purchases. “The trade war has already spooked some business leaders and frustrated the market as we saw a noticeable decline in business investment,” Liang said. “This hold-up capital problem generated by the unpredictability of the government may further cause firms to lose their competitiveness and slower job growth in the indus-

BUSINESS Page 15

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1/8/2020 12:48:30 PM

Memories of First Jobs: The Good, the Bad, the Ugly By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer @StacyBrownMedia A new year marks a time of reflection — to reminisce about that beautiful, or dreaded, and otherwise memorable first job during high school. While New York is known as the town with 8 million stories, District residents proved they, too, can spin quite the tale when it comes to recounting their first taste of employment way back when. “My worst job I had was during college when working in a neighborhood grocery store as a courtesy clerk with the hopes of becoming a cashier,” said Camille Davis, who’s now an education entrepreneur and part-time research assistant in northwest D.C. “The courtesy clerk responsibilities are to retrieve and organize shopping carts, assist with the checkout process, maintain the cleanliness of the store. “What was awful about having this position was the restrooms are included in the cleanliness of the store,” Davis said. “One day, which was my last day on the job, I was called to clean the restroom, and it took a lot of humbling for me to maintain the restrooms. I never held a position before that required me to clean toilets.” Alexandria, Virginia-based Dan Sondhelm, the CEO of Sondhelm Partners, recalled his first job working in a shoe store while in high school. “I was learning about the shoe trade, how to work with a boss and how to engage with customers,” Sondhelm said. “Once, I tried to take initiative to better organize the shoe stock by size instead of brand. When the boss came back from lunch, I was quickly fired.” Jessica Randhawa worked at Kohl’s Department Store as a sales associate during school breaks and summer vacation while she was in high school. ”My dad was one of the store managers, which meant he would always put me on his schedule,” said Randhawa, who earned a bachelor’s degree in molecular biology and is now the owner of TheForkedSpoon.com, where folks can browse all kinds of food recipes. Here are other first/worst job stories:

-- “When I was about 16, I seriously contemplated becoming a veterinarian,” said Melanie Hartmann, owner and CEO of Creo Home Solutions, a company that buys and flips houses in Baltimore. “I remember walking past a job posting and seeing an opportunity to work in a veterinarian’s office. I was excited; it was a solid first job. This was, of course, before I realized that the college-level science and math classes required for the degree were not for me.” -- Dr. Christine Silvers said her first job while in high school was cleaning hotel rooms. Silvers started at age 15, after being turned down for a job at McDonald’s because the minimum age there was 16. “Cleaning bedpans was seriously gross, but I was determined to earn every extra penny I could,” Silvers said. “My immigrant parents were in the lower-middle class, meaning we didn’t comfortably have enough for private college tuition, yet also didn’t qualify for full financial assistance. Silvers currently serves as executive director of Clinical Informatics, a digital health company. -- Kuri Khailo Diaz, a digital marketing supervisor, got her first job at Six Flags while she was in high school. “It was the worst job out there,” Diaz exclaimed. “I give props to the people working there now. I was part of the art department, so I did face paint. The worst part was standing for eight hours, and if they caught you sitting, they’d give you a warning. Too many of those and you’re fired. The good thing about it was free rides for you and your friends, but I couldn’t deal with that anymore.” -- “My first job was a server at a major pizza chain,” said Tara Woods, vice president of an insurance company. “I was nervous that I would make a mistake, and one day, it happened. I was serving pizza off of a pizza board to a very well-dressed couple. I accidentally let the steaming hot pizza slip off of the board directly onto the woman’s shoes. She screamed at me because the shoes were a very expensive gift from her husband. I was mortified.” WI

BUSINESS 2020 A Year of Clear Vision and Purpose By Aimee Griffin Joyner

With the new year and new decade we are at a time for reset. The new year often compels people (me) to take the time and rethink the accomplishments of last year, the short comings of last year and the opportunity to build the new year. As we look at this new 2020 we are reminded that the standard for good vision is 20/20. This has compelled me to think about the vision that we have for our future. The Griffin Firm consistently talks about Legacy building. We talk about planning what you want for tomorrow today. We know that the choices we make today will shape our tomorrow. The Griffin Firm started this year with a firm retreat where we honed our organizational core values. We know core values are what we stand for as an organization. The Griffin Firm has defined our core values as Faith, Relationships, Excellence, Service, and Trust worthiness. Those words and declarations associated with the words codify the actions and the commitment that we have. This year with intentionality we won’t take for granted that these are our core values and will be thoughtful about using those core values as driving forces. We know that our purpose is based in giving, yet we had not been thoughtful about measuring the actions or the impact of the giving. The Griffin Firm Vision and Purpose Goals for 2020 include: • Facilitate charitable giving to 150 charities. As we support people in building legacies and planning for the future of their assets, we have the opportunity to remind them that each of us can impact the community beyond our families. As such we will facilitate giving to individuals, community-based organizations, churches and educational institutions to have a charitable impact. • Educate 2500 people. We know that “when we know better we do better”. The Griffin Firm will commit to educating and informing individuals, communities and organizations on creating, protecting and transferring wealth. We will convene communities and strategic partners to inform and consult on legacy building. • 100 Acts of Service. The Griffin Firm will participate as individuals and as a firm to serve the communities that we are a part of through our time and/or talent. These volunteer opportunities will remind us that service is the rent we pay to live on the earth. We know that caring is a verb. We must employ our intellect, education and capabilities to do more for those who are most vulnerable. Those acts of service will include large scale supports like raising money and actively participating in the Alzheimer’s Walk. The act of service may be small in scale but impactful by helping a person who is less able with physical support. The Griffin Firm is comprised of people who appreciate and express gratitude for our blessings. We also know that we are blessed to be a blessing and look forward to building up our community not just financially but socially. We are meant not to be independent but interdependent. It is our desire to serve and connect. Together we build our community. The Griffin Firm, PLLC www.yourestateplanningattorney.com (202)379-4738 5335 Wisconsin Ave NW, Suite 440, Washington DC 20015 1401 Mercantile Lane, Suite 383, Upper Marlboro MD 20774 100 International Drive , 23rd Floor, Baltimore MD 21202 1100 Peachtree ST NE, Suite 200, Atlanta GA 30309 2530 Meridian Parkway, Suite 300, Durham NC 27713

BUSINESS from Page 14 try.” Additionally, Liang noted that U.S. exports to the world are hit hard directly from the trade war — not only

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the exports to China but also the exports to other countries that use Chinese imports as intermediate inputs. “Recent studies show that regions more exposed to Chinese retaliatory tariffs experienced a decline in em-

ployment growth, whereas U.S. import tariffs had no immediate effect on employment growth,” Liang said. For the complete jobs report, go to wallethub.com. WI

JANUARY 16 - 22, 2020 15

NATIONAL Opposition to Trump’s Iran Campaign Swells By Sam P.K. Collins WI Contributing Writer @SamPKCollins

In the weeks after President Donald Trump ordered the airstrike that killed Qassim Soleimani of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps without congressional approval, many people have been hyper-vigilant about the prospect of a major global conflict. However, some community figures in opposition to the U.S. military intervention, like Kymone Freeman of We Act Radio in Southeast, counted Trump’s attack on Iran as the latest chapter of a protracted war that started with the Bush administration’s invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan, and similar campaigns in Afghanistan and Libya under

President Barack Obama. For him, the greatest strategy that Black people could employ involves unplugging from the system and becoming more dependent on each other in anticipation of the United States’ ultimate decline as a world power. “Whatever [the United States of ] America says, we should call out,” Freeman told The Informer. 5 Several protesters gathered in front of the U.S. Capitol on Friday, January to protest the action of the United States that Hours after Soleimani’s Jan. 3 might potentially send troops to war. (Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer) death, Freeman took to social media criticizing not only President children to the military. This is and it’s no longer expanding so we national pressure, Iranian officials took responsibility for the snafu, Trump but previous executives in Rome, and Rome collapsed inter- shouldn’t be fearful of it.” blaming the U.S. for precipitating Protests have erupted in some recent history who deployed troops nally from its own weight,” Freethe conflict. The tragedy followed U.S. cities and Iran in response to man added. “The colosseum and abroad. Oftentimes, to the chagrin of Black military sympathizers, he gladiators happened toward the end the actions of their respective gov- an assault on a U.S. base in Iraq in discouraged his peers from believ- of that civilization to keep the peas- ernments. Iranians recently took to retaliation to Soleimani’s killing. In the wake of Soleimani’s death, ing U.S. propaganda and involving ants’ minds off the war. America is the streets after military forces shot the U.S. deployed 3,000 additiondown a Ukranian airliner and killed an empire with over 140 military their relatives in military combat. al troops to the Middle East and more than 170 people. Under inter“People are still sending their bases. Empires expand or contract, 750 more following a situation at its embassy in Baghdad earlier in the month. Some of those reinforcements came from the Marine unit of a crisis response task force. Trump administration officials defended its initial actions by citing lynched by white mobs in Mary- and where the first series of public ing concerns that the selection of intelligence that placed Soleimani land between 1854 and 1933.” hearings will be held. government buildings could nega- in several countries throughout the Across the state, several counBefore the commission submits tively impact attendance and par- Middle East with the goal of impeding U.S. military operations. ty-based coalitions have gradually their interim report, Fakunle said, ticipation. There’s speculation among the formed and held meetings in the “We should have a good three or “We’d like to have hearings at past year to examine and discuss four hearings.” Initially due this fall, places where the community already Democratic establishment and anracial terror lynchings. However, committee members expressed their goes,” Fakunle said. “I would err on ti-war progressives that President these meetings have mainly been an intentions to file for an extension to the side of community spaces, espe- Trump initiated the airstrike to pivoutgrowth of the Maryland Lynch- the interim report, as well as file for cially when we are having this sort ot attention away from impeaching Memorial Project, a non-profit an extension for their final report, of discussion and the emotions we ment proceedings scheduled to start once the House votes to send entity separate from the state com- due by law December 2021. will go through in this process.” mission. “We should be open before we Committee members and staff of the Articles of Impeachment to the A minimum of 10 locations across decide what we can recommend,” Maryland State Archives confirmed Senate next week. Posts circulating the state from Western Maryland to said Carl Snowden, a long-time the state archives in Annapolis will on social media likened the move the lower Eastern Shore have been civil rights activist in Annapolis. “I serve as a central repository to pre- to President Bill Clinton’s attack identified to hold public hearings would be very curious to hear what serve records and materials gathered on Iraq in 1998 amid his impeachconvened by the state commission people have to say.” by the commission and their work. ment. On Tuesday, nearly a dozen Sensaid Interim Acting Chair David When discussing potential loState archivist, Timothy D. ate Republicans joined their DemFakunle of Morgan State Universi- cations of public hearings several Baker, confirmed that upon comty. But without a current budget to committee members suggested pletion of the commission’s work ocratic colleagues in backing a resfund the state commission’s activi- churches or venues already known ties, it has yet to be decided when for holding similar events, expressLYNCHING Page 54 IRAN Page 17

Maryland Lynching Commission Continues its Mission Future Plans Include Public Hearings in Local Communities By John Muller WI Contributing Writer During its recently-held first public meeting of the new year the Maryland Lynching Truth and Reconciliation Commission, created by legislation in 2019, discussed a series of items and suggestions as it seeks to begin holding formal public hearings in local communities throughout Maryland. Signed into law last April by Maryland Governor Larry Hogan (R), the commission was established to research cases of racially motivated lynchings and hold regional public meetings where a lynching of an African American by a white mob in the state has been documented. According to the legislation, “at least 40 African Americans were

16 - JANUARY 16 - 22, 2020

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Suffrage Efforts Find Defeat in Senate Only Months Before 19th Amendment Passed 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. On Jan. 25, 1887, some 133 years ago, the first vote on women’s suffrage took place in the U.S. Senate. Perhaps underscoring the difficulties women had of gaining the rights to the ballot box, 25 members of the Senate didn’t bother to show up and cast their vote. The measure failed 34-16. Twenty-seven years and nearly three decades later would pass before the Senate again voted on the 19th Amendment. The House waited still another year, until 1915, before members reintroduced and voted on the measure.

Ann D. Gordon, a research professor emerita of history at Rutgers University who has studied the women’s suffrage movement, said woman suffragists didn’t act in a political vacuum but were influenced and constrained by national politics. In writing for the National Park Service’s website, Gordon noted that, in the South, the withdrawal of federal troops as part of the Compromise of 1877 closed Reconstruction and reversed the progress toward political participation made by African Americans in that region. “Elections in southern states were occasions of racial violence. Federal enforcement of the Fifteenth Amendment ceased, and white southerners regained power in Congress,” Gordon wrote. “States in the former Confederacy set about rewriting their constitutions to put obstacles in the way of African American men registering to vote.” Beginning with Mississippi’s new constitution of 1890, the states defined an assortment of ways to block or significantly reduce Black enfranchisement, she said. ”Black women advocated for the right to vote at a time when they were

IRAN from Page 16

said. “All parties should immediately halt the violence, and Trump should work with our allies to find a path to de-escalate. It’s past time to change course, embrace diplomacy, and focus on ending the wars we entered two decades ago instead of provoking another disastrous, unnecessary war the world cannot afford.” WI

olution limiting President Trump’s ability to take military action against Iran without congressional approval. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), who introduced the resolution, said the additional support pushed it past the 50-vote threshold needed for approval. On Jan. 9, the House overwhelmingly passed a similar resolution with credit mainly given to Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.). However, a bevy of congressional representatives acknowledges Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) as a key engineer of the modern anti-war movement within the Democratic Party, primarily because of her vehement opposition to the Bush administration’s invasion of Iraq. In a public statement issued just days before the passage of the resolution, Lee maintained the same outlook. “Make no mistake, Trump chose reckless military action over diplomacy – and this is the result,” she

highly discriminated against, and Black men had become disenfranchised,” Pearl Dowe, the Asa Griggs Candler Professor of Political Science and African American Studies at Oxford College of Emory University, told The Informer. “These women were often shut out of the suffrage movement due to the racist attitudes of white suffragettes. This did not deter Black women who formed their own organizations to advocate for the right to vote for themselves and the end of black male disenfranchisement.” At about the same time of the 1887 Senate vote, Gordon said discussion began about merging the two suffrage associations before their leaders died. There were lots of reasons, but the defeat of the amendment seemed to signal the end of an old divide and a chance for suffragists to unite around state action, Gordon wrote. Through the merger, the National American Woman Suffrage Association came into existence in 1890. Attention to federal protection for a citizen’s right to vote or any federal amendment waned, Gordon noted. “It happened, then, that in 1890, woman suffragists stopped seeking federal protection for voting rights at the same moment that southern states formalized the exclusion of Black men from the franchise. Their complicity

5 Suffragists protest at the White House. (University of Washington Photo Archives)

went further,” Gordon wrote. “To gain ground in the white South, the National American Woman Suffrage Association affirmed in 1903 its belief in the South’s prerogative to legislate white supremacy: the association resolved, it seeks ‘to do away with the requirement of a sex qualification for suffrage. … What other qualifications shall be asked for it leaves to each State.’ The political equality of all citizens was no longer the organized movement’s objective,” Gordon said. She concluded:

“Woman suffragists turned back to the goal of a constitutional amendment in 1913 and the Senate voted on the measure in 1914 – defeating it again. “But this time, despite a persistent interest in keeping the focus on state actions and despite a new divide between two suffrage groups, women stayed the course and kept up the pressure until both houses of Congress approved the measure in June 1919.” WI

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JANUARY 16 - 22, 2020 17

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www.washingtoninformer.com 18 - JANUARY 16 - 22, 2020

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer @StacyBrownMedia Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. undoubtedly remains the face of the 1960s civil rights movement, and perhaps the most revered Black leader in American history. His life and legacy again are celebrated even as a new decade begins, and part of King’s legacy will always remain his children. While sons Dexter and Martin III have worked to carry on his legacy, the icon’s daughter Bernice has led the mission of The King Center in Atlanta. At the Center, King’s purpose of preparing global citizens to create a more just, humane and peaceful world through nonviolence continues. A second daughter, Yolanda, died in 2007. King also keeps her father’s legacy and words alive through regular social media posts that include many of his inspirational quotes. “I never intend to adjust myself to injustice,” King wrote, quoting her father, in a recent post accompanied by a video of Dr. King. “I’m proud to be maladjusted.” Another recent post by King that featured a photo of both Martin Luther King and his wife, Coretta Scott King, marching in the South was accompanied by the late leader’s quote: “Our nettlesome task is to discover how to organize our strength into compelling power so that the government cannot

elude our demands. We must develop, from strength, a situation in which the government finds it wise and prudent to collaborate with us.” Many of Bernice King’s social media posts using her father’s words double as timely messages. Shortly after President Trump announced a strike that killed Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani, King unleashed another of her father’s comments. “We’ve committed more war crimes almost than any nation in the world, and I’m going to continue to say it. And we won’t stop it because of our pride and our arrogance as a nation,” she wrote, quoting her father’s words from the 1960s when the Vietnam War raged. A connector, communicator, community builder and CEO of The King Center, Bernice King is a graduate of Spelman College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and a Masters of Divinity and Doctorate of Law Degrees from Emory University. She has also received an honorary Doctorate of Divinity degree from Wesley College. She is currently a member of the State Bar of Georgia. Through her work at the King Center, she has continued to educate youth about her father’s nonviolent principles. In 2012, she implemented an annual N.O.W. Encounter Summer Youth Camp, which has trained youth from as far as Cyprus, Greece.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. undoubtedly remains the face of the 1960s civil rights movement, and perhaps the most revered Black leader in American history. His life and legacy again are celebrated even as a new decade begins, and part of King’s legacy will always remain his children. King spearheaded the global events that took place in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 28, 2013, to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington and her father’s famous “I Have A Dream” speech. Additionally, and in the spirit of her father, King was instrumental in helping Aboriginals and others in Vancouver, Canada, understand the importance of forgiveness, unconditional love, and reconciliation when she spoke to a crowd of more than 75,000 people. In addressing the rising number of hate crimes, King again turned to the words of her father: “Will we be extremists for hate or for love? Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice or for the extension of justice?” For more on Bernice King and The King Center, go to thekingcenter.org. WI

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Annual MLK Parade Set for Monday, January 20 By Hamil R. Harris WI Contributing Writer The 39th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Peace Walk and Parade is Monday and District officials have teamed up with community leaders to ensure that the event highlights the revival of a local civil rights movement as well as a day to remember the slain icon. The event will begin in Southeast at 11 a.m. as participants assemble at the intersection of MLK Jr. Avenue and Good Hope Road. The parade starts at noon and proceeds south on Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE through Anacostia to the grounds of St. Elizabeths East, where a Health and Community Fair will be held at the Gateway Pavillon. The parade was conceived in 1977 by the late Dr. Calvin W. Rolark, founder of The Washington Informer and co-founder of the United Black Fund, along with his wife, the late Ward 8 Council member Wilhelmina J. Rolark, Esq., and the late Ralph “Petey” Greene, a community activist and radio personality. D.C. was one of the first jurisdictions in the nation to hold a parade honoring King following his untimely death on April 4, 1968. Across the nation and the world, King’s life and legacy is commemorated by a day of service, promoted as “A Day On and Not a Day Off.” Denise Rolark Barnes, publisher of The Informer, and community activist Stewart Anderson are cochairs of the parade, now into its fourth decade. “The parade is important to commemorate our past and to remember,” said John W. McCaskill, an educator and historian at the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site. “Knowing where we come from and where we are today, we have to educate this generation.” The Masons from Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia will also march in the parade — a special moment for Quincy Gant,

Grand Master of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia. “For years I have heard the question asked about marching in the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade,” Gant said in a statement. “Well, thanks to the Worshipful Grand Director of Community Relations and Government Affairs Willie Bennett and his committee, the time is here! “I am requesting as many as possible to participate to show our changing city that our Masonic family is still here and committed to our community,” Gant said. “The Martin Luther King Jr. Parade symbolizes the need to continue Dr. King’s work and reinforces the idea reflected in his words, ‘Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable … every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.” WJLA-TV (Channel 7) news reporter Sam Ford has long been a supporter of the parade. “People worked hard to get the holiday and the nation’s capital ought to have a parade on the federal holiday,” Ford said. “When I came to D.C. in 1982, there was a parade and federal holiday. Through the years, the current mayor has been very helpful to keep the parade going and this year Channel 7 is going all-out, complete with eight cameras, reporters and anchors.” The parade concludes several days of related activities. On Saturday, there will be a prayer breakfast at the Temple of Praise, followed by an interfaith service at Covenant Baptist Church the following day. “I think it embraces everyone’s differences,” said Peggy Gilgannon, a retired WJLA camerawoman. “We get to march together and celebrate his legacy. The last story that I shot with Sam Ford was the Martin Luther King parade in 2016. Now I’m part of the organizing of the event so that I can experience it all.” wi

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africa now

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Zimbabwe Feels the Big Squeeze

Already bowed by hyperinflation, power and fuel shortages, and a stagnant economy, the largely indigent Zimbabwe needs urgent policy shifts. “Zimbabwe’s economy may recover next year, but only if its capital city Harare speeds up reforms to attract foreign investment, the African Development Bank told City Press this week. It predicted further contraction this year after sustained economic headwinds, but with a sense of optimism after moves for a political settlement brokered by former South African president Thabo Mbeki,” the Johannesburg-based City Press reported. The article added: “More Zimbabweans are food-insecure this year after the World Food Programme – which has made a further appeal for $200 million (R2.8 billion) – last month said that it intended to double the number of Zimbabweans it would assist to 4.1 million. This leaves at least 3 million Zimbabweans without aid, prompting Catholic and other faith-based agencies to partly step in. “Apart from food insecurity, Zimbabwean companies and citizens in urban areas are battling electricity outages and fuel shortages. Those in rural areas have been hit by shortages of water for domestic and farming purposes due to persistent drought conditions, painting a gloomy outlook for this year’s farming season and forcing many farmers to sell their animals. “It is against this backdrop that Walter Odero, Zimbabwe country economist at the African Development Bank, told City Press this week that Zimbabwe’s economy would further contract this year.” Economist Odero was quoted as saying: “We are expecting a contraction of between 5% and 7% for Zimbabwe for 2020 because of challenges such as drought, the fuel crisis and foreign exchange issues. Industries require investment and we did not have investment in 2017, 2018 and 2019. Because most of the industries in Zimbabwe are agro-based, if agriculture is affected, we can’t expect growth. So I wouldn’t be surprised to see no growth.” Continuing, the article noted that this week the World Bank said in its Global Economic Prospects 2020 report that the Zimbabwean economy contracted by 7.5% last year. It said the country suffered a sharp rise in inflation, which continued to “squeeze real incomes, resulting in a large contraction” in economic activity. “Activity has been further constrained by persistent shortages of food, fuel, electricity, and foreign exchange,” said the World Bank. According to Odero, the African Development Bank expects some recovery next year, “depending on the impact of economic and investment [attraction] efforts by the government”. Another financial and economic expert, Malcolm Hove, was also skeptical of a rebound this year. “Unless something drastic happens, contraction will continue given the poor business environment, policy inconsistencies, lack of respect for property rights, corruption and devastating drought,” Hove said. Tendai Biti, former Zimbabwe finance minister and member of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), says incompetence by government will worsen the plight of Zimbabweans this year. The MDC is contesting the election of President Emmerson Mnangagwa in 2018, arguing that he stole the vote and is thus an illegitimate leader. WI

caribbean now CARICOM ‘Deeply Concerned’ by Situation in Haiti

Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), said the organization is “deeply concerned at the continuing unsettled political, economic, humanitarian and social situation in its Member State, Haiti.” “Indeed, we are particularly concerned about the several incidents of violence and the associated and tragic loss of life. The current crisis has adversely affected all sectors of the society and has brought about severe hardship for the people of Haiti,” Mottley said in a statement issued Jan. 9. The CARICOM chairman added: “It is urgent for all stakeholders in the country to engage in constructive and meaningful dialogue, in a spirit of good faith and concern for the nation, and towards resolving this prolonged crisis. The recent decision taken by the major stakeholders to ensure that the children of the country can resume schooling as a new school term commences is an important step forward and should serve as an impetus to addressing other areas of contention in the interest of the well-being of the people and of the country at large. “The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) considers that our regional organization has a duty to do all that it possibly can to assist the people of our sister Caribbean nation of Haiti. We shall liaise with the Haitian Government to facilitate a visit by an advanced team led by the secretary-general to explore with the government and people of Haiti and other interested parties an acceptable way forward towards alleviating the present crisis.” Mottley officially assumed the chairmanship of CARICOM on Dec. 31 and will serve as chairman of the 15-member regional group for the next six months. She replaces Allen Chastanet, prime minister of Saint Lucia, who had served in that position the previous six months. WI

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ANACOSTIA RIVER SEDIMENT PROJECT PROPOSED PLAN OPEN FOR PUBLIC COMMENT THROUGH MARCH 2, 2020 The Department of Energy and Environment is excited to share an important milestone in cleanup plans for the Anacostia River, with the release of the Proposed Plan for the Anacostia River Sediment Project (ARSP). The Proposed Plan, part of a process that will make the Anacostia River, Kingman Lake, and the Washington Channel safer for the public and environmental health, is now available for public comment. View the document library at www.anacostiasedimentproject.com.

LEARN MORE Please join the Department of Energy and Environment at an upcoming public meeting about the Anacostia River Sediment Project. You will also have the opportunity to make comments on the Proposed Plan and other supporting documents. For more information please contact: anacostiariversedimentproject@dc.gov.

community meeting #1

This meeting will discuss the Proposed Plan and process leading up to a Record of Decision DATE: Thursday, January 23, 2020 | 6:30pm - 8:30pm VENUE: Dept. of Employment Services, Community Room #1 ADDRESS: 4058 Minnesota Avenue NE, Washington, DC 20019

community meeting #2

This meeting will focus on early cleanup actions in the main stem of the Anacostia River DATE: Monday, January 27, 2020 | 10:00am - 12:00pm VENUE: DCHR Headquarters, Floor 9 ADDRESS: 1015 Half St SE, Washington, DC 20003

community meeting #3

This meeting will focus on early cleanup actions in Kingman Lake DATE: Wednesday, January 29, 2020 | 7:00pm - 8:30pm VENUE: St. Coletta of Greater Washington ADDRESS: 1901 Independence Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20003

community meeting #4

This meeting will focus on early cleanup actions in the Washington Channel DATE: Tuesday, February 4, 2020 | 10:00am - 12:00pm VENUE: Wharf Dockmaster Building ADDRESS: 101 District Square SW, Washington, DC 20024

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JANUARY 16 - 22, 2020 21

HEALTH Pathways Program Promotes Fourth Cohort By Sam P.K. Collins WI Contributing Writer @SamPKCollins The nearly two dozen young men who completed the fourth round of the Pathways Program spent nine weeks developing as professionals, learning essential life skills, and reflecting on past mistakes, all while bonding with one another and their program facilitators at the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (ONSE) in Northeast. The 22 newly promoted Pathways ambassadors received words of wisdom and encouragement at their ceremony from representatives of ONSE, Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency, and the Executive Office of the Mayor. In their

remarks, some officials, like ONSE Director Del McFadden, explained how self-reliance and family support will go hand in hand. “You’re being applauded for your accomplishments. This is one step of many and there’s a long way to go,” McFadden said in his congratulatory message to the group of young men during the Dec. 13 ceremony at Carmine’s Italian Restaurant in Northwest. That morning, several family and community members poured into a spacious auditorium to celebrate the graduates, each dressed in neatly fitted suits and most sporting neatly twisted locs. The three-hour event culminated a process where the young men, at one point considered most likely to be a victim or perpetra-

tor of violent crime, reflected deeply on the path they wanted to forge through a business plan competition and other introspective activities. In his remarks, McFadden reminded the young men that their work had only just begun, especially since they had been in the process of securing six months of employment subsidized by ONSE with the possibility of future advancement. “Worry about yourself. Commit to yourself. Challenge yourself,” he implored his Pathways ambassadors. “Give it to yourself. You must focus on the individual and the foundation. Family, we need you all to stay on these guys, press them out when they’re turning in the wrong direction. It’s our job to get them where they need to be.” The Pathways Program came into fruition through the D.C. Council’s unanimous passage of the Neighborhood Engagement Achieves Results (NEAR) Act. That legislation, introduced by D.C. Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie (D-Ward 5), implemented a holistic, public health-focused means of reducing violent crime. ONSE, a Northeast-based agency created by the NEAR Act, manages the Pathways Program and other community-based activities aimed at providing participants with the tools for self-sufficiency. Last month’s promotion brought the number of Pathways ambassadors — those who’ve completed the

5 Tony Lewis (left) and Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White (right) with Pathways Program recent graduate Keyonna Jones. (Courtesy photo/ONSE Facebook grab)

Pathways program since its inception — to more than 80. Data on ONSE official site says more than 90 percent of Pathways Program graduates have avoided criminal involvement. This fiscal year, a $365,000 allocation by Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) has paved the way for participants’ wage increases. During the nine weeks, the young men, whose ages ranged from 20 to 35, spoke about their trauma and past losses to a mental wellness professional commissioned for weekly

Federal Prison Inmate Fights for Early Release

5 A 2018 photo of Antone White at United States Penitentiary, Hazelton in West Virginia. (Courtesy photo/Unjustly Sentenced)

22 - JANUARY 16 - 22, 2020

By Sam P.K. Collins WI Contributing Writer @SamPKCollins For nearly 30 years, Antone White has spent much of his time in the federal prison system challenging a life sentence handed to him. In the most recent leg of his journey, he reached out to national organizations and the legions of Black lawyers and law students across the country. In doing so, White said he aspires to pivot their collective attention to his case and that of other incarcerated people he said never experienced due process, as it has been defined in the U.S. Constitution. This counts as part of what’s now known as the Unjustly Sentenced Campaign. “No judges, nor any official of the law [is] supposed to wield power to presume a person guilty of a crime to the effect to [con-

sider] a punishment without due process when life, liberty or poverty are at stake, unless the accused has waived [their] constitutional right to face a ‘trial by jury,’ and in its stead elect to proceed a ‘trial by judge,’” White recently wrote in a letter intended for Black newspaper publishers across the United States. In 1993, White and another man, both of whom authorities alleged to be leaders of the First Street Crew, received 26 counts in an indictment, 10 of which belonged to White. After a four-month trial, five of White’s charges, including first-degree murder and use of a firearm, were dropped. A jury, however, found White guilty of racketeering and conspiring to distribute more than 50 grams of crack cocaine, relying only on prosecution witness testimony and the mention of an obstruction of justice charge

not included in the indictment. “It is an anathema of justice when a criminal defendant faced their right to a jury, and the jury had determined the factual bases of the offense(s); only later to have those facts ignored — during sentencing,” White wrote. “And, even worse, it is an extreme menace of justice when a judge accounts for the charges that the jury found not to be facts, to be [actually] factual, which blatantly, attributes a disregard for the purpose of a jury to stand a protector and arbiter between the government and criminal defendant.” Since the fall of 2018, White has written two articles and three letters about the federal sentencing guidelines that prosecutors and judges use to impose harsh sentences for alleged crack cocaine

PRISON Page 36

events touted as wellness hour. They also sharpened their financial literacy, practiced conflict resolution techniques, completed community service projects at Anacostia Park and DC Central Kitchen, learned about opportunities in real estate, and launched a radio program. The young men also embraced a change of scenery with a white water rafting trip and hike through the park. With each experience, they grew closer and more candid about their frustrations attempting to gain employment with a criminal record. Such was the case for Pathways ambassador Deandre Providence, who entered the Pathways program after an unsuccessful job hunt. With improved interview skills and a new opportunity at the Department of Public Works (DPW) on the horizon, Providence said he remains set on advancing professionally over the next few years. “I always passed interviews but background checks would stop me. Someone wasn’t giving me a chance,” said Providence, a Northwest resident and DPW driver with goals of eventually holding a management position at the agency. “There were a few brothers going through the same thing. That leaves us with no other choice but to do [other] things for money,” he continued. “I did a lot of dumb stuff when I young before I had my kid. The older I got, my way of thinking changed. Everyone deserves a second chance, to prove that they’ve matured and grown.” WI

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HEALTH

An Important Step Forward for Rx Prices By Rev. Dr. Kendrick E. Curry, AARP DC State President On December 12, 2019, the House of Representative took a vital step to lower prescription drug costs and passed the Lower Drug Costs Now Act. This bipartisan bill offers real relief to the millions of Americans who struggle to afford their needed medications. The bill would allow Medicare to use its buying power to negotiate lower drug prices, create an out-of-pocket cap for seniors in Medicare Part D, and crack down on excessive drug price increases. AARP has been tracking drug prices for 12 years. For each year, the price for prescription drugs has increased much faster than inflation. That’s why AARP DC thanks U.S. Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton on behalf of our more than 83,000 local members for supporting this legislation to rein in the out-of-control prices of prescription drugs. It should come as no surprise that many AARP members tell us they can’t afford the medications they need, and are forced to make difficult choices as a result. In a recent survey of voters age 50 and older, four out of ten people responded that they did not fill a prescription their doctor ordered them to take due to the cost. The cost of prescription drugs can catch anyone off guard. Even though I have a good job and great health insurance, I was baffled by the prohibitive cost of essential blood pressure medication. I was able to qualify for a program that alleviated some of the cost, but not everyone is so fortunate. It’s patients who pay for greedy Big Pharma practices that help keep drug prices high— it’s also taxpayers. The AARP Public Policy Institute released a new analysis in

AARP has been tracking drug prices for 12 years. For each year, the price for prescription drugs has increased much faster than inflation.

October 2019 that showed Medicare (meaning beneficiaries and taxpayers) spent an extra $110 billion in recent years on drug price increases that exceeded inflation. Imagine how those savings could have been used to protect Medicare for years to come. The passage of the Lower Drug Costs Now Act could be of great benefit for seniors. According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, allowing Medicare to negotiate prices for high-cost drugs with no competitors – rather than being forced to pay whatever sky-high rates Big Pharma sets – would save a staggering $345 billion. The House bill would invest those savings back into Medicare by creating new dental, hearing, and vision benefits in the program. These needed investments would greatly improve the health and well-being of older Americans and help reduce health care costs down the road. The fact that the House passed legislation on prescription drugs – and that the Senate is considering a related bill – is a major step forward. Thoughtful efforts to help reduce prescription drug prices and cover needed services could save billions of dollars for patients, taxpayers, and our health care system. We thank U.S. Rep. Holmes Norton for her support to lower prescription drug prices and make health care more affordable. AARP is determined to win this fight on behalf of older Americans, and we stand with all our elected officials who are committed to lowering drug prices.

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HEALTH

Proposed Legislation Seeks Protection of Violence Interrupters Councilmember Trayon White’s Bill Named to Honor Clarence Venable By Sam P.K. Collins WI Contributing Writer @SamPKCollins Legislation recently brought before the D.C. Council centers upon the City’s violence interrupters, not only because it’s named after a community member who trained for that job, but because it discourages acts of violence like that which abruptly ended the activist’s life. Earlier this month, supporters watched as D.C. Councilmember Trayon White, Sr. (D-Ward 8) introduced the Clarence J. Venable Violence Intervention and Prevention Workers Protection Act during a legislative meeting. In the weeks following Venable’s death, citizens coalesced around

the effort to address what longtime activist Sandra Seegars described as a situation of severe proportion. “Violence interrupters don’t have guns, bulletproof vests or handcuffs. It’s just them confronting criminals and high-risk people,” said Seegars, a member of the Concerned Residents Against Violence [CRAV]. If passed, the legislation would amend the Taxicab Drivers Protection Act of 2000 with offenders receiving time-and-a-half for committing acts of violence against residents performing their duties as violence interrupters. In December, Seegars counted among a bevy of people, including Ward 6 resident Ronald Williams, The Rev. Anthony Motley, Gloria Hightower of Ward 2, Joseph

Johnson of Ward 8, and Anthony Muhammad and Mary Cuthburt of the Seventh District Metropolitan Police Department Citizens’ Advisory Council, who advocated for the introduction of the bill. “Violence interrupters need something to protect them so the offender or would-be murderer will think twice,” Seegars said. “Clarence Venable’s murder showed me that having a specific title doesn’t stop you from being in harm’s way. There’s no regard for life.” On November 22, Venable had just left a training at the Alliance of Concerned Men’s office on Dubois Place in Southeast when an assailant shot him at close range.

INTERRUPTERS Page 43

5 If passed, a D.C. Council named after the late Clarence Venable will impose stronger penalties on those who commit violent acts against violence interrupters, unarmed women and men dispatched by the Office of the Attorney General and the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement to settle neighborhood disputes. (Courtesy photo/CRAV-Friends and Family of Clarence Venable)

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JANUARY 16 - 22, 2020 25

EDUCATION Parents Prioritize School Equality in Charter Board Executive Search By Sam P.K. Collins WI Contributing Writer @SamPKCollins Whoever replaces Scott Pearson at the DC Public Charter School Board (DCPCSB) will sit at the helm of the government agency overseeing the schools attended by half of the District’s student population and determining

whether those schools remain open. In recent years, the charter board has made an effort to better attract District families, particularly those with special-needs accommodations, by allowing students to enroll in its more than 120 independently run schools through the My School DC lottery. However, as some parents recently told charter board members and staff

at a roundtable, more choices haven’t necessarily quelled the systemic forces affecting the quality of their child’s education. “There have been steps to get more charter schools and make neighborhood schools better, and all of that is on the right track but it’s not fast enough. We have to be a bit more proactive in addressing the inequities,” said Yvette Selby, a mother of twins who attend Capital City Public Charter School in Northwest. Selby expressed satisfaction with Capital City’s offerings, telling The Informer that her daughter scored high in her math classes with the supports put in place through her IEP. She also commended her son, an aspiring engineer taking honors classes and mulling a transfer to a school with a career-specific program. To that point, Selby stressed that her children had to explore their interests outside of school. “In the wards where you have parents making more money, they can do more through their parent-teacher associations,” said Selby, a Ward 5 resident

5 The DC Public Charter School Board hosts a roundtable with parents at Kipp DC College Preparatory School in Northeast on Saturday, Jan. 11. (Roy Lewis/The Washington Informer)

and parent leader of Parents Amplifying Voices in Education. “In other schools where you have at-risk students, they’re fighting for the basic needs of the schools. The charter school board, Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education, DC Public Schools, OSSE, the D.C. Council, residents, and businesses need to be more assertive in addressing and resolving that issue.”

ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT

Selby and nearly a dozen other parents and community members participated in Saturday morning’s roundtable at Kipp DC College Preparatory in Northeast. This gathering counted as part of DCPCSB’s search for a new

EQUALITY Page 43

The Public School Lottery

Apply today to DC public and public charter schools for school year 2020-21 at MySchoolDC.org.

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26 - JANUARY 16 - 22, 2020

info.myschooldc@dc.gov

February 3, 2020 – Grades 9-12 March 2, 2020 – PK3 - Grade 8 @MySchoolDC THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

EDUCATION

DCPS

lated school closures and delays will be posted on the DCPS Twitter account. Local news outlets will also have access to this information. Learn more about DCPS’ inclement weather notifications at this link: https://dcps.dc.gov/ page/inclement-weather-guidance.

BRIEFS

2020 PANORAMA SURVEY

DCPS recently launched its 2020 Panorama Survey, which measures social emotional learning, satisfaction, and engagement across staff, families, and students. Parental and public feedback are critical to ensuring that D.C.’s public schools are meeting the needs of students and their families. New Charter School Proposals The DC Public Charter School Board has received four proposals to open new schools in D.C. If approved, the schools would open in school year 2021-22. The applications include: two PK35 schools: a dual language immersion in both Mandarin-English and Spanish-English; an Arabic immersion school; a middle/high school that will

Compiled by Dorothy Rowley WI Staff Writer

NO DCPS CLASSES

Parent-Teacher Conference Day is Friday, Jan. 17. (No School for Students) Martin Luther King Jr. Day is Monday, Jan. 20. (No School) Term 2 Ends; Half Day PD for Staff; Records Day, Monday, Jan. 27 (No School for Students) PD Day for Staff, Tuesday, Jan. 28 (No School for Students); Term 3 Begins Inclement Weather Information Decisions made around weather-re-

immerse students in inquiry-based learning experiences; and a high school that will focus on business and entrepreneurship. During the application process, each applicant school is evaluated through a rigorous review process that includes capacity interviews with the founding groups and public hearings for the community to voice their opinion on the proposed schools.

SHARE YOUR DC

Share Your DC, a program at Two Rivers Public Charter School gives parents the time, space and language to challenge bias and bridge differences. This three-session session expedition also helps participants articulate their own identity, listen to others share theirs, and build connections through having tough conversations. Surveyed results show that participants of SYDC expedition realized some of their own biases and how they can unintentionally pass along those biases to their children. As a result, SYDC alumni have intentionally integrated their children’s

5 School leaders believe the new program at Sela PCS will provide students opportunities to practice the Hebrew language and learn more about the culture from native speakers. (Courtesy of Sela PCS)

playdates, exposed their families to traditions of different faith communities, and read books that expand their appreciation of local landmarks and history. Learning the Hebrew Language At the start of the next school year, students at Sela Public Charter School will have two teachers in each classroom: one who speaks English and the other will speak Hebrew.

School leaders believe this change will provide students opportunities to practice the Hebrew language and learn more about the culture from native speakers. Parents at Sela PCS are excited that they will have Hebrew and English teachers working alongside each other in the classroom to teach them proficiency in both languages simultaneously. WI

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OPINIONS/EDITORIALS

EDITORIAL

Sentinel Newspapers Closing Marks Another Nail in Local Press Coffin Earlier this week, the Montgomery County Sentinel and Prince George’s Sentinel announced that they will be going out of business Jan. 30 after 57 and 42 years, respectively, under their current ownership. The Sentinel, founded in 1855, has long established itself as a publication essential to the reporting of local news for and about the residents of two of Maryland’s most-populated counties, Montgomery and Prince George’s. But their demise has not been felt to the truest depths, at least not yet. However, in short order, the thousands of residents who have grown to rely on their local newspapers will lament in the fact that their unique and particular stories, features about area children and young adults achieving the “impossible,” reports on community councils and school boards, will no longer be documented by the press. And that’s the real tragedy behind these newspapers being forced to shut down their operations. As a community-based newspaper, The Washington Informer, along with our sister 200-plus Black-owned publications, all members of the National Newspaper Publishers Association, understand full-well the challenges that smaller, community-based publications have faced since the 1990s, if not earlier, given precipitous declines in circulation and classified advertising and the ever-increasing dominance of the Internet and other online options for consumers. Many larger publications, including the District’s own Washington Post, have reduced the number of pages in their Metro section which focuses on news reports and features stories highlighting life and the lives of local communities. But they remain committed to such reports. But one day, if we are not careful, if we do not support our local newspapers – from Anacostia to Alexandria – from rural enclaves which still look a lot like the fictitious “Mayberry RFD,” we will lose the stories that really inform and inspire millions of Americans forever. Are you supporting your local press with subscriptions, advertising and word of mouth which positively speaks to the positive work they do and service they perform? We implore you to do so. For many of these publications, whose writers routinely give their very best – their blood, sweat and tears on behalf of thousands of families, children, returning citizens and grassroots activists – they, just like our staff here at The Washington Informer, may stand as the only voice ordinary people still have. And sadly, once other publications like the Sentinel must also close their doors, more voices than we can accurately count or imagine will similarly be silenced forever. WI

Facing Hate: What Would Dr. King Do? Monday, January 20 is the national holiday honoring the birth, life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King would have turned 91 this year, on January 15, had he not been shot and killed while standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee on April 4, 1968. King dodged many serious threats to his life and to his family during the nearly two decades long national civil rights movement he led. The violence targeted against him neither deterred him nor dissuaded him from his commitment and advocacy of non-violence as the most effective tactic available to achieve civil and human rights against a racist and violent culture here in America. King said, “Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.” And no matter how vicious the acts, from the bombing of his home in Atlanta, Georgia, to the moment a deranged woman stabbed him in the chest, so close to his aorta that a simple sneeze could have ended his life, to the daily consequences of acting boldly to improve the quality of life for Black and poor people, King lingered on a tight rope between life and death every single day.

TO THE EDITOR The End of Jack Evans Church’s Isn’t for Us Very sad to see Jack Evans, the longest-serving D.C. councilperson, to go out like this. But missteps and “ethical violations” tend to happen after about 28 years in local office. Oh well, life goes on. Cat Simmons Washington, D.C.

I cannot believe, of all the eateries in the world, the only option was a Church’s Chicken to come to Ward 7. These people are literally trying to kill us and it’s so outright and egregious that it’s almost funny. Almost! Council member Gray and whoever else needs to step up and do something. Not surprised about the owner of this establishment whatsoever. Shame! Finus Tampert Washington, D.C.

His message worked while he was alive, despite naysayers who strongly opposed taking the non-violent route to make change. Thousands marched and withstood violent attacks while riding buses or sitting at lunch counters only seeking to be treated fairly and equally. But when King was killed, violently, his message was not strong enough to stage off a violent response to his death. The messenger is gone, and today there are few whose words resonate like King’s in a world that is becoming increasingly violent and devoured with extremism and anti-every-

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body across nations and in local communities. While many have attempted to pick up Dr. King’s mantel, evidence shows that it has been too heavy a burden for most to carry. But we must. We, the people, must use the tools we have to keep America moving forward, not backward. We must register, we must vote, and we must speak loudly about what must happen to fulfill the dream of an America described passionately by Dr. King before he died. Do not let his living nor his words die in vain. WI

JANUARY 16 - 22, 2020 29

OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnist

By Gwen McKinney

Redefining Suffrage, Unerasing Black Women Sojourner Truth. Harriet Tubman. Ida B. Wells. Shirley Chisholm. Rosa Parks. These household names, spanning a couple of centuries, qualify for the Suffrage Hall of Fame. Almost a buzz word synonymous with the Year of the Woman, in 2020 the centerpiece of suffrage will be marked by the 100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment granting

women’s voting rights. Referred to as a bold justice movement, suffrage will be celebrated as America’s march to full democracy. In popular parlance, can we unpack the significance of suffrage and inclusive democracy for Black women? Words matter. But the impact and impetus of their meaning matter more. Here’s a composite definition from online dictionaries: Suffrage is the right to vote in public elections. Universal suffrage means everyone gets to vote, as op-

Guest Columnist

posed to only men or property holders… For example, after trying for about a hundred years, American women were granted suffrage and voted for the first time in 1920. The 19th Amendment was adopted Aug. 18, 1920, after the required number of states ratified the constitutional measure. Though many Black women led suffrage campaigns, the 19th Amendment put white women on an empowerment tract to electoral engagement. Interestingly, the suffrage movement, festooned in the symbolic color white,

is often portrayed through a narrow window uncomplicated by the strictures of race and power that framed the Amendment then and now. Look no further than the historical landscape of that moment. Congressional approval of the Act in 1919 was the same year as the infamous Red Summer, a tumultuous white supremacist reign of terror and lynching in Black communities across the country. One year after the 19th Amendment was adopted in 1921 racist mobs set ablaze Tulsa, OK, decimating what was revered

as Black Wall Street. The Year of the Woman battle cry is perversely at odds with Black women’s unbroken quest for liberation. Although lauded today as the most reliable and consistent voting bloc for democratic change, we’ve historically endured being marginalized, dismissed and erased. Black women’s demand to be equal and heard extends beyond the century run-up to the 19th Amendment. It was intersectional and

We don’t want this war. We don’t need this war. We cannot afford this war, neither in blood nor in treasure. Nearly half a billion lives have been lost in the conflicts in Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan since 9/11, including 15,000 U.S. troops and military contractors. More than 970,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veteran disability claims have been registered with the Veterans Administration. The United States federal government has spent or obligated $5.9 trillion dollars on the wars in the Middle East.

As a study by the Watson Institute at Brown University noted, “This total omits many other expenses, such as the macroeconomic costs to the US economy; the opportunity costs of not investing war dollars in alternative sectors; future interest on war borrowing; and local government and private war costs. The current wars have been paid for almost entirely by borrowing. This borrowing has raised the US budget deficit, increased the na-

MCKINNEY Page 53

By Marc H. Morial

War with Iran is Ill-Advised, Thoughtless The Trump administration has said the death of Iran’s top military commander, Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani, was necessary to prevent American deaths the general was plotting, and the world is safer because of his death. I don’t know a soul in America who feels safer now than we did before Jan. 3. And that includes President Trump, who has spent the days since Suleimani’s death

issuing empty threats on Twitter, some of which are clearly war crimes. The United States has been in conflict with Iran since 1979, when students stormed the American embassy in Tehran and held 52 Americans hostage for more than a year. In four decades since the Iranian Revolution, Iran has been the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism. For 22 of those years, Suleimani has led the Quds Force, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization which has armed and trained terrorist and

Guest Columnist

paramilitary groups throughout the Middle East. Yet Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama – and even Donald Trump, for the first three years of his term – all declined to kill or capture Suleimani, for a very good reason: such a move would be tantamount to a declaration of war, not only with Iran but with its inestimable network of proxies around the globe, which Iran expert and Carnegie Endowment senior fellow Karim Sadjadpour has called “a Shia foreign legion.”

MORIAL Page 53

By Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr.

New Hope for Pembroke Township

Across America, there are pockets of poverty, communities that have been left behind or deprived of the basics needed to develop, like Pembroke Township, a small community south of Chicago along the Indiana border. In this community, one-third of the families live below the poverty line. It is one of the poorest communities

30 - JANUARY 16 - 22, 2020

in the country, with a median income that is among the lowest. In the 1860s, newly freed slaves — freedmen — settled into the rich farmland of the region. It was a land of promise and opportunity. During the Great Migration and the Great Depression, waves of black farmers settled here. Land was still available for black farms in part because much of it was seen as marginal. The land is so bad, the joke became, as Rev. Hezekiah Brady Jr. reported, “you

can’t raise hell on it.” Today, the residents of Pembroke Township are denied the hope that their ancestors once held. In Pembroke, residents lack heat and access to basic necessities. They are the victims of economic violence in many ways. They can’t develop basic infrastructure without capital investment. Investment won’t come without basic infrastructure. They face a catch-22 all too familiar to poor communities in

this country. In recent months, this has begun to change for the 2,100 residents of Pembroke. WiFi has come to the community. Now Nicor Gas is joining with local officials trying to work out a plan to bring natural gas to Pembroke. A secure source of energy would help kick-start other development — and in turn create jobs and generate hope. To bring energy to Pembroke will require regulatory changes, millions in investment and sup-

port from the business community, the residents of Pembroke, the state of Illinois and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Nicor has made a serious commitment. Now it is time to turn up the heat on the others to ensure that the residents of Pembroke have heat. Dr. Martin Luther King always envisioned the civil rights struggle in three different movementsi or phases. First would come basic

JACKSON Page 53

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnist

By A. Peter Bailey

Celebrate Dr. King as a Warrior, Not a Dreamer

At the risk of being considered repetitious, I am once again asking — not begging — Black folks to cease reducing the great historical legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to “I Have a Dream.” Anyone who is still doing so, which includes most Black folks in this country, should celebrate his birthday this year by reading his last book, ”Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community.” There is no way one can read that

book and continue reducing Dr. King to being some kind of otherworldly dreamer. The seriousness and tone of the book is graphically revealed in the following no-nonsense statements by Dr. King: “But the scope of the struggle is still too narrow and too restricted. We must turn more of our energies and focus on the useful things that translate into power. … We in this generation must do the work and in doing it stimulate our children to learn and acquire higher levels of skill and technique. “It must become a crusade so

Guest Columnist

vital that civil rights organizations do not repeatedly have to make personal calls to summon support. There must be a climate of social pressure in the Negro community that scorns the Negro who will not pick up his citizenship rights and add his strength enthusiastically and voluntarily to the accumulation of power for his self and his people … “Power is not the white man’s birth right; it will not be legislated for us and delivered in neat government packages. It is a social force any group can utilize by accumulating its elements in a

planned, deliberate campaign to organize it under its own control. “Our meddlesome task is to discover how to organize our strength into compelling power.” “A second important step that the Negro must take is to work passionately for group identity. This does not mean group isolation or group exclusivity. It means the kind of group consciousness that Negroes need in order to participate more meaningfully at all levels in the life of our nation.” As a Malcolmite, I agree with 90 percent of what Dr. King is advocating in the above quotes. I

never thought I would be able to say that. Finally, it must be noted that J. Edgar Hoover knew that Dr. King was more than a dreamer. In an Aug. 28, 2013 article on the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, The Washington Post noted that following Dr. King’s speech that day, the FBI launched one of the biggest operations in its history. Hoover paid attention to the rest of that speech, which included the following passage: “In a sense we have come to our

Qassim Soleimani, speaking in angry words and proclaiming it to be the worst military briefing he’d heard since coming to Congress! Sen. Rand Paul stood with him before Democratic senators began their assessment. Democratic senators described the Administration’s explanation as “Incredibly without facts, deeply concerning, unacceptably vague, thin on facts, unacceptable and concerning, deeply dissatisfying” and the descriptions went on

and on. With that kind of criticism, I’m reminded of former Secretary of State John Kerry’s question when he asked, “How do you ask a man to be the last man to die for a mistake?” So many voices today indicate that no matter how badly we think of Iran or its dead general, Kerry said, “Trump’s unilateral actions have brought us to a point

BAILEY Page 54

By E. Faye Williams

Imagine a World We have an impeached president in our country because he has done so much destruction to our country. He has even destroyed who others believe we are! Many Americans have lost faith in who we once thought we were. I’ve heard Americans talk about being embarrassed to travel abroad because they have no way to de-

fend what has happened to our country. Now, as a result of the extreme actions taken by the man in the White House, we now may hesitate to travel abroad. Once we’re identified as Americans, we are fair game to those who want payback against America for what the occupant in the White House has done without a logical explanation. The administration held a briefing to explain why the occupant of the White House started the

Askia-At-Large

groundwork for a war without authorization from Congress. Even as our top military officials stood behind Trump as he tried to justify ordering the killing, it was obvious they were thinking about the John Lennon song “Imagine” with another commander in chief. Sen. Mike Lee is definitely not one who would likely vote for anything with which I agree, but Wednesday, he came out of the briefing meeting that was intended to justify the killing Maj. Gen.

WILLIAMS Page 54

By Askia Muhammad

Long Before Trump, White Man Has Spoken with Forked Tongue If, as Iraqi Prime Minister Abdul Mahdi says, the murdered Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassim Soleimani was lured to the place of his assassination by a false promise of peace negotiations offered by Donald J. Trump, it would not be the first time this particular president (or any POTUS, for that matter) lied to a political adversary. The Washington Post has veri-

fied this Occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue has lied more than 15,000 times during his three years in office … and yet he still enjoys a 45 percent approval rating, according to one recent poll (but that’s another conversation). So, his recent justification of what was an illegal “act of war” — assassinating a foreign military commander (Soleimani) is war, and to take such action without Congressional authorization is Constitutionally illegal — his explana-

tion has been roundly rejected by House and Senate Democrats and Republicans who were briefed confidentially by the administration. 45 went “thug” like he and his warcrime commandos like to do. Even with the widespread Islamophobia, and especially hatred of all things Iranian in this country, the administration’s account has met widespread skepticism. Aaccording to Dude, Soleimani was planning “imminent attacks” on “four U.S. embassies,” including the one in

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

Baghdad. Not so, countered Iraqi Prime Minister Abdul-Mahdi, who said the attack at Baghdad’s International Airport was a violation of his country’s sovereignty, and he and his legislature subsequently demanded that the U.S. withdraw all its troops. The PM said he had planned to meet Soleimani on the morning the general was killed to discuss a diplomatic overture that Iraq was brokering between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Abdul-Mahdi said that

Trump personally thanked him for the efforts, even as he was planning to murder Soleimani — thus creating the impression that the Iranian general was safe to travel to Baghdad. Such treachery and betrayal by this country’s officials is nothing new. Here in the mainland, the treatment of the enslaved Africans for centuries was a crime against humanity, and the slaughter of the

ASKIA Page 54 JANUARY 16 - 22, 2020 31

LIFESTYLE One-Woman Play Revives Spirit and Mission of Fannie Lou Hamer

Actress Mzuri Moyo Aimbaye Uses Music, Stories in Voter Registration Initiative By D. Kevin McNeir WI Editor @dkevinmcneir With the 2020 U.S. presidential election less than 10 months away

32 - JANUARY 16 - 22, 2020

(Tuesday, Nov. 3), the importance of ensuring that all eligible voters be registered so they can make their voices heard at the polls has become a mission of urgency for an

ever-increasing wave of citizens. And for actress Mzuri Moyo Aimbaye, educating, motivating and assisting unregistered voters has developed into an almost 20year project – best understood via her one-woman play, “The Fannie Lou Hamer Story: Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired.” Aimbaye’s self-created production, which includes riveting storytelling, 11 emotionally-stirring songs from the Civil Rights Era and a horrific video lynching montage, comes to the stage Saturday, January 25 at the Prince George’s Community College Center of Performing Arts, Proscenium Theatre in Largo at 3 p.m. Directed by Byron C. Saunders, the “get out the vote healing production” serves as the first 5 stop in Maryland for the actress/ playwright’s 2020 National Tour Commemorating Women of Civil Rights and Social Justice. Following the play, voter registration booths will be available, courtesy of the NAACP and League of Woman Voters. Aimbaye, who created the play after watching a television interview with Fannie Lou Hamer, the “Mother of Voter Registration for Black Americans,” says she remembers being struck by the realization of Hamer’s incredible story and mesmerized by her determination to remain kind and willingness to forgive. Hamer’s vivid account of voter suppression and brutal jail-house beatings, Aimbaye adds, inspired her to create and perform “The Fannie Lou Hamer Story.” “She spoke for the voiceless and came to prominence after learning that Blacks could vote – something she didn’t even know,” Aimbaye said. “Ironically, she developed her skills as a public speaker by working as a sharecropper on a plantation where she was a timekeeper and also the person to whom people would confer when their loved ones died and they had no insurance.” “After her testimony at the 1964 Democratic Convention where she shared how badly she’d been beaten by law officials and others, President Johnson was forced to push for the Voter’s Right Act. Some say it was Dr. King who served as the catalyst for the Voter’s Right Act but the real impetus for President Johnson becoming determined to see the legislation become the law was Fannie Lou Hamer.”

As the play begins, Hamer returns from Heaven and talks about police brutality – calling the names and invoking the spirits of those whose police-involved deaths have become part of the contemporary political landscape: Sandra Bland, Michael Brown, Eric Garner and Oscar Grant, among others. “I envisioned Fannie Lou Hamer being called from the grave, unable to rest because so many people needed to know her story,” Aimbaye said. “This is my 19th year doing the play and it required a great deal of research. I had no idea who she was prior to her death but I did have the honor of interviewing her stepdaughter, and consulting with icons like Congressman John Lewis, who has seen and continued to support the play and Dr. Frank Smith, a founding member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and the founding director of the District’s African-American Civil War Museum.” “She should be a household name because she was a true warrior but I think her being an uneducated woman from the South had a lot to do with that. She was known to say that after the terrible beatings she survived, she was never afraid of anything or anyone else again. It’s that spirit that the powers to be would like to keep suppressed. Since getting permission to tell her story and to keep it going, we have performed to sold-out houses – venues where as many as 80 percent of the audience had never heard of her before.” Mission Possible: Increase Voter Registration As mentioned earlier, the production also serves as a means of increasing voter registration, particularly among college students. But Aimbaye notes that even children too young to vote are encouraged to come to the play, to listen and to learn. “We need our youth to understand the importance of voting,” she said. “We want them to understand the significance of Juneteenth. We need them to learn that securing the right to vote for Blacks was a 95-year-old battle. This is a passion and ministry for me and those who support this production.” “We’re asking local pastors to purchase blocs of tickets and bring their young adults so they can be educated about Fannie Lou Hamer and register to vote.” “Believe it or not, and despite

5 Mzuri Moyo Aimbaye (Courtesy photo)

overwhelmingly-positive responses about the play as we’ve toured the U.S., 15 colleges recently turned us down after we contacted them about bring the show to their campuses for Black History Month. Still, I remain diligent and pray that more folks will realize the significance of this play and the life of Fannie Lou Hamer – and that they’ll support this initiative in any way possible.” Aimbaye travels the country with her signature performance in theaters, churches, high schools, colleges, universities and civic organizations. The show has become a captivating backdrop for voter registration wherever it is performed, leaving audiences inspired and spellbound. Healing Through the Sound of Music was conceived in 2009 by Mzuri Moyo Aimbaye (nee Lorraine T. Pope) who adopted the Swahili name Mzuri (beautiful) Moyo (heart) Aimbaye (who sings). Therefore, Healing Through the Sound of Music is dedicated to creating enlightening educational entertaining performances that HEAL, INSPIRE and RAISE HISTORICAL AWARENESS for viewing audiences of all ages. More information can also be found at www.thefannielouhamerstory.com, via email at mstee@thefannielouhamerstory.com or by phone, 347395-0259. WI

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

PGCPS BRIEFS Compiled by Dorothy Rowley WI Staff Writer

NO CLASSES

Monday, Jan. 20: All Day Holiday Martin L. King, Jr. Day - Schools and Offices Closed

HELPING HOMELESS FAMILIES

Over the holidays, teachers and families at Chesapeake Math & IT Elementary North Elementary School donated nearly 2,000 items to homeless families, including jackets, fleece blankets, care bags, non-perishable food items and toys. This year’s assistance marked the sixth event for the school’s collective effort.

