Issuu

Vol. 55, No. 15 • January 23 - 29, 2020

Martin Luther King, Jr. Essay Contest Winners / Page 32

Thousands Converge in Southeast for 14th Annual MLK Parade 5 Rev. Dr. Timothy Steward (2nd right), president of the Progressive National Baptist Church, presents Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (DTX 18th District) the MLK Award during the Progressive National Baptist Church Mid-Winter Board Meeting in San Antonio, Texas on Monday, January 20. (Roy Lewis/The Washington Informer)

MLK, Nannie Helen Burroughs and ‘God’s School on the Hill’ By Sam P.K. Collins WI Contributing Writer @SamPKCollins The leaders of the Progressive National Baptist Convention (PNBC) spent much of this week in San Antonio at a mid-winter board meeting that started on the annual holiday 5 Mayor Muriel Bowser and Martin Luther King III, along with his wife and daughter, lead the 2020 King Parade on Martin Luther King Avenue in Southeast on Monday, January 20. (Shevry Lassiter/The Washington Informer)

By Hamil R. Harris WI Contributing Writer The 14th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Peace Walk and Parade in D.C. on Monday exceeded expectations as the son of the slain civil rights icon and his family walked through Southeast with Mayor Muriel Bowser and a joyful procession of thousands. The parade, held on the annual national holiday honoring King, featured the city’s elected officials followed by military units, marching bands, veteran cheerleaders and a large contingent of masons from the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia. Bowser tweeted at the start of the event,

“Today we march for peace, for justice, for equality and for the dream that one day 704,000 Washingtonians will have equal representation.” King’s son Martin Luther King III, who took part in the parade, tweeted, “Today we marched for the rights of all humanity. It was a pleasure to join Mayor Bowser in Washington D.C.” King also placed a wreath at his father’s monument in Southwest after attending the annual MLK breakfast sponsored by the National Action Network. The parade started at noon and proceeded down Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue through downtown Anacostia and up the hill to the campus of the old St. Elizabeths Hospital, where it passed a

reviewing stand and joined a health and community fair. Despite freezing temperatures, parade participants young and old marched with vigor while others rode in cars or atop flatbed trucks. There were also military units from Marines and Coast Guard, the latter of which is headquartered in Southeast. “The day is really about reflection — what the dream was and what the dream is, what we have achieved and what we haven’t achieved,” said D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson. “And frankly, we have slipped backwards.” The final band in the parade was from Ballou Senior High School, led by alumni pom-pom team members and the ma-

KING Page 35

honoring the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., beloved civil rights figure and pivotal member of the historic organization. While participants, as they have done in years past, paid homage to the late Dr. King,

BURROUGHS Page 29

President Trump’s Contentious Impeachment Trial Begins By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer @StacyBrownMedia Impeachment is expected to dominate the news cycle with proceedings officially kicking off in the Senate this week. CNN, among other news outlets, predicted last week that Senate leaders were preparing for a contentious opening session that could send the chamber into a

closed session as Democrats try to force the GOP into accepting witness testimony and documents to be produced during the trial. The outlet cited “multiple senators and other sources familiar with the planning.” They said Democrats would try to amend the organizing resolution offered by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Under

IMPEACHMENT Page 38

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

T:9.875 in

T:10.935 in

It’s not just Black entertainment, it’s Black excellence. Your search is over. Just say, “Black Film & TV,” into your X1 Voice Remote to find the best in Black entertainment. Enjoy hit and classic TV shows, blockbuster movies, past and present, even catch up-and-coming talent from Black Film festivals and more. Best of all, with the X1 Voice Remote, you can search for your favorite entertainment with your voice — including Netflix, YouTube and Pandora. With Xfinity, Black entertainment is simple, easy, awesome.

Visit xfinity.com/discovermore to learn more.

97.9600

2 - JANUARY 23 - 29, 2020

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM CLIENT

COMCAST

FILE NAME: CMCCO19101M24_9.875X10.935_WashingtonInformer_MLK_v02.indd

APPROVAL

Around the Region............ 4-11 PG County....................... 12-13 Business............................ 14-15 National............................ 16-17

MLK Celebration features Chaka Khan Lifestyle / Page 28

International.........................18

Marquette Knocks Off Georgetown Sports / Page 37

Health ............................. 20-21 Education ....................... 22-23 OpEd................................ 25-27 Lifestyle.......................... 32-36 Sports .................................. 37 Religion................................. 39

Book Review

Lifestyle / Page 36

SHOW OPENS

TOMORROW

RUNS THROUGH SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2

WALTER E. WASHINGTON CONVENTION CENTER WASHINGTON, DC

January 24â€“ February 2, 2020 For more information and to buy tickets, visit:

WashingtonAutoShow.com

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

JANUARY 23 - 29, 2020 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 STAFF additional mailing offices. News and advertising deadline is Monday prior to pubD. Kevin McNeir, Editor lication. Announcements must be receivedIn Memoriam Ron Burke, Advertising/ Marketing Director two weeks prior to event. CopyrightDr. 2016 Calvin Shevry W. Rolark, Sr. Lassiter, Photo Editor by The Washington Informer. All rights Wilhelmina J. RolarkBarnes, IV, Assistant Photo Editor Lafayette reserved. POSTMASTER: Send change John E. De(ISSN#0741-9414) Freitas, Sports Photo Editor of addresses to The Washington Inform- NEWSPAPER THE WASHINGTON INFORMER is published Dorothy Rowley, Online Editor er, 3117 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E. weekly on Thursday. Periodicals postage paid at Washington, D.C. and additional ZebraDesigns.net, Design & Layout Washington, D.C. 20032. No part of this mailing News and without advertising deadline is Monday prior to publication. publication mayoffices. be reproduced Mable Neville, Bookkeeper be received prior to event. Copyright by The writtenAnnouncements permission frommust the publisher. Thetwo weeks Dr. Charles Vincent, Social 2000 Sightings Washington Informer. All rights the reserved.columnist POST MASTER: Send change of addressInformer Newspaper cannot guarantee return esoftophotographs. Subscription The Washington Informer,rates 3117 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave.,Media S.E. Washington, Tatiana Moten, Social Specialist are $45D.C. per year, twoNo years $60. will 20032. part of Papers this publication may beJohnson, reproducedCirculation without written permisAngie be received not more than a week after pubsion from the payable publisher. lication. Make checks to: The Informer Newspaper cannot guarantee the return of

The Washington Informer Newspaper

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

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

www.washingtoninformer.com

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

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 23 - 29, 2020

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

Revive Lawsuit Against law enforcement. She said they threat,” Ranks Firstsheinsaid.Job Growth had come together to bring a Among the programs Marlow Census Bureau sense of uniformity in thePrince way George’s wants to see implemented are

By Tia Carol Jones WI Staff Writer

When L.Y. Marlow's 23-year- domestic violence victims and stricter restraining order policies, County officials Two yearstold ago,her the the national and it’s old daughter fatherNAACP survivors arePrince treated. have toutedmore the rights for victim's families George’s County branch and the county government of her daughter threatened her “She's using her own majority personal to intervene on behalf of a vicBlack sued thethe U.S.life Census Bureau for lack of resources life, and of their child, story, her ownand personal pain to tim, a domestic violence assessjurisdiction would limited to accurately upcoming 2020Davis-Nickens ment unit coupled with further she knewstaff something had conduct to be the push forward,” become a top Census count nationally April 1. The budone. Out of that her begins frustration said about Marlow. training for law enforcement creator in reaulaw began an early count this week Davis-Nickens in Toksook Bay, said job with enforcement's handling anyone agencies, a Child's Life Protecthe D.C. because she of itsdecided remotetolocation icy Marlow's terrain ofAlaska, the situation, whoand reads book will region. tion Act and mandatory counselWell, data ing comwhere mainly snowmobiles are used as transportation. start the Saving Promise cam- “get it.” She said she “puts the for batterers. piled by George The bureau published an ad campaign not only to hire paign. case in such a way, the average “If we are ever going to eradiMason more workers, use digital since willShe said “It seems to bebut a vicious cyclemethods person canthis get it.” at the Univercate domestic violence, we must sity’s will Stephen be the first Census wherefamily people can on-the book that won't turn my endbeofcounted the day, lookS.at both sides of the coin. Fuller Institute loose,” Marlow Marlow line. That doesn’tsaid. sit well with the plaintiffs, especially help people begin to have a dia- We in need to address both the vicArlington, tim Vir-and the batterer,” Marlow shared her story with the audithe $1 billion Congress already allocated. logue “The aboutgoverndomestic violence. ginia,was showssaid. they ence at plans the and District Heightsfor theAlso ment’s preparations 2020present Census… at the event are Domestic Violence Symposium themaking ex- a case. are so conspicuously deficient as toMildred extend farMuhammad, beyond Marlow would also like to see Prince George’s onthe May 7 at of thepast District Heights wife of John Allen programs designed to raise failures censuses and violate defendants’ con- Muhammad, the topawareness spot Municipal The sympowas sentenced consecamong children in stitutionalCenter. duty to conduct an actualwho enumeration,” ac- to sixtook sium wasto the sponsored theof anutive Marylandpublic with 2,331 jobs in schools. the first half life terms and private She of 2019. cording suit. “Theby effects inaccurate censuswithoutin parole Family and Youth Services Montgomery County came in second at 2,165. The by a Maryland jury for his role in feels children need to be educatwill be felt across the country, and especially in places Center of the city of District institute also noted Prince George’s stood number one the Beltway Sniper attacks in ed about domestic violence. like Prince George’s County, Maryland that are home Heights and the National Hook- 2002. Mildred Muhammad is in that category in 2017 more being than 6,500 “We havewith to stop pas- jobs creto many hardUp of Blackpeople. Women. the founder of After the ated. Trauma, poor came chil- from leiOne ofsive-aggressive the county’s topwith industries to-count Marlow has written a book, an organization that helps the hospitality, dren about domestic sure and mainly sparked violence,” by MGM National Such a dramatic “Color Me Butterfly,” which is a survivors of domestic Harbor violenceand Casino Marlowwhen said. it opened December 2016. In undercount will story about four generations of and their children. Marlow has workedcollege to break addition, the county’s community established a especially dilute domestic violence. The book is “I lived in fear for six years. Six the cycle of abuse in her family, culinary arts school and partnered with MGM. The Fullthe votes of rainspired by her own experiences, years in fear is a long time. It is and is confident the policies she er Institute did note one key element: wages. In 2018, cial and ethnic and those of her grandmother, not an easy thing to come out annual is pushing for$58,219 will start that George’s the average salary of in Prince minorities, deher mother and her daughter. of,” she said. ranked sixthprocess. in Maryland. Between 2001 to 2018, the prive their com-time she reads She said every Mildred Muhammad saidsalary was “I plan to take these policies average $56,955. During the sametotimeframe munities of critiexcerpts from her book, she still people who want to inhelp a Congress and implore them to neighboring Montgomery County, the average salcalnot federal funds, can believe the words came domestic violence victim must change our laws,” Marlow said. ary came to $71,500. In 2018, the jurisdiction ranked and her. undervalue from “Color Me Butterfly” be careful of how they go into “I will not stop until these polinumber one with an average salary of $75,650 thanks theirthe voices won 2007andNational “Best the victim's life, and understand cies are passed.” to employers such as National Institutes of Health, Holy interests in the Books” Award. that she may be in “survival be reached Cross Hospital Tia and Carol WalterJones Reedcan National Military Medpolitical arena.” “I was just 16-years-old when mode”. at tiacaroljones@sbcglobal.net ical Center. my eye first blackened and my “Before you get to 'I'm going lips bled,” Marlow said. to kill you,' it started as a verbal WI Elaine Davis-Nickens, president of the National Hook-Up of Black Women, said there is no Sherrilyn A. Ifill will receive the Choral Arts Humanitarian Award consistency in the way domestic on Jan. 26. The award is presented annually to an individual who emviolence issues are dealt with by bodies the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s message of nonviolent struggle for civil rights, equality and justice. Each year an extraordinary recipient is selected and honored by The Choral Arts Society of Washington at Living the Dream…Singing the Dream, the annual choral tribute to the legacy of Dr. King and co-presented by The Choral Arts Society of Washington and Washington Performing Arts. The annual choral tribute brings the combined forces of more than 300 voices celebrating the power of music and the triumph of the human spirit in a concert that celebrates the past and embraces the hope of the future. Ifill is the president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc., the nation’s premier civil rights law organization fighting for racial justice and equality. Founded in 1940 by legendary civil rights lawyer (and later Supreme Court justice) Thurgood Marshall, it became a separate organization from the NAACP in 1957. The lawyers at the Legal Defense Fund developed and executed the legal strategy that led to the Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. Board of Education, widely regarded as the most transformative and monumental legal decision of the 20th century. Ifill is the second woman to lead the organization.

“

Sherrilyn Ifill to Receive Choral Arts Humanitarian Award

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 Prince George’s County NAACP, Prince George’s

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

L.Y. Marlow

Blacks’ Role in Anti-War Movement Remains Hazy

By Lindiwe Vilakazi WI Contributing Writer On Jan. 10, anti-war organization CodePink hosted a nationwide protest to rally against sending U.S. troops into the Middle East. Though protesters converged on Capitol Hill in droves, there seemed to be a lack of African Americans in the crowd, begging the question: Do Blacks have the same interest in international affairs as their fellow citizens? The nation’s capital is a melting pot of citizens, many of whom are transplants from various countries and cities. The city’s diversity includes the vast difference in socioeconomic standing, safety and lifestyle within the District. Some residents trust in the security of the current administration, while others have never truly felt protected. “I feel pretty safe in D.C.,” said a man only identifying himself as Spencer, who formerly worked on Capitol Hill for six years. “I feel like we have a strong military. I think our foreign policy is not as it should be under our current administration, but I feel like we have a lot of bright minds working for the State Department, and I think that they’ll make the right decision inevitably.” Other residents of varying cultures, some with strong veteran backgrounds, also express confidence in the country’s decisions. “I personally feel pretty safe, I feel like we have a well-rounded government,” said Goseph Alvarado, who works in the District. “It’s not like just one person can say something and that’s the way it goes. We gather intelligence and based on what we have gathered, we consider how large the threat may be and whether we should take action on it or not. Us not taking action against a real threat, really ends up us placing ourselves once again, against like a 9/11 situation.” Numerous D.C. natives have quite a different perspective than Alvarado’s, however. Many residents live just miles from Capitol Hill, but weather violent circumstances on a daily basis in their neighborhoods. The city saw six murders in just the first six days of the new year. Northeast resident Emerald Dunkin does not share the same inter-

AROUND THE REGION Advertise with the

Washington Informer - 2020 Black History Month Special Sections Publication Dates: Thursday, February 6th; February 13th; February 20th; and February 27th Advertising Deadline: Thursday prior to publication Full Page AD: $3000

5 (L-R) Joaquin Phoenix (Joker) and Dr. Omekongo Dibinga march Friday, Jan. 10, against the war in Iran where notably only a few African Americans attended. (Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer)

est in foreign relations, but rather what immediately affects the well-being of her community. Dunkin said the recent trials of impeachment against President Trump have been of much more concern to her than the proposed war on Iran. “I feel some type of way about the impeachment. I feel more about that than the war,” she said. Dunkin recalled the government shutdown of December 2018 and how it affected residents in their daily lives. She referenced several domestic issues, including the proposed U.S.-Mexico border wall, that captured her attention more than the war debate. “People were stealing groceries from other people because [Trump] shut the government down,” Dunkin said. “Now this war, with all the International things, honestly, Black people don’t even care. They don’t even care about each other.” Evidently, the D.C. experience strikes differently for transient Washingtonians than for natives. Alvarado encourages individuals to keep an open mind when considering these political issues and to research broadly. “We need to kind of pay more attention to what’s currently going on in our community,” Alvarado said. “I feel like political parties are really carrying out their own agendas and it’s up to us to go ahead and make sure we keep an independent mind state and really look at all outlets of media. That way, there is no bias in how you feel based on how somebody else feels or what their agenda may be. I think it’s really important to be independently-minded and not always be influenced by what others portray things to be.” WI

Contact: Ron Burke rburke@washingtoninformer.com (202) 561-4100

YOUR MULTIMEDIA COMMUNITY NEWS AGENCY.

washingtoninformer.com

The Washington Convention and Sports Authority (t/a Events DC) The Washington Convention and Sports Authority (t/a Events DC) is soliciting proposals from qualified contractors to provide Surface Refinishing & Restoration Services for the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Interested parties can view a copy of the Invitation for Bid (IFB) by accessing the Event DC’s E-procurement website at www.wcsapex.com and opening APEX BID #20-S-011-632. Key Dates Pre-Bid Conference Date 10:00 AM EST, February, 4, 2020 IFB Questions Due Date: 05:00 PM EST, February 7, 2020 IFB Response Due Date: 12:00 PM NOON, EST, February 27, 2020

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

JANUARY 23 - 29, 2020 5

AROUND THE REGION

black facts

JAN 23 - 29, 2020 SOURCE: BLACK AMERICA WEB

JAN. 23

1891 – African-American surgeon Daniel Hale Williams founds Provident Hospital — the nation’s first non-segregated hospital — in Chicago. 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. 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. 1993 – Gospel music legend Thomas Dorsey dies in Chicago at 93.

becoming the first Black presidential candidate for a JAN. 24 major political party. 1885 – Martin R. Delaney, an early proponent of 1980 – Black Entertainment Black nationalism and one of the first three Black people Television (BET), a cable admitted to Harvard Medical School, dies of tuberculosis television network launched in Wilberforce, Ohio, at 73. by Robert L. Johnson, 1993 – Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American begins broadcasting. Supreme Court justice, dies of heart failure in Bethesda, Maryland, at 84.

FULL-SERVICE SIGN & ADVERTISING SOLUTIONS Professional VISUAL BRANDING INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS to help grow your business

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

Stacey Brown “Chief Image Builder”

stacey@signarama-silverspring.com

JAN. 26

JAN. 25

1938 – Famed soul singer Etta James (top right) is born in Los Angeles. 1950 – Novelist Gloria Naylor, best known for her book “The Women of Brewster Place,” is born in New York City. 1972 – Shirley Chisholm formally announces her bid for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination,

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

1892 – Bessie Coleman, the first African-American pilot, is born in Atlanta, Texas. 1944 – Political activist, academic scholar and author Angela Davis is born in Birmingham, Alabama. 1948 – Executive Order 9981 is issued by President Harry S. Truman, abolishing racial discrimination in the U.S. Armed Forces. 1958 – R&B singer Anita Baker is born in Toledo, Ohio. 1990 – Elaine Weddington Steward is named assistant general manager of the Boston Red Sox, becoming the first-ever Black woman executive in Major League Baseball.

JAN. 27

MBE/DBE Certified | Woman-Owned Business

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

JAN. 28

“THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD”

1960 – Famed African-American novelist Zora Neale Hurston, author of “Their Eyes Were Watching God,” dies in Fort Pierce, Florida, at age 69 of complications from a stroke. 1970 – Tennis great Arthur Ashe is denied entry to compete on the U.S. team for the South African Open tennis championships due to his stance on South Africa’s racial policies.

JAN. 29

1954 – Entertainment mogul Oprah Winfrey is born in Kosciusko, Mississippi. WI

6 - JANUARY 23 - 29, 2020

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”

The announcement of this year’s Academy Awards nominations has reignited the #OscarsSoWhite movement criticizing the lack of diversity among the nominees. What are your thoughts?

FREE ESTIMATES! / Office: 301-248-3325

FINISHED BASEMENT

DECK

Financing Available 90-day Deferment Payment

ANDRE DUPUIS /

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Let’s forget their approval and create our own Oscar-type thing. I am never surprised at their rejection of us. That is what America is all about. ADDITION & 4 SEASON SUN ROOM

KHARI BIAS / NEW YORK CITY

Peep it, though — look how they nominated Cynthia Erivo for that horrible fictional adaptation movie “Harriet”!

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

SIONAL PROFES LERS TA INS L home g in A+ Ratinment from improve r Business the Bette r 15 years Bureau fo ight stra

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

ADDITION

KITCHEN

Visit our website today at: www.fortwashingtonhomecontractors.com

$2500 off

Up to Sunrooms & Additions

CARL JONES /

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Still waiting for “The Tyler Perry Awards” From Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta, Georgia!

15% off Any Service

Purchase today and receive FREE cable outlet and FREE A/C & Heating Unit

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

For Senior Citizens Extra 5% Off

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

Purchase 50-year shingle roof today and receive free gutters or leaf guard

CAPITOL ENTERTAINMENT SERVICES, INC. DC DRIVING/WALKING TOURS APP

ATYRIA CLARK /

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

Here we go with more crying and complaining about the Oscars while steady watching it and giving it ratings and support.

TOUR 1

Overview of American History Tour

TOUR 3

National Monuments & Memorials Tour

TOUR 4

White House Promenade Tour

TOUR DC ON YOUR OWN SCHEDULE FOR $4.99!

CAROL WILLIAMS / WASHINGTON, D.C.

I love Lupita [Nyong’o] and she’s a fantastic actor, but I never thought her role in “Us” was Oscar-worthy. Also, we need more Black films with brilliant scripts, so that we can compete.

TOUR 2

Capitol Hill/ Pennsylvania Avenue Tour

Enjoy interesting driving and walking tours using the Washington, DC Driving/Walking Tours App. The GPS tour guide app automatically plays the tour site audio as you drive or walk past the tour site using your smart phone. The 4 tours include over 60 tour site audio and videos that can be played during the tour or at home. DOWNLOAD IN THE APP STORE OR GOOGLE PLAY

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

JANUARY 23 - 29, 2020 7

AROUND THE REGION BREAKING NEWS

AG Racine Sues Presidential Inaugural Committee, Trump Entities For Abusing Nonprofit Funds To Enrich Trump Family

(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

jmccollum@jmlaw.net

Attorney General Karl A. Racine announced on Tuesday, Jan. 22 a lawsuit against the 58th Presidential Inaugural Committee and two entities that own or control the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C. for abusing nonprofit funds to enrich the Trump family. In its lawsuit, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) alleges that the Inaugural Committee, a nonprofit corporation, coordinated with the Trump family to grossly overpay for event space in the Trump International Hotel. Although the Inaugural Committee was aware that it was paying far above market rates, it never considered less expensive alternatives, and even paid for space on days when it did not hold events. The Committee also improperly used non-profit funds to throw a private party for the Trump family costing several hundred thousand dollars. OAG’s lawsuit seeks to recover the amount improperly paid to the Trump Hotel, and to direct those funds to suitable nonprofit purposes. “District law requires nonprofits to use their funds for their stated public purpose, not to benefit private individuals or companies,” AG Racine said. “In this case, we are seeking to recover the nonprofit funds that were improperly funneled directly to the Trump family business.”

The 58th Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) is a tax-exempt organization registered to do business in the District of Columbia. The PIC served as the primary vehicle for planning and organizing activities around the 2017 Presidential Inauguration of Donald J. Trump. The PIC’s bylaws prohibit it from using its funds for unreasonable expenses or to benefit private interests. The Trump Organization LLC is a New York-based corporation founded and run by the Trump family, with major real estate interests that include the Trump Hotel in the District. President Trump and his family are the primary beneficiaries of the Trump Organization’s profits. OAG’s investigation found that Rick Gates, a Trump associate tapped to serve as Deputy Chairman of the PIC, personally managed discussions with the Trump Hotel about using event space, including the ballroom and meeting rooms, for allegedly official Inaugural events. As part of its investigation, OAG discovered that one of the PIC’s key event planners, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, raised concerns about the Trump Hotel’s event pricing with President-elect Trump, Gates, and Ivanka Trump. This included issuing a written warning to Gates and Ivanka Trump that the Hotel’s final price proposal was at least twice the market rate. Despite this warning, Gates allowed the PIC to enter into a contract with the Trump Hotel for four days of event space at a total cost of $1.03 million, an amount

far above even the Hotel’s own internal pricing guidelines. OAG also found that the Trump Hotel went against industry practice and its own policy in refusing to offer the PIC discounted event space, even though the PIC arranged to book a sizable portion of the hotel’s available guest rooms. Further, on one of the days the PIC reserved event space, the Hotel double-booked its largest ballroom with a different organization—the Presidential Inaugural Prayer Breakfast. Although both organizations are nonprofits, the Prayer Breakfast paid only $5,000 for use of the ballroom, while the PIC still paid the day’s full event space rate of $175,000. Gates, with Ivanka Trump’s knowledge, also allowed the PIC’s nonprofit funds to pay for a private after-hours party for the Trump family at their Hotel, even after PIC staff initially canceled this event over concerns of improper use of funds. Gates allowed the event to move forward after Trump Hotel staff complained that canceling it would hurt the Hotel’s bottom line.

The World According to Dominic will return next week.

IDEAS WANTED

Apps • Beauty • Electronics • Housewares • Medical Pets • Tools • Lawn and Garden • Toys and more!

Call 844-260-4135 for our FREE Idea Starter Guide. 100% Confidential • Davison charges fees for services

8 - JANUARY 23 - 29, 2020

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

AROUND THE REGION

District Election Roundup By James Wright WI Staff Writer

EDUCATION, NOT POLITICS MOTIVATES REID’S CANDIDACY

Carlene Reid wants to serve the residents of Ward 8 as its representative on the D.C. State Board of Education and makes it clear she doesn’t want to be a career politician. “I have looked at the history of the Ward 8 board of education seat,” Reid said. “It seems to be a springboard to other political positions and that’s not what I am about. I don’t have any other aspirations politically. I just want Ward 8 schools to be the best that they can be and for the students to get the best education possible.” Reid indirectly refers to Council member Trayon White (D-Ward 8), who served on the D.C. State Board of Education from 2012 to 2014, and current Ward 8 board representative Markus Batchelor, currently running for an at-large council seat. Reid said not having further political aspirations will sharpen her focus on advocating for the ward’s schools. She said that as a member of the board, she will urge her colleagues, members of the D.C. Council and Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) to put more money and resources into Ward 8 schools. “Equal funding from the District government will not do for our schools,” she said. “What we need is equity. As a result, on the board I will work to bring grants and technical assistance to our schools, staff, teachers and students that are needed.” Her campaign slogan, “Let’s Reid: An Educator for SBOE,” reflects her passion in education, she said. She has an education-focused academic background with a bachelor’s of arts degree in communicative sciences and disorders with honors from Hampton University, a master’s of science degree in speech-language pathology from Florida State University and a doctorate in education leadership and management from Drexel University. Reid said that if elected, she

MORE FOR YOUR THING.

will put her academic accomplishments and her 15 years in the education field to work for Ward 8 residents through community conversations in which residents will discuss what occurs at individual schools and actively reaching out to working parents to ensure their voice will be heard in the education process.

FOR A LIMITED TIME, GET A $250 AT&T VISA® REWARD CARD* WHEN YOU BUY A SMARTPHONE ON AT&T NEXT!† Req’s installment agmt & new line of svc on elig. postpaid voice plan (min. $45/mo. after discounts start w/in 2 bills). AT&T Door to Door and Local Service Providers only. *Limited-Time Offer. Req’s port-in. AT&T Door to Door and Local Service Providers on Claim w/in 75 days. $30 Activation, add’l fees, taxes & other charges, & restr’s apply. See below for details.

