Issuu

VOL. 52, NO. 40 • JULY 20 - 26, 2017

Babyface at the Summer Spirit Festival / Page 28

D.C. Steps Up Efforts to Combat Opioid Epidemic

Summer Spirit Festival Pages 28-31

Donna Edwards Talks Health Care, Politics Undecided on Next Step

By Tatyana Hopkins WI Staff Writer

On an average day nationwide: more than 650,000 opioid prescriptions are dispensed, 3,900 people initiate nonmedical use of prescription opioids, 2,580 people initiate heroin use and 278 people die from an opioid-related overdose, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The crisis has garnered responses from federal and local governments alike. Mayor Muriel Bowser highlighted D.C.'s efforts to combat its opioid epidemic, which largely affects

OPIODS Page 38

5 Donna Edwards /WI File Photo by Patricia Little

5 (Left to right) Tamika Mallory, Carmen Perez, Linda Sarsour stand with image drawn by Demont Pinder (2nd left) during the march from the National Rifle Association in Virginia to the Justice Department in Northwest on July 14. /Photo by David Moriya via @roguephotonyc

prise the laity of America’s stronghold of the Black faithful. Joined by just under 150 supporters including Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Ca.) who served as the spokesperson for the Congressional Black Caucus, the minsters held a press conference on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol Building to denounce both the “immoral budget” proposed by the Trump Administration and the “equally unjust health care bill” most recently put before the Senate for approval and in breaking news, apparent-

Former Rep. Donna Edwards (D-Maryland) had thousands of Prince George's County residents talking when she publicly revealed in a letter last week that she has multiple sclerosis. The letter, addressed to her former Congressional colleagues, states she received her diagnosis during a sitin in Congress on gun control legislation in June 2016. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society says the disease attacks the central nervous system, which is made up of the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. She's since appeared on national television talk shows and podcasts speaking about health care and her condition. If Republicans on Capitol Hill vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act and pass their own health care legislation, she said her and others' insurance costs would drastically

PROTEST Page 16

EDWARDS Page 11

America’s Black Clergy Confront Congress, Trump

Faith Leaders Reject ‘Immoral Budget,’ ‘Unjust Health Care Bill’ By Lauren Poteat, Contributing Writer, and D. Kevin McNeir, WI Editor

5 Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, president of the North Carolina

State Conference of the NAACP, joined a host of national clergy, July 18 on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol. “We’re willing to march in, sit in, protest, preach in, and even go to jail in this season,” Barber said. “In this moment, bowing down is not an option.” /Photo by E Watson/EDI

Dozens of faith leaders from across the country, all members of the centuries-old collective commonly referred to as the “Black Church,” converged on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, July 18, sending a message of discontent and a prophetic word opposing injustice to President Donald Trump and the Republican-dominated Congress on behalf of the hundreds of millions of African Americans who com-

By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill

Celebrating 52 Years of Service / Serving More Than 50,000 African American Readers Throughout The Metropolitan Area

Now Published by Dr. Charles Vincent

Her Legacy Continues.

In memory of Mickey Thompson Vincent, Founder and Publisher.

Dr. Charles & “Mickey” Vincent

Washington Bar Association, Inc.

HALL OF FAME INDUCTION CEREMONY

The Historic Courthouse, Ceremonial Courtroom of the District of Columbia was the scene of the Washington Bar Association Annual Conference and Hall of Fame Awards Ceremony.

Hall of Fame Honoree: Donald A. Thigpen, Jr., Esq., Past President of the Washington Bar Association

Inducted in the Hall of Fame were: William C. E. Robinson, Esq. Donald A. Thigpen, Jr., Esq. Chief Judge Anna Blackburne-Rigsby, District of Columbia Court of Appeals

Hall of Fame Honoree: William C. E. Robinson, Esq. Corporate Secretary for GEICO.

The welcome remarks were given by Natalie S. Walker, WBA President and Chair, Hall of Fame Committee.

Photos by Darryle Carter

Hall of Fame Honoree: Chief Judge Anna Blackburne-Rigsby, District of Columbia Court of Appeals.

Past NBA & WBA President Keith Watters; Past WBA President & Board Member Wendell Webster; Past WBA President William “Billy” Martin; WBA President Natalie Walker; WBA Past President Felicia Chambers; WBA Past President Robert Bell; WBA Past President Ronald Jessamy

Past Presidents of Washington Bar Association.

The swearing in of the 2017-2018 Washington Bar Association Board Members.

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Social Sightings-The Column is published in the Hill Rag, DC Mid-City, East of the River Journals, The Washington Informer Newspaper and in the Fairfax, Alexandria, Arlingnton, Loudoun Woman Magazines 2003 © SOCIAL SIGHTINGS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED — DUPLICATION IN ANY FORM REQUIRES WRITTEN PERMISSION | E-mail SocialSightings@aol.com

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Around the Region...................5-11 PG County................................12-13 Business.................................... 14-15 National...........................................16 International..................................17 Health ......................................19-20 Education ...............................22-23 OpEd........................................25-27

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W I HBreak O T the T OCycle P I C of S Women Domestic Violence

SOMETHING NEW EVERYDAY

COMPILED BY D. KEVIN MCNEIR / WI EDITOR WILL FORD AND TATYANA HOPKINS, WI STAFF WRITERS

Nats Bring STEM law Camps to Prince George’s County enforcement. She said they threat,” she said.