LOTTERY PROGRAM

The PGCPS online application system for specified Lottery Programs is open. However, please note that the window for requesting seat placements is limited for the 2020-21 school year. In order to submit an application, have your child’s Student Identification Number at least 48 hours in advance of the close of the application. All requests will be checked for accuracy. Any falsification of information may result in your request not being processed and/or denied.

‘YOUTH SPEAKS’

The Prince George’s County “Youth Speaks” forum convenes on Saturday, Jan.18 for the first in a series of focus groups empowering youth to discuss issues and challenges. The forum takes please from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Kentland Community Center in Landover and is designed to promote intergenerational, community-orientated engagement and fellowship, while addressing some of the issues and challenges that youths face. In the event of inclement weather, the forum may be postponed to a later date and/or time. All registered persons will receive an email notification with all updates.

MLK DAY OF SERVICE

LIFESTYLE

The PGCPS family as well as the public is encouraged to join the Office of Community Relations for its first annual MLK Day of Service on Monday, Jan. 20. Events include: a Youth Employment Seminar (ages 14-18) from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Community of Hope AME Church, 3801 Branch Ave. in Temple Hills, Md. Youth employment information including onthe-spot interviews, hiring tips, Summer Youth Employment Program training, community service hours, a special raffle and gift for students who complete the five seminar stations will be available.

IMMERSION TEACHER JOB FAIR

The PGCPS system is offering an immersion teacher recruitment job fair on Jan. 22, for which officials will be looking for bilingual educators to join their team. Hiring officials will be in search of Spanish, French and Chinese immersion teachers. The salary range is from $48,498 to $ 80,761 annually, plus benefits. Recruitment takes place from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at 9201 E. Hampton

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

5 The PGCPS online application system for its specified Lottery Programs is currently open. (PGCPS photo)

Drive, Capitol Heights Md 20743. Applications will also be accepted at www.pgcps.org/teachwithus Talented, Gifted Education. Eight PGCPS buildings recently received the 2019 Maryland Excellence in Gifted and Talented Education (EGATE) awards, the highest single-year total in the school system. Listed among the recipients are Greenbelt, Heather Hills, Mat-

taponi, Pointer Ridge and Valley View elementary schools, Accokeek Academy and Benjamin Tasker and Walker Mill middle schools. “These schools go above and beyond to provide a model academic program for students,” said Schools CEO Monica Goldson. “Having access to quality gifted and talented programs is key to ensuring advanced learners meet their full potential.” WI

JANUARY 16 - 22, 2020 33

LIFESTYLE

Census Officials Promise Blacks ‘We’re Ready to Go’ By Hamil R. Harris WI Contributing Writer This United States Census Bureau recently unveiled a comprehensive national advertising and outreach campaign for the 2020 Census and despite concerns by critics of a potential under count, officials expressed confidence that the upcoming Census will be more effective than ever.

Flanked by a diverse panel of bureau managers, Steven Dillingham, director of the US Census Bureau, during a packed press conference Tuesday, Jan. 14 at the Arena Stage in Southwest, said, “The 2020 Census needs the attention and support of everyone.” “Reaching historically-hard to count populations in groups and individuals is our highest priority,” Dillingham said. “We are especial-

ly focused in reaching communities that are hard to reach and hard to motivate that traditionally have been undercounted.” Dillingham spoke during the event as other Census Bureau officials shared strategies that will be employed to reach all audiences in a country of more than 300 million and who need to be reached in nine months starting this March. In order to achieve success, Census officials will release advertisement in 13 languages including English. Every decade when the federal Census occurs, one of the topics of greatest concern, from voices on

the Hill to utterances raise during community meetings in Anacostia, remains securing the most accurate accounting possible for the number of U.S. citizens. “It’s important that advertising taking place while the door knocking program is going on,” said Marc Morial, CEO of the National Urban League during a hearing last week held by the House Government Oversight and Reform Committee. He particularly expressed concern over whether the Census Bureau is doing enough to ensure an adequate count. Morial said he’s fearful about the count in “rural and poor black communities” and remains unconvinced that the Census Bureau has the needed staff or “enumerators” – the trained individuals who go door-to-door encouraging people to fill out official documents distributed by the Census Bureau. But on Tuesday, Field Operations Executive Director Ted Olsen pointed to a massive operation that includes 170,000 partners, 120,000 events and an applicant pool of 1.7 million census workers. “I am very confident that we are getting a large applicant pool,” Olsen said. Also during the Tuesday event,

Census Bureau officials highlighted part of their advertising campaign crafted to ensure that African Americans and other diverse groups will be reached during and accounted for. Initiatives include the creation of more than 1,000 digital advertisements developed to reach diverse and multicultural audiences across the country. And although there have been few faces of color employed within the Trump Administration, the Census Bureau seems to favor diversity within its ranks including Michael Cook, director of Public Information and Kendall Johnson, executive director of the Communications Contract. Albert E. Fontenot, Jr., associate director for Decennial Census Programs, counts as one of the highest-ranking African Americans at the Bureau. During the news conference. he expressed optimism that the count will go well. “Many organizations have scheduled rallies and events and in addition to our staff there are state-based count committees and we have a large number of partners assisting our complete count committees, all of whom will make a much larger impact in successfully reaching Black communities.” WI

5 Austin Patrick of the Carol H. Williams Advertising Agency views an exhibit for the 2020 Census national advertising and outreach campaign rolled out at Arena Stage in Southwest on Tuesday, Jan. 14. (Shevry Lassiter/The Washington Informer)

34 - JANUARY 16 - 22, 2020

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If it were up to me, we’d have all the healthcare we need. A24097x01D_131-00033230_240u.tif

The 2020 Census informs funding for walk-in clinics, Medicare and all types of health services. Rest assured your answers are safe and secure. Learn more at:

2020CENSUS.GOV Paid for by U.S. Census Bureau.

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LIFESTYLE MANUAL CINEMA

Urban One Celebrates Landmark 40th Anniversary

Star-studded Evening Co-hosted by Founder Cathy Hughes Airs Jan. 20th By Keith L. Alexander Special to The Washington Informer

“Manual Cinema turns Gwendolyn Brooks into poetry magic.” Chicago Reader

Fri, Jan 24

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Inside the MGM National Harbor towering over the Potomac River, the 3,000-seat theater slowly filled with African Americans sporting tuxedos and evening gowns as celebrities including Jamie Foxx, Billy Porter, Lil’ Kim and Brandy mixed with some of the District’s movers and shakers. The gathering served as a celebration marking the 40th anniversary of Urban One, Inc., the nation’s largest distributor of news and entertainment aimed solely at Black consumers and the largest-African American-owned TV network. The media company, known for decades as Radio One, Inc. reflecting its stable of radio stations across the U.S., changed its name in 2017 to Urban One. The new name, its owners posit, illustrates its expanding goal of providing content to urban audiences via all forms of media through its divisions including radio, television programming with its TV One cable network and now the Internet. Still at the helm remains Urban One’s founder and chairwoman, Cathy Hughes, 72, who served as the co-host for the 40th anniversary Urban One Honors awards show along with comedian Chris Tucker and which airs Monday, Jan. 20 on the TV One network. In addition to its several entertainment companies, Urban One also owns nearly 7 percent of the $1.4 billion MGM Casino, Hotel and Re-

PRISON from Page 22

CHUCK BROWN FRANKIE BEVERLY

FANTASIA

36 - JANUARY 16 - 22, 2020

dealers and users. His first letter under the Unjustly Sentenced campaign examined this issue during Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearing. In that correspondence, White demanded fairness similar to what Kavanaugh and his supporters requested when a former classmate accused Kavanaugh of sexual abuse. Subsequent letters have reached the National Black Law Students Association (NBLSA) and online platforms on which White detailed his journey to reduce his sentence and analyzed the effects of the justice system

5 The annual Urban One Honors co-hosted by Cathy Hughes and Chris Tucker celebrating 40 years of Radio One at MGM Theatre in National Harbor, Md. (Courtesy photo/Urban One)

sort, a purchase engineered upon the resort’s opening three years ago. During the program, a bevy of entertainers expressed their appreciation to Hughes for her unprecedented influence, not only in their careers, but for the entertainment industry nationwide. The Hughes media story has been well-documented from her start in 1969 at an AM radio station in her native Omaha to her move to the District after being offered a position as lecturer at Howard University. She would later become general sales manager of WHUR, Howard’s FM radio station, then be promoted to general manager. During that time, she created the late night, slow-jam-formatted phenomenon “The Quiet Storm” whose unique sound led to the expansion of radio stations across Ameron Black people. Throughout this endeavor, White has been transferred to a bevy of federal facilities — including USP Hazelton in West Virginia, USP Lewisburg in Pennsylvania, and USP Beaumont in Texas. Since 1998, petitions for early releases have fallen short because of what White described as the sentencing judge’s influence and a statute of limitations on the course of action he could take. Toward the latter part of last year, a district court judge denied White’s early release under the First Step Act. Passed in 2018, the First Step Act retroactively

PRISON Page 53

ica. In short order, Hughes increased annual revenues at the station from $250,000 to more than $3.5 million. In 1979, Hughes and then-husband Dewey Hughes sought financing to purchase their own radio station, enduring rejection by 32 banks until 1980 when they secured lending to buy WOL-AM, a small D.C. station located in Northeast and with dozens of acquisitions of other stations to follow throughout the U.S. In 2004, with her son Alfred C. Liggins III, a Wharton School of Business MBA graduate as chief executive officer, Radio One branched into television by creating TV One, a cable network which today reaches more than 40 million African-American TV households. In 2017, TV One changed its name to Urban One after it acquired a collection of Internet media websites, now known as iOne Digital which focuses on news, sports and entertainment stories about and for Black audiences. Today, Urban One is worth an estimated $98 million, reaching 59 million households, 22 million listeners, 40 million video streams and20 million unique Web visitors. It owns 57 broadcast stations in 15 urban markets, two cable networks and 80 websites. Hughes continues to work closely with her son for whom she credits with initiating the diversification of Urban One beyond radio and TV. “This company has a commitment to serving our audience that is evidenced beyond just the mission of making money. It is to build an organization that represents the needs and interests of a community that for the majority of this country’s history, hasn’t had a voice to fight for it,” Liggins, 54, said recently. “Today, we reach 92 percent of Black households,” Hughes added. “We plan to get to 100 percent.” “If the Black audience that we serve decides that they want to receive our messages via carrier pigeon, then I’m getting ready to go into the bird business,” Hughes said, with her frequent, laughed-infused, “Ok?” peppered in for emphasis. “I don’t know what it will take in the future in order to reach that goal,” she said. “That will depend on what advances occur in technology.” WI

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

LIFESTYLE

Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum: When Dr. King Urged for Community Development in D.C By Samir Meghelli, chief curator and curator of “A Right To the City.” Few DC residents today are aware—though longtime residents may remember—that in March of 1967 the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. led a grand parade though the Shaw neighborhood. This parade took place thirteen months before he was assassinated and four years after he gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. Organized by Shaw native, longtime pastor of New Bethel Baptist Church, and later DC Congressman Reverend Walter Fauntroy, it resulted from an initiative that Fauntroy headed—the Model Inner City Community Organization (MICCO). MICCO sought to reimagine the federal policy of urban renewal that was displacing more than 23,000 residents and 1,500 businesses from Southwest DC in the 1950s and ‘60s. Rather than that kind of undemocratic redevelopment in which residents had no say, Reverend Fauntroy and MICCO pushed for urban renewal “with the people who lived there, by the people who lived there, and for the people who lived there.” MICCO worked to empower residents and small business owners, pushed for citizen input into the planning process, and organized to bring economic benefits to the neighborhood. When Dr. King came to Shaw and led the parade from Dunbar High School to Cardozo High School in support of this effort, he called it “the most massive and comprehensive assault on human despair and physical decay ever initiated by Negroes in the United States.” In the speech he gave on the athletic field at Cardozo High, King said: “I stood in this city nearly four years ago now and told many of you at the historic March on Washington that I have a dream. Since that hot August day, I have seen that dream almost turn into a nightmare. But I want you to know that, in part, because of you and what you propose to do in Shaw, I still have a dream… Renewal with the people, by the people and for the people.” King was clear on the message he wanted to deliver that day to Shaw and District–wide residents: “Prepare to participate, and you will give to your city and our nation a constructive example of how we can deal with one of the most serious problems confronting us today. That’s the message I want you to carry away from this meeting today: prepare to participate!” Just one year after this speech, King was assassinated. But the work of MICCO continued, assisting longtime residents with much-needed home repairs, helping local nonprofits build quality affordable housing, and enabling the community to participate in the planning and redesign of the then-decrepit Shaw Junior High School. Although this work was relatively short-lived, ending in the mid-1970s under a cloud of financial troubles, it offered one vision for what community-centered and participatory planning could look like. Today, Shaw is a neighborhood transformed. It is home to one of the fastest gentrifying zip codes in the country, with skyrocketing home values and a population that has gone from more than 90% African American in the 1970s to now less than 30%. As we mark Dr. King’s birthday this month, let us reflect—and act—on what his vision of community-led development might offer the District as it faces more change in the years to come. And join us at the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum to view our “A Right to the City” exhibition which explores how and why neighborhoods have changed across the District, but also how residents have—in the spirit of King’s message—fought for their right to the city, to meaningfully reshape their neighborhoods in ways that best serve their needs and interests. WI

TICKETS FROM $49 WITH CODE ASPWI

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Support for A Soldier’s Play is provided by The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation.

JANUARY 16 - 22, 2020 37

LIFESTYLE Stepping Masters Take Center Court at ‘Step Xplosion’ Step Afrika! Tantalizing in Premier of New Work, ‘Drumfolk’ If you were unable to get to the Music Center at Strathmore last Sunday afternoon, you missed a real treat as D.C.’s own Step Afrika! showcased an excerpt of their newest piece, “Drumfolk.” We were left wanting more – wanting to see the entire piece – as the dancers and drummers recreated a scene of rebellion and a fight for justice that undoubtedly occurred time and time again by our African ancestors in their painful

quest for freedom. Step Afrika! founder and executive director D. Brian Williams has much to be proud of as his troupe celebrates its 25th anniversary, taking their place in history as the world’s first professional company dedicated to the tradition of stepping – a polyrhythmic, percussive dance form that uses the body as an instrument. He says that as they start their national tour for 2020, they’ll be performing the complete work, “Drumfolk” – from college campuses to off-Broadway venues.

A soaring musical inspired by a true story

GUN&

Photo of Lauren Fraites and Rachel Lyn Fobbs by Christopher Mueller

By D. Kevin McNeir WI Editor @dkevinmcneir

5 Dem Raider Boyz Step Squad from Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt, Maryland perform in Step Xplosion at the Music Center at Strathmore in North Bethesda on Sunday, Jan. 12. (Shevry Lassiter/The Washington Informer)

But, they’ll be returning to the DMV for performances later this summer at UDC Theater of the Arts at Van Ness (June 19-21) and Montgomery College in Rockville (July 8-12). So, you’ll still be able to get your “stepping fix” if you’re in need. Meanwhile, the Sunday afternoon show also highlighted the relationship that Step Afrika! and the Strathmore continue to foster with local youth – perhaps the best part of the program. Far too often, we hear about our children, especially children of

color, as if they were criminals in training, lost souls and lost causes. But the youth and young adults who took to the stage were, as Williams said, “superior steppers and scholars.” And they lived up to the hype. Special guests included: The Paint Branch Eclectic Steppers, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., HYPE Queens, Cook Hall Step Team (that’s right, HU . . . U Know!) and Dem Raider Boyz Step Squad. Each of the youth step teams brought their own energy and in-

terpretative skills to the stage with a series of high-kicks, flips, twirls, synchronized movements and exuberance that was a real delight to watch. “Step Xplosion” was a celebration of the stepping tradition brought in pieces from the Motherland, then reassembled, refurnished and tweaked when the drums were taken away from Africans. But on this day, during this performance, the drums never stopped and the dancers never paused. Not until the very last downbeat. WI

POWDER

Two African American sisters become notorious outlaws of the Wild West January 28 – February 23 16 area restaurants and free parking 4200 Campbell Avenue Arlington, VA 22206

38 - JANUARY 16 - 22, 2020

5 Step Afrika! presents Step Xplosion at the Music Center at Strathmore in North Bethesda on Sunday, Jan. 12. (Shevry Lassiter/The Washington Informer)

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JANUARY

LIFESTYLE

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LIFESTYLE DEBATE from Page 1

40 - JANUARY 16 - 22, 2020

President Joe Biden said he opposed removing military personnel from the region. Biden said it was important to have a presence of special forces because the return of ISIS was possible. South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, didn’t say if he was for or against removing troops from the Middle East, but noted he was against sending additional military personnel there. Six candidates took the debate stage; Biden, Sanders, Warren, Buttigieg, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Hedge Fund boss Tom Steyer. Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg joined the race late and did not qualify for the debate. New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker announced he was dropping out of the presidential campaign only days before the event. Candidates debated a proposed new North American trade agreement between the U.S. and Canada with Sanders opposing such a deal. “We can do much better than a Trump-led trade deal,” Sanders stated. Warren said it’s important to help those who need assistance now. “I’d like to negotiate a better, coherent trade policy,” Warren stated. As the foreign policy discussion heated up, Buttigieg injected climate change into the debate. He expects the next president to face serious challenges when it comes to cybersecurity and climate change, he said. “It’ll be different in scope and kind than anything we’ve seen before,” Buttigieg noted. Steyer, who said trade is his top priority, added that diplomacy is necessary for peaceful resolutions in the Middle East. Meanwhile, Sanders called climate change his top priority. He said it’s the greatest threat facing the planet. “If we do not get our act together in terms of climate change, the plane will be increasingly unlivable,” Sanders said. During an exchange between Warren and Sanders, Warren noted that the Democratic men at the debate had lost 10 elections, and

“Medicare should be allowed to

negotiate for lower drug prices and as

President I’ll get this work done for the

American people.” – AMY KLOBUCHAR only the women – she and Klobuchar – had never lost a race. “The only people on this stage that have won every election are the women,” Warren stated. “The only person on this stage that has beaten an incumbent Republican any time in the last 20 years is me.” The candidates also addressed health care. Klobuchar and Buttigieg tossed about plans they said would cost less than Warren’s Medicare for All pitch. “There are two pharma lobbyists for every member of Congress. They might own Washington, but they don’t own me,” Klobuchar said. “Medicare should be allowed to negotiate for lower drug prices and as President I’ll get this work

5 New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker pulled out of the presidential race just prior to the Iowa debate. (Photo courtesy of Creative Commons)

done for the American people.” Biden remained firmly behind the Affordable Care Act, President Barack Obama’s signature health care law. He said the next president should expand that law. Sanders said the Medicare for All plan would be a win-win for America. “Our plan wouldn’t bankrupt the country, in fact, it would much improve the well-being of working class families and the middle class,” Sanders said. With House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi poised to announce impeachment managers which will begin the proceedings in the Senate, the candidates finally tackled the proceedings against President Trump. “It’s irrelevant. There’s no choice but for Nancy Pelosi and the House to move,” Biden stated after being asked whether it would be more difficult to beat Trump if he’s acquitted in the Senate. “He has, in fact, committed impeachable offenses,” Biden said. Warren stated that no one is above the law. “This includes the president of the United States,” she said. “We have an impeachment trial, and I will be there because it is my responsibility.” WI

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LIFESTYLE

wi book review “Overground Railroad: The Green Book and the Roots of Black Travel in America” By Candacy Taylor c.2020, Abrams Press $35 360 pages

By Terri Schlichenmeyer WI Contributing Writer Your tickets have been purchased. Reservations were made in your name and all that’s left is packing. Yep, you’re heading out for the weekend, a week, a month, gone on the trip of a lifetime and as you’ll see in “Overground Railroad” by Candacy Taylor, it’s a trip your grandparents might’ve been denied. Ron was just 7 years old when he was told to sit still and be quiet in the backseat of his parents car, where he listened as a police officer questioned his father by a country road. Even when he was an old man and stepdad to Candacy Taylor, he remembered the tension coming from the front seat of that car. Her stepfather’s stories helped Taylor understand many things, including why he and Black folks his age preferred to travel at night, on side roads. At about this same time, Taylor’s white friends began expressing outrage over white supremacists and she replied with facts about incarceration of Black men. To her, the three histories were one: Black people have always been denied equality. In the 20th century, that inequality largely resulted from Jim Crow laws which, among other humiliations, allowed restaurants, hotels, and gas stations to refuse service to Black travelers. On the road, brave or desperate African Americans risked violence or even death by testing the laws; in years following the Depression, those laws gave Victor Green an idea. Green lived in Harlem, worked as a mailman, and saw a future where Black people owned cars (rare, in the 1930s) they could insure (also rare). With help from other mailmen, information on Black-owned businesses that Black travelers could visit was gathered and published in a book that was initially Harlem-centric. Subsequent editions of The Green Book led African American travelers to safe restaurants, hotels, and gas stations across the country. Says Taylor, Green never made much money from his project, but “his reward was much more valuable … for every business he listed, he may have saved a life.” As a history of African American travel in the 20th century, “Overground Railroad” is incredible, filled with great continuity and plenty of side stories to make it come alive. Author Candacy Taylor makes it exquisitely personal with tales from her stepfather and her deep appreciation for all he’d endured, leading to other stories of DWB; how the travel industry foolishly thwarted African American travel and its buying power; how things changed; and the constant reassurance of The Green Book. That history makes this book incredibly fascinating. It could’ve been even better, had Taylor stuck with the topic. Instead, occasionally and from the beginning, mass incarceration and institutional racism are inserted into this narrative on travel. One could perhaps argue that they’re peripherally relevant but, though it’s not overwhelming, that feels like a discussion for a different book. Still, ignore the distraction. Don’t let it chase you away from this stellar tale, told with detail and an abundance of photos. If you’re looking for a lively, well-rounded history book, “Overground Railroad” is just the ticket. WI

horoscopes

JAN 16 - 22, 2020

ARIES This week might be easier than last week, but you’re not quite out of the woods yet. There is still a lingering intensity, and this can relate to a key issue you’re dealing with. The sun aligns with sobering Saturn and volcanic Pluto on Monday, and this can bring a greater understanding of the core issues and what you need to do to create the changes you desire. Lucky Numbers: 4, 40, 45 TAURUS To create the future you want, you might need to let go of whatever is stopping you from getting there. Last week, you may have become aware of what this is, and this week the conjunction of the sun with prudent Saturn and intense Pluto could inspire you further. If you need help from a teacher or life coach, do get it, because it could make a world of difference. Lucky Numbers: 10, 18, 34 GEMINI With an intense set of planets in a deeply emotional zone, it would be no surprise if you felt a tad exhausted. And yet, you could feel a sense of relief at letting something go that really needed to leave your life. While you may have fought against this, you now might appreciate the wisdom of this release and the healing that can happen as a result. Lucky Numbers: 5, 43, 47 CANCER Last week’s intense energies may continue to linger. However, by the weekend you could feel a little lighter and easier within. The sun’s link to cautious Saturn and transformative Pluto on Monday can bring a sense of closure to a relationship issue that has been going on for a while. Lucky Numbers: 28, 34, 41 LEO Positive Jupiter is now in your lifestyle sector until late next year, and its presence here can add extra buoyancy and confidence. This is just as well, because last week’s intense energies may have left you wondering what your next steps should be. Lucky Numbers: 10, 14, 23 VIRGO Are you ready to express your creativity? After last week’s focused and intense aspects, your perspective on self-expression and creativity may have shifted a little. This week, the sun conjoins sobering Saturn and transformative Pluto early on, encouraging you to find the silver lining to any issues you may have encountered. Whatever disappointments you’ve had, something can come out of this that benefits you greatly. Lucky Numbers: 5, 11, 45 LIBRA Last week’s intense focus on your domestic sector could linger into this week, but you may feel generally lighter by the weekend. With the sun merging with prudent Saturn and potent Pluto on Monday, an opportunity could arise to resolve a family or domestic difficulty for good. Lucky Numbers: 2, 6, 22 SCORPIO Your mind holds the secret to success, and where you place your attention can be the key to moving up the ladder or taking a step back. Last week, the intense focus on your sector of talk and thought may have made you aware of the need to change your mindset. Lucky Numbers: 7, 9, 51 SAGITTARIUS Positive Jupiter, your guide planet, is presently in your money zone and will be until late next year, so you have good fortune on your side. Still, it might not have seemed like this last week if intense energies coincided with a deep realization that something needs to shift. This may have been going on for some while, but now is the time for action rather than reflection. Lucky Numbers: 5, 29, 32 CAPRICORN If you were under intense pressure last week, this can now begin to ease. Still, with the sun linking to practical Saturn, your ruler, and explosive Pluto, reflecting on recent experiences can yield some valuable insights. If you have lost something or had to give up something, you might begin to appreciate why this happened. It may not make it much easier, but it could help you understand it. Lucky Numbers: 19, 24, 48 AQUARIUS Don’t feel bad about treating yourself, because you deserve it. Lovely Venus moves into your money zone on Monday, so it’s time to invest in you, especially if recent events have left you drained. Get a massage, enjoy a spa day, or get away for a short break, because any one of these could do you a world of good. Lucky Numbers: 6, 9, 12 PISCES What are friends for? This is something you might have considered in depth last week when a powerful blend of energies may have brought change to your social life. If you decided to distance yourself from certain toxic relationships, that was a wise move. This week, you may begin to feel the benefits of your actions and realize that this is something you should have done long ago. Lucky Numbers: 11, 23, 24

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

JANUARY 16 - 22, 2020 41

CAPTURE the moment

For more photos, visit www.washingtoninformer.com

5 DC Congressmember Eleanor Holmes Norton who has represented the District of Columbia for over 28 years greets friends and supporters as she kicks off her reelection campaign on Saturday, Jan. 11 in Northeast. (Roy Lewis/The Washington Informer)

5 Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. (OH) perform in Step Xplosion on Sunday, Jan. 12 at the Music Center at Strathmore in Bethesda. (Shevry Lassiter/The Washington Informer)

5 Step Afrika! performs their newest production, “Drumfolk,” during Step Xplosion on Sunday, Jan. 12 at the Music Center at Strathmore in Bethesda. (Shevry Lassiter/The Washington Informer)

5 Hype Queens (NC) perform in Step Xplosion on Sunday, Jan. 12 at the Music Center at Strathmore in Bethesda. (Shevry Lassiter/The Washington Informer)

42 - JANUARY 16 - 22, 2020

5 Dem Raider Boyz Step Squad from Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt, Maryland perform in Step Xplosion on Sunday, Jan. 12 at the Music Center at Strathmore in Bethesda. (Shevry Lassiter/The Washington Informer)

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

CAPTURE THE MOMENT EQUALITY from Page 26

5 High school students participate in a web site design competition during a Future Business Leaders of America Region 1 leadership conference in Upper Marlboro on Saturday, Jan. 10. (Robert R. Roberts/The Washington Informer)

5 Mayor Bowser awards $2.3 million in Great Streets grants to transform neighborhood corridors during an announcement at Dudley Beauty College in Northeast on Monday, Jan. 13. (Roy Lewis/The Washington Informer)

executive director. In December, a month after Pearson announced his departure at the end of the academic year, the charter school board hosted a roundtable in Southeast at Thurgood Marshall Academy Public Charter High School in December. In the past few months, DCPCSB has collected online submissions and hosted meetings with charter school executive directors and CEOs, and parents who sit on charter school boards. Staff members told participants Saturday that their commentary would become part of a master document that will help the charter school board determine the qualities they should seek in a new executive director. Candidates for executive director would likely have to address the areas of concern affecting parents in schools with parents outlined on Saturday, including greater transparency within DCPCSB and the individual charter schools. Participants also spoke about the need for better engagement with immigrant families and those seeking the best execution of their child’s individualized education program (IEP). An audit in October showed that enrollment in the District’s public charter schools dropped by less than 1 percent, while DC Public Schools student population surpassed 50,000 for the first time. Last year, a string of charter school closures, including that of Democracy Preparatory in Southeast, City Arts + Prep Public Charter School in Northeast, and Cesar Chavez Prep Middle School in Northwest, sparked discus-

sion about alleged biases in DCPCSB’s evaluation of charter schools with a high concentration of nonwhite students. By the time DCPCSB installs its new executive director, five new charter schools would have opened. Whether one of those schools, a new Eagle Academy campus, would find a home in a newly constructed building in the Fairlawn community of Southeast depends on the outcome of a February charter board meeting. These developments follow the charter board’s decision last school year to schedule National Collegiate Preparatory Public Charter School’s closure at the end of the 20192020 academic year. In recent years, DCPCSB has caught the attention of D.C. Council members attempting to gain more insight into the affairs of the city’s public charter schools, all of which receive public funds based on enrollment figures. In April, all 13 council members introduced the School-Based Budgeting and Transparency Act, legislation that mandates the charter school board publicize the detailed budget and yearend expenditures for each public charter school. By October, public witnesses discussed the bill in a public hearing and the Council Committee on Education had compiled a report touting the need for more uniformity in the way that school administrators openly engage families and the community.

THE UNEVEN SCRAMBLE FOR SCHOOLS

Per DCPCSB Chair Rick Cruz, half

of the District’s charter schools have achieved Tier 1 status, meaning that 60 percent of the student population has met high-performance standards. Charter schools that shutter often do so after not meeting the conditions of their charter, which include a high standing on the Performance Management Framework, a tool that’s been criticized as disadvantageous of marginalized students and not indicative of their growth within an academic year. Throughout much of the Jan. 11 roundtable, local parent Rostina Miller argued that charter school parents, especially those with special-needs children, find it difficult to access the information, programs and suitable professionals to carry out an IEP. She said those emotions often compel them to apply to some of the city’s highly rated charter schools in overwhelming numbers. Such was the case for Miller, who enrolled her daughter into Washington Leadership Academy, a Tier 1 school in Northeast. Miller contends that her admission to the program didn’t come without face time with administrators. “If you want your kids to go to school across Rock Creek Park, you better know someone,” said Miller, whose daughter, an 11th grader, also attended Washington Yu Ying Public Charter School in Northeast and DC International School in Northwest. “I know a lot of parents who move to Wards 7 and 8 for the affordable housing, then they look at the schools and realize they have to drive to Wards 1, 2 and 3 for a quality education,” she said. WI

The Washington Convention and Sports Authority (t/a Events DC) Bid Opportunity

5 Students from Cleveland Elementary School tour the NHL’s Black Hockey History Museum parked in front of the Canadian Embassy in Northwest on Tuesday, Jan. 14. (Roy Lewis/The Washington Informer)

“The Washington Convention and Sports Authority (t/a Events DC) is soliciting proposals from qualified vendors to provide Exterior Façade Envelope Enhancement. Interested parties can view a copy of the Request for Proposal (RFP) by accessing the Event DC’s E-procurement website at www.wcsapex.com and opening APEX BID #20-S-131-622. Key Dates: Pre-Proposal Conference (Optional): 11:30 A.M. EST, Tuesday, January 21, 2020 Questions: 5:00 P.M. EST, Friday, January 24, 2020 Proposal Due Date: 3:00 P.M. EST, Friday, January 31, 2020 Notification of intent to attend must be provided via e-mail to Briana Vaden, Contracts & Procurement Analyst at bvaden@eventsdc.com no later than 4:00pm EST, January 17, 2019.”

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JANUARY 16 - 22, 2020 43

SPORTS For more photos, visit www.washingtoninformer.com

Norfolk State Edges HU

5 Howard Bison forward Imani Bryant shoots over Norfolk State Spartans forward Mikaela Jones during Norfolk State’s 83-80 win at Burr Gymnasium in Northwest on Saturday, Jan. 11. (John E. De Freitas/The Washington Informer)

4 Howard Bison forward Imani Bryant shoots over Norfolk State Spartans forward Mikaela Jones during Norfolk State’s 83-80 win at Burr Gymnasium in Northwest on Saturday, Jan. 11. (John E. De Freitas/The Washington Informer) 5 Howard Bison guard Jayla Thornton is double-teamed by two Norfolk State Spartans opponents during Norfolk State’s 83-80 win at Burr Gymnasium in Northwest on Saturday, Jan. 11. (John E. De Freitas/The Washington Informer) 4 Norfolk State Spartans guard Armani Franklin drives past Howard Bison guard Sarah Edmond during Norfolk State’s 83-80 win at Burr Gymnasium in Northwest on Saturday, Jan. 11. (John E. De Freitas/The Washington Informer)

44 - JANUARY 16 - 22, 2020

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

Jazz Rolls Past Wizards

SPORTS

5 Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal squares up against Utah Jazz forward Royce O’Neale during Utah’s 127-116 win at Capital One Arena in Northwest on Sunday, Jan. 12. (John E. De Freitas/The Washington Informer) 4 Washington Wizards guard Gary Payton II dunks as Utah Jazz forward Bojan Bogdanovic looks on during Utah’s 127-116 win at Capital One Arena in Northwest on Sunday, Jan. 12. (John E. De Freitas/ The Washington Informer)

5 Utah Jazz forward Georges Niang drives against Washington Wizards forward Davis Bertans during Utah’s 127-116 win at Capital One Arena in Northwest on Sunday, Jan. 12. (John E. De Freitas/The Washington Informer) 3 Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson readies to shoot over Washington Wizards guard Troy Brown Jr. during Utah’s 127-116 win at Capital One Arena in Northwest on Sunday, Jan. 12. (John E. De Freitas/The Washington Informer)

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JANUARY 16 - 22, 2020 45

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Alabama who’s sentenced to die for a notorious murder that he did not commit. For those unaware of the injustices suffered on a daily basis by African Americans, the film may give one pause to reexamine America’s justice system which has countless examples of innocent Blacks caught up a world where guilt is presumed not due to evidence but rather on the color of one’s skin. As the protagonist, Walter McMillan, played by Jamie Foxx, says in the movie, “You don’t know what it’s like in Alabama where you’re guilty from the moment you’re born.” This statement alone serves as a serious indictment against the judicial system in the State of Alabama and many parts of the U.S. as well. But for Stevenson, portrayed in the film by Michael B. Jordan, who has suddenly become the darling of the mainstream media, his longtime belief, as we see in the film, remains, “It’s never too late for justice.” Consider these sentiments as expressed by the actors Foxx (McMillan) and Jordan (Stevenson): “Each of us is worse than the worst thing we’ve ever done.” “I know what it’s like to be in the shadows.” “If we can look at ourselves closely, we can change the world for the better. We all need grace. We all need mercy.” “I got my truth back – you gave that to me.” Ain’t nobody gonna take that back from us.” If nothing else, the film reminds us that the legacy of slavery and the perpetuation of white supremacy remains alive and well in the U.S. But for how long? WI 5 Michael B. Jordan (left) and Jamie Foxx in a scene from “Just Mercy.” (Courtesy photo) (Top) (L-R) Glenn Hutchins, Henry Louis Gates Jr., and Donna Brazile during a photo-opp before viewing the movie, Just Mercy, at the Smithsonian Institute’s National Museum of African American History and Culture on Saturday, Jan. 11. (Shevry Lassiter/The Washington Informer) 3 Poster for the film “Just Mercy.”(Courtesy photo)

Call the number below and save an additional $15 plus get free shipping on your first prescription order with Canada Drug Center. Expires December 31, 2017. Offer is valid for prescription orders only and can not be used in conjunction with any other offers. Valid for new customers only. One time use per household. Use code 15FREE to receive this special offer.

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46 - JANUARY 16 - 22, 2020

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RELIGION the religion corner WITH LYNDIA GRANT

The Fannie Lou Hamer Story

Mzuri Moyo Aimbaye, which means “beautiful heart that sings,” embodies the heart, passion, and activism of Mahalia Jackson and Aretha Franklin combined with the spirit and determination of Fannie Lou Hamer. This is a Broadway-style performance, seen by thousands around the country. See “The Fannie Lou Hamer Story” up close and in person, as Mzuri brings this exciting, one-woman play to the stage! It’s coming to the Prince George’s Community College, College of Fine Arts Theater on Saturday, Jan. 25 at 3 p.m. Tickets are very reasonable, only $20! If you haven’t read the story of Fannie Lou Hamer, here is a short bio, which describes some of her work. Mzuri Moyo brings this story to life! Fannie Lou Hamer (1917-1977) was a civil rights activist whose passionate depiction of her own suffering in a racist society helped focus attention on the plight of African-Americans throughout the South. In 1964, while working with the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), Hamer helped organize the 1964 Freedom Summer African-American voter registration drive in her native Mississippi. At the Democratic National Convention later that

year, she was part of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, an integrated group of activists who openly challenged the legality of Mississippi’s all-white, segregated delegation. Born Fannie Lou Townsend on Oct. 6, 1917, in Montgomery County, Mississippi, as the daughter of sharecroppers, Hamer began working the fields at an early age. Her family struggled financially, and often went hungry. Married to Perry “Pap” Hamer in 1944, Fannie Lou continued to work hard just to get by. In the summer of 1962, however, she made a life-changing decision to attend a protest meeting. She met civil rights activists there who were there to encourage African Americans to register to vote. Hamer became active in helping with the voter registration efforts. Hamer dedicated her life to the fight for civil rights, working for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). This organization was comprised mostly of African American students who engaged in acts of civil disobedience to fight racial segregation and injustice in the South. These acts often were met with violent responses by angry whites. During the course of her activist career, Hamer was threatened, arrested, beaten, and shot at. But none of these things ever deterred her from her work. In 1964, Hamer helped found the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, which was established in opposition to her state’s all-white delegation to that year’s Democratic convention. She brought the civil rights struggle

Mt. Zion Baptist Church

in Mississippi to the attention of the entire nation during a televised session at the convention. The next year, Hamer ran for Congress in Mississippi, but she was unsuccessful in her bid. Along with her political activism, Hamer worked to help the poor and families in need in her Mississippi community. She also set up organizations to increase business opportunities for minorities and to provide child care and other family services. Hamer died of cancer on March 14, 1977, in Mound Bayou, Mississippi. Those behind this production of “The Fannie Lou Hamer Story” also proudly supports legislative efforts to make Juneteenth an official national day of observance like Patriot Day or Flag Day. Immediately following the performance, an area-wide voter registration drive will be held. If you need to register to vote, come to see this dynamic play, and register immediately following the completion of the play. We must turn our federal government around. Please register — your one vote will truly make a significant difference. We need each and every one of you to get out the vote, especially your own. Voter registration enables your voting power. Mzuri endeavors to empower all Americans while remembering the valiant women of civil rights and social justice such as the spirit of Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer and others as they worked during the 1964 Mississippi Freedom Summer Voter Registration. WI

John F. Johnson Reverend Dr.

5101 14th Street, NW / Washington, DC 20011 Phone: 202-726-2220 Fax: 202-726-9089

1306 Vermont Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20005

“A Church with a past to remember – and a future to mold” www.mtzbcdc.org

www.jmlaw.net

(301) 864-6070

jmccollum@jmlaw.net

Mount Olivet Lutheran Church

Reverend John W. Davis Pastor

Service and Times Sunday Worship Service - 8:00 a.m. & 11:00 a.m. Children’s Church - 11:00 a.m. (1st & 3rd Sundays) Communion - 10 a.m. 4th Sunday Sunday School - 9:15 a.m. (4th Sunday 8:15 a.m.) Prayer Meeting & Bible Study - Wednesday 7:00 p.m.

(301) 864-6070

Service and Times Divine Worship, Sunday 10:00 a.m. Communion 1st and 3rd Sunday “Friendliest Church in the City” Website: mountolivetdc.org Email: mtolivedc@gmail.com

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JANUARY 16 - 22, 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

48 - JANUARY 16 - 22, 2020

themcbc.org

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

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

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

Service and Times Sunday School for All Ages: 8:00 AM Sunday Worship Services: 9:30 AM Midday Prayer & Bible Study: Wednesday 11:30AM Evening Prayer & Bible Study: Wednesday 7:00 PM Laymen's League: Thursday 7:00 PM Email: Froffice@firstrising.org Website: www.firstrising.org “Changing Lives On Purpose “

Email:mthoreb@mthoreb.org Website:www.mthoreb.org For further information, please contact me at (202) 529-3180.

JANUARY 16 - 22, 2020 49

LEGAL NOTICES SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2019 FEP 000149 August 7, 2017 Date of Death Edward Graves Barksdale Name of Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS Jacqueline B. Wells and Wesley Wells whose addresses are 9821 Salem Church Road N., Chesterfield, VA 23237 were appointed personal representatives of the estate of Edward Graves Barksdale, deceased, by the Circuit Court for Chesterfield County, State of Virginia, on February 15, 2019. Service of process may be made upon Peg Shaw, 2147 O Street, NW, Apt. 306, Washington, DC 20037 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. 55 Buchanan Street, NE, Washington, DC 20011. 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: 1/2/2020 Jacqueline B. Wells Wesley Wells Personal Representative Nicole Stevens Acting Register of Wills Washington Informer

LEGAL NOTICES

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2019 ADM 001314

2019 FEP 000143

Tyran Anthony Ballenger Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Tiara D. Jackson, whose address is 5027 C Street, SE #204, Washington, DC 20019, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Tyran Anthony Ballenger who died on 6/10/2019 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 7/2/20. 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 7/2/20, 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.

July 13, 2019 Date of Death James V. Francis, Jr. Name of Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Date of first publication: 1/2/2020

Sharon Francis, whose address is 5812 Spyri Drive, Clinton, MD 20735 was appointed personal representative of the estate of James V. Francis, Jr., deceased, by the Orphans Court for Prince Georges County, State of Maryland, on 9/5/2019. 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: 1608 Isherwood 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.

Tiara D. Jackson Personal Representative

Date of first publication: 1/2/2020

TRUE TEST COPY

Sharon Francis Personal Representative

Nicole Stevens Acting Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2019 ADM 001353

2019 ADM 1378

2019 ADM 001402

Yvette Nash Blount Decedent

Thelma Clinton Sydnor aka Thelma C. Sydnor Decedent

Sarah Lloyd Adams Decedent

Joan M. Wilbon, Esq. 1120 Connecticut Avenue, NW Suite 1020 Washington, DC 20036 Attorney

Aimee D. Griffin 5335 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Suite 440 Washington, DC 20015 Attorney

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Marlowe A. Blount-Rich, whose address is 700 Faraway Court, Bowie, MD 20721, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Yvette Nash Blount who died on 9/10/2019 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 7/16/2020. 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 7/16/2020, 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.

Marshall E. Sydnor, whose address is 14804 Joliet Place, Bowie, MD 20721, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Thelma Clinton Sydnor aka Thelma C. Sydnor who died on 2/14/2017 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 7/16/2020. 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 7/16/2020, 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: 1/16/2020

Marlowe A. Blount-Rich Personal Representative

Marshall E. Sydnor Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Acting Register of Wills

Washington Informer

Neville E. Adams, whose address is 177 V Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Sarah Lloyd Adams who died on July 1, 2019 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before July 16, 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 16, 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: 1/16/2020 Neville E. Adams Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Acting Register of Wills Washington Informer

LEGAL NOTICES

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2019 ADM 001283

2017 ADM 000350

Tassie Louise Wright Decedent

Elizabeth H. Phillips Decedent

Nakia V. Gray, Esq. 800 Maine Ave., SW Suite 200 Washington, DC 20024 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Aimee D. Griffin 5335 Wisconsin Avenue, NW Suite 440 Washington, DC 20015 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Juanita Louise Davis, whose address is 8828 Sterling Street, Hyattsville, MD 20785, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Tassie Louise Wright who died on September 13, 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 decedentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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 7/9/2020. 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 7/9/2020, 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.

La Dosca Richardson, whose address is 4713 Sir Woodburn Way, Clinton, MD 20735, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Elizabeth H. Phillips who died on December 4, 2016 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 7/9/2020. 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 7/9/2020, 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: 1/9/2020

Juanita Louise Davis Personal Representative

La Dosca Richardson 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

2019 FEP 000150

2019 ADM 001347

July 29, 2016 Date of Death

Leslie Reynolds Garner Decedent

Otis Johnson Name of Decedent

Nakia V. Gray, Esq. 9701 Apollo Drive, Suite 100 Largo, Maryland 20774 Attorney

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS Michelle Dawson, whose address is 12216 James Madison Lane, Glenn Dale, MD 20769 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Otis Johnson, deceased, by the Orphans Court for Prince Georges County, State of Maryland on March 12, 2018 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: 3376 Alden Place NE, Washington, DC 20019 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: January 16, 2020 Michelle Dawson Personal Representative Nicole Stevens Acting Register of Wills Washington Informer

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS John M. Garner, II, whose address is 1208 D. Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Leslie Reynolds Garner who died on July 15, 2002 without a Will, and will serve with Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 7/16/2020. 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 7/16/2020, 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: 1/16/2020 John M. Garner, II Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Acting Register of Wills Washington Informer

50 - JANUARY 16 - 22, 2020

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

LEGAL NOTICES SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2019 ADM 001372 Joseph A. Quander, Jr. Decedent Joan M. Wilbon, Esq. 1120 Connecticut Avenue, NW Suite 1020 Washington, DC 20036 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Katalina Quander, whose address is 7526 Val Lane, District Heights, MD 20747, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Joseph A. Quander, Jr. who died on 5/31/2019 without a Will, and will serve with Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 7/16/2020. 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 7/16/2020, 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.

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Date of first publication: 1/16/2020 Katalina Quander Personal Representative

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TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Acting Register of Wills

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Washington Informer SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2019 ADM 001403

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Barbara T. Locke Decedent

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Ida C. Locke, whose address is 517 69th Place, Capital Heights, MD 20743, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Barbara T. Locke who died on September 7, 2019 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before July 16, 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 16, 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: 1/16/2020 Ida C. Locke Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Acting Register of Wills Washington Informer

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CURRIE from Page 1

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Currie ultimately turned to politics, which allowed him to become a mentor in Annapolis. One of those mentees, Sen. Melony Griffith, replaced Currie to represent District 25 that includes parts of Upper Marlboro, Capitol Heights and District Heights. Griffith, a former state delegate who became second-in-command Jan. 8 as Senate president pro tem, recalled when she and Currie ran against each other several years ago and learned about the power of family. “The first thing that I learned is that you keep your family close,” said Griffith, of Upper Marlboro. “Sen. Currie and I haven’t always been on the same side of the ballot. I saw busloads of this family pour out to support Sen. Currie. It was a little scary, but I know it meant the world to him.” Before Currie influenced others in Maryland, his life began in humbly on July 10, 1937, in Whiteville, North Carolina. He received a bachelor’s degree in social studies from University of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State College in 1959. After serving from 1960-63 in the Army, he traveled to the D.C. area and later received a master’s degree in education from American University in Northwest in 1968. He also pursued doctoral studies in early childhood development at the University of Maryland in College Park. In a nearly 30-year career in education, Currie worked as a teacher, principal and directed the Prince George’s Head Start program. During his last several years in education, he became interested in politics and was elected as a delegate from 1987, serving two terms until 1995. During that time, he was appointed as majority whip.

5 Maryland state Sen. Joanne C. Benson gives a tribute to the late Sen. Ulysses Currie during a Jan. 11 funeral service at Allen Chapel AME Church in Southeast. (Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer)

He retired from the public school system in 1993 and two years later began his time in the Senate. He announced his retirement in 2016 due to his health. However, he rescinded the resignation and served two more years until he decided to step down for good. One of Currie’s longtime allies, Sen. Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-District 27), told the congregants Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan ordered flags to fly at half-staff Sunday, Jan. 12 in honor of Currie. Miller, who served as Senate president from 1987 until he turned the gavel over last week to Sen. Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City), appointed Currie in 1994 to become the first Black to chair the Senate’s prominent Budget and Taxation Committee. “It was difficult in a sense that we were both from Prince George’s,” said Miller, who represents portions of Prince George’s, Calvert and Charles counties. “People said, ‘You can’t do it.’ But Uly made it happen because of his reputation for truth and honesty and virtue. We’ve had the privilege and pleasure of walking through this world with state Sen. Ulysses S. Currie.”

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5 Members of Omega Psi Phi fraternity honor the late Sen. Ulysses Currie, a member of the organization’s Gamma Pi chapter, during a memorial service for Currie at Allen Chapel AME Church in Southeast on Jan. 11. (Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer)

5 The front of the funeral service program for late Maryland state Sen. Ulysses Currie (William J. Ford/The Washington Informer)

OMEGA MAN

Currie also received a 30-minute memorial service from his fraternity, Omega Psi Phi. His fraternity brothers, who wore black suits, white gloves and purple ties, stood around the entire sanctuary. The ties represent part of the organization’s color. An Omega shield sparkled near his casket partially covered with a Maryland state flag and a folded U.S. flag. Eric Fields, a member of Currie’s Gamma Pi chapter of Prince George’s County, read Currie’s memorial that incorporates the group’s principles Currie followed: manhood, scholarship, perseverance and uplift. He mentioned Currie became initiated into the fraternity on June 10, 1992. “Brother Ulysses Currie, Omega first. Omega last. Omega always,” he said. Among the Omega fraternity members who participated in the ceremony included Del. Nick Charles (D-District 25) of Forestville; Prince George’s County Councilman Calvin Hawkins (D-At Large); and Bowie Mayor Tim Adams. “As a member of Omega Psi Phi, he has lived the cardinal principle. It is not just about one thing. It is about the summation of his life,” Adams said. “He has given so much back to our community and he has inspired so many. We just hope to continue to tradition that he has taught us all and it is about perseverance, dedication and uplift for the community.” In Currie’s last remarks on the Senate floor on April 9, 2018, he thanked his wife, staff and colleagues: “I also want to say thanks to you, Mr. President [Miller], and all of you in the Senate. Last, but certainly not least, I want to [thank] my … wonderful wife for her love and support.” WI

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MCKINNEY from Page 30

PRISON from Page 36 applied the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010, legislation that reduced sentencing disparities between crack and powder cocaine and eliminated minimum sentencing requirements for possession of the former. Shortly after learning that he wouldn’t join the nearly 5,000 other inmates who’ve either been released or had their sentences reduced since the First Step Act’s passage, White prepared for another transfer, this time to USP Florence in Colorado. Despite a growing fervor to ad-

burn (D-S.C.) that would target federal spending to the communities that have been mired in poverty for decades, joining the urban and the rural poor, across regional and racial lines, as the focus for new energy and new hope. What’s clear is that our current course won’t do it. Unemployment is low, but poor urban and rural communities still have not recovered. Communities like Pembroke won’t recover without focused energy. As Dr. King taught us, that will happen only if citizens organize and lead the way. WI

dress racial inequities in the criminal justice system, an increasing body of research has shed light on prison inmates at the federal and state level who continue to face situations similar to White. A study by the Council on Criminal Justice last month, for example, suggested that the sentencing gap between Black people convicted of drug and property crimes and their white counterparts increases annually at a rate of 1 percent. Researchers pointed to the type of charges levied by prosecutors, judges’ discretion in sentencing, and zoning laws as key causes.

While he declined to weigh in on White’s case, Crispus S. Gordon III, NBLSA’s national attorney general, acknowledged the severity of the sentencing guidelines born out of the War on Drugs. “NBLSA has always been concerned about unfair sentences and the disparity between white and black defendants,” Gordon said. “This was epitomized during the ‘80s as we saw different sentence guidelines for crack cocaine and powder cocaine. Furthermore, we also see black politicians investigated and sentenced more harshly than white politicians.” WI

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civil rights, the end of segregation. The Supreme Court and the Civil Rights Act of 1965 helped achieve that. Then came political rights: The Voting Rights Act helped move toward that. It wasn’t just African Americans who profited, but women, young people and other minorities all made great strides to equal justice. The final movement, which Dr. King knew would be the most difficult, was the movement for economic justice. Sadly, the war

on poverty that was making great strides was lost in the jungles of Vietnam, and then abandoned under Ronald Reagan in 1980. Now, as America suffers extreme inequality, a declining life expectancy, rising deaths of despair — from alcohol, or drugs or suicide — we need a new push for economic justice. It should focus on the pockets of poverty like Pembroke. It must engage the efforts of private enterprise and public and private resources. Keystone legislation like that proposed by Rep. James Cly-

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JACKSON from Page 30

a resolution to force President Trump to come to Congress for authorization before taking further military action against Iran, but it will take the forceful involvement of Senate leadership to keep us out of another Middle East quagmire. WI

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tional debt, and had other macroeconomic effects, such as raising consumer interest rates. Unless the US immediately repays the money borrowed for war, there will also be future interest payments. We estimate that interest

payments could total over $8 trillion by the 2050s.” The Trump administration has not articulated or advanced a strategy with respect to Iran. President Trump cannot keep us safe with a tweet, as he seems to believe. The House on Jan. 9 passed

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MORIAL from Page 30

about Suffrage, Race, and Power. Through a digital destination, we’ll turn our ear to a beating heart of resilience, resistance, words and deed. Daughter of slaves, descendants of warriors, writers, journalists, teachers, mentors, activists – universal suffragists all – have something to say. Frances Ellen Watkins Harper. Anna Julia Cooper. Mary Ann Shadd. Harriet Jacobs. Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin. Mary McLeod Bethune. Fannie Lou Hamer. Ella Baker. Gertrude Bustill-Mossell. Charlotta Bass. Marvel Jackson Cooke. Most of these women can’t claim household name status in the traditional suffrage roll call. But their noble stories will be unerased. Stay tuned as suffrage, redefined, meets our truth. WI

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linked with abolition of slavery, anti-lynching battles, literacy drives, sharecropper land rights campaigns and the establishment of a radical Black press that was led by many Black women suffragists. Our suffrage quest continued through the Civil Rights Era and passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 which finally, for the first time, delivered the franchise to Black people in the South. Rewind centuries earlier. Our demand to self-govern predates the formation of this republic, beginning in 1619 when the first Africans, snatched from their ancestral home, landed on these shores. Those nameless suffrage pioneers joined with their men to resist and carry the

torch for all people – Native Americans, Chinese immigrants and even Irish indentured servants – denied fundamental liberty. Then and now, we wage claims to own our bodies, voices and choices. We build on that truth by redefining suffrage beyond the limited act of casting a ballot. For Black women, the narrative is rooted in telling herstory, unerasing the achievements of yesterday and the possibilities for the future. This centennial year is an appropriate time to redefine universal suffrage through the prism of triumphs and tragedies. Trust Black women must be more than a cliché. Unerased Black Women promises to create brave spaces and in alliance with Black newspapers across the country, unfurl a frank public conversation

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54 - JANUARY 16 - 22, 2020

white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come

back marked ‘insufficient funds.’ But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check — a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.” WI

WILLIAMS from Page 31

I am unapologetically pro-peace. Some of us have paid dearly for being pro-peace. In April 1980, my good friend Dick Gregory went to Iran in an effort to protest the Iranian hostage situation. He did it while reducing his meals to water and fruit juice and vowed to do it until the hostage situation was resolved peacefully. He returned to the United States on Sept. 9, 1980. He never stopped protesting injustices. In September 1968, he went to Marquette University and spoke on behalf of anti-war activists who’d

seized and burned draft cards from a Selective Service office in downtown Milwaukee. In the late ‘60s, he became friends with John Lennon, with whom he joined to make an anti-war anthem called “Give Peace a Chance.” Trump has violated that. War is still not the answer. We are less safe as we have a president who seems determined to rule by war. We’re not safe so long as Trump is in the White House continuing to act irrationally. Let us ”imagine” a world without him. WI

back to at least the 17th century, they used to describe the deceitful behavior of white folks. According to one 1859 account, the native proverb that the “white man spoke with a forked tongue” originated as a result of the French tactic of the 1690s, in their war with the Iroquois, of inviting their enemies to attend a peace conference, only to be slaughtered or captured. Pure Trump. If the Iraqi prime minister is to be believed, this is what happened to Soleimani. I’m convinced that

just like the Iraqi prime minister discovered, the sovereigns in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt and multiple other countries will come to learn, just like Chief Joseph, who found the treaties he’d signed with Washington didn’t mean what he’d been led to think they meant. This Occupant’s very, very predictable. No matter the subject — diplomacy, economics, politics — if his lips are moving, then rest assured, “white man, him speak with forked tongue.” His words are intended to deceive. WI

session will not be available until the start of the fiscal year, which begins July 1st.

collection ceremony to commemorate the lynching of George Peck in Poolesville last November. Meetings in Baltimore and Howard counties have also been scheduled for Sat., January 18. For information on the Maryland Lynching Memorial Project and county-based meetings happening across the state, visit mdlynchingmemorial.org. Public meetings of the Maryland Lynching Truth and Reconciliation Commission will be held the second Monday of each month. Feb. 10 will be the date for the next committee meeting with the announcement of the location forthcoming. For information on the state commission visit the new website, msa. maryland.gov/lynching-truth-reconciliation. WI

where we are at greater risk than we had before killing Iran’s general. Now there is no way at all the world and the U.S. are safer with the steps Trump has taken.” Vice President Mike Pence’s speech on this matter was mysteriously canceled! Now I am wondering what he would have said. I’m a Dick Gregory disciple which says I’m anti-war. I know when you identify as anti-war, you’re called some awful names by those who I suppose would rather be “pro-war.”

ASKIA from Page 31

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BAILEY from Page 31

nation’s capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as

Native people — as their land was conquered — amounts to genocide. Those First Nations people, such as Chief Joseph, for example, understood their adversary. They understood that not one, not one of the hundreds of sacred peace treaties that were to last “as long as the rivers flow” signed with the white man were worth anything. “The white man, him speak with forked tongue,” is the expression, dating

LYNCHING from Page 16 records will be made concurrently available at Maryland’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities, including Morgan State University and Coppin State University in Baltimore, Bowie State in Prince George’s County and the University of Maryland - Eastern Shore in Somerset County. Still, in order to facilitate meetings across the state, committee members continue to express the need for budget appropriation to cover the costs of postage, duplication and travel, as well as other incidentals. Additional potential budget needs for a videographer, genealogists and oral historians have also been voiced by committee members. However, any appropriation made during the current legislative

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY MEETING JAN. 18TH

The Prince George’s County Committee of the Maryland Lynching Memorial Project will hold its next public meeting on Sat., January 18, at the Upper Marlboro Town Hall from 2 to 4 p.m. to continue exploring ideas for community remembrance. At least five documented cases of racial terror lynchings occurred in Prince George’s County. Reportedly, several members of the Montgomery County group will be present to discuss their experience in planning and executing a successful and well-attended soil

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JANUARY 16 - 22, 2020 55

JANUARY 20, 2020

We honor the

LIFE & LEGACY OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

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