Call us, your AT&T Preferred Dealer. IV SUPPORT HOLDINGS LLC

866-771-1642

www.250reward.com/inform

*$250 Reward Card Offer: Limited Time Offer. Smartphone: Buy any new smartphone on AT&T Next or AT&T Next Every Year installment agmt w/ elig. postpaid wireless voice & data svc (minimum $50/mo. afterAutoPay and Paperless billing discount. Pay $60/mo. until discount starts within 2 bills.). Upgrades excluded. If svc is cancelled, remaining installment agmt balance is due. Down payment may be req’d. Tax due at sale. Activation Fee: $30. Return: Return w/in 14 days. Restocking fee up to $45 may apply. Purchase, financing, other limits & restr’s apply. Visit att.com/next for plan details. Reward Card Redemption req’d.: Will be sent letter with redemption requirements. Redemption req’d w/in 75 days from notification mail date. Reward Card(s) delivered within 3-4 weeks afterredemption to customers who maintain qualifying eligible service(s) for minimum of 30 days from activation date and through reward fulfillment. Card expires at month-end 6 months afterissuance. No cash access. For cardholder agreement, go to rewardcenter.att.com/myreward/agreementFSV.pdf. AT&T Reward Card issued by U.S. Bank National Association, pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A., Inc. Limits: 1 Visa Reward Card per line of service. May not be combinable with certain other offers, discounts, or credits. GEN. WIRELESS SVC: Subj. to Wireless Customer Agmt (att.com/wca). Credit approval required. Deposit: May apply. Limits: Purch. & line limits apply. Prices may vary by location. Taxes, fees, monthly, other charges, usage, speed, coverage & other restr’s apply per line. See att.com/additionalcharges for details on fees & charges. International and domestic off-net data may be at 2G speeds. AT&T service is subject to AT&T network management policies. See att.com/broadbandinfo for details. Promotions, terms & restr’s subject to change & may be modified or terminated at any time without notice. ©2019 AT&T Intellectual Property. All Rights Reserved. AT&T, Globe logo, and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. All other marks are the property of their respective owners

NORTON AGAIN SEEKS REELECTION

Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D) has represented the District in the U.S. Congress since 1991 and wants voters to reelect her for another two-year term. The delegate made it clear to supporters at her campaign kickoff at The Eleanor DC in Northeast on Jan. 11 that her work on Capitol Hill wasn’t finished. Jacqueline Pelt, who coordinates the Citizens for Norton organization, told The Informer the delegate talked about the possibility of H.R. 51 — her bill making the District the 51st state-passing in the U.S. House of Representatives as well as mentioning her seniority in the House and chairing the Highways and Transit subcommittee, the largest panel of its type in the chamber. Pelt said Norton also mentioned being ranked the “most effective House Democrat” in the Republican-led 116th Congress by the Center for Effective Lawmaking. Since her first election, Norton hasn’t been seriously threatened for reelection.

DAVE CHAPPELLE ENDORSES YANG FOR PRESIDENT

District native and internation-

DESIGNER EYEWEAR

PHONE: 202-526-0300 FAX: 202-526-0233

5 Dr. Carlene Reid is a candidate for the Ward 8 position on the D.C. State Board of Education. (Courtesy photo)

ally-known comedian Dave Chappelle announced on Jan. 14 his support of Democratic presidential candidate Andrew M. Yang. “I’m Yang Gang,” Chappelle said in a release sent out by the Yang campaign. Yang said he welcomes Chappelle’s support. “David is one of the most important voices in our country today and I’m thrilled he has thrown his support behind this campaign,” Yang said. “He and I share similar concerns about the future and hopes for what it could be. We are also parents who see the world that we are leaving to our kids and believe they deserve better.” WI

IDEAS WANTED!

Get Your Free Inventor’s Guide

CALL 800-353-6102 NOW Helping inventors and idea people since 1989.

Davison charges fees for services

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

EYE EXAMS: Tues, Thurs & Fri: 11am-3:30pm walk ins available

STORE HOURS: Mon - Fri: 9am - 5:30pm Closed for lunch: 12:30pm - 1:10pm

25% OFF

OF SELECT FRAMES WITH MENTION OF THIS AD FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED AT YOUR SERVICE FOR OVER 40 YEARS

Accepting United Health PPO, HSCSN & DC Medicaid (Straight only) 3610 12th Street, NE - Washington, DC 20017

New Life Wellness Center featuring

Colon Hydrotherapy & Aqua Chi Detox System Where Have You Been? It’s Time for Your HEALING &

202.544.9595

426 8th St. SE – 2nd Floor WDC 20003 www.newlifewellnesscenter.com Email: carmelvoice@aol.com

Hours: 7am – 7pm M - F / 7am – 12pm SAT. Walk Ins Welcome

SPECIAL $59 OFFER – CALL FOR DETAILS JANUARY 23 - 29, 2020 9

AROUND THE REGION CAPTURE THE MOMENT Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY, 5th District) pays tribute to John Conyers and the work he did while serving the needs of the people in his district and throughout the nation including his work to establish the MLK holiday. The reception was held at the Rayburn House Office Building in Southwest on January 15. (Roy Lewis/The Washington Informer)

Denise Rolark Barnes Independent Beauty Consultant www.marykay/drolark-barnes.com 202-236-8831

net

Who’s Reading the Informer? Cameron Jefferson, who was one of the first Washington Informer drivers handling circulation in the paper’s early days, continues to read the Washington Informer. The driver group has grown from one driver to eight as the paper went from dropping the paper at a few places to well over 350 today. (Shevry Lassiter/The Washington Informer)

202-848-9324 / 202-494-6711

WORDS TO LIVE BY

in upper and lowercase, flush left as indicated on artwork at these point sizes: Consultant name in 11-point Helvetica Neue Bold; Independent in 9-point Helvetica Neue Light; Web site or e-mail address in 9-point Helvetica Neue Light; phone number in 9-point Helvetica Neue Light. nt Beauty Consultant: Only Company-approved Web sites obtained through the Mary Kay® Personal Web Site program may be utilized.

Denied Beneﬁts? Unable To Work? Fighting For Your

We Can Help!

SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS

Do You Qualify For Disability Beneﬁts? Call For A FREE Evaluation

Assisting With: - Initial Applications - Denied Claims - Hearings

Helping 1000’s Get The Beneﬁts They Deserve

For Over 35 Years!

We Simplify The Process & Strive For Quick Claim Approval.*

(855) 549-3119

“The question is not whether we will be extremist but what kind of extremist we will be. Will we be extremists for hate or will we be extremists for love?”

– Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “Letter from Birmingham City Jail”

Bill Gordon & Associates, a nationwide practice, represents clients before the Social Security Administration. Member of the TX & NM Bar Associations. Mail: 1420 NW St Washington D.C. Office: Broward County, FL. Services may be provided by associated attorneys licensed in other states. * The process for determining each applicant’s disability benefits varies greatly, and can take upwards of two years.

10 - JANUARY 23 - 29, 2020

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

AROUND THE REGION City Students Demand More Anti-Violence Efforts and Initiatives By Sam P.K. Collins WI Contributing Writer @SamPKCollins

In their appeal to D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) for an expansion of anti-violence resources, a collective of youth from city public and public charter schools have relied on their experiences and memories of friends who lost their lives as the catalyst for what they consider a just and common-sense cause. One student who took to the podium during a recent gathering in front of Anacostia High School in Southeast assessed the conditions afflicting his generation and demanded that city officials create an environment in which all young people dealing with trauma can properly heal. “Back in 2018, one of my best friends committed suicide because of the bullying and personal [issues] going on in her life. It hurt a lot,” Jayden Graham, an eighth grader attending Hart Middle School, said Thursday. Jayden counted among more than a dozen Black and Latino students representing Anacostia, Banneker Academic High School, Roosevelt Senior High School, Stanton Elementary School, and Center City Public Charter School. Each speaker bracing the bitter cold provided their on-theground perspective as part of a press conference coordinated by the Washington Teachers’ Union and District clergymen and women. The event, held on the front steps of Anacostia in anticipation of Bowser’s fiscal 2021 budget proposal, started just minutes before youth leaving the school engaged in a shouting match at the front door that almost turned physical. In her remarks, Pastor Miriam Niles of the Real Life Today Church in Southeast said the situation highlighted the need for stronger Safe Passage programs, on-campus Friday-night activities, mental health screenings, and other services youth demanded of Bowser. Jayden, who spoke toward the end of the conference, would later echo Niles’ sentiments. “I feel like violence is the resort we take when we think there are no other means,” he said. “We think that revenge is the way to succeed. There are a lot of other ways to get back at the people who hurt you. Victory is

revenge and it looks like success and you being happy.”

A CITYWIDE PROBLEM

Hours after the end of the January 16 press conference, police responded to a call on the 900 block of Whaler Place in Southeast where they found two youths, ages 11 and 15, with gunshot wounds. This event followed an announcement by the Metropolitan Police Department that officers apprehended a teenager suspected of killing 15-year-old Thomas Johnson in August. Thomas’ murder counted among more than dozen involving young people during the past calendar year. Other incidents of note involved Karon Brown, an 11-year-old youngster allegedly killed by an adult man amid a confrontation on Alabama Avenue in Southeast in July. That month, authorities found Ahkii Washington-Scruggs and his father fatally shot in their Northeast apartment on what was the first anniversary of Makiyah Wilson’s murder. Not long before his death, Ahkii, a 17-year-old Dunbar High School student and football player, wrote a poem titled “A City Full of Hate.” That literary work, in part, spoke to instances of bullying that many young people said often occur, in person and online, without any consequences for perpetrators. A 2018 report by the Citywide Youth Bullying Prevention Program found that nearly half of D.C. schools neither provided staff training around the Youth Bullying Prevention Act of 2012 or included an anti-bullying policy on its website. A school climate report also showed that local schools had some ways to go in protecting LBGTQ students and other marginalized groups. In recent years, young people have coalesced around a rallying cry for wraparound services that tackle the root causes of youth violence and suicides. For instance, students representing the Black Swan Academy launched their #LetMeVent campaign in May, intended to outline their budget demands to the D.C. Council. Through their video production, the young people on the frontlines of the Thurgood Marshall Academy Public Charter School’s Pathways 2 Power

5 Elementary through high school students gathered on the steps of Anacostia High School on January 16 to lift their voices and urge Mayor Muriel Bowser to fund violence prevention endeavors in schools throughout the District of Columbia. (Shevry Lassiter/The Washington Informer)

movement also stressed the need for city officials to address their peers’ deaths and that of several other youths. Though schools in Wards 7 and 8 experienced a decrease in funding, the Fiscal Year 2020 budget approved by the D.C. Council in May allocated $9 million in funding for school-based mental health services. It also included an investment of $5.5 million for additional permanent supportive housing slots and other resources for homeless youth. The D.C. Council increased funding for the Office of the Attorney General’s Cure the Streets program and a similar program hosted

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

within the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement.

AT THE VERY FOUNDATION

At the beginning of the 20192020 academic year, Bowser, DCPS Chancellor Lewis Ferebee and others a revamped Safe Passage program that integrated community members’ concerns collected during meetings hosted by the Office of the Student Advocate. People at those gatherings often bemoaned what they described as the divestment of recreation centers and public schools serving communi-

ties east of the Anacostia River. For Aden Wiggins, such accommodations, even if not at a Department of Parks and Recreation facility, have been of great benefit to him. “In my neighborhood, I hear gunshots all the time. I was afraid that I would be next,” said Aden, a third grader at Stanton Elementary School who frequents the TraRon Center, a Ward 8-based provider of therapeutic activities for gun violence survivors. “The TraRon Center helped me deal with my feelings. I think that every student should have a safe space to talk about their fears.” WI

JANUARY 23 - 29, 2020 11

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY

Md. Bill Requires Voter Info for Returning Citizens By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill

Although most returning citizens in Maryland are allowed to vote, proposed legislation would require that those convicted of a felony receive voter information before being released from prison. The legislation seeks to mandate the state’s Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services provide a voter registration form, voting requirements and other information before an inmate is released. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Cheryl Kagan (D-Montgomery County), will be discussed at a public hearing Tuesday, Jan. 28 before the Senate’s Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee.

The House Ways and Means Committee reviewed the bill Thursday, Jan. 16 sponsored by Del. J. Sandy Bartlett (D-Anne Arundel County). “There are many individuals walking on the street who don’t know they have their rights restored,” Bartlett said. “This bill will at least be more proactive and supply the voter registration information because the law states we must do so.” The bill doesn’t allow voting rights for those convicted of a felony currently serving court-ordered sentences; individuals diagnosed with a mental disability unable to comprehend “a desire to participate in the voting process;” and a person convicted of buying or selling votes. Del. Jason Buckel (R-Alleghany County) read a portion of the Department of Corrections’ regulations

that claims the agency posts notices for inmates, offers absentee ballots and receive voter information while incarcerated. “It seems to me that we are already bending over backwards to notify people who are already incarcerated that they have these rights,” he said. “Is this really going to have any impact? If someone wants to vote, they have the right to vote.” Criminal justice reform advocates and activists have said both the state correctional institutions and board of election office don’t offer enough assistance for returning citizens. Stephen Buckingham explained his client encountered problems during a visit to the Frederick County Board of Elections office. Buckingham, an attorney who serves as lay community minister and chair with the Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry of Maryland, said his client got released from prison six years ago and still hasn’t received documentation to show he’s a free man and can vote. “He doesn’t have the papers to say, ‘you are now released.’” Buckingham said. “This is a real problem, folks. This man needs to have his life back.” Similar legislation has been crafted by the ACLU of Maryland and other organizations, which hosted an “Expand the Ballot” town hall Monday, Jan. 20 at Lanham United Methodist Church in Lanham to present the proposed bill and discuss voting rights for

Md. Lawmakers Mull Hogan’s $48B Budget Proposal

5 Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan’s $47.9 billion budget proposal for fiscal 2021 prioritizes public safety and education. (William J. Ford/The Washington Informer)

12 - JANUARY 23 - 29, 2020

By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill A $47.9 billion budget proposed by Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan sets aside money for public safety, education, transportation and other expenditures in the state. Most importantly for Hogan’s fiscal 2021 spending plan he labeled the “Accountability Budget”: no tax increases. “We haven’t had a single tax increase in the entire five years since I’ve been governor,” he said Thursday, Jan. 16 while announcing legislation to provide tax relief for 230,000 Marylanders. “Over the past five years, we’ve been standing up and fighting hard to make it easier for all of our Maryland taxpayers.” According to a report last month from the Spending Affordability Committee, the state faces a struc-

5 Yanet Amaneul, the public policy advocate at the ACLU of Maryland, speaks during a town hall meeting at Lanham United Methodist Church in Lanham, Maryland on Monday, January 20. (Brigette Squire/The Washington Informer)

returning citizens and those currently incarcerated. The legislation seeks to direct the state department of corrections work in conjunction with state and local board of election offices and create a voter information program. The bill would require the state Board of Elections to incorporate a program for returning citizens and inmates such as disseminating voter information at least 30 days prior to the registration deadline. Eligible inmates are those convicted of misdemeanor offenses or who are being held pretrial without a conviction. According to the ACLU, Blacks represent 70 percent of the prison population in Maryland but are 31 percent of the overall state populace. About one-

third, or an average of 8,000, of those incarcerated are from Baltimore City. Tierra Bradford, policy manager for Common Cause Maryland, said a mandate must be established. “Policies like the one [Bartlett] is trying to implement and policies like the one we’re trying to implement are necessary for people who are eligible to vote [and] are giving a chance to vote,” said Bradford, whose organization also helped craft the bill with the ACLU. “I’m concerned that there’s no implementation of a policy [from the state department of corrections.]” Bartlett said she’s open to compromise and work with the group’s bill “because it doesn’t conflict with what the ACLU is doing. More people registered to vote, the better.” WI

tural deficit of $491 million next year and could rise to $1.2 billion by fiscal year 2025. The committee, comprised of state lawmakers and citizen advisory panel, recommended passing a balanced budget by the end of this year’s 90-day session. Those figures, highlighted in the report, “is forecast before accounting for any recommendations” from the $4 billion public school plan from the Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education. The commission seeks to expand early childhood, increase teacher salaries and implement college- and career-readiness programs by 2030. Based on legislation approved last year, the budget allocates roughly $355 million toward some of the recommendations in the plan, called “Blueprint for Maryland’s Future.” Hogan agrees with some of the educational proposals, but has said he won’t support any new tax increases to help for pay it. However, the Democratic-controlled legislature made approving

the plan a top priority. One way floated to pay for the ambitious plan to restructure the state’s public education system is tax digital advertising. The legislation proposed by Senate President Bill Ferguson and his predecessor, Sen. Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert County), seeks to tax revenue on internet companies such as Google up to 10 percent for users with a Maryland internet protocol (IP) address. According to the bill, the state comptroller would administer the tax with gross revenues going toward the education plan. The bill, scheduled to be reviewed by the Senate’s Budget and Taxation Committee, allows companies to report how much they earned from digital ads. If revenue exceeds $1 million, then a company would file a state tax return to outline how much money was generated and to keep a record of the sales.

BUDGET Page 13

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

Revenue Legislation Slated to Aid Education Plan By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill ANNAPOLIS — A coalition of union and civic groups and several Maryland lawmakers has proposals that would help pay for a statewide education plan, centered around restructuring the state tax code. The 10 pieces of legislation scheduled to be introduced during the 90-day Maryland General Assembly session call for removing tax breaks for special interest groups, lowering income tax rates for families who earn below the $80,000 state median level and resetting the real estate tax exemption limit for wealthy individuals from $5 million to $1 million. Del. Julie Palakovich Carr (D-Montgomery County) summarized another piece of legislation that would require large, multistate corporations in Maryland to pay state income taxes. Currently, about a third of them don’t. Palakovich Carr, who plans to sponsor a bill, said the plan could generate $2 billion by 2030 when adjusted for inflation. “This is a personal issue for me,” she said while alongside other supporters during a Jan. 15 press conference. “My son is going to be enrolling in kindergarten next fall in a public school. This isn’t just a moral imperative upon which the future of an entire generation of children hinges. This is

BUDGET from Page 12 Other anticipated revenue in the budget estimated at $47.6 billion includes $13 billion in federal dollars, $11 billion from income taxes and $5 billion from sales taxes. Meanwhile, Hogan’s proposed budget earmarks $733 million for school construction that includes 19 projects in Baltimore City, 16 in Montgomery County, six in Anne Arundel County and three in Prince George’s County. In Prince George’s, the budget allocates $15 million for renovations at the Largo campus of the county’s community college. Another $66 million would go toward transportation projects, including $19 million to complete work on a new

all about the future of our economy.” The goal is to use the generated revenue to pay for education recommendations presented by the Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education, also known as the Kirwan Commission, named after the group’s chair, William E. “Brit’ Kirwan, former chancellor of the University of Maryland System. The commission outlines five policy areas: expand early childhood, hire a more diverse teacher workforce, incorporate college and career readiness, provide more resources for underserved and special needs students and creation of an independent oversight board for accountability. To help implement the plan, some jurisdictions are being asked to provide more money based on a funding formula. It assessed the two majority-Black jurisdictions of Prince George’s County and Baltimore City must contribute more at $360 million and $330 million, respectively. The state’s presiding officers, House Speaker Adrienne Jones and Senate President Bill Ferguson, have said legislation would be crafted to lower those figures. The two also served on the Kirwan Commission, but didn’t attend the press conference at the House of Delegates building. Benjamin Orr, executive director of Maryland Center on Economic Policy in Baltimore, said county and Baltimore City officials have time because

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY the Kirwan recommendations won’t be immediate. Orr said there’s a few options local governments can do on how to help implement education plans for their jurisdictions, which would require legislation from the legislature. First, provide flexibility in earned income taxes. Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman has floated an idea to implement a progressive tax, or impose higher taxes on more wealthier residents. Second, Orr said, allow local governments to charge different tax rates on commercial, residential or vacation properties. He said state law requires the same class of property be taxed at the same rate with no subcategories. A third possible solution would be for the state to provide grants for jurisdictions with a certain percentage of students who are English Languages Learners, enrolled in special education and those who reside in areas with a high concentration of poverty. “We can either choose not to fix [public education], which I think is unacceptable and both immorally for those students and the economy. Our economy can’t afford to let our future workforce fall behind,” he said. “The second option is to increase our investment in education at the expense of our other priorities health and transportation and public safety, or as we proposed, those most able to pay to pay their fair share so we can actually afford to pay to maintain our investment in health care, to maintain our investments in transportation and

5 Del. Stephanie Smith (D-Baltimore City) speaks during a Jan. 15 press conference in Annapolis on proposed bills to restructure Maryland’s tax code to help pay for a statewide education plan. (William J. Ford/The Washington Informer)

increase our investment in education. That’s the only way to do it. We have to find new revenue that’s sustainable.” Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan supports some of the Kirwan Commission ideas, but has said he won’t support residents paying new taxes to help fund the plan. However, he did propose legislation Thursday, Jan. 16 to provide tax relief for up to 230,000 Maryland retirees. The Retirement Tax Reduction Act would exempt retirees with an annual income of $50,000 or less from paying state taxes. The plan would be phased in over a five-year period. The governor estimates it would provide more than $1 billion in tax relief for retirees. “I will continue to fight to make it easier for Maryland families, small

businesses and retirees to stay in our state and to make it easier for all Marylanders to keep more of their hardearned money,” he said. Meanwhile, Hogan and his budget secretary David Brinkley said they haven’t seen the details of the revenue tax plan from the coalition. Del. Stephanie Smith (D-Baltimore City), who plans to sponsor a bill on the revenue plan, has a few words for those who believe there isn’t enough money to fund education. “I’ve never heard anybody say we don’t have enough money to put someone in prison,” she said. “If you look at the state’s annual contributions to incarcerating people that they fail to properly educate in the first place, we are actually wasting money.” WI

interchange at Route 210 and Kirby Hill/Livingston roads in Oxon Hill. What’s missing from the budget, said Del. Erek Barron (D-District 24) of Mitchellville, is $7 million from a state program that helps revitalize communities. According to a description of the National Capital Strategic Economic Development fund, about 85 percent of projects approved are between Interstate 495 and D.C. “That’s a big hit for us and totally contrary to the governor’s stated priorities,” Barron said. “So we will work to correct this.” If lawmakers approve a balanced spending plan for the operating and capital budgets, it would take effect in the next fiscal year that begins July 1. WI

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

JANUARY 23 - 29, 2020 13

BUSINESS Washington Gas Ice House Event Sheds Light on Families Struggling to Heat Homes Annual Fundraiser Back to Raise Both Donations and Awareness of Residents Needing Assistance By D. Kevin McNeir WI Editor @dkevinmcneir For the third consecutive year,

Washington Gas set its sights on raising money to fund critical heating assistance for struggling area residents, hosting a Washington Area Fuel Fund

WANTED:

20 PEOPLE READY TO BUY A HOME!

(Tell Your Friends to Find Out!)

There is “Non-Repayable” Closing Cost Grant Money” available for all who are ready to buy a home now! All Incomes (high or low) Can Qualify for our grant money & gov’t-backed loans; low credit scores-ok; defaulted student loans-ok; high debt-to-income-ratio ok. EZ eligibility requirements. To see if you can qualify:

CALL: 202.630.8810

(WDC/MD/VA - in beta: Need 20 eligible applicants.) (These are NOT predatory loans! These are legitimate gov’t-backed loans: FHA, VA, Fannie Mae, etc.)

14 - JANUARY 23 - 29, 2020

[WAFF] Ice House event in the District. With partners that included The Salvation Army, NBC4/Telemundo, WTOP, The Washington Post, Monumental Sports & Entertainment, Washington Gas hosted two days of fun activities for children and adults. With frigid temperatures and bone-chilling winds already moving in throughout the region, The Ice House played an even more important role: to shed light on the reality of families living without heat this winter season while providing an opportunity for the public and concerned citizens to address this critical issue. Just imagine the pain, suffering and discomfort endured – the fear and anxiety which continue to overwhelm so many in the District, particularly households with children, as financial constraints make it nearly impossible to heat their homes in this season when it’s needed most. So, with the needs of others as the focus, the event took place Jan. 17 and 18 at The Wharf on the main District Pier located at the Waterfront in Southwest. The proceeds will benefit the WAFF – a 37-year-old program led by Washington Gas and The Salvation Army with 100 percent of every dollar donated going to assist identified persons or homes. John O’Brien, executive vice president for Strategy & Public Affairs of Washington Gas, led last weekend’s ribbon cutting opening ceremony and the official christening of the Ice House. He says the priority remains the same as it has for almost four decades – supporting families that need a little help. “You can never do enough and the issue and need is urgent for thousands right here in D.C., Virginia and Maryland,” he said. “Last year, we raised $1.7 million which helped heat the homes of 8,500 families. Still, many are unaware that help is available. Only 20 percent of eligible families received federal heating aid within our service territory. These statistics reinforce the importance of this need and remind us that we must raise awareness.” WAFF has served a quarter of a million low-to-moderate income families in the District, Maryland and Virginia who cannot pay their energy bills and face the challenges of living in cold homes. And the WAFF Ice House has become a celebrated occasion that has generated awareness about the thousands of families, senior adults and veterans who live in freezing conditions at home, and how WAFF has proven to lend financial assistance time and again.

Last year, a total of $150,000 was raised through the event, which included an average offering of $223 and 443 first-time donors. These donations enabled WAFF to give the gift of heat to an additional 230 families throughout the region last year. “As we begin the new year, we are delighted to once again join with our customers and neighbors across the region to give the gift of paying energy bills for those in need through thoughtful donations from the WAFF initiative. Most of all, Washington Gas is honored to ensure that every dollar goes to the fund because we pay all administrative costs to run the program so each penny helps an individual or family directly,” said Blue Jenkins, president, Washington Gas. “The Ice House event unites all of us around a serious issue in a very visually compelling and dramatic way. It allows us to appreciate the terrible condition of living with no heat all while creating a fun and entertaining experience for the community to lend a hand and enjoy themselves,” Jenkins said. This year’s WAFF Ice House was a 10-foot by 20-foot structure made from 88 ice blocks designed and built by Ice Lab. By simulating the harsh environment of a home without heat, it draws attention to the cause and connects people to WAFF’s mission of distributing financial aid to those who

would otherwise be forced to endure a cold home every day. The importance of assisting residents who cannot afford heating has intensified over the years with colder-than-usual winters in the Washington, D.C. area. Fewer than 2-in-10 people eligible for federal energy assistance actually receive it due to a lack of funds to meet the growing demand. In addition, families living in poverty spend more than 30 percent of their income on energy bills. One resident expressed her thanks for the support she recently received from the WAFF program run by Washington Gas and The Salvation Army. “It is very stressful to live without heat, especially for my kids as they can get sick because there is no heat and they have trouble sleeping in the cold,” said Marlen Gallo Reyes, WAFF recipient and mother of five who lives with her children in an apartment in Arlington, Virginia. She learned about WAFF last year through her local Salvation Army. “Because of WAFF, I am very happy that I do not have to be in the cold this year. There are organizations and companies that can help you. There are good people in the world. I am very happy for myself and my five kids that these good people have helped,” she said. WI

McDuffie ‘Troubled’ by Disparities Report By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer] @StacyBrownMedia Last summer, the DC Black Business Task Force called for a study to determine whether the government has been meeting its goals regarding awarding contracts to Black-, minority- and women-owned businesses, as well as to identify potential contracting opportunities. They said the purpose would be to examine whether there are disparities between the contracting dollars the government’s contract awards to Black-, minority- and women-owned businesses and the amount they might be expected to receive based on the number of such businesses available to perform the work among the total pool of eligible contractors. Further, they noted that previous disparity studies had a factual foun-

dation that the District government could use to help ensure that all of its agencies are using procurement processes that result in fair and equitable outcomes. In October, officials undertook two studies that were just released this month from the DC Department of Small and Local Business Development — the Disparity Report Framework and Recommendations and the Minority and Women-Owned Business Assessment. The reports were troublesome on several levels. For one, officials determined that, throughout the study’s planning and data collection phases, the District of Columbia government’s readiness to undertake a scientifically sound disparity study was “questionable.” While the completeness, quality and accuracy of the data varied

BUSINESS Page 15

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

BUSINESS BUSINESS from Page 14 across agencies, the tracking and reporting of procurement and contract data by District agencies, overall, indicated inadequate capacity to meet the quantitative data requirements for a disparity study, as prescribed by industry standards. Initially, CRP, Inc., which conducted the research and issued the report, requested spend data (an industry best and preferred practice) for fiscal years 2016, 2017 and 2018. However, the data received by CRP did not include the National Institute of Government Purchasing (NIGP) codes and demographics, which meant that only contract award data were used for the study. Spend data captures actual payment data or dollars expended. In contrast, contract award data are funds obligated to be paid or disbursed. The initial data set CRP received only included contracts under the Office of Contract and Procurement (OCP) and was missing vital information such as addresses, demographic data and NIGP codes.

CRP officials said they were informed that OCP does not maintain spend and contract data for independent agencies, and therefore they were missing from the data set. An additional request was made to obtain contract award data for all DC agencies — under the Mayor’s authority and independent agencies. However, discussions with staff from the Department of Small and Local Business Development revealed difficulties in obtaining data from all independent agencies. Thus, CRP recommended obtaining data from at least three independent agencies that have the largest number of construction and professional services related contract awards: Department of General Services (DGS), District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) and District of Columbia Public Library (DCPL). “The findings of these reports are troubling, and I am disheartened — not just by what the data revealed, but also because a thorough study could not even be completed due to a lack of data,” said Councilman Kenyan McDuffie, who chairs of the

council’s Committee on Business and Economic Development. “The reports underscore the necessity of consistent and standardized data collection, and one benefit is that we now have a roadmap to follow to develop a comprehensive study,” McDuffie said. “Despite this, the goals of the CBE program are extremely important for the District of Columbia. I will continue the work I have already begun to improve the CBE program, increasing its transparency and accountability. “The CBE program exists to support District-based women and minority-owned small businesses because they have historically been prevented from accessing both opportunities and capital,” he said. “I am absolutely committed to making the program work as intended.” Alfred D. Swailes, owner of A&A Premium Paint Distributor in Northeast, told The Informer in June that a disparity study of the District’s Certified Business Enterprise (CBE) needed to take place. The CBE program offers preferences in contracting opportunities for firms operating in the District

5 Councilman Kenyan McDuffie (Courtesy of D.C. Council)

that participate in it. Swailes said he and other Black business leaders in the District sense that they aren’t getting their fair share of city government contracts but can’t quantify that claim. “The CBE program is race and gender-neutral, meaning that getting city business cannot be based on race or gender preferences,” Swailes said. “We don’t know how

many Black businesses are getting city business, but it isn’t enough. I have talked to a number of Black business owners, and they say they aren’t getting any business from the city, but they can’t prove it because there is no data to back that up. We want to make sure that the CBE process is fair and equitable to Black businesses.” WI

What was perfect pre-kids isn’t necessarily perfect post-kids. You can roll with the changes of life if you have a banker with real solutions that are just as flexible. From loans for a first home, a bigger home, a refi, or a home equity line of credit, we can get you and your family to the next step. Including a door step. That’s real banking for real life.

LIVING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD YOU WANT BECAUSE YOU GOT THE MORTGAGE LOAN YOU NEED.

P E R S O N A L

B U S I N E S S

We’re here to help you succeed. Call 833.987.REAL, visit sandyspringbank.com/mortgage or stop by a community office.

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 © 2020 Sandy Spring Bank. All rights reserved.

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

SSB-61 BrandEvo_Wash Informer_Mort_9.875x5.5.indd 1

JANUARY 23 - 29, 2020 15 1/8/2020 12:48:30 PM

NATIONAL By Dorothy Rowley WI Staff Writer @dorothyrowley Despite beefed-up police presence and the threat of overly frigid morning temperatures, some 22,000 law-abiding citizens, gun

advocates, protesters and curious observers converged at the crack of dawn Monday upon Richmond, Va., for the Lobby Day rally regarding the right to bear arms. Listed among the speakers were activists who said they wouldn’t support any new gun laws, re-

Thousands Rally Peacefully in Virginia for Gun Rights

woman Abigail Spanberger’s seat. “And the people showing up today are sending a message to Gov. Northam that their rights should not be infringed upon.” Meanwhile on MLK Day, the gun-control fight in Virginia spurred many legally armed activists to travel from as far away as Ohio, Massachusetts, Florida, Texas and Arizona, believing the problem has been lawmakers who’ve been avoiding the real issues.

gardless of Gov. Ralph Northam’s insistence that the newly crafted proposals are constitutional. “Remember this is a government of the people by the people and for the people,” said Republican candidate John McGuire, who’s running in November for Congress-

Except for the arrest of a woman who wore a mask to conceal her identity and another person who attempted to climb the fire escape of a nearby 12-story building, the nearly daylong event that attracted a mostly White turnout went peacefully as attendees passed through metal detectors and had their bags searched. Those carrying guns were denied entrance to the capitol grounds. “Thousands of people came to Richmond to make their voices heard. Today showed that when people disagree, they can do so peacefully,” Gov. Ralph Northam, who supports a package of bills including universal background checks and a one-handgun-amonth purchase limit, said in a statement. “The issues before us evoke strong emotions, and progress is often difficult. I will continue to listen to the voices of Virginians, and I will continue to do everything in my power to keep our Commonwealth safe.” Richmond native Robert Garfield said he’d never been to anything like this before. “I thought I’d come to the rally because it was a chance to see what things are about,” Garfield said. “Because the rally is local and I’m local, I came to hear people voice their opinions about their rights. I believe people have the right to possess guns and think gun control should be aimed more at responsible gun ownership.” Queried for his sentiments re-

garding the rally’s low African American turnout, Garfield said he wasn’t surprised. “I don’t feel like [the right to own guns] is an issue in our community that’s front and center,” he said. “Maybe in urban areas, Blacks don’t boast about gun ownership because they’re afraid that if they do, they’re more likely to get shot by a police officer. It’s a reality and something that I think about.” Jeffrey Hopkins and wife Tracy, who attended the rally from Massachusetts, said they came in support of the 2nd Amendment. “We know what tyranny is being in Massachusetts, because they took our rights there with no due process or anything,” Hopkins said. “They just passed a law and that was it. So, we see what’s going on here in Virginia and if it happens here, it will go right to Massachusetts and everywhere else.” Hopkins added, however, that gun ownership is “a God-given right” and that most people within reason should have the right to own them to defend themselves. “If people are mentally ill or whatever, they obviously shouldn’t have a gun,” said Hopkins, who also favors background checks. “But I don’t believe in registration confiscation or anything like that. If you want to have a 30-round mag, that’s what you should have. I don’t think there should be a limit on what people can have.” WI

5 More than 20,000 activists took part in the Jan. 20, 2020, rally in Richmond, Va., regarding the right to bear arms. (Courtesy photo)

16 - JANUARY 23 - 29, 2020

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

NATIONAL

National Defense Authorization Act Right Step to Eliminate Racism, Sex Assault in Military By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer @StacyBrownMedia

The newly signed National Defense Authorization Act (NDA) contains several provisions that officials from a prominent advocacy group said are crucial to reforming the military justice system and advancing protections of victims of domestic violence, military sexual assault and rape. Protect Our Defenders said those recommendations and priorities included reforming unlawful command authority, sentencing guidelines, and limited repeal of a legal doctrine that prevents those injured in military service from suing the federal government. Protect Our Defenders counts as a human rights organization, which seeks to honor, support and give voice to U.S. military

personnel sexually assaulted while serving the country. Organization officials said the new law should further help their mission of protecting those who have been “re-victimized by the military adjudication system — a system that often blames the victim and fails to prosecute the perpetrator.” The law also includes the recommendation to require the Secretary of Defense to track race, ethnicity, and gender of court-martials, identify causes of disparity, and to take steps to address causes. Those provisions were in response to Protect Our Defenders’ 2017 report, Racial Disparities in Military Justice. “Sexual assault and domestic violence in the military undermine the entire institution,” said retired Col. Don Christensen, the former chief prosecutor of the United States Air Force and

president of Protect Our Defenders. “While we’re disappointed Congress continues to block high-level military justice reform, the provisions passed in this year’s NDAA have the potential to institute real change.” In 2019, the Government Accountability Office (GAO), released an investigative report on racial and gender disparity within the military. Officials conducted the report as a result of a provision in the 2018 NDAA calling for an assessment of disparities within the military justice system, which was sparked by Protect Our Defenders’ groundbreaking report on racial inequality. The GAO report, based on data collected from 2013-2017, found that in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force, Black and Hispanic service members were more likely than white service members to face investigations.

5 (Courtesy of Atlanta Black Star)

That report uncovered the disproportionate treatment of Black service members who were at least 1.29 times and as much as 2.61 times more likely than white service members to have action taken against them in an average year. This year’s NDAA represents necessary steps toward combatting the military sexual assault epidemic, according to officials at

Protect Our Defenders. The organization is hopeful that the passage of fiscal 2020 NDAA is a step in the right direction towards what is ultimately needed to protect service members and create a safe work environment for those in uniform, officials said. Other critical provisions in

MILITARY Page 38

If it were up to me, we’d have all the healthcare we need. The 2020 Census informs funding for walk-in clinics, Medicare and all types of health services. Rest assured your answers are safe and secure.

Learn more at:

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

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

2019_Census_Seniors_Newspaper_HalfPage_SizeA_9_5x6.indd 1

JANUARY 23 - 29,1/15/20 2020 17 7:03 PM

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.

africa now

COMPILED BY OSWALD T. BROWN

Mashaba Confirms Launch of New Party Former Johannesburg Mayor Herman Mashaba confirmed that he will be forming a new political party, with an official launch to come by the end of June. Mashaba “put to bed months of speculation about whether or not he and former DA leader Mmusi Maimane would be forming a political party after their unceremonious departure from the DA last year” and was adamant that the party would be ready to contest the upcoming 2021 municipal elections, the Johannesburg-based City Press reported Sunday. The former mayor, however, refused to comment on whether Maimane and former ANC MP Makhosi Khoza, who have been involved in his people’s dialogues, would play any role in the new party. “What I can confirm right now is that a new political formation will be announced by June at the latest. A political party will definitely be formed and we are definitely going to participate in the 2021 local government elections,” he said. According to Mashaba, what will “set this party apart from the rest” is that he is looking at forming a “people-driven political party” that will be “free from the constraints of political ideology and political self-interest.” He said he would achieve this through using inputs received from ordinary South Africans during his People’s Dialogue, a platform he created “for ordinary South Africans to make their voices heard in an effort to define a shared vision for the future.” Mashaba has been running The People’s Dialogue since Dec. 6, and he calls the movement the building blocks of his party. “This party is a party that is going to be driven by civil society,” he said. “Any South African wanting to join the party will be screened, more so those who are already politicians.I can assure you that for existing politicians to form part of the party, they will be vetted and the vetting system will be tight to make sure that we do not allow people who are going to compromise us.” Mashaba said politicians who want to jump ship and join his party “will have to pass through the eye of the needle.” “We are not going to accept people who are going to be paid to serve their own interests instead of those of society,” he said. Former DA federal chairperson Athol Trollip, who resigned alongside Maimane last year, said although he was of the view that “there is no need for more political parties” in the country’s already congested political landscape, he thought the fact that Mashaba was going back to the ordinary people and taking a mandate from them was a noble and much-needed change in direction from where politics has been headed lately. “Political parties have become arrogant and have forgotten that they serve ordinary citizens and not the other way around, so I think what Mashaba is doing is right,” Trollip said. “It is good that he is listening to the South African people, that’s what effective leadership entails. Politicians need to do more listening than talking.” Mashaba launched the People’s Dialogue days after he quit the DA and his mayoral position in an apparent protest against the election of former Western Cape premier Helen Zille as DA federal council chairperson in October. WI

Order Now & Receive a FREE Lockbox!

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.

caribbean now Franklin Graham Visits Tent Field Hospital in Grand Bahama

View

Sports Photos by John De Freitas

at:

 18 - JANUARY 23 - 29, 2020

Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse, traveled Friday to Grand Bahama and visited the tent field hospital that his organization is operating in Freeport. Dr. Duane Sands, the Bahamas’ health minister, met Graham upon his arrival at the facility, which has provided medical care to thousands on the island while the flood-damaged Rand Memorial Hospital is being renovated. Samaritan Purse, an evangelical Christian humanitarian aid organization, arrived in Freeport in September, in the aftermath of the devastation caused by Category 5 Hurricane Dorian and set up a 40-bed field hospital near the Rand. To date, more than 8,000 Bahamians have received medical care at the facility. Graham, a well-known international Christian evangelist, said he was watching as the hurricane hit The Bahamas and stalled. “We saw that it stalled, and we knew the destruction that would be underneath that storm,” he said. “And so, we weren’t quite sure exactly what we could do. But when we came here, we saw the hospital and the need for the people to have medical care, and the Ministry of Health opened the doors and did everything they could to assist us. “Our goal is to help people of the Bahamas with health care,” Graham said. “And it does my heart so much good to see the hospital used, and that people are being treated and helped. As a Christian organization, we do this in Jesus’ name and we want to give Him the glory and honor.” WI

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

Music Fun Art

March 20–April 12, 2020

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

PINK TIE PARTY

OPENING CEREMONY

PRESENTED BY

CO-PRESENTED

Friday, March 20 | 7–11 PM

Saturday, March 21 | 5–6:30 PM

ANA

With The Japan Foundation

Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center

Warner Theatre

Hosted by

Enjoy

TCMA (A Drew Company) at Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center

Innovative food and cocktails

Media Sponsors Washingtonian

Live music and dancing

Supporting Sponsors

Media Sponsor

JCAW Foundation, Inc

NBC 4 | Telemundo 44

TOYOTA Warner Theatre

Interactive experiences

Washington Blade

LEADERSHIP CIRCLE

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit nationalcherryblossomfestival.org #SpringBlossomsHere

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

The best way to experience the Festival

JANUARY 23 - 29, 2020 19

HEALTH NBC4/T44 Telemundo Host Annual Health and Fitness Expo

Residents Take Part in Health Screenings, Family Activities By Lindiwe Vilakazi WI Contributing Writer Residents from throughout the D.C. metropolitan region packed the

Walter E. Washington Convention Center over the weekend for the 27th annual Health and Fitness Expo, an event filled with a plethora of health and exercise services.

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

1-877-308-2834

Call now to get this FREE Information Kit! dental50plus.com/cadnet 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

Lowest Rx Prices, Every Day Start saving at BlinkHealth.com *Restrictions apply. Visit BlinkHealth.com for more details.

20 - JANUARY 23 - 29, 2020

The two-day event is one of the highest-attended health-related events in the nation, usually drawing about 85,000 participants every year. Exhibitors on hand Saturday provided attendees with health care services, as well as fun sport, and dance sections for children and adults alike. But many residents attend the event solely to complete their annual health screenings, even if this year’s options didn’t seem as robust as years past to some. “Well, I came out to get the free screenings that they have,” said Maryland resident Reginald Owns. “I think it’s pretty good, but in past years they had more to do. I think this year they don’t have as much of the screenings, like the prostate, and a couple of other things. Other than that overall, it’s been a good experience.” Exhibitors around the room referred expo-goers to bigger health care organizations in attendance that could provide services for those who have not yet secured it for themselves. Audrey Clarke, a representative of Living Well, a specialty bulk food and Christian bookstore, helped many participants find their way to DC Health Link Exchange to better their insurance opportunities. “A part of our process includes having people sign a consent, and so far we have already served over 200 people, so the turnout has been great,” Clarke said. “We are sympathetic because we know that a lot of people use this event for their annual physical. So we try to provide those essential services. We offer hepatitis C screening, and HIV, high blood pressure, glucose. There is dental, body fat analysis, vision, and some psychiatric training,

mental health and all that. We try to cover a broad spectrum of our health.” The event also showcased a few Black-operated health and wellness companies, such as Dr. Kirt Tyson, a neurologist at Balanced Health Medical Center attending the expo for the first time. The table for his clinical office, which specializes in holistic health practices, proved to be a popular one. “There’s a steady crowd coming through, the people are really excited, they’re interested in their health and ways they can help to improve it,” said Tyson, who has been running the cen-

5 The Washington Tennis Association demonstrates a tennis session with a young child during the NBC4 Health and Fitness Expo held over two days at the Walter E. Washington Convention Centre January 18 and 19. (Robert R. Roberts/The Washington Informer)

ter on H Street NE since 2013. “They come over and ask questions about therapies that they don’t typically have with their primary care doctor because they aren’t exposed to different types of medicines and therapies that go outside of pharmaceuticals. … I look forward to coming back again in the future.” WI

ACA Driving Down Racial Disparities in Health Care: Report By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill

Racial disparities in health care insurance coverage and access to care decreased among Black and Latino patients, according to a report released Thursday by The Commonwealth Fund. The group, a D.C.-based nonprofit that studies and research health care topics, used data dating from 2013, three years after the Affordable Care Act went into effect in 2010. Since 2013, racial disparities for uninsured white adults compared to uninsured Black adults stood at nearly 10 percentage points. By 2018, it decreased to 5.8 percentage points. During the same time frame, the Latino disparity with whites stood at almost 26 percentage points in 2013 and reduced to 16 percentage points

in 2018. The decrease in racial disparities of those ages 19 to 64 is also partly due to jurisdictions such as California, Maryland and the District of Columbia expanding Medicaid eligibility. “What is striking to the degree to which those differences have narrowed in coverage and access to health care,” said Sara Collins, vice president of Commonwealth Fund. “It’s important to note that we’ll continue to see those kinds of improvements as more states expand Medicaid, or if there is a federal solution to the Medicaid coverage gap that we’re hearing about in the campaign so far from Democrat [presidential candidates].” Collins said one problem is that about four million people still re-

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

ACA Page 21

ACA from Page 20 main uninsured, especially in larger states such as Texas and Florida that still haven’t expanded Medicaid. The report shows that 31 states and the District of Columbia expanded Medicaid by Jan. 1, 2018. Within the 19 states that didn’t, about 46 percent of adult Blacks and 36 percent of Latinos remained uninsured. The report also shows progress has stalled since 2016 with one reason being congressional action, especially with President Donald Trump and Republicans choosing to strip some ACA benefits such as reducing the individual mandate that allowed people to have insurance and lower premiums. Collins said another reason for the decline in health care coverage is the dearth of federal funding for outreach and enrollment. In addition, undocumented immigrants aren’t eligible

for subsidized coverage or Medicaid. A federal court ruled last month that making all Americans carry health insurance is unconstitutional, but Democratic presidential candidates continue to push for the ACA to return to its original status. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) wants to incorporate a Medicare for All plan. With federal inaction and uncertainty about the future of health care, state officials are taking over, said Del. Joseline Peña-Melnyk (D-District 21) of College Park. She said about 750,000 Marylanders didn’t have insurance coverage prior to the Affordable Care Act’s passage in 2010. Today, the number has been cut by more than half. According to the Commonwealth Fund report, the uninsured rate among Blacks in Maryland decreased from about 15 percent in 2013 to about 9 percent in 2018. For Latinos, it decreased from 41

percent to 30 percent. Peña-Melnyk said the state could see a bigger decrease in health disparities with the work of the Prescription Drug Affordable Board, which held its first meeting Monday and is the first group in the nation created to assess and provide recommendations on how to make drugs more affordable. She acknowledged racial gaps still exist for the uninsured. In addition, problems remain for minority patients who experience unconscious bias among doctors and health care providers who don’t accept Medicaid. “The states are now the ones taking up these policies because the federal government is not doing it, especially since this president has been in office,” she said. “Racial gaps still exist. Your zip code should not determine your health, but things have improved. We see that the Affordable Care Act works.” WI

HEALTH

5 Blacks and Latinos in recent years have cut the racial gap in health care coverage. (Courtesy of The Commonwealth Fund)

PrEP

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

JANUARY 23 - 29, 2020 21

EDUCATION Ridley Seeks to Fight Social Ills Through Employment By James Wright WI Staff Writer @jamesdcwrighter The late Ronald Reagan once said, “the best social program is a job,” and while Tonya Ridley couldn’t be characterized as a Reagan conservative, she does put into practice the former president’s quote each day as the CEO and program coordinator for her firm, Time for Change.

Time for Change (TFC) operates as a community-based 501-C3 agency in Ward 8 whose mission consists of eradicating homelessness and crime by way of clinical employment services. “Some individuals believe that vocational rehabilitation is for the difficult to manage: the sick and ill-inspired,” Ridley said. “Time for Change firmly believes that this is not the case. TFC collaborates with individuals who have had minor setbacks in their edu-

cational and/or vocational careers. “We work with individuals to reestablish their hope of what they once thought was a lost; motivation or just traction in gaining success in the meaningful activity of work,” Ridley said. “We provide therapeutic interventions to reformed and conditioned behavior through a client-centered approach.” At-risk youth and young adults are TFC’s main constituency. Ridley understands that at-risk individuals often don’t have the social skills and experiences to get and keep employment and her agency has come up with programs to deal with those deficiencies. During the intake/assessment phase, a client will complete a work plan designed to measure career goals and to determine the pathway to a job. The team coordination stage focuses on meeting the everyday needs of the client, including their medications, medical and housing concerns. The job development process consists of working with the client on writing a resume, cover letter or completing an employment application.

The process is complemented with maintaining relationships with 250 employers in the Washington, D.C. area that could hire the client. The work adjustment training focuses on educating the client about being employed with group sessions that address topics such as mediation management, time management, coping skills and the role of the employee. The benefits counseling stage works with the client to see that they are getting all of the assistance, governmental or private, that they are due. “TFC acknowledges we work with the most vulnerable populations who may collect Social Security Insurance, Social Security Disability Insurance, Medicaid and Medicare and even housing vouchers,” Ridley said. “We provide professional benefits counseling to ensure that our clients are fully aware of how work may or may not affect these benefits.” The job placement step connects the client with a job and closely monitors them during the first 90 days.

RIDLEY Page 22

5 Tonya Ridley, CEO/Program Coordinator for Time for Change (Courtesy photo)

The Public School Lottery

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

APPLICATION DEADLINES: 202-888-6336

22 - JANUARY 23 - 29, 2020

info.myschooldc@dc.gov

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

EDUCATION

New Online Portal Connects Small Businesses to D.C. Compiled by James Wright WI Staff Writer Two District government agencies — the Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD) and the Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking (DISB) — announced on Jan. 8 the launch of DC Capital Connector, a new online portal within the city government that will connect small businesses with lenders and surety bonding companies. “Sometimes access to capital can make or break a small business, and we are incredibly proud to be able to offer this unique tool to better serve the small business community in the District,” DSLBD Director Kristi C. Whitfield said at the Busboys and Poets restaurant in the Northeast neighborhood of Brookland, where her agency’s access to capital conference took place. “The DC Capital Connector will provide real opportu-

RIDLEY from Page 21 Ridley, who holds a B.S. degree in psychology and a master’s degree in vocational rehabilitation counseling from Virginia Commonwealth University, has worked as a program manager for the Pathways to Housing DC and a care coordinator for the D.C. Department of Behavioral Health. She said her education and work experience have prepared her to help her clients at TFC. While helping clients get ready for the world of work takes up a lot of her time, Ridley also has a trade school. A priority of the school at this point will be training residents to be nursing home employees. “Many nursing homes in Ward 8 and east of the Anacostia River are understaffed,” Ridley said. “There is no trade school in Ward 8 that trains people in the nursing home field. I decided to do something about that because people should not have to leave the ward to get trained in that field.” Ridley said there are spaces open for anyone in the nursing home program. Ridley said she is committed to helping Ward 8 but acknowledges that community assistance will be welcomed. “We need individual donors to continue the mission and work of TFC,” Ridley said. “Any level of support will be appreciated.” WI

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

DENTAL Insurance

5 Kristi C. Whitfield, director of the D.C. Department of Small and Local Business Development (Courtesy of DSLBD)

nities for businesses to connect with lenders and bonding companies who are committed to helping them find the right funding, which will greatly improve their chance for success and prosperity within our great city.” DSLBD and DISB partnered with Life Asset, a community development financial institution, and the Latino Economic Development Center, as well as two other local companies, Construction Bonds Inc.

and Invest Sou Sou, to launch the online small business tool. Stephen C. Taylor, the commissioner for DISB, said his agency looks forward to working with the portal. “DISB is pleased to be a part of the mayor’s efforts to connect small business with vital financial resources,” Taylor said. “Providing critical capital helps small businesses by facilitating private lending and investments.” WI

PUBLIC NOTICE

Physicians Mutual Insurance Company

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

No wait for preventive care and no deductibles – you could get a checkup tomorrow Coverage for over 350 procedures including

$1 a day*

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

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

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

Ainger Place Apartments 2412 Ainger Place Washington, DC

Beginning TUESDAY January 21st, 2020 until TUESDAY February 25th, 2020 PRE-APPLICATIONS for BRAND NEW 1, 2 & 3 Bedroom Apartments WILL BE AVAILABLE AT:

MichaelsComingSoonCommunities.com MONTHLY RENTS 1 Bedroom $853/mo. - Minimum Annual Income Required: $27,600 2 Bedrooms $1,023/mo. - Minimum Annual Income Required: $33,100 3 Bedrooms $1,179/mo. - Minimum Annual Income Required: $38,100 MAXIMUM INCOME LIMITS APPLY* 1 Person $42,500 2 Persons $48,550 3 Persons $54,600

4 Persons $60,650 5 Persons $65,550 6 Persons $70,400

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Everyone in the household 18 years of age and older will be screened for Credit/Criminal background check. Income, Asset, Student Status & Landlord Reference will be verified. *Restrictions Apply.- See Pre-Application Cover Page for more information

Only one Pre-application per Household will be accepted. If you do not have access to download & print the pre-application, you may call 202.770.0450 / TTY 711 and request one to be mailed to you. ALL PRE-APPLICATIONS WILL BE DATE & TIME STAMPED & REVIEWED IN THE ORDER IN WHICH THEY ARE RECEIVED.

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

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

THE PURCHASE OF A NEW STAIRLIFT!

CALL NOW FOR YOUR FREE INFORMATION KIT AND DVD!

1-855-841-2971

*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.

FREE INSURANCE COST ASSESSMENT

FOR SENIORS & FAMILY No Medical Exams Required Immediate Coverage Rates Never Increase

GET A FREE QUOTE TODAY!

240-643-6737 JANUARY 23 - 29, 2020 23

beat-the-clock

F U R N I T U R E & M AT T R E S S E S

THIS SATURDAY 10am-3pm

3pm-6pm

6pm-9pm

OFF

60 55 50 60 FREE %

Delivery & In-Home Setup

up to

F U R N I T U R E & M AT T R E S S E S Family Owned Since 1955

www.marlofurniture.com

Months ZERO Interest

ALEXANDRIA, VA 5650 Gen. Washington Dr. (703) 941-0800

ROCKVILLE, MD 725 Rockville Pike (301) 738-9000

LAUREL, MD 13450 Baltimore Ave. (301) 419-3400

FORESTVILLE, MD 3300 Marlo Lane (301) 735-2000

FREDERICKSBURG, VA - LIQUIDATION CENTER 4040 Plank Road | (540) 785-2635

*Offers valid January 25, 2020. Free local delivery with minimum purchase of $1799 or more. Financing offer requires minimum purchase and equal monthly payments and applies only to single-receipt qualifying purchases. No interest will be charged on promo purchase and equal monthly payments are required equal to initial promo purchase amount divided equally by the number of months in promo period until promo is paid in full. The equal monthly payment will be rounded to the next highest whole dollar and may be higher than the minimum payment that would be required if the purchase was a non-promotional purchase. Regular account terms apply to non-promotional purchases. For new accounts: Purchase APR is 26.99%; Minimum interest charge is $2. Existing cardholders should see their credit card agreement for their applicable terms. Subject to credit approval. See store for details.

24 - JANUARY 23 - 29, 2020

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

2020 MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. SUPPLEMENT

NEWSPAPER READING IS A HABIT DON’T BREAK THE HABIT!

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

...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

Revisiting Dr. King’s Blueprint to Understand the Push for the Ballot By Dr. Shantella Sherman WI Special Editions Editor

READ THE WASHINGTON INFORMER YOUR WAY:

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

WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

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

Just months before Dr. King’s assassination, he had the opportunity to sit with young people and field their questions about race, fear, and the future. A conscientious and kind man, Dr. King eventually turned the tables on the group of middle school students and inquired of them: What is Your Life’s Blueprint? Asked less to evoke an answer than to encourage self-reflection, the question intimates that every life, while preordained a rational number of successes and setbacks, ought to have as its foundation, a blueprint. This text is of particular consequence as hard-fought battles for social and racial equality sit stoically unattended and crumbling before our eyes. The slow and deliberate gentrification of neighborhoods has ushered a return to segregation through redlining and economic displacement – both of which make null the voices of Americans in marginalized communities. Voting capable people into office and holding accountable those in office, constitutes sound reasoning and needed patriotism. Those who love justice will not allow the tyranny of the past an opportunity to traipse back into the lives of their children and grandchildren, unanswered. Let those of us, of age, not become so weary with the slow rhythm of change that we stop voting or neglect those who need our assistance is registering or getting out on election day to vote. Dr. King promoted the idea that every election was local. While national elections for commander-in-chief take central focus in the media, it is the local election for wards, ANCs, city councils, counties and states that have the biggest impact on our daily lives. For instance, in many jurisdictions, including Illinois and Texas, local police chiefs, school boards, and judges are elected by those in the community, along with mayors and governors. The power to elect and unseat has always been in the hands of the people but is wielded only when their votes are effectively leveled for or against an issue. As key components to the Voting Rights Act disintegrate, Black youth have been largely abandoned by politicians. Yet, young people represent one of the most powerful voting blocs in U.S. history. If history promotes the truth, youth always have. A clear indication of this can be found in the many marches Dr. King lead with his children and those of other civil rights workers, on the front lines. In most footage, these young people range in age from five to 17, yet they appeared civic minded and conscientious of the cause for which they labored. Teach your children the importance of upholding their civic duties. Similarly, college students, some barely of age to cast votes themselves, fought steadfastly to register Black Americans to vote in rural and disenfranchised communities. It costs more than a few of these teens a stint in prison, bodily harm, or their lives. The battle for social equality rested then, as now, on the ability of every citizen to demonstrate their citizenship through voting. Utilizing the texts of Dr. King’s “Give Us the Ballot,” the Informer challenges its readers to re-examine their individual blueprints for life. What is it that you want out of life? For what are you prepared to battle? Are you prepared to speak up and speak out for justice no matter the consequence? Will you allow your vote to count? Dr. King told those students: “If you can’t be a pine on the top of the hill, be a scrub in the valley. But be the best little scrub on the side of the hill. Be a bush if you can’t be a tree. If you can’t be a highway, just be a trail. If you can’t be the sun, be a star. For it isn’t by size that you win, or you fail. Be the best of whatever you are.” It’s late in the day... time to “be” something other than quiet. Vote for your blueprint. 5 American Civil Rights and religious leader Dr Martin Luther King Jr (1929 MLK 1968) bends down as he speaks with a group of schoolgirls in a classroom, January 1960. (Photo by Afro American Newspapers/Gado/Getty Images)

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER 2020 MARTIN LUTER KING, JR. SUPPLEMENT / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

Voter Registration Numbers 1964 & Now Compiled by Lee Ross WI Staff Writer In October 1972, John Lewis and Archie E. Allen wrote in The Notre Dame Law Review entitled, “Black Voter Registration Efforts in the South,” found that while white opposition to Black political participation had increased in intensity in the mid-1950s, a new dimension was added to the Black struggle for the right to vote. Although the period of most severe reaction and demagoguery had passed, violence and intimidation were still political factors in the 1950’s. One author duo;’ attributes the rise of racial tensions and subsequent slowdown of black voter registration to reactionary aftermath created in the South by the 1954 Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education.” As they describe it, “Racial tensions grew alarmingly, and white resistance to Negro advancement stiffened in every realm, including the political. Several states adopted new and more demanding voter requirements, and others applied old requirements more strictly.” Weeks before the presidential election of 1964, African Americans and their advocates were working toward a record turnout. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People announced that it had registered 5.5 million Black voters in 34 states and the District of Columbia as of Oct. 1 and estimated that the Black electorate could number as many as 12 million. In the end, that was about how many blacks turned out, according to census data compiled after the fact: Turnout reached 58.5 percent for an estimated Black population of 20.7 million. Data on voting by race isn’t available for years before 1964, but the N.A.A.C.P. estimated at the time that no more than 5 million African Americans voted in the presidential election of 1960. Black voters wouldn’t go to the polls at such levels again until President Obama’s first election in 2008, when 60.8 percent of them voted. In 2012, 62 percent turned out for Mr. Obama’s re-election. What’s most impressive about the 1964 result, though, is that it happened at a time when some Southern states still viciously repressed Blacks’ attempts to vote. That wouldn’t begin to end until the following year, when the Voting Rights Act passed with the strong support of President Lyndon B. Johnson, who owed much of his re-election margin to that enormous black turnout. In fact, black turnout outside the South hit 72 percent in 1964, a level it has not reached since. In the South, black turnout was just 44 percent.

Stay Informed! www.washingtoninformer.com 3

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER 2020 MARTIN LUTER KING, JR. SUPPLEMENT / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

The Costs of Voter Suppression, Then & Now By Lee Ross WI Staff Writer The integrity of U.S. elections depends on every eligible American being able to cast a vote that is counted. It was believed that in 2016, the first presidential election in 50 years without the full protection of the Voting Rights Act, that countless Americans faced challenges and obstacles to accessing the ballet box. A June 2018 study conducted jointly by The Atlantic and the Public Religion Research Institute found that an increased number of racially-biased election laws, such as voter-ID legislation, threaten to disenfranchise African American and Latinx communities and effectively, erode the protections afforded them under full citizenship. With an estimated 21 million voters deprived of their Constitutional right to vote as the result of voter ID restrictions, roughly 14 million voters with disabilities were unable to cast a vote because voting centers were ill-equipped to accommodate their access; and an additional 16 million voters that live below the poverty line and identify as Democrat were unable to cast a vote because of polling closures, lack of alternatives to in-person voting, an inability to afford time off from work to vote,

and a lack of transportation to polling locations. Before the signing of the Voting Rights Act by President Lyndon B. Johnson in August 1965, suffrage for non-whites was informed by the 1898 Grandfather Clause – which instituted literacy tests and poll taxes as a requirement to register to vote. It included an added addendum that restricted voting rights to those citizens whose grandfathers could not vote before 1867. The law, initially adopted in Louisiana, grew in popularity among eight other Southern states — Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Tennessee, and Virginia. Those who attempted to cast ballots after maneuvering the registration process faced open, often violent retaliation. Calling Johnson’s signing “a triumph for freedom as huge as any victory that has ever been won on any battlefield, Dr. King would celebrate the advancement that came just seven months after he’d launched a Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) campaign to force Congress to pass the legislation. However unconstitutional and unpatriotic these ongoing efforts appear; they represent a persistent attack against suffrage and citizenship

— with origins birthed alongside the nation itself. Andrew Gumbel noted in a 2017 Guardian newspaper feature that the 2000 presidential election exposed flaws in the U.S. electoral system that many Americans had not thought about since Dr. King’s battle for the ballot. “Not only was there a problem of reliability with the voting machines, it also became clear that the United States had never established an unequivocal right to vote; had never established an apolitical, professional class of election managers; and had no proper central electoral commission to set standards and lay down basic rules for everyone to follow, free of political interference,” Gumbel reported. After record voter turnout in 2008, more than 30 states introduced voter suppression legislation in 2011: 16 states passed such measures. Thirteen states introduced bills that: End highly popular Election Day and same-day voter registration, Limit voter registration

drives; and Reduce opportunities for voters to register. Some examples of these include: The state of Maine, which eliminated Election Day registration, the state of Ohio, which ended the period when voters could register and vote on the same day; and Florida and Texas, both restricted voter registration drives. Census data shows that Hispanic (9.6 percent) and African American (11.4 percent) voters are about twice as likely to register to vote through voter registration drives as white voters (5.4 percent). Americans like the late activist Fannie Lou Hamer likened voter disenfranchisement to a brand of cowardice that allowed the weak to manipulate the most productive and vital elements of the nation through self-serving laws. “With the people, for the people, by the people. I crack up when I hear it; I say, with the handful, for the handful, by the handful, cause that’s what really happens,” Hamer said. The inability of the incarcerated as well as returning citizens with felony convictions remains, perhaps, the most contested form of voter disenfranchisement currently under protest. More than 6 million American citizens are barred from voting because of a felony conviction – that equates to one in every 13 African Americans. One report shows that in four states, more than one-fifth of the African American population is disenfranchised: Florida (21 percent), Tennessee (21 percent), Virginia (22 percent), and Kentucky (26 percent)

– numbers which could easily create voting blocs and impact real change in African American communities. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, state approaches to felon disenfranchisement vary tremendously. In Maine and Vermont, felons never lose their right to vote, even while they are incarcerated. In 16 states and the District of Columbia, felons lose their voting rights only while incarcerated, and receive automatic restoration upon release. In 21 states, felons lose their voting rights during incarceration, and for a period of time after, typically while on parole and/or probation. Voting rights are automatically restored after this time period. Former felons may also have to pay any outstanding fines, fees or restitution before their rights are restored as well. And, finally, in 11 states felons lose their voting rights indefinitely for some crimes, or require a governor’s pardon in order for voting rights to be restored, face an additional waiting period after completion of sentence (including parole and probation) or require additional action before voting rights can be restored. Note: Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) attempted to restore of voting rights to the state’s more than 200,000 felons. It was struck down by the Virginia Supreme Court, which claimed McAuliffe lacked constitutional authority to do so. McAuliffe did restore rights to 60,000 of the state’s ex-offenders through individual rights restoration orders. mlk

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER 2020 MARTIN LUTER KING, JR. SUPPLEMENT / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

THE STORY OF A DREAM. PASS IT ON.

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we remember to continue the legacy of those who stood for something. Learn more at aarp.org/blackcommunity.

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER 2020 MARTIN LUTER KING, JR. SUPPLEMENT / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

In Honoring King’s Legacy, We Must Commit to The Work That Cost Him His Life By Nina Turner Two years before his death, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King wrote that “there is no way merely to find work, or adequate housing, or quality-integrated schools for Negroes alone.” We could only achieve these goals, he said, by pursuing them for all people -- regardless of their race, gender, class or creed. Dr. King’s belief in universal programs as the key to our nation’s shared prosperity has long been central to the African American tradition. For centuries, Black men and women have struggled to guarantee human rights and economic security--not just for themselves, but for everyone. Their perseverance in this universal cause has resulted in the greatest strides towards progress that this country has ever made. For example, the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, which abolished chattel slavery, established equal protection under the law, and protected the right to vote, benefited people of all races. Reconstruction, which created public schools in the South and advanced the interests of poor farmers, benefited people of all races. And the Civil Rights Movement, which brought an end to the Jim Crow era, benefited people of all races. Even accomplishments that we do not associate exclusively with civil rights and racial justice would not have been realized without

Black leadership and struggle. Social Security and Medicare, key pillars of our safety net, were won by working-class movements in which African Americans played a central role. Millions upon millions of elderly people have been rescued from poverty thanks to their efforts. The elites who would rather see us divided have tried to limit these victories every step of the way. At times, like during the early Jim Crow years, they resorted to open violence, hoping to terrorize us into submission. More recently they have relied on the less visible but no less real violence of budget cuts and austerity. But because of the overwhelming popularity of policies in which everyone has a stake, they have not been able to do away with these hard-earned achievements for good. This history provides a lesson: rather than adopting a narrow focus on the differences between us, the best way to advance the age-old struggle for racial justice and free-

dom is through universality. African Americans are 50% more likely than our white sisters and brothers to be uninsured. This together with the stresses of economic hardship leaves us with worse health outcomes by almost any measure. We suffer from higher rates of hypertension, diabetes, asthma, and maternal mortality. The only way out of this public health crisis is through a Medicare for All system that provides every single person with access to the kind of care that the rich take for granted as their birthright. We are 25% less likely to graduate from college yet have more student debt than anyone else. Black women like myself are the most indebted of all. I have served as a City Councilwoman and a State Senator and like millions of others still have monthly student loan payments. Free public higher education and the cancellation of student debt would enable millions of African Americans to get the education they want but currently cannot afford.

We are twice as likely to be unemployed, and the jobs we do have are more likely to pay starvation wages. This is the reason why the poverty rate among African Americans is so much higher than the national average. There is no better anti-poverty program than a federal jobs guarantee and labor laws that make it easier to unionize. A Green New Deal would make desperately needed investments in our communities and go a long way towards addressing the environmental racism African Americans in urban and rural areas alike endure. A national housing program would benefit African Americans who, because of the history of redlining and segregation, are disproportionately renters, living month to month at the whims of predatory landlords and forces of gentrification. The list goes on and on. Those who benefit from the status quo will tell us that these are radical ideas that the American people will never accept. But we should remember that the abolition of slavery was a radical idea until it was not. Social Security and Medicare were radical ideas until they were not. The integration of public schools was a radical idea until it was not. For people in my home-

town of Cleveland, Ohio, public goods that alleviate the stress caused by economic insecurity are not pie in the sky proposals. They are much deserved and long overdue. More than fifty years after Reverend King’s death, we have yet to achieve the basic level of economic security for all that he understood to be a precondition for true racial justice. But as the great civil rights leader Ella Baker put it, “We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes.” This year, we have an opportunity to take a step in that direction. So in the months to come let us dedicate ourselves to bringing people together around a vision that works for all of us. If we do, we can finally create the foundation for a truly just and free society. MLK

5 Nina Turner is a former Ohio state senator and the national co-chair of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign.

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER 2020 MARTIN LUTER KING, JR. SUPPLEMENT / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

At Safeway, we believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to make their dreams a reality. That is why we are

TIME “ISTHE ALWAYS RIGHT

TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT“ -Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

proud to honor and celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a true American hero.

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER 2020 MARTIN LUTER KING, JR. SUPPLEMENT / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

Tracy Family Thrives on Equal Opportunities King Supported by Cynthia Spigner, Corporate Communications Working for Washington Gas is close to being a rite of passage for Karen Tracy’s family, long-time residents of Washington, D.C. Two of Tracy’s

uncles worked for Washington Gas in the early 1940s and recommended her father, Ken, apply here. Karen’s ex-husband, Gregory Boone, and much later, her daughter, Brittany Boone, joined the company, also. “I was so proud of my daughter when

she got a job here,” said Karen. “She has a college degree from Morgan State University and needed something with good pay and benefits. My father was very proud that both of us worked here. He came over to our Springfield office one day to go to the

WGL Supplier Diversity Program As we reflect on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., it is essential to speak to his commitment to economic empowerment. This initiative continues today and aligns with our aspirations in being a responsible corporate member in the business community. Washington Gas is committed to supporting diverse and protected class businesses through its Supplier Diversity Program. To underscore our support and amplify our Strive commitment, through our Supplier Diversity for program, Strive for 35 — our goal to increase diverse spend with quality and safety-conscious vendors.

For our company, procuring goods and services from diverse suppliers is a sound business strategy and produces competition in the marketplace, and benefits our customers, the community, and employees.

credit union and ran into me and Brittany walking from opposite directions. He just hugged us both.” Ken Tracy’s name is legendary within Washington Gas. He started with the company in 1946 as a laborer in the Transportation and Distribution department. During his remarkable 40-year career with Washington Gas, he became the company’s first black compressor operator, one of its first black inspectors, the first black foreman, the company’s first black union officer, a lobbyist and, in 1986, became Washington Gas’ first black vice president. He directed the company’s Community Affairs department until his retirement in 1987. A company article said Ken’s promotion to foreman in 1961 “caused quite a ruckus.” He was quoted as saying, “I was moving up right along with my white peers. This is an equal opportunity company if ever there was one.” He credited strong mentors, too, who advocated for more diversity among the management ranks at Washington Gas. “Nobody gets anywhere by himself,” said Ken. “You’ve got to have God and you’ve got to have friends. I have both.” After Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination in 1968 and widespread rioting in Washington, D.C., Washington Gas worked to build stronger relationships with the African American community. The company selected Ken to represent Washington Gas and he participated in the transition toward home rule for the District of Columbia. He established strong ties and remained close friends with many local leaders, including then Mayor Walter Washington. Ken died in June 2012 at age 84. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Karen Tracy graduated from Ballou High School. After working for the federal government, she followed her father’s advice and joined Washington Gas in May 1988. “Washington Gas was paying more and had better benefits,” she said. “My husband worked for a federal agency, also, and had already moved to Washington Gas. I should have beaten him here but didn’t. I knew Washington Gas was a good company because of how my dad started at the bottom digging ditches and worked his way up the ranks.” Karen’s first job with the company was as a receptionist in the Marketing department at Washington Gas’ Springfield, Va., Operations Center. Next, she moved to our Southeast

5 Karen Tracy is the daughter of Ken Tracy, who is legendary at Washington Gas

Field Operations Station in Forestville, Md., where for two years she worked on a project changing out old steel pipelines to more efficient plastic pipelines. She then worked in sales at Washington Gas’ East Station next to Maritime Plaza, all the while following her dad’s sage advice to work hard and continuously improve herself so that she would be ready when opportunities presented themselves. In 2004, she earned an associates degree from Prince Georges Community College. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Management in 2006 and, in June 2015, she obtained a Masters Degree, in Project Management from Strayer University. Today, she is back at Washington Gas’ Springfield Center supervising the Inside Sales representatives who process gas service requests through our 703-941-HEAT line and our company’s website, washingtongas.com, for single family homeowners and small projects in Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. “I am constantly trying to make myself more marketable within the company and I’m also an advocate for education,” she said. “I strongly believe that when you have knowledge, no one can take that away from you. I am also hoping that younger family members who saw me go back to school will get inspired to do so as well. As extra incentive, I told them about an elderly person in my MBA class.” Karen said WGL’s tuition reimbursement program helped tremendously with college costs. “Washington Gas reimburses up to 75 percent of what we pay in tuition, providing we maintained at least a C average,” she said. “I encourage everyone who hasn’t done so, to continue their education and take advantage of this benefit if your company offers it.” MLK

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER 2020 MARTIN LUTER KING, JR. SUPPLEMENT / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

The promise of tomorrow . . .

. . . begins today! Washington Gas is proud to be part of the 2020 Washington Informer Charities MLK Special Issue

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER 2020 MARTIN LUTER KING, JR. SUPPLEMENT / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

A History of Peace & Pride The Kings (Coretta and Martin Luther) were celebrated by young and old alike during the 2016 MLK Peace Walk & Parade.

Photos by Shantella Y. Sherman The D.C. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Parade was conceived in 1977 by the late Dr. Calvin W. Rolark, founder of The Washington Informer and co-founder of the United Black Fund, along with his wife, the late Ward 8 Councilmember Wilhelmina J. Rolark, Esq., and the late Ralph “Petey” Greene, a community activist and radio personality. The parade began in 1979 -- six years before Dr. King’s birthday became a federal holiday. The Martin Luther King Jr. Parade symbolizes the need to continue Dr. King’s work and reinforces the idea reflected in his words, “Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable… every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.” Here are few scenes from previous Martin Luther King Peace Walk & Parade events. MLK

Participants from various social and community organizations near and far made the trek through Anacostia / Congress Heights in frigid temperatures.

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER 2020 MARTIN LUTER KING, JR. SUPPLEMENT / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

5 Washington Informer publisher, Denise Rolark Barnes keeps pace while waving at supporters along the Peace Walk / Parade route.

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER 2020 MARTIN LUTER KING, JR. SUPPLEMENT / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

In His Own Words Give Us the Ballot

By Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Mr. Chairman, distinguished platform associates, fellow Americans. Three years ago the Supreme Court of this nation rendered in simple, eloquent, and unequivocal language a decision which will long be stenciled on the mental sheets of succeeding generations. For all men of goodwill, this May seventeenth decision came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of human captivity. It came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of disinherited people throughout the world who had dared only to dream of freedom. Unfortunately, this noble and sublime decision has not gone without opposition. This opposition has often risen to ominous proportions. Many states have risen up in open defiance. The legislative halls of the South ring loud with such words as “interposition” and “nullification.” But even more, all types of conniving methods are still being used to prevent Negroes from becoming registered voters. The denial of this sacred right is a tragic betrayal of the highest mandates of our democratic tradition. And so our most urgent request to the president of the United States and every member of Congress is to give us the right to vote. [Audience:] (Yes) Give us the ballot, and we will no longer have to worry the federal government about our basic rights. Give us the ballot (Yes), and we will no longer plead to the feder-

al government for passage of an anti-lynching law; we will by the power of our vote write the law on the statute books of the South (All right) and bring an end to the dastardly acts of the hooded perpetrators of violence. Give us the ballot (Give us the ballot), and we will transform the salient misdeeds of bloodthirsty mobs (Yeah) into the calculated good deeds of orderly citizens. Give us the ballot (Give us the ballot), and we will fill our legislative halls with men of goodwill (All right now) and send to the sacred halls of Congress men who will not sign a “Southern Manifesto” because of their devotion to the manifesto of justice. (Tell ’em about it) Give us the ballot (Yeah), and we will place judges on the benches of the South who will do justly and love mercy (Yeah), and we will place at the head of the southern states governors who will, who have felt not only the tang of the human, but the glow of the Divine. Give us the ballot (Yes), and we will quietly and nonviolently, without rancor or bitterness, implement the Supreme Court’s decision of May seventeenth, 1954. (That’s right) In this juncture of our nation’s history, there is an urgent need for dedicated and courageous leadership. If we are to solve the problems ahead and make racial justice a reality, this leadership must be fourfold. First, there is need for strong, aggressive leadership from the federal government. So far, only the judicial branch of the government has evinced this quality of leader-

ship. If the executive and legislative branches of the government were as concerned about the protection of our citizenship rights as the federal courts have been, then the transition from a segregated to an integrated society would be infinitely smoother. But we so often look to Washington in vain for this concern. In the midst of the tragic breakdown of law and order, the executive branch of the government is all too silent and apathetic. In the midst of the desperate need for civil rights legislation, the legislative branch of the government is all too stagnant and hypocritical. This dearth of positive leadership from the federal government is not confined to one particular political party. Both political parties have betrayed the cause of justice. (Oh yes) The Democrats have betrayed it by capitulating to the prejudices and undemocratic practices of the southern Dixiecrats. The Republicans have betrayed it by capitulating to the blatant hypocrisy of right wing, reactionary northerners. These men so often have a high blood pressure of words and an anemia of deeds. [laughter] In the midst of these prevailing conditions, we come to Washington today pleading with the president and members of Congress to provide a strong, moral, and courageous leadership for a situation that cannot permanently be evaded. We come humbly to say to the men in the forefront of our government that the civil rights issue is not an ephemeral, evanescent domestic issue that can be kicked about by reactionary guardians of the status quo; it is rather an eternal moral issue which may well determine the destiny of our nation (Yeah) in the ideological struggle with communism. The hour is late. The clock of destiny is ticking out. We must act now, before it is too late.

“Give us the ballot (Yes), and we will no longer plead to the federal government for passage of an anti-lynching law; we will by the power of our vote write the law on the statute books of the South (All right) and bring an end to the dastardly acts of the hooded perpetrators of violence.”

A second area in which there is need for strong leadership is from the white northern liberals. There is a dire need today for a liberalism which is truly liberal. What we are witnessing today in so many northern communities is a sort of quasi-liberalism which is based on the principle of looking sympathetically at all sides. It is a liberalism so bent on seeing all sides, that it fails to become committed to either side. It is a liberalism that is so objectively analytical that it is not subjectively committed. It is a liberalism which is neither hot nor cold, but lukewarm. (All right) We call for a liberalism from the North which will be thoroughly committed to the ideal of racial justice and will not be deterred by the propaganda and subtle words of those who say: “Slow up for a while; you’re pushing too fast.” A third source that we must look to for strong leadership is from the moderates of the white South. It is unfortunate that at this time the leadership of the white South stems from the close-minded reactionaries. These persons gain prominence and power by the dissemination of false ideas and by deliberately appealing to the deepest hate responses within the human mind. It is my firm belief that this close-minded, reactionary, recalcitrant group constitutes a numerical minority. There are in the white South more open-minded moderates than appears on the surface. These persons are silent today because of fear of social, political and economic reprisals. God grant that the white moderates of the South will rise up courageously, without fear, and take up the leadership in this tense period of transition. I cannot close without stressing the urgent need for strong, courageous and intelligent leadership from the Negro community. We need a leadership that is 1957 calm and yet positive. This is no day for the rabble-rouser, whether he be Negro or white. (All right) We must realize that we are grappling with the most weighty social problem of this nation, and in grappling with such a complex problem there is no place for misguided emotionalism. (All right, That’s right)

We must work passionately and unrelentingly for the goal of freedom, but we must be sure that our hands are clean in the struggle. We must never struggle with falsehood, hate, or malice. We must never become bitter. I know how we feel sometime. There is the danger that those of us who have been forced so long to stand amid the tragic midnight of oppression—those of us who have been trampled over, those of us who have been kicked about—there is the danger that we will become bitter. But if we will become bitter and indulge in hate campaigns, the old, the new order which is emerging will be nothing but a duplication of the old order. (Yeah, That’s all right) We must meet hate with love. (Yeah) We must meet physical force with soul force. There is still a voice crying out through the vista of time, saying: “Love your enemies (Yeah), bless them that curse you (Yes), pray for them that despitefully use you.” (That’s right, All right) Then, and only then, can you matriculate into the university of eternal life. That same voice cries out in terms lifted to cosmic proportions: “He who lives by the sword will perish by the sword.” (Yeah, Lord) And history is replete with the bleached bones of nations (Yeah) that failed to follow this command. (All right) We must follow nonviolence and love. (Yes, Lord) Now, I’m not talking about a sentimental, shallow kind of love. (Go ahead) I’m not talking about eros, which is a sort of aesthetic, romantic love. I’m not even talking about philia, which is a sort of intimate affection between personal friends. But I’m talking about agape. (Yes sir) I’m talking about the love of God in the hearts of men. (Yes) I’m talking about a type of love which will cause you to love the person who does the evil deed while hating the deed that the person does. (Go ahead) We’ve got to love. (Oh yes) * Delivered at the Prayer Pilgrimage for Freedom gathering at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. on May 17, 1957. See additional speech text at www. washingtoninformer.com MLK

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER 2020 MARTIN LUTER KING, JR. SUPPLEMENT / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

SPONSOR

ED BY:

Title Spons

Platinum

Gold Sponso

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER 2020 MARTIN LUTER KING, JR. SUPPLEMENT / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

Recent & Recommended Books about Dr. King & the Crusade for the Ballot Box By Lee Ross WI Staff Writer Protest at Selma: Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 David J. Garrow A thorough and insightful account of the historic 1965 civil rights protest at Selma, Alabama, from the author of the Pulitzer Prize– winning biography Bearing the Cross. Vivid descriptions of violence and courageous acts fill David Garrow’s account of the momentous

1965 protest at Selma, Alabama, in which the author illuminates the role of Martin Luther King Jr. in organizing the demonstrations that led to the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965. Beyond a mere narration of events, Garrow provides an in-depth look at the political strategy of King and of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. He explains how King’s awareness of media coverage of the protests—especially reports

of white violence against peaceful African American protestors—would elicit sympathy for the cause and lead to dramatic legislative change. Judgment Days: Lyndon Baines Johnson, Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Laws that Changed America Nick Kotz The Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nick Kotz offers the first thorough account of the complex working relationship between Lyndon Baines Johnson and Martin Luther King Jr. Tracing both leaders’ paths, from Johnson’s ascension to the presidency in 1963 to King’s assassination in 1968, Kotz describes how they formed a wary alliance that would become instrumental in producing some of the most substantial civil rights legislation in American history: the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Drawing on a wealth of newly available sources--Johnson’s taped telephone conversations, voluminous FBI wiretap logs, and secret communications between FBI director J. Edgar Hoover and the president--Kotz examines the forces that drew the charismatic men together and those that eventually drove them apart. Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? Martin Luther King Jr. In 1967, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., isolated himself from the demands of the civil rights movement, rented a house in Jamaica with no telephone, and labored over his final manuscript. In this important work, which has been unavailable for more than ten years, we find King’s acute analysis of American race relations and the state of the movement after a decade of civil rights efforts. King lays out his thoughts, plans, and dreams for America’s future, including the need for better jobs, higher wages, decent housing, and quality education. Today, as African American communities stand to lose more wealth than any other demographic during this economic crisis, King’s call for economic equality and sustainability is especially pertinent. With a universal message of hope that continues to resonate, King demanded an end to global suffering, asserting that humankind—for the first time—has the resources and technology to eradicate poverty. Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom: My Story of the 1965 Selma Voting Rights March Lynda Blackmon Lowery A memoir of the Civil Rights Movement from one of its youngest heroes--now in paperback will an all-new discussion guide. As the youngest marcher in the 1965 voting rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, Lynda Blackmon Lowery proved that young adults can be heroes. Jailed eleven times before her fifteenth birthday, Lowery fought alongside Martin Luther King, Jr. for the rights of African Americans. In this memoir, she shows today’s young readers what it means to fight nonviolently (even when the police are using violence, as in the Bloody Sunday protest) and how it felt to be part of changing American history. Straightforward and inspiring, this beautifully illustrated memoir brings readers into the middle of the Civil Rights Movement, complementing Common Core classroom learning and bringing history alive for young readers. MLK

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER 2020 MARTIN LUTER KING, JR. SUPPLEMENT / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum: When Dr. King Urged for Community Development in D.C By Samir Meghelli, Samir Meghelli, Chief Curator, Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum Few DC residents today are aware—though longtime residents may remember—that in March of 1967 the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. led a grand parade though the Shaw neighborhood. This parade took place thirteen months before he was assassinated and four years after he gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. Organized by Shaw native, longtime pastor of New Bethel Baptist Church, and later DC Congressman Reverend Walter Fauntroy, it resulted from an initiative that Fauntroy headed—the Model Inner City Community Organization (MICCO). MICCO sought to reimagine the federal policy of urban renewal that was displacing more than 23,000 residents and 1,500 businesses from Southwest DC in the 1950s and ‘60s. Rather than that kind of undemocratic redevelopment in which residents had no say, Reverend Fauntroy and MICCO pushed for urban renewal “with the people who lived there, by the people who lived there, and for the people who lived there.” MICCO worked to empower residents and small business owners, pushed for citizen input into

the planning process, and organized to bring economic benefits to the neighborhood. When Dr. King came to Shaw and led the parade from Dunbar High School to Cardozo High School in support of this effort, he called it “the most massive and comprehensive assault on human despair and physical decay ever initiated by Negroes in the United States.” In the speech he gave on the athletic field at Cardozo High, King said: “I stood in this city nearly four years ago now and told many of you at the historic March on Washington that I have a dream. Since that hot August day, I have seen that dream almost turn into a nightmare. But I want you to know that, in part, because of you and what you propose to do in Shaw, I still have a dream… Renewal with the people, by the people and for the people.” King was clear on the message he wanted to deliver that day to Shaw and District–wide residents: “Prepare to participate, and you will give to your city and our nation a constructive example of how we can deal with one of the most serious problems confronting us today. That’s the message I want you to carry away from this meeting today: prepare to participate!” Just one year after this speech,

King was assassinated. But the work of MICCO continued, assisting longtime residents with much-needed home repairs, helping local nonprofits build quality affordable housing, and enabling the community to participate in the planning and redesign of the then-decrepit Shaw Junior High School. Although this work was relatively short-lived, ending in the mid-1970s under a cloud of financial troubles, it offered one vision for what community-cen-

tered and participatory planning could look like. Today, Shaw is a neighborhood transformed. It is home to one of the fastest gentrifying zip codes in the country, with skyrocketing home values and a population that has gone from more than 90% African American in the 1970s to now less than 30%. As we mark Dr. King’s birthday this month, let us reflect—and act—on what his vision of community-led development might offer the District as it

faces more change in the years to come. And join us at the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum to view our “A Right to the City” exhibition which explores how and why neighborhoods have changed across the District, but also how residents have—in the spirit of King’s message—fought for their right to the city, to meaningfully reshape their neighborhoods in ways that best serve their needs and interests. MLK

2020 LUNCHEON SPEAKER LONNIE G. BUNCH III

SECRETARY OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION Lonnie G. Bunch III is the 14th Secretary of the Smithsonian. He assumed his position June 16, 2019. As Secretary, he oversees 19 museums, 21 libraries, the National Zoo, numerous research centers, and several education units and centers. Bunch was the founding director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture and is the first Secretary of the Institution. historian to be Secre

2020 LUNCHEON EMCEE MAUREEN BUNYAN

TELEVISION NEWS ANCHOR Maureen Bunyan is an Aruban-American Washington, D.C.-based television journalist. She was the lead co-anchor at WJLA-TV. Bunyan is a founder and board member of IWMF (International Women's Media Foundation), a founder of the National Association of Black Journalists and President of Maureen Bunyan Communications, Inc. She was named a "Washingtonian of the Year" in 1992 and has been inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Washington Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, "The Silver Circle" of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS), and the Broadcast Pioneers Club of Washington.

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER 2020 MARTIN LUTER KING, JR. SUPPLEMENT / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

As we reflect on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we’re proud to do our part to light the way for the next generation of doers and dreamers who will lead our communities forward by bringing us together. pepco.com

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER 2020 MARTIN LUTER KING, JR. SUPPLEMENT / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

OPINIONS/EDITORIALS

EDITORIAL

On Dr. King Day, They Came, They Celebrated, They Served It’s no small feat to plan a city-wide celebration, especially one that honors one of the most celebrated and iconic human beings of all time – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Yet, on one of the coldest days of this extraordinarily mild winter season, thousands came to Ward 8 in Southeast to celebrate and to serve. More importantly, they came to honor the life and legacy of Dr. King on the national holiday. The first King parade held in the nation’s capital took place in 1979. Despite the constant depiction of Ward 8 as poverty-stricken and crime-ridden, hundreds marched up King Avenue, in the section of D.C. that proved to be the most appropriate place to pay homage to Dr. King. For he dedicated and lost his life fighting for the eradication of poverty. In his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, he said “No individual or nation can be great if it does not have a concern for ‘the least of these.’” And, 41 years later, in his first-ever appearance at the King parade held again in Ward 8, his eldest son, Martin Luther King III, said, “If my father was here, he would be right in the midst of the struggle with you. He would be involved in finding answers for homelessness. He would be involved in addressing the environment. He would be involved in the issues of today.” Sadly, Dr. King, who would have turned 91 on January 15, was killed. Still, his message continues to inspire his followers to do as he intended for them to do – to fight injustice and inequality – everywhere, especially in communities like Ward 8. He called poverty a “monstrous octopus” that the masses that turned out on Monday showed their willingness and ability to slay. The small group of volunteers that coordinated this event can only invite residents and organizations from across the city and the region to participate. Even Mayor Muriel Bowser has but so much influence over her staff and constituents to bring them out, as she did, to Ward 8. And, it helped, to have other local media to promote the opportunities the annual event provides for celebration and service. But in the end, it is the spirit of Dr. King that forces those to overcome their fears, ignore their (mis) perceptions and to embrace others who share their desire to make Dr. King’s dream a reality. That’s what the day proved to the residents of Ward 8 and showed that residents of this city can come together in love, mutual respect and with a shared vision of equity and equality for all. WI

For Ward 8 Families, King Parade Showed Blackness at its Best It’s been a busy weekend as the nation anticipated the King Holiday on Monday. We’ve seen thousands of women swoop down on the District for their annual march on Saturday. Nearby in the Commonwealth of Virginia, while some were committing themselves to service projects within their communities, others were bracing for a controversial gun rights rally – one that some rightwing zealots promised they’d attend, armed and dangerous. Fortunately, the rally went on without any outbreaks of violence. But the best thing that happened during the King Holiday Weekend, had to be 14th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Peace Walk & Parade. Yes, it was cold, very cold. But we’ve grown accustomed to that nuisance. The sun shined brightly, perhaps inspiring those who marched and those who watched the two-mile long parade to smile as brightly as Mr. Sun. And yes, the smiling faces were everywhere. As for the many hundreds of men, women and children who braved the cold, they illustrated the diversity that still makes America unique and a wonderful place in which to live. We say young, old, Black, white, Hispanic, LGBT, rich, poor, disabled – you name the differences or distinctions – they were all there. Ward 8 has the unfortunate distinction of being a community where crime and violence seem to be the norm rather than the exception. But we know we can do better. And on the King Holiday in the District’s most-beleaguered ward, peace and love were in full swing. Folks worked together and seemed to enjoy every minute. Here’s a thought: let’s adjust our mindsets, our goings-on and our beliefs which become actions, so that we are on King Parade 2020 frequency. Let there be peace here in the valley. Let is begin with you. WI

TO THE EDITOR Help Wanted I totally agree with the editor about disgraced NFL star Antonio Brown. What’s wrong with that man? He’s gone mad! Hopefully someone will step in and help the brother before it’s too late. Gary Baker Washington, D.C.

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

Keeping the Dream Alive I never get tired of celebrating Dr. King’s birthday and his holiday. Many may not remember, but there was a time when we had to real-deal fight, lobby and march for King’s birthday to be a federal holiday. Sleep peacefully, Marty. Thomasina Fedeau Washington, D.C.

Readers' Mailbox

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 23 - 29, 2020 25

OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnist

By Marian Wright Edelman

Failing at Greatness In January 1967, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. took a rare sabbatical to write what would become his last book: “Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?” In the final chapter he raised this question: “Not too many years ago, Dr. Kirtley Mather, a Harvard geologist, wrote a book entitled Enough and to Spare. He set forth the basic theme that famine is wholly unnecessary in the modern world. Today,

therefore, the question on the agenda must read: Why should there be hunger and privation in any land, in any city, at any table, when man has the resources and the scientific know-how to provide all mankind with the basic necessities of life?” Dr. King’s answer: “There is no deficit in human resources; the deficit is in human will … The well-off and the secure have too often become indifferent and oblivious to the poverty and deprivation in their midst. The poor in our countries have been shut out of our minds, and driven from the main-

stream of our societies, because we have allowed them to become invisible. Ultimately a great nation is a compassionate nation. No individual or nation can be great if it does not have a concern for ‘the least of these.’” The Trump administration has made a lot of promises about being “great,” but again and again has shown a basic contempt and lack of compassion for the poorest and most vulnerable both outside our borders and in our own nation. In one of its latest failures to show concern for “the least of these,” the administration finalized a new rule

Guest Columnist

in December to weaken the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by imposing time limits and work requirements. Instead of using some of our vast resources to finally eradicate hunger in America in 2020, the USDA estimates nearly 700,000 people will lose benefits and be at risk of going even hungrier. The deficit in human will is on full display. Under the new rule, more able-bodied adults without dependents will be required to work or participate in work activities for 20 hours a week in order to receive SNAP benefits for more than

three months in a three-year period. States’ ability to waive time limits in areas where there are many unemployed adults and too few jobs has been reduced. As CDF’s policy team has explained, research suggests that rather than promoting increased employment, time limits actually harm health and productivity. Data also show the overwhelming majority of SNAP participants who struggle to meet the 20 hours of work per week requirement aren’t falling short because they’re not

EDELMAN Page 45

By Dr. Kelvin “Kelly” Wright

Renewing MLK’s Dream by Renewing Our Minds Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. — Romans 12:2 Transformation is something the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Junior was in pursuit of. He was seeking to fulfill his God given dream to help lead all people to the promise land of true brotherhood. On this national holiday we observe the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., a drum major who fol-

lowed the drumbeat of a different drum. He did not follow the world’s cadence of anger, discord and violence but chose to operate in the unforced rhythm of God’s grace to take a stand against racism, militarism, injustice and poverty. He sought to serve others in his quest to achieve equality in civil and economic rights for Black Americans, along with a demand for criminal justice reforms. In 1963, I remember as a child sitting at home in Hagerstown, Maryland, with my mother and grandmother in our living room watching a network news report on the March on Washington for Jobs and Justice. The report

showed Dr. King delivering what would become a speech literally heard around the world and echoed throughout history, “I Have A Dream.” It was a dream that set into motion the transformation of race relations in America. Dr. King’s leadership in the non-violent struggle for civil rights earned him the distinction of being called a “drum major for justice, a drum major for peace.” But to his four children, he was simply known as Daddy. Dr. King was mindful of his children when he delivered his famous address, “I have a dream that my four little children

Guest Columnist

will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” Dr. King’s youngest child, Bernice King, has followed in her father’s footsteps, becoming an ordained minister and continues his legacy. She believes that her dad’s dream for his children to be judged by the content of their character has, in many ways, become a reality. She says, “new generations of people have benefited greatly because of the dream but we still have more work to do.” King recently talked to me about her reflections of her father. Her dad’s incredible contribution to the world, she

explained, is a result of his extraordinary faith in God. As I talked with her, she told me that everything her daddy did, came out of his personal commitment to Jesus Christ. King recalls how her dad’s deep faith helped him overcome the pressures from leading the non-violent struggle for civil rights, particularly when the burden became too heavy to bear: “I remember in the beginning when he was about to give up because he got a call that threatened to blow up his home where my mom and my sister were. He

las further? Now before we blame the Dallas Police Department on increased crimes of murders and assaults, let’s be real! These are often not random killings, but crimes which reflect our social ills. This crime upsurge cannot be solved by merely policing more or throwing money at the problem. This can only be changed if we change. We alone must Silence the Violence. Dallas Police Chief Renee Hall has been given an ultimatum to reduce crime. If she is going to reduce crime —

a tremendous task — Chief Hall needs help from the Black community. The community — our Black community — must police itself. We must Silence the Violence. The Black Lives Matter movement must immediately be an internal call for Dallas. We must stop the self-inflicted genocide that goes on yearly. If we do not, then 2020 will be just like 2019. If we do not, it will be another number, another death, and another hashtag. WI

WRIGHT Page 45

By Ed Gray

Silence the Violence for 2020

This month, we began the new decade the same way that we finished the old decade. Last year in Dallas, more than 200 people were murdered; sadly, most were African Americans. Though we march for justice and claim “Black Lives Matter,” they clearly don’t matter to us in Dallas, as most of the killings are committed by Black members of our society.

26 - JANUARY 23 - 29, 2020

Our nation is at war with itself. If you are young, gifted and Black, chances are you will not get to be old enough to brag about it. Rory Norman, a 1-year-old, was killed last week. His family apparently was targeted in an ambush at their home. How many children, how many babies, must die at our own hands before we realize we are our biggest enemy? The city of Dallas and its police department are under political fire. This criticism is warranted as its leadership has the moral responsibility to provide

security to its citizens. Whatever it takes to restore safety, sanctity, and sanity, the city must act. The city acting means it must not police and occupy because of crime stats. This was done earlier in a ham-fisted manner, resulting in a Dallas citizen, Schaston Hodge, being shot 16 times by the Texas Rangers. The mayor and the city manager are wringing their collective hands because this type of crime is bad for business. How can business interests bring corporate dollars to enrich Dal-

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnist

By Charlene Crowell

Disparities in Housing Perpetuate Racial Wealth Gap

Once again, the only federal holiday honoring a person of color was celebrated across the nation this week. The 38-year span of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life continues to be remembered and revered. Since his tragic death, time has shown he was also prophetic. “Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability but comes through continuous struggle,” Dr. King said. “And so, we must straighten our backs and work for our freedom. A man can’t ride you unless your back is bent.”

From voting rights to desegregation in public accommodations, transportation and employment, Dr. King’s Baptist cadence resonated with a generation to champion what was wrong, and to also speak up for what is right. In that noble pursuit, he came in 1964, the youngest person to become a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. Yet in 2020, much of the hard-won rights championed by Dr. King championed are under attack by the very governments charged to enforce both laws and regulations. Especially for Black America, rollbacks of much-needed programs jeopardize access to basic life needs such as nutrition, safe water, legal

Guest Columnist

justice, and housing itself. The irony is that the enactment of the historic 1968 Fair Housing Act followed less than a week after Dr. King’s assassination in Memphis. Hence, as we honor Dr. King, we are also called to continue progressive efforts to better include all of the Americans whom historically have been locked out or left out when it comes to housing: people of color, women, families, people with different physically challenged and all who still suffer the insidious nature of housing discrimination. As the number of homeless Americans now number more than 560,000, Rep. Maxine Waters, chair of the

House’s Financial Services Committee, has added homelessness and homeless prevention to the committee’s 2020 priorities. “Homelessness affects the very fabric of our communities,” Waters said. “When I speak to families in my district who are dealing with homelessness, I see the toll this housing insecurity is taking on them, including their children, who can’t concentrate in school because they’re sleeping in a car at night. … We need to do more if we are going to address the rental housing and homelessness crisis: we need to preserve the affordable housing that we have, and we need to increase investments in

programs that develop new housing or provide rental aid. We know what the solutions are to this problem; we just need the political will and resources.”

Richmond by trying to entice people to be present to honor Donald Trump and Jared Kushner on the sacred day America observes Dr. Martin Luther King! The hook was to offer money — lots of it — to unsuspecting Black people who didn’t know the real purpose of the event! Yes, I admit that was a bad act, but even that does not rise to the level of what Black people (red, yellow and brown people, too) have seen on the news every night. I know Darryl is friends with Trump and his supporters, but what he tried to do is small-time

compared with what Trump’s friends from another mother have done and are now trying to cover up. Black people, for once, can be glad to be Black. I know I am. I pray that my good white friends are wishing they could be Black, brown, red or yellow, too, because we’ve never committed any act remotely close to the current crimes we’re seeing. All white people aren’t involved, and I congratulate them,

While lawmakers debate the appropriate federal commitment to affordable housing, consumers are increasingly financially challenged to keep a roof over their heads. For the past 30 years, the National Low Income Housing Coalition has annually published Out of Reach, which tracks the cost of rental housing across the nation. According to its 2019

CROWELL Page 46

By E. Faye Williams

Sure Glad to Be Black! When you think about the harsh treatment Black people have experienced, and still experience in this country, when you think of 400 years of Black people being enslaved, having gone through Jim Crow, segregation, lynching and every indignity you can think about, don’t you at least say to yourself, “I’m sure glad I’m Black”? I say that because I watch the news

religiously, and listen to all sides of this Trump thing. I look at everybody involved, and none of the crooks or accused crooks look like you or me! I know some of our ancestors suffered severe and outrageous beatings and other sinful indignities, but we’ve never heard of any of them engaged in conduct like that attributed to Donald Trump, Mike Pence, Rudy Giuliani, William Barr, Robert Hyde, Devin Nunes and all of those unsavory characters who meet at the Trump Hotel bar! You can take note that none of them look like you or me!

Askia-At-Large

Despite a few bad apples among us from time to time, none of them are major players in this plot to get dirt on the Bidens or subvert national interests. Rachel Maddow interviewed Lev Parnas who described what can only be called a serious mob operation! If just one half of what Parnas has shared with us is true, we are living in a very dangerous country, and I’m sure glad to be Black! I read about Darryl Scott (one of us) and others trying to pull a fast one down at Virginia Union University in

WILLIAMS Page 46

By Askia Muhammad

Americans Will Regret Not Removing Trump

When the otherwise legitimate judicial authority that is the U.S. Senate, sitting in silence “on pain of imprisonment” has its way in the matter of the impeachment of President Donald John Trump — intentionally disregarding its constitutional and ethical obligations — then chooses to not remove said Trump from office, it will have truly become a kangaroo court.

But unlike when leaders of lynch mobs were quickly acquitted by sympathetic juries, in this case, the not-convicted felon returns to his job as commander in chief, or “capo di tutti capi” — the boss of all the bosses, in gangster-speak. He will be uncontrollable. The people of this country, indeed the world, will come to rue the hour of his acquittal. The current Occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue would prefer that the matter of his impeachment be settled before his scheduled State of

the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Feb. 4. If it’s over by that time, he will be an insufferable SOTU speaker, gloating over his “exoneration” from the “greatest witch hunt of all time.” He will literally rub the noses of the Democrats in the House who impeached him, in “it.” If not convicted and frog-marched out of office by the Senate, Dude will get worse, way, way worse. Just wait and see. A compelling case could have been — and was, by Rep. Al Green (D-Tex-

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

as) — made to impeach The Donald on his Inauguration Day. Certainly, a year later he certainly should have been removed from office when freshman Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) just got openly ghetto, when she said Congress should “impeach the motherf---er.” In between those neglected pleas to save the sinking ship of state, and now, there were bombshells from a bunch of former Trump loyalists, including attorney and “fixer” Michael Cohen, former FBI director James Comey, special counsel Robert Mueller’s 200-

page report. Each incident, each new revelation only tightened the web of guilt around the president who has declared himself to be beyond the reach of the law. A crime’s “OK if the president does it,” and thus he needn’t answer to any law or precedent he doesn’t want to. Release his tax returns? Impeachment documents? Fuhgeddaboutit. The Occupant delights in sowing confusion, pitting folks against one

ASKIA Page 46 JANUARY 23 - 29, 2020 27

LIFESTYLE MLK Celebration with Music Honors Service in D.C. Event Features Chaka Khan, Lauds Community Leader By Brenda C. Siler WI Contributing Writer A standing ovation at the Kennedy Center affirmed the outstanding work of Sandra Jackson, the recipient of the 2020 John Thompson Jr. Legacy of a Dream Award, during the Kennedy Center’s annual Let

28 - JANUARY 23 - 29, 2020

Freedom Ring concert in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday. Under Jackson’s role as executive director for the House of Ruth, the organization fulfills its mission of empowering women, children and families to rebuild their lives and to heal from trauma, abuse and homelessness.

“It is absolutely humbling to get this award,” Jackson said after the event. “It’s not about me. It’s about the children and the families that we serve. This gives a voice to them that they would not have.” Jackson and her family were sitting with Thompson, the award’s namesake and legendary former coach of the Georgetown University Hoyas basketball team. The university gives the annual award to an emerging local leader to reinforce the university’s commitment to identify talent among the city’s most inspirational community leaders who are working to solve key issues. Troy Donte Prestwood, an 8A04 advisory neighborhood commissioner, attended the free event and was ecstatic about the recognition of Jackson’s work. “She is a woman who has been doing great work in our city for a long time,” Prestwood said. “To be over the House of Ruth, doing God’s work, helping women and children, in some cases saving them from certain doom, was the highlight of the

5 Chaka Khan performs with the Let Freedom Ring Choir at the Kennedy Center’s annual Let Freedom Ring concert in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. on Jan. 20. (Courtesy of Georgetown University)

evening for me.” For the duration of the concert from Chaka Khan, the audience was on their feet as she performed songs from her catalog with Rufus as well as from her solo career. She also performed a 2004 composition of hers, “I Believe,” dedicated to the memory of Martin Luther King Jr. The audience may have been unfamiliar with the song, but the lyrics took a look at self-evaluation and perseverance. A line from the song: “Because I believe, when you look inside you don’t like what you see, you need to realize that you could be, anything in this whole wide world.” “Here is a living legend who was in incredible voice who came to let her freedom ring by bringing her talents and gifts to share with the citizens of Washington, D.C.,” Prestwood said. Khan was backed by a tight band and three singers. The Let Freedom Ring Choir, an all-volunteer ensemble of voices from Georgetown University and choirs from across the D.C. region, also backed her on a few songs. The choir and the larger group of musicians for the evening was under the direction of Nolan Williams Jr., a composer, producer, curator and musicologist who has been the music producer for the annual event for 17 years. A few months ago, Williams workshopped his theatrical production “Stirring the Waters Across

America” that illuminates key events from the civil rights movement. The workshop took place at REACH, the new education and performance venue at the Kennedy. Two numbers from “Stirring the Waters” were performed during the concert. Williams announced to the Kennedy Center audience that the premiere of “Stirring the Waters” will take place in Nashville on Feb. 28. For more information about the production, go to neworksproductions.com. WI

5John J. DeGioia, president of Georgetown University, and Sandra Jackson, executive director of the House of Ruth and recipient of the 2020 John Thompson Jr. Legacy of a Dream Award, attend the Kennedy Center’s annual Let Freedom Ring concert in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. on Jan. 20. (Courtesy of Georgetown University)

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

LIFESTYLE BURROUGHS from Page 1 discussion often concerned education, social justice and other causes that educator, activist and entrepreneur Nannie Helen Burroughs — a woman of great significance to King and PNBC — had advanced in the decades preceding the civil rights movement. “We have been consistent in living out the dreams of our forefathers and foremothers as exemplified by the life and witness of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Nannie Helen Burroughs and those great heroes and sheroes of the civil and human rights movements throughout the Diaspora,” said the Rev. Dr. Tyrone Pitts, executive director of the PNBC’s Community Development Corporation (CDC). Resolutions passed at the 58th annual session in Atlanta last year dictate the agenda PNBC continues to carry out from its headquarters at 601 50th Street NE, a six-acre compound on which Burroughs opened the National Trade and Professional School for Women and Girls more than a century ago. “The PNBC is an international Christian Baptist denomination in D.C. that has churches throughout the world that are lifting up the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, ad-

dressing racial, social, economic and environmental issues and providing opportunities for people to support those who are engaged in the struggle against oppression and for freedom, peace and justice,” Pitts said. In August, Mayor Muriel Bowser (D), Ward 7 Council member Vincent C. Gray (D) and others broke ground on Providence Place, part of what’s been described as a plan to bring more affordable housing to Ward 7. Upon its completion, Providence Place will join four buildings currently on 601 50th Street NE, including what’s known as The Monroe School and Nannie Helen Burroughs 1928 Trades Building, where PNBC conducts business. The new structure will consist of 93 units of affordable housing, more than a third of which has been set aside for people currently living in Lincoln Heights and Richardson Dwellings in Northeast. “Providence Place is where we believe that God ordained us to carry on the legacy of Dr. Nannie Helen Burroughs and those great souls that formed our convention 59 years ago,” Pitts said. “This is an example of our commitment to remain faithful to Jesus Christ and Jesus’ ministry as stated

5 A groundbreaking experience. (WI photo)

in Luke 4:16-18 and is an example of what Dr. Gardner C. Taylor stated at the time of our founding, that the Progressive National Baptist Convention ‘is the last best hope for Black Baptist.’ “Our commitment as the PNBC/ CDC is to provide jobs, protect the environment, create affordable housing, develop viable healthy food cen-

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

ters to elevate the present Northeast food desert, and provide economic opportunities for the residents of our neighborhood,” he said.

BURROUGHS, KING AND PNBC

In 1909, Burroughs opened the Na-

tional Trade and Professional School for Women and Girls with the financial backing of the National Baptist Convention USA, an organization preceding PNBC. She had set out to equip women with the skills needed

BURROUGHS Page 44

JANUARY 23 - 29, 2020 29

LIFESTYLE Charlie Wilson Delivers Early Valentine Gift to Fans Collaboration with Bruno Mars Hit Radio Stations Nationwide Jan.17 By D. Kevin McNeir WI Editor @dkevinmcneir R&B/funk music fans of the legendary Charlie Wilson have another reason to celebrate and it comes, appropriately, just a few weeks before the annual day for lovers, Valentine’s Day.

Wilson has teamed up with another musical superstar, Bruno Mars, for the new single, “Forever Valentine,” a pulsating tune about the joys of romance – a collaboration which Uncle Charlie describes as “magic.” iHeartMedia dropped the world premiere of “Forever Valentine”

Friday, Jan. 17 on its urban AC radio stations nationwide with the track playing at the top of every hour from 10:00 a.m. 11:00 p.m. local time. Released through P Music Group and distributed by BMG, “Forever Valentine” also become available at all major DSP’s on the same day. Wilson says that while it took some doing to coordinate his hectic life with Mars’ equally-busy schedule, he’s thoroughly satisfied with the result. “We talked about the song’s vibe for a while, put a chorus down and then didn’t see each other for

a while,” Wilson said. “Then we ended up on the road together [at London’s Hyde Park Festival in 2018 and later, on the final leg of Mars’ 24K Magic World Tour]. “We’d sing every day at lunch time as we further hashed out the song. I’ve been having so much fun with this record.” Mars co-produced “Forever Valentine” with Grammy-winning production team The Stereotypes (co-writers/co-producers of Mars’ Grammy-winning song of the year “That’s What I Like”) and D’Mile.

The three parties also co-wrote the song with Wilson, Micah Powell and Seth Reger. Ratcheting up the track’s fun quotient are backing vocals by Mars, Wilson and James Fauntleroy, among others. Still one of the hottest tickets on the tour circuit, Wilson will fulfill the dreams for fans flirting with love on Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14) at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles before moving on to select U.S. cities for a tour which ends at the Sol Fest Los Cabos in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico (April 27). WI

5 Charlie Wilson (Photo Courtesy P Music Group/Kenneth Matthews)

TICKETS FROM $49 WITH CODE ASPWI

ON BROADWAY THROUGH MARCH 15 ONLY SM

American Airlines Theatre

• 227 West 42nd St. 212.719.1300 • roundabouttheatre.org

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

30 - JANUARY 23 - 29, 2020

5 The promotional artwork for Charlie Wilson’s new single for lovers, “Forever Valentine,” co-written and co-produced by Bruno Mars, was released to radio stations nationwide on Friday, Jan. 17. (Photo Courtesy P Music Group/Kenneth Matthews)

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

LIFESTYLE

THEARC Brings Gospel of HU Choir to Honor MLK By Lindiwe Vilakazi WI Contributing Writer

D.C. was host last weekend to a string of events in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and one particular event sparking the interest of local gospel lovers was “Let Freedom Sing,” a performance by Howard University’s gospel choir. The event, held Saturday, Jan. 18 at THEARC Recreation Center in Southeast, was in conjunction with the city’s celebration of the late civil rights icon and his birthday, which is observed nationally each year on the third Monday in January. Reggie Golden, director of the Howard University choir, instructed a beautifully crafted show, showcasing the variations of talent

and abilities of all choir members. “We’re a Black choir, a gospel choir, so it has to be music that I believe showcases the breadth of our contributions to music,” said Golden, a former Howard student who has sang with the choir since his freshman year in 2008. The choir opened the evening adorned in African garb, performing “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” The HU ensemble ran through a two-hour collection of contemporary gospel songs and historic music closely tied to African American culture. “Glory is God,” “Amazing Grace,” “When the Saints Go Marching In” and many more were included in the night’s set. The performance had everyone in attendance moving in their seats, as the choir closed out the show by inviting audience mem-

bers to join them onstage. “Spirituals, that’s our past, that’s our legacy, so you want to make sure that we certainly get a histori-

cally accurate performance that is representative of all of our music,” Golden said. WI

5 Howard University Gospel Choir held its annual tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in a “Let Freedom Ring” concert at THEARC in Southeast on January 18. (Brigette Squire/The Washington Informer)

Fresh, fast, delivered to your door. Shop online and find deals, coupons and personalized offers.

safeway.com ALL ORDERS: Service available in select areas. Delivery Companies store banner (that banner’s product availability, pricing and promotions will apply). Online orders require a minimum purchase, unless otherwise noted. Prices for products you order online generally are higher than in Safeway physical stores and may vary by fulfillment method chosen. Online promotions, discounts and offers may differ from those- in Safeway physical stores. Full terms at albertsonscompanies.com/about-us/our-policies/terms-of-use.html

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

JANUARY 23 - 29, 2020 31

LIFESTYLE

Marion Barry Youth Leadership Institute

Martin Luther King, Jr. D.C. Student Essay Contest Our Vision 2020: Count Me, Count My Vote ESSAY QUESTION: WHY IS THE 2020 CENSUS IMPORTANT TO D.C. AND ME?

Participants

Students who participated in the MLK essay contest on Sunday, Jan. 19 are recognized during the announcement of winners. The contest was coordinated by the Marion Barry Youth Leadership Institute Alumni Association. The winners read their essays and received a cash award from the title sponsor, Washington Informer Charities, along with a computer donated by Total Sunshine. (Shevry Lassiter/The Washington Informer)

ELEMENTARY

Jonathan David Thoman, 2nd Place Gabriel William Lucas Kinlow, 3rd Place Anna Elizabeth G. Martinez-Graham Phoenix Gueory Elisia Mcilwain Robert Gabriel Forte Freeman Jer’rhee Robinson Promise Parraway Nazaria Hadassah Smith William Neuroth Amaliah Jones

1ST PLACE WINNER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Colette Gregg Stuart Hobson Middle School 6th Grade

The 2020 Census: Why It is Important as a Citizen, Child and Student The United States 2020 Census will take place in April 2020. The census takes place every 10 years. The U.S. takes this census by calculating everybody who lives in the country. They do this because they need to see of locations in the U.S. are underfunded or overfunded in order to make sure each area has enough financing. The 2020 Census will also ensure that each state has the right number of congressional representatives. Representatives are important to each state because they pass laws. I see a direct link between the 2020 census and Dr. Martin Luther King’s ideas about equality and unity. The 2020 Census will help secure an equal amount of funding in public facilities. It will ensure that citizens, as well as future citizens, all are able to have equal access education, health care, transportation, and other necessities. The 2020 Census will help everybody in the U.S. have access to fundamental opportunities. The 2020 Census is important to D.C. because the census results in the provision of around $6 billion to D.C. for Medicaid, schools, food assistance and dozens of other fundamental needs. That

32 - JANUARY 23 - 29, 2020

MIDDLE SCHOOL

Jeffrey West, Jr., 2nd Place Courtney Clay, 3rd Place Jack Wohlschlegel Na’Shon Ross Pierre’ Washington Lorenzo Young

HIGH SCHOOL

Shana Grant, 2nd Place Da’Nay Barnes, 3rd Place Nia Diggs Ayanna Jenae McClellan Briana Johnson Tornae Warren Carnez Malik Powell Lidia Dominquez Mahliek McDonald Chioma Chukwurah Stella Makuza

means after the census takes place, D.C. will get a better amount of funding for all public facilities that almost everyone living in D.C. uses and requires. Currently, there are about 1,000 additional people a month coming to D.C., which is mostly from birth and migration. In 2017-2018, D.C. was the sixth-most populous region in the country. In order for there to be an accurate amount of funding, the Census Bureau must get an accurate count of all the people living in D.C. and this is why the census in important to the District of Columbia. The 2020 Census in important to me because living in D.C., I am not only a citizen but also a student and a child. Being a student in D.C., I have dealt with funded and underfunded schools. However, there should not be underfunded schools; everyone should have equal access to schools that have an equal amount of funding. This can only take place if the government can see the number of children in D.C. and fund schools that need things like computers, textbooks, or simply a library. I recently went to a school that I had to transfer out of because there was not enough opportunity to learn. There was no library. There were two computer carts and some days we sixth graders could not take our tests because seventh graders were testing. Schools like this need the same amount of funding that wealthier schools have. All schools should have equal amounts of funding. Being a child, I do have health care, thanks to my parents who have health insurance. I can go to urgent care and I can go to the emergency room. There are some hospitals that will care for people without insurance; however, these hospitals depend on federal funding so that people who cannot have health insurance can be taken care of. The 2020 Census is important to me because being able to go to a school and having access to a good doctor and hospitals are crucial to my future. I often see Martin Luther King’s vision in D.C., but I think people in D.C. could do better at noticing the unfairness in most D.C. public facilities. I believe that if everyone participates in the 2020 Census, the amount of funding would have a very positive and sustained effect of the District. WI

Dante Gaines-Young Nathaniel Haile Kaylah Hester Jenae Preddie Shaunetta Burton Rikiya Styles Nadie Wade Morgan White Paige Phillips Kyra Black Ihechikarageme Munonye

Reniya Coleman Laneah Yarborough Kamaia Bexley Cara Moore Kennedi Curtis Arnitra Harrington Lordes Weston Daryl Johnson

Elementary school participants

High school student participants

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

1ST PLACE WINNER MIDDLE SCHOOL Jadyn Settles Alice Deal Middle School 5th Grade

Why is the Census Important to D.C. and Me? The U.S. Census is important to the country but people ignore it a lot because they don’t really understand it. The Census is especially crucial for citizens in the District of Columbia to participate in because we are not a state and don’t have real representation in Congress. Still, our citizens need to be counted. The way the Census works is that once a decade, a set of questions is sent to every household to attempt to record the total number of people in the country. The Census is important because of the money that each state gets from the federal government to fund services like the fire department. If people don’t respond to the Census, it will lower the amount of money we get for services. The Census also determines how many representatives we will have in Congress. Since D.C. is not officially a state we do not

1ST PLACE WINNER HIGH SCHOOL Candace House St. John’s College High School 12th Grade

Why is the Census Important to D.C. and Me? When I was in the 3rd grade, I remember a tall man in a suit holding a tablet who entered my classroom. My teacher said that he was from the government and he needed our help for a few minutes. He had us all sit down while he counted each one of us. I thought of it as a double win, as we got to play a fun counting game and we also stopped learning for a brief second. After he finished counting, the students and I then received an “I was counted” sticker that I loved to play with. From elementary school to middle school, I never understood why the man was counting us and what he was using the information for. However, through taking government classes at my high school, I realized just how important this government counting is. The fun counting game soon became known to me as the United States Census. The Census helps to institute how our lives will be impacted for the next 10 years. The Census tells the government how many resources need to be distributed throughout the city. Every aspect that is funded federally stems from the Census report. Public housing, availability of jobs,

LIFESTYLE have real representation in Congress but our shadow representatives give us a voice. So, the Census is an opportunity for D.C. to have a bigger voice even it we don’t have a vote in Congress. As a minor, I depend on adults, my community and the government to help provide healthcare, education and well-being. For all of these things, I need the right resources. The 2020 Census is important because it will determine how much funding my school and library receive as well as money for healthcare services, shelters and more. It is terrible that millions of children may not be counted in this upcoming Census because of fear and misunderstanding, as it will lead to crowded classrooms, underfunded programs and lack of research for the next 10 years. Kids who have a high risk of not being counted are children of color, children from low-income families, children from certain rural areas, multi-family households and children who live on American Indian reservations. They will all be negatively impacted if they aren’t counted. The resources that are funded through the Census are critical to the long-term success of all children and especially kids like me who in this time period will become an adult and have to deal with the impact from an undercount. We must ensure that District residents understand the importance and participate in the 2020 Census. Another important thing that the Census does is track data over time. This is good for all people who need to do research. The census data shows that Dr. Martin Lu-

ther King, Jr. marched on Washington, the demographics for African Americans have changed exponentially. In 1964, 25.7 percent of African Americans graduated from high school compared to 87.1 percent of African Americans in 2016. In 1964, there were only 306,000 African-American college students while in 2016 there were 2.9 million. We can see from the Census data the impact King’s civil rights movement had on Blacks in America. The 2020 data will hopefully show that these numbers are continuing to rise. I believe participating in the Census is a civic duty. Martin Luther King encouraged all of us to be civically engaged. I hope the District of Columbia will encourage residents to participate in the 2020 Census so that we can get all of the funding we need and continue moving towards the dream that Dr. King envisioned. WI

transportation, insurance and many other aspects could be drastically affected based on the count. As Mayor Bowser states, “Getting an accurate count is critical for DC to get the resources it needs to give everyone living in our city a fair shot.” For the needs of the citizens of the District of Columbia to be met, Mayor Bowser has started a 2020 Census Campaign to insure an accurate count. In the 2010 Census, Washington, DC was undercounted. According to the Census Coverage Measurement Estimation Report, 2.3 percent of the population did not show on the Census. Based on the population count that the government received, they gave $6 billion annually to D.C. When the population grows, as it has with the continuous amount of gentrification and building of condos and apartments, the amount of money allocated to D.C. grows as well. This money is used to support important programs for the city, update the ward and ANC boundaries, and help agencies with their policy decision-making plans. The city uses the funds given by the government for programs that will benefit the people. The Census asks for information on one’s household and household location. D.C. has used $350 million in federal funding in the past decade to build Section 8 houses and assist low-income families. This is important because everyone needs a quality shelter. If many people did not submit their census, the government would never know how many people were without homes of proper resources and thus could not help them. The census is very important for the public good, but it also impacts my life personally. The census will affect all people that are in the education system who live in the District. When I attend college next fall, my family will need assistance paying for tuition. They will have two children in college at once and will need extra support. The census will

tell the government the needs of the population. Federal dollars provided will then be given out for student loans. These loans can help me pay my college bill. Without the census, I could possibly have to go to a school I dislike or possibly not attend a university at all. The census also helps us understand businesses and job availability. It can help create more jobs for D.C. citizens. This can especially help my mother. This year, my mother lost 50 percent of her income and is struggling to pay for me and my sibling’s tuition. She has been looking for a second job to fill this gap for months but has been unsuccessful. Due to this, I try to work and make money to ensure that she does not have to pay for many of the things I might need for school. The 2020 Census could help my mother with her job search. This will make life easier for me as I do not have to worry about her stressing over how bills will get paid. The 2020 Census will also impact my family’s health insurance. It will allocate funding to help citizens with their health needs. My father currently works for the federal government. The government provides health insurance for our entire immediate family. Without the census, it is possible that the funding for healthcare could disappear. This would make it difficult to receive help if I were to become sick or injured. Lastly, the census is important to me because it impacts the way I navigate the city. Every day I take the bus home from school. I also take the train to go to work in order to not be a burden on my mother. With federal funding, D.C. has received more than $500 million for transit planning and improvements. With public transportation moving smoothly, I am able to get home at a reasonable hour, and also can continue to make money to help out my family. The census is the District’s way to provide for the needs of every person that lives in the city. It impacts every single person in D.C. even if they might not know it. That is why it is important that on April 1 of 2020, every person in D.C. is accurately accounted for the next 10 years. WI

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

Middle school participants

JANUARY 23 - 29, 2020 33

LIFESTYLE Remembering Dr. Rosalyn Terborg-Penn, an Educator of Black Women Suffrage

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer @StacyBrownMedia

Tickets Start at $15! Restrictions, exclusions and additional charges may apply. Subject to availability. Tickets at market pricing. Purchase tickets at venue box office or ticketmaster.com.

ROYAL FARMS ARENA FEB 5 – 9 CAPITAL ONE ARENA FEB 13 – 17 DisneyOnIce.com

34 - JANUARY 23 - 29, 2020

This is part of an ongoing Washington Informer series about the Women’s Suffrage Movement and an initiative that includes Informer Publisher Denise Rolark Barnes that will use the lens of history, the fabric of art and culture and the venue of the public square to shine a light into dark places, equipping all with a compass to chart the way forward. The initiative lives in the institutional home of the Washington Informer Charities. Perhaps no one has done as much research and educate the masses about the history of Black women in the suffrage movement than Dr. Rosalyn Terborg-Penn, the late historian and professor emerita at Morgan State University. Terborg-Penn, who captured the essence of Black women and the struggle, died in 2018 but left behind a treasure trove of historical details that could help African Americans and others further appreciate the eventual passage of the 19th Amendment. One reviewer of her 1998 book, “Blacks in the Diaspora,” wrote: “Rarely has a short book accomplished so much as Terborg-Penn’s seminal work. With the utmost attention to detail, Terborg-Penn examines the contributions of Black suffragist stalwarts. … It undoubtedly will become the definitive work on African American women’s involvement in the mainstream woman suffrage movement and specifically on Black women’s struggle for the vote.” Mari Lyn Henry, who counted among the throngs to read Terborg-Penn’s book, could hardly contain her enthusiasm for the work. “Thanks to Rosalyn Terborg-Penn, founder of the Association of Black Women Historians, for her research and determination to bring into focus the African American women in the struggle for the vote for seven decades,” Henry wrote in her review. “As a

researcher on suffrage and women’s rights between 1900 and 1920, I have found so little information about the contributions of women of color to the cause. They were excluded from white women’s clubs and even segregated in the marches, parades and protests.” Henry said that more attention had always been paid to the upper-middle class, the “new white women,” and the affluent women who could fund the cause and wield their power connected to their husbands and the General Federation of Women’s Clubs founded in 1890. “Ms. Terborg-Penn analyzes the racism and classism that prevailed in the society and politics of the time,” she said. “Anyone interested in knowing about the divisions in education and social status needs to absorb this book for the truth and the heroic and independent Black women who braved the cruelty and prejudice to establish their own identity in the struggle for the vote and equality.” Born in New York City’s Brooklyn borough on Oct. 22, 1941, Terborg attended Queens College, where she first became involved in the civil rights movement as a charter member of the campus NAACP chapter. While at Queens College, she also protested its decision to prohibit Malcolm X from giving a speech there. She tutored Black students in Prince Edward County, Virginia, where schools had been closed following the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision. After earning a bachelor’s degree in history from Queens College in 1963, Terborg-Penn moved to Washington, D.C., to attend George Washington University, where in 1964, she joined D.C. Students for Civil Rights and lobbied for the 1964 Civil Rights Act’s passage. Terborg-Penn worked at Friendship House, a settlement house in Washington, where she met her husband, William Penn. She received a master’s degree in U.S. and diplomatic history from

5 Dr. Rosalyn Terborg-Penn (Courtesy of the National Archives)

GWU in 1967, and in 1969, began working at Morgan State University in Baltimore, according to her biography on BlackPast.org. In 1975, Terborg-Penn published, “A Special Mission: The Story of Freedmen’s Hospital.” Two years later, she earned a doctorate in African American history from Howard University. Her dissertation was titled “Afro-Americans in the Struggle for Woman Suffrage.” In 1978, she was promoted to associate professor at Morgan State University and became its coordinator of history graduate programs. She also developed the history doctorate program and was the director of the Oral History Project. Terborg-Penn died in Baltimore on Dec. 25, 2018. She was 77. WI

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

KING PARADE from Page 1 jorettes, followed by several mounted horse groups including men dressed as the historical Buffalo soldiers.

5 Georgene Thompson (left), with Dr. Benjamin Chavis, president of the National Newspaper Publishers Association, and Denise Rolark Barnes, publisher of the Washington Informer during a photo-op at Georgene’s Restaurant in Southeast, who graciously hosts members of the MLK Parade committee for a luncheon after the event on Monday, Jan. 20. (Shevry Lassiter/The Washington Informer)

Denise Rolark Barnes, publisher of The Washington Informer, and community activist Stuart Anderson were co-chairs of the parade and they, along with WJLA-TV (Channel 7) reporter Sam Ford, the parade emcee, were all in good spirits once it ended on time at about 2 p.m. The parade was conceived in 1977 by the late Dr. Calvin W. Rolark, founder of The Washington Informer and co-founder of the United Black Fund, along with his wife, the late Ward 8 Council member Wilhelmina J. Rolark, Esq., and the late Ralph “Petey” Greene, a community activist and radio personality. D.C. was one of the first jurisdictions in the nation to hold a parade honoring King following his assassination on April 4, 1968. The inaugural parade took place in 1979, six years before King’s birthday became a federal holiday. Most of Monday’s participants were not yet born when King lived and died. About 150 masons from Most Wor-

shipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia took part in the parade for the first time, and no one was happier than Quincy Gant, the Most Worshipful Grand Master, who came up with the idea for the masons to participate. “Masonry has been the District for hundreds of years, and I have been in masonry for 20-plus years and we have never marched in this parade,” he said. “This is a very meaningful moment to march in this parade. “The Martin Luther King Jr. Parade symbolizes the need to continue Dr. King’s work and reinforces the idea reflected in his words: ‘Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable … every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals,’” Gant said. Earlier in the day, more than 2,000 volunteers gathered at the First Baptist Church of Glenarden, where Prince George’s County Executive Angela

LIFESTYLE

Alsobrooks joined Pastor John K. Jenkins and his wife to clean Perrywood Elementary, one of 25 sites the church cleaned for the King holiday. “I think Dr. King’s message of love, of concern, of caring for the less fortunate is significant,” Jenkins said while flanked by Alsobrooks. “This is not new for us — we do this on a regular basis.” Alsobrooks spent the morning with her church family making blanquette

and cleaning a kindergarten classroom at Perrywood. “It is not only an honor to serve others, it is a gift to serve,” Alsobrooks said. “We are not only celebrating Dr. King, but this is what Jesus did. Dr. King really followed in the steps of Jesus. We are here not only celebrating what Dr. King did, but [also] what we have been taught.” Major sponsors included PEPCO and Exelon CorporationWI

5 The U.S. Census Bureau volunteers set up a table at the MLK Health Fair to share information on the 2020 Census. The health fair was held simultaneously with the Parade and provided attendees with the opportunity to receive coats, food, and health education. (Shevry Lassiter/The Washington Informer)

Clinton Calls for Persistent Activism By James Wright WI Staff Writer @Jamesdcwrighter

Former President Bill Clinton encouraged attendees at the National Action Network’s (NAN) annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration Breakfast to continue their strong activism for causes they are passionate about despite opposition from powerful forces. “There are no permanent victories or defeats in public affairs,” Clinton, who served as U.S. president from 1993-2001, said to an audience of roughly 200 during the Jan. 20 event at the Mayflower Hotel in Northwest. “Do not grow weary in fighting for what is right and don’t doubt it can be done. Give our kids the future they 5 Former President Bill Clinton speaks as the Rev. Al Sharpton, Tanya Lombard and Yolanda Renee King listen during the National deserve.” Action Network’s annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration Clinton said America at its best exemplified inclusive Breakfast at the Mayflower Hotel in D.C. on Jan. 20. (Shevry Lassiter/ tribalism and said “we like diversity.” He noted that all The Washington Informer) Americans, despite differences in political ideology and beliefs, have a core belief. “We should all live under the same set of rules,” Clinton said. Clinton received an award for his life’s work from the Rev. Al Sharpton, NAN founder and president. Sharpton noted that he and Clinton disagree at times on issues but they “were on the same highway going the same direction but in different lanes sometimes.” Catherine Hughes, founder and chair of Urban One; Kenneth E. Rigmaiden, general president of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades; Joan T. Mulholland, a former Freedom Rider; Karine Jean-Pierre, a political organizer and activist; and Aalayah Eastmond, a survivor of the Parkland shooting incident in 2018 and a gun violence prevention activist, also received awards for their work. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) spoke at the event, saying she appreciated the work of NAN and the Congressional Black Caucus for its support of D.C. statehood. Martin Luther King III spoke also, agreeing with Clinton in principle “that the power is with the people.” “Let’s keep on working,” King said. “Remember, hate will not make America great, it is love that will make America great.” WI WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

A soaring musical inspired by a true story

GUN&

Photo of Lauren Fraites and Rachel Lyn Fobbs by Christopher Mueller

Ex-President Feted at National Action Network Breakfast

POWDER

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

JANUARY 23 - 29, 2020 35

LIFESTYLE

wi book review “Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick” By Zora Neale Hurston, edited with an introduction by Genevieve West, foreword by Tayari Jones c.2020, Amistad $25.99 304 pages By Terri Schlichenmeyer WI Contributing Writer Everybody has that place. You know, that place where everyone knows you, they know what you want, and they get it for you before your coat’s half-off. It’s where you can catch up on gossip and good news, where you take shelter and get sympathy. In “Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick” by Zora Neale Hurston, you also get a front seat. Born circa 1891 in Alabama, Zora Neale Hurston learned early to make her own way: she was just a teenager when her mother died, and when her father married a woman she hated, Hurston left home. After briefly working as a maid for a traveling actress, she moved to Baltimore where she graduated from high school, shaved a decade off her age, and enrolled at Howard University. There, her first story was printed. Unable to secure money to graduate from Howard University, Hurston moved to New York in 1924, arriving in Harlem with near-empty pockets but a head full of stories that began winning awards for her. This led to more opportunities, a return to college, a network of other writers, and a publisher for her books. In this book are 21 of Hurston’s short stories, including Harlem Renaissance works that were previously considered “lost.” Many were written in a way that reflects stereotypical patterns of speech and pronunciation which, says Genevieve West in her introduction, was risky and controversial but Hurston knew exactly what she was doing. While some tales are set in Harlem, Hurston’s stories here start out in Eatonville, Florida, where everyone knew everyone else. It the place where John Redding lived before he died, floating in the same waters that he dreamed might show him the world. It’s where every man gathers at Jim’s restaurant to talk trash, and where Sam met Stella, who changed him into someone who never gambled and came home on time, mostly. Eatonville was where Spunk Banks got too brave, where Old Man Morgan could put down a curse on anyone, and where “white folks are very stupid about some things.” Don’t be surprised if “Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick” is quickly elevated to your local high school’s reading list. Yep, it’s that kind of book. Read, and you’ll almost wish you were slumped on a wooden chair on Jim’s porch on a hot summer day. Read, because authenticity oozes from every page here and you can’t help but like the men and women in the tales. Read, as Hurston’s wit shines between biting narratory descriptions and comments, like sunbeams sneaking through Jim’s raggedy roof, underscored by a mix of highbrow words and lowlife scoundrels. You’ll also feel the heat sometimes but it’s not always from the weather. One thing: modern readers may want to know that the “dialect” that Hurston insisted upon may take some getting used to, but it ultimately adds to the realism that you’ll love about this book. For that, “Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick” is right for any place. WI

36 - JANUARY 23 - 29, 2020

horoscopes

JAN 23 - 29, 2020

ARIES Although there is still a powerful focus on your sector of career, and you may be still in the process of working through key issues, it’s time to give yourself a break. Besides, the people you connect with on the social scene could be extremely helpful in furthering your goals and ambitions. Go easy around midweek, especially if someone encourages you to buy a membership to a club or gym, because it could be rather expensive. Check before you commit. Lucky Numbers: 3, 37, 42 TAURUS This is a chance to take stock and set your priorities. What do you want to accomplish? Having clear goals can be half the battle, and persevering despite obstacles can see you doing very well. If you’re ready for a new beginning, this week’s new moon can help. Lucky Numbers: 8, 12, 14 GEMINI The coming four weeks are a chance to enjoy a short trip or even an early vacation. But this is also a time when you may be reaching out for more in terms of opportunities and experiences. You might also feel restless and eager to ditch your regular routines and do something different. Resist the urge to act on impulse, though. Planning ahead is the better way. Lucky Numbers: 7, 21, 45 CANCER The emphasis on your sector of shared resources could encourage you to take stock of financial matters and think about how you might improve on them. And with a new moon this week, this can be the ideal time for a fresh start, whether you want to consolidate debts or get your money working harder for you in general. Even so, it might be tempting to splurge when you’re with friends, especially midweek. Give yourself a limit if you can. Lucky Numbers: 2, 10, 22 LEO The sun glides into your relationship sector on Monday to light up this area and bring more opportunities for socializing and generally enjoying life. While you may still be busy getting out and about, this influence can help you relax and be just the tonic you need. And with the new moon in this same zone on Friday, this is a perfect opportunity to kick-start a romantic bond. Are you ready to break the ice? If so, this is the time to go for it. Lucky Numbers: 16, 27, 50 VIRGO After an intense focus on your sector of creativity, things could feel a little easier in this sector. And while you may be continuing to process through a key issue, there could be signs of progress that give you confidence and spur you on. Lifestyle issues may be more emphasized this week as the radiant sun enters this zone for four weeks. It joins Mercury, which could inspire you to take a closer look at your routines and consider which ones are working and which aren’t. Lucky Numbers: 30, 37, 43 LIBRA If past weeks have been a little intense, the focus on your leisure zone could be just the tonic. You really deserve to get out and enjoy life and indulge in those things that recharge you. Even so, midweek could be a tad disruptive as a restless sun-Uranus angle suggests an event may not go ahead as planned. Be flexible and you’ll find something else to take its place. Lucky Numbers: 7, 13, 46 SCORPIO You’ve likely had a hectic few weeks, and with the sun moving into your domestic sector, it’s time to step back from life. This can give you a chance to reflect on all that’s happened and come to some conclusions. It’s also a chance to enjoy some self-care and nurturing and spend time with your nearest and dearest. Lucky Numbers: 3, 5, 12 SAGITTARIUS The presence of upbeat Jupiter can assist by connecting you with the right people and advice. However, there is a positive focus on your sector of communication with the sun moving in on Monday and joining chatty Mercury. This can be helpful for negotiating and sorting out issues and finding a compromise. Still, it helps to be careful midweek because there could be some disruption to your plans. With a little flexibility, you can work around this. Lucky Numbers: 8, 49, 51 CAPRICORN This is the time to go in search of a bargain. The sun’s presence in your financial sector as of Monday can shine the light of awareness on money matters. This can be a call to take stock and sort out anything that’s bothering you. If you’re ready to commit to a budget or new financial habits, the new moon on Friday is the perfect time to do so. Lucky Numbers: 1, 6, 8 AQUARIUS Your vitality and confidence can increase, and this can leave you more upbeat, especially if events have left you a tad drained over recent weeks. This is your opportunity to indulge in those things that have personal meaning for you. Focus on those people, projects, and situations that bring you the most happiness and you won’t go wrong. Lucky Numbers: 23, 40, 45 PISCES You are entering a phase this week when the cosmos encourages you to slow down and make time for reflection. This is an opportunity to clear away emotional baggage, tie up loose ends, and find closure on situations that have been dragging on for too long. And if you need a chance to rest, this is the ideal time to do so. Lucky Numbers: 16, 22, 25

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

SPORTS For more photos, visit www.washingtoninformer.com

5 Georgetown Hoyas guard Jagan Mosely drives against Marquette Golden Eagles forward Brendan Bailey during Marquette’s 84-80 win at Capital One Arena in Northwest on Saturday, Jan. 18. (John E. De Freitas/The Washington Informer) 3 Georgetown Hoyas forward Jamorko Pickett drives against Marquette Golden Eagles forward Jamal Cain during Marquette’s 84-80 win at Capital One Arena in Northwest on Saturday, Jan. 18. (John E. De Freitas/The Washington Informer)

Marquette Knocks Off Georgetown Daemen College Crushes UDC

5 Daemen Wildcats guard Ashli Jeune is defended by UDC Firebirds forward Kayla Moore during the Wildcats’ 6435 win at UDC Sports Complex in Northwest on Sunday, Jan. 19. (John E. De Freitas/The Washington Informer) 4 Daemen Wildcats guard Tiara Filbert drives to the basket during the Wildcats’ 64-35 win over the UDC Firebirds at UDC Sports Complex in Northwest on Sunday, Jan. 19. (John E. De Freitas/The Washington Informer)

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

JANUARY 23 - 29, 2020 37

BETTER TV FOR LESS!

Promo

Terms

and con

ditions

Code: DIS

apply.

Call for

H100

details .

Add High Speed Internet for 12 months

190 Channels America’s Top 120 CALL TODAY For $100 Gift Card

/mo.

Subject to availability. Restrictions apply. Internet not provided by DISH and will be billed separately.

1-855-402-3370

Offer ends 1/13/20. Se Habla Español Call 7 days a week 8am - 11pm EST Savings with 2 year price guarantee with AT120 starting at $59.99 compared to everyday price. All offers require credit qualification, 2 year 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. Fees apply for additionalTV’s: Hopper $15/mo., Joey $5/mo., Super Joey $10/mo.

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

Are You Still Paying Too Much For Your Medications? You can save up to 97% when you fill your prescriptions with our Canadian and International prescription service.

Their Price

Crestor

914.18

Typical US Brand Price

for 40mg x 100

Our Price

Rosuvastatin* $

148

Generic equivalent of CrestorTM Generic price for for 40mg x 100

Get An Extra $15 Off & Free Shipping On Your 1st Order!

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

Toll free: 855-541-5141

Please note that we do not carry controlled substances and a valid prescription is required for all prescription medication orders. Use of these services is subject to the Terms of Use and accompanying policies at www.canadadrugcenter.com.

38 - JANUARY 23 - 29, 2020

5 On December 18, 2019, the United States House of Representatives votes to adopt the articles of impeachment, accusing Donald Trump of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress (Photo courtesy US House of Representatives)

IMPEACHMENT from Page 1 McConnell’s plan, there’s expected to be no guarantee that there would be witness testimony or documents produced, decisions Republicans want to punt until after opening arguments are completed on both sides and senators have a chance to ask questions. “But Democrats will attempt to change that. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is expected to offer at least one amendment to stipulate that witnesses must testify and that documents blocked so far by the White House be turned over to senators,” CNN reported. Democratic senators told CNN that it’s possible Schumer could try to offer multiple amendments, and that could stretch debate on for several more hours. That move was because of the expected two hours of debate –

MILITARY from Page 17 the 2020 NDAA include the expansion of pre-referral powers of military judges, a requirement that victims court preferences be recorded, and a requirement to

equally divided between the two parties – for each amendment. As of the week’s beginning, there remained uncertainty about how many amendments there would be, or precisely how the opening debate would shake out because McConnell had not unveiled his resolution publicly that would detail the procedures of the trial. Opening arguments from the House Democratic managers was expected to occur until after debate over the amendments concluded and the Senate resolution becomes adopted. GOP senators were expected to unify and reject the Democratic amendments. Under the rules, senators are not allowed to debate in open session while the trial is ongoing. If they want to debate, they would have to go into closed session, and a vote of at least 51 senators is required to make the proceedings private.

Otherwise, the amendments would be debated in public between the House impeachment managers and President Trump’s defense team. “In the coming days, each of us, every one of us, Democrat and Republican Senators, will face a choice about whether to begin this trial in the search of the truth, or in service of President Trump’s desire to cover it up. Trials have witnesses and documents. Cover-ups don’t,” said Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY). “We’ve all just been sworn in by the Chief Justice of the United States to serve as judges and jurors in the impeachment trial of President Trump,” Schumer continued. “That oath will weigh heavily on Senators to really consider this question about how to have a fair trial, and not just a cover-up.” WI

study an alternative military justice system. Provisions include expanded special victims’ council representation to include domestic violence and a requirement that SVC’s receive training on civilian

justice matters. “We’re hopeful that three provisions in particular — sentencing guidelines, the limited repeal of Feres, and the requirement to track race, ethnicity and gender of courts-martial — will move the needle in terms of advancing victims’ rights and giving service members the fair and just legal process they deserve,” Christensen said. “These provisions will establish real consequences for serious crimes, allow victims of medical malpractice to make claims, and protect the members of our military that have long been discriminated against,” he said. WI

Lowest Rx Prices, Every Day Start saving at BlinkHealth.com *Restrictions apply. Visit BlinkHealth.com for more details.

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

RELIGION the religion corner WITH LYNDIA GRANT

Pressure Makes Diamonds

This week, I want to talk about a quote I heard during a Christmas movie. A little girl in a Christmas pageant was about to play “We wish you a Merry Christmas” on piano and was having problems, but actress Holly Robinson Peete helped her by showing her how to get her ensemble ready. Once she finished, she talked about the pressure she felt when she had her first piano solo. Peete reminded the girl of what her grandmother told her: “Pressure makes diamonds.” For me, that quote was a spiritual moment. Immediately, I knew it would be one of my Religion Corner columns. This is a multi-layered quote, which has the obvious literal meaning — diamonds are formed when exposed to extremely high pressure — but also has a few figurative meanings. When’s the last time you entered a high-pressure environment head-on? When have you recognized the pressure and said you’re going to give it your best shot and see how the chips fall? For me, it was adding Facebook Live to my radio show; it was the appointment by then-D.C. Council member Charlene Drew Jarvis to serve as executive director of the annual Georgia Avenue Day; it was being

appointed to serve as project director of the African American Civil War Memorial; it was when I first started my radio show and writing this column. My list can go on and on. If you haven’t faced pressure recently or at all in the past few years, I’m convinced you’re doing life wrong and stunting your growth. The reason you should always step into pressure is it’ll force you to make a diamond or you’ll learn valuable lessons — that’ll eventually make a diamond. Pressure makes diamonds. Whether it comes from coal or a scientist in a lab, the only way to make a diamond is through highly concentrated pressure. I’m talking an insane amount of pressure — science says 230,000 to 1.3 million times atmospheric pressure. We should be thankful for this pressure, because without it, there are no beautiful, majestic diamonds for people all around the world to appreciate. Pressure creates the beauty. Otherwise we only have coal and boring rocks to look at. And the same principle applies to your life. With no pressure, you’re not forced to grow. And when you’re not forced to grow, you’re not going to find any diamonds in your life. I know how it feels to work under pressure. I remember telling everyone I knew and on social media that by September 2005, I’d be a published author. The pressure kept rising as this date creeped up, but it also forced me to raise my game by focusing and working harder. The end result is I published “The

Mt. Zion Baptist Church

Sharecroppers Daughter,” and though it wasn’t a bestseller, boxes of books were sold around the world. It helped some people, but I plan to do a rewrite. How did I respond to this pressure of being a small-business owner? Kept working to provide value to my audience and get creative to find new sources of income. At the end of that first year, this pressure led me to a $100,000 contract, my highest ever and another diamond moment in my life. Pressure and how I responded to it created diamonds in my life, and so I’ll always be grateful. You don’t have to be the most talented person out there. Just look for ways to embrace pressure and work hard in the middle of it. Over time, you’ll have the opportunity to turn your coal into a diamond. That’s all you need. And even if you fail under pressure, as long as you stuck with it and gave your best effort, there’s still great hope. Because pressure also makes lessons. Sometimes you can give it your all, face the pressure head-on, and lose. You don’t get these lessons and diamonds if you run away from pressure to stay at a comfortable job or never start the company you’ve always dreamed about. What I’m saying is, it’s the pressure that provides hard lessons and experience that propel you to get diamonds in the future. Stepping into pressure and embracing it is a win-win. The only time you lose is if you quit or walk away from pressure. That’s the opposite of taking your success. 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 23 - 29, 2020 39

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

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 www.pilgrimbaptistdc.org

Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ

Blessed Word of Life Church

Church of Living Waters

Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church

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

St. Stephen Baptist Church

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

Third Street Church of God

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

Rev. Dr. Alice Greene Interim Pastor

Bishop Lanier C. Twyman, Sr. Senior Pastor

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

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

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

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

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

Service and Times Sunday School: 9:30 AM Sunday Morning Worship Service: 11:00 AM Communion Service: First Sunday Prayer Service/Bible Study: Tuesday, 6:30 PM www.blessedwordoflifechurch.org E-mail: church@blessedwordoflifechurch.org

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

Campbell AME Church

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

Service and Times Sunday Morning Worship: 11:00 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sunday Sunday School: 9:45 AM Men’s Monday Bible Study: 7:00 PM Wednesday Night Bible Study: 7:00 PM Women’s Ministry Bible Study: 3rd Friday -7:00 PM Computer Classes: Announced Family and Marital Counseling by appointment E-mail: Crusadersbaptistchurch@verizon.net www.CrusadersBaptistChurch.org / “God is Love”

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

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

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

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

Mount Carmel Baptist Church

Virgil K. Thomas, Sr. Senior Pastor/ Teacher

Service and Times Sunday School: 10:15 AM Sunday Worship Service: 11;15 AM Children’s Church: 11:15 AM Tuesday Bible Study: 6:30 PM Motto : “A Great Commitment to the Great Commandment” Website: www.turningheartschurchdc.org Email: gr8luv4u2@gmail.com

www.thirdstreet.org Live Stream Sunday Worship Service begins @ 12:00 noon www.thirdstreet.org

800 I Street, NE - Washington, DC 20002 202-548-0707 - Fax No. 202-548-0703

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

Reverend Dr. Paul H. Saddler Senior Pastor

Turning Hearts Church

421 Alabama Ave. SE Washington, DC 20032 Phone: 202-746-0113 Fax: 301-843-2445

“Ambassadors for Christ to the Nation’s Capital”

Rev. Dr. Alton W. Jordan Pastor

Isle of Patmos Baptist Church

Twelfth Street Christian Church

Rev. Dr. Henry Y. White 2562 MLK Jr. Ave., SE - Washington, DC 20020 Adm. Office 202-678-2263 Email: Campbell@mycame.org

“We are one in the Spirit” www.ssbc5757.org / E-mail: ssbc5757@verizon.net

Services and Times Sunday School: 9:30 AM Sunday Worship: 11:00 AM Sunday Community Worship Service: 8:30 AM

Crusader Baptist Church

901 Third Street N.W. Washington, DC. 20001 Phone (202) 842-3411 Fax (202) 682-9423 Service and Times Sunday Church School : 9:00 AM Sunday Morning Worship: 10:10 AM Bible Study Tuesday: 6: 00 PM Prayer Service Tuesday: 7:00 PM Holy Communion: 3rd Sunday 10:10 AM

40 - JANUARY 23 - 29, 2020

themcbc.org

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

RELIGION Shabbath Commandment Church Bishop Adrian A. Taylor, Sr. Pastor 7801 Livingston Road Oxon Hill, MD 20745 301-534-5471 Service and Times Sabbath School 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 AM Service 11:00 AM Praise & Worship Preaching 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM Motto: “A Church Keeping It Real for Real.” Website: Shabbathcommandmentchruch.org Email: Praisebetoyhwh@gmail.com

Zion Baptist Church Rev. Keith W. Byrd, Sr. Pastor 4850 Blagdon Ave, NW - Washington D.C 20011 Phone (202) 722-4940 - Fax (202) 291-3773 Service and Times 9:00 a.m. – Sunday School 10:15 a.m. – Worship Service Wed. Noon: Dea. Robert Owens Bible Study 7 PM Pastor’s Bible Study Ordinance of Baptism 2nd Sunday, Holy Communion 4th Sunday Mission: Zion shall: Enlist Sinners, Educate Students, Empower the Suffering, Encourage the Saints, And Exalt our Savior. (Acts 2: 41-47) www.zionbaptistchurchdc.org

St. Luke Baptist Church Rev. Aubrey C. Lewis Pastor 1415 Gallatin Street, NW Washington, DC 20011-3851 P: (202) 726-5940 Service and Times Sunday Worship: 11:00 AM Sunday School: 9:15 AM Holy Communion: 11:00 a.m., 3rd Sun. Bible Institute: Wednesday - 1:30 PM Prayer Meeting: Wednesday - 12:00 Noon

All Nations Baptist Church Rev. Dr. James Coleman Pastor 2001 North Capitol St, N.E. - Washington, DC 20002 Phone (202) 832-9591 Service and Times Sunday Church School – 9:30 AM Sunday Worship Service – 11:00 AM Holy Communion – 1st Sunday at 11:00 AM Prayer – Wednesdays, 6:00 PM Bible Study – Wednesdays, 7:00 PM Christian Education / School of Biblical Knowledge Saturdays, 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM, Call for Registration Website: www.allnationsbaptistchurch.com All Nations Baptist Church – A Church of Standards

Israel Baptist Church

Rev. Daryl F. Bell Pastor 2324 Ontario Road, NW Washington, DC 20009 (202) 232-1730 Service and Times Sunday School: 9:30 AM Sunday Worship Service: 11:00 AM Baptismal Service: 1st Sunday – 9:30 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sunday – 11:00 AM Prayer Meeting & Bible Study: Wednesday -7:30 PM “Where Jesus is the King”

Dr. Earl D. Trent Senior Pastor

2409 Ainger Pl.,SE – WDC 20020 (202) 678-0884 – Office / (202) 678-0885 – Fax “Moving Faith Forward” 0% Perfect . . . 100% Forgiven!

623 Florida Ave.. NW - WDC. 20001 Church (202) 667-3409 / Study (202) 265-0836 Home Study (301) 464-8211 / Fax (202) 483-4009

Service and Times Sunday Worship: 8:00 AM & 10:45 AM Baptism/Holy Communion: 3rd Sunday Family Bible Study Tuesdays – 6:30 PM Prayer Service: Tuesdays – 8:00 PM www.emmanuelbaptistchurchdc.org

Sermon On The Mount Temple Of Joy Apostolic Faith

Lincoln Park United Methodist Church Rev. Richard B. Black Pastor

Elder Herman L. Simms Pastor

1251 Saratoga Ave., NE Washington, DC 20018 (202) 269-0288

1301 North Carolina Ave. N E Washington, D C 20002 202 543 1318 - lincolnpark@lpumcdc.org www.lpumcdc.org

5606 Marlboro Pike District Heights, MD 20747 301-735-6005

Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 10:45 AM Sunday School: 9:15 AM Holy Communion1st Sunday: 10:45 AM Prayer Service: Wednesday at 6:30 PM Bible Study: Wednesday at 7:00 PM Bible Study: Tuesday at 10:30 AM

Mount Moriah Baptist Church Dr. Lucius M. Dalton Senior Pastor

Service and Times Sunday Worship: 10:00 AM Holy Communion: First Sunday 10:00 AM Sunday School: 9:00 AM Bible Study: Wednesday @ 12 noon and 6:30 PM Motto: "Faith On The Hill"

Service and Times Sunday Apostolic Worship Services 11:00 A.M and 5:00 PM Communion and Feet Wash 4th Sunday at 5:00 PM Prayer/Seeking: Wednesday at 8:00 PM Apostolic in Doctrine, Pentecostal in Experience, Holiness in Living, Uncompromised and Unchanged. The Apostolic Faith is still alive –Acts 2:42

New Commandment Baptist Church

Eastern Community Baptist Church Damion M. Briggs Pastor

Rev. Stephen E. Tucker Senior Pastor

1636 East Capitol Street, NE Washington, DC 20003 Telephone: 202-544-5588 - Fax: 202-544-2964

8213 Manson Street Landover, MD 20785 Tel: (301) 322-9787 Fax: (301) 322-9240

13701 Old Jericho Park Road Bowie, MD. 20720 (301) 262-0560

Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 7:45 AM and 10:45 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sundays at 7:45 AM & 10:45 AM Sunday School: 9:30 AM Prayer & Praise Service: Tuesdays at 12 noon & 6:30 PM Bible Study: Tuesdays at 1 pm and 7 PM Youth Bible Study: Fridays at 7 PM

Service and Times Early Morning Message: 7:30 AM Sunday Morning Worship Service: 10:00 AM Sunday Church School: 9:00 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sunday 7:30 AM & 10:00 AM Prayer, Praise and Testimony: Wednesday 7:00 PM Bible Study: Wednesday 7:30 PM

Service and Times Sunday Worship: 11 AM Sunday School: 10 AM Wednesday Mid-Week Worship, Prayer & Bible Study: Wed. 7 PM

Rehoboth Baptist Church

Reverend Peter R. Blue Sr. Pastor

Rev. Curtis l. Staley Pastor

2001 Brooks Drive District Heights MD. 20744 240.838.7074

621 Alabama Ave., S.E.- Washington, D.C. 20032 P: (202) 561-1111 - F: (202) 561-1112

Service and Times Sunday Worship Experience: 10:15am Sunday School: 9:00am Holy Communion: 3rd Sunday Morning Noontime Bible Study: Tuesday @ 12:00pm Prayer Meeting/Bible Study: Tuesday @7:00pm Theme: "Building On A Firm Foundation"

Service and Times Sunday Service: 10:00 AM Sunday School for all ages: 8:30 AM 1st Sunday Baptism: 10:00 AM 2nd Sunday Holy Communion:10:00 AM Tuesday: Bible Study: 6:30 PM Prayer Meeting: 7:45 PM

Email: revprbstmbc@gmail.com Website: www.stmatthewsbaptist.org

Motto: “Where God is First and Where Friendly People Worship”

“Real Worship for Real People” Website: www.easterncommunity.org Email: ecc@easterncommunity.org

“A Church Where Love Is Essential and Praise is Intentional”

Foggy Bottom - Founded in 1867 728 23rd Street, NW - Washington, DC 20037 Church office: 202-333-3985 - Fax : 202-338-4958

Shiloh Baptist Church

Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 10:00 AM Sunday Church School: 8:45 – 9:45 AM Holy Communion: Every First Sunday Intercessory Prayer: Monday – 7:00-8:00 PM Pastor’s Bible Study: Wednesday –7:45 PM Midweek Prayer: Wednesday – 7:00 PM Noonday Prayer Every Thursday

Matthews Memorial Baptist Church

4504 Gault Place, N.E. / Washington, D.C 20019 202-397-7775 – 7184 Service and Times Sunday Church School: 9:30 AM Sunday Worship Service : 11:00 AM The Lord’s Supper 1st Sunday Prayer & Praise Services: Wednesday 7:00 PM Bible Study: 7:30 PM Saturday before 4th Sunday Men, Women, Youth Discipleship Ministries: 10:30 AM A Christ Centered Church htubc@comcast.net

Christ Embassy DC

Dr. Joseph D. Turner / Senior Pastor 2616 MLK Ave., SE - Washington, DC 20020 Office 202-889-3709 - Fax 202-678-3304 Service and Times Early Worship Service: 8:00 AM Worship Service: 11:00 AM New Member’s Class: 9:45 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sunday, 11:00 AM Church School: 9:45 AM Wednesday 12:00pm Bible Study Prayer, Praise and Bible Study: 7:00 PM Saturday Bible Study: 11:00 AM Baptism 4th Sunday: 11:00 AM “Empowered to love and Challenged to Lead a Multitude of Souls to Christ”

Peace Baptist Church

Kelechi Ajieren Coordinator 6839 Eastern Avenue, R1 Takoma Park, MD 20912 (202) 556-7065 Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 10:00 AM Wednesday Bible Study: 7:00 PM Friday Evening Service: 7:00 PM ; Last Friday “…Giving Your Life a Meaning” www.Christembassydc.org Christ.embassy.dc@hotmail.com

Pennsylvania Ave. Baptist Church

Rev. Dr. Michael T. Bell 712 18th Street, NE Washington, DC 20002 Phone 202-399-3450/ Fax 202-398-8836 Service and Times Sunday Early Morning Prayer & Bible Study Class: 8:00 AM Sunday School: 9:00 AM Sunday Morning Worship Service: 10:00 AM Wednesday Service: 12:00 PM “The Loving Church of the living lord “

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

First Rising Mt. Zion Baptist Church

Mt. Horeb Baptist Church

Rev. Dr. Wallace Charles Smith Pastor

Rev. Oran W. Young Pastor

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rev. Dr. George C. Gilbert Senior Pastor

Email Address: admin@pbc712.org

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

Holy Trinity United Baptist Church

Florida Avenue Baptist Church

Reverend Christopher L. Nichols Pastor

Rev. Reginald M. Green Interim Pastor

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

St. Matthews Baptist Church

Emmanuel Baptist Church

King Emmanuel Baptist Church

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

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

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

JANUARY 23 - 29, 2020 41

LEGAL NOTICES

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

2017 ADM 000350

2019 ADM 001353

2019 ADM 1378

Elizabeth H. Phillips Decedent

Yvette Nash Blount Decedent

Thelma Clinton Sydnor aka Thelma C. Sydnor Decedent

Nakia V. Gray, Esq. 800 Maine Ave., SW Suite 200 Washington, DC 20024 Attorney

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

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

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

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

Juanita Louise Davis, whose address is 8828 Sterling Street, Hyattsville, MD 20785, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Tassie Louise Wright who died on September 13, 2019 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of 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 7/9/2020. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 7/9/2020, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

La Dosca Richardson, whose address is 4713 Sir Woodburn Way, Clinton, MD 20735, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Elizabeth H. Phillips who died on December 4, 2016 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 7/9/2020. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 7/9/2020, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Date of first publication: 1/9/2020

Juanita Louise Davis Personal Representative

La Dosca Richardson Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Acting Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2019 ADM 001283 Tassie Louise Wright Decedent

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

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

2019 FEP 000150

2019 ADM 001347

July 29, 2016 Date of Death Otis Johnson Name of Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS Michelle Dawson, whose address is 12216 James Madison Lane, Glenn Dale, MD 20769 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Otis Johnson, deceased, by the Orphans Court for Prince Georges County, State of Maryland on March 12, 2018 Service of process may be made upon Nakia V. Gray, Esq. 800 Maine Ave., SW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20024 whose designation as District of Columbia agent has been filed with the Register of Wills, D.C. The decedent owned the following District of Columbia real estate: 3376 Alden Place NE, Washington, DC 20019 The decedent owned District of Columbia personal property. Claims against the decedent may be presented to the undersigned and filed with the Register of Wills of the District of Columbia, 515 5th Street, NW, Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001 within 6 months from the date of first publication of this notice. Date of first publication: January 16, 2020 Michelle Dawson Personal Representative Nicole Stevens Acting Register of Wills Washington Informer

Leslie Reynolds Garner Decedent Nakia V. Gray, Esq. 9701 Apollo Drive, Suite 100 Largo, Maryland 20774 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS John M. Garner, II, whose address is 1208 D. Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Leslie Reynolds Garner who died on July 15, 2002 without a Will, and will serve with Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 7/16/2020. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 7/16/2020, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 1/16/2020 John M. Garner, II Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Acting Register of Wills Washington Informer

42 - JANUARY 23 - 29, 2020

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Marlowe A. Blount-Rich, whose address is 700 Faraway Court, Bowie, MD 20721, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Yvette Nash Blount who died on 9/10/2019 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 7/16/2020. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 7/16/2020, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 1/16/2020 Marlowe A. Blount-Rich Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Acting Register of Wills Washington Informer SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2019 ADM 001372 Joseph A. Quander, Jr. Decedent Joan M. Wilbon, Esq. 1120 Connecticut Avenue, NW Suite 1020 Washington, DC 20036 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Katalina Quander, whose address is 7526 Val Lane, District Heights, MD 20747, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Joseph A. Quander, Jr. who died on 5/31/2019 without a Will, and will serve with Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 7/16/2020. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 7/16/2020, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 1/16/2020 Katalina Quander Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Acting Register of Wills

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Marshall E. Sydnor, whose address is 14804 Joliet Place, Bowie, MD 20721, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Thelma Clinton Sydnor aka Thelma C. Sydnor who died on 2/14/2017 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 7/16/2020. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 7/16/2020, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 1/16/2020 Marshall E. Sydnor Personal Representative

LEGAL NOTICES SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2019 ADM 001402 Sarah Lloyd Adams Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Neville E. Adams, whose address is 177 V Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Sarah Lloyd Adams who died on July 1, 2019 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before July 16, 2020. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before July 16, 2020, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 1/16/2020 Neville E. Adams Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY

TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Acting Register of Wills Washington Informer

Nicole Stevens Acting Register of Wills Washington Informer

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

2019 ADM 001403

2019 ADM 001404

Barbara T. Locke Decedent

Edith A. Watkins Decedent

Dalton Howard, Esq. 4020 Lee St., NE Washington, DC 20019 Attorney

Steve Larson-Jackson 1629 K Street, NW Suite 300 Washington, DC 20006 Attorney

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Ida C. Locke, whose address is 517 69th Place, Capital Heights, MD 20743, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Barbara T. Locke who died on September 7, 2019 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before July 16, 2020. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before July 16, 2020, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 1/16/2020 Ida C. Locke Personal Representative

Washington Informer TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Acting Register of Wills Washington Informer

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Diane P. W. Barker, whose address is 3351 Brothers Place, SE Washington, DC 20032, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Edith A. Watkins who died on December 22, 2019 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 7/23/2020. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 7/23/2020, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 1/23/2020 Diane P. W. Barker Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Acting Register of Wills Washington Informer

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

LEGAL NOTICES

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

2019 ADM 001397

2020 ADM 000004

Ellaretta P. Matthews Decedent

Vera Jean Rogers aka Vera J. Rogers Decedent

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

Caren M. Webb, Esq. 1308 Ninth Street, NW, Suite 250 Washington, DC 20001 Attorney

Florence Stewart, whose address is 15277 Bowmans Folly Dr., Manassas VA, 20112, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Ellaretta P. Matthews who died on December 20, 2019 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 7/23/2020. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 7/23/2020, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

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

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

CL ASSIFIEDS Company. NOT just a discount plan, REAL coverage for [350 ] procedures. Call 1-877-308-2834 for details. www. dental50plus.com/cadnet 6118-0219 Attention all Homeowners in jeopardy of Foreclosure? We can help stop your home from foreclosure. The Foreclosure Defense helpline can help save your home. The Call is absolutely free. 1-855-516-6641. Eliminate gutter cleaning forever! LeafFilter, the most advanced debris-blocking gutter protection. Schedule a FREE LeafFilter estimate today. 15% off and 0% financing for those who qualify. PLUS Senior & Military Discounts. Call 1-855-402-0373 Two great new offers from AT&T Wireless! Ask how to get the Next Generation Samsung Galaxy S10e FREE. FREE iPhone with AT&T’s Buy one, Give One. While supplies last! CALL 1-866-565-8452 or www.freephonesnow.com//cadnet $$OLD GUITARS & AMPS WANTED$$ GIBSON • FENDER • MARTIN. ALL BRANDS. TOP DOLLAR PAID. CALL TOLL FREE 1-866-433-8277

Cross country Moving, Long distance Moving Company, out of state move $799 Long Distance Movers. Get Free quote on your Long distance move. 1-844-452-1706

COMPUTER & IT TRAINING PROGRAM! Train at home to become a Computer & Help Desk Professional now! Call CTI for details! 888-449-1713 (M-F 8am-6pm ET)

Call Empire Today® to schedule a FREE in-home estimate on Carpeting & Flooring. Call Today! 1-855-404-2366

HEALTH/MEDICAL VIAGRA and CIALIS USERS! 100 Generic Pills SPECIAL $99.00 FREE Shipping! 100% guaranteed. 24/7 CALL NOW! 888445-5928 Hablamos Espanol

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

DISH Network $59.99 For 190 Channels! Add High Speed Internet for ONLY $19.95/month. Call Today for $100 Gift Card! Best Value & Technology. FREE Installation. Call 1-855-837-9146

TRUE TEST COPY

Constance R. Williams Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY

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

WANTED TO BUY Wants to purchase minerals and other oil and gas interests. Send details to P.O. Box 13557 Denver, Co. 80201

Nicole Stevens Acting Register of Wills

Personalized holiday gifts for Everyone on your list! Save 20 percent off qualifying products from Personal Creations! To redeem this offer, visit www.PersonalCreations.com/Beauty or Call 1-888-732-0679

Nicole Stevens Acting Register of Wills Washington Informer

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION 2020 NRT 000001

2019 ADM 001303

Charlotte H. L. Hughes Name of Deceased Settlor NOTICE OF EXISTENCE OF REVOCABLE TRUST Charlotte H. L. Hughes (name of deceased settlor), whose address was 644 Kenyon Street, NW, Washington, DC 20010, created a revocable trust on April 4, 2011, which remained in existence on the date of her death on September 23, 2019, and Milsun Isaac Butler, whose address is 644 Kenyon Street NW, Washington DC 20010, is the currently acting trustee, hereinafter the Trustee. Communications to the Trust should be mailed or directed to Milsun Isaac Butler at c/o Attorney Ethel Mitchell, 8403 Colesville Rd., Suite 1100, Silver Spring, MD 20910 The Trust is subject to claims of the deceased settlor’s creditors, costs of administration of the settlor’s estate, the expense of the deceased settlor’s funeral and disposal of remains, and statutory allowances to a surviving spouse and children to the extent the deceased settlor’s residuary probate estate is inadequate to satisfy those claims, costs, expenses, and allowances. Claims of the deceased settlor’s creditors are barred as against the Trustee and the trust property unless presented to the Trustee at the address provided herein on or before 7/23/2020 (6 months after the date of the first publication of this notice.) An action to contest the validity of this trust must be commenced by the earliest of (1), 9/23/2020 (One year from date of death of deceased settlor) (2), 7/23/2020 (6 months from the date of first publication of this notice) or (3) Ninety days after the Trustee sends the person a copy of the trust instrument and a notice informing the person of the trust’s existence, of the Trustee’s name and address, and of the time allowed for commencing a proceeding. The Trustee may proceed to distribute the trust property in accordance with the terms of the trust before the expiration of the time within which an action must be commenced unless the Trustee knows of a pending judicial proceeding contesting the validity of the trust or the Trustee has received notice from a potential contestant who thereafter commences a judicial proceeding within sixty days after notification. This Notice must be mailed postmarked within 15 days of its first publication to each heir and qualified beneficiary of the trust and any other person who would be an interested person within the meaning of D.C. Code 20-101(d). Date of First Publication: 1/23/2020 Milsun Isaac Butler Signature of Trustee TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Acting Register of Wills Washington Informer

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

Winnifred E. Greaves aka Winnifred Eleith Greaves Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Arthur Lindo and Joan Lindo, whose addresses are 122 Bullard Circle, Rockville, MD 20850 and 315 Peabody St., NW, Washington, DC 20011, was appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of Winnifred E. Greaves aka Winnifred Eleith Greaves who died on September 4, 2019 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 7/23/20. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 7/23/20, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 1/23/2020 Arthur Lindo Joan Lindo Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Acting Register of Wills Washington Informer

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

Get NFL Sunday Ticket FREE w/ DIRECTV Choice All-Included Package. $59.99/month for 12 months. 185 Channels PLUS Thousands of Shows/Movies On Demand. FREE Genie HD DVR Upgrade. Call 1-855-781-1565 or satellitedealnow. com/cadnet

MID ATLANTIC COMMUNITY PAPERS ASSOCIATION CLASSIFIED NETWORK (MACNET) 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. Fair, Festival or Event coming up? Need to reach a larger audience to attend. Advertise with us, Community Papers who reach the audience you need. Give us a call at 800-450-6631

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

AUTOS/CARS FOR SALE [WANTED] CARS/TRUCKS!! All Makes/Models 2002-2018! Any Condition. Running or Not. Competitive Offer! Free Towing! We’re Nationwide! Call 1-888-368-1016

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

HEALTH/MEDICAL VIAGRA & CIALIS! 60 pills for $99. 100 pills for $150. FREE shipping. Money back guaranteed! 1-844-596-4376

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.

For Sale SELLING A FARM OR HOUSE? Advertise it here and neighboring publications. We can help you. Contact MACnet MEDIA @ 800-450-6631 or visit our site at MACnetOnline.com

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

MISCELLANEOUS & NOTICE Recently diagnosed with LUNG CANCER and 60+ years old? Call now! You and your family may be entitled to a SIGNIFICANT CASH AWARD. Call 844-231-5496 today. Free Consultation. No Risk

CADNET ADOPTION Pregnant? Maybe Adoption? Living Expenses Paid. Nationwide Agency. Talk With Us 24/7. 866-716-3041. Online Chat. Online Application. www.onetruegift.com. Text 515-778-2341. AUTOS WANTED CARS/TRUCKS WANTED!!! All Makes/Models 2002-2018! Any Condition. Running or Not. Top $$$ Paid! Free Towing! We’re Nationwide! Call Now: 1-888-985-1806 HEALTH & FITNESS GENERIC VIAGRA and CIALIS! 100 Pills $99.00 FREE Shipping! 100% guaranteed. 24/7 CALL NOW! 888-889-5515 MISCELLANEOUS Earthlink High Speed Internet. As Low As $14.95/month (for the first 3 months.) Reliable High Speed Fiber Optic Technology. Stream Videos, Music and More! Call Earthlink Today 1-855-520-7938 Applying for Social Security Disability or Appealing a Denied Claim? Call Bill Gordon & Assoc., Social Security Disability Attorneys, 1-855-498-6323! FREE Consultations. Local Attorneys Nationwide [Mail: 2420 N St NW, Washington DC. Office: Broward Co. FL (TX/NM Bar.)] Become a Published Author. We want to Read Your Book! Dorrance Publishing-Trusted by Authors Since 1920 Book manuscript submissions currently being reviewed. Comprehensive Services: Consultation, Production, Promotion and Distribution Call for Your Free Author’s Guide 1-877-626-2213

MISCELLANEOUS FOR SALE 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. WANTED AMERICAN & FOREIGN CARS $$ PAYING CASH $$ For Classic & Collector Cars 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 licensed #W1044. 410-636-0123 www.CompassionPlace.org BUSINESS SERVICES Bulk advertising at its best: advertise in over 70 newspapers and reach millions of readers with ONE call. Broaden your reach and get results for pennies per reader. Call Wanda at 410-212-0616 or email wsmith@mddcpress.com. Place a business card ad in the Regional Small Display 2x2/2x4 Advertising Network – Let MDDC help you grow your business! Call TODAY at 410-212-0616 to increase your customer base and get results. EDUCATION/CAREER TRAINING AIRLINE MECHANIC TRAINING – Get FAA certification to fix planes. Financial Aid if qualified. Approved for military benefits. Call Aviation Institute of Maintenance 866-823-6769

Portable Oxygen Concentrator May Be Covered by Medicare! Reclaim independence and mobility with the compact design and long-lasting battery of Inogen One. Free information kit! Call 888-609-2189

MEDICAL LEGAL SERVICES Lung Cancer? And Age 60+? You And Your Family May Be Entitled To Significant Cash Award. Call 844-591-5210 for information. No Risk. No Money Out of Pocket.

DENTAL INSURANCE from Physicians Mutual Insurance

REAL ESTATE

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

CARS/TRUCKS WANTED!!! 2002 and Newer! Any Condition. Running or Not. Competitive Offer! Free Towing! We’re Nationwide! Call Now: 1-888-416-2330

MEDICAL BILLING TRAINEES NEEDED! Train online to get the skills to become a Medical Office Professional at CTI! 1-833766-4511 AskCTI.com

Date of first publication: 1/23/2020

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

NATIONAL ADVERTISING NETWORK, INC. (NANI) AUTOMOTIVE Donate Your Car to Veterans Today! Help and Support our Veterans. Fast - FREE pick up. 100% tax deductible. Call 1-800-245-0398

HEAR AGAIN! Try our hearing aid for just $75 down and $50 per month! Call 800-426-4212 and mention 88272 for a risk free trial! FREE SHIPPING!

Florence Stewart Personal Representative

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

SERVICES-MISCELLANEOUS Increase your customer base and get great results by placing your ads in the MDDC – Classified Advertising network! Call today 410-212-0616 Ask for Multi-Media Specialist -Wanda & watch your results grow.

EDUCATION/CAREER TRAINING AIRLINES ARE HIRING - Get FAA approved hands on Aviation mechanic training. Financial Aid for qualified students - Career placement assistance. CALL Aviation Institute of Maintenance 888-686-1704

Date of first publication: 1/23/2020

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

Delaware New Move-In Ready Homes! Low Taxes! Close to Beaches, Gated, Olympic pool. Homes from low $100’s, No HOA Fees. Brochures Available 1-866--629-0770 or www. coolbranch.com

Make a Connection. Real People, Flirty Chat. Meet singles right now! Call LiveLinks. Try it FREE. Call NOW: 1-888-9099905 18+.

Constance R. Williams, whose address is 13017 Broadmore Road, Silver Spring, Maryland 20904, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Vera Jean Rogers aka Vera J. Rodgers who died on October 31, 2019 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before July 23, 2020. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before July 23, 2020, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

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

CL ASSIFIEDS

DENTAL INSURANCE. Call Physicians Mutual Insurance Company for details. NOT just a discount plan, REAL coverage for 350 procedures. 888-623-3036 or http://www.dental50plus. com/58 Ad# 6118 Recently diagnosed with LUNG CANCER and 60+ years old? Call now! You and your family may be entitled to a SIGNIFICANT CASH AWARD. Call 877-648-6308 today. Free Consultation. No Risk CATHETER SUPPLIES. We offer a complete line of popular and lesser known product to fit your needs. Even the discreet “pocket catheter.” To learn more or get free samples, Call 844-540-2092 ATTENTION DIABETICS! Save money on your diabetic supplies! Convenient home shipping for monitors, test strips, insulin pumps, catheters and more! To learn more, call now! 844-698-4858 ATTENTION OXYGEN THERAPY USERS! Inogen One G4 is capable of full 24/7 oxygen delivery. Only 2.8 pounds. FREE information kit. Call 877-929-9587 MISCELLANEOUS MEDICAL BILLING TRAINEES NEEDED! Train online to get the skills to become a Medical Office Professional at CTI! 1-833766-4511 AskCTI.com CASH FOR CARS: We Buy Any Condition Vehicle, 2002 and Newer. Nationwide Free Pick Up! Call Now: 1-800-864-5960. Eliminate gutter cleaning forever! LeafFilter, the most advanced debris-blocking gutter protection. Schedule a FREE LeafFilter estimate today. 15% off and 0% financing for those who qualify. PLUS Senior & Military Discounts. Call 1-855-995-2490 Orlando + Daytona Beach Florida Vacation! Enjoy 7 Days and 6 Nights with Hertz, Enterprise or Alamo Car Rental Included - Only $298.00. 12 months to use. Call Now! 855403-8409 (24/7) 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 SAVE BIG on HOME INSURANCE! Compare 20 A-rated insurances companies. Get a quote within minutes. Average savings of $444/year! Call 866-695-8390! (M-F 8am-8pm Central) A PLACE FOR MOM has helped over a million families find senior living. Our trusted, local advisors help find solutions to your unique needs at no cost to you. Call 855-741-7459 BATHROOM RENOVATIONS. EASY, ONE DAY updates! We specialize in safe bathing. Grab bars, no slip flooring & seated showers. Call for a free in-home consultation: 888-912-4745 DISH TV $59.99 For 190 Channels + $14.95 High Speed Internet. Free Installation, Smart HD DVR Included, Free Voice Remote. Some restrictions apply. 1-833-872-2545. 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: 866-951-7214 WANT TO BUY Cash for unexpired DIABETIC TEST STRIPS! Call 1-855-4404001 Free Shipping, Best Prices & 24 hr payment! BBB Rated A+ www.TestStripSearch.com.

JANUARY 23 - 29, 2020 43

BURROUGHS from Page 1

Real hot chat now.

30 MINUTES FREE TRIAL 866-728-3876

18+ 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

HOW ARE ATTORNEYS GETTING PAID? “Why are so many attorneys becoming Independent Contractors?” Call (641)715-3900 EXT.333986#

(Recorded Message – 10 Minutes)

Interested attorneys should email contact information for more details to: abusinessprofessional@gmail.com

44 - JANUARY 23 - 29, 2020

for leadership and service to the community, all from what people would come to know as “God’s School on the Hill.” In 1954, decades after having met his parents, she invited King to speak before the women’s auxiliary she founded within the National Baptist Convention USA. By the time Black clergypeople broke ties with National Baptist Convention USA to form PNBC, Burroughs, a woman with a deep religious conviction, had already served 13 years as president of what ultimately became the Women’s Convention. Burroughs, born in Orange County, Virginia, during the late 19th century, shaped her worldview as a student at what’s now called Paul Laurence Dunbar High School. There, she organized a literary society and met Anna Julia Cooper and Mary Church Terrell, two major figures in the civil rights and suffrage movements. The denial of teaching opportunities after graduation, in part due to her skin tone, inspired Burroughs’ advocacy for women on the bottom of the social ladder. By 1961, the year that Burroughs died, the Rev. L. Venchael Booth and other clergypeople launched PNBC after the National Baptist Convention USA denied King’s ascension to the presidency of its Congress of Christian Education, and issued a legal challenge of Gardner C. Taylor’s election as convention president. Those conflicts caused a split and represented tension among Black people from all walks of life who questioned multiracial organizations acting slow to condemn systemic racism. A few years after its founding, PNBC moved its headquarters to the District, a location thought more suitable for shaping policy. In the early 1980s, after a stint on Georgia Avenue in Northwest, PNBC transitioned to 601 50th Street NE after purchasing

Burroughs, born in Orange County, Virginia, during the late 19th century, shaped her worldview as a student at what’s now called Paul Laurence Dunbar High School. that property from the Nannie Helen Burroughs Scholarship Fund. By that time, the defunct National Trade and Professional School for Women and Girls had been renamed in Burroughs’ honor. From that point on, PNBC would continue to expand its civil and human rights advocacy in the United States and abroad, all while renovating the historic space. Today, PNBC boasts a global membership of more than 1.5 million people. In 2018, the organization elected the Rev. Dr. Timothy Stewart of Bethel Baptist Church in Nassau, Bahamas, as its first leader not from the United States. Later this year, PNBC will further its global aspirations during a Pan-African conference in South Africa intended to solidify bonds with young theologians committed to combating social injustice. “It is critical for us that the youth maximize their gifts and potential so they can be favorably impactful in every institution that they are a part of — the home, church, school, business and governments,” Stewart said. “We want them to be able to be agents of change. A critical part of that is preparation and mentoring and giving them the opportunities necessary in order to develop the gifts and their abilities. They can step up and step into offices and carry out responsibilities when we are no longer on the scene.”

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

The 2000s brought the passage of No Child Left Behind, the Great Recession, gentrification and other events and policy that shaped decisions about preparing youth for a changing economy. In their endeavor to meet the demands of families seeking quality education for their children, District public and public charter schools have devoted resources to the launch of academies and collaborations with community partners and corporations that provide real-world experiences for students. Atop the hill overlooking 50th Street and Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue in Northeast, The Monroe School has carried on Burroughs’ legacy with an inclusion program that prepares high school students, including those with special needs, for college and careers. This endeavor started in 2006 when The Monroe School founder and CEO Ruth Logan rented dormitory space in the Nannie Helen Burroughs Trades School. By 2015, The Monroe School occupied the third floor of Nannie Helen Burroughs School, eventually taking over the entire building within a year. Today, it serves nearly 50 young people, many of whom suffer from homelessness, mental illness, and a bevy of other issues stemming from their environment. In addition to the core subject areas, The Monroe School offers training in video production, with plans to expand into other trades via community partnerships. Logan, an educator of Liberian descent raised in the D.C. metropolitan area, expressed her desire that Providence Place’s construction in front of The Monroe School brings community service opportunities for students. For the time being, however, she has focused her attention on Black History Month, an occasion she and teachers at The Monroe School have used to introduce students to Burroughs. “The students know about the area and surroundings, but I’m fascinated with what they don’t know about Dr. Burroughs,” Logan said. “During Women’s History Month and Black History Month, Dr. Burroughs becomes one of the individuals [mentioned], researched and presented in projects. We’re keeping that legacy alive. We’re making sure students learn about what she brought to the city, and what she means to education at The Monroe School.” WI

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

EDELMAN from Page 26

Media Training ■ Image Branding ■ On-Camera Coaching

■

Doris McMillon President

om ennis.c

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

■ Executive Presentation Coaching

.saded /www

leaders agitate bloviate, instigate and aggravate. Then he would seek to elevate, motivate and demonstrate God’s view for healing the painful wounds of the past and bridge the deep divide with the bonds of reconciliation. In 1963, as he sat in a Birmingham jail, he wrote about becoming an extremist to deal with the extreme issues of hate and division. He advised Americans to become more like Jesus as an extremist in love — “your enemies, bless them that curse you, pray for them who despitefully use you.” His daughter says, “One of the most important traits in unconditional love is the capacity to forgive. It’s very easy to become bitter. It’s very easy to become angry. It’s very easy to want to take revenge or retaliation. We must have the capacity to have the mentality that says by destroying them; part of me is being destroyed because they’re part of my humanity. “My dad lost his life but look at what the world has gained,” she said. “Even though he didn’t make it to see that Promised Land he talked about and everybody hasn’t made it to this Promised Land he talked about but there are people that are benefiting from the life and ultimate sacrifice that he made.” Reflecting on King’s legacy, we would serve ourselves well if we could follow his example of spiritual depth, courageous leadership and unselfish service. Like King, we must seek transformation by the renewing of our minds. Let us remember that Dr. King did not conform to the culture of hate but followed the pattern of love. He said, “I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.” Let’s continue the King dream and legacy by boldly and courageously spreading God’s love, freedom and peace. WI

Let us help you develop the communication skills to compete and win!

Dennis

was in the kitchen and just before midnight, he told God; I’m at the end of my powers. I’m just down here trying to do right. Why do I have to deal with all of these evil and wicked people? Why are people so mean-spirited? Why can’t people understand goodness and the good works we’re trying to do? Why is there so much hate?” King continued that her dad had grown weary and felt he could not continue; he was at the end of his rope. She explained to me, “It was at that point that he said he heard the voice of God say, ‘Martin Luther King, Junior! Stand up for justice! Stand up for righteousness! And I will be with you until the end.’” Essentially, Dr. King went through what I refer to as a “Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane” moment. King was facing the very real threat of death for seeking to do what was right in the eyes of God. He knew in the eyes of man, if he would continue to carry his cross of love for humanity, the very depravity of mankind could crush him and his family. But from that encounter with God in his kitchen, his extraordinary faith compelled him to keep moving forward with his noble cause, even in the face of death. Scripture tells us when we encounter adversity as King surely did, “We are hard-pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. Therefore, we do not lose heart.” Of her daddy’s accomplishments, Bernice humbly says, “It’s emotional to know that you’re connected to a man who had such a great impact on this world. It’s a humbling experience to know that he’s my dad.” Dr. King, a dedicated Baptist min-

ister with brilliant oratory skills, the academic prowess of a scholar, and the wisdom of a prophet, faithfully and courageously challenged America to embrace his dream of a better, stronger and united America. I asked Bernice how we have gone astray in fulfilling that dream. “It goes back to economics and spirituality. Those two issues I think are very critical. And the whole fervor of materialism in our society and self-centeredness has taken us away. And so, instead of people focusing on God first and everything else next, we’ve reversed those priorities. So, our values and our priorities are off.” She adds; “Daddy talked about this in 1967. He forewarned that if we’re not careful, we will become a ‘thing’-oriented society and not ‘people-centered’ and all of these different crises are going to emerge. And that’s what’s been happening.” With that, King’s daughter acknowledged how the world has shattered her daddy’s dream. She points out how we are still confronted with poverty, crippling illiteracy, poor education, and senseless violence. “You think about what happened in Newtown, Connecticut. I mean that should have jolted us like nothing else. We saw 6-year-olds losing their life so senselessly. I’m thinking about Chicago and all of those young people who are killing each other. What has happened to a society that has turned away from that kind of situation and not realize this speaks to who ‘we are’ as a nation and a cancer in our society. The situation with Trayvon Martin, every day there are several Trayvon Martins; not [just] in the Black community but in the Hispanic/Latino communities and other communities.” Were he living today, Dr. King would listen to politicians, civil rights and faith

You Can Say It Like A Pro!

: Sade

WRIGHT from Page 26

our current national path seems to reject Dr. King’s definition of greatness at every turn. But as Dr. King reminded us in “Where Do We Go From Here?,” in words of tremendous encouragement and hope for this moment: “In any social revolution there are times when the tail winds of triumph and fulfillment favor us, and other times when strong head winds of disappointment and setbacks beat against us relentlessly. We must not permit adverse winds to overwhelm us as we journey across life’s mighty Atlantic; we must be sustained by our engines of courage in spite of the winds. This refusal to be stopped, this ‘courage to be,’ this determination to go on ‘in spite of’ is the hallmark of any great movement. … Today’s despair is a poor chisel to carve out tomorrow’s justice.” WI

Photo

interested in working but because of the volatility in the low-wage labor market, caregiving duties, or personal health issues. Punishing them by making it harder for them to put food on the table is not going to help. Although current law doesn’t impose these time limits on children or adults with children, the rule’s devastating impact will still harm children because children living in poverty often depend on pooled resources (including SNAP benefits) from extended family members who don’t claim them as dependents. Right now, SNAP helps feed 19.9 million children in our nation — more than 1 in 4. With less food to go around, everyone will suffer. In CDF’s formal comments to the USDA when the rule was first pro-

posed, we said: “Given the critical role SNAP plays for children and families in communities across the country, we have serious concerns about any policies that would restrict access to SNAP for those who are hungry. … SNAP has a proven track record of reducing food insecurity, lifting people out of poverty and generating economic activity. We must continue to improve upon access to this critical safety net program, not make it more difficult to assist those it is intended to benefit.” This rule is just one of several recent inhumane attempts by the Trump administration to take food away from hungry families — and we must continue to strongly resist and speak out against every new threat. We cannot afford to become overwhelmed or exhausted. As our nation pauses for the holiday celebrating Dr. King’s birthday,

C O M M U N I C A T I O N S

301.292.9141/FAX 301.292.9142/Mobile 703.819.0920 doris@mcmilloncommunications.com/www.mcmilloncommunications.com

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 23 - 29, 2020 45

Lutheran Mission Society

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.”

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.

1-855-721-6332

Press Service 2000 Capital Drive, Annapolis, MD 21401

Subscribe!

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........................................................................................

46 - JANUARY 23 - 29, 2020

CROWELL from Page 27 report, the average monthly fair market rent for a two-bedroom or one-bedroom home is $1,194 and $970 for a one-bedroom unit. “[L]ow wages, wage inequality, racial inequities and a severe shortage of affordable rental homes leave too many vulnerable people unable to afford their housing,” the report stated. An average renter must work 52 hours per week to afford a modest two-bedroom apartment Consumers seeking to transition from renters to homeowners face another daunting challenge. According to the National Association of Realtors, the median existing-home price for all housing types in October was $271,300, up 5.4% from November 2018 ($257,400), as prices rose in all regions. That means a 10% down payment for a median-priced home would require $27,130. Moreover, a 20% down payment, which would remove the added cost of private mortgage insurance would be double in cost $54,260. According to calculations by the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL), nationwide it would take 14 years for a prospective homebuyer earning the national median income to save a 10% down payment for a median-priced home. But for Black and Latino households earning the median income, the number of saving years expands to 21 and 17 years respectively to amass a 10% down payment on that same-priced home. “When the president asks, what do

WILLIAMS from Page 27 but think about their new, uncomfortable feeling every time they turn on their televisions observing only white people, many with whom they identify and support, mixed up in this corruption. Those of us who are fortunate enough to be Black know well what daily recriminating, negative news

ASKIA from Page 27 another. He torments and belittles political opponents as well as his own staff and career employees. He mocks. He taunts. His potty mouth is full of invectives. He’s a lout. He’s a scoundrel. He’s a tramp. He’s a cur. He’s a rascal, and we’re only going to see more of the same from him going forward, if he’s not removed. Then, he’s got a Plan B, which is to enlist the rowdy, armed, racist elements of the society, who want to re-decide the outcome of the Civil

African-Americans and minorities have to lose? How about affordable, quality housing and a shot at the American dream,” queried Rep. Emanuel Cleaver in a Jan. 9 Politico article. Ample research documents how far the nation has yet to travel when it comes to housing, homeownership, and the still-widening racial wealth gap. A new report released days before the 2020 King holiday, “States with the Most Racial Progress” (January 2020) by WalletHub.com names and ranks states with the best and worst disparities in housing segregation, as well as wealth and employment. This research found that DC (District of Columbia), Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin were each among the 10 states with the worst housing segregation. When wealth and employment were ranked by state, these same states along with Minnesota were also among the worst ranks of the nation. “Volumes of research have shown that when people from diverse backgrounds are together in school, neighborhoods, or workplaces everybody wins,” said Meera E. Deo, a law professor with Thomas Jefferson School of Law and one of the report’s authors. “Making the unfamiliar more familiar means everybody wins.” “An obvious advantage of living in an ethnically diverse city is increased intergroup contact,” added co-author Kelln Li, a Ph.D. and assistant professor of sociology at California State University’s Dominguez Hills campus. “Such interaction might happen at various layers of the city: among students in school, or

neighbors living on the same street.” “Thanks to this opportunity to get to know people who are unlike us, research has shown reduced prejudice, stereotypes, or negative attitudes across people of different ethnic or cultural background,” Li concluded. Comments by the St. Louis Fed Center for Household Financial Stability would appear to have reached similar conclusions through its independent findings as well. “We find that families who are thriving tend to be white, college-educated and/or older,” said the St. Louis Fed. “We find that families who are struggling tend to have one or more of these characteristics: Black or Hispanic; no four-year college degree; and/or younger. We also find that many families across the board are striving for more economic security.” For these reasons and others, it does not make sense for the Trump administration to suspend rules and data mapping tools that alert communities to potential fair housing violations. Yet, on Jan. 6, HUD proposed suspending its Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) rule that provides HUD program participants with a planning framework and data tools to enable them to take meaningful actions to overcome historic patterns of segregation and foster inclusive communities free from discrimination. This year, it would be prudent to ask: What happened to the Dream Dr. King had to make America’s promises of freedom, justice, and equality — true for all peoples? And its corollary: What are we prepared to do about it? WI

feels like. Imagine how it feels to those whites whose new reality is that our current national disgrace is not shared. Imagine having these accusations directed at you or those who reflect your values.The leader of this mob has been impeached, but, unlike typical consequences for those of us who are non-white, for all the witness verified, condemnable acts, unless there is a miracle of justice, 45 won’t

even be convicted. Many of the senators elected to represent all of us have already indicated that they will turn a blind eye to the voluminous evidence that would change the mind of a normal, objective person. At least for the next few days, nonwhite people can watch and live without the fear or threat of being maligned and condemned for involvement in this national travesty. WI

War; to rise up in his behalf, in a new civil war of sorts when the gun-toting right-wingers take the law into their own hands, attacking those who protest The Donald’s new, over-the-top, re-impeachable offenses. The armed vigilantes will attack the defenseless protestors, while the Trumpian law enforcement establishment looks the other way. Damned hippies. The fatal mistake is that folks just cannot perceive the depth of evil that is Donald J. Trump, that surrounds Donald J. Trump. Folks invariably give

him the benefit of the doubt, reasoning that no one could be as wicked as to do thus-and-so (of which he is accused); and besides, he denies it anyway. Never mind what you thought you saw him do or say. What did he say about it? Then, what are you going to believe — The Donald, with 15,000 verified lies since taking office; or your own lying eyes? The moral of this story is: Trump will not be removed from office by the Senate. Americans, indeed all the world will come to regret it. WI

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

WHERE

THE

MONEY

GOES.

Thanks to the support of Maryland Lottery players, this year we were able to generate over $2 billion in sales, award over $1.3 billion in prizes and contribute nearly $600 million to support Maryland’s education, safety, environment and public health. Not bad. We’d like to think we generated a few million smiles as well.

Please play responsibly. For help, visit mdgamblinghelp.org or call 1-800-GAMBLER. Must be 18 years or older to play.

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

JANUARY 23 - 29, 2020 47

JANUARY R A E Y NEW IG G W E N SA L E

b. 2

–Fe Jan. 13

Start your year fast. Gig speed fast. Whether it’s getting in shape, learning to speak French or picking up the guitar, New Year’s resolutions can be tough. But for a limited time, you can easily check one resolution off your list—during the Xfinity New Year, New Gig Sale. With an upgrade to Gig-speed Internet free for a year, Xfinity makes it easy for everyone to stream more on all their devices. Plus, ask about Xfinity X1—the easiest all-in-one entertainment experience—so you can get the Emmy Award–winning X1 Voice Remote to use your voice to find all your favorite movies and shows. Now that’s a resolution that’s simple, easy, awesome.

Internet | TV | Voice

99 /month

for 2 years with 2-year agreement Equipment, taxes and other charges extra and subj. to change. See details below.

Save $350 on this great offer

With a FREE upgrade to up to

1 Gbps for 1 year

The Xfinity New Year, New Gig Sale ends February 2. Go to xfinity.com, call 1-800-xfinity, or visit an Xfinity Store today.

Restrictions apply. Not available in all areas. New residential customers only. Limited to Standard Triple Play with Performance Pro 200 Mbps Internet and Voice Unlimited. Early termination fee applies if all Xfinity services are cancelled during the agreement term. Equipment, installation, taxes and fees, including Broadcast TV Fee (up to $14.95/mo.) and Regional Sports Fee (up to $8.75/mo.), and other applicable charges extra, and subject to change during and after agreement term or promo. After 12 months, speed will be reduced to Performance Pro 200 Mbps Internet unless customer calls to add 1 Gig service. May not be combined with other offers. TV: Limited Basic TV service to receive other levels of service. Netflix and Amazon Prime Video streaming membership required. Netflix and Amazon Prime Video use your Internet service and will count against any Xfinity data plan. Internet: Maximum download speed 940 Mbps when hardwired via Ethernet. Actual speeds vary and are not guaranteed. For factors affecting speed visit www.xfinity.com/networkmanagement. Voice: If there is a power outage or network issue, calling, including calls to 911 may be unavailable. All devices must be returned when service ends. Call for restrictions and complete details. © 2020 Comcast. All rights reserved. NPA229597-0005 NED AA Q1 JS V13

136146_NPA229597-0005 N New Gig Sale ad_v13_9.875x10.935.indd 48 - JANUARY 23 - 29, 2020

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

1/14/20 6:47 PM