By Tia Carol Jones

www.washingtoninformer.com

WI Staff Writer

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

had come to bring a Baseball Among the continues programs aMarlow Thetogether Washington Nationals Club busy sumsense mer of uniformity the way wantsgaming to seeprograms implemented arechilwith STEMincamps and online for local When L.Y. Marlow's 23-year- domestic violence victims and stricter restraining order policies, dren in the Greater Washington Area. Their Youth Baseball Acadold daughter told her the father survivors are treated. more rights for victim's families emy currently offers its innovative curriculum to two locations in of her daughter threatened her “She's using her own personal to intervene on behalf of a vicGeorge's County with tim, both ascience andviolence math utilized life, and the life of their child, story, Prince her own personal pain to domestic assess- as a to teach how these academic subjects underline the sport of she knew something had to be push tool forward,” Davis-Nickens ment unit coupled with further baseball. done. Out of her frustration said about Marlow. training for law enforcement This summer they’re offeringagencies, three, two-week camps girls and with law enforcement's handling Davis-Nickens said anyone a Child's Life for Protecof the situation, she decided to who boys 8-12. The firstwill has already begun, running from July 17- 28 readsages Marlow's book tion Act and mandatory counselstart the Saving Promise Center cam- and at Kentland Community Community both in Prince George’s County. “getWilliam it.” SheBeanes said she “puts the Center ing for batterers. paign. case in such a way, the average we are baseball ever going to sponsored eradiYouth can also learn baseball fundamentals through “Summer Slugger” – “If an online game “Itthe seems to be aThe vicious cycleis designed person can get it.” She at and the works catetodomestic must by Nationals. program for children agessaid 8-12 sharpen violence, their mathwe and literacy that turnplaymy family endgames. of the book willgo to look at both sides of the coin. skillswon't while they baseball-themed Forday, moretheinformation www.SummerSlugger.com/Nationloose,” Marlow Marlow people begin to have a dia- We need to address both the vicals. To sign up forsaid. STEM CAMPS,help visit (https://smartlink.pgparks.com/smartlink/Start/Start.asp). shared her story with the audi- logue about domestic violence. tim and the batterer,” Marlow ence at the District Heights Also present at the event was said. Domestic Violence Symposium Mildred Muhammad, the exMarlow would also like to see on May 7 at the District Heights wife of John Allen Muhammad, programs designed to raise Municipal Center. The sympo- who was sentenced to six consec- awareness among children in and hip-hop radio utive hits blared in the without parking lot of the public and private schools. She siumGo-go was music sponsored by the life terms parole former Brentwood Village Shopping Center on Rhode Island Avenue Family and Youth Services by a Maryland jury for his role in feels children need to be educatNorthwest last Saturday, the site that the has been the focus of theattacks controversial Center of the city of District Beltway Sniper in ed about domestic violence. Brookland Manor redevelopment. were treated to a barbeque Heights and the National Hook- Residents 2002. Mildred Muhammad is “We have to stop being pasUpthat of included Black Women. food, Bingo games, facethe painting andofgiveaways. founder After the Trauma, sive-aggressive with poor chilMarlow has written a engage book, residents,” “It’s an informal way to said Madi Ford, of le- dren about domestic violence,” an organization that director helps the “Color Me at Butterfly,” which a survivorsto the of company’s domestic late violence gal affairs MidCity and alsoisgranddaughter founder Marlow said. story about four Marlow has worked to break Eugene Ford, Sr. generations of and their children. domestic violence. development The book ishas garnered “I lived in fearand foropposition six years. Six The upcoming support in the the cycle of abuse in her family, inspired her own experiences, years in fear is Ford a long It iswas and is confident the policies she form ofbyprotest at zoning hearings and lawsuits. But, saidtime. the day and those of her grandmother, not an easy thing to come out is pushing for will start that about community. her mother and her daughter. of,” she said. Thaddeus 63, said he looks forward to more process. She Twelve-year said every resident time she reads James,Mildred Muhammad said “I plan to take these policies to community and haswho been looking for more ways excerpts from partnership her book, opportunities she still people want to help a Congress and implore them to get involved. James, whocame is working on a street mural forvictim the lot,must said he change our laws,” Marlow said. canto not believe the words domestic violence looks “forward positive change.” be careful of how they go into “I will not stop until these polifrom her. “ColortoMe Butterfly” company holdvictim's a privatelife, development meeting cies are passed.” won The the management 2007 National “Bestwill the and understand with residents Books” Award. in the coming weeks. that she may be in “survival Tia Carol Jones can be reached “I was just 16-years-old when mode”. at tiacaroljones@sbcglobal.net my eye first blackened and my “Before you get to 'I'm going lips bled,” Marlow said. to kill you,' it started as a verbal WI Elaine Davis-Nickens, president of the National Hook-Up State Sen. Richard Madaleno Jr., the first openly-gay lawmaker elected of Black Women, said there is no to the Senate, announced Monday, July 17, his candidacy for the Democonsistency in the way domestic cratic nomination for Maryland governor. The 52-year-old Montgomery violence issues are dealt with by County official made his announcement at The Universities of Shady Grove in Rockville and becomes the fifth person to officially run for the primary in June 2018. Madaleno has been a vocal critic of Republican Gov. Larry Hogan and is seen as a progressive candidate with similar views to former NAACP President Ben Jealous. The other challengers include Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker III, tech entrepreneur Alec Ross and Baltimore attorney James Shea. Madaleno, who’s been in the Senate since 2007, broadcasted his launch for governor on his Facebook: “I’m the only Democrat who can take on and beat Larry 5 State Sen. Richard Madaleno Hogan … who brings my track record and real results for the people of Maryland.” Jr. /Courtesy photo

MidCity Officials Reach Out to Brookland Manor Residents

Wilhelmina J. Rolark In Memoriam Dr. Calvin W. Rolark, Sr. Wilhelmina J. Rolark THE WASHINGTON INFORMER PUBLISHER NEWSPAPER (ISSN#0741-9414) is NEWSPAPER (ISSN#0741-9414) is published THE WASHINGTON INFORMER Denise Rolark Barnes published on each Thursday.postage weeklyweekly on Thursday. Periodicals paid at Washington, D.C. and additional Periodicals Washingmailing postage offices. paid Newsat and advertising deadline is Monday prior to publication. ton,Announcements D.C. and additional mailing of- twoSTAFF must be received weeks prior to event. Copyright 2000 by The fices.Washington News andInformer. advertising All deadline rights reserved. POST McNeir, MASTER:Editor Send change of addressD. Kevin is Monday to publication. Anes to Theprior Washington Informer, 3117 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E. Washington, Ron Burke, Advertising/ Marketing D.C. 20032. Nobe partreceived of this publication may be reproduced without writtenDirector permisnouncements must two Shevry Lassiter, Photo Editor the return of sionprior fromto the publisher. The2016 Informer Newspaper cannot guarantee weeks event. Copyright Subscription rates All are $30Lafayette per year, two years $45. willPhoto be received by photographs. The Washington Informer. Barnes, IV, Papers Assistant Editor notreserved. more than a week after publication. Make checks payable to: rights POSTMASTER: Send John E. De Freitas, Sports Photo Editor change of addresses to The WashDorothyINFORMER Rowley, Online Editor THE WASHINGTON ington Informer, 3117 Martin Luther 3117 Luther King, Ave., S.E. • Washington, D.C.&20032 King, Jr. Ave., S.E.Martin Washington, D.C. Jr. ZebraDesigns.net, Design Layout Phone: 202 • Fax: 202 574-3785 20032. No part of this publication may561-4100 Mable Neville, Bookkeeper E-mail: news@washingtoninformer.com be reproduced without written permisDr. Charles Vincent, Social Sightings columnist www.washingtoninformer.com sion from the publisher. The Informer Tatiana Moten, Social Media Specialist Newspaper cannot guarantee the return of photographs. Subscription rates are Angie PUBLISHERJohnson, Circulation $45 per year, two years $60. Papers will Denise Rolark Barnes be received not more than a week after REPORTERS STAFF REPORTERS publication. Make checks payable to: Brooke N. Garner Managing Editor Tia C. Jones, Ed Laiscell,Will Ford Stacy Brown (Senior Writer), Carla Peay Assistant Managing Editor Odell B. Ruffin, Larry Saxton, THE WASHINGTON INFORMER (Prince George’s County Ron Burke Advertising and Marketing Mary Wells, JosephWriter), Young 3117Mable Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E Bookkeeper Whittaker Hamil Harris, Tatyana Hopkins, Jade JamesWashington, D.C. 20032 LaNita Wrenn Administration PHOTOGRAPHERS Gist, D. Kevin McNeir, Lauren Poteat, Phone: 202De561-4100 John E. Freitas Sports Editor Lafayette Barnes, IV, Dorothy Rowley, Sarafina Wright Fitzgerald, (General Fax:Victor 202 Holt 574-3785 Photo Editor John E. De Freitas, Maurice news@washingtoninformer.com Zebra Designs, Inc. Layout & Graphic Design Joanne Jackson, Roy Lewis, Robert Assignment Writer) Ken Harris /www.scsworks.com Webmaster www.washingtoninformer.com Ridley, Victor Holt

“

State Senator Enters Maryland Governor's Race

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 Metro Considers Renaming Stations to not Produce laws. I will stopRevenue until Metro officials are considering whether to sell station naming rights these are passed. to produce more revenue but the current board policy prohibits policies that

“

In Memoriam The Washington Informer Dr. CalvinNewspaper W. Rolark, Sr.

from happening. According to a Metro document, advertising revenue L.Y. Marlow could produce $24 million in fiscal year 2018. However, the figure PHOTOGRAPHERS CIRCULATION Paul Trantham makes up only 1.3 percent of the operating budget. One reason for John E. DeFreitas, Shevry Lassiter, the low amount stems from a decrease in ridership that includes the Roy Lewis, Demetrious Kinney, Mark SafeTrack maintenance project that ended last month. Another soluMahonny, Lateef Mangum, Travis Riddick tion to bring in more money would be to add more digital screens at Metrorail stations. The agency currently has 75 screens with another 4 / May 15 - 21, 2008 The Washington Informer / www.washingtoninformer.com 67 expected later this year for companies to advertise their businesses. Companies can also purchase space at 12 high-profile, transfer stations to promote an organization such as the Washington Nationals at Gallery Place in Northwest. The cost for a 4-week period: at least $60,000.

4 JULY 20- 26, 2017

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Trump Voter Commission Underway Amid Bipartisan Backlash By Tatyana Hopkins WI Staff Writer The Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity — established in May through an executive order to investigate President Donald Trump's claims of voter fraud in the 2016 election — met for the first time Wednesday amid concerns that the commission fosters voter suppression and privacy violations. The meeting consisted of a ceremonial swearing-in of members, member introductions, discussion of the commission's charge and comments from invited experts. But the benign start of controversial commission, which currently faces at least seven lawsuits, belied the deep reservations many have concerning the initiative. Ahead of the meeting, members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) and House Judiciary Committee Democrats hosted on Tuesday afternoon a congressional forum to examine voting rights and privacy concerns related to recent requests made by the commission's cochair, Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach. A panel of experts, many of whom belong to groups who have filed lawsuits against the commission, and secretaries of state joined the members of Congress to express concerns about the commission. "This commission, before even having its first meeting, has done an incredible amount of harm to our democracy," said panel-

ist and NAACP Legal Defense Fund Associate Director Janai Nelson. The group filed a federal lawsuit alleging the voting commission "was formed with the intent to discriminate against voters of color in violation of the Constitution." In June, the Department of Justice and the commission cochaired by Kobach and Vice President Mike Pence sent letters to secretaries of states and election officials in all 50 states asking for them to provide procedures used to maintain their voter registration list as well as detailed voter-roll information including name, address, birthdate, political party affiliation, voting history, military status and even Social Security number. The letters said the information will help the commission "fully analyze vulnerabilities and issues related to voter registration and voting." "Despite media distortions and obstruction by a handful of state politicians, this bipartisan commission on election integrity will continue its work to gather the facts through public records requests to ensure the integrity of each American's vote because the public has a right to know," Kobach said in a July 5 statement. The request sparked nationwide bipartisan backlash. CBC members sent letters to the National Association of Secretaries of State and the National Association of State Election Directors raising blasting the commission request.

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5 Wade Henderson (right), immediate-past president of the Leadership

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AROUND THE REGION

WEEK OF JULY 20 - 26, 2017 JULY 13

JULY 24

1967 – The first Black Power Conference is held in Newark, New Jersey.

1954 – Civil rights activist and founding NAACP member Mary Church Terrell, who was the first African-American to serve on the D.C. board of education, dies in Annapolis.

JULY 21

1864 – The first issue of the New Orleans Tribune — America's first daily Black newspaper — is published. 1896 – The National Association of Colored Women, which later became the National Association of Colored Women's Clubs, is established in Washington, D.C.

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1943 – The USS Harmon, the first warship to be named after an African-American, is launched in Quincy, Massachusetts 1972 – After The Associated Press breaks the story, US. government officials admit to the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment, where Blacks were used as guinea pigs in syphilis tests under the ruse of receiving free health care. 1990 – Black Enterprise publisher Earl Graves and basketball legend Magic Johnson sign an agreement to purchase Pepsi-Cola of Washington, D.C., becoming the nation's biggest minority-controlled Pepsi franchise. 1992 – Gen. Colin Powell dedicates the Buffalo Soldiers monument at Fort Leavenworth.

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1847 – Liberia becomes the first African nation on the continent to gain its independence. WI

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1891 – Louis Tompkins Wright, famed surgeon and civil rights activist, is born in LaGrange, Georgia. 1962 – Baseball great Jackie Robinson, the first African-American to play in the major leagues, is inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. 1984 – Vanessa Williams is forced to give up her Miss America title amid a nude-photograph scandal. She is replaced by Suzette Charles.

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VIEW P INT By Sarafina Wright

A recent study of data from over 9,000 cities found that certain places target Black residents for fines and court fees to increase revenue. What are your thoughts? CHARLES FELDER / WASHINGTON, D.C.

It took a study to tell you the same thing black folks [have] been saying for years. If you don't believe this, just go to traffic court in whatever city you live in and see the ratio of white to black people. I know here in Montgomery, Alabama, on most days its like 80-20.

VIVIAN SCALES / RACINES, ITALY

Time to start walking to save some money, get healthy and put money back in our neighborhoods, communities and cities. When we know better, we do better. Now we know. What a protest that would be if our only way to get back and forth is to use public transportation and/ or car pooling as a means to travel. We could choose places and things to protest due to the different plans of suppression and police brutality taking place in this country. Our goal is to protest as long as the first bus boycott did during Rosa Parks movement or as long as it takes, so help us God.

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That's something that they have always done. I'm surprised that black folks are still putting up with things like that. The best thing that black folks can do about it is segregate themselves from white folks, go back to the system we had before integration where we owned all of the businesses in our community, the hotels, supermarkets, car dealerships and so on.

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AROUND THE REGION

By D. Kevin McNeir / WI Editor @dkevinmcneir

The World According to Dominic “Alzheimer’s Impacting Blacks at Disproportionate Rates – Why Are We Still Silent?” Recent data published by a group that focuses on research, care and education related to forms of dementia, the Alzheimer’s Association, points to a disturbing yet rarely discussed fact: older Blacks develop Alzheimer’s at a rate higher than any other group of elderly Americans. We’re twice as likely as non-Hispanic whites to fall victim to the disease or other forms of dementia. And we aren’t alone as Hispanics are 1½ times as likely as non-Hispanic whites to succumb to dementia. Thus, while the average life span for Americans has increased, many older Blacks and Hispanics will inevitably come faceto-face with this mysterious, debilitating disease along its economic and social impact that for a growing number of families has yielded devastating results. I had my first personal encounter with Alzheimer’s two years ago. It was something that I wouldn’t wish upon even my most ardent enemy. My stepfather, ironically once a prominent psychiatrist, seemed to have been catapulted into a world where time moved backwards, becoming more childlike as his mind,

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memories and even knowing how to perform the most basic of skills, slipped from his grasp a little more each day. In the last six months before his death, he became someone who we often could barely recognize. But my mother and I remained in the battle, celebrating his rare moments of lucidity, refusing to give up. Now, I am facing that same demon again it seems, caring for my mother, a heralded children’s educator whose sharp, witty mind has now come under assault. Meanwhile, President Trump has proposed to cut billions in funding for the National Institutes of Health and their sister organization, the National Institute on Aging, despite the collective being on the forefront of Alzheimer’s research and treatment. And no one seems to care. Since the numbers are not on our side, I don’t understand why the Black community hasn’t spoken up. Why haven’t we insisted that the government launch a public health initiative as we have seen for cancer? Where are the Black churches, Black fraternities and Black sororities? Why isn’t Alzheimer’s at the top of their agendas?

A few days ago, my mom said with great resolve, “I’m ready to die. I’m tired of being pushed and pulled. I’m tired of not understanding and being so confused.” As you can imagine, her words shook me to the core. And while I was inclined to host my own pity party, I knew that every moment was precious. So, I wiped the tears away and did what Mom used to always tell me in the toughest of times: “Spit in your hands and take a fresh hold.” That’s why I’m not giving up. I’m stepping up my game, revising my strategy and calling in the reserves, enlisting the services and support of a few more of my friends and family members. Trump and the Republicans may want to pretend that my mother, along with millions of other Blacks and Hispanics, are invisible, but I know otherwise. Even if I must move forward in the guise of a one-man army, I’m on a mission and have much work to do. We, my Black brothers and sisters, must become our own ally. We cannot allow the antics of Congress and the White House to distract us. Let the trumpet sound: We are Not Invisible. WI

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Metro Fare Evaders May Soon Get a Break By Tatyana Hopkins WI Staff Writer Jumping a Metro turnstile in the DMV currently can result in jail time and a stiff fine, but a D.C. lawmaker is making a push for the punishment to better fit the crime. Ward 8 Council member Trayon White introduced last week legislation that would decriminalize fare evasion on Metro, arguing that criminalizing riders would not make the system more equitable. "[Metro's] mission should be to help people access the city," White said. "Punitive approaches to fare collection does not seem like the best use of resources." He said the transit agency that heavily lobbies the District for subsidies to make improvements should reconsider its fare evasion policies and instead use its 550-member police force to make the system safe. The Fare Evasion Decriminalization Act of 2017 White introduced would make evading Metro fares a civil infraction punishable by fine only, as opposed to arrests. It would also lower the fine from $300 to $100 or less in the District. In recent years, Metro has increased enforcement of its fare evasion policies. Last year the agency reported a 40 percent increase in citations issued for fare evasion from 2015, a jump from 4,751 citations to 6,693. It also reported a 125 percent jump in written warnings over the same period, from 1,740 to 3,913. To deter fare evasion, "flooded key areas with uniformed officers during identified times and locations." Metro reports show that the transit agency anticipates "enhanced enforcement and prevention of fare evasion offenses" through 2017. "We have a significant number of young people in economically challenged residences who are being arrested for this minor offense," White said of the District's current stance on fare evasion. "With renewed public attention on the excessive criminalization of poor [people] and people of color, transit agencies around the country are reevaluating their fare evasion policies." Washington state's King County decriminalized fare evasion for youth in 2015. Last year, the California Senate followed suit and passed legislation that prohibits youth from being charged with a

criminal violation for transit fare evasion and instead treats the offense like a parking ticket. Both bills came nearly 10 years after San Francisco decriminalized fare evasion for adults in 2008. White said data shows that particularly heavy enforcement occurs in Congress Heights and Anacostia Metro stations, both in his ward. "As stewards of taxpayer funds from federal, state and local sources, Metro believes it has an obligation to ensure that every rider pays his or her fair share," said Metro spokesman Dan Stessel. "It is important to note that, of all persons stopped by Metro Transit Police for evading fare, less than 8 percent result in arrest, and the vast majority of those cases involve open warrants or other, more serious issues beyond simple fare evasion." "I was taken [aback] when I saw the video of the young man … who was arrested in Congress Heights with an infant in his hand," White said of an April incident which was captured on video and subsequently went viral on social media. The video captured an altercation between a father holding his 1-yearold daughter and a Transit Police officer in which the father was arrested for allegedly evading fare. As a result of the incident, the father was charged with disorderly conduct, simple assault, unlawful entry and theft in the second degree. Due to a plea agreement, the assault and disorderly conduct charges were dropped, but he was found guilty of the remaining charges. The trial resulted in two suspended 30-day imprisonment sentences, $100 in fines and a one-year probation period with the conditions of 30 hours of community service, vocational counseling and drug testing. The bill, forwarded to the Council's Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety with comments from the Committee on Transportation and the Environment and Committee on Finance and Revenue, had the support of eight other members. The same day, White also introduced legislation that would require the creation of an amnesty program to be available for no less than one month that will allow District residents who have accumulated more than $1,000 in traffic violations to be considered paid in full by paying up to 60 percent of the amount owed. WI

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10 JULY 20- 26, 2017

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“Black Montgomery had to go! . . . The one day of protest against the white man’s traditional policy of white supremacy had created a new person in the Negro. The new spirit, the new feeling did something to Blacks individually and collectively . . . There was no turning back! There was only one way out – the buses must be changed.”

– Jo Ann Gibson Robinson from “The Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Women Who Started It”

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EDWARDS from Page 1 increase because of pre-existing conditions. In the meantime, the 59-year-old single mother of an adult son continues to walk and bike around a trail near her condominium at National Harbor (FYI: she addresses her mail as "Oxon Hill" because she says National Harbor resides in the Oxon Hill community). While writing papers about criminal justice as a consultant with the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University until the fall, she also talks with local community groups about problems in Prince George's County, statewide and the country. Some of those people are encouraging Edwards to return to the public sector in a leadership capacity such as governor or county executive, but she doesn't plan on making a decision until possibly Labor Day. So far, five people have declared their candidacy in the Democratic primary for governor and state Sen. C. Anthony Muse (D-District 26) of Accokeek announced his run for county executive last month. As Edwards sipped on coffee and sat on a cushioned bench Monday, July 17 at National Harbor, she spoke passionately about a variety of topics such as health care, state issues and the Prince George's County school system. Here are some of her thoughts, in her own words:

HEALTH CARE

"When I came into Congress, I came in on a campaign to work on the health care system. One of the first things we took on was health care. I was one of only four members who presided over the [Affordable Care Act] debate. Having my own health care issues and up to today, M.S. taught me how to start dealing with our health care system in the most profound way. The different bills you get and figuring out what your insurance pays for and what you have to pay for out of pocket. The medication I take costs about $72,000 a year. I have insurance that covers a substantial part of it, but it's a lot of navigation. The same medication [made] by the same manufacturer costs about $7,000 a year in Europe. It makes no sense to me. I live here, so I can't order no medication from Europe. I have to get it here. People who have cancer treatments or other kinds of chronic illnesses will tell you that their prescriptions are insane. If Republicans want to work on health care, one of the big deals would be to negotiate prescription drug prices to lower those costs. We should look at things on a bipar-

AROUND THE REGION tisan basis. Give incentives to young people to sign up for the Affordable Care Act because we need more of those young and healthy people in the system. Getting rid of that 'Cadillac tax' [an excise tax scheduled to be levied on insurance companies in 2020], which actually penalizes people who have really good health care plans. We know there are things that could be change. This is about a system possibly being undone for millions of Americans. This is a really important debate. I just hope my personal situation [to former Congressional colleagues] illustrates how critical it is that they help people and not harm them."

STATEWIDE FOCUS

"We're an interesting state, especially here in the metropolitan region with so much of our economy designed around the federal government. I think our federal government is in transition right now because of this new administration. I think housing is a real problem in this state. I don't think we have fully recovered from the housing crisis from 2008. Things have certainly improved, but areas in Baltimore City and in Prince George's County and Montgomery County, there's still some concerns with affordable housing. I always viewed that affordable housing means [that] if you go to a job that pays a median income, then you should be able to live where you work and where you play. In this metropolitan region, I think our local governments can actually incentivize the development of regular working people. It can do that in areas with a mix of housing by making sure we have wages that pay people a living wage. We still have gaps. I think of folks who work in the retail sector and restaurants. Making a minimum wage or making just above a minimum wage is not a living wage for this region. I definitely support [$15 per hour] minimum wage. I think we have an economy here that can sustain it. I also believe when we raise the minimum wage for workers, they spend their money on the economy. The minimum wage doesn't hurt your economy, it helps your economy. They buy groceries. Clothes for their children. Pay for housing. They contribute to the local economy. Whomever is going to be governor of our state is going to have to demonstrate they're prepared to deliver for the people [from] whom they expect votes. I want to see an active Democratic governor who carries strong, progressive values to work with our legislature to build and strengthen the state."

5 Former Rep. Donna Edwards chats about health care and politics July

17 at National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland, on July 17. Edwards, who served in Congress from 2008 until January, still hasn't decided whether she'll pursue another elected position. /Photo by William J. Ford

EDUCATION

"Each of us as parents want our children to do better than we do. What you do in those first few years is making sure every parent can take care and making sure every child has the fundamentals through kindergarten through

high school. Young people have to be prepared to come out from high school ready to contribute to the economy, or on to community college, or to college, or some type to vocational program. We need 21st century classrooms. I am not sure we are get-

ting that now, frankly. I have been greatly disappointed in the level of accountability from the administration to the county executive. The county executive made a chance in the school board and the school CEO. I'm not sure that change has necessarily worked in the great benefit of the vast majority of students. If you're going to have a system where you have the CEO report to the county executive and the county executive [can appoint some members to the] school board, then there has to be accountability. I was really troubled when I read the letter from Beverly Johnson when she resigned from the school board. Her letter of resignation to the school board was very troubling because she pointed out ways that she was trying to help make a better system for students. To me, that says something when the person that was appointed by the county executive gives a very harsh critique of what is happening with the school board and school system. When you have an elected school board, the accountability is to individuals who are voters. I have not been a huge fan of the contract given to our CEO of the school system. You reward success. I don't necessarily agree [that] what we have right now merits rewarding." WI

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JULY 20-26, 2017 11

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY Bernie Sanders Backs Jealous for Md. Governor By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill

former NAACP president came Thursday from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), who endorsed 5 Maryland Democratic candidate for governor, Ben Jealous jumps on the stage after a rousing introduction on July 14 Jealous for the Democratic nomi- in Silver Spring by former presidential candidate, Sen. Bernie Sanders. /Photo by Lateef Mangum Ben Jealous understands ed- nation in the Maryland governor's of people … asking a very simple "I strongly support the next gov- year college, a single-payer health question. Does anybody know ernor of the great state of Mary- care and eradicating mass incarcerucation, preserve health care for race. ation. "Ben knows … there is an enor- what my life is about?" Sanders land, Ben Jealous." all and the right to pay workers a Jealous, who worked last year Jealous, 44, said every public mous amount of pain in this coun- said before several hundred people minimum of $15 an hour. Those sentiments about the try. There are millions and millions at the Silver Spring Civic Center. as a surrogate on Sanders' presi- school should employ qualified dential campaign in the Demo- teachers. In addition, he said the cratic primary, also received en- state's casino revenue should endorsements from the American hance the schools and not replace Postal Workers Union Maryland current funding. and Our Revolution, a progresHe will face at least four chalsive organization derived from lengers in the Democratic primary the Sanders campaign and now on June 26, 2018, including Prince led by former Ohio state Sen. George's County Executive Rushern Nina Turner. L. Baker III. Another three could Several in the crowd held "Ben join the race to challenge popular Jealous for Governor" signs and Republican Gov. Larry Hogan. sported "Feel the Bern" T-shirts. Mileah Kromer, director of the "It sounds like Maryland is Sarah T. Hughes Field Politics Cenready for a political revolution," ter at Goucher College in Towson, Sanders said as the crowd erupt- said having two prominent black ed into rousing applause. men in the Democratic primary Sanders plans on supporting seeking a high-profile office is rarely Jealous at another rally in Mary- seen. Kromer said one factor favors land later this year in Baltimore, Jealous: name recognition, especially WHO: said Jealous campaign spokes- with the NAACP and working on Maryland Republican Party Chairman Dirk Haire man Kevin Harris. the Sanders campaign. Jealous's campaign spotlights "We are going to find out very and BRC Leadership Elizabeth Copeland and similar topics as Sanders such as soon if [Jealous] can translate that Brandon Cooper debt free community and four- national name recognition … and operate in these state level power WHEN: structures," she said. "The Democratic Party in Maryland has always July 31, 2017 | 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM been the biggest show in town with a 2-to-1 ratio. However, he hasn't WHERE: been a part of that." The two Maryland jurisdictions New Hope Family Church with the majority of the state's 4801 Tesla Dr black vote are Baltimore and Prince Suite M George's. Bowie, MD 20715 Several Prince George’s resiVISIT OUR WEBSITE dents under age 30 such as school FOR EVEN MORE INFO board member Edward Burroughs CONTACT: support Jealous’ vision for the ON OUR COMMUNITY! III Brandon Cooper - brandon@pggop.com state. "Issues that matter to the people I represent matter to Ben," he said. RSVP LINK: WWW.WASHINGTON "He has a track record that leads me http://www.mdgop.org/brc_july31_mtl INFORMER.COM to believe he’s going to be great for everyday people." WI

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12 JULY 20- 26, 2017

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Prince George's Breaks Ground on New Training Complex By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill Prince George's County will begin construction next month on a new $46 million training complex for public safety personnel. The new operations across the street from the county jail in Upper Marlboro will include a 140,000-square-foot building with classrooms, offices and firearms ranges. Officers will conduct training exercises with simulated situations inside a one-story house, two-story duplex with a basement, three-story apartment, a small strip mall and a bank. "This is the beginning of a new era in … Prince George's County," said Sheriff Melvin High. "The added capabilities of this facility will improve public safety, improve the judgement of first responders and improve state-of-the-art training for real-world experiences." Officials held a groundbreaking ceremony July 12 on the 132-acre property slated to have six gun ranges up to 200 yards with dozens of lanes for law enforcement personnel to conduct some firearms training. In addition to county police officers, personnel from the Department of Corrections, Fire Marshal's Office, Sheriff's Department, Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Police and municipal police departments will also receive training. The Department of Corrections Training Academy currently on the property will be demolished next year during construction. An indoor training center will offer computer-generated simulation that includes five screens to hep evaluate an officer's performance. Mark Magaw, the county's head of public safety and former police chief, called the $46 million investment to build the complex and other public safety resources the Baker administration has allotted "unprecedented." Police Chief Hank Stawinski said the new complex will boost the department's personnel and help them to better deter and solve crimes. "Our 1,700 members are going to take full advantage of this and will continue to grow and become more sophisticated doing what they do best," he said. "Those who are seeking a career in law enforcement

need [to] look no further than here to find the finest training, finest men and women who would do this anywhere in the country." The groundbreaking ceremony came amid an alarming spike in homicides in Prince George's, with the county experiencing 12 homicides in 11 days. In one case on July 8, Ronald Pickney, 65, was killed at a Bowie home after a dispute with his stepson, Navar Beverly, 37, who posted a selfie with the body on social media. Stawinski said after the groundbreaking that police officers will temporarily work 12-hour shifts, effective immediately, in an attempt to stem the tide. "Disputes that used to result in shooting matches, or people shoving each other are devolving into people pulling out guns," Stawinski said. "This is a measured and temporary response that will provide officers to diffuse these situations more rapidly and prevent this from continuing. We will move back to normal operations quickly." Despite the recent uptick, Stawinski and Prince George's County Executive Rushern L. Baker III reiterated homicides and overall

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PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY

5 Prince George's County Executive Rushern L. Baker III (center), joined by Police Chief Hank Stawinski (left), speaks with reporters after a July 12th groundbreaking ceremony in Upper Marlboro for a new public safety firearms and tactical training complex. /Photo by William J. Ford

crime remains low in the county compared to last year. "We know the community has gotten safer, but unless people feel that way it doesn't mean anything," Baker said. "That's why the changes the chief has made is important. We want people to know that not only do we want them to feel safe, [but] we want them to actually be safe." WI

I Want To Own a Business “I should go into business,” an exclamation for beginning a new venture. “Why not me?” Sure, you may have extraordinary talents; you’re great at fixing cars, folks love your cakes, or you’re the go to person when a friend has trouble with their computer. Your skills, you think, make you a great candidate to start a business. Unfortunately, over half of new business ventures fail in their first year with only 1/3 making it to their tenth year. Certainly, capital is a major reason for many failures; but as Michael Gerber notes in his book, The E Myth: “The fatal Assumption is: if you understand the technical work of the business you understand the business that does the technical work. And the reason it’s fatal is that it just isn’t true. In fact, it’s the root cause of most small business failures! The technical work of a business and a business that does that technical work are two different things. Gerber warns small business that understanding the technical service aspect of a business ignores how the service reaches the customer and whether those services need to adapt to a changing marketplace. Too often, small businesses become overwhelmed with technical matters and forget the strategies needed to build relationships, test the marketplace, recruit talent and grow the business. Owners, then, at some point need to pay more attention to these matters. So, when you think of starting a business, design a plan where the technical operations are delegated and you are focusing on growth. Not a member? Please visit our website, www.pgcoc.org or drop by for a visit to get started! Membership is good for a full calendar year, so it’s always a good time to join! David C. Harrington President & CEO Prince George’s Chamber of Commerce www.pgcoc.org

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JULY 20-26, 2017 13

BUSINESS Lawmakers Outraged at High Defaults on Student Loans

Sen. Kamala Harris, Others Call on Education Department By Sarafina Wright WI Staff Writer Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.) and 42 members of Congress are pressing the Department of Education to help those overwhelmed by student loans. The lawmakers jointly penned a letter Friday, July 14 asking the department to strengthen services for people who have defaulted on their financial obligations relating to higher education. "We are deeply concerned that the breakdown in the U.S. Depart-

ment of Education's contracting process with private collection agencies has left many struggling student loan borrowers in a state of uncertainty, and that the current system of student loan collections is not serving the interests of borrowers or taxpayers," the lawmakers wrote. "The Department's contracts with the entities that are supposed to assist defaulted borrowers are in disarray, but the current upheaval provides an opportunity to improve outcomes for defaulted borrowers going forward." The letter follows a federal

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court's injunction barring the department from assigning newly defaulted student loans to private collection agencies, which gives borrowers options for rectifying their default. The lawmakers asked Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to clarify what the department is doing to support borrowers who have defaulted recently, and to explain how it is helping borrowers get out of default. "The Department should work with Congress to develop a better system for supporting struggling

borrowers and remove barriers to entering affordable repayment plans," they wrote. The Department of Education estimates that hundreds of thousands of student loan borrowers who have recently defaulted on their loans are not receiving services to address their financial challenges. The lawmakers urged the Department to work with struggling borrowers affected by the federal court's injunction and make sure they are able to get out of default. The bipartisan group of lawmakers said that the Education Depart-

ment has spent billions of dollars on private collection agencies, but many borrowers default more than once, calling into question the value of debt collectors to borrowers and taxpayers. "We encourage the Department of Education to revise the financial incentives it provides to collection agencies and to take steps to make sure the Department and its debt collectors are helping borrowers avoid the negative consequences of default and supporting borrowers' long-term success," the letter stated. WI

CBC from Page 5

der their state law and 14 states and D.C. have refused the commission's request. Further exacerbating concerns for many, the White House recently released hundreds of pages of public comments on concerns with the commission's efforts that contained sensitive information. Panelist Kristen Clarke of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law called the voting commission a "sham" and said it encouraged voter suppression efforts by intimidating lawful and eligible voters from

registering. Colorado officials reported that more than 3,500 voters have cancelled voter registrations since the voting commission launched its probe. The Lawyer's Committee also filed a lawsuit alleging noncompliance with federal transparency laws and a Hatch Act complaint alleging that Kobach used his seat in the commission to promote his upcoming run for Kansas governor. "At the federal level, we actually have laws and regulations that limit the ability of [federal] agencies to match data and make adverse determinations," said Marc Rotenberg of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, who filed a lawsuit against the commission alleging privacy violations. "It seems to us [Kobach] is trying to undertake the activities of the commission outside of the framework of federal law." In response to the lawsuit, the commission asserted it is not an agency and "is solely advisory," therefore not subject to certain federal regulations. WI

"The breadth of the information requested … is not only overwhelming but chilling from a civil rights and liberties perspective," the CBC members wrote. "In addition to being used to conduct further discriminatory voter purges, one shudders to think of the many ways this information could be misused." So far, 20 states have agreed to provide the information requested, 16 states are reviewing which information can be released un-

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BUSINESS Business Exchange

How to Make America Great Again

by William Reed "Make America Great Again" is a slogan coined by Donald Trump during his 2016 presidential campaign. Does "Make America Great Again" symbolize a return to an age when wages were higher and jobs more secure, or is it coded racial language longing for a time when people of color were barred opportunities by laws and tradition? "The Greatest Generation" describes those who grew up during the Great Depression and went on to fight in World War II. The year 1940 was the fulcrum of America in the 20th century, when the nation was balanced precariously between the darkness of the Great Depression on one side and the storms of war in Europe and the Pacific on the other. For blacks, the time and tenure of the "Greatest Generation" were flawed. Many of that generation, if not most of them, were racists who supported Jim and Jane Crow. Millions benefited from the GI Bill and VA/ FHA housing programs while black and brown veterans were denied those same benefits of citizenship. At the time America was at its "greatest," entrenched Jim Crow laws reigned. Donald J. Trump is the personification of white privilege. Back when "America was great," his father, Fred Trump, built an empire,uch of which was accumulated through federal housing programs. As soon as President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Federal Housing Administration in the 1930s, Fred Trump made use of its loan subsidies. Under the FHA, the elder Trump built an enormous real estate empire on a foundation that included state and federal loan subsidies. The greatest gen-

eration moved to suburbia and large suburban developments created by William Levitt. The "Levittowns" were built for returning World War II veterans but required by FHA lenders to be limited to those of "the Caucasian race." Black Americans have to get past partisan politics and see the institutional racism in both major parties when it comes to us. Truthfully, the undercurrent of Trump's slogan is "let's make whites great again." The 1944 GI Bill legislation helped returning veterans go to college and buy homes in the great postwar suburban land rush. Returning white World War II veterans spurred a population and housing boom driven in part by benefits from the GI Bill. Black veterans weren't able to make use of the housing provisions of the GI Bill. Banks wouldn't make loans for blacks' mortgages and we were excluded from the suburbs by deed covenants. Racism is basic and rudimentary in America. It's a racial historical fact that the GI Bill helped millions of white World War II veterans adjust to civilian life with benefits that included low-cost mortgages, low-interest loans and financial support. African-Americans did not benefit as did European Americans. Blacks are owed benefits that enriched the "Greatest Generation." The Depression hit Americans hard, but African-Americans harder. By 1932, half of African-Americans were out of work. In some Northern cities, whites called for blacks to be fired from any jobs as long as whites were out of work. No question, blacks were regulated to "second-class citizenry" during the time the "Greatest Generation" was at its apex, an era in which America was home to widespread discrimination and segregation. During these good times, hundreds of thousands of returning African-Americans soldiers lost property through fragrant and deceptive foreclosure practices. When are blacks going to admit that not only are we in a political abyss with Trump, but with the majority of Americans?

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Blacks singularly struggle to declare their human rights in the face of institutional racism and need to get beyond protest activities on to substantive laws and legislation. Black Americans are owed benefits of the GI Bill that helped foster a long-term boom in white wealth and are still living with the effects of that exclusion. We need to get paid not only debts of the "Greatest Generation" from the 1930s, '40s and '50s, but for centuries of barbaric brutality, humiliation and derogation. It's morally imperative that the issue of slave reparations be addressed. Call your congressional representative via 202-224-3121 to demand proper recompense now! WI

Does "Make America Great Again" symbolize a return to an age when wages were higher and jobs more secure, or is it coded racial language longing for a time when people of color were barred opportunities by laws and tradition? BILL REED

PARKWAY OVERLOOK LP REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) SOLICITATION NO.: POLP 0002-2017 PARKWAY OVERLOOK GENERAL CONTRACTOR FOR CONSTRUCTION SERVICES The Parkway Overlook LP (POLP) requires a qualified General Contractor for General Construction Services for the rehabilitation of a currently vacant apartment complex located at 2841 Robinson Place, SