Issuu

WINNER OF FIVE SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS D.C. AWARDS

2021 Martin Luther King, Jr. Supplement Center Section Vol. 56, No. 14 • January 21 - 27, 2021

Biden Becomes 46th President of the United States America Ushers in a Changing of the Guard with President Biden and Vice President Harris Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer Absent the routine large crowds and with snow flurries helping to push the tens of thousands of American flags that blanketed the National Mall in the District, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris each took the oath of office before an enthusiastic gathering that featured more law enforcement than spectators.

5 President Joe Biden receives the oath of office as the 46th President of the United States at the U.S.Capitol on January 20. (Courtesy photo/Presidential Inauguration Committee) 4 Vice President Kamala Harris is sworn in during the inauguration of President Joe Biden. (Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer)

Cadre of Diverse Voices Hopeful About Tomorrow

Kamala Harris Takes Her Place in U.S. History Shatters the ‘Ceiling’ for Nation’s Women, Blacks and Asians Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent Vice President Kamala Harris will be the most influential vice president of the 49 that we have had, declared a proud Howard University President Dr. Wayne A.I. Frederick. With 50 Democrats and 50 Republicans seated in the Senate, Vice President Harris holds the tiebreaking vote which adds to the power she now wields.

Hamil R. Harris WI Contributing Writer

“The power in politics is from influence,” Frederick said. “I think, for that reason, she could potentially be the most influential vice president in our history.” Following President Joe Biden and Vice President Harris’s inauguration, The Andrew Rankin Memorial Chapel on Howard’s campus rang its bell 49 times, honoring Harris who resigned from her seat in the U.S. Senate on Monday, Jan. 18.

HARRIS Page 34

INAUGURATION Page 28

5 Vice President Kamala Harris (Official Photo)

After the most contentious presidential election in history, Joseph Robinette Biden was inaugurated as the 46th President of the United States. Kamala Devi Harris was sworn-in as the first female of African descent to become vice-president. And despite a distant view obstructed by tall fences, Army troops and watching most events from their homes many people, African American and white, are expressing hope that better days lie ahead for America in 2021. “We lead with hope as people who

call ourselves Christians,” said Rev. Thomas Bowen, Director of the Office for Religious Affairs for Mayor Muriel Bowser. “Eleanor Holmes Norton, our wonderful congresswoman, says anything is possible if we just have hope. This is a time for a fresh start.” Bowen’s comments came as he and other volunteers prepared bags of food and snacks for the needy Jan. 20 in the parking lot of Shiloh Baptist Church on Ninth Street, N.W. Church workers partnered with the Biden-Harris Inaugural committee during a day of service on the Martin

VOICES Page 17

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

2 - JANUARY 21 - 27, 2021

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

Around the Region................4-11 Prince George's County.....12-13 Business.................................... 15 National................................16-17 International............................ 18

3Capitol Officer Touted as ‘Hero’

Health...................................... 20 Education................................. 21

Around the Region / Page 9

MLK Supplement............ Center OpEd................................... 23-25 Inauguration Day............... 26-27 Lifestyle.............................. 28-31 MLK Special Section......... 32-33 Religion.................................... 35

5Shirley Chisholm

5 Book Review Lifestyle / Page 31

Black Facts / Page 6

5Update on County’s Vaccine Rollout Plan Prince George's County / Page 13

SALE STARTS FRIDAY! PRICES EFFECTIVE NOW THRU THURSDAY, JANUARY 28

one

EQUAL OR LESSER VALUE ITEM FREE

Club Price

Breyers Ice Cream or Good Humor Ice Cream Bars

Beef Petite Sirloin Steaks all size packages EQUAL OR LESSER VALUE ITEMS FREE

USDA CHOICE

16-48 fl. oz. pkg.

Club Price

Strawberries 1 lb. ctn. or Blueberries dry pt. ctn.

Club Price Signature SELECT • Orange Juice 12 fl. oz. ctn. • Ketchup 20 oz. btl. • Facial Tissue 66-80 ct. pkg. • Vlasic Sweet Relish 10 fl. oz. jar • Banquet Pot Pies 7 oz. pkg. ®

• San Giorgio Pasta 16 oz. excludes lasagna • Celeste Pizza 5-5.5 oz. pkg. • Gulden’s Spicy Brown Mustard 12 oz. btl. • Hunt’s Tomato Sauce 15 oz. can • Hunt’s Snack Pack 13 oz. pkg.

• Ro-Tel Tomatoes 10 oz. can • Knorr Rice Sides 3.8-5.7 oz. pkg. • Knorr Pasta Sides 4-4.6 oz. pkg. • Wish-Bone Salad Dressing 8 fl. oz. btl. • Hunt’s Pasta Sauce 24 oz. can

• Hunt’s Manwich 15-16 oz. can • Tiny Tate’s Cookies 1 oz. pkg. • Chobani Original, Less Sugar or Flip Greek Yogurt 4.5-5.3 oz. ctn. • Hunts Tomatoes 14.5 oz. can

• Chef Boyardee Pasta 14.5-15 oz. can • Chef Boyardee Microwave Pasta 7.25 -7.5 oz. cup • Campbell’s Condensed Soup 10.5-10.75 oz. can excludes cream of chicken, cream of mushroom, chicken noodle and tomato

Prices Effective Friday, January 22 thru Thursday, January 28, Unless otherwise noted, offers in this ad are in effect at 6 a.m., Friday thru Thursday 11 p.m. at your local Safeway stores. LIMIT ONE COUPON PER ITEM PER DAY PER HOUSEHOLD. Prices and savings vary among store locations. Not all items or varieties available in all store locations. Quantities limited to inventory on hand and subject to availability. Sales in retail quantities only and we reserve the right to limit quantities sold to per customer. While supplies last. Unless otherwise noted, transactional limits may apply. On Buy One, Get One Free (BOGO) offers, customer must purchase the first item to receive the second item free. BOGO offers are not 1/2 price sales. If only a single item is purchased, the regular price applies. Manufacturers’ coupons may only be used on purchased items, not on free items. All rebate offers are subject to applicable manufacturer’s additional terms. Customer pays for applicable taxes, bottle/can deposit and bag fees, if any, on purchased and free items. We reserve the right to modify or cancel offers and/or correct typographical, pictorial and other ad or pricing errors. Prices for products ordered online generally are higher than in our physical store locations and may vary by fulfillment method chosen. Online promotions, discounts and offers may differ from those in our physical store locations. All rainchecks must be redeemed within 30 days of issuance. Offers are void or restricted where prohibited or limited by law and have no cash value. No cash back will be given.

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

JANUARY 21 - 27, 2021 3

around the region

www.washingtoninformer.com Visit our updated Web site and give us your comments for a chance to win a gift from The Washington Informer Email comments to: rburke@ washingtoninformer.com

In Memoriam Dr. Calvin W. Rolark, Sr. Wilhelmina J. Rolark THE WASHINGTON INFORMER PUBLISHER NEWSPAPER (ISSN#0741-9414) is pubDenise Rolark Barnes lished weekly on each Thursday. Periodicals postage paid at Washington, D.C. and additional mailing offices. News and adSTAFF vertising deadline is Monday prior to pubD. Kevin McNeir, Editor lication. Announcements must be receivedIn Memoriam Burke, two weeks prior to event. CopyrightDr. 2016 Calvin Ron W. Rolark, Sr.Advertising/ Marketing Director Shevry Lassiter, Photo Editor by The Washington Informer. All rights Wilhelmina J. Rolark reserved. POSTMASTER: Send change Lafayette Barnes, IV, Assistant Photo Editor of addresses to The Washington Inform- NEWSPAPER (ISSN#0741-9414) is published THE WASHINGTON INFORMER Dorothy Rowley, Online Editor er, 3117 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E. weekly on Thursday. Periodicals postageZebraDesigns.net, paid at Washington, Design D.C. and additional & Layout Washington, D.C. 20032. No part of this mailing News and without advertising Mable deadlineNeville, is Monday prior to publication. publication mayoffices. be reproduced Bookkeeper be received to event. Copyright 2000 by The writtenAnnouncements permission frommust the publisher. Thetwo weeks Ronprior Taylor, Copy Editor Washington Informer. All rights the reserved. POST MASTER: Send change of addressInformer Newspaper cannot guarantee Tatiana Moten, Social Media Specialist return esoftophotographs. Subscription rates The Washington Informer, 3117 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E. Washington, Angie Johnson, Circulation are $45D.C. per year, two years $60. Papers will 20032. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permisbe received not more than a week after pubsion from the payable publisher. Newspaper cannot guarantee the return of lication. Make checks to: The Informer REPORTERS

The Washington Informer Newspaper

photographs. Subscription rates are $30 per year, two years $45. Papers will be received Stacychecks Brown (Senior not more than a week after publication. Make payable to: Writer), Sam P.K. THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

Collins, Timothy Cox, Will Ford (Prince 3117 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E Washington, D.C. 20032 George’s County Writer), Hamil Harris, THE WASHINGTON INFORMER Phone: 202 561-4100 3117 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E. Knowles, • Washington, D.C. 20032D. Kevin Curtis Daniel Kucin, Fax: 202 574-3785 Phone: 202 561-4100 • Fax: Dorothy 202 574-3785 McNeir, Rowley, Brenda Siler, news@washingtoninformer.com www.washingtoninformer.comE-mail: news@washingtoninformer.com Lindiwe Vilakazi, Sarafina Wright, James www.washingtoninformer.com Wright

PHOTOGRAPHERS PUBLISHER Denise Rolark Barnes Shevry Lassiter, Roy Lewis, Jr., Robert R. Roberts, Anthony Tilghman

STAFF Brooke N. Garner Managing Editor Carla Peay Assistant Managing Editor Ron Burke Advertising and Marketing Mable Whittaker Bookkeeper LaNita Wrenn Administration John E. De Freitas Sports Editor Victor Holt Photo Editor Zebra Designs, Inc. Layout & Graphic Design Ken Harris /www.scsworks.com Webmaster

4 - JANUARY 21 - 27, 2021

REPORTERS Tia C. Jones, Ed Laiscell, Odell B. Ruffin, Larry Saxton, Mary Wells, Joseph Young PHOTOGRAPHERS Lafayette Barnes, IV, John E. De Freitas, Maurice Fitzgerald, Joanne Jackson, Roy Lewis, Robert Ridley, Victor Holt CIRCULATION Paul Trantham

COMPILED BY WI STAFF WRITER WILLIAM J. FORD AND WI EDITOR D. KEVIN MCNEIR

By Tia Carol Jones

law enforcement. She said they threat,” she said. The filing deadline is still April 15 but a delayed filing the Recovery Rehad come together to bring a Among the programs Marlow start time this, Feb. 12, will allow thesense IRS time to do addi- inbate when to see implemented are of uniformity the Credit way wants tional and23-yeartesting of itsdomestic systems and processvictims they file 2020 restraining order policies, Whenprogramming L.Y. Marlow's violence andtheir stricter refunds quicker. 27, tax law changes provided tax return. Tax rights for victim's families old daughter told On her Dec. the father survivors are treated. more second round of Economicher Impact Payments andher othofa her daughter threatened “She's using ownpreparation personal tosoftintervene on behalf of a vicer benefits the IRS needs more prepare. life, and theand lifenow of their child, story,time her to own personalware, pain toincluding tim, a domestic violence assessThese changes ensurehad that to eligible receive any IRS Free File,ment will unit coupled with further she knew something be people push will forward,” Davis-Nickens remaining as a Recovery Rebate Credit help taxpayers figdone. Out stimulus of her money frustration said about Marlow. training for law enforcement when file their 2020 tax return. Davis-Nickens saidureanyone the amount. with lawthey enforcement's handling agencies, a Child's Life ProtecTo situation, speed refunds the IRS urges book R e will m e m tion b e r Act , and mandatory counselof the she during decidedthetopandemic, who reads Marlow's taxpayers to file electronically with direct deposit soon start the Saving Promise cam“get it.” She as said she advance “puts the stimulus ing for batterers. as they have the information they need. paign. case People in suchcana begin way, thepayments average received “If we are ever going to eradi“It seems to be a vicious cycle with filing their tax returns immediately tax software comseparately not taxable, andviolence, they do not person can get it.” She said at the are cate domestic we reduce must the taxthat won't turnIRSmy panies, including Freefamily File partners. average payer'swill refundlook whenatthey filesides in 2021. endLast of year's the day, the book both of the coin. loose,” Marlow said.than Marlow tax refund was more $2,500. More 150begin million help than people to haveKey a diafiling season dates We need to address both the vicshared her story with the logue about tax returns are expected to audibe filed this year, withdomestic the vast violence. timFree and batterer,” Marlow Jan. 15. IRS Filethe opens. Taxpayers can begin filence at the District Heights Also present at the event was through said. Free File partners; tax returns will majority before the Thurs, April 15 deadline. ing returns Domestic Violence Symposium exMarlow alsoFeb. like12. toTax see software The IRS anticipates a first week Mildred of March Muhammad, refund for bethe transmitted to the IRSwould starting onmany MayEITC 7 at the of John Allen Muhammad, programs designed raise andDistrict ACTCHeights taxpayers if wife they file electronically companies also are accepting tax filingstoin advance. Municipal sympowaswith sentenced awareness children in Day to with directCenter. depositThe and there are nowho issues their taxto six consecJan. 29. Earned Incomeamong Tax Credit Awareness sium wasTaxpayers sponsored by tothe life My terms without public and private schools. She to many returns. will need checkutive Where's Refund raiseparole awareness of valuable tax credits available Family Youth refund Services by a Maryland role –inincluding feels children need educat- income for theirand personalized date. Overall, the IRS jury antic-for his people the option to to usebeprior-year Center of the city of District the Beltway Sniper attacks in ed about domestic violence. ipates nine out of 10 taxpayers will receive their refund to qualify. Heights the of National Hook2002. Mildred Muhammad is “We have to tax stopseason. beingIndividual paswithin and 21 days when they file electronically with direct Feb. 12. IRS begins 2021 tax Up of Black Women. thetax founder Trauma, sive-aggressive with poor childeposit if there are no issues with their return.of After thereturns begin being accepted and processing begins. Marlow written book, an tax organization that helps dren about violence,” To speedhas refunds andahelp with their filing, the IRS Feb.the 22. Projected date domestic for the IRS.gov Where's My “Color Me Butterfly,” which is a survivors of domestic violence Marlow said. urges people to follow these simple steps: Refund tool being updated for those claiming EITC and story about four generations of and their children. Marlow worked to break File electronically and use direct deposit for the quickest ACTC, also referred to ashas PATH Act returns. domestic violence. The book is “I lived in fear for six years. Six the cycle of abuse in her refunds. First week of March. Tax refunds family, begin reaching inspired by her own experiences, years in fear is a long time. It is and is confident the policies she Check IRS.gov for the latest tax information, including those claiming EITC and ACTC (PATH returns) for and those of her grandmother, not an easy thing to come out is pushing for will startActthat the latest on Economic Impact Payments. those who file electronically with direct deposit and there her mother and her daughter. of,” she said. process. who mayshe be eligible payments, are no issues with their tax returns. She For saidthose every time reads for stimulus Mildred Muhammad said “I plan to take these policies to they should review the guidelines the RecovApril 15. Deadline filing 2020 tax returns. excerpts fromcarefully her book, she still peopleforwho want to help a Congressforand implore them to ery Rebate Credit. Those who didn't receive a payment or Oct. 15. Deadline to file for those requesting can not believe the words came domestic violence victim must change our laws,” Marlow said.an extenonlyher. received a partial payment maybebecareful eligibleoftohow claimtheysion their 2020 returns from “Color Me Butterfly” go on into “I willtaxnot stop until these poliwon the 2007 National “Best the victim's life, and understand cies are passed.” Books” Award. that she may be in “survival Tia Carol Jones can be reached “I was just 16-years-old when mode”. at tiacaroljones@sbcglobal.net my eye first blackened and my “Before you get to 'I'm going lips bled,” Marlow said. to kill you,' it started as a verbal WI Elaine presi- cases continue to climb As theDavis-Nickens, confirmed coronavirus During the recent Martin Luther King, Jr. holident of theGeorge’s National Hook-Up in Prince County, certain provisions to slow the day weekend, Ebenezer African Methodist Episcoofrise Black there no dining ban scheduled willWomen, remain insaid place. Anisindoor pal [AME] Church in Fort Washington continued consistency in the Jan. way16, domestic to end Saturday, will continue through Jan. 29. to honor the legacy of Dr. King by helping others. violence issues dealt with by Restaurants andareother establishments that sell food can still On Jan. 17, Ebenezer conducted a grocery gift card offer takeout and curbside service. Outdoor dining will regiveaway providing 1,000 $50 grocery gift cards to main in effect at 50 percent capacity. MGM Casino and members of the community in need. The gift cards Resort and retail businesses must continue to operate at 25 for local grocery stores are supported by the giving of percent capacity. church members. Ebenezer has provided more than “Much to our dismay, COVID-19 cases continue to rise 5,800 gift cards totaling over $350,000 from giveand our metrics show that we need to extend measures preaways held during the Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s viously implemented to minimize the spread of this virus,” Day, Fourth of July and Thanksgiving holidays. Since County Executive Angela Alsobrooks said in a statement. March 2020, Ebenezer has distributed more than “While this is a difficult decision, we are continuing to do 11,300 prepared meals and nearly 15,000 boxes of everything we can to support our restaurants during these food in partnership with local organizations, includdifficult times.” ing World Central Kitchen, Prince George’s County The county reopened its Restaurant Resiliency Fund and other partners. for new applicants who can apply for grants totaling up to On Jan. 15, Ebenezer partnered with Prince $25,000. Interested business owners can apply at www.pgGeorge’s County to distribute boxes of food. cedc.com/restaurantfund. Applications are due by 5 p.m., Friday, Jan. 22. WI Staff Writer

Indoor Dining Ban Extended in Prince George’s County

“

Ebenezer AME Salutes Dr. King with $50,000 in Gift Cards

We have to stop being passive-aggressive with poor children about domestic violence. I plan to take these policies to Congress and implore them to change our laws. I will not stop until these policies are passed.

“

SOMETHING NEW EVERYDAY

Women the Cycle of wi hotBreak topics Domestic Violence IRS: Start Date for 2020 Tax Return Filing Delayed to Feb. 12

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

L.Y. Marlow

INAUGURATION DAY Black Millennials Relish in an Unusual but Historic Inauguration Sam P.K. Collins WI Contributing Writer

On Inauguration Day, the scourge of the coronavirus pandemic and threats of domestic terrorism virtually turned Downtown D.C. into a ghost town, in stark contrast to the city profile more than a decade ago when legions of Black millennials were at the leading edge of the celebration of the installment of the nation’s first Black president. Such circumstances however didn’t deter these young adults, many of whom experienced the Obama presidency as high school and college students, from relishing in another historic moment: the end of the Trump era and the ascent of the nation’s first female vice president of Jamaican and South Asian ancestry. “As we watched the swearing in, I saw a sparkle in my 8-year-old son's eyes, and it made me proud of what the Biden-Harris administration represents,” said Auntea Marie, a local marketing professional who watched the Jan. 20 festivities at home. “They represent change, democracy, hope, and unity. I'm looking forward to seeing more barriers be-

ing broken and more doors of opportunity being opened.” In his inaugural address, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (D) alluded to the breach of the U.S. Capitol earlier this month before declaring that democracy prevailed, and the will of the people had been fulfilled. Moments earlier, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor administered the oath of office to Vice President Kamala Harris (D), the nation’s first female vice president of color. Much of the inauguration took place before an empty National Mall as socially distanced congressional members, former presidents, and former Vice President Mike Pence (R) watched. Even so, messages conveyed by the newly installed president and vice president rang clear for some Black millennials like Paul Waters. “Almost immediately after the election, President Biden and Vice President Harris called racial justice one of their priorities, and seeing them mention it twice was a good signal that we have an administration deeply committed to this work in the United States,” said Waters, a D.C resident of nearly 14 years who works in tech policy.

“Hopefully, they can get started immediately,” Waters added. “We saw tremendous efforts with Stacey Abrams and other organizers to make sure folks had the right to vote, and there has been broad plans for federal legislation around the same thing.” Biden recently proposed a $1.9 trillion stimulus package aimed at providing economic relief and curbing the public health effects of the coronavirus pandemic. If passed, checks in the amount of $1,400 would be doled out to supplement the $600 checks Democrats includ-

ed in a relief package passed toward the end of last year. Additional tenets involve funding for the safe reopening of schools, increasing the minimum wage, and extension of unemployment benefits. While she reveled in the changing of the guard, Southeast-based photographer Dee Dwyer mulled whether Trump supporters would stop their assault on the District and other parts of the country. She also expressed a desire to see Black people get some return on their investment for bringing Biden and Harris into office.

“I hope that President Biden sticks to what he said he was going to do [and] looks out for the Black community; we got him into office,” said Dwyer. “I also hope for once that we have a president who tries to create some type of change and provide resources for under resourced communities in their backyard of Wards 7 and 8,” she added. “I also hope that Vice President Harris is going to be proactive in her role where we get to hear her speak her thoughts.” WI @SamPKCollins

Apply today to DCPS and public charter schools for school year 2021-22 at MySchoolDC.org.

DEADLINES February 1, 2021 – Grades 9–12 March 1, 2021 – PK3 – Grade 8

APPLICATION SUPPORT 202-888-6336 info.myschooldc@dc.gov

@MySchoolDC

Stay Informed! www.washingtoninformer.com

5 Dee Dwyer (WI File Photo)

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

JANUARY 21 - 27, 2021 5

AROUND THE REGION

black facts

SOURCE: BLACK AMERICA WEB

JAN 21 - 27, 2021

JAN 21

Need Help Getting Social Security Disability Benefits? We Can Help! $ Steady monthly income depending on your paid in amount

A lump sum payment of benefits owed from back-pay

• We simplify the process & strive for quick claim approval • Starting the process is easy and takes only minutes to complete

Annual cost of living increases

855-549-3119

Helping thousands get the benefits they deserve

Bill Gordon & Associates, a nationwide practice, represents clients before the Social Security Administration. Bill Gordon & Associates, a nationwide practice, represents clients before the Social Security Administration. Member of the TX & NM Bar Associations. Mail: 1420 N W St Washington D.C. Office: Broward County, FL. Services may be provided by associated attorneys licensed in other states. Member of the TX & NM Bar Associations. Mail: 1420 NW St Washington D.C. Office: Broward County Florida. Services may be provided by associated attorneys licensed in other states.

1913 – Fanny Jackson Coppin, 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

1906 – Aviator Willa Brown, the first African American woman to earn her pilot's license in the United States, is born in Glasgow, Kentucky. 1973 – George Foreman wins by second-round technical knockout over heavyweight champion Joe Frazier in a battle of unbeatens.

JAN. 23

1946 – Editor, writer and journalist Susan L. Taylor, who served as editor-in-chief of Essence magazine in the '80s and '90s, is born in New York City. 1976 – Renowned singer, actor and civil rights activist Paul Robeson dies in Philadelphia at 77 from complications of a stroke.

FULL-SERVICE SIGN & ADVERTISING SOLUTIONS

JAN. 24

Professional VISUAL BRANDING

1885 – Martin R. Delany, an early proponent of Black nationalism and one of the first three Black people admitted to Harvard Medical School, dies of tuberculosis in Wilberforce, Ohio, at 73. 1993 – Thurgood Marshall, the first African American Supreme Court justice, dies of heart failure in Bethesda, Maryland, at 84.

INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS to help grow your business

...because image matters Call Today! 301-273-3462

Stacey Brown “Chief Image Builder”

stacey@signarama-silverspring.com

1977 – Patricia Roberts Harris begins serving as the U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Jimmy Carter, becoming the first African American woman to serve in a presidential Cabinet. 1977 – "Roots," a TV miniseries based on Alex Haley's 1976 novel, "Roots: The Saga of an American Family," begins airing on ABC, the first of eight consecutive nights.

JAN. 25

8930 Brookville Rd Silver Spring, MD 20910 signarama-silverspring.com

1972 – Shirley Chisholm formally announces her bid for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination, becoming the first Black presidential candidate for a major political party. 1980 – Black Entertainment Television (BET), a cable television network launched by Robert L. Johnson, begins broadcasting.

MBE/DBE Certified | Woman-Owned Business

JAN. 26

1892 – Bessie Coleman, the first Black woman to earn an international pilot's license, is born in Atlanta, Texas. 1944 – Political activist, academic scholar and author Angela Davis is born in Birmingham, Alabama. 1958 – R&B singer Anita Baker (top) is born in Toledo, Ohio.

JAN. 27 SHIRLEY CHISHOLM

6 - JANUARY 21 - 27, 2021

1961 – Renowned opera singer Leontyne Price makes her debut at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City. 1972 – Gospel music legend Mahalia Jackson (above) dies in Evergreen Park, Illinois, of heart failure and diabetes complications at age 60. WI

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

AROUND THE REGION

view P INT

IF YOU WANT QUALITY WORK, JUST CALL!

Quality Assurance Home Improvement, Inc.

BY SARAFINA WRIGHT

“We Stand By Our Name”

Last weekend, a man was arrested at a checkpoint near the U.S. Capitol with unauthorized inauguration credentials, a gun and 500 rounds of ammunition, according to police. This comes as officials have heightened security after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. What are your thoughts?

FREE ESTIMATES! / Office: 301-248-3325

FINISHED BASEMENT

DECK

Financing Available 90-day Deferment Payment

ANDRE GORING /

WASHINGTON, D.C.

I'm thinking it would help these kooks if Trump admitted he made up election theft as way to rob his supporters. He will not, so more lives will be lost.

BILL MUHAMMED / WASHINGTON, D.C.

Supporting Trump is worth your life and freedom, I guess.

Kitchens • Bathrooms • Room additions • Retaining walls • • Carports Screen rooms Sun rooms • Carports • • Porches • Roofing • Siding Decks • Complete renovations • Enclosed porches • Basements Solid virgin virginfinal vinylreplacement replacement windows • Bay and bow windows

ADDITION & 4 SEASON SUN ROOM SIONAL PROFES LERS INSTAL home g in A+ Ratinment from improve r Business the Bette r 175 years Bureau fo ight stra

ADDITION

KITCHEN

Bonded / Insured / Licensed MHCI#86727 / D.C. License #53005449 Lead Paint Removal Certified

KITCHEN

Visit our website today at: www.fortwashingtonhomecontractors.com

$2500 off

Homeowners are you in need of a new roof, kitchen, bathroom? Up to If so, take advantage of our 90 days or 6 months deferred payment plan now for as low as $199 a month. Sunrooms & Additions Purchase today and receive FREE cable outlet and FREE A/C & Heating Unit

15% off Any Service For Senior Citizens Extra 5% Off

With this coupon. Not valid with other offers or prior purchases.

JENNIFER JAMES / WASHINGTON, D.C.

This is just way too much. I've never in my life seen so much hate. The elected officials are human beings — fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles and daughters — and it has gone way too far. I'm praying for the USA.

NICOLE STEED /

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN

Trump supporters are the real terrorists. I don't understand why they could be this upset about politics. No president has ever stopped me from getting what I want. I work hard for everything I have!

TONI KAY / WASHINGTON, D.C.

What is wrong with these people? Seriously, why do they want to destroy their lives for someone who doesn't care for them? He has spread lies to stay in power, and yet people believe in his lies.

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

Stay Informed! www.washingtoninformer.com

JANUARY 21 - 27, 2021 7

INAUGURATION DAY

Biden’s Speech to America and the World: A Flurry of Poetry, Politics and Prose

Message and Images of Inauguration Suggest the Promise of Possibilities D. Kevin McNeir WI Editor

(301) 864-6070

EMPLOYMENT LAWYERS MCCOLLUM & ASSOCIATES, LLC ADA, Age Discrimination, Benefits, Civil Rights, COBRA, Contracts, Deaf Law, Defamation, Disability Law, Discipline, Discrimination, FMLA, FLSA, FOIA, Family Responsibility, Harassment, HIPPA, OSHA, National Origin Discrimination, Non-Compete, Race Discrimination, Rehabilitation Act, Retaliation, Severance Agreements, Sexual Harassment, Torts, Whistleblowing, Wage-and-Hour, Wrongful Discharge SERVING MARYLAND, DC, & NORTH CAROLINA

www.jmlaw.net

(301) 864-6070

8 - JANUARY 21 - 27, 2021

jmccollum@jmlaw.net

Words matter – they always matter. Contrary to that old childhood rhyme, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words shall will never hurt me,” in recent weeks, if not over the past four years, America has witnessed the duality that words can have – either to build up or to tear down. Joseph R. Biden, Jr., in delivering his inaugural address on Wednesday, Jan. 20 perhaps more than anyone else, realized the immense importance of the words he used and the message he shared. The ceremony would mark 244 years of our democracy and the 59th inauguration of the president of the United States. Even more, the nation’s 46th president would need to make the best of his first opportunity to offer his plan for healing to a nation divided by racism, partisanship and the vestiges of a litany of divisive language and often questionable decisions that will mark the legacy of former President Donald J. Trump forever. As a sign of the time, the National Mall would be bereft of people. Thou-

(Courtesy photo/Presidential Inauguration Committee)

sands of American flags blowing in the wind on a blustery day of snow flurries in the District would stand on the grounds historically packed with thousands of citizens, politicians and preachers, members of the media, friends – even children, too young to understand the gravity of the moment. As a sign of the times, there would be no crowd of cheering supporters welcoming President Biden and Vice President Kamala D. Harris – the first woman and first woman of color to ever hold the venerable seat. It should be noted that U.S. Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman, whose bravery in the wake of an unprecedented attack by pro-Trump insurrectionists on Jan. 6 has been reported by The Washington Informer, accompanied Harris and her husband, Douglas Emhoff. As a sign of the times, given the recent attacks on the U.S. Capitol, many of the participants on the dais with the president would reportedly wear body armor – all of them wearing masks as a means of protecting themselves from a still deadly coronavirus health pandemic. Biden continues along a path that only 39 other Americans have traveled before: to deliver a presidential inaugural address. His theme, “American United,” continued the essential message of his campaign: unity over division. Facing the backdrop of a global pandemic, racial tensions and the second impeachment of his predecessor, the hope, according to Biden’s inaugural

committee, was that his words would spark “the beginning of a new national journey that restores the soul of America, brings the country together and creates a path to a brighter future.”

WORDS FROM PREVIOUS COMMANDERSIN-CHIEF

America has become accustomed to hearing inaugural addresses that use well-known phrases, punctuated with religious undertones and without unnecessary hyperboles. Biden would follow this path, realizing, as he would say, that his first job as president remains to heal the nation. From the inaugural addresses of Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War to Franklin Delano Roosevelt during the Great Depression – from George W. Bush in those days following 9/11 and President Obama in a recession that nearly derailed and destroyed the nation – there have been many presidents who have taken office in the midst of a tumultuous era. Biden joins these presidents of the past. Still, the devout Catholic and longtime resident of Delaware, has been in public service for more than 50 years, including serving in the U.S. Senate and as vice president. His address reflected his experience in tackling tough situations – those he had faced both professionally and personally.

BIDEN Page 26

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

Capitol Officer Touted as ‘Hero’ Hails from Southeast

AROUND THE REGION

Satellite Internet That is Unlimited With No Hard Data Limits! 2

25 Mbps Download Speed

Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

U.S. Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman, native of Southeast, has been hailed as a hero – even deserving the Congressional Gold Medal for his bravery and quick thinking during the unprecedented attack on the U.S. Capitol. In a resolution recently introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives, lawmakers propose to honor Goodman for his actions that undoubtedly saved lives, including members of Congress, during the deadly insurrectionist attack at the U.S. Capitol on January 6. “He’s a hero. The U.S. Capitol was under attack by armed, violent extremists and Officer Eugene Goodman was the only thing standing between the mob and the United States Senate,” Florida Democratic Congressman Charlie Crist declared. “I shudder to think what might have happened had it not been for Officer Goodman’s fast thinking and commitment to his duty and his country. While some will remember last Wednesday for the very worst in our country, the patriotism and heroics of Officer Eugene Goodman renew my faith and remind us all what truly makes the United States great,” Crist said. Reps. Crist, Emanuel Cleaver II (D-Mo.) and Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) announced H.R. 305, a bipartisan bill to honor Officer Goodman. “This will show our gratitude to Officer Goodman for saving countless lives and defending our democracy,” Cleaver said. Many watched in horror as the mob of Trump supporters confronted Goodman near a stairwell inside the Capitol. It first appeared that the officer had retreated in fear, hesitant because he was alone and without the backup of additional law enforcement officials. However, as the video continues, it reveals Goodman courageously engaging the mob – at time raising his nightstick to keep them at bay as they gave chase. Goodman’s quick decisions proved strategic as

25mbps download and 3mbps upload1

No Hard Data Limits Wi-Fi Built-In Connect your wireless devices at home

Call For Special Offers In Your Area Pricing varies by region

CALL TODAY - LIMITED SPECIAL OFFERS IN YOUR AREA!

1-855-973-9254

HughesNet is a registered trademark of Hughes Network Systems, LLC, an EchoStar Company. 2 If you exceed your monthly plan data, you will experience reduced data speeds until the start of your next billing period. Reduced speeds will typically be in the range of 1 – 3 Mbps and may cause Web sites to load more slowly or affect the performance of certain activities, such as video streaming or large downloads/uploads.

Blazing Fast Internet! ADD TO YOUR PACKAGE FOR ONLY

19.99

/mo.

where available

5 U.S. Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman keeps pro-Trump protesters from reaching members of Congress during the riots on January 6. (Image: Twitter/@The Guardian)

a further look at the video revealed that he was offering a distraction so nearby members of Congress could be moved away from danger and out of the mob’s reach. “When he was the only thing standing between members of Congress and the violent mob, he quickly and selflessly redirected their fury upon himself, so those members could escape,” Mace said. “Thanks to his valor, we are here today. From the bottom of my heart, I cannot thank him enough for his bravery and his dedication to the call of duty.” The resolution to award Goodman with the Congressional Medal reads, in part, “Officer Goodman alone, delayed the mob’s advance towards the United States Senate Chamber and announced the location of the incursion. Upon reaching the second-floor corridor, Officer Goodman noticed the entrance to the Senate Chamber was unguarded. As the mob approached,

Officer Goodman intentionally diverted attention away from the Senate entrance and led the mob to an alternate location with additional awaiting officers.” Goodman, 40, served in the U.S. Army from 2002 to 2006, deploying with the 101st Airborne Division to Iraq for a year. His awards include a combat infantryman badge, indicating he was in ground combat. During the assault on the U.S. Capitol, five people, including a police officer, died, and dozens more were injured. “In moments of crisis, there are always individuals who rise to the occasion and put themselves in harm’s way in defense of others. On January 6, 2021, Officer Eugene Goodman was one of those individuals,” Cleaver said. WI Facebook: StacyBrownMedia Twitter: @StacyBrownMedia

Many watched in horror as the mob of Trump-supporters confronted Goodman near a stairwell inside the Capitol.

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

2-YEAR TV PRICE

GUARANTEE MO.

for 12 Mos.

America’s Top 120 Package

190 CHANNELS Including Local Channels!

CALL TODAY - For $100 Gift Card Promo Code: DISH100

1-855-407-6870

Offer ends 1/31/21.

All offers require credit qualification, 24-month commitment with early termination fee and eAutoPay. Prices include Hopper Duo for qualifying customers. Hopper, Hopper w/Sling or Hopper 3 $5/mo. more. Upfront fees may apply based on credit qualification.

THE BUTCHER’S DELUXE PACKAGE 4 (5 oz.) Butcher’s Cut Top Sirloins 4 (4 oz.) Boneless Pork Chops 4 Boneless Chicken Breasts (1 lb. pkg.) 8 (4 oz.) Omaha Steaks Burgers 8 (3 oz.) Gourmet Jumbo Franks 8 (3.8 oz.) Individual Scalloped Potatoes 8 (4 oz.) Caramel Apple Tartlets Steak Seasoning (1 oz.) $298.87* separately

INTRODUCTORY PRICE $129.99 FREE PORK CHOPS & CHICKEN BREASTS when you buy this package today!

ORDER NOW! 1.877.320.2481 ask for 66762NTZ

www.OmahaSteaks.com/dinner518

Rich In Vitamin C

FREE Shipping* & 33% OFF Mixed Fruit Medley WAS $29.99

1999

NOW ONLY

1-888-673-1375 Visit PittmanDavis.com/ME164 Only $19.99 (reg. $29.99), plus FREE Shipping.* Satisfaction completely guaranteed. Order by December 17, 2020 for GUARANTEED Christmas delivery. IC: PNVH-E164 * Free standard shipping to the 48 contiguous states.

JANUARY 21 - 27, 2021 9

AROUND THE REGION CAPTURE THE MOMENT LOOKING BACK BEFORE LOOKING FORWARD

AARP AUTO INSURANCE FROM THE HARTFORD TO SPEAK WITH AN AGENT AND REQUEST A FREE QUOTE CALL THE HARTFORD TO SEE HOW MUCH YOU COULD SAVE:

1-877-579-9788

Do you or a loved one struggle on the stairs? AN ACORN STAIRLIFT IS A PERFECT SOLUTION FOR:

ü Arthritis and COPD sufferers ü Those with mobility issues ü Anyone who struggles on the stairs

President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris along with their spouses honor the 400,000 lives lost to COVID-19 at the Lincoln Memorial on Jan. 19. (Shevry Lassiter/The Washington Informer screen grab)

THE PURCHASE OF A NEW STAIRLIFT!

CALL NOW FOR YOUR FREE INFORMATION KIT AND DVD!

1-855-841-2971

Who’s Reading the Informer?

*Not valid on previous purchases. Not valid with any other offers or discounts. Not valid on refurbished models. Only valid towards purchase of a NEW Acorn Stairlift directly from the manufacturer. $250 discount will be applied to new orders. Please mention this ad when calling. AZ ROC 278722, CA 942619, MN LC670698, OK 50110, OR CCB 198506, RI 88, WA ACORNSI894OB, WV WV049654, MA HIC169936, NJ 13VH07752300, PA PA101967, CT ELV 0425003-R5.

DENTAL Insurance Physicians Mutual Insurance Company

Floyd Kinard and Natural Premier read the Washington Informer. (Roy Lewis/ The Washington Informer)

A less expensive way to help get the dental care you deserve If you’re over 50, you can get coverage for about

$1 a day*

Keep your own dentist! NO networks to worry about NO annual or lifetime cap on the cash benefits

No wait for preventive care and no deductibles – you could get a checkup tomorrow Coverage for over 350 procedures including cleanings, exams, fillings, crowns…even dentures

you can receive

FREE Information Kit

1-877-308-2834

www.dental50plus.com/cadnet *Individual plan. Product not available in MN, MT, NH, RI, VT, WA. Acceptance guaranteed for one insurance policy/certificate of this type. Contact us for complete details about this insurance solicitation. This specific offer is not available in CO, NY; call 1-800-969-4781 or respond for similar offer. Certificate C250A (ID: C250E; PA: C250Q); Insurance Policy P150(GA: P150GA; NY: P150NY; OK: P150OK; TN: P150TN) 6096C MB16-NM001Gc

WORDS TO LIVE BY "But we do not have much time. The revolutionary spirit is already worldwide. If the anger of the peoples of the world at the injustice of things is to be channeled into a revolution of love and creativity, we must begin now to work, urgently, with all the peoples, to shape a new world.”

– The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“The Trumpet of Conscience” – a collection of five lectures which King delivered in Nov. and Dec. 1967 for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The book, republished after his death with a foreword written by Coretta Scott King, reveals some of King’s most introspective reflections and his last impressions of the movement prior to his death.

10 - JANUARY 21 - 27, 2021

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

AROUND THE REGION

D.C. Residents Ponder Ranked Choice Voting

James Wright WI Staff Writer

A debate has emerged among political activists whether the District’s electoral system should be changed from picking a single candidate for an elected office on a ballot to ranked choice voting, a method in which voters have the opportunity to list the candidates of their choice numerically in rounds until someone gets a majority of votes. “Voters should be allowed to rank the candidates of their choice for elected office,” Khalid Pitts, the executive vice president of policy and programs for FairVote.org, an organization advocating ranked choice voting nationally, said. “Ranked choice voting would incentivize candidates to reach out to voters. There are voters who like multiple candidates and if I as a candidate am not your first choice, then I could be your second.” The FairVote.org website provides a detailed explanation of ranked choice voting. If a candidate wins the majority of votes in the first round, he or she wins the election, the website said. However, the website notes that if no majority candidate emerges after the first round, the race will be decided by an instant runoff. In the runoff, the candidate with the fewest votes will be eliminated and voters who picked that candidate as “number 1” will have their votes count for their next choice, the website said. The rounds continue until there is a majority winner, according to the website. Ranked choice voting operates as the electoral system in 18 cities , including Minneapolis, Minn., Oakland and San Francisco, Calif. and Takoma Park, Md., and in Maine. In 2022, New York City will be among the cities conducting their elections using ranked choice voting and Alaska will be the second state to fully utilize it. On Oct. 8, 2019, D.C. Councilmembers David Grosso (I-At Large), Elissa Silverman (I-At Large), Brianne Nadeau (D-Ward 1) and Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3) introduced “The Ranked Choice Act of 2019” which requires candidates for public office to be elected using the system in the District. The bill was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety but because of legislative inac-

tion, the measure died at the end of Council Period 23 on Dec. 31, 2020. The legislation received attention after the Nov. 3, 2020 general election when 24 candidates ran for two at-large D.C. Council seats. Many political observers noted the winners of the two seats, D.C. Councilmember Robert White (D-At Large) and Christina Henderson, an independent candidate, received only 25 percent and 16 percent of the vote, respectively, both far from receiving most of the votes cast. Pitts, who ran as an independent in the at-large D.C. Council election in 2014, said the November 2020 D.C. Council at-large race could have had candidates with winning majorities if ranked choice voting had been in place. Pitts, his organization and Rank the Vote DC-- a local group supporting the District changing to ranked choice voting—have indicated communicating with councilmembers and staffers about the bill. They speculate the legislation could come up for a vote before the 2022 election cycle. While Pitts enthusiastically endorses ranked choice voting, Derrell Simpson, a Ward 8 resident, has reservations. “I think it is an unnecessary and overly complicated process that will be difficult for seniors and minorities to deal with,” Simpson said. “I think it would be unfair to ask an 80-yearold woman to change the way she has been voting since the 1960s. It is my understanding that if you don’t rank the voters, your ballot will be thrown out. That may affect a lot of people who are used to single-candidate voting.”

“Voters should be allowed to rank the candidates of their choice for elected office.” – Khalid Pitts

Renee Bowser, a labor lawyer and former candidate for the Ward 4 seat on the D.C. Council, said ranked choice voting could give some people a better chance to win an election. Nevertheless, she doesn’t favor changing the city’s electoral system. “It seems to me ranked choice voting will produce more consensus candidates who won’t take hard positions on issues,” Bowser said. “I don’t think we need that now. I can’t see how Black people will be better served by it.” WI @JamesDCWrighter 4 D.C. political activist Khalid Pitts supports ranked choice voting. (Courtesy Photo/FairVote.org.)

ASSOCIATION FOR THE STUDY OF AFRICAN AMERICAN LIFE AND HISTORY®

THE 2021 BLACK HISTORY MONTH

VIRTUAL FESTIVAL CELEBRATING THE 95TH ANNUAL BLACK HISTORY THEME

The Black Family: Representation, Identity, and Diversity Monday, February 1, 2021

Wednesday, February 24, 2021

FREE COMMUNITY EVENT - OPEN TO PUBLIC Announcement of the Black History theme and Introduction of ASALH’s Inaugural Virtual Black History Month Festival

FREE COMMUNITY EVENT - OPEN TO PUBLIC Diving with a Purpose

Saturday, February 6, 2021 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. EST

FREE COMMUNITY EVENT - OPEN TO PUBLIC ASALH Prince George’s County Truth Branch Event Featuring a conversation with Dr. Bernice King

FREE COMMUNITY EVENT - OPEN TO PUBLIC From the Continent to the Americas: Foodways, Culture and Traditions in the African American Family

Wednesday, February 10, 2021 FREE COMMUNITY EVENT - OPEN TO PUBLIC Presentation of the Inaugural ASALH Book Prize

Sunday, February 28, 2021 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. EST

Sunday, February 28, 2021 7:00 p.m. EST FREE COMMUNITY EVENT - OPEN TO PUBLIC ASALH and PBS Books Present: A Conversation with Ngugi Wa Thiong’o and Sundiata Cha-Jua

Marquee Event

Saturday, February 20, 2021 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. EST (TICKETED EVENT: $50.00) Finding Our Roots in African American History A Conversation with… Henry Louis Gates and Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham

Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham

Acclaimed for his scholarship, his documentary films about African, Afro-Latin, and African American History, and his popular television series, “Finding Your Roots,” Henry Louis Gates, Jr., has brought fascinating African American family stories to the wider public. The Black History Month Festival in 2021 is proud to feature a conversation between ASALH’s national president Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham and Henry Louis Gates, Jr., who will share his thoughts and motivations in popularizing Black History through the heritage of African American families and communities and their search for roots. ASALH BRANCHES WILL HOST VIRTUAL PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE MONTH ASALH BRANCH EVENTS CAN BE FOUND AT ASALH.ORG/BRANCH-EVENTS

ASSOCIATION FOR THE STUDY OF AFRICAN AMERICAN LIFE AND HISTORY THE FOUNDERS OF BLACK HISTORY MONTH WWW.ASALH.ORG | 202-238-5910 | #ASALH

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

#ASALHFAMILY

#ASALHFAM

#ASALH2021

JANUARY 21 - 27, 2021 11

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY ‘It’s a Team Effort’ to Boost Education in Prince George’s William J. Ford WI Staff Writer

When Juanita Miller got married and settled into a house in Prince George’s County in 1973, she said “it’s like I died and went to heaven.” Miller, a retired special education teacher, instructor and administra-

tor with 40 years of experience in the Prince George’s and the District of Columbia public school systems, now settles into a new position: school board chair. Miller, who received a doctorate in leadership and policy management from George Washington University in Northwest, chaired

her first county school board meeting Thursday, Jan. 14. She will help craft policies for the state of Maryland’s second largest school system of more than 136,000 students. County Executive Angela Alsobrooks appointed Miller after former chair Alvin Thornton stepped down, departing Jan. 8. Miller, who last worked in the county school system as an instructional specialist in 2011, comes on the board as the school system faces a possible $110 million deficit as the county continues to battle the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. A proposed $2.3 billion fiscal year 2022 budget focuses on mental health programs, increased technology services and enhanced cleaning and maintenance of buildings. Before Miller chaired her first school board meeting last week, the District native talked about school resources, serving on a hybrid board and changing the county’s image. Here are a few of her responses in her own words.

5 Juanita Miller (Photo courtesy of PGCPS)

WHAT ARE SOME RESOURCES THE COUNTY COULD USE FROM THE STATE?

“When I talk about taxpayer’s dollars, I want to ensure that we’re continually investing in resources and services that will enhance the educational programs in our school community. Hire qualified teachers and administrators who will help

Collins Family Continues to Mourn, Honor Slain Son William J. Ford WI Staff Writer

5 A poster to highlight the 2nd Lt. Richard Collins III Foundation in Annapolis in February 2020. (Photo by William J. Ford)

12 - JANUARY 21 - 27, 2021

Although the family and friends of Lt. Richard W. Collins III continue to mourn his tragic death more than three years ago, his spirit lives on throughout the state of Maryland. Through an annual $1 million scholarship created by the state and named after Collins, students at the state’s four Historically Black Colleges and Universities have benefitted from thousands of dollars in scholarships for those enrolled as Reserve Officers’ Training Corps cadets. Collins’ military training achievements was noticed by Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy in November 2019. He delivered a posthumous promotion to first lieutenant for Collins, who had just been commissioned a second lieutenant. “Richard believed in what he was doing with his military career,” his mother, Dawn Collins, said. “He had aspired to be the next Gen. Colin Powell. There was nothing that was going to stop him.”

That goal was derailed May 20, 2017 when he was stabbed to death while visiting friends on the campus of the University of Maryland. The stabbing occurred when Sean Urbanski, a white, 25-yearold student, confronted Collins at a College Park bus shelter. He was convicted of murder by a county jury. One day prior, Collins, 23, received a commission in the Army. Several days later, he was scheduled to graduate from nearby Bowie State University. The family received some closure Thursday, Jan. 14. a Prince George’s County Circuit Court judge sentenced Urbanski to life in prison. According to court documents, Urbanski walked over to Collins and two friends, one white and one Asian, at a bus stop on the campus around 3 a.m. Urbanski, now 25, demanded Collins move to “step left if you know what’s best for you,” according to court records. Because Collins refused to move, police said Urbanski fatally stabbed Collins with a three-inch pocket knife.

Law enforcement officials found racist memes on Urbanski’s cell phone and concluded he belonged to a white supremacist Facebook group “Alt-Reich: Nation.” Urbanski’s attorney, John McKenna, said during Thursday’s hearing his blood alcohol content at the time of the encounter was at least .20, almost three times above the legal limit of .08. McKenna said his client couldn’t remember what he did and still can’t. Although Urbanski had the racist photos in his cell, McKenna said he’s no “hate-filled, right-wing nut.” Urbanski’s mother, Elizabeth, addressed the Collins family directly. “There is so much that I have wanted to say to you over the last three years. Whatever I could say will never be right. It would never be enough,” she said. “Your son, Richard, should be here and it’s my son Sean’s fault that he’s not. I am so sorry.” He was sentenced to life in prison, but Urbanski can’t receive

COLLINS Page 16

get those programs into implementation. The kind of resources to improve skills for the students. The Kirwan Commission recommendations would really offer the kinds of funding that is needed to bring the kinds of additional resources to address the kind of diverse population Prince George’s County serves. It will help bring in personnel and work with those students that are lagging to decrease that achievement gap.”

AS A FORMER STATE DELEGATE, HOW DO YOU ENSURE POLITICS DON’T OVERTAKE THE FOCUS ON STUDENTS?

“You’re not always going to agree on everything. You don’t have to showboat. You can agree to disagree. My attempt will be to bring a culture change and be a professional organization. To keep the dirty laundry in the laundry room. It’s a team effort. I like to think I’m a super woman, but teamwork makes the dream work. We have to work as a team. Everybody has a part. Not one person. Just like football. You have a quarterback who throws the ball. The other person has to catch it.”

WHY SERVE ON THE SCHOOL BOARD?

“Because the county executive asked me. She knew I had the skill and talent to work with people. I have a passion for making sure our Black and brown kids that look like us are given the same opportunity

EDUCATION Page 16

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY

Alsobrooks Revises County's Vaccine Rollout Plan

William J. Ford WI Staff Writer

Robin McClain has decorated stylish birthday and other special occasion cakes since 1987 including a cake for civil rights icon Rosa Parks to mark her 77th birthday. McClain, 66, plans to take the COVID-19 vaccine so that the self-employed entrepreneur can continue operations for “Sweet Bobbies Cake Creations” for several years to come. McClain, who contracted COVID-19 last year from her younger sister who lives with her, can sign-up to take the vaccine as a Marylander age 65 and older. “I tell people these are different times we are living in now,” she said from her Cheverly home Monday, Jan. 18 while working on a cake for Iota Phi Theta Fraternity. “I believe in and trust President-elect [Joe] Biden and I also trust the doctors. They wouldn’t put themselves and their families at risk in taking the vaccine themselves.” One of the main problems public

and health officials continue to have deals with the limited number of doses dispersed from the federal government to the states and then to the counties. With a new administration taking over the White House on Wednesday, Jan. 20, there’s optimism that a greater amount of vaccines will be made available for those like McClain. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as of Friday, Jan. 15, Americans have received about 12 million out of the 31 million doses of the two vaccines administered by Moderna and Pfizer. “All that’s getting ready to change,” said Prince George’s Chief Health Officer Ernest Carter. “Everybody’s excited about the new administration and they way they’re going to approach it. You’ll see that reflected in how we are operate because it trickles down.” Carter joined County Executive Angela Alsobrooks during a press conference Tuesday, Jan. 19 to provide a COVID-19 update. Alsobrooks announced COVID-19 vaccination appointments are all

MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION STATE HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION TAKOMA JUNCTION VISION STUDY REPORT AVAILABLE The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) conducted a vision study to collaboratively develop a vision for improved pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicular mobility at Takoma Junction, the intersection of MD 195 (Carroll Avenue) and MD 410 (Philadelphia Avenue/Carroll Avenue/Ethan Allen Avenue) in Takoma Park. MDOT SHA has completed the Takoma Junction Vision Study and invites you to visit our website https://bit.ly/MDOTSHA-TJVS to read the study report. The QR code to the website is provided. To request a copy of the study report, please contact: Kandese Holford Assistant Chief, Regional and Intermodal Planning Division Bicycle & Pedestrian Coordinator Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration 707 N. Calvert Street MS C-502 Baltimore, MD 21202 Phone: 410-545-5678 Request for Assistance The Maryland Relay Service can assist teletype users at 7-1-1. Persons requiring translation assistance with study materials should send an email to: shatitlevi@mdot.maryland.gov. Please indicate the desired language in the subject line.

January 2021 A-2100

booked through Feb. 9. Carter said at least 30 percent of those who scheduled an appointment reside in neighboring Montgomery County and other jurisdictions. Some of them either work or own property in Prince George’s. To ensure more Prince George’s residents receive the vaccine after Feb. 9, preregistration will be required at https://bit.ly/38YBIRP. The county will open the Wayne K. Curry Sports and Learning Complex in Landover on Thursday, Jan. 21 to begin vaccinations. To expand access for vaccinations, the Southern Technology Regional and Recreation Complex in Fort Washington will open next. As of Sunday, Jan. 17, the county continues to have the most confirmed cases in Maryland with 63,316. Nearly 1,145 people have died from the virus. “This has been an unbelievably diffi-

cult time,” Alsobrooks said. “We need to do everything we can as a community to limit the spread of COVID-19.” The county continues to operate in the first two parts of phase one which include seniors 75 and older, health care workers, residents and staff of nursing homes and teachers and educators. State officials moved up the vaccination date of Phase 1C from March to next week. That group includes public safety and health workers not covered in phase 1A, grocery store employees, public transit workers and adults ages 65 to 74. “I think more of us need to take it than not,” McClain said. “I lost my brother, my aunt and uncle in New Orleans and two cousins in Annapolis. That’s not counting the many friends I’ve lost to COVID-19. This virus is no joke.” WI @jabariwill

5 Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks gives an update on the COVID-19 vaccine rollout during a press conference Jan. 19. (William J. Ford/The Washington Informer)

Our Civic Schism

My first job out of college was as a civics instructor with a non-profit foundation called the Close Up Foundation. Close Up brought in thousands of high school students & teachers to learn how government works and how they can influence policy. In fact, through Close Up many were inspired to run for office. As an instructor, Close Up inspired me to run for Mayor of a small Maryland town and later run for higher office and ending my public career as a State Senator. I fondly remember leading my students around the halls of Congress. The sacred halls where statues of Thomas Jefferson, George Washington & Benjamin Franklin reside. Where a painting of the Declaration of Independence graces the Capitol Rotunda and where Liberty’s documents are encased. My students visited Congressional offices and posed tough questions to elected Congressional officials. They saw close-up the same people their parents voted for and the same people they often read about in newspapers. Walking these halls visiting these offices, gave all of us a sense of grandeur and responsibility. The coup on this sacred place left me speechless and confounded on how any citizen can invade our Capitol. This invasion took five lives and decimated the very halls I once walked. Flags of sedition were worshipped as the invasion ensued. How could this have happened and how do we heal? The pathology of lies on our national election, a growing brown demographic and leadership that poured gasoline on these lies and fears caused the combustion that led to the taking of our national political palace. The resistance of dealing with racial inequity and the abyss as an outcome of inequity is this nation’s historical sin that has yet to be repented. We have avoided this dialogue at our national peril. How do we heal? Truth and authenticity coupled with policy/economic reconciliation are starting points for rekindling our democracy. Unless we see the intentional lock out of citizens as a value contradiction, we will never be an inclusive democracy. As such, the existence of education, wealth, housing, and health disparities must be antithetical to our national democracy; and must be at the forefront of our healing. If these daunting issues remain unresolved, the coup attempt on our Capitol may be a prelude to a Civil Schism. Not a member? Please visit our website, www.pgcoc.org to get started! Membership is good for a full calendar year, so it’s always a good time to join*

Tim Smith, P.E. State Highway Administrator

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

David C. Harrington President & CEO

JANUARY 21 - 27, 2021 13

Housing Authority of Prince George’s County Seeks County Partners to Rent to Housing Choice Voucher Tenants

The Housing Authority of Prince George’s County (HAPGC) wants to partner with landlords interested in renting their unit(s) to individuals and families with Housing Choice Vouchers (HCV). HAPGC is looking for landlords who rent single-family homes and apartment units to join the HCV program. Housing Choice Vouchers provide rental assistance for low-income families in the private rental market through the HAPGC’s Housing Assistance Payments Program (HAP). Housing Choice Voucher holders select a unit from the private rental market. The rental assistance provided by HAPGC makes market rate housing affordable for voucher holders. Program participants normally pay no more than 30% of monthly adjusted income towards rent and utilities. The Housing Assistance Payments subsidizes the balance of the rent to the property own-

14 - JANUARY 21 - 27, 2021

er. Guaranteed rent payments are made directly to the landlords’ bank account on time each month. In order to increase the supply of accessible housing for tenants with Housing Choice Vouchers, the Housing Authority is also seeking landlords who will make their property accessible for voucher tenants with disabilities. For a limited time only: HAPGC is now offering cash incentives to landlords to become a part of the HCV Program, and even more if the property is accessible for families and individuals with disabilities. This program is for landlords of multi-family buildings as well as single family homes.

ACCESSIBLE HOUSING/HOME MODIFICATIONS FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

Owners of a rental property reg-

istered with the Housing Choice Voucher Program can now apply for a grant that can be used to make their property accessible for persons with disabilities. The grant is a reimbursable payment, up to $10,000, that will enable the owner to make changes to the property that will assist disabled residents and families to live comfortably in the home. The grant can be used for both single family homes and multi-family properties.

LANDLORDS MUST:

• Complete a grant application to apply for the funding; • Select licensed, bonded and insured contractors to make the units or single-family homes accessible; • Pass an HQS and UFAS inspection. • After the work is completed, the landlord will be reimbursed for expenses. Interested landlords must attend a landlord briefing presented by the HAPGC. These briefings

are held every third Wednesday of each month. Landlord must register in advance. Check the Housing Authority website for a list of

briefing dates and times: https://www.princegeorgescountymd.gov/2650/Landlord-Briefings

QUESTIONS:

Call (301) 883-5501 or visit the website: https://www.princegeorgescountymd.gov/3746/LandlordRecruitment-Campaign

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

BUSINESS Former D.C. Administrator to Lead Health Strategy Firm James Wright WI Staff Writer Former D.C. City Administrator Robert Mallett, former president and CEO of District-based Africare, has been selected to be the new CEO of Rabin Martin, a New York City-based global health strategy firm. “I am delighted that Robert Mallett is joining the Omnicom Public Relations Group as CEO of Rabin Martin,” John Doolittle, CEO, Omnicom Public Relations Group, said. Rabin Martin func-

tions as a subsidiary under Omnicom, one of the world’s largest public relations firms with thousands of employees located in dozens of countries. Doolittle praised Mallett’s skills and potential for contributions to the firm. “Robert’s strong business acumen, passion for operational excellence and deep belief in the importance of talent, especially the critical role of diversity, equity and inclusion, will help him lead Rabin Martin to new successes,” he said.

Rabin Martin focuses on improving health outcomes for underserved communities through the designing of strategies, programs and partnering with various organizations to achieve that purpose, according to its website. Rabin Martin’s clients include multinational health care companies, multilateral institutions, government agencies, large foundations and major non-governmental organizations, its website said. Mallett, a graduate of Morehouse College and Harvard School of Law, served as the city administrator and deputy mayor of operations under D.C. Mayor Sharon Pratt Kelly who led the District from 1991-1995. He later became acting secretary of Commerce during the Clinton administration in the mid-to-late 1990s. After working for government, Mallett joined the private sector. He has worked for Pfizer where he co-managed a major cross-company initiative to expand global access to medicines and spearheaded a multi-year, multi-billion-dollar campaign to provide essential pharmaceuticals to vulnerable populations.

5 Robert Mallett served as D.C. City Administrator during the mayoral administration of Sharon Pratt Kelly. (Courtesy Photo-Rabin Martin)

In addition, at Pfizer, Mallett expanded the Infectious Diseases Institute in Uganda and increased their effort to address the HIV/ AIDS crisis in the sub-Saharan Africa and the U.S.

President Biden, Congress Aim to Give D.C. More Autonomy James Wright WI Staff Writer President Joseph Biden and both chambers of the U.S. Congress seek to give the District more autonomy over its affairs by allowing its delegate to have senatorial courtesy and sponsoring bills that would allow the mayor to control the D.C. Nation-

5 President Joe Biden (Screen grab)

al Guard and repeal the president’s power to federalize the city’s police force. On Jan. 15, D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D) announced that President Biden has granted her senatorial courtesy for U.S. District Court judges, the U.S. attorney and the two U.S. marshals for the District. Senatorial courtesy consists of U.S. senators being consulted by presidents when one of their constituents comes under consideration for a presidential appointment. The District has no representation in the Senate. Norton had senatorial courtesy under the administrations of presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. As she did under the previous two Democratic presidents, Norton will set up a nominating commission made up of lawyers and non-lawyers from the District’s eight wards to screen applicants and to make recommendations for these positions. Norton didn’t have senatorial courtesy under Republican presidents George W. Bush and Donald Trump. As a result, the Republican presi-

dents selected whomever they wanted for District federal positions without consulting Norton and dis regarded whether they lived in the city or not. Norton thanked Biden for the granting of senatorial courtesy. “The president, who supports D.C. statehood, recognizes that giving D.C. a role in nominations is an element of equal citizenship,” she said. “Even before we achieve statehood and can elect senators, D.C. residents deserve the same role in selecting the federal officials who enforce federal laws in the District that other Americans have in states. This is particularly important for the U.S. attorney, who enforces both D.C. criminal and federal laws and whose major docket is D.C. criminal cases.” Biden’s overture to Norton mirrors congressional Democrats desire to allow the District to manage its own affairs and be treated like a state. On Jan. 4, the House changed its rules to allow the mayor of the District access to the floor like the states and territories governors have. For many years, Norton has introduced a bill that would allow the

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

District to elect its own prosecutor and she indicated her intention to reintroduce it for this session. On Jan.8, days after the U.S. Capitol attack by insurgents, Norton, Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), chair of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) said they will introduce legislation granting the mayor power over the D.C. National Guard and preventing the president from taking over the Metropolitan Police Department. “The chaos and confusion behind Wednesday’s attacks highlight a critical fact—the District of Columbia must have complete authority to control its own national guard and police forces,” Van Hollen said. “From the president’s abuses of power this summer, to the violent mob attacks we witnessed on our Capitol, it’s clear that this authority should belong to the mayor in order to protect the District, its residents, and our nation’s capital. The Congress must take this action at once.” WI @JamesDCWrighter

Mallett has also served as the executive vice president and general counsel for the Public & Senior Markets Group at United Healthcare and worked as the CEO of the Accordia Global Health Foundation before moving to Africare in 2015. At Africare, he addressed the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on African countries and sought to aid them by providing information and counsel about resources and anti-virus strategies. At Rabin Martin, Mallett will work closely with Chairman Jeffrey Sturchio, an assignment he said he looks forward to. “I have known and worked with Jeff for years, and I look forward to continuing to collaborate on Rabin Martin’s growth and evolution,” he said. “The agency’s depth of talent and skills, strong culture of service, amazing client roster, and range of challenges we help clients meet makes me enthusiastic about joining Rabin Martin and the path ahead.” Sturchio, the previous CEO of Rabin Martin, said Mallett will be a good fit for the firm. “I look forward to working with Robert as he leads Rabin Martin forward with the help of our diverse, multi-talented team,” he said. “His broad-based experience and impressive accomplishments will serve Rabin Martin well in his new role.” WI

JANUARY 21 - 27, 2021 15

NATIONAL Biden Employs Direct Attack in Resolving America’s Greatest Challenges Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer A Senate impeachment trial, the aftermath of a deadly insurrection, racial tensions at a boiling point and a myriad of unresolved or questionable foreign policies count among the many challenges facing the newly-empowered Biden Administration. Perhaps the biggest – or at least of immediate concern – remains the coronavirus pandemic, which former President Donald Trump mostly ignored and dangerously flippant. The underlining challenge to

COLLINS from Page 12 parole unless recommended by the state parole board and then approved by the governor. State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy requested the judge to sentence Urbanski to life in prison without the possibility of parole. “While we are disappointed that the charges [Braveboy] pursued was not fulfilled, we certainly are happy that the sentence gave him a sentence for his natural life,” said Richard Collins Jr., who also served in the Army. “We’re resigned to continue the legacy of our son and continuing to support all the causes we want to make a positive different in going forward with what remains of our life in honor of his life.” His father, Richard Collins Sr., also served in the military and a Korean War veteran. Back home in North Carolina in 1954, the elder Collins got murdered by a white man for allegedly peeking in

16 - JANUARY 21 - 27, 2021

the pandemic is health care, which Trump spent four years weakening and attempting to dismantle completely, is the Affordable Care Act. With that, President Biden unveiled a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief plan, which he titled “American Rescue Plan.” The plan includes direct payments of $1,400 stimulus checks to struggling Americans, increased federal unemployment benefits from $300 to $400 per week through the end of September and raising the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour. The President also proposed a new $15 billion grant program for a window. Meanwhile, the Collins family formed a special bond with Braveboy, who became the first family she met when she took office two years ago. Bravely led the push in Annapolis to change the state hate crime statute that a person would be charged with a hate crime “motivated either in whole or in part by another person’s or group’s race, color, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, gender, disability, or national origin, or because another person or group is homeless.…” The law passed last year and is named after Collins. “The fight for justice that this young man fought for will not end today,” Braveboy said after Urbanski’s sentencing. “I consider them family myself. I will work with them to rid this world of hate.” WI @jabariwill

struggling small business owners, separate from the existing Paycheck Protection Program, along with a $35 billion investment in local financing programs that provide businesses with low-interest loans. He stated that the package would provide additional support for American workers and families until the COVID-19 vaccine is more widely available. According to a memorandum circulated by incoming White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain and first obtained by the New York Times, Biden’s first day in office will include “a flurry of executive orders that will be partly substantive and partly symbolic.” They include: rescinding the travel ban on several predominantly Muslim countries; rejoining the Paris Climate Accord; extending pandemic-related limits on evictions and student loan payments; issuing a mask mandate for federal property and interstate travel; and ordering agencies to figure out how to reunite children separated from their families after crossing the border. “A crisis of deep human suffering is in plain sight and there is no time to wait; we have to act now,” the new president said. “In this moment of crisis, we cannot afford inaction. These investments

EDUCATION from Page 12 as those on the other side of the tracks. I’m retired. It’s a good opportunity. I’m not running all over the place. Everything is being done virtually. In my career, I would never run for the school board. I chose not to serve on the school board. If I’m asked…to play a role in enhancing our public school programs, services and resources, then I’m ok.” WI

County Executive Angela Alsobrooks appointed Miller after former chair Alvin Thornton stepped down, departing Jan. 8.

(Courtesy photo)

in jobs will prevent long-term economic damage and the benefits will far surpass the cost.” President Biden’s overall plan also calls for the restoration of emergency paid sick leave, $350 billion in aid for state and local governments and $170 billion to assist K-12 schools and institutes of higher learning. Additionally, the plan includes extending eviction and foreclosure moratoriums until the end of September with $5 billion pledged to help tenants struggling to pay rent. The ambitious plan also contains $50 billion for coronavirus testing with $20 billion toward a national vaccine program. Biden also wants to increase SNAP benefits by 15 percent through September and raise the Child Tax Credit to $3,000 per child – $3,600 for children under 6. Further, he hopes to make the Child Tax Credit refundable for the year. Because of Trump’s assault on the Affordable Care Act – health care in general – the percentage of uninsured Americans rose dramatically in the three years since President Barack Obama left office. In November, the Supreme Court heard arguments by Republican attorneys general and the Trump administration, all of whom sought to repeal Obama’s signature legislation. Biden’s team estimates that roughly two to three million people lost employer-sponsored health insurance between March and September of 2020. Biden said even families who have maintained coverage might struggle to pay premiums and afford care. As the U.S. entered the pandemic, 30 million people were without

coverage, limiting their access to the health care system in the middle of a national health crisis. To ensure access to health coverage, President Biden has called on Congress to subsidize continuation health coverage (COBRA) through the end of September. He plans to also ask Congress to expand and increase the Premium Tax Credit’s value. Additionally, he wants to lower or eliminate health insurance premiums and ensure that enrollees, including those who never had coverage through their jobs, will not pay more than 8.5 percent of their income for coverage. “During this pandemic, millions of Americans, through no fault of their own, have lost the dignity and respect that comes with a job and a paycheck,” Biden said. “The very health of our nation is at stake.” In acknowledging the toll the pandemic and racism have taken on Black America, the President also plans to address racial disparities as indicated in his promise to increase funding for community health centers. With America’s jails and prisons disproportionately populated by African Americans, Biden added that he wants to financially support efforts to help mitigate the impact the virus has had behind bars. And he addressed the growing hunger crisis that also primarily affects minority communities. “More than one-in-five Black and Latino households in America report that they do not have enough food to eat,” the President remarked. “It’s wrong. It’s tragic. It’s unacceptable.” WI

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

NATIONAL

VOICES from Page 1 Luther King federal holiday. Working at one table were four young women, three African Americans and one white, who looked like the living words of Dr. Martin Luther King when he said, “I have a dream that one day little black boys and girls will be holding hands with little white boys and girls.” Rev. Georgia Mensah, executive minister of Shiloh, brought his three daughters, Alexis, Alexandra and Rachel, to the event and they met a white friend who learned about the event at the inauguration website. “I don't like all of the hatred that is spread around,” said Rachel Mensah, 24. “ I am hoping with the new administration he can do what is right for the young adult community as well, and I am hoping that everyone can live happily; I feel that people should stop stereotyping us and racial profiling us.” “I just hope people will not be against each other and going back and forth on the line,” Alexandra Mensah. “It was never like that before. I feel like people of different races; we need to be on the same page.” Katie Kenny, who is white, has lived in D.C. for eight years. She said, “Just like Alexandria said, we are all one community, and this community welcomed me in today.” Alexis Mensah, 17, said, “Race is so big, having a world divided but how can the color of your skin affect how people think about you? Why not come out here,? You can only feel positive. 2020 was a very bad year. You can only put positive things in the world and give back.’ Veronica Mathison, a local elementary school teacher, has been a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority for more than 30 years. She said seeing her soror sworn in as vice president is more than impressive. “It

5 Two members of the AKA Sorority who met in the parking lot of Shiloh Baptist Church in Northwest were filled with hope as they volunteered during an inaugural service project on the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. (Hamil Harris/The Washington Informer)

a wonderful sense of pride not only to have an African American woman but a woman to have a woman who has the morals, the values and the fortitude of Alpha Kappa Alpha.” Erma Williams, 55, a white woman who grew up in Rockville, Md. and now lives in Roanoke, Va. she said she wanted to participate in a forum hosted on Facebook Live about the inauguration in the wake of the insurrection. “One of my hopes for all age groups is pursuing what is truly real and have it revealed,” Williams, who voted for Trump, said. “The hymn that keeps coming to mind this afternoon and evening is, ‘My Hope is Built on Nothing Less.’” Leslie Mars, 59, a Metro mechanic from Fort Washington, Md., lost his sister and uncle to COVID-19. He noted that President Biden and Vice-President Harris came to Washington, D.C. before the inauguration for a memorial service for all COVID-19 victims. "My sister Cheryl Mars and my

uncle William Mars are on the list” of the dead. “Going forward, Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris can show the humanity that leaders need to demonstrate for people to trust them. President Trump did not deal with reality." Tom Leibrand, a white federal worker, grilled food at his Upper Marlboro home and gave it to others over the weekend. Even though he didn't vote for President Biden, he said all are deserving of support. “When you look at Jesus and all of the varying opinions among the apostles, as a believer, I am going to love as he did. No matter who you voted for, where you come from, I am going to do the best I can because of what Jesus has done for me.” Shiloh Deacon Chuck Hall, working with the other volunteers in the parking lot, said, “We are not going to turn Joe Biden into some messiah, but at the same time, there is promise in the future when you have a sincere person at the head.” WI

Stay Informed!

www.washingtoninformer.com WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

Your local marketing experts with UNLIMITED REACH. Kevin Berrier 443-508-1936 KBerrier@MDDCPress.com

We Cancel TIMESHARES for You Every year 150,000 people reach out to us for help getting rid of their timeshare. In 2019, we relieved over $50,000,000 in timeshare debt and maintenance fees. We can help.

Get your free information kit and see if you qualify:

888-984-2917

NO MORE GUTTER CLEANING, OR YOUR MONEY BACK GUARANTEED! CALL US TODAY FOR

A FREE ESTIMATE

OFF

AND!

YOUR ENTIRE PURCHASE*

1-844-566-3227

Promo Number: 285

OFF

SENIOR & MILITARY DISCOUNTS

OFF

TO THE FIRST 50 CALLERS!**

Mon-Thurs: 8am-11pm, Fri-Sat: 8am-5pm, Sun: 2pm-8pm EST

*For those who qualify. One coupon per household. No obligation estimate valid for 1 year. ** Offer valid at estimate only. CSLB# 1035795 DOPL #10783658-5501 License# 7656 License# 50145 License# 41354 License# 99338 License# 128344 License# 218294 License# 603 233 977 License# 2102212986 License# 2106212946 License# 2705132153A License# LEAFFNW822JZ License# WV056912 License# WC-29998-H17 Nassau HIC License# H01067000 Registration# 176447 Registration# HIC.0649905 Registration# C127229 Registration# C127230 Registration# 366920918 Registration# PC6475 Registration# IR731804 Registration# 13VH09953900 Registration# PA069383 Suffolk HIC License# 52229-H

Dental Insurance Get dental insurance from Physicians Mutual Insurance Company to help cover the services you’re most likely to use –

Cleanings

X-rays

Fillings

Crowns

Dentures

1-855-337-5228 Call now to get this FREE Information Kit! dental50plus.com/MDDC Product not available in all states. Acceptance guaranteed for one insurance policy/certificate of this type. Contact us for complete details about this insurance solicitation. This specific offer is not available in CO, NY; call 1-888-799-4433 or respond for similar offer. Certificate C250A (ID: C250E; PA: C250Q); Insurance Policy P150 (GA: P150GA; NY: P150NY; OK: P150OK; TN: P150TN). 6154-0120

JANUARY 21 - 27, 2021 17

INTERNATIONAL PETWORTH PRINTING Your Quality Printers

301 Kennedy Street, NW

Washington, DC

202-291-6565 PRINTING & DESIGN

Color / Black & White Printing n n n n n n n n n

Booklets Brochures Business Cards Banners Canvas Bags Color Copies Contracts & Vouchers Church Fans Fax & Scan

n n n n n n n n n

Programs Postcards Promotional Products Posters & Signs Tithe Envelopes Tickets & Flyers T-Shirts Mugs & Glassware Notary

10% OFF

BOOKLETS AND T-SHIRTS *NEW CUSTOMERS ONLY*

SEE OUR ONLINE STORE: www.QualityPrintersDC.com

Traditional Help Buttons

At Home In the Car On a Walk On Vacation At the Park Shopping

A Help Button Should Go Where You Go! To be truly independent your personal emergency device needs to work on the go.

1-800-681-0667

Service availability and access/coverage on the AT&T network is not available everywhere and at all times. Current GPS location may not always be available in every situation.

Satellite Internet That is Unlimited With No Hard Data Limits! 2

25 Mbps Download Speed 25mbps download and 3mbps upload1

No Hard Data Limits Wi-Fi Built-In Connect your wireless devices at home

Call For Special Offers In Your Area Pricing varies by region

CALL TODAY - LIMITED SPECIAL OFFERS IN YOUR AREA!

18 - JANUARY 21 - 27, 2021

COMPILED BY OSWALD T. BROWN

Yoweri Museveni Declared Winner Amid Election Fraud Allegations in Uganda One of Africa's longest-serving leaders, Yoweri Museveni, was declared the winner of Uganda's presidential election by the country's electoral commission on Saturday, Jan. 16. Museveni, who first took power in 1986, won with 58 percent of the vote and a sixth term in office while his main competitor, singer-turned-lawmaker Bobi Wine, trailed with 34 percent. "The electoral commission declares Yoweri Museveni... elected President of the Republic of Uganda," said commission chairman Justice Simon Mugenyi Byabakama. He said turnout was 57.22 percent of almost 18 million registered voters. Wine rejected the result of Thursday's vote claiming that there had been widespread fraud. He told the Reuters news agency that this had been "the most fraudulent election in the history of Uganda." The presidential challenger also said Friday that his home in the capital Kampala was under siege from government soldiers. "I've tried to leave my compound and I'm being blocked by the military. They say they have orders not to let me leave," Wine told Reuters. The army's deputy spokesman, Deo Akiiki, told Reuters that the security forces had been placed there for his own protection and were stopping him from leaving his home while assessing threats. Wine said that he had video footage of electoral fraud which he would upload once his internet connection was returned. The government shut down the internet the day before the election and has yet to end the blackout. The United States and the European Union did not deploy observer teams, but the U.S. State Department's top diplomat for Africa, Tibor Nagy, said in a tweet early on Saturday (January 16) that the "electoral process has been fundamentally flawed." The 76-year-old Museveni was allowed to extend his 35-year rule following a change to the constitution. Wine had galvanized young Ugandans against Museveni. Three-quarters of the country's population is under 30 and many already knew the opposition candidate thanks to his songs about economic and social inequality. The vote followed the East African country's worst pre-election violence since Museveni first took office. Wine and other opposition candidates were often beaten or harassed, and more than 50 people were killed when security forces put down riots in November over Wine's arrest. (SOURCE: Reuters, AFP) WI

caribbean now Soca Monarch Replaces Carnival 2021

Order Now & Receive a FREE Lockbox!

1-855-973-9254

africa now

There is no Carnival 2021 in Trinidad, but there will be a Soca Monarch. A version of the competition will be held online, according to creative director for International Soca Monarch (ISM) Simon Baptiste, Trinidad and Tobago’s Sunday Newsday reported on January 17. In a telephone interview with Sunday Newsday, Baptiste confirmed the competition is on with the management team seeking sponsorship for prizes. The competition, which will be rebranded The Monarch, will take place on Feb. 12 – Carnival Friday. Baptiste said even though the National Carnival Commission (NCC) will not be hosting any virtual events, he intends to "still make an effort." Contacted on Saturday (Jan. 16) about The Monarch, NCC Chairman Winston "Gypsy" Peters said while promoters were free to host any event, the commission will not recognize the winners of any competitions. “There is no Carnival 2021 so the NCC won’t recognize any winner for any event,” Peters said when asked if the privately held competition winners will be listed nationally as having won the titles. When informed about Peters’ remarks, Baptiste was quoted as saying: “NCC is free to make decisions that it thinks is best; however, beyond the NCC mandate, the Carnival community will support the winners and will stand by them.” WI

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

This shouldn’t be how we say hello ...or goodbye.

It’s our reality right now. But it won’t be if we do what it takes to beat COVID-19. Vaccines are coming, but until enough of us are vaccinated, we all still need to wear our masks, stay at least six feet from others, and avoid indoor social gatherings. The more we slow the spread, the faster we’ll return to normal hellos … and fewer goodbyes. Learn more about vaccines and slowing the spread at cdc.gov/coronavirus Brought to you by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

JANUARY 21 - 27, 2021 19

HEALTH COVID-19 UPDATE

Church Bells, Candles Honor 400,000 Americans Dead from COVID-19 President Biden Makes Eradication of Coronavirus His Top Priority D. Kevin McNeir WI Editor On the evening before his inauguration during which he became the nation’s 46th commander-in-chief, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. took the lead in a ceremony that honored the 400,000 Americans who have died from COVID-19. The ceremony, which took place at the Reflecting Pool at the Lincoln

Memorial on Jan. 19, would be replicated at other U.S. landmarks including the Empire State Building in Midtown Manhattan where Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) has long been critical of the Trump Administration’s vaccine distribution plan. On Monday, Jan. 18, Cuomo described the federal supply of vaccine which has decreased by 50,000 since last week as a “drip, drip” flow. In addition, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio called the delay in

available vaccine as “crazy,” adding that NYC remains on pace to run out of vaccine Friday Jan. 22 without a “major” resupply beyond its weekly federal allocation. The candle lighting ceremony at the Lincoln Memorial marked the Biden Administration’s first step toward tackling the national death toll that is averaging more than 3,000 people a day. The commemoration included a moment of silence and 400 bell tolls at the National Cathedral to symbolically honor America’s COVID-19 dead, a moving prayer by Archbishop Wilton Cardinal Gregory, the seventh archbishop of Washington, and a musical tribute by gospel great Yolanda Adams. “Hundreds of towns, cities, tribes, landmarks, and communities all across the country have committed to joining the tribute in a national moment of unity,” Biden’s inaugural committee said in a statement. The U.S. surpassed 24 million COVID-19 infections and 400,000 lives lost from the virus on Tuesday, according to Johns Hopkins University. The country has recorded more than 200,000 new cases and 3,220 deaths on average over the last seven days. As he made clear during his inaugural address, the ceremony marked the start of a new era in the country’s battle against COVID-19. In his inaugural address Biden pledged

5 Lights at the Lincoln Memorial pay tribute to COVID-19 victims. (Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer)

to make coronavirus relief a top priority. In his opening salvo to combat the pandemic, Biden says his policy changes will include a mask mandate applicable to federal properties, planes and buses and a recommitment to the World Health Organization from which Trump withdrawal during his presidency. However, with pomp and circumstance behind him, Biden is now under pressure to get to work and deal with the formidable task of marshalling coronavirus vaccine distribution and administration in the U.S. Despite assurances repeatedly made by former President Trump,

Study: Black, Latino Medical Students Have More Empathy Research Finds Diversity in Medicine Key for Improved Patient Care Sarafina Wright WI Contributing Writer Long before COVID-19, decades of societal, systemic inequalities have contributed to health disparities and educational inequities for ethnic minorities and communities of color. New results from a first of its kind, national medical education empathy study could provide medical schools with an evidence-based assessment to help them not only improve diversity in admissions but also help address the long-standing health disparities plaguing our nation and harming patient health, according to the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine [AACOM]. “In the wake of last summer's racial violence and amid the ongoing deadly and disproportionate effects

20 - JANUARY 21 - 27, 2021

the pandemic is having on people of color, AACOM has re-committed to educating and training osteopathic medical students who represent the totality of our nation,” Robert A. Cain, DO, president and CEO of AACOM said. The Project in Osteopathic Medical Education and Empathy [POMEE] has found statistically significant and practically important relationships between empathy scores and race and ethnicity in favor of African American and Hispanic/Latinx/Spanish respondents. Researchers say because empathy is positively correlated with medical school success and patient health, a more empathetic and more diverse healthcare workforce could lead to improved health outcomes for all patient populations, especially those from minority or underserved communities.

“At a time when African American and Hispanic/Latinx communities are disproportionately suffering from COVID-19, and when medical schools across the nation are working to more actively increase and prioritize diversity in admissions, we should test medical students not only for academic knowledge but also for empathy,” said POMEE's principal investigator Mohammadreza Hojat, Ph.D., research professor in Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior and director of the Jefferson Longitudinal Study at the Asano-Gonnella Center for Research in Medical Education and Health Care. “Research has found a significant association among Jefferson Scale of Empathy score, clinical competence

and positive patient outcomes. Our assessment can not only help medical schools select the medical students most likely to become successful and caring clinicians but can also help close some of the troubling racial gaps that persist among medical education institutions,” Hojat said. Other recent studies have found similar findings for health outcomes for patients of color. A recent U.S. study found Black newborn babies who are cared for by Black doctors are more likely to survive than those cared for by white doctors. Researchers analyzed 1.8 million hospital births in Florida from 1992 to 2015 and found that deaths were fewer by 257 in 100,000 among Black newborns under the care of Black doctors, when compared with care by white doctors. WI

the U.S. currently lags in its vaccination goal of 20 million inoculations by the end of 2020. So far, 12.3 million shots have been administered out of more than 31 million doses distributed as of Jan. 15, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many states, who bear the responsibility of rolling out their own vaccine programs, have been highly critical of what they call a lack of funding and support from the federal government. Biden has said he will seek $1.9 trillion in new spending, a proposal which would include funds for accelerating the distribution of coronavirus vaccines. And Capitol Hill Democrats, emboldened by a newfound, but slender, majority in Congress, have said they plan to make state and local aid a priority in the next stimulus deal. WI

Deadly Data on COVID-19 The U.S. is recording at least 199,700 new COVID-19 cases and at least 2,960 virus-related deaths each day, based on a seven-day average calculated by CNBC using Johns Hopkins University data. The following data was compiled by Johns Hopkins University: • Global cases: More than 96.28 million • Global deaths: At least 2.06 million • U.S. cases: More than 24.25 million • U.S. deaths: At least 401,797

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

EDUCATION Social Studies Standards Revamp Underway Soon Concerns Loom about Likelihood of Change, State Board’s Power Sam P.K. Collins WI Contributing Writer Over the next few weeks, a technical writing team formed by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) will begin drafting changes to the District’s K-12 social studies standards. This endeavor, in some form or fashion, will be influenced by guiding principles compiled by the D.C. State Board of Education (SBOE)’s social studies standards advisory committee.

Under the direction of Ward 6 SBOE Representative Jessica Sutter, this committee of more than two dozen educators, residents, museum professionals, and other subject-matter experts recommended last year that these new standards should center on anti-racism, student activism agency and environmental literacy. “The social studies standards are going on 15 years, and they’re missing new history. They don’t mention President Barack Obama and mar-

HBCU Graduates Playing Key Roles in Unifying America WI Staff Report An incoming cadre of educated Black leaders, shaped by HBCUs, is poised to be the catalyst needed to help overcome the scourge of lies, violence, and corruption the country has suffered over the past four years under the Trump administration. Now under leadership of Howard University’s Kamala Harris, Morehouse College’s the Rev. Ralph Warnock, Spelman College’s Stacey Abrams, Joyce Beatty, from Central State University and Cori Bush, who attended Harris-Stowe State University, Capitol Hill is about to be transformed for the better, according to CNN commentor Bakari Sellers. “HBCUs like Morehouse have a legacy of producing men and women who excel in every field of human endeavor imaginable. These graduates [such as those

5 Ward 6 State Board of Education Representative Jessica Sutter (Courtesy photo)

riage equality, and they don’t frame history and civics in the way that the world has changed,” Sutter told The Informer about the collaborative effort between OSSE and SBOE. Sutter said the process, which includes the technical writing team’s development of the social studies standards and another round of consultation with SBOE’s social studies standards advisory committee, should be completed by the spring of 2022. SBOE’s desired outcomes include more knowledge content in

aforementioned] are prepared to enter the workforce with the knowledge necessary to change the world: a heightened value for education, belief in human dignity and desire to combat racial inequality. This noble mission continues to ring true today,” Sellers

wrote in a recent CNN op-ed. “Though HBCUs are under-resourced, 25 percent of the nation's Black college graduates in the crucial STEM fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics have been educated in these institutions,” Sellers noted that “statistically, 70 percent of HBCU students who are federal Pell Grant-eligible go on to surpass that $50,000 family income threshold just six years after graduation.” WI

5 Stacey Abrams (Photo/American Library Association)

5 The Rev. Ralph Warnock (Photo/ Black Christian News)

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

the early grades, and greater exposure to D.C. history throughout a student’s academic career. “[Fifteen years ago], we didn’t talk about the critical examination of history in the way that we do now,” Sutter said. “People want stories from people missing in our history. We have a history of the way that different events were experienced through marginalized people, and we amplify those people and heroes, not just dead white men.” As they currently stand, the District’s social studies standards divide social studies instruction into the following categories: history, geography, economics and politics and government. Much of the curriculum focuses on the District, the U.S. and Europe, and students begin to learn about American history upon entering the fourth grade. Amid the mass demonstrations that erupted in the District and across the country in the aftermath of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor’s deaths, young people, educators, and activists pivoted their attention toward aspects of the educational experience deemed detrimental to nonwhite students’ well-being. Legislation passed by the D.C. Council last summer removed the school security contract from the Metropolitan Police Department. Earlier this month, D.C. Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie (D-Ward 5) reintroduced a bill that would compel OSSE, in conjunction with the Mayor’s Office on African American Affairs, to develop an African American and cultural studies curriculum for high school students. Throughout much of 2020,

SBOE too felt the fervor for change. Though conversations about updating the District’s social studies standard had been brewing for years, board members took the steps to formulate the social studies standards advisory committee that would eventually include people from all eight wards, the majority of whom are women and nonwhite. As a member of the social studies standards advisory committee, Reginald Williams said he relied on his experiences as a D.C. Public Schools alumnus and teacher to advocate for a greater emphasis on D.C. history, what he described as a means of instilling hometown pride in District students. While he commended SBOE and his 25 colleagues for their role in drafting the guiding principles, Williams questioned whether OSSE, as part of the mayor’s office, would take their recommendations into consideration. “This was Dr. Sutter’s way of doing what she could, but it shows the limitations of the State Board of Education, and why having an elected school board is necessary,” Williams, a D.C. History teacher at Banneker Academic High School, told The Informer. “There are applications for the technical writing committee, and all we did was give recommendations,” Williams continued. “The guiding principles are pretty good. There’s a lot of [focus on] root and anti-racism, and at least some hope of what [those] on the technical writing committee can come up with. I have to wait and see what comes to be.” WI @SamPKCollins

JANUARY 21 - 27, 2021 21

Introducing WiFi speeds over a gig. More than enough speed to power every device in the house. Nothing is more important than fast WiFi. That’s why we’re bringing you WiFi speeds faster than a gig. Plus, our gig-speed Internet now includes 20 percent more speed for the same price as before. With a wide range of options to choose from, Xfinity is sure to have the speed you need for all your favorite devices. Go to xfinity.com, call 1-800-xfinity, or visit an Xfinity Store to check out our latest speed innovations today.

Restrictions apply. Not available in all areas. Actual speeds vary and not guaranteed. For factors affecting speed, visit www.xfinity.com/networkmanagement. NPA234217-0001 NED AAQ1 GIGNOV4

139373_NPA234217-0001 N Gig 1.2 ad 9.875x10.935 V4.indd 1

22 - JANUARY 21 - 27, 2021

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

1/4/21 7:36 PM

2021 MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. SUPPLEMENT

is the

time!

NEWSPAPER READING IS A HABIT

editor

Words from the

DON’T BREAK THE HABIT!

Somebodiness & the Push to Desegregate Black Minds Dr. Shantella Y. Sherman Special Editions Editor

READ THE WASHINGTON INFORMER YOUR WAY: n In Print – feel the ink between your fingers of

our Award Winning Print Edition

n On the Web – www.washingtoninformer.com

updated throughout the day, every day

n On your tablet n On your smartphone n Facebook n Twitter n Weekly Email Blast – sign up at

www.washingtoninformer.com

202-561-4100 For advertising contact Ron Burke at rburke@washingtoninformer.com

...Informing you everyday in every way

In Memoriam Dr. Calvin W. Rolark, Sr. Wilhelmina J. Rolark THE WASHINGTON INFORMER NEWSPAPER (ISSN#0741-9414) is published weekly on each Thursday. Periodicals postage paid at Washington, D.C. and additional mailing offices. News and advertising deadline is Monday prior to publication. Announcements must be received two weeks prior to event. Copyright 2016 by The Washington Informer. All rights reserved. POSTMASTER: Send change of addresses to The Washington Informer, 3117 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E. Washington, D.C. 20032. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. The Informer Newspaper cannot guarantee the return of photographs. Subscription rates are $45 per year, two years $60. Papers will be received not more than a week after publication. Make checks payable to: THE WASHINGTON INFORMER 3117 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E Washington, D.C. 20032 Phone: 202 561-4100 Fax: 202 574-3785 news@washingtoninformer.com www.washingtoninformer.com

PUBLISHER Denise Rolark Barnes STAFF D. Kevin McNeir, Editor Ron Burke, Advertising/ Marketing Director Shevry Lassiter, Photo Editor Lafayette Barnes, IV, Assistant Photo Editor John E. De Freitas, Sports Photo Editor Dorothy Rowley, Online Editor ZebraDesigns.net, Design & Layout Mable Neville, Bookkeeper Dr. Charles Vincent, Social Sightings columnist Tatiana Moten, Social Media Specialist Angie Johnson, Circulation REPORTERS Stacy Brown (Senior Writer), Sam P.K. Collins, Timothy Cox, Will Ford (Prince George’s County Writer), Jacqueline Fuller, Hamil Harris, D. Kevin McNeir, Kui Mwai, Dorothy Rowley, Brenda Siler, Lindiwe Vilakazi, Sarafina Wright, James Wright,

On April 26, 1967, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., spoke before the student body gathered in the Glenville High School auditorium, in Cleveland, Ohio. Following that speech Dr. King began a series of addresses designed to encourage young people to develop their self-worth. King asked young people to find a “deep sense of somebodiness” that would promote their steadfastness as they navigated life. What was slightly different about this delivery, though, was King’s admission that – even as he stood before them as a great orator and statesman – he did not read well. “I remember when I was growing up in Atlanta, Georgia, I had to go to high school on the other side of town. At that time, it was the only high school for Negroes in the whole city of Atlanta, the Booker T. Washington High School. When I was a student there, we had 7,000 students in that one school. I guess that’s the reason I can’t read too well now, because the teacher had to spend all the time getting the class in order and disciplining the class because it was so overcrowded…” The impact it must have had on young people to have a man many counted as a hero admit a type of frailty to which they could possibly relate. Some students would remark afterwards that they felt greatly encouraged that King was so mindful of their emotional development and self-esteem. Charity Poole, 69, told the Informer, she remembered well a similar address given by Dr. King at Philadelphia’s Barratt Junior High in October of 1967 that also focused on ‘somebodiness.’ “My family had moved to Philly from Memphis and all of us kids felt a bit out of place – even among other Black people because we seemed really unsophisticated and country. I remember, it seemed like Dr. King was talking directly to me, when he started saying, you have to desegregate your mind and don’t let anyone tell you that you are less than,” Poole said. “Just that bit of encouragement from someone unique and powerful… but also from the South, made me take a different look at myself.” King’s focus on the power to transform oneself irrespective of bitter environments became an insightful catapult for generations of young people who faced all manner of injustices. King spoke of the extra efforts by his parents and the larger community to supplement the educational deficiencies lassoed to segregated schools. “Fortunately, I had parents who taught me from the very beginning that I was somebody, and that I should never feel inferior. They taught all of us that, that we should feel that we are as good as any other children… Don’t let anybody make you feel that you are nobody, because the minute one feels that way, he is incapable of rising to his full maturity as a person.” As the nation celebrates Dr. King’s birthday this year, we do so, faced with unprecedented modern unrest, a deadly virus which has reached pandemic proportions, and a debilitating economic downturn. Perhaps never before has the need for introspection – the necessity of self-awareness and self-crucifixion, been more critical. King’s push for somebodiness and calls to desegregate the mind require a willingness to not only challenge the rampant injustices streamed into our minds, but also to assess how we define ourselves, our surroundings, and our fight. The WI’s 2021 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Supplement is designed to engage readers, but also challenge them to rise to the occasion and do the work of reasserting their value and place in the fight for justice and equality. Our writers have taken to the streets and the archives – investigating the Clark’s Doll Tests and the impact of segregated minds on the nation. With this supplement as a guide, we have provided a few of the tools needed to create the best you and a better nation. Read, Learn, Grow! Dr. Shantella Sherman

PHOTOGRAPHERS John E. DeFreitas, Ja’Mon Jackson, Shevry Lassiter, Roy Lewis, Jr., Robert R. Roberts, Anthony Tilghman

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER 2021 MARTIN LUTHER KING JR SUPPLEMENT / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

DYK: Did You By Lee Ross WI Staff Writer

know?

Martin Luther King Jr. was born Michael King Jr. on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia. His father, Martin Luther King, Sr. also born Michael, was the pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church and a civil rights leader in the early stage of the movement. In 1934, his father attended Fifth Baptist World Alliance Congress at Berlin and came to know about German reformer Martin Luther. Thereafter, he changed both their names from Michael to Martin Luther.

In 1944, Martin Jr. graduated from school, skipping both ninth and twelfth grades and entered Morehouse College at the age of fifteen. Subsequently, he received his bachelor’s degree in sociology in 1948 and entered Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania for his theological training. King received his degree in Bachelor of Divinity on May 8, 1951. He then won a fellowship and joined Boston University for his doctoral studies in systematic theology, completing his residence in 1953 and subsequently his Ph.D. on June 5, 1955. Dr. King’s first major campaign, Montgomery Bus Boycott, was staged in 1955-56. It involved a total boycott of the public buses by the black community and resulted in desegregation of the town’s public transport system. According to the King Center, the civil rights leader went to jail 29 times. He was arrested for acts of civil disobedience and on trumped-up charges, such as when he was jailed in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1956 for driving 30 miles per hour in a 25-mile-per-hour zone. In 1957, Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) was established, and King was elected its President. On May 17, 1957, SCLC organized a large nonviolent demonstration, which they called ‘Prayer Pilgrimage for Freedom.’ The meeting was held at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., where King gave his first national speech ‘Give Us the Ballot.’ In 1959, King travelled to India, where he visited Mahatma Gandhi’s place. The trip had a huge impact on him, and he became more committed to non-violence. While in India engaging with a group of African youth studying there, King made the following point about the difference between passive resistance and non-resistance: True non-violent resistance is not unrealistic submission to evil power. It is rather a courageous confrontation of evil by the power of love, in the faith that it is better to be the recipient of violence than the inflictor of it, since the latter only multiplies the existence of violence and bitterness in the universe, while the former may develop a sense of shame in the opponent, and thereby bring about a transformation and change of heart. On April 12, Dr. King was arrested and put in the Birmingham City Jail, where he had to put up with unusually harsh conditions. During his incarceration, he came across a newspaper article in which white clergymen criticized his actions as “untimely and unwise.” In response, Dr. King wrote ‘A Letter from Birmingham Jail,’ noting, “I guess it is easy for those who have never felt the stinging darts of segregation to say, ‘Wait.’” In 1965, Dr. King traveled to Jamaica and concentrated on writing his last book, ‘Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?’ While there, King spoke with young people, saying in one speech: “The time is always right to do right,” Dr King exhorted, noting that “whenever a new nation comes into history, it brings with it new challenges and new responsibilities. The great challenge facing all of us today — is to somehow stand before the opportunities of the moment and face the challenges of the hour with creativity and with commitment and with determination.” MLK

Stay Informed! www.washingtoninformer.com

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER 2021 MARTIN LUTHER KING JR SUPPLEMENT / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

Dr. King’s Somebodiness & Self-Esteem segregation – the doctrine of separate and unequal – it was imperative that Dr. King speak directly to Black youth so that mentally they understood they were not inferior. “I Am A Man meant freedom. All we wanted was “Even some decent working conditions, and a decent salary. with loving and caring And be treated like men, not like boys.” parents, – Memphis Sanitation Worker Taylor Rogers, 1968 Black children are taught by Taylor Rogers, like most wage society that they are somehow deearners in the U.S. sought an honest day’s pay for an honest day’s work. As ficient. They are taught that their a Black person he had grown into a skin color makes them ‘less than’ system that exploited Black workers through an all-out assault on their – paying them less, affording them minds,” retired educator Dorothea the worst possible positions without Hail told the Informer. “We endured a possibility of job growth irrespective dilapidated school buildings, restricted of their education or skill, and sub- access to public libraries – you could jecting them to layoffs or non-pay- not check out books in most, and hostile adults who were offended to their ment if they demanded better. Even as Dr. Martin Luther King souls that you should attempt to exert circumnavigated the nation deliver- your rights as a person – as a citizen.” Hail, who grew up in Grenada, ing speeches and encouraging passive Miss., said Dr. King’s messages of resistance to such injustices, he recogsomebodiness seemed to ignite a parnized that at the core of racism was the ticular desire among young people to belief that Black people were not fulchallenge a system that had robbed ly human and did not deserve equal their families of their most basic huaccess or protection under the law. man rights for generations. SomebodWith institutions in place to uphold iness, coupled with the research preBy Shantella Y. Sherman and Lindiwe Vilakazi WI Staff Writers

sentation of Mamie Phipps Clark on the damage segregated schools caused Black children made youth across the nation take pause. Dr. Mamie Phipps Clark would go on to study psychology and create a vital research methodology that combined the study of child development and racial prejudice. Her master’s thesis, “The Development of Consciousness in Negro Pre-School Children,” surveyed 150 Black pre-school aged boys and girls from a D.C. nursery school to explore issues of race and child development—specifically the age at which Black children become aware that they were Black. She would repeat this study, alongside her husband (and fellow psychologist) Kenneth Clark as The Doll Test which looked at 253 Black children aged three to seven years old. Of the children, 134 attended segregated nursery schools in Arkansas and 119 who attended integrated schools in Massachusetts. They each were all shown four dolls: two with White skin and yellow hair, and two with brown skin and black hair. Each student was asked to identify the race of the doll and which one they preferred to play with. The majority of the Black students preferred the White doll with yellow hair and assigned positive traits to

it. Disturbingly, most discarded the brown doll with black hair, assigning it negative traits. The conclusion: Black children formed a racial identity by the age of three and attached negative traits to their own identity, which were perpetuated by segregation and prejudice. The Clarks’ research results bracketed legal arguments used in the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court case and were invaluable in ending school segregation.

“I Have A Dream,” Still Just a Dream

By Sophia Sparks WI Staff Writer

One of the best motivational speeches of the modern ages remains Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s I Have a Dream. The lessons woven through the address have inspired many to imagine a world with one race -- the human race. In this world, I could walk into a Midwestern grocery store and not have an alarmed White child yell out, “Hey Mommy, it is a Black person,” and my mental aptitude would govern my career advancement. As a daughter of the South, I have often imagined this world. That belief in its possibilities absolutely followed me through girlhood in South Carolina, across the nation as a college student, and even across the globe as a scientist. But the manifestation of that dream found crippling setbacks on occasion when someone called me nigger or attempted to reduce me to second-class status. Then, like now, for the millions of

fellow Americans who do not share in the desire to end racial hatred and bigotry, the Dream, can only be considered nightmarish. The ownness is not on Black people to dream hatred away, but for Whites and any other group of people abused by a sense of superiority to drop a tab of Ambien and make a moral shift. Too many Americans have come to view the Dream as a twisted tale of loss, rather than a message of collective growth. Unless and until King’s message has concrete and moral grounding, it will remain merely a tool used to fire up the imagination. Every January, the nation is told how Dr. King’s speech is more relevant now than ever before in history. Every year the I Have A Dream speech is played on most radio stations in its entirety to keep the nation connected to its value. What drives race insecurity to a point that it breeds hatred towards other groups? How does a nation actualize a utopian landscape void of racial markers when so much of America operates using the superficial classifi-

cation of ‘race?’ How attainable is Dr. King’s Dream? The hard fact is that race determines reasonable doubt as seen in the recent footage of insurrectionists storming the U.S. Capitol. Race dictates the legally sanctioned “interest rate markup” allowed for Black auto buyers and homeowners. Race still implies a hierarchy of diminished capacity – mental, medical, economic, and moral. Again, even as we continue to dream of better, the ownness is not on the maligned, but on those creating and upholding social injustice. In final thought, Dr. King’s speech has one major flaw: Humans. Humans are creatures of habit and habits are not easily broken. Habits bred of hatred, fear, and a burgeoning ‘status deficit’ have yet to yield equity or equality. The lessons knitted throughout Dr. King’s inspirational message are attainable but will remain on paper as long as humans have the ability to choose a path that jeopardizes their own assumed power. MLK

“We were being indoctrinated into accepting that we were second-class citizens and the Whites around us were particularly cruel…they taught their children to be evil and cruel as well in order to keep us believing that we did not deserve more than crumbs,” said Hail, who was once told by a White librarian who took offense to her presence that if you took the brain of a Negro and put it into a bird, it would fly backward. “Dr. King made young people understand that they had ‘skin’ in the game. That we had to hold ourselves as American citizens by fighting against injustices that minimized our self-worth.” In 2010, when the journal Psychological Bulletin, looked to analyze the effects of racism, on African Americans, a lack of self-esteem was not among them. Bernadette Gray-Little, a professor of psychology at the University of North Carolina, performed a complex review of every piece of research available on Black self-esteem and found that low-income Blacks showed higher self-esteem than whites. Ekow Eshun, style commentator and former editor of men’s magazine Arena, told The Guardian he was saddened that anybody needed to do a survey to show what most young, Black people know from personal experience. “Black kids do not have low self-esteem. They are actually forced to think very hard about who they are and to find ways of being themselves by social attitudes. They do not feel like sportsmen or pop stars or thieves or any of the other stereotypes. They feel like real people,” Eshun said. MLK

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER 2021 MARTIN LUTHER KING JR SUPPLEMENT / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

MLK MLK

MLK MLK MLK MLK MLK MLK “The time is always right to do what is right” - Martin Luther King, Jr.

MLK MLK is proud to honor the memory of Martin Luther King, Jr.

MLK MLK 5

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER 2021 MARTIN LUTHER KING JR SUPPLEMENT / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

Winners of the Marion Barry Youth Leadership Institute 2021 MLK Essay Contest

Each year the District’s most dynamic students compete in the annual Marion Barry Youth Leadership Institute MLK Essay Contest. The goal is to encourage thought-provoking and innovative ways of embracing Dr. King’s spirit of justice and activism. The contest is open to all grade levels and showcases the amazing intellect of District youth. This year’s sponsors were The Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Committee of Washington D.C. and The Mayor’s Youth Leadership Institute Alumni Association. These are their winning entries for 2021. First-Place Winner – Tie (High School Division)

First-Place Winner – Tie (High School Division)

Now is the Time

Now is the Time for the Youth to Take Up the Legacy of Dr. King

By Ezinne Oti Stuart Hobson Middle School – Grade: 8

There has never been a better time for youth leaders to use their power of influence to achieve sustainable local and national social change. I believe that racial inequality is the most important inequality that COVID-19 exposed within our community. In this essay, I will write about the inequality in the COVID-19 pandemic, the treatment of protesters, and the effect on our mental health. Finally, I will talk about what youth leaders can do to influence social change. During the pandemic there was a major inequality in healthcare. People with “more important” jobs seemed to be getting better treatment than more high-risk COVID-19 victims. Many people of color were not getting proper treatment. A major example of this is when President Donald Trump got special treatment for COVID-19. In my opinion, this is very unfair because other people suffered more from the virus and did not get any type of special treatment. Many poor people and minorities did not have this opportunity. Sadly, 1 in 1,000 people in the United States have died from the COVID-19 virus. There was also inequity in the way protesters were treated in Washington. During the pandemic people were warned not to gather in crowds. The Black Lives Matters protests occurred even though there was a pandemic going on. I feel like people were less concerned about the pandemic and were a lot more focused on trying to get justice for the victims of police brutality. On January 6, 2021 Trump supporters protested because they did not want President-Elect Joe Biden to be certified as the next President of the United States. For the first time in 200 years the Capitol was breached, and rioters caused a lot of destruction to the building. There was also inequity in the way BLM and Trump supporters were treated. BLM protesters were violently beaten by police, while a police officer took a selfie with a Trump protester. Mental health has always been an issue for teens and young adults. But has this pandemic made it worse? COVID-19 has affected many teens and their mental health. Suicide among young people has increased during the pandemic. I feel like youth leaders can raise awareness and make a difference in the way mental health issues are being dealt with. The mental health of many teens has declined due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The main reason for the mental health decline is the fact that we are isolated with a lack of social interaction. People are also depressed because of the way Black people are treated in America and around the world. I feel like youth leaders can find ways to raise awareness and make a difference in the way mental health issues are being dealt with. From what I have seen, it seems like more and more teens and young adults have been expressing the fact that they have mental health issues that have been caused by quarantine. That is very relatable and understandable because I’m dealing with depression due to the lack of social interaction and the fact that I’ve lost friends during the pandemic. Honestly, I think young teens with big social media platforms should speak up more on the effects of the pandemic on mental health. Some examples of how youth leaders and social media influencers can use their voice to make a difference includes making a Tik Tok video that raises awareness, making a Twitter thread, an Instagram post or even a YouTube video. These are all great ways social media influencers can use their platforms to raise awareness. In conclusion, the things that have happened during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic have significantly damaged the mental health of young people. Mental health has been affected by inequities in healthcare, police brutality, and discrimination during the protests. I really do believe that youth leaders and social media influencers should use their platforms to speak up about the issues that are currently going on in America. MLK

By Asher Lawrence School Without Walls – Grade: 11

It is no understatement to describe the 1960s American Civil Rights Movement as one of the pivotal events in the history of our country. It was from the tireless efforts of people like Malcolm X, John Lewis, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, and countless, countless others who risked their freedom and very lives to battle the segregationist American nation. Many textbooks and political pundits represent this moment as the death of American inequality. Yet if the 2020 coronavirus pandemic and the government’s lackluster response to it have shown us anything, it’s that the revolution the Reverend and his comrades waged is far from over and that if the United States wants to become a “meritocracy” then it must radically transform. As the Civil Rights Movement has shown us, that change must come from the youth. To achieve Martin Luther King’s vision of a better America in the 21st century and beyond, youth leaders must use their power of influence to support their communities through mutual aid, educate themselves on the history of progressive movements across the world, and most importantly organize collectively to oppose unjust systems. In a world where the United States Congress is incapable or unwilling to stimulate the economy during an international crisis, communities must participate in mutual aid to directly combat the various inequalities present in this nation. In her Vox article, Lexi McMenamin describes mutual aid as a form of organization in which “communities take on the responsibility for caring for one another, rather than forcing individuals to fend for themselves.” Historically mutual aid has been used by marginalized groups like African Americans, and LGBT+ activists, to ensure that people have food, shelter, and support. Throughout the pandemic, mutual aid has become a mainstream example of how marginalized communities can ensure their safety. Jia Tolentino records a dozen mutual aid groups succeeding within her article, What Mutual Aid Can Do During a Pandemic. Organizing mutual aid groups gives communities and social groups the ability to ensure that everyone has resources. In a world where “Black and Latino people have been nearly three times as likely to become infected with COVID-19 than white people and have been twice as likely to die from the virus,” mutual aid is a clear and effective strategy to combat racial inequality within the country. The pandemic has shown Americans how little the U.S. government cares to address crises, and mutual aid is a way to give communities enough power to survive. The year 2020 has been described by advertisers and news anchors as unprecedented. While this is true in some respect, this framing is misguided. To better fight the coronavirus, we must let ourselves be guided by history. In her Forbes article, author Nell Derick Debevoise presents another opinion. She claims that the United States’ failure to address the pandemic is not because the coronavirus is particularly special, but rather that the problem in America is the systemic unequal distribution of resources and the power in society being in the hands of the few. Debevoise’s article stresses the importance of seeing the COVID-19 pandemic as a result of how our society functions rather than as a black swan event. It can be extrapolated that the reason that the coronavirus is “unprecedented” is the same reason The Great Depression was unprecedented. Author, Michael E. Ruane, reaches a similar conclusion. He compares 2020 to the 1920’s writing, “As the election of 1920 approached, the global influenza pandemic was still killing people across the country, although it seemed to be tapering off.” Ruane makes it clear that to battle the pandemic in the present day, we must look back on the political and social situation of America a century ago. Martin Longman came to a similar conclusion when comparing the George Floyd protests of 2020 to those Dr. King organized during the ’60s. Longman explains that both movements were a result of wealth inequality in urban environments, as well as white supremacy within police groups. Longman’s article indicates that to solve issues of marginalized groups being oppressed, our society must be educated on the history of the Civil Rights Movement, and similar mass protests to better confront inequality. Dr. King’s primary tool for bringing about positive social change was nonviolent protests. To make social progress Americans must take up similar tactics. Kori Schake argued that the only way America

LAWRENCE ESSAY Page 8

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER 2021 MARTIN LUTHER KING JR SUPPLEMENT / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

Essays continued... First-Place Winner (Middle School Division)

Youth Influencers Can Be Great Leaders

By Laila Robinson Stuart Hobson Middle School – Grade: 6

Youth leaders can use their power of influence to make a change by showing that their generation can do more than people think. They can influence others to help and by speaking up for what is right. For example, youth leaders can show other generations that they can do great things too, by being active activists and doing good for others. These things can help because when the word activist comes up most people think of Martin Luther King Jr., who led the famous March on Washington, Rosa Parks, who refused to surrender her seat to a white passenger on a segregated bus, Malcom X, who was an African American leader in the Civil Rights Movement, or Ruby Bridges, who advanced the cause of Civil Rights. Youth can influence others as well to make a change and show adults, elderly, and others that we can do. We can do our part to make the world a better place. With COVID-19 going on things will be even harder because this is a deadly virus. A lot of people are dying because of this virus, but there are still people being active. There are still people protesting and making a change. To help, youth leaders could do more protesting or if they would not want to be around a lot of people, they could also make a sign and stick it in their window, or maybe have a small protest with close family. There are many ways to show there is more to the young generation than people think but these are just a few of them. Another example is how youth leaders can influence others. They can influence others by acting out for important issues and making a difference in their community. These things would help influence others, by showing that even the small things can make a big change. For example, to act out for an important issue could mean making posters for non-violent protests and putting them outside or maybe sitting on a bench and holding a sign that states the issue you want to have fixed. If the youth see something in a neighborhood that isn’t safe, and they want it fixed then they could make a sign and put it wherever the issue is and that could possibly help fix it. With this global pandemic going on, once again, we have to be careful because people could get sick, but we can still do some of these things. For example, making a petition and placing it at a neighbor’s door or talking to close family and friends so they could spread the word so more people will start acting out for something they want to change. This could be very helpful because giving this information out personally is still dangerous even with a mask on so this helps because youth would not have to give it to people face to face. My final example is that youth leaders can speak for what is right. Speaking for what is right is important because it shows that youth leaders (and possibly others) care about a specific issue and it also shows bravery and that they can fight back. Due to COVID-19 speaking out may be harder than usual; however, there are still ways to spread the word. For example, they could make a video and post it on YouTube to influence others so they could spread the word and help with projects or issues around them. Another example is making a presentation. After youth leaders make it, they could send it to somebody who will help you get it to somebody who can make that change. In conclusion youth leaders can use their power of influence to make a change by showing that their generation can do more than people think by influencing others to help them and by speaking for what is right. In these paragraphs I only stated a few ways, but I am counting on other youth influencers to find other ways to use their power of influence on others. So, if any youth influencers are reading this, do your best! MLK

First-Place Winner (Elementary School Division)

Inequalities Increased during COVID-19 By Emma Cappelloni Alice Deal Middle School – Grade: 5

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted existing inequalities and has increased inequalities among certain populations, including refugees who are a vulnerable group even during the best of times. After fleeing persecution in their home countries, refugees have faced many health and economic challenges in the United States during the pandemic. One major problem is that refugees have been at a greater risk of suffering from COVID-19 and face challenges accessing reliable and affordable healthcare services. Refugees are more likely to face poverty and live in crowded housing and have jobs where they can’t take sick leave, increasing exposure risks. They also face language barriers to understand public health announcements about wearing masks and social distancing and about how to access free or low cost COVID-19 tests and treatments. In addition to health-related struggles, refugees have been facing significant economic challenges and inequalities since the beginning of the pandemic. Prior to the pandemic, refugees often struggled to make ends meet working in low-paying hospitality and service industry jobs, and these sectors have been particularly hard hit with unemployment. Congress passed some economic stimulus measures; however, many refugees have been excluded from receiving benefits. Instead of providing a safety net for this very vulnerable population, the government has been focusing its efforts on preventing refugees from entering the United States and detaining them in crowded facilities while ignoring their economic hardships. While refugees are facing many hardships, youth leaders can step in and take action to help refugees get through this pandemic. One thing I and other youth leaders can do is partner with D.C. Public School language teachers to help translate COVID-19 prevention messages to those who cannot understand English. This would be helpful in slowing down COVID-19, as one of the reasons refugees are contracting COVID-19 so quickly is because they can’t understand the public health warnings about social distancing, hand washing, and masks, as well as information about where to get tested for COVID-19. Additionally, I and other youth leaders can help coordinate a fundraiser to buy important things such as masks, hand sanitizer, wipes, and food items for refugees who don’t have access to them. We could use a community 5K “Run for Refugees” to raise the necessary funds. As far as economic problems, I and other youth leaders can write letters to members of congress, urging them to include refugees in economic stimulus packages. Even though these small actions might not make a huge change in our world, they will still make a small positive impact in addressing the inequalities and vulnerabilities facing refugees. In conclusion, refugees have been facing hardships and inequalities since the beginning of COVID-19 and it has negatively impacted their lives. However, youth leaders can help address some of the inequalities through collaborating with language teachers to translate important public health messages, and by raising awareness and funds through community fundraisers and letters to Congress. Such small steps will make it a little easier for refugees to get through this terrible pandemic. MLK

LAWRENCE ESSAY from Page 6

improves is through mass movements writing, “This churning, disputatious, and even sometimes violent dynamic is what social change in America looks like. And what it has always looked like.” Zeynep Tufekci reaches a similar conclusion explaining that “Protests sometimes look like failures in the short term, but much of the power of protests are in their long-term effects, on both the protesters themselves and the rest of society.” She goes on to explain, “if an action is easy to do, legislators can also easily discern that it doesn’t necessarily represent a threat to their reelection.” This explanation underlines the importance of large-scale movements, if lawmakers understand a movement as a tangible threat to their power, they will make an effort to appease the movement. It stands to reason that the best way to oppose systemic white supremacy, political corruption, and social and financial inequality, is through the establishment of large-scale protests. If we want to improve America today, we must learn from the actions of Martin Luther King and his contemporaries. Younger generations must participate in mass protests, educate themselves on the history of social progress, and engage in mutual aid practices. If we wish to confront systemic issues, external or internal, we must remember that nothing is truly unprecedented. History has shown us that progress comes from struggle, and a century from now the issues we see today may exist. Whether or not we rise to the image of a meritocratic nation or succumb to white supremacy depends on the actions the generation of today. MLK

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER 2021 MARTIN LUTHER KING JR SUPPLEMENT / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

DARKNESS CANNOT

DRIVE OUT DARKNESS:

ONLY LIGHT

CAN DO THAT. HATE CANNOT

DRIVE OUT HATE:

ONLY LOVE

CAN DO THAT. â€” Martin Luther King Jr.

washingtongas.com

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER 2021 MARTIN LUTHER KING JR SUPPLEMENT / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

Recent & Recommended Books Representing Dr. King’s ‘Somebodiness’ By Lee Ross WI Staff Writer Black Aesthetics and the Interior Life by Christopher Freeburg Christopher Freeburg’s Black Aesthetics and the Interior Life offers a crucial new reading of a neglected aspect of African American literature and art across the long twentieth century. Rejecting the idea that the most dehumanizing of Black experiences, such as

lynching or other racial violence, have completely robbed victims of their personhood, Freeburg rethinks what it means to be a person in the works of Black artists. This book advances the idea that individual persons always retain the ability to withhold, express, or change their ideas, and this concept has profound implications for long-held assumptions about the relationship between Black interior life and Black collective political interests. Belonging: A Culture of Place by Bell Hooks What does it mean to call a place home? Who is allowed to become a member of a community? When can we say that we truly belong? These are

ASSOCIATION FOR THE STUDY OF AFRICAN AMERICAN LIFE AND HISTORY®

THE 2021 BLACK HISTORY MONTH

VIRTUAL FESTIVAL CELEBRATING THE 95TH ANNUAL BLACK HISTORY THEME

The Black Family: Representation, Identity, and Diversity Monday, February 1, 2021

Wednesday, February 24, 2021

FREE COMMUNITY EVENT - OPEN TO PUBLIC Announcement of the Black History theme and Introduction of ASALH’s Inaugural Virtual Black History Month Festival

FREE COMMUNITY EVENT - OPEN TO PUBLIC Diving with a Purpose

Saturday, February 6, 2021 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. EST

FREE COMMUNITY EVENT - OPEN TO PUBLIC ASALH Prince George’s County Truth Branch Event Featuring a conversation with Dr. Bernice King

FREE COMMUNITY EVENT - OPEN TO PUBLIC From the Continent to the Americas: Foodways, Culture and Traditions in the African American Family

Wednesday, February 10, 2021 FREE COMMUNITY EVENT - OPEN TO PUBLIC Presentation of the Inaugural ASALH Book Prize

Sunday, February 28, 2021 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. EST

Sunday, February 28, 2021 7:00 p.m. EST FREE COMMUNITY EVENT - OPEN TO PUBLIC ASALH and PBS Books Present: A Conversation with Ngugi Wa Thiong’o and Sundiata Cha-Jua

Marquee Event

Saturday, February 20, 2021 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. EST (TICKETED EVENT: $50.00) Finding Our Roots in African American History A Conversation with… Henry Louis Gates and Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham

Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham

ASSOCIATION FOR THE STUDY OF AFRICAN AMERICAN LIFE AND HISTORY THE FOUNDERS OF BLACK HISTORY MONTH WWW.ASALH.ORG | 202-238-5910 | #ASALH

#ASALHFAMILY

#ASALHFAM

#ASALH2021

some of the questions of place and belonging that renowned cultural critic bell hooks examines in her new book, Belonging: A Culture of Place. Traversing past and present, the work Belonging charts a cyclical journey in which hooks moves from place to place, from country to city and back again, only to end where she began--her old Kentucky home. hooks has written provocatively about race, gender, and class; and in this book she turns her attention to focus on issues of land and land ownership. Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin Written during the 1940s and early 1950s, when Baldwin was only in his twenties, the essays collected in Notes of a Native Son capture a view of black life and Black thought at the dawn of the civil rights movement and as the movement slowly gained strength through the words of one of the most captivating essayists and foremost intellectuals of that era. Writing as an artist, activist, and social critic, Baldwin probes the complex condition of being Black in America. With a keen eye, he examines everything from the significance of the protest novel to the motives and circumstances of the many black expatriates of the time, from his home in “The Harlem Ghetto” to a sobering “Journey to Atlanta.” Our Time Is Now: Power, Purpose, and the Fight for a Fair America by Stacey Abrams A recognized expert on fair voting and civic engagement, Abrams chronicles a chilling account of how the right to vote and the principle of democracy have been and continue to be under attack. Abrams would have been the first African American woman governor, but experienced these effects firsthand, despite running the most innovative race in modern politics as the Democratic nominee in Georgia. Abrams didn’t win, but she has not conceded. Our Time is Now compellingly argues for the importance of robust voter protections, an elevation of identity politics, engagement in the census, and a return to moral international leadership. Killing the Black Body: Race, Reproduction, and the Meaning of Liberty by Dorothy Roberts In 1997, this groundbreaking book made a powerful entrance into the national conversation on race. In a media landscape dominated by racially biased images of welfare queens and crack babies, Killing the Black Body exposed America’s systemic abuse of Black women’s bodies. From slave masters’ economic stake in bonded women’s fertility to government programs that coerced thousands of poor Black women into being sterilized as late as the 1970s, these abuses pointed to the degradation of Black motherhood— and the exclusion of Black women’s reproductive needs in mainstream feminist and civil rights agendas. MLK

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER 2021 MARTIN LUTHER KING JR SUPPLEMENT / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

Brighter communities start with a boost of positive energy We’re committed to bringing positive energy to every corner of our community, so that everyone has the opportunity for a brighter future. Whether it’s investing in students, supporting frontline workers or providing bill assistance—we’re here to help. Learn more at pepco.com/Brighter

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER 2021 MARTIN LUTHER KING JR SUPPLEMENT / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

On this day when we honor Martin Luther King Jr., we remember his unwavering commitment to community. By rallying others towards a just cause, he showed anything can be achieved when we come together towards a goal. Celebrate with us at aarp.org/blackcommunity THE WASHINGTON INFORMER 2021 MARTIN LUTHER KING JR SUPPLEMENT / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

OPINIONS/EDITORIALS

EDITORIAL

Before Statehood, Washingtonians Deserve ‘Hazard Pay’ Stipends

Now that the White House and both houses of Congress are controlled by Democrats, the District of Columbia may be closer than ever before to finally being given its own voice and vote as the nation’s 51st state. Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D) and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) come to mind as the more recently-vocal proponents for D.C. statehood. However, they are but two in a very long line of activists who have pressed for total independence from the federal government and an equal seat at the table. But before the historic vote is cast, we’d like to request the disbursement of a stipend for every resident of the District as well as those who travel each day to work for the city, its businesses or who provide support for any and all essential services within the District. For lack of a better description, we’ll call this one-time disbursement, “hazard pay.” While every city, town, village and suburban cul-de-sac has been impacted by the shutdowns and layoffs that have occurred because of the health pandemic, the District, in recent weeks, has experienced something germane only to Washington, D.C. What is that, you ask? The answer is a sudden and total interruption of workers’ ability to earn their daily pay because of the recent, unprecedented assault on the U.S. Capitol. Since January 6 when pro-Trump supporters attempted to take over federal land, causing death and destruction, more businesses have shuttered their doors. Bridges and thoroughfares have been closed from vehicles. Service for trains and busses has been interrupted or temporarily halted. And as law enforcement and the District prepared for Wednesday’s inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, more shutdowns, lockups and halted movement would be necessary to ensure safety for all. But were our local workers given the day or days off with pay? It’s doubtful. So, Mister President or Rep. Norton, we’d like to see someone make a motion for a “hazard pay” stipend for those impacted by a loss of income in a situation for which they had no control. Sounds like a good idea, we believe. WI

It Takes More than a Wish Most likely, at the top of many Americans’ wish lists for 2021 included the departure of President Donald Trump and a victory over the COVID-19 pandemic. The November 3 election results affirmed American voters’ wishes to see an end to the Trump presidency. They grew weary of his leadership and disgusted with his negativism and divisiveness. They wished he would stop spewing words of hatred, promoting conspiracy theories and invoking lies. Just days into the new year, many Americans wished for a swift repudiation of the now former president following the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6 which he orchestrated. Now, we see the outer shell of what America may look like when some of these top wish list items begin to come true. Their voices were heard with their votes that ushered in a new presidency. President Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr., who took the oath of office on Wednesday, January 20, officially became the nation’s 46th president. Their wishes were also fulfilled beyond their expectations when President-elect Biden named California Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate – even further fulfilled this week when she became the first African American, Asian American and female vice president in this country’s history. If wishes can come true, Americans have proven it so. Their wish to end a pandemic that has taken the lives of more than 400,000 Americans was answered with a COVID-19 vaccine. But they’re getting impatient with the slow rollout, delaying their wish for life to return to normal. Still, not every American was dissatisfied with Trump, nor are they willing to take a vaccine. They haven’t learned what Georgians found out – that while wishes do come true it takes hard work. Americans cannot stop wishing for what they want from a new administration as it takes shape, a nation beginning to heal and a vaccine ending a pandemic. But their wishes require more – the will to do the work which will be required to make things happen. WI

TO THE EDITOR D.C.'s Time Is Now for Statehood

I'm really hopeful about the District's chances for statehood! With the Senate on our side, I feel as though this is the time to finally get our representation. More residents need to mobilize and get behind this. It is now or never! Lou-Ann Chambers Washington, D.C.

Keeping the Dream Alive

The editor's commentary titled "Dr. King's Words Hauntingly Prophetic for an American Crisis” was spot-on. I enjoyed all of it because I, too, was a young kid when King was killed and I also remember when his birthday became a federal holiday. With all the violence and confusion plaguing our country, we must remember King's work and apply it to our lives. Bernard Finley Washington, D.C.

Readers' Mailbox

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

The Washington Informer welcomes letters to the editor about articles we publish or issues affecting the community. Write to: lsaxton@washingtoninformer. com or send to: 3117 Martin Luther King Jr Ave., SE, Washington, D.C. 20032. Please note that we are unable to publish letters that do not include a full name, address and phone number. We look forward to hearing from you. JANUARY 21 - 27, 2021 23

OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnist

Barbara Reynolds

White Terrorism — The Enemy Within Must Be Dismantled

The mob in the streets, the Republican mob in the Senate, and assorted police are partners in the coup at the Capitol. The glue holding this band of brothers together is Black disenfranchisement and a pledge to white supremacy. Remember Tulsa, the Black Wall Street massacre of 1921. Police deputized white thugs to destroy this Black town, burn and lynch hundreds of Black people because they were gaining

economic and political security. The courts never punished them for their crimes. In the 1960s, civil rights activists knew they were fighting the Klan, who often took their sheets off and donned police uniforms. In like manner, the white terrorists who took part in the insurrection at the Capitol were almost treated like they had been invited to a tea party. Thousands of angry Trumpers were gathering and marching toward the Capitol. No large platoons of police were present, but when much smaller groups of Black Lives Matter

Guest Columnist

protested peacefully, well-armed police were everywhere. Moreover, there were scores of detailed plans on the internet flaunting the mob's anger at those who would not go along with the Big Lie of Trump winning the presidency. Inside the Capitol with the terrorists chanting slogans about murdering Vice President Pence and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and with scores of legislators cornered, massive numbers of police were missing in action. The protesters showed no fear of the police during or after the assault, even though no similar assault on

the Capitol had occurred since the British burned it in 1812. While some overpowered Capitol Police officers fought valiantly, there were also reports of some taking selfies with the rioters. So we are supposed to believe that Washington, the home of the world's most powerful governmental body and the most powerful military presence could not have prevented the assault nor arrested the rioters on the spot. One FBI official said his hands were tied in monitoring the mob's actions because legislatively they were not considered "terrorists."

Yet reports show the FBI had no problems playing a role in neutralizing and killing scores of Black Panthers, as well as playing a role in the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. When the smoke of this disgrace clears, the same old demons will be found. Trump, the mob and the GOP Trumpers are fighting to maintain white privilege and supremacy. They understand that in the recent elections Black voters rescued America from a corrupt, evil empire, where Black

REYNOLDS Page 41

Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr.

Scientific Community Must Reach Out to African Americans to Bolster Confidence in Vaccine

On Jan. 8, I received my first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. I was honored to be accompanied by Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett, the brilliant African-American viral immunologist who is a rock star in the field of immunology science. From Dr. Corbett's post at the National Institutes of Allergy and

Infectious Diseases, she led the team that performed the scientific miracle of developing and testing the Moderna vaccine in record time. Now she is working to overcome the widespread hesitancy in the Black community about vaccination. Vaccination is imperative to save lives, particularly for African Americans, disproportionately the greatest victims of the virus. COVID-19 cases and deaths — now numbering over a staggering 375,000 in the U.S. alone — con-

Guest Columnist

tinue to shatter records on a daily basis. The rampaging pandemic has exposed once more the extreme disparities in our nation. The Black community has suffered a hospitalization rate 3.7 times greater and a death rate 2.8 times greater than the white community. This reflects the harsh reality of inadequate health care in African-American communities. Many impoverished urban communities are health care deserts

with hospitals and clinics unavailable. African Americans disproportionately work for employers that do not provide health care. Those who make too much for Medicaid eligibility are particularly at risk. African Americans are also disproportionately essential workers — the nurses, bus drivers, transit workers, grocery store clerks and others — who must go to work and are at far greater risk. The mass incarceration of Afri-

can Americans, which continues to this day, also creates far greater risk, since prisoners — like those in nursing homes — are at far greater risk. Now the vaccines offer the potential of staunching the march of the pandemic and saving millions of lives. For understandable reasons — remember the infamous Tuskegee experiments? — African Americans harbor suspicions about scientists and vac-

JACKSON Page 41

Marc H. Morial

Capitol Insurrection Reveals 'Cancer' of Racism Within Law Enforcement Establishments

"The Capitol coup is the mirror we needed to overcome our warped sense of American exceptionalism. Becoming a truly equitable democracy requires work. It requires actively working against ideological forces that try to make America great for only a few. It means realizing that the American Civil War and Nazi Germany began just like this. It means

24 - JANUARY 21 - 27, 2021

being courageous to admit that what happened at the Capitol is who we are as the United States. It means realizing that being silent on this issue is accepting the side of white supremacy. So, if you are worried, scared, or fearful, you should be. How will we respond to fight for the soul of America?" — Rashawn Ray, University of Maryland sociology professor This week I was called to testify before the Congressional Black Caucus at an emergency hearing titled "Jan-

uary 6, 2021: U.S. Capitol Insurrection: White Supremacy on Display." I used the opportunity to shine a light on the stark disparity between law enforcement response to attack on the Capital and the response to Black Lives Matter protests over the summer. On June 2, 2020, racial justice protesters peacefully gathered at the Lincoln Memorial to protest the death of George Floyd and other Black Americans at the hands of po-

lice. They were met with row upon row of military police in fatigues and armor lining the Memorial's steps. The day before, on June 1, at least nine military and police aircraft hovered in the sky. Two helicopters eventually swooped low in a tactic usually reserved for combat zones, battering the protesters with tropical storm-level winds. Park Police infamously unleashed tear gas and fired rubber bullets to clear a nonviolent crowd from Lafay-

ette Park so President Trump could stage a photo-op. D.C. Metropolitan Police arrested 316 protesters on June 1, 2020 "The FBI knew that extremists were preparing to travel to Washington to commit violence and "war" on Jan. 6. The insurrection was openly plotted on social media. One post on the platform 8kun declared "We will storm the government buildings, kill

MORIAL Page 41

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnist

E. Faye Williams

Celebrating Black Women

Rather than focus on recent violence that ravaged the nation's capital, I'll celebrate Black women! It would be easy to join with others who're still attempting to provide an accurate explanation for the madness. To that subject, for the time being, I'll only say that because of the current political climate and incessant cultural conflict, I became a sounding board for the expression of legitimate

of our effort accrued to Kamala and Joe equally. With respect to their present and future security, we must not allow our fears of what might happen overrule the exciting victory that we now experience. The important fact that must remain foremost in our minds is that we Black women have clear evidence of the positive results of our unity and common purpose. From many, we've heard laudatory acknowledgment of the exemplary role we've played in this most recent, and many other elections. As we congratulate our collective efforts and support the

fears for the Inauguration Day safety of Vice President Kamala Harris. While we were rightly concerned with the appropriate security being in place on Inauguration Day, contemporary social violence dictates that we must also be concerned about her safety every day thereafter, along with that of Mr. Biden. We must not, however, allow those concerns to overtake our excitement of the election of Harris and Biden. We Black women know how hard we worked to make Kamala's election a reality. The benefit

Guest Columnist

Biden-Harris administration, let us remember other Black women who did monumental things and are worthy of praise. A person receiving great acclaim for her impact on the 2020 presidential election is Stacey Abrams, who came into national prominence during the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial election. Unable to be acknowledged as winner by 55,000 votes because of an opponent who orchestrated and managed the alleged purge of 1.4 million voters, Stacey turned disappointment into action. She organized the voter rights organi-

zation, Fair Fight, undertook developing a network of attorneys to challenge specious changes to election laws and established voter education and registration initiatives which increased many African American voters and other voters of color. She organized a massive get-out-the-vote effort to strengthen her voter registration efforts. To the regret of many Republicans, she didn't confine her efforts to the Georgia borders. Her efforts extended to jurisdictions which maintained the same type of legal

WILLIAMS Page 42

Ben Jealous

We Cannot Not Lose Sight of the Historic Milestones

Martin Luther King Jr. Day felt complicated this year. We have new reasons to celebrate. High on that list is the election of Rev. Raphael Warnock, pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church, where Rev. King preached, to the U.S. Senate. Georgians had the rare opportunity to vote for two senators at the same time. They elected

Warnock, a progressive prophetic Black preacher, and Jon Ossoff, a young Jewish journalist and filmmaker. Seeing them campaign and celebrate together highlighted the vital partnership between Black and Jewish leaders in our struggle toward equality. It reminded me of that historic photo of King holding up pictures of the martyred civil rights colleagues James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner. The people who made the Warnock and Ossoff victories possible

— the dedicated organizers led by Stacey Abrams and her many colleagues and collaborators — made me think of earlier generations of voting rights activists like Fannie Lou Hamer. This was the kind of moment for which King dreamed and worked. Yet many of us were robbed of the chance to fully appreciate and celebrate these historic milestones. Because the day after the Jan. 5 election, while votes in Georgia were still being counted, a mob of angry supporters of President

Askia-At-Large

Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol. I will not soon be able to forget the feeling in my gut at seeing a gallows and noose being erected outside the Capitol. Or the sight of the Confederate flag being paraded through the rotunda while rioters searched for members of Congress and the vice president. While the mob failed to get their hands on elected officials, they killed a Capitol Police officer and left four other bodies in their wake.

We have just begun the truth-seeking that is necessary for accountability. There is no justification for the Capitol being so poorly defended when far-right activists had been making their violent intentions plain for weeks. Journalists and researchers, including the Right Wing Watch team at my organization, People For the American Way, had been documenting threats of violence and calls for

more adherents on campus than the Rev. Al Sharpton. But who can blame young folks? Look at the landscape. There are literally hundreds of rappers and DJs and entertainment personalities (most of whom I have never even heard of ) who are "stacking paper" (an old-fashioned expression for making money) all over Hollyweird. There are even dozens of internet portals and apps devoted to gossip — gossip — about said personalities, and us

no-names are eating that stuff up. During the Democratic presidential campaign, for example, one singer and former stripper who boasts about not only also having been a prostitute but about regularly robbing her drunkened customers, was actually given an interview with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). When I was coming up, such details from an ingenue's past would be grist for a lucrative

JEALOUS Page 42

Askia Muhammad

Militant Black Voices Silent

If you've ever wondered if there are fewer Black militant voices in the public square today, then you are not alone. My theory about the phenomenon is that young Blacks coming up today would much rather be an American Idol or a first-round draft pick than be the town radical. Fewer and fewer folks are com-

plaining about the inherent injustice in the systems that surround us; rather, more are wondering whether or not "someone who looks like me" is on the inside. We think we've got it made because we finally figured out how to play the game. We don't realize that the true master is the one who knows how the game is played. If we knew better, we'd realize the game is being played on us. At Howard University, where so many of the giants of our militant

expression were produced — I'll mention just two, Amiri Baraka (LeRoi Jones) and Kwame Ture (Stokely Carmichael) — I'm told that careerism is the norm, not necessarily activism. Dr. Clarence Lusane, professor of political science, told me his 19-year-old students are all about plotting their career paths and calculating their 401(k) accounts, and that getting down with the revolution couldn't be further from their minds. Jay-Z likely has

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

ASKIA Page 42 JANUARY 21 - 27, 2021 25

INAUGURATION DAY SPECIAL SECTION

BIDEN from Page 8 Consider these unforgettable remarks from past inaugural addresses. Thomas Jefferson (1801): “But every difference of opinion is not a difference of principle. We have called by different names brethren of the same principle. We are all Republicans; we are all Federalists.” Abraham Lincoln (1861): “I am loath to close. We are not enemies but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection.” Abraham Lincoln (1865): “With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.” Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1933): “So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself – nameless. unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.” John F. Kennedy (1961): “And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” Ronald Reagan (1981): “The economic ills we suffer have come upon us over several decades. They will not go away in days, weeks, or months, but they will go away. They will go away because we, as Americans, have the capacity now, as we’ve had in the past, to do whatever needs to be done to preserve this last and greatest bastion of freedom. In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.”

26 - JANUARY 21 - 27, 2021

BIDEN: ‘WE MUST OPEN OUR SOULS NOT HARDEN OUR HEARTS’

After taking the oath of office, the bells of Howard University tolled 49 times as the music from the Negro National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” could be heard softly in the background. And then, the 46th president of the United States stood before the nation and the world. “This is America’s day – this is democracy day. A day of history and resolve. We celebrate the triumph not of a candidate but of a cause. The will of the people has been heard and heeded. We learned again that democracy is fragile, precious – and it has prevailed,” Biden said. “As we look ahead, restless, bold and optimistic, and set our sights on a nation we can and must be, I thank my predecessors from both parties from the bottom of my heart. Each of those patriots, including President Carter who could not be here with us today, have taken that oath – that we seek a more perfect union.” “We have come so far but we have so much farther to go – much to repair, restore, build, heal and gain. Few have found the times to be more challenging than what is before us now. In one year, we have lost more people than we did during World War II. We must confront this virus and other challenges and we will confront and defeat them.” “I know the forces that divide us are deep and real but they are not new. Our history has been a constant struggle between the American ideal that we are all created equal and the reality of racism, nativism, fear and demonization that have torn us apart.”

“Through struggles and setbacks, we have always prevailed. History, faith and reason show the way forward where we can see each other not as adversaries but neighbors. Without unity, there is no peace – only bitterness and fury. No nation but only a state of chaos. This is our historic moment of chaos and challenge and we must meet this moment as the United States of America.” “If we do that, I guarantee you, we will not fail. Let’s start afresh. Let’s begin to listen to one another, see one another, show respect toward one another. Politics does not have to be a raging fire destroying everything in its path.” “We must reject the culture in which facts themselves are manipulated – even manufactured. Here we stand where a riotous mob thought they could stop the will of the people. It did not happen; it will not happen. It will not happen today, not tomorrow, not ever.” “To those who did not support our campaign, hear me out. As we move forward, if you still disagree, so be it. That’s democracy, that’s America. But this disagreement must not lead to disunion. I will be the president for all Americans. And I promise I will fight as hard for those who did not support me as those who did.” “St. Augustine wrote that the people were a multitude of the common objects of their love. What are the common objects that define Americans? Opportunity, dignity, respect, honor and the truth. The past few weeks have taught us there are lies – lies told for profit and power. But we are elected to defend the truth and to defeat the lies.” “Many of my fellow Americans face the future in fear and trepidation – fear about their jobs, healthcare, their families and what will come next. But the

5 Amanda Gorman (Courtesy photo)

“...being American is more than the pride we inherit – it’s the past we step into and how we repair it . . . and [while we once doubted the future], now we assert, how could catastrophe possibly prevail over us?” answer is not to turn inward, to retreat into competing factions, distrusting those who do not look like you, who do not worship like you. We must end this uncivil war. We can do this if we open our souls instead of hardening our hearts. If we are willing, like my momma said, to stand in another person’s shoes. Because in life there’s no accounting for what fate will deal you.” “We are going to need each other to persevere in this dark winter as we enter what may be the deadliest phase of this virus. We must enter it as one nation. As the Bible says, ‘weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning.’” “The world is watching us today. Here’s my message for those beyond our borders. America has been tested and we’ve come out stronger for it. We will repair our alliances and engage once again not to meet yesterday’s challenges but today’s and tomorrow’s. And we will lead by the power of our example.” It’s time for boldness for there’s so much to do. We will be judged by how we resolve the cascading problems of this era. We will meet our obligations – I believe we will. And then

we’ll write the next great chapter in the history of the United States. When our days are through, our children and our children’s children will say we did our best to heal this broken land,” Biden said.

POSTSCRIPT: AND A CHILD SHALL LEAD THEM

As a fitting postscript, Biden’s message would be paralleled and confirmed by an African-American youth from California. Amanda Gorman, 22, stepped into the national spotlight as the youngest inaugural poet laureate in U.S. history. Gorman’s work focuses on issues of oppression, feminism, race and marginalization as well as the African diaspora. The young poet delivered a spoken word piece, ‘The Hill We Climb,’ saying, “being American is more than the pride we inherit – it’s the past we step into and how we repair it . . . and [while we once doubted the future], now we assert, how could catastrophe possibly prevail over us?” WI @dkevinmcneir

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

INAUGURATION DAY

Inauguration Day 2021: An “Amazing” Day in the Nation’s Capital

Denise Rolark Barnes WI Contributing Writer

The crowd on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol was sparse. It was a cold, overcast and windy day. The sun was undecided. One moment it peaked out from behind thick, dark clouds, providing a hint of warmth for the crowd that gathered for the 59th Inauguration Ceremony. Then it left, bringing back the stinging cold, allowing for a moment of comic relief as provided by Senator Ray Blount (R-Mo.), chairman of the Inaugural Committee and guests. “I should have known that when Sen. Amy Klobuchar got involved, there would be snow,” he said referring to his colleague from Minnesota who delivered the welcome address. But as soon as the flurries came, they left, quicker than anyone could finish asking, “Is it snowing?” There I was, attending my first presidential inauguration as a member of the press. Of course, I attended both of President Barack Obama’s inaugurations and I will never forget how cold it was, especially in 2008. But on Wednesday, January 20, another day I’ll always remember, I sat, albeit socially-distanced, on the last row of the West Lawn. I was surrounded by politicians, dignitaries, the press and more than 25,000 National Guard troops and law enforcement officers from D.C. and beyond. They were there to guarantee a peaceful transfer of power from President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence to President-elect Joe Biden and, yes, my HU fellow alum, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. Just days earlier, on January 6, this was the place where riot-

ers stormed the U.S. Capitol and destroyed property, resulting in the death of six people, including two Capitol Hill police officers. There we all were, seated in chairs separated six feet apart, temporarily forgetting about the past. After bidding farewell to President Trump, who departed the White House earlier that morning, the focus instead went to the future. A new vision for America was described by President Biden in his inaugural address. The mood was celebratory but solemn, serious yet relieved. No matter who was asked, or any conversation that could be overheard, the sentiment was consistent. It was beyond time for Donald Trump to go. He clearly sucked the oxygen out of the House and the Senate. The members are ready to go to work and they acknowledge the enormous tasks before them. In the crowd gathered on the West Lawn, and the masked people lined along the hallways waiting to offer proof of a negative COVID-19 test in the Longworth House Office Building were many Black members of Congress. There’s a particular acknowledgment shared among Black people when they see each other in a predominately white environment. Sometimes it’s merely a nod. I spoke to Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D-Md.), Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas), Bobby Scott (D-Va.) and Alma Adams (D-N.C.). I nodded to Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) and Lucy MacBath (D-Ga.). I was grateful to Rep. Dwight Evans (D-Pa.) who provided easy access to the Inaugural site and I’m was proud to see D.C.’s own 5 Washington Informer Publisher Denise Rolark Barnes Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton retrieve her credentials and make shows the U.S. Capitol from her perspective during the Inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala

AMAZING Page 28 Harris. (DR Barnes/The Washington Informer)

Howard University Struts into History Behind Alumnae Kamala D. Harris

Showtime Band’s Drumline, Flag Team, Dancers Perform Hamil R. Harris WI Contributing Writer

When then-Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden selected a 55-year-old junior senator from California and Howard University grad to be his running-mate Aug. 11, Howard band director Kelvin Washington started thinking about the school’s Showtime Band strutting down Pennsylvania Avenue on inauguration day. After five months and nine days later, one-third of the band—the drumline, the Flashy Flag squad and the Ooh La La dancers-- escorted Vice President Kamala Harris into history. “We started formulating plans the day that she was announced as the running mate for Joe Biden. We thought if the Democrat wins we would be called upon, we just didn’t realize that it would just be the drumline,” Washington said of the invitation limiting participation

to 40 students. “In the midst of the pandemic and with all of the things that we have witnessed...it is more than a celebratory moment,” said Washington. “It gives us a chance for the students to come together because we have been online since March. In a statement released by the campus news service, Howard University President Wayne A.I. Frederick said, “It is our esteemed honor to be involved in the historic inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris. Throughout her career, the vice-president elect has taken her Howard education with her.” “I’ve been eager for months to see how Howard University would be included in this momentous inauguration, and it’s great to know that we’re able to safely execute traditional events and be represented as the marching band and musical heart of the vice-president’s alma mater,” Courtney Gillam, a women’s studies

graduate student and co-captain of the flag squad. But the honor is not without a drawback for Washington. He said it was not easy to tell his band members that due to COVID-19 only the drumline, flag team and dancers could participate. WI

5 Howard University band members practice before escorting Vice President Kamala Harris on Inauguration Day. (Courtesy photo/HUNews)

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

Soul Food Restaurant Anticipating Inauguration Windfall, Hobbled by Capitol Shutdown Taylor Bozeman Special to the Washington Informer The Jan. 6 deadly assault on the U.S. Capitol building committed by supporters of Donald Trump to protest Congress’ counting of Electoral College votes that certified president-elect winner Joe Biden resulted in the government shutdown of key areas of the District of Columbia. The National Guard – 25,000 strong – secured the Capitol and that act meant businesses, jobs and overall activity was temporarily closed. The shutdown has affected many small businesses that make livings during big Washington events such as presidential Inaugurations, including Wednesday’s celebration.

David Roundtree, owner of District Soul Food located on Eighth Street SE, said he was already coping with missed opportunities and events that would have happened before the Capitol-area shutdown. They included pre-inauguration parties, catering events and other parties that would happen for the whole week. “We already came up with solutions to keep the business afloat when the COVID-19 pandemic hit,” said Roundtree. “With losing business and money to now dealing with the shutdown, it forces us to close the restaurant this entire week, losing around $70,000 to $80,000.” He is among the District merchants who are missing what

MEMORIES Page 40 JANUARY 21 - 27, 2021 27

INAUGURATION DAY INAUGURATION from Page 1 After Chief Justice John Roberts swore him in, the new president spoke about the importance of a unified America after four years of an administration that orchestrated perhaps the most profound divide in modern history. “My whole soul is in this,” Biden pledged. “To overcome these challenges, to restore the soul and secure the future of America requires so much more than words and requires the most elusive of all things in a democracy, unity.” “Uniting to fight the foes we face: anger, resentment and hatred, extremism, lawlessness, violence, disease, joblessness and hopelessness. With unity, we can do great things, important things,” Biden said. As former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, along with their wives, looked on, Biden proclaimed, “this

is democracy’s day – a day of history and hope, of renewal and resolve. Through a crucible for the ages, America has been tested anew. And America has risen to the challenge.” Before the president’s swearing-in, Vice President Kamala Harris made history when she took the oath of office. Harris becomes the first female, first African American and first South Asian to hold the office. Accompanied by her husband, the nation’s first second-gentleman, Doug Emhoff, Harris sported a purple overcoat to honor Shirley Chisholm, the first African-American woman to run for President. An HBCU graduate, Harris also proudly sported the pearls worn by the women who represent Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. The blustery D.C. day began under the ominous cloud stirred up by the Jan. 6 insurrection – one which many say was egged on by former President Donald Trump.

The blustery D.C. day began under the ominous cloud stirred up by the Jan. 6 insurrection – one which many say was egged on by former President Donald Trump. More than 25,000 members of the National Guard descended upon the area, along with countless officers from various law enforcement agencies. Members of Congress, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), outgoing Senate Majority Lead-

er Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), and new Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), were escorted into the Capitol by bus surrounded by the Metropolitan Police Department officers and federal cops. Before the festivities, Trump unceremoniously left the White House via Marine One. He landed at Joint Base Andrews then flew on to his new home in Florida. “We will be back in some form,” Trump promised a small gathering of family and supporters at the airport, still refusing to accept the reality of his defeat. He leaves behind a splintered nation and a country suffering its worst pandemic in more than a century with over 400,000 deaths recorded due to COVID-19. Just steps away from arriving at the White House, Biden went out of his way to greet D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and immediately went to work attempting to beat back the

pandemic. “We’ll press forward with speed and urgency for we have much to do in this winter of peril and significant possibilities,” Biden said. “Much to repair, much to restore, much to heal, much to build, and much to gain. Few people in our nation’s history have been more challenged or found a time more challenging or difficult than the time we’re in now.” “A once-in-a-century virus that silently stalks the country. It’s taken as many lives in one year as America lost in all of World War II. Millions of jobs have been lost, hundreds of thousands of businesses closed, a cry for racial justice some 400 years in the making moves us. The dream of justice for all will be deferred no longer,” the president concluded. WI

AMAZING from Page 27

eryone’s remarks were “on point.” D.C. was also well-represented with members of MPD and Fire/ EMS stationed around the Capitol. But it was a special moment to see Eugene Goodman receive applause as he escorted President Biden to the stage. Goodman is the U.S. Capitol police officer who diverted the rioters on January 6. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser was in the audience, as well. Let me not forget all of the men and women who keep Congress running day after day including the maintenance workers, the restaurant workers, the mailroom staff, and parking attendants. Undoubtedly, it was a fantastic day. My credentials did not allow me to follow the nation’s new leaders to the wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington Cemetery, nor to the walk on 15th Street to the White House, nor to the White House Press conference, or the primetime TV special at the Lincoln Memorial. So, I returned to my office where I observed the familiar parade of folks pouring into the nearby Chinese corner carryout, where the homeless men hang out in the park and the street guys stand vigil in front of the corner liquor store – some with masks, most without. It was an amazing day in Washington, but life goes on as usual in D.C. WI

her way to the West Lawn. Admittedly, I was taken aback by newly-elected Rep, Cori Bush (D-Mo.) who raised her hand towards me indicating her refusal to talk because “this is my day of rest,” she said. As she walked away on the Capitol grounds, I thought, “Isn’t this her workplace?” Former Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-La.) reveled in the glory of celebrating President Biden, his new boss. Richmond was tapped to serve as Senior Advisor to the President and Director of the Office of Public Liaison. He expressed enthusiasm about holding the key to the door through which civil rights groups, environmental groups, formerly incarcerated people, small and large business leaders and other constituencies will enter at the White House to discuss policy issues. “It was a perfect day,” Richmond said, as he held the hand of his young son, Cedric, Jr. Biden’s speech, he said, “is what the country needed. We’re in a state of multiple crises and we’ve got to deal with it.” Richmond said he was very much impressed with the poem delivered by Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman who he described as “incredible.” He said ev-

28 - JANUARY 21 - 27, 2021

Facebook: StacyBrownMedia Twitter: @StacyBrownMedia

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

Washington Gas Cares Program Continues to Support our Neighbors

We are here to help you during a time of need Submitted by Washington Gas At Washington Gas, we are committed to lend a caring hand to customers facing financial challenges when it comes time to paying their energy bill. Our recently launched program, Washington Gas Cares, does just that. It connects customers with a range of flexible payment plans and several energy assistance programs to choose from to help find the right fit based on their individual circumstances. Every step of the way, we are dedicated to support our customers in meeting their essential energy needs. Washington Cares, www.washingtongascares. com, brings together our available solutions in one central location for convenient access to the payment and energy assistance offerings that can help make a difference. As part of our program, the Washington Gas Cares team has been busy reaching out to customers proactively to help them find an option best suited for them. This outreach is a key component of the Washington Gas Cares approach. Our team is hard at work contacting customers by phone, automated messaging or email communication outreach to provide personal guidance and a better understanding of the status of a bill that is past due and how best to get it back on track. We are here to help guide you through multiple assistance options, simply check out www.washingtongascares.com. “Washington Gas is committed to the communities, families, neighbors and individuals we serve. It’s part of who we are and what the Washington Gas Cares initiative is all about – providing support for our customers when they can use it the most,” said Blue Jenkins. “Our team is fully prepared to support customers facing difficult decisions when paying their bills. We are ready to identify the right energy assistance option and payment plan that fits a customer’s budget and schedule during a time of need. Customers can also contact us directly. We are here to help.”

GET HELP

• Customers can apply for payment assistance through several existing programs across Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia.

• Customers can make a payment or choose among many payment arrangement plans using our self-service online option.

GIVE HELP

• Customers can aid those struggling to pay their bill through an act of kindness. For example, through our Gift of Warmth program, customers can help pay a gas bill for their friend, neighbor or fellow customers. • Customers can also donate to the Washington Area Fuel Fund. More than 35 years ago, Washington Gas and The Salvation Army created the Washington Area Fuel Fund (WAFF) to help families in need pay their heating bills. Washington Gas offers a number of payment plans to help you manage your account: - Automated Payment Plan – Customers can pay their bill automatically every month through the Automated Payment Plan. Washington Gas will continue to bill each month, but, on the payment due date, the bill amount will be automatically deducted from the customer’s checking account which will avoid the need for check writing, postage and/or waiting in line. If a customer is enrolled in Washington Gas’ eBill program, an electronic notification will be sent every month to the customer’s registered email address with a link to view the electronic bill. However, if a customer prefers to receive a paper bill each month, customers can still pay their gas bill automatically through the Automated Payment Plan (APPL). - Deferred Payment Plan -- all eligible customers who cannot pay the “past due bill amount” as well as the “current charges” on their gas bill can enter into a deferment/pay agreement/ or consent order at the request of the customer. - Budget Plan -- spreads the cost of winter heating over the entire year. We calculate your average monthly payment based on historical natural gas usage, adjusted for normal weather and projected gas costs. Periodically, we review your account to confirm that our monthly estimate is on target.

PREPARE FOR WINTER – MONEY AND ENERGY SAVINGS

As seasons change, customers

Climate Business Plan Community Meeting

Energy Efficiency — What’s in it for You? Learn how you can benefit from cost savings through energy efficiency measures while also helping to reduce carbon emissions. This meeting is part of our ongoing commitment to share how Washington Gas can help the District reach its climate goals of becoming carbon neutral in ways that are cost-effective, innovative and community driven.

Please Join Us — January 26, 2021, 5 p.m. Register at https://www.publicinput.com/ClimateBusinessPlanMeeting

may notice a fluctuation in their bill amounts because more energy from natural gas is being used to heat their homes. It is recommended that customers take simple steps (such as caulking, weather-stripping

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

and insulating any openings where air may infiltrate) to help manage their home energy costs and stay safe, warm and energy-smart when temperatures begin to drop. The typical low-income home saves an

average of 25 percent on energy consumption and saves an average of more than $275 annually in heating and cooling costs after weatherization services. WG

JANUARY 21 - 27, 2021 29

LIFESTYLE D.C. Favorite 'The Kojo Nnamdi Show' to End After 23 Years

Legendary Broadcaster Will Continue ‘The Politics Hour’

with his desire to step back from his daily duties on the mic but still stay engaged with the community. With his four-decades-long commitment to journalism, he will continue to host “The Politics Hour” on Fridays which features journalist Tom Sherwood and provides a forum for the public to engage with their elected public officials. Additionally, Nnamdi will continue to serve as an ambassador for the station through his revamped

Sarafina Wright WI Contributing Writer The long-running Kojo Nnamdi Show on WAMU, featuring regional news programming for the D.C. region, will end production this spring. WAMU announced last week that after 23 years the host’s [Nnamdi’s] final live show will air on Thursday, April 1. The station says Nnamdi approached WAMU over a year ago

“Kojo In Our Community” event series. These events — about six per year — will remain true to the original format, allowing the legendary radio host to convene conversations in communities across the region on topics that count among the most important for residents. “My relationship with WAMU started with me as a listener, was strengthened through my friendship with Diane Rehm, and was bonded when Mark Plotkin, Steve Martin and Diane convinced me that I could play a significant role at WAMU,” Nnamdi said. “That role owed a great deal to WAMU’s commitments to understanding the Washington region across racial lines — the lines which too often divide us.” “That commitment continues, and I will continue to be a part of it as host of ‘The Politics Hour’ and as a frequent broadcast presence in our community through the ‘Kojo In Our Community’ events.” “I’m grateful to all of the amazing producers and support staff who contributed to my impact over the years — and hopeful they never reveal that they do most of the work — and I am very much looking

(Photo courtesy of WAMU.)

forward to this next chapter in my relationship with WAMU,” he said. WAMU says they will delay the launch of a new regionally-focused show in an effort to spend time reflecting and assessing the changing needs of the community. In the meantime, beginning April 5, “The Takeaway” from WNYC Studios will fill the noon - 1 p.m. time slot. “We’re so grateful to Kojo for all of his contributions to WAMU and the legacy of outstanding local

journalism that he and his team have created with ‘The Kojo Nnamdi Show,’” said Monna Kashfi, WAMU’s chief content officer. “He has been an essential and powerful voice for our local communities for the past 23 years and I’m delighted that he’ll stay connected to the station and the community both on-air and through the upcoming event series.” WI

WE’LL ALWAYS STRIVE TO BE YOUR ADVOCATE. DAY IN, DAY OUT. Every day can bring changes, challenges and opportunities. Some are big, others small, but all of them can also alter your personal or business financial goals and priorities. What can make it all easier is a true financial partner. Someone who really listens, understands and then creates solutions with you, from managing your personal finances to running your business. That’s real banking for real life. And real business. Call 833.987.REAL or visit sandyspringbank.com/real.

P E R S O N A L

B U S I N E S S

W E A L T H

I N S U R A N C E

M O R T G A G E

Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender. Sandy Spring Bank NMLS # 406382. Wealth and Insurance products are not FDIC insured, not guaranteed, and may lose value. Sandy Spring Bank and the SSB logo are registered trademarks of Sandy Spring Bank. Real banking for real life.SM © 2021 Sandy Spring Bank. All rights reserved.

30 - JANUARY 21 - 27, 2021 SSB-86 Brand Print_9.875x5.5_WashInformer.indd

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM 1/6/2021

2:17:39 PM

Black Obituary Project Highlights Growing Fears of Police-Involved Killings of African Americans Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

A 238-word necrology posted on a website called “The Black Obituary Project” eulogizes Allex Dominique Osborne. The obituary notes that Osborne was unarmed when he was shot and killed in conflict with local police officers. Osborne counts among the many authors of pre-written obituaries on the website, all of whom are alive. But they serve to evidence the ease with which Black people conceive of their own death. The Black Obituary Project’s New York-based founder Ja’han Jones said the writings clarify that the so-called “talk” Black parents must have with their children – instructing them on ways to avoid destruction at the hands of law enforcement – is not without psychological consequence. The words are real to the writer, but the obituary is a bit premature – hopefully, decades too early and with a much more palatable ending. “These writers have embarked on a journey toward agency,” Jones

writes on the website that features hundreds of pre-written obituaries. “In drafting such agonizingly introspective works, each has declined the trite and tired obituary template often deployed for those killed by police in favor of their own rich tellings.” In a 2016 interview, Jones described the moment he wrote his own obituary. “After the death of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, I was going to submit an obituary, but I decided it would be much more impactful to loop others in,” Jones remarked. Each of the obituaries on the website contains a photo, and all begin with the line, “was unarmed and shot and killed in conflict with local police officers.” “Often, when the police kill black people, people say they ‘died,’ which is a very passive way of discussing it,” Jones told the New York Daily News. “Black people aren’t giving their lives away. Their lives are taken.” Jones also stressed that those who contribute obituaries to the site, not make their story heroic. “I wanted to get rid of the idea

of the perfect victim,” Jones asserted. “In our imperfections, we are still due justice.” According to statista.com, the trend of fatal police shootings in America has increased. In 2020, 226 African American civilians were shot and killed by law enforcement officers. The rate of fatal police shootings among Black Americans “was much higher than that for any other ethnicity, standing at 34 fatal shootings per million of the population as of December 2020, statista.com relayed. Those statistics are what has driven many African Americans to the Black Obituary Project and to pen words like Osborne, whose eulogy depicts him as “an optimistic, genuine, and loving man who touched many hearts he came in contact.” Still, others might resonate with the 150-word obit written by 24-year-old Alisha Patrice Miles. “Alisha, a vigorous young woman with endless compassion and kindness for those whom she loved, even momentary acquaintances,” Miles writes. “Her childhood years in the foster care system taught her that the

LIFESTYLE

warmth of love was not limited to those who shared the same bloodline as she did, not limited to those who looked the way she did, nor limited to those who shared her culture or heritage. “As a soldier of the United States Army National Guard and a nursing student, Alisha, yearned to make a difference in all lives she encountered; men, women, and children, young and old.” Miles’ notice concludes by noting that she was “once a woman upon this Earth, yet she is no longer.” In the postscript, Miles’ obituary reflects that she’s survived by her mother, Angela Johnson; her father, Sha’Shonee Solomon; her sister, Ashley Johnson; and her husband, Xavier Miles. “These are Black lives, as told by those who experience them in all their glory – tragedy – frustration – triumph,” Jones remarked. To learn more about The Black Obituary Project visit www.blackobituaryproject.com. The Washington Informer has started a weekly series memorializing fatal victims of crime in the District. The series intends to humanize the victims, highlighting their hopes,

5 Allex Osborne and Alisha Miles (Black Obituary Project)

dreams, and how they would like to be remembered. We welcome your input, and if you have a loved one, or know of someone, you would like us to feature, please email stacybrownmedia@gmail.com WI Facebook: StacyBrownMedia Twitter: @StacyBrownMedia

Young District Residents 'Reimagine Policing' During Discussion Series Sam P.K. Collins WI Contributing Writer Young District residents spent the better part of the coronavirus pandemic, not only struggling to adjust to the isolation of distance learning, but railing against various forms of police-related violence, including

those directly affecting them. During a virtual event to observe the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 's birthday, District students once again expressed their thoughts about law enforcement, and what systemic changes they envisioned at a moment when politicians nationwide are wrestling with how, and whether,

to actualize police reform measures. “The real job of the police is to control the population and keep communities under a cycle of oppression, brutalizing some people and helping others,” Ra’mya Davis, a representative of Pathways 2 Power, United Leaders 4 Freedom, and DC Girls Coalition, told audience members during the "2021 MLK Holiday DC Reimagining Public Safety'' discussion series. This installment of the discussion series, hosted by Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday DC Committee and the Mayor’s Youth Leadership Institute Alumni Association, took place on Jan. 16 and was the first of many forums centered on policing in the District. Joining Davis that afternoon was Samantha P. Davis of the Black Swan

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

Academy, Dr. Alex Vitale, sociology professor and author of “The End of Policing,” and Dr. Joe Richardson, acting chair of the University of Maryland College Park’s African-American Studies Department. Each panelist explored, and answered questions about, law enforcement’s racist beginnings, the public health drawbacks of policing and efforts currently underway to divert law enforcement resources and hold police officers accountable for violent acts. As the youngest panelist, Ra’mya often relied on her experiences as a student and activist to explain how the presence of police in public schools often disadvantaged Black youth facing socioeconomic and emotional challenges. “Incarcerating youth criminal-

izes them later on [and] that leads them being secluded from society as adults,” said Ra’mya, a student at Thurgood Marshall Academy in Southeast. “This affects their chances for social mobility -- being homeless and lacking resources, like accessible healthcare, groceries, and employment opportunities. We have to talk about this deep pain from overpolicing that comes from slavery.” The mass protests that erupted last summer sparked discussion, and some legislative action, around the policing of Black communities. Weeks after legions of protesters converged on what’s now known as Black Lives Matter Plaza, the D.C. Council approved emergency legis-

POLICE Page 40 JANUARY 21 - 27, 2021 31

LIFESTYLE

wi book review "Nine Days: The Race to Save Martin Luther King Jr.'s Life and Win the 1960 Election" By Stephen Kendrick and Paul Kendrick c.2021, Farrar, Straus and Giroux $28.00 / $38.00 Canada 353 pages By Terri Schlichenmeyer WI Contributing Writer Always look for the helpers. No doubt, you've heard those words before: whenever you're in trouble â€“ lost, scared, unsure, in danger â€“ look around. Somewhere nearby, there's someone who'll help. As in the new book "Nine Days" by Stephen Kendrick and Paul Kendrick, though, it might not be quick. The Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. had been in jail before. It was fast then, in and out the same day but still not pleasant and as a Black man in 1960, the prospect of an entire night there was loathsome. So, when a group of students in Atlanta asked King to help integrate restaurants in one of the city's largest department stores, he understood the sacrifice and he prayed on it first. In the end, he stood with the students and his worst fears came true. Their jail sentence was short and while they were kept mostly together, King was not among the last of the students released three days later. His sentence: four months' hard labor due to a driver's license issue he thought had been taken care of the spring prior. He was moved to another jail, and then another, each farther away from his family and further endangering his life. Sometime before, King had reached out to the two 1960 Presidential candidates, asking them to put Civil Rights at the forefront of their agendas. He thought he knew who would be most likely to help: King had met Richard Nixon, and he genuinely liked Nixon. He had struggled to arrange time with John Kennedy, however. That summer, the Kennedy camp itself struggled. JFK's campaign staff understood, with the help of Louis Martin, a respected Black newspaperman, that the candidate who attracted "Negro" voters would win the White House and Nixon was besting them. Then suddenly, there was King, sitting in jail days before the election. At the urging of his staff, Kennedy picked up the phone and made a call. Two of them, as a matter of fact. JFK made two phone calls that may've changed the outcome of the 1960 election and perhaps the course of history. In a story that spreads forward and back and sets a few facts straight, "Nine Days" tells about those calls, King's jail-time, and how they are forever linked. But wait: did Nixon and Kennedy both seem to drag their feet on King's release? Authors Stephen Kendrick and Paul Kendrick answer that question in a peek at 1960s politics and society that's fascinating but also frustrating to read, content-wise. Kendrick and Kendrick don't let that feeling linger, though: inside the tale of King and Kennedy is the story of a man whose wisdom, savvy, and his reputation with Black newspapers altered the election in a way that, as it's told, feels like the cheer-worthy last ten minutes of a truly great movie. Though its focus is small, "Nine Days" is a gigantic tale that you won't want to stop reading once you've started it. Really, this is the kind of book you can't help but love. WI

32 - JANUARY 21 - 27, 2021

horoscopes

JAN 21 - 27, 2021

ARIES You could receive a contract for employment, or you might be signing on the dotted line to purchase a business or get involved with a network marketing company. The intense Uranus energy here can mean you're not following your well thought out plans, but instead jumping on an opportunity. But the harmonious energy with the North Node indicates you could do very well. Lucky Numbers: 10, 28, 32 TAURUS Whatever plans you had, you're ready to shred them and even go in the opposite direction just for the sake of being different. Or, more surprising, you up and quit your steady job to go pursue a real dream like working with elephants or writing detective novels. The desire for change is a good thought, but you can use this energy to take a sudden action toward a planned goal. Lucky Numbers: 4, 11, 22 GEMINI You may receive signs from the Universe about what to do and where to go. You may meet someone who has answers for you. Or you might click on a random video and what you need is all right there. It's good to explore your psychic ability now. Pull out Tarot cards or a pendulum and ask your guides for answers to questions. Lucky Numbers: 4, 33, 40 CANCER You may receive a sudden windfall or have access to funds you didn't have before. If this windfall is small (which it might be), it's a sign that you're not planting enough seeds for opportunity. Lucky Numbers: 2, 11, 29 LEO Your desire for freedom and autonomy focuses in on your career and how much you either don't like your boss or don't like the rules of the company. You're looking for any opportunity to escape. If this has been building for a while, you may want to stop waiting, post your resume, or get your business off the ground. But these feelings could also be an impulsive whim, and you don't necessarily want to bite the hand that feeds you. Lucky Numbers: 6, 8, 46 VIRGO Today, you may break a rule, freeing yourself from limitations and societal pressures. You have the opportunity today to assign yourself a new identity. You can go from a person who wants to run to being a runner. A person who wants to learn guitar to being a musician. A person who wants to save money to being an investor. Lucky Numbers: 14, 39, 45 LIBRA You may have a desire to break free of a prison you created for yourself. Now is the time to look at probabilities, as well. If you were to roll the dice on a new love relationship or partnership to start a business, are the odds in your favor? Today, a single connection could take your life in a whole new direction. Lucky Numbers: 7, 17, 36 SCORPIO A change at home can turn the household upside down. Someone may be moving in or moving out, and everything is happening very quickly. Or your sweetheart may say they are taking a job in London or Guam or Ecuador. And now you have months or even weeks to pack everything up, sell off the excess, and get yourselves moved. And this is the best-case scenario. There more challenging possibilities like encouraging an adult child living in your basement to go get a job. Lucky Numbers: 6, 23, 25 SAGITTARIUS Today, you may be striving to achieve your goals, but you are rushed and possibly careless. Use caution around tools, sharp objects, or things made of iron and steel. But you can still do a lot today toward your goals by making phone calls and connecting with potential partners. You might want to change up your routine going forward by getting up earlier to work on your projects. There are lots of things you can do today that don't involve a nail gun. Lucky Numbers: 13, 31, 52 CAPRICORN Today, you and your checkbook are a dangerous combination. You may be interested in radically spending to get a project off the ground. A better use of this energy would be to find someone who wants to invest in you. Or start simple and build a Kickstarter page so your friends and family can invest in you. Lucky Numbers: 12, 19, 31 AQUARIUS A plan is starting to come together, and you may be setting up a home office, building a recording studio, or replacing your dorm room bedroom furniture, so you are ready to receive guests. Any of these would be good things to do, but your energy is erratic and unsettled. It may be hard to sit still when your leg is bouncing, and you are doom-scrolling excessively. Take a moment and breathe. Focus your energy, and you can make some important things happen today. Lucky Numbers: 7, 22, 30 PISCES Today, you may wake from a radical dream with pictures floating in your mind that can feel disturbing. The underlying message is about change. You're heading toward a breakthrough. It requires you to be still for a moment to hear the message of the Universe. Today, shut off electronic devices, even if it's just for an hour. Sit by a window to watch the snowfall. Lucky Numbers: 5, 31, 38

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

martin luther king, jr.

MLK Parade Goes On Virtually James Wright WI Staff Writer For many years, a group of District residents and leaders of city organizations led by Washington Informer Publisher Denise Rolark Barnes, have met to plan activities and a parade celebrating the federal holiday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., on the thoroughfare that bears his name in Southeast Washington. However, the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in the District had

many members of the Martin Luther King Holiday DC committee strongly considering suspending or significantly scaling down the events. As a result, the group decided in September to proceed with King holiday activities but out of concern for safety, they decided to make the events mainly virtual. Doing this event virtually is a lot more difficult than doing it live,” Stuart Anderson, co-chair of the committee said on Washington Informer News Television on Jan. 15. “To put

MLK Virtual Prayer Breakfast Very Filling Even Without Food Hamil R. Harris WI Contributing Writer Even though there were no salmon cakes or fried apples, those who attended the 15th annual Martin Luther King prayer breakfast were filled as they listener to messages about the slain Civil Rights leader whose legacy is more relevant now than ever. Ward 8 activists Norm Nixon Sr. and Norm Nixon Jr. moderated the virtual event that brought together faith leaders, community activists and praise dancers from the Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, Va. who performed remotely from Black Lives Matter long before it was turned into a fortified security zone. on the eve of the inaugural. Rev. William Young began the program with an invocation in which

he said, “We give you gratitude and thanks for all that you have done for us, oh God…Dr. King encourages us not to grow weary.” Nicole Johnson welcomed participants by quoting from the 3rd chapter of Ecclesiastes 3, saying, “For everything, there is a season.” Several speakers talked about the difficulty that many people experienced in 2020, whether it was the COVID-19 Pandemic, President Trump's challenge of the 2020 Election, or the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. But despite the hardships, DC Councilmember Trayon White (D- Ward 8) said, “It is an honor to be here to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King.” Lamont Mitchell, executive director of the Anacostia Coordinating Council, said as a child growing up, he remembers seeing Martin Luther

it on, we had to focus on in a whole different manner but we did it.” In 1977, Dr. Calvin W. Rolark, Denise’s father and founder of the Washington Informer, along with his wife, then D.C. Councilmember Wilhelmina Rolark and Ralph “Petey” Greene, a media personality and community activist, conceived the parade honoring King. The parade formally launched in 1979, with the District being one of the first jurisdictions to honor King in such a manner. Throughout the years, the event has evolved from a single parade to an essay contest for youth, prayer breakfast, community forums, health fairs, community service projects and religious ceremonies. This year, the essay contest, prayer breakfast, community forum, church service took place via Zoom, while the community cleanup occurred with volunteers on site wearing masks and practicing social distancing and the parade took place on a virtual platform on YouTube, Facebook Live and Washington Informer’s Facebook page. The phrase, “2021: Now is the Time…” served as the overall theme for the series of events. The actual parade activities occurred on Jan. 18.

COMMUNITY CLEANUP

In lieu of the live parade, the King holiday committee decided to have King. The latter was part of a planning meeting at the New Baptist Church where Civil Rights like Rev. Walter Fauntroy were involved. Rev. Thomas Bowen, director of the Mayor's Office of Religious Affairs, said while he has enjoyed the hearty meals of the past and relished listening to civil rights history, events in 2020 have changed so much. “In the past, we looked bad, but now we are called to bear the cross and to be engaged in the battle that is in Washington D.C.,” said Bowen, who came behind Kim Ford of Martha’s Table, who repeated the theme of the prayer breakfast, “Now is the time to come together.” Rev. Christine Wiley, co-pastor of the Covenant Baptist Church, in Southwest D.C. used 2nd Corinthians 6:1-2 to preach from her title, “ Now is the Acceptable Time.” “What do you do we do when we understand ?” Wiley asked rhetorically. “We believe! We speak the truth in power….We work with God.”

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

a community cleanup at Shepherd Parkway, which starts in the east at the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr., Ave. S.E. and Malcolm X Ave., S.E. About 30 people participated in the community cleanup that transpired. Martha’s Table, a local social service organization, had workers handing out food bags consisting of fruit and vegetables under two tents. Matt Miller, the community activator for Martha’s Table, said when the leaders of his organization heard about the changes in the King holiday activities due to the pandemic, that didn’t lessen their commitment to events. “We decided to have a presence here at Shepherd Park because this is a community service project and we are here to serve the community,” he said. The Anacostia Coordinating Council also had a table handing our face masks, hand sanitizers and snacks. Eight members of the District’s chapter of the Chi Eta Phi, a professional organization of registered nurses and nursing students, attended the cleanup. Chi Eta Phi member Shakyra Rivers said her group came to the cleanup to give back to the community. “We want people to know nurses work outside of the hospital too,” she said. “We are in the community and we want to help.” As a part of the cleanup program, volunteers handed out coats and clothing items outside of the Washington Informer offices and in the

parking lot in Anacostia that includes the Big Chair.

THE VIRTUAL PARADE AND TV SHOW

The virtual parade consisted of Barnes, Greg Judge Poole and La Wan A. Taylor Thompson as commentators on Jan. 18. They observed footage from past parade and praised the grand marshals for this year: grocery store employee Giquota Smith, educators Ashley Kearney and Raphael Bonhomme, health care worker Veronica Parham-Dudley, District EMS’s James Bunn II, community activists Justin Johnson and Philip Pannell, historian Charles Hicks and entertainer Melvin Deal. Youth orators Ethan Carmichael and Vaughn Biddix delivered speeches by King and Rep. John Lewis, respectively. WJLA-TV Reporter Sam Ford and Barnes co-hosted an hour-long segment on the parade on Ford’s station that talked about King’s activities in local Washington, the King Memorial on the National Mall, the Martin Luther King Library renovation and included personalities such as D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, Ben’s Chili Bowl owner Virginia Ali, civil rights leader Dr. E. Faye Williams and a segment of past parades by Merilyn C. Holmes of Total Sunshine. WI @JamesDCWrighter

5 Rev. Dr. Christine Wiley

Wiley pointed out that the apostle Paul wrote in 2nd Corinthians about the children of Israel and how they were freed from captivity in the Old Testament. Modern scholars use passages like Isaiah 49:8 as an example of Restoration Theology and God's plan for the oppressed today. “In the time of my favor, I will answer you, and in the

day of salvation, I will help you; I will.” Washington Informer Publisher Denise Rolark Barnes and others commented on how fulfilling the program was as the nations celebrate the legacy of MLK, who would have been 94 years old. The event ended with the singing of the Negro National Anthem, “We Shall Overcome.” WI

JANUARY 21 - 27, 2021 33

Blazing Fast Internet! ADD TO YOUR PACKAGE FOR ONLY

19.99

/mo.

where available

2-YEAR TV PRICE GUARANTEE America’s Top 120 Package

MO.

190 CHANNELS

Including Local Channels! CALL TODAY - For $100 Gift Card Promo Code: DISH100 for 12 Mos.

1-855-402-3370

Offer ends 1/31/21.

MOLD, MOLD, MILDEW & WATER LEAKAGE IN YOUR BASEMENT CAUSES HEALTH AND FOUNDATION DAMAGE.

WHAT CAN BE DONE TO FIX THE PROBLEM? WE WILL GIVE YOU A FREE EVALUATION, ESTIMATE & A FAIR PRICE.

CALL (800) 420-7783 FOR 20% OFF!!!

CALL NOW AND RECEIVE 20% DISCOUNT WITH YOUR FREE ESTIMATE OVER THOUSANDS OF BASEMENTS REPAIRED IN THIS AREA.

Expert Software Development Higher Quality Than In-House Lower Cost Than In-House Faster Than In-House

Ask us how! TOLL FREE USA/CANADA

Experience the Difference

1-888-859-4853 itbgn.com/projects

LASER HAIR REMOVAL - IN A TUBE! NEW! Hairfree gets rid of unwanted hair and kills the root to stop new hair growth. Works like laser hair removal - in a tube - for a fraction of the cost! Puts an end to non-stop shaving, plucking and waxing. Be hair-free in 30 days! 100% money-back guarantee. Order by phone: 323-405-3331 (lines open 24/7) Buy online: www.hair-free-hair-remover.com www.hair-f PROMO: 10% & FREE shipping with code: CN9

ASK US HOW TO GET THE

AMAZING iPHONE® 11 FOR $0 WHEN YOU SWITCH TO AT&T Find out how to get our most popular phones, call now!

877-370-2155 © 2020 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. AT&T and the Globe logo are registered trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

34 - JANUARY 21 - 27, 2021

HARRIS from Page 1 “Serving has been an honor,” the new vice president wrote in an open letter to California residents. She also spoke to the American public during comments shared on social media on Monday as she prepared to take over her new position in Washington, D.C. “I wanted you to know how honored I’ve been to serve as a United States senator from the place of my birth – the great state of California,” said Harris who once served as a senate intern for U.S. Senator Alan Cranston from California (1969 – 1993) after applying for the position during her sophomore year at Howard University. “I wanted to say thank but not goodbye. In many ways, I’m now saying hello as your vice president,” she added. More than 3,000 miles from Washington, in San Francisco, many remember when the nation’s first Black vice president cut her teeth as a valiant prosecutor. The daughter of a Jamaican immigrant father who taught at Stanford University, Vice President Harris’ mother, a cancer researcher, was the daughter of an Indian diplomat. And, the new Vice President has never forgotten her roots, nor has she forgotten those who helped her achieve the American dream. During a 2018 National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) award ceremony honoring Harris as “Newsmaker of the Year,” Vice President Harris talked about her years as a San Francisco’s district attorney. As San Francisco’s top prosecutor, Vice President Harris worked to reduce recidivism by offering nonviolent, low-level drug trafficking defendants’ job training and other life skills education as an alternative to jail. Her office reported that during the first two years of the program, “less than 10 percent of those who graduated from the program were re-offenders — compared to 53 percent of drug offenders statewide who returned to prison or jail within two years of release.” In 2010, she defeated Steve Cooley to become the first woman, the first African American and the first Indian American in California history to win the attorney general’s seat. She later joined other state attorneys general in brokering a $25-billion nationwide settlement deal with the nation’s five largest mortgage institutions for improper foreclosure

5Vice President-elect Kamala Harris volunteers on a Day of Service bagging groceries at Martha’s Table in Southeast as a tribute to the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer)

practices during a housing market crash. Born October 20, 1964, in Oakland, the overachiever attended Howard University, where she earned a degree in political science and economics. Three years later, she earned a law degree from Hastings College in Nebraska. The tenacious California native entered the national spotlight in 2012 when she delivered an impressive address at the Democratic National Convention in North Carolina. During the address, she touted President Barack Obama’s desire to hold Wall Street accountable and argued how everyone deserves a chance to live the American dream. “The American dream belongs to the student in Sacramento who doesn’t have much money but who goes to bed each night dreaming big dreams. It belongs to the men and women across this country who know it shouldn’t be against the law to marry the person you love,” the then-aspiring Senator Harris proclaimed. “It belongs to the immigrants, young and old, who come to this country in search of a better life. And it belongs to little girls who have the joy of watching their mother, like I did, buy her first home. The American dream belongs to all of us,” she said. In 2017, Harris easily won election to the U.S. Senate from California, taking the seat that once belonged to the popular Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer. Just ahead of Vice President Harris’ inauguration, Frederick said her ascension to the second-highest office in America serves as a testament of Howard University’s and other HBCUs’ role in holding politicians

and others accountable. “HBCUs have always been at the forefront of holding America to account and insisting on better. Vice President-elect Kamala Harris has always embodied our ideals of truth and service. We can find no better role model for all leaders and institutions to emulate,” Frederick remarked. When Harris accepted her 2018 Newsmaker Award from the NNPA, she urged everyone to never forget the community and always lend a hand. She would illustrate her commitment to this belief while preparing food for those in need in the District while volunteering, along with her husband, Douglas Craig Emhoff, for Martha’s Table in Southeast on Martin Luther King Day, Jan. 18. She also spoke about the importance of unifying a nation divided by racism and classism. “We all come from somewhere and it’s important that we remember from whence we came,” Harris said. “The Black Press best represents the vehicle in which real and important stories can and have been told. All of the Black newspapers know that the best way our voices can be heard is when we use our voices to tell our stories instead of leaving others to tell it,” she said. “The Black Press always played a role in making sure that our community has something it can trust. I cannot think of a moment in time when it’s been more important than ever to support the Black Press. Especially in the face of powerful voices trying to sow hate and dissension in this country,” she added. WI WI Editor contributed to this report. @StacyBrownMedia

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

RELIGION the religion corner WITH LYNDIA GRANT

12 Things That Make Men Rich, Pt. 3 What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? — 1 Corinthians 6:19 King James "Sound Physical Health" is this week's principle. It is self-evident and should be number one on our list of priorities. Without health, you cannot create anything. You will not have the strength to be of service to mankind. Health is the ultimate gift because with it, everything else is possible. We can be a blessing to our Heavenly Father. Each and every day, we can fulfill your mission by helping yourself and others. Let's look at my own health. I learned I had Type 2 diabetes several years ago. With no health insurance at the time, I didn't even know my health had spiraled out of control. But I knew there was something going on because I wasn't my usual, energetic self. I could hardly walk and felt very weak; my energy and enthusiasm for living was no longer. My breakthrough came when I finally got health insurance and went to a marvelous female doctor. My A1C, or average blood sugar level, was 7.5, well beyond the normal range. It hit me like a ton of bricks! Heartbroken because of how my

own mother's health suffered before her death — both legs amputated, kidney failure, seven strokes and high blood pressure — I felt a determination within myself to change my life immediately. The first order of business was to throw out those foods that would continue to bring my health down. During Mother's illness, I studied causes and effects of diabetes and learned that a change of diet and exercise would make a difference. In fact, Mother died on Christmas Day in 2000, and immediately after her death, I began to learn how to live my life with knowledge of how we contract Type 2 diabetes. Therefore, in 2005, in keeping with my growing knowledge base, while completing my communications program for my master's degree at Trinity University, my public relations campaign was "Stop Fanning the Flames of the Diabetes Epidemic," in memory of my mother. Information from NIH, from the American Diabetes Association and other medical journals had been included in my research, so when my own life became affected by this horrific disease, I knew immediately what must be done. It worked! Within 90 days, my A1C had gone down to 6.2, and within eight months, I lost more than 40 pounds. My doctor said, "You're like my poster child, I'm so

Mt. Zion Baptist Church

proud of your progress!" She didn't understand how strongly I felt about the topic of diabetes! The Lord knew I would share my story and He knew I would share my mother's story with others so they, too, would know what to do. Let us begin with the foods we are purchasing in most of our grocery stores. Avoid non-organic meats, i.e., meats from animals that became fully grown in a matter of weeks or months, as they are filled with hormones. Some of those chicken legs are almost as large as a turkey! Jeff Gillman, associate professor of horticulture at the University of Minnesota and author of "The Truth about Organic Gardening," said, "Many of these chemicals have the potential to be very damaging to humans if they are exposed to high concentrations, or to low concentrations over an extended period of time." Folks, let's be willing to search for healthier foods for ourselves and our families. Buy organic foods, especially meats and vegetables. The unwanted ingredients in non-organic foods are causing cancers, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer's and more. Let us stop wasting money on fast foods and in nail salons. Use that hard-earned money to feed your body the nutrition it needs to function properly. 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

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

JANUARY 21 - 27, 2021 35

RELIGION The Miracle Center of Faith Missionary Baptist Church

Pilgrim Baptist Church

Bishop Michael C. Turner, Sr. Senior Pastor

Rev. Louis B. Jones II Pastor

9161 Hampton Overlook Capitol Heights, MD 20743 Phone: 301-350-2200 / Fax: 301-499-8724

700 I Street, N.E. Washington, D.C. 20002 (202) 547-8849

Service and Times Sunday Worship Times : 7:30 AM 7 10:00 AM Communion: 1st Sunday Sunday School: 9:00 AM Bible Study: Wednesday, 12 Noon Bible Study in homes: Tuesday 7:00 PM

Service and Times Worship Sundays: 7:30 & 11:00 AM 5th Sundays: 9:30 AM 3rd Sundays: Baptism & Holy Communion Prayer & Praise: Wednesdays @ Noon & 6:30 PM

Website: www.themiraclecenterFMBC.com Email: Miraclecenterfmbs@gmail.com Motto: “We Walk by Faith, Not by Sight”

www.pilgrimbaptistdc.org

Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ

Blessed Word of Life Church

Church of Living Waters

Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church

Rev. Paul Carrette Senior Pastor Harold Andrew Assistant Pastor 4915 Wheeler Road Oxon Hill, MD 20745 301-894-6464 Service and Times Sunday Service: 8:30am& 11:00 AM Bible Study: Wednesday 7:30 PM Communion Service: First Sunday www.livingwatersmd.org

St. Stephen Baptist Church

Rev. Dr. Michael E. Bell, Sr., / Pastor 2498 Alabama Ave., SE - Washington D.C. 20020 Office: (202) 889-7296 / Fax: (202) 889-2198 - www.acamec.org Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 8:00am and 11:00 AM Sunday Church School - 9:15am & Sunday Adult Forum Bible Study - 10:30 AM 2nd & 4th Monday Women’s Bible Study: 6:30 PM Tuesday Jr./Sr. Bible Study: 10:00 AM Tuesday Topical Bible Study: 6:30 PM Tuesday New Beginnings Bible Study: 6:30 PM Wednesday Pastoral Bible Study: 6:30 PM Wednesday Children’s Bible Study: 6:30 PM Thursday Men’s Bible Study: 6:30 PM Friday before 1st Sunday Praise & Worship Service: 6:30 PM Saturday Adult Bible Study: 10:00 AM “The Amazing, Awesome, Audacious Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church”

Third Street Church of God

Dr. Dekontee L. & Dr. Ayele A. Johnson Pastors

Reverend William Young IV Pastor

Bishop Lanier C. Twyman, Sr. Senior Pastor

Rev. Cheryl J. Sanders, Th.D. Senior Pastor

4001 14th Street, NW Washington, DC 20011 (202) 265-6147 Office 1-800 576-1047 Voicemail/Fax

3845 South Capitol Street Washington, DC 20032 (202) 562-5576 (Office) / (202) 562-4219 (Fax)

5757 Temple Hill Road, Temple Hills, MD 20748 Office 301-899-8885 – fax 301-899-2555 Services and Times Sunday Early Morning Worship: 7:45 AM Church School: 9:30 AM Sunday Morning Worship: 10:45 AM Tuesday: 7:00pm/Kingdom Building Bible Institute Wednesday , 12:30 PM Mid-Day Bible Study Wednesday: Prayer/Praise/Bible Study-7:30 PM Baptism & Communion Service: 4th Sunday – 10:30 AM

1204 Third Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 202-347-5889 office / 202-638-1803 fax

Service and Times Sunday School: 9:30 AM Sunday Morning Worship Service: 11:00 AM Communion Service: First Sunday Prayer Service/Bible Study: Tuesday, 6:30 PM

Services and Times Sundays: 10:00am Worship Services Bible Study: Wonderful Wednesdays in Worship and the Word Bible Study Wednesdays 12:00 Noon; 6:30 PM (dinner @ 5:30 PM) Sunday School: 9:00 AM – Hour of Power “An inclusive ministry where all are welcomed and affirmed.” www.covenantdc.org

www.blessedwordoflifechurch.org E-mail: church@blessedwordoflifechurch.org

Campbell AME Church

Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 10:00 AM Sunday Church School: 8:45 AM Bible Study Wednesday: 12:00 Noon Wednesday: 7:00 PM Thursday: 7:00 PM “Reaching Up To Reach Out” Mailing Address : Campbell AME Church 2502 Stanton Road SE - Washington, DC 20020

“Ambassadors for Christ to the Nation’s Capital” www.thirdstreet.org Live Stream Sunday Worship Service begins @ 12:00 noon www.thirdstreet.org

Rev. Dr. Alton W. Jordan Pastor 800 I Street, NE - Washington, DC 20002 202-548-0707 - Fax No. 202-548-0703 Service and Times Sunday Morning Worship: 11:00 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sunday Sunday School: 9:45 AM Men’s Monday Bible Study: 7:00 PM Wednesday Night Bible Study: 7:00 PM Women’s Ministry Bible Study: 3rd Friday -7:00 PM Computer Classes: Announced Family and Marital Counseling by appointment E-mail: Crusadersbaptistchurch@verizon.net www.CrusadersBaptistChurch.org / “God is Love”

Greater Mt. Calvary Holy Church Bishop Alfred A. Owens, Jr.; Senior Bishop & Evangelist Susie C. Owens – Co-Pastor 610 Rhode Island Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002 (202) 529-4547 office • (202) 529-4495 fax

Sunday Worship Service: 8:00 AM and 10:45 AM Sunday Youth Worship Services: 1st & 4th 10:45 AM; 804 R.I. Ave., NE 5th 8 AM & 10:45 AM; Main Church Prayer Services Tuesday – Noon, Wednesday 6:00 AM & 6:30 PM Calvary Bible Institute: Year-Round Contact Church / Communion Every 3rd Sunday The Church in The Hood that will do you Good! www.gmchc.org / emailus@gmchc.org

Isle of Patmos Baptist Church Reverend Dr. Calvin L. Matthews Senior Pastor 1200 Isle of Patmos Plaza, Northeast Washington, DC 20018 Office: (202) 529-6767 - Fax: (202) 526-1661 Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 7:30 AM and 10:30 AM Holy Communion: 2nd Sunday at 7:30 AM and 10:30 AM Sunday Church School: 9:20 AM Seniors Bible Study: Tuesdays at 10:30 AM Noon Day Prayer Service: Tuesdays at Noon Bible Study: Tuesdays at 7 PM Motto: “A Ministry of Reconciliation Where Everybody is Somebody!” Website: http://isleofpatmosbc.org Church Email: ipbcsecretary@verizon.net

St Marks Baptist Come Worship with us... Dr. Raymond T. Matthews Pastor and First Lady Marcia Matthews St. Mark's Baptist Church 624 Underwood Street, NW Washington, dc 20011 Services and Times Sunday School: 9:00 AM Worship Service: 10:00 AM Wed. Noon Day prayer service Thur. Prayer service: 6:45 PM Thur. Bible Study: 7:15 PM

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

Reverend Dr. Paul H. Saddler Senior Pastor (Disciples of Christ) 1812 12th Street, NW - Washington, DC 20009 Phone: 202-265-4494 Fax: 202 265 4340 Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 11:00 AM Communion every Sunday: 11:00 AM Sunday School: 10:00 AM Bible Study Tuesday: 12 Noon Pastor’s Bible Study Tuesday: 6:30 PM Motto: “Discover Something Wonderful” Website: 12thscc.org / Email: Twelfthstcc@aol.com

Turning Hearts Church Virgil K. Thomas, Sr. Senior Pastor/ Teacher 421 Alabama Ave. SE Washington, DC 20032 Phone: 202-746-0113 Fax: 301-843-2445 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

36 - JANUARY 21 - 27, 2021

Mount Carmel Baptist Church Reverend Dr. Paris L Smith, Sr. Senior Pastor 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 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

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”

“Empowered to love and Challenged to Lead a Multitude of Souls to Christ”

Peace Baptist Church

www.Christembassydc.org Christ.embassy.dc@hotmail.com

Pennsylvania Ave. Baptist Church

Rev. Dr. Michael T. Bell

Rev. Dr. Kendrick E. Curry Pastor

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 “

3000 Pennsylvania Ave.. S.E Washington, DC 20020 202 581-1500 Service and Times Sunday Church School: 9:30 AM Sunday Worship Service: 11:00 AM Monday Adult Bible Study: 7:00 PM Wednesday Youth & Adult Activities: 6:30 PM Prayer Service Bible Study

First Rising Mt. Zion Baptist Church

Mt. Horeb Baptist Church

Rev. Dr. Wallace Charles Smith Pastor

Rev. Oran W. Young Pastor

Rev. Dr. H. B. Sampson, III Pastor

9th & P Street, N.W. - W. D.C. 20001 (202) 232-4288

602 N Street NW - Washington, D.C. 20001 Office:(202) 289-4480 Fax: (202) 289-4595

2914 Bladensburg Road, NE Wash., DC 20018 Office: (202) 529-3180 - Fax: (202) 529-7738 Service and Times Worship Service: 7:30 AM Sunday School: 9:00 AM Worship Service: 10:30 AM Holy Communion: 4th Sunday 7:30AM & 10:30 AM Prayer Services:Tuesday 7:30 PM. Wednesday 12 Noon

www.stmarysfoggybottom.org Email: stmarysoffice@stmarysfoggybottom.org

Service and Times First Sunday Worship Service (one service): 10:00 AM Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Sunday Worship service: 7:45 AM and 10:55 AM Sunday Church School/Bible Study: 9:30 AM Thursday Prayer Service: 6:30 PM

All are welcome to St. Mary’s to Learn, Worship, and Grow.

Email: sbc@shilohbaptist.org Website: shilohbaptist.org

Service and Times Sundays: 10 a.m. Holy Eucharist with Music and Hymns Wednesdays: 12:10 p.m. - Holy Eucharist

Rev. Dr. George C. Gilbert Senior Pastor

Email Address: admin@pbc712.org

Historic St. Mary’s Episcopal Church The Rev. E. Bernard Anderson Priest

Holy Trinity United Baptist Church

Florida Avenue Baptist Church

Reverend Christopher L. Nichols Pastor

Rev. Dr. Jerryl V. Moody Pastor-Elect

Web: www.mountmoriahchurch.org Email: mtmoriah@mountmoriahchurch.org

St. Matthews Baptist Church

Emmanuel Baptist Church

King Emmanuel Baptist Church

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

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

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

JANUARY 21 - 27, 2021 37

LEGAL NOTICES SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2020 ADM 760 Gloria Lavern Keaton Decedent Anthony M. Rachal III 5004 Cathedral Ave., NW Suite 200 Washington, DC 20016 Attorney

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Isaac A. Keaton, III, whose address is 607 Milton Drive, Wilmington, Delaware 19802, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Gloria Lavern Keaton who died on August 2, 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 7/7/2021. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 7/7/2021, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 1/7/2021 Isaac A. Keaton, III Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

LEGAL NOTICES SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2020 FEP 80 June 6, 1998 Date of Death Fredric A. Tolson Name of Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS Brian-Eric Henderson whose address is 4125 19th Street, NE, Washington, DC 20018 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Fredric A. Tolson, deceased, by the Orphans Court for Prince Georges County, State of Maryland, on August 19, 2020. Service of process may be made upon Brian-Eric Henderson, 4125 19th Street, NE, Washington, DC 20018 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 property. 27 46th Street, NE, Washington, DC 20019. 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: 1/14/2021 Brian-Eric Henderson Personal Representative Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

LEGAL NOTICES

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

In God We Trust

2020 ADM 000776

2020 ADM 000423

Julius A. Moore III aka Julius Allen Moore III Decedent

Arthur Herbert Garrison, Jr. aka Arthur H. Garrison Decedent

Jacqueline Moore 7605 14th Street, NW Washington, DC 20012 Attorney

Robert L. Bell, Esq. 245 Farragut Street, NW Washington, DC 20011 Attorney

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Jacqueline Moore, whose address is 7605 14th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20012, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Julius A. Moore III aka Julius Allen Moore III who died on January 21, 2018 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before July 14, 2021. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before July 14, 2021, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: January 14, 2021

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Toni Garrison-Perry, whose address is 4113 54th Street, Bladensburg, MD 20701, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Arthur Herbert Garrison, Jr. aka Arthur H. Garrison who died on April 23, 2020 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 7/14/2021. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 7/14/2021, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 1/14/2021

Jacqueline Moore Personal Representative

Toni Garrison-Perry Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

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

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

Notice of White Flag Surrender Notice of Special Appearance : I am that I am: “ gabby boost© pria persona, sui juris, in solo proprio, Haqdar by natural issue, the beneficiary and heir of: ‘‘ QUILES, GABRIELY MARIE© ’’, corp.sole Dba.: ‘‘ GABRIELY MARIE QUILES© ’’. I being Trustee of ‘‘ QUILES, MIAELIZABETH© ’’, corp.sole Dba.: ‘‘ MIAELIZABETH QUILES© ’’, having reached the age of majority, being aboriginal to the northwestern and southwestern shores of Africa, the Atlantic Islands, the continental Americas, being duly certified, hereby affirms the following: Notice of White Flag Surrender: as “hors de combat”, pursuant to The Geneva Conventions, Article III, and Lieber Code, as Taino moorish Americans, and ministers of The Moorish Empire, and Internationally Protected Persons. Notice of LAWS AND CUSTOMS OF WAR ON LAND (HAGUE, IV), ARTICLE: 45, 46, & 47. Notice of Claim pursuant to Public Law 87-846, TITLE II, SEC. 203. Notice of Bailment Merging of Legal Title with Equitable Title : This order is to preserve legal and equitable title , and to reserve all rights, title, and interest, in the property, Re: [1] THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH REGISTRY OF VITAL RECORDS AND STATISTICS, REGISTERED NUMBER: 120, STATE FILE NUMBER 065545, ‘‘ GABRIELY MARIE QUILES© ’’, is as a special deposit order conveyed to “ Gabby Boost Trust ”. [2] The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Registry of Vital Records and Statistics, REGISTERED NUMBER: 2115, STATE FILE NUMBER: 007279, ‘‘ MIA ELIZABETH GUZMAN© ’’ whos legal name is “MIAELIZABETH QUILES© ” is as a special deposit order conveyed to “ Gabby Boost Trust ”. Individual Trust being an Unincorporated Divine Grantor Inter Vivos Trust. Inter alia. This deposit is not to be commingled with general assets of any bank, nor depositary/ trustee/ agent/ bailee/ donee/ debtor. This deposit is not limited to, but including: discharge and set off, of any and all outstanding liabilities as accord and satisfaction. All Rights Reserved.

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

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION

2020 ADM 000576

Denys H. Vaughn-Cooke Name of Deceased Settlor

2020 ADM 000766

2020 FEP 000083

Alice T. Lucas Decedent

NOTICE OF EXISTENCE OF REVOCABLE TRUST

Jeanne Wilson Woods Decedent

August 6, 2012 Date of Death

Mary Alice Sohngen Name of Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS

being aboriginal to the northwestern and southwestern shores

2020 NRT 27

Kathy Brissette-Minus, Esq. Law Office of Kathy Brissette-Minus, LLC 9701 Apollo Drive, Suite 230 Largo, MD 20774 Attorney

Denys H. Vaughn-Cooke (Name and address of deceased Settlor) whose address was 1501 Hamilton Street, NW, Washington, DC 20011 created a revocable trust on December 21, 2001, which remained in existence on the date of his/her death on March 10, 2020, and Anika Vaughn-Cooke, whose address is 7149 Boyer Street, Philadelphia, PA 19119 is the currently acting trustee, hereinafter the Trustee. Communications to the Trust should be mailed or directed to Anika Vaughn-Cooke at 7149 Boyer Street, Philadelphia, PA 19119.

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

The Trust is subject to claims of the deceased settlor’s creditors, costs of administration of the settlor’s estate, the expenses of the deceased settlor’s funeral and disposal of remains, and statutory allowances to a surviving spouse and children to the extent the deceased settlor’s residuary probate estate is inadequate to satisfy those claims, costs, expenses, and allowances.

Jacquelin L. Fulse, whose address is 5800 Lawton Court, Lanham, MD 20706, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Alice T. Lucas who died on March 7, 2020 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 7/7/2021. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 7/7/2021, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 1/7/2021 Jacquelin L. Fulse Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

38 - JANUARY 21 - 27, 2021

Claims of the deceased settlor’s creditors are barred as against the Trustee and the trust property unless presented to the Trustee at the address provided herein on or before July 7, 2021 (6 months after the date of the first publication of this notice.) An action to contest the validity of this trust must be commenced by the earliest of (1) March 10, 2021 (One year from date of death of deceased settler) (2) July 7, 2021 , 6 months from the date of first publication of this notice) or (3) Ninety days after the Trustee sends the person a copy of the trust instrument and a notice informing the person of the trust’s existence, of the Trustee’s name and address, and of the time allowed for commencing a proceeding. The Trustee may proceed to distribute the trust property in accordance with the terms of the turst before the expiration of the time within which an action must be commenced unless the Trustee knows of a pending judicial proceeding contesting the validity of the trust or the Trustee has received notice from a potential contestant who thereafter commences a judicial proceeding within sixty days after notification.. This Notice must be mailed postmarked with 15 days of its first publication to each heir and qualified beneficiary of the trust and any other person who would be an interested person within the meaning of D.C. Code 20-101 (d). Date of First Publication: 1/7/2021 Anika Vaughn-Cooke Signature of Trustee TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

James Larry Frazier, Esq. 918 Maryland Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002 Attorney

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Jeanette W. Planes, whose address is 5548 Mulligan Way, Lakewood Ranch, FL 34211, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Jeanne Wilson Woods who died on July 22, 2020 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before July 7, 2021. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before July 7, 2021, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: January 7, 2021 Jeanette W. Planes Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Maura DeNoia, aka Maura Sohngen DeNoia whose address is 4 Cedarwood Drive, Falmouth, ME 04105 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Mary Alice Sohngen, deceased, by the Register of Wills for Lehigh County, State of Pennsylvania, on September 22, 2020. Service of process may be made upon Edward G. Varrone, Esq., 1825 K Street, NW, Suite 1150, Washington, DC 20006 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 property. 4830 Calvert Street, NW, Washington, DC 20007; known for real property tax purposes as Square 394, Lot 0819. 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.

In God We Trust Notice of White Flag Surrender Notice of Special Appearance : I am that I am: “ yashua bey© persona, sui juris, in solo proprio, Haqdar by natural issue, the ‘‘ YASHUA DUARTE© ’’. having reached the age of majority, of Africa, the Atlantic Islands, the continental Americas, being duly certified, hereby affirms the following: Notice of White Flag Surrender: as “hors de combat”, pursuant to The Geneva Conventions, Article III, and Lieber Code, as Taino moorish Americans, and ministers of The Moorish Empire, and Internationally Protected Persons. Notice of LAWS AND CUSTOMS OF WAR ON LAND (HAGUE, IV), ARTICLE: 45, 46, & 47. Notice of Claim pursuant to Public Law 87-846, TITLE II, SEC. 203. Notice of Bailment Merging of Legal Title with Equitable Title : This order is to preserve legal and equitable title , and to reserve all rights, title, and interest, in the property, Re: [1] THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH REGISTRY OF VITAL RECORDS AND STATISTICS, REGISTERED NUMBER: 2175, ‘‘ YASHUA DUARTE© ’’, is as a special deposit

Date of first publication: 1/14/2021

order conveyed to “ Yashua Bey Trust ”. Individual Trust being

Maura DeNoia Personal Representative

This deposit is not to be commingled with general assets

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

debtor. This deposit is not limited to, but including: discharge

Washington Informer

an Unincorporated Divine Grantor Inter Vivos Trust. Inter alia. of any bank, nor depositary/ trustee/ agent/ bailee/ donee/ and set off, of any and all outstanding liabilities as accord and

Washington Informer

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

LEGAL NOTICES

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

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

2020 FEP 000082

2020 ADM 000403

August 10, 2020 Date of Death

Lycean Brookings Decedent

Maria V. Chikes Name of Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS Csaba T. Chikes and Gabriel D. Chikes whose addresses are 2207 Trinidad Street, Falls Church, VA 22043 and 12815 Kitchen House Way, Germantown, MD 20874 were appointed personal representatives of the estate of Maria V. Chikes, deceased, by the Orphans Court for Montgomery County, State of Maryland, on October 14, 2020. Service of process may be made upon Edward G. Varrone, Esq., 1825 K Street, NW, Suite 1150, Washington, DC 20006 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 property. 4401 Burlington Place, NW, Washington, DC 20016. 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: 1/14/2021

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Wanda Robinson, whose address is 849 Stonebridge Park Circle, Lithonia, GA 30058, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Lycean Brookings who died on July 13, 2018 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 7/21/2021. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 7/21/2021, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 1/21/2021 Wanda Robinson Personal Representative

Csaba T. Chikes Gabriel D. Chikes Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

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

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2020 ADM 760

2020 ADM 871

Gloria Lavern Keaton Decedent

Estate of Michael F. Baylor NOTICE OF STANDARD PROBATE Notice is hereby given that a petition has been filed in this Court by Lisa M. Jacobs and Kevin E. Baylor for standard probate, including the appointment of one or more personal representatives. Unless a responsive pleading in the form of a complaint or an objection in accordance with Superior Court Probate Division Rule 407 is filed in this Court within 30 days from the date of first publication of this notice, the Court may take the action hereinafter set forth. In the absence of a will or proof satisfactory to the Court of due execution, enter an order determining that the decedent died intestate appoint an unsupervised personal representative

Date of first publication: 1/14/2020 Lisa M. Jacobs Kevin E. Baylor 1775 Eye St., NW, Suite 1150 Washington, DC 20006 Petitioner/Attorney:

Anthony M. Rachal III 5004 Cathedral Ave., NW Suite 200 Washington, DC 20016 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Isaac A. Keaton, III, whose address is 607 Milton Drive, Wilmington, Delaware 19802, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Gloria Lavern Keaton who died on August 2, 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 7/7/2021. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 7/7/2021, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

LEGAL NOTICES State of Connecticut Superior Court Juvenile Matters Order of Notice Notice to Bryan or Brian Brazee, formerly of Washington, DC and presently of parts unknown. A petition has been filed seeking: Commitment of minor child(ren) of the above named or vesting custody and care of said child(ren) of the above named in a lawful, private or public agency or a suitable and worthy person. The petition, whereby the court’s decision can affect your parent rights, if any, regarding minor child(ren) will be heard on 1/26/2021 at 11:45am at SCJM, 978 Hartford Tpke, Waterford, CT 06385. Therefore, ORDERED, that notice of the hearing of this petition be given by publishing this Order of Notice once, immediately up receipt, in the: The Washington Informer, 3117 Martin Luther King Jr Ave SE, Washington, DC a newspaper having a circulation in the town/city of: Washington, DC. Name of Judge: Hon. Barbara A. Hoffman Deputy Chief Clerk: Lisa Rinato Date: 1/14/2021 Right to Counsel: Upon proof of inability to pay for a lawyer, the court will make sure that an attorney is provided to you by the Chief Public Defender. Request for an attorney should be made immediately in person, by mail, or by fax at the court office where your hearing is to be held. Let it Be Known that, Freshun Flowers Bey is a member of the League of Indian Nations of North America, LINNA Tribal ID#: 000101717 and Is subject of the National Indian Government; one that owes allegiance to the sovereign and is governed by her laws. Extraterritorial USA/CANADA Proclamation Form 42820- A100

CL ASSIFIEDS Reader Advisory: The National Trade Association we belong to has purchased the following classifieds. Determining the value of their service or product is advised by this publication. In order to avoid misunderstandings, some advertisers do not offer employment but rather supply the readers with manuals, directories and other materials designed to help their clients establish mail order selling and other businesses at home. Under NO circumstance should you send any money in advance or give the client your checking, license ID, or credit card numbers. Also beware of ads that claim to guarantee loans regardless of credit and note that if a credit repair company does business only over the phone it s illegal to request any money before delivering its service. All funds are based in US dollars. 800 numbers may or may not reach Canada. MEDIABIDS MISCELLANEOUS SAVE 67% PLUS 4 FREE BURGERS - The Favorite Feast ONLY $49.99. ORDER Today 1-888-318-1190 Use Code 48643VFW or www.OmahaSteaks.com/ ffmb93 Do you know your Testosterone Levels? Call 888-692-5146 and ask about our test kits and get a FREE Trial of Progene All-Natural Testosterone Supplement Diabetes/Cholesterol/Weight Loss Bergamonte, a Natural Product for Cholesterol, Blood Sugar and weight. Physician recommended, backed by Human Clinical Studies with amazing results. Call today and save 15 percent off your first bottle! 866-640-5982 ATTENTION DIABETICS with Medicare. Get a FREE talking meter and diabetic testing supplies at NO COST, plus FREE home delivery! Best of all, this meter eliminates painful finger pricking! Call 888-421-1874 READERS & MUSIC LOVERS. 100 Greatest Novels (audio books) ONLY $99.00 (plus s h.) Includes MP3 Player & Accessories. BONUS: 50 Classical Music Works & Money Back Guarantee. Call Today! 1-866-680-1822

Date of first publication: 1/7/2021

Any laptop repaired just $79. Macs too. REALLY! FREE Fedex shipping! $69 extra for screen or motherboard replacement. CALL Authorized Laptop Repair Specialists 1-866-437-6184

TRUE TEST COPY

Isaac A. Keaton, III Personal Representative

Ever Consider a Reverse Mortgage? At least 62 years old? Stay in your home & Increase cash flow! Safe & Effective! Call Now for your FREE DVD! Call Now 888-420-4716

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

TRUE TEST COPY

Washington Informer

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

READERS & MUSIC LOVERS. 100 Greatest Novels (audio books) ONLY $99.00 (plus s h.) Includes MP3 Player & Accessories. BONUS: 50 Classical Music Works & Money Back Guarantee. Call Today! 1-866-680-1822 Personalized holiday gifts for Everyone on your list! Save 20 percent off qualifying products from Personal Cre-

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

CL ASSIFIEDS

CL ASSIFIEDS ations! To redeem this offer, visit www.PersonalCreations. com/Beauty or Call 1-888-732-0679 Diabetes/Cholesterol/Weight Loss Natural Product for Cholesterol, Blood Sugar and weight. Physician recommended, backed by Human Clinical Studies with fast acting results within 30 days. Call to hear about our special offer 866-640-5982 ATTENTION DIABETICS with Medicare. Get a FREE Talking Meter and diabetic testing supplies at NO COST, plus FREE home delivery! Best of all, this meter eliminates painful finger pricking! Call 888-421-1874 SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY BENEFITS. You WIN or Pay Us Nothing. Contact Disability Group, Inc. Today! BBB Accredited. Call For Your FREE Book & Consultation. 888-649-5110

Attention oxygen therapy users! Inogen One G4 is capable of full 24/7 oxygen delivery. Only 2.8 pounds. Free info kit. Call 877-929-9587 Dish TV $59.99 190 channels + $14.95 high speed internet. Free Install, smart HD DVR & voice remote. Restrictions apply. 1-833-872-2545. New authors wanted! Page Publishing will help self-publish your book. Free author submission kit! Limited offer! 866-951-7214 WANTED TO BUY Wants to purchase minerals and other oil and gas interests. Send details to P.O. Box 13557 Denver, Co. 80201 MID ATLANTIC COMMUNITY PAPERS ASSOCIATION CLASSIFIED NETWORK (MACNET)

Attention Joint & Muscle Pain Sufferers: Clinically proven all-natural supplement helps reduce pain and enhance mobility. Call 888-760-5952 to try Hydraflexin RISK-FREE for 90 days.

ANNOUNCEMENTS SELL YOUR ANTIQUE OR CLASSIC CAR. Advertise with us. You choose where you want to advertise. 800-450-6631 visit macnetonline.com for details.

HEAT YOUR HOME FOR 5¢ AN HOUR! Portable infrared iHeater heats 1000 sq. ft. Slashes your heating bills by 50%. FREE Shipping too! Use claim code 6239 WAS $499 NOW $279 Call 1-866-784-5182

AUTO INSURANCE Looking for auto insurance? Find great deals on the right auto insurance to suit your needs. Call today for a free quote! 866-924-2397

CADNET & NANI CLASSIFIED NETWORK

AUTOMOTIVE OR MISCELLANEOUS Get cash for your used or junk car today. We buy all cars, trucks, and SUVs. Free pick up. Call 888-368-1016.

AUTOS WANTED Get cash for your used or junk car today. We buy all cars, trucks, and SUVs. Free pick up. Call. 1-888-985-1806 CARS/TRUCKS WANTED!!! 2002 and Newer! Any Condition. Running or Not. Competitive Offer! Free Towing! We’re Nationwide! Call Now: 1-888-416-2330. BUSINESS SERVICES ATTENTION MERCHANTS: Pay Zero Percent Processing Fees! Eliminate Monthly Merchant Processing Fees With Cash Discount! Boost Your Revenue! Find Out How! Call 866-422-7434 CashDiscounts.com EDUCATION Train online to do medical billing! Become a Medical Office Professional at CTI! Get trained & certified to work in months! 888-572-6790. (M-F 8-6 ET) HEALTH & FITNESS GENERIC VIAGRA and CIALIS! 100 Pills $99.00 FREE Shipping! 100% guaranteed. 24/7 CALL NOW! 888-889-5515 VIAGRA and CIALIS USERS! 50 Generic Pills SPECIAL $99.00 FREE Shipping! 100% guaranteed. 24/7 CALL NOW! 888-445-5928 Hablamos Espanol CASH FOR CARS: We Buy Any Condition Vehicle, 2002 and Newer. Nationwide Free Pick Up! Call Now: 1-800864-5960. Dental insurance - Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. Covers 350 procedures. Real insurance - not a discount plan. Get your free dental info kit! 1-888-623-3036 www. dental50plus.com/58 #6258 MISCELLANEOUS Viagra – Premium Generic Viagra(100mg) or Cialis (20mg) 100 Tablets for $99 Asthma Inhalers as low as $13 per inhaler FREE SHIPPING Satisfaction Guaranteed. (888)424-4908 or Visit: www. USAStayHealthy.com Hearing aids! Bogo free! High-quality rechargeable Nano hearing aids priced 90% less than competitors. Nearly invisible! 45-day money back guarantee! 833-669-5806 The Generac PWRcell solar plus battery storage system. Save money, reduce reliance on grid, prepare for outages & power your home. Full installation services. $0 down financing option. Request free no obligation quote. 1-855-270-3785 Thinking about installing a new shower? American Standard makes it easy. Free design consult.1-888-674-3005 today to see how to save $1,000 on installation or visit www.newshowerdeal.com/display HughesNet Satellite Internet – Finally, no hard data limits! Call Today for speeds up to 25mbps as low as $59.99/mo! $75 gift card, terms apply. 1-844-863-4478 GENERAC Standby Generators. The weather is increasingly unpredictable. Be prepared for power outages. FREE 7-year extended warranty ($695 value!) Schedule FREE in-home assessment. 1-844-334-8353 special financing if qualified. Eliminate gutter cleaning forever! LeafFilter, most advanced debris-blocking protection. Schedule free estimate. 15% off Purchase. 10% Senior & Military Discounts. Call 1-855-995-2490 Stay in your home longer with an American Standard Walk-In Bathtub. Receive up to $1,500 off, including a free toilet, and a lifetime warranty on the tub and installation! Call us at 1-855-534-6198 or visit www.walkintubquote. com/news Directv Now. No Satellite. $40/mo 65 Channels. Stream news, live events, sports & on demand titles. No contract/ commitment. 1-866-825-6523

[CARS/TRUCKS WANTED!!!] All Makes/Models 2002-2019! Any Condition. Running or Not. Competitive Offer! Free Towing! We're Nationwide! Call Now: 1-888-368-1016 GENERAL SERVICES/MISCELLANEOUS Want faster & Affordable Internet? Get internet service today with Earthlink. Best Internet & WiFi Plans. Call us Today to Get Started. Ask about our specials! 866-3960515 HEALTH/MEDICAL VIAGRA & CIALIS! 60 pills for $99. 100 pills for $150. FREE shipping. Money back guaranteed! 1-844-596-4376 Hearing Aids At Sensible Prices - Starting at $69.99 New Hearing Technology Available to Everyone! WiderSound® Hearing Aids bring you technologically advanced hearing aids. No prescription required! Visit http://bit.ly/ WiderSound4U and get yours today! Additional 15% off with this code EMP15 MISCELLANEOUS FOR SALE NEED IRS RELIEF $10K - $125K+ Get Fresh Start or Forgiveness. Call 1-844-431-4716 Monday through Friday 7 AM - 5 PM PST DISH TV $59.99 FOR 190 Channels + $14.95 High Speed Internet. Free Installation, Smart HD DVR Included, Free Voice Remote. Some restrictions apply. 1-855-270-5098. PEST CONTROL Find Pest Control Experts Near You! Don't let pests overtake your home. Protect your loved ones! Call today to find great deals on Pest Control Services - 833-872-0012 REAL ESTATE FOR SALE NEED TO SELL YOUR VACATION HOME OR HUNTING CAMP? Advertise it here and in neighboring publications. We can help you. Contact MACnet MEDIA @ 800-4506631 or visit our site at MACnetOnline.com WANTED AMERICAN & FOREIGN CLASSIC CARS AND MOTORCYCLES WANTED $$PAYING CA$H$$ KRMiller1965@yahoo.com 717-577-8206 MARYLAND STATEWIDE CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING NETWORK AUTOMOBILE DONATIONS DONATE AUTOS, TRUCKS, RVs Lutheran Mission Society of MD. Compassion Place ministries help local families with food, clothing, counseling. Tax deductible. MVA license #W1044. 410-636-0123, www.CompassionPlace.org BUSINESS SERVICES Increase the digital presence of your business! Contact MDDC Ad Services to receive a FREE Digital Footprint Consultation for your business from a TOP PERFORMING advertising agency! Call 443-508-1936, www.mddcadservices.com. FINANCIAL SERVICES Over $10K in Debt? Be debt free in 24 to 48 months. No upfront fees to enroll. A+ BBB rated. Call National Debt Relief 855-670-0681. HOME IMPROVEMENT SERVICES NEED NEW WINDOW TREATMENTS? Call Empire Today® to schedule a FREE in-home estimate on blinds & shades. Call Today! 866-479-2321. MISC. SERVICES BECOME A PUBLISHED AUTHOR! We edit, print and distribute your work internationally. We do the work… You reap the Rewards! Call for a FREE Author’s Submission Kit: 833-343-1370.

JANUARY 21 - 27, 2021 39

POLICE from Page 31 lation not only defunding the Metropolitan Police Department, but launching the D.C. Police Reform Commission, an entity responsible for drafting evidence-based recommendations for police reform. Within that same time, District young people were on the frontlines of protests at MPD’s 7th and 4th District headquarters in the aftermath of Deon Kay’s police-related death in Southeast and the police chase in Northwest that caused the collision killing Karon Hylton-Brown. Those incidents raised questions

Family, Friends Mourn the Death of Raymond Oland Diggs, 90 Lung Cancer?

Asbestos exposure in industrial, construction, manufacturing jobs, or the military may be the cause. Family in the home were also exposed. Call 1-866-795-3684 or email cancer@breakinginjurynews.com. $30 billion is set aside for asbestos victims with cancer. Valuable settlement monies may not require filing a lawsuit. Become a Published Author with Dorrance. We want to read your book! Our staff is made up of writers, just like you. We are dedicated to making publishing dreams come true. Trusted by authors for nearly 100 years, Dorrance has made countless authors’ dreams come true.

Complete Book Publishing Services FIVE EASY STEPS TO PUBLICATION: 1. Consultation

4. Distribution

2. Book Production 5. Merchandising and Fulfillment 3. Promotion

Call now to receive your FREE Author’s Guide

877-420-7280

or www.dorranceinfo.com/informer

Stay Informed!

www.washingtoninformer.com 40 - JANUARY 21 - 27, 2021

Mrs. Reba Diggs announces the recent death of her loving husband, Raymond O. Diggs, on Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020. He was the devoted father of Keith Diggs (Felecia) and Sharon Jenks (Anthony); cherished grandfather of Jessica Thomas, Quinton Lewis-Diggs, Kiara Lewis and Kelly Smith (William); and loving great-grandfather of Knowoye, Juliette, Emery and Kelina. A retired architectural engineer from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Ray spent his spare time helping friends and family and mentoring youth, producing many Eagle Scouts as the Scoutmaster of Troop 515, National Capital Area Council. Ray was also responsible for the design of three churches including the renovation of Metropolitan Baptist Church (R Street) in the District and Morning Star Baptist Church of Spring Grove, Virginia. He celebrated his 90th birthday with family on November 7, 2020. Always in my heart! Your loving wife of 68 years, Reba. Services were held Jan. 8 at Stewart Funeral Home. WI

MEMORIES from Page 27 should have been a bonanza for Inauguration Day. Instead of the $30 million in additional revenue that typically flows to local businesses with the change of power and $3 million in tax revenues for the city, D.C. is locked down, its streets controlled by an armed force, its monuments ringed by fences and razor wire. According to tourists and local patron’s reviews, they praised District Soul specialties such as crab fries, sweet potato hush puppies and fried catfish.

D.C. native Tammy Richards, who lives 10-minute walking distance from the Capitol, said her life was interrupted by the domestic terror attack and shutdown chaos that transpired in Washington. Richards said she sent her teenage son to live with some close friends to ensure his safety during the tumultuous time in Washington. Richards was traumatized too. “When I’m in the house, it is where I feel most secure,” said Richards. “I don’t hang around outside of where I live anymore.” Her daughter, Alex Richards,

about police accountability that have not gone away, even with MPD Chief Peter Newsham’s departure during the latter part of last year. Long before the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and countless others during the pandemic, District students flexed their activist muscles via their involvement in Pathways 2 Power, the Black Swan Academy, and other groups through which they detailed their firsthand experiences with neighborhood violence and lobbied D.C. council members for in-school mental health resources. As the founder and executive director of Black Swan Academy, Samantha P. Davis led young people, including Ramani Wilson, a young adult who co-moderated Saturday’s event with D.C. Youth Mayor Jay Mathews, in advocating for systemic change. As a DC Police Reform Commission member, Davis continues to agitate for changes within MPD. During Saturday’s discussion of more than two hours, she didn’t shy away from the “Defund the Police” mantra that has drawn the ire of public safety stalwarts. “A liberatory education framework includes the divestment of police and the investment of support systems that make us safe and a more equitable environment,” Davis said. “That’s needed now more than ever before. Young people have seen the harms and terrors of police right in our backyard like the killing of Deon Kay and Karon Hylton,” she continued. “When people are studying trauma, shootings are just as traumatic as 9/11. Sending young to schools after a year of trauma means they’ll carry anxiety and depression. We’re obligated to [see] that we’re not further traumatizing our young people.” WI @SamPKCollins who lives with her parents and works in D.C., called her experiences “heightened awareness” and that she has become accustomed to do her normal daily activities, from going to the grocery store to going to the gym. “Not only do I fear for what is to come tomorrow,” she said, “but I fear what the future holds after tomorrow.” The not knowing what the outcome will be after the inauguration amplifies fear across the city, from business owners to the locals that live in the District. WI

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

REYNOLDS from Page 24 and brown people are rising in influence and representation. So, the bloody war is on, where five people, including a Capitol Police officer, died, joining the hundreds of Black people who have been killed

by white cops and protected by white legislators. Unless this band of brotherhood is broken, much more bloodshed will follow. Security, no doubt will be efficiently organized to protect President Biden and Vice President Harris. But will the police be

there if the white terrorists, who the president called "patriots," turn their attention to Black voters, churches, and their communities? It is time white America looked in the mirror and see what is rising in their backgrounds. WI

FREE!

Savings Include an American Standard Right Height Toilet FREE! ($500 Value)

Walk-In Tubs

WALK-IN BATHTUB SALE! SAVE $1,500 ✔ Backed by American Standard’s 140 years of experience ✔ Ultra low entry for easy entering & exiting ✔ Patented Quick Drain® Technology ✔ Lifetime Warranty on the bath AND installation, INCLUDING labor backed by American Standard ✔ 44 Hydrotherapy jets for an invigorating massage

JACKSON from Page 24 cines. A survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that nearly one-half (48 percent) of Blacks and over one-third (38 percent) of Latinos were not confident that their needs had been taken into account in the development of the vaccines. "We know our history, and we understand from where this hesitancy comes," Dr. Corbett told the Chicago Sun-Times. "On the one hand, we are the communities most plagued by the pandemic. On the other hand, we are communities least likely to get vaccinated." Corbett's role in leading the development of the Moderna vaccine in itself should calm some of the fears. Both of the vaccines currently approved for emergency use — the Pfizer and Moder-

MORIAL from Page 24 cops, kill security guards, kill federal employees and agents." There were no National Guard troops in riot gear awaiting them. No military helicopters. There was no tear gas deployed as the mob shoved its way past barricades. Vastly outnumbered police stepped aside and allowed the mob to storm the Capitol. Metropolitan Police made only 61 "unrest-related" arrests on Jan. 6. U.S. Capitol Police arrested just over a dozen. Many Capitol Police executed their duty bravely and with honor. Officer Eugene Goodman, for example, is being hailed as a hero for luring a mob away from the Senate chamber. However, another officer did exactly the opposite, offering the rioters directions around the building as he donned a "Make America Great Again" cap. Jan. 6 may have been one of the most egregious examples, but it was certainly not the first. Again and again and again: In the eyes of far too many law enforcement officers, Black people are considered a threat simply for existing, while violent white people are cossetted,

na vaccines — have proven to be greater than 94 percent effective at preventing COVID-19 and even more effective at preventing severe cases. The clinical trials involved tens of thousands of participants, including people of diverse backgrounds, races, ages, gender and those with other ailments like diabetes. One in 10 of those tested were Black, numbering in the thousands. That reality enables scientists like Corbett to have confidence in treating African Americans with the vaccine. Racial violence plagues this country to this day. For the country to reach herd immunity, more than three in every four persons must be vaccinated. If African Americans or Latinos decline to be vaccinated, all will remain at risk. The past cannot be erased. But the present offers hope with Dr. Corbett's leadership provid-

ing reassurance. To help provide education on the need for vaccination, Rainbow Push has partnered with the National Medical Association, led by its president, Leon McDougle. NAM is the largest national organization representing African-American physicians and their patients. What's clear is that the scientific community and community leaders must reach out and work hard to ensure that African Americans gain the confidence to get vaccinated. This won't be easy. But with the leadership of Dr. Corbett and others, and with a new administration getting serious about providing the resources for mass vaccination and for outreach into the communities most impacted, lives can be saved. I was honored to receive my first dose, and I strongly urge others to join me. WI

protected, pampered and indulged. Even the author of the FBI report warning of the mob's murderous intent worried that a show of force might encroach on the rioters' free speech rights. Lt. Gen. Walter E. Piatt, director of the Army Staff, rebuffed requests for National Guard assistance because he didn't like "the visual" — a concern nowhere in evidence during Black Lives Matters protests. In fact, much of the violence at racial justice protests over the summer was instigated by white supremacists and far-right extremists, yet this violence was used to rationalize military-level crackdowns on peaceful protests. "Operation Relentless Pursuit" and "Operation Legend" — cynically named for a 4-year-old killed in a shooting that had no link to racial protests, sent federal officers to override local law enforcement in Black communities. Far from trying to contain a violent insurrection where the symbols of white supremacy were on full display, police officers are under investigation for actively participating. On Jan. 6, we witnessed a violent mob motivated by racial resentment,

by a conspiracy theory rooted in the effort to invalidate Black votes. The mob was met with empathy and deference from a law enforcement and military establishment that harbors white supremacists among its own ranks. The national reckoning over racially-motivated police misconduct and brutality that began this summer cannot move forward until the institutions entrusted with public safety and national security rid themselves of the cancer within. We cannot heed the hollow cries for "unity" from the very collaborators who fanned the flames of insurrection and promoted racist lies. You cannot cure cancer by ignoring it. It must be cut out and burned away. Reform efforts such as the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act are a necessary step, but only one part of the solution. We must use every means at our disposal to shine a light on racial injustice and fully commit, as a nation, to a zero tolerance policy with regard to white supremacy in law enforcement and the military. We are truly at a crossroads in America. The precedent we set here will have a profound impact on future generations. The world is watching. WI

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

Limited Time Offer! Call Today!

877-381-3271

Or visit: www.walkintubinfo.com/network

BE DEBT FREE in 24–48 months!

If you owe more than $10,000 in credit card or other debt, see how we can help. Call today:

1-888-318-8155 ACCREDITED BUSINESS ®

AIRLINE CAREERS Get FAA approved maintenance training at campuses coast to coast. Job placement assistance. Financial Aid for qualifying students. Military friendly. Call Aviation Institute of Maintenance

800-481-7894

JANUARY 21 - 27, 2021 41

Alan Amrhine, Communications Director Lutheran Mission Society "MDDC has connected donors with the LMS Vehicle Donation Program for over six years! Great exposure, cost effective, and Wanda is so helpful!" Call Wanda Smith, 410-212-2616 wsmith@mddcpress.com

Attention: VIAGRA & CIALIS Users There’s a More Affordable & Effective Alternative to U.S. Pharmacy High Prices! For discreet home delivery, CALL NOW!

800-995-1351

50 Pill Special:

Only $99 Plus Free Shipping!

Operators Available 24/7!

Pick a state! , any state MDDC Press works with fellow press associations across the country to give you the best possible buys on advertising wherever you need it. We take care of scheduling and placement at no extra cost to you, and you save time and money. Call Wanda Smith at ext. 6 today.

Press Service 2000 Capital Drive, Annapolis, MD 21401

Subscribe!

1-855-721-6332 www.mddcpress.com

There are many reasons to read The Washington Informer...

Each week you’ll get news from The District of Columbia, Prince George’s County, Montgomery County, and Northern Virginia. You will discover Arts and Entertainment, Social Tidbits, Religion, Sports, People’s Viewpoints, Letters to the Editor, Classified Ads and more! And best of all… No crime, no dirty gossip, just positive news and information each week, which is why… The Washington Informer is all about you! Name....................................................................................................... Address................................................................................................... City, State, Zip......................................................................................... Phone number (daytime)......................................................................... Yes! I want to subscribe for: n1 year/$45.00 n 2years/$60.00 Method of payment: n Check Enclosed n Visa/MasterCard Credit card number.................................................................................. Signature........................................................................................

42 - JANUARY 21 - 27, 2021

WILLIAMS from Page 25 and extra-legal obstacles that shut her out of the governor's mansion. Stacey lit a metaphorical fuse that brought explosive excitement to 2020. Another significant effort by a Black woman in 2020 was by LaTosha Brown, co-founder of the Black Voters Matter Fund. Few need to be told about voter suppression in remote areas of the South. LaTosha and members of BVM addressed this problem by hitting the road in their campaign bus. Clocking thousands

JEALOUS from Page 25 civil war by people who believed Trump's lies about the election being stolen from him and his supporters. It is impossible to ignore the difference between the light security at the Capitol on Jan. 6 and the massive shows of force that were brought out for Black Lives Matter protests and other marches. Did high-level law enforcement and military officials dismiss the threats from Trump supporters because they would be mostly white, because they were conservatives, because they were seen as allies of the law enforcement community? Their decisions left on-duty officers, as well as members of Congress,

ASKIA from Page 25 blackmail scheme. I'm not trying to shame anyone for choices they made in the past. All of us have done things we came to regret. But the idea a sordid former life is a requisite for status in our community is all kinds of ways crazy. I am angry that we have come to the place where bourgeois pursuits are now viewed as being superior to service to our people — even sacrificial service. We have got a whole generation of folks walking around today, in college, entering the job market, with money to spend, who were born after the Million Man March in 1995. "Atonement" and "reconciliation," who is into that anymore? And yet, those are the principles of humility and spiritual duty, that we need to defeat the three evils which Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

of miles, they crisscrossed highways throughout the south educating and registering voters who would've otherwise missed the opportunity to vote. Looking forward, we can extend congratulations to the Black women who've been appointed to serve in the Biden-Harris administration. We must be equally proud of Marcia Fudge as secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Linda Thomas-Greenfield as ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice as leader of the Domestic Policy Council, Cecilia Rouse as chair of the Council of

Economic Advisors and many others who'll serve using the full measure of their skills and experience to "Build Back Better." Let's congratulate our sisters for preparing themselves for just such a time as this. We know the truth, but few outside the "Beloved Community" will agree that throughout the history of our nation, Black people, especially Black women, have been found near the center of most struggles and most successes of our nation. Black women have never faltered in meeting our challenges. WI

vulnerable. It was a fatal mistake. Or was it something worse? The history of lynchings and racist mob violence in this country is also a history of complicity by law enforcement officials. Sometimes police officers led the violence, as they did at the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Sometimes they were conveniently absent, as they were when Freedom Riders were left open to attack by an angry mob. We are about to have new leadership at the Justice Department. And we have congressional leaders who are motivated to get the truth about what happened at the Capitol and to hold people accountable. We the people have a role to play, too. We must demand that public officials not sacrifice ac-

countability in the name of a false unity being called for by people who promoted the lies that fed rioters' anger. And we can honor Dr. King, the late John Lewis, and the other civil rights heroes we lost this year, by remaining alert and ready to resist the inevitable new attacks on voting rights that will come from politicians who are unhappy with the outcome of the 2020 elections and are desperate, like Donald Trump, to hang on to power. And speaking of power, let's celebrate another historical milestone this week: the swearing-in of Kamala Harris, a Black woman and daughter of immigrants, to serve as the vice president of the United States. Congratulations, Madam Vice President. WI

We will never change the wicked and corrupt American Capitalist system from inside it, no matter how many of us rise to become even countless CEOs. warned us against — racism, poverty and war. On the racism tip, we can hardly look around and not see folks who would be designated as Black, who now self-identify as "biracial." I get that. They face colorism-consciousness in the Black community. It often even tears families apart. But those folks now self-segregate themselves away from other Black people, diluting out unity, weakening our solidari-

ty. Going according to those rules, we would have lost the service of some of our greatest, light-skinned leaders, who because of white racism and segregation, might never have served our cause. So, I'm hoping to see more commitment to the elevation of the masses of our people from the mud of Western Civilization, through unity, and self-determination, and collective work and responsibility and cooperative economics. We will never change the wicked and corrupt American Capitalist system from inside it, no matter how many of us rise to become even countless CEOs. No. that system will corrupt us and we will prove ourselves useless to our own salvation. Let's study and emulate our militant role models. Let's teach our young to try to be like them. I'm certain we'll be glad we did. WI

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

JANUARY 21 - 27, 2021 43

44 - JANUARY 21 - 27, 2021

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM