Curry Takes on the Confederate ‘Legacy,’ Pg. 26
I N S I D E
I N S I D E
Cosby Controversy Continues, Pg. 5
Blues Alley Marks 50 Years, Pg. 29
DC Youth Get Help with Jobs, Pg. 10
Ben’s Chili Opens New Venue, Pg. 32
Vol. 50, No. 40 July 16 - July 22, 2015
(L-R) Ward 4 Councilman Brandon Todd, Ward 6 Councilman Charles Allen, Ward 8 Councilwoman LaRuby May, Ward 5 Councilman Kenyan McDuffie and Councilmember-At-Large Anita Bonds join Mayor Muriel Bowser as she signs new synthetic drug legislation on Friday, July 10. /Photo by Nancy Shia
Bowser Gets Tough on Drug Sellers New Law Now in Effect By Sarafina Wright WI Staff Writer In light of the recent Metro stabbing death, a woman abandoning a baby in downtown D.C., and dozens of overdoses, District officials have taken action to send a strong message to retailers who sell dangerous illegal cannabinoids that it will not be tolerated. Mayor Muriel Bowser joined by Police Chief Cathy Lanier, administration officials and members of the DC City Council, signed the “Sale of Synthetic Drugs Emergency Amendment
Act of 2015” into law on Friday, July 10. “These chemicals have led to overdoses of dozens of individuals. Synthetic drugs pose a serious threat to public health and safety,” Bowser said. “Beginning today, any business that possesses synthetic drugs will face harsh penalties for the first offense and will lose their license after a second offense.” The new law states that the Metropolitan Police Department now has the authority to shut down a first time offender for up to 96 hours with a $10,000
SYNTHETIC DRUGS Page 8
President Barack Obama, keynote speaker at the NAACP 106th Annual National Convention held in Philadelphia, Pa., discussed plans to reform the U.S. criminal justice system on Tuesday, July 14. /Photo by Shevry Lassiter
Obama: Prison Reform Needed President Strong in NAACP Speech By Stacy M. Brown WI Contributing Writer Even before his keynote address in front of a cheering crowd at the annual NAACP convention in Philadelphia on Tuesday, July 14, President Barack Obama was busy practicing what he had already prepared to preach. A day earlier, the nation’s first
black president, and the 44th man to command the Oval Office, commuted the sentences of 46 nonviolent drug offenders, giving them an opportunity for freedom – 13 were serving life in prison – and a once-in-a-lifetime chance at redemption. And, when it comes to redemption, Obama clearly has re-energized an African-American base
who have largely felt abandon during the first seven years of his historic presidency. “The president’s speech was groundbreaking and it was sweeping in what he said,” Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the chair of the Democratic National Committee, said. Passionately, Obama spoke of
OBAMANAACP Page 9
Celebrating 50 Years of Service / Serving More Than 50,000 African American Readers Throughout The Metropolitan Area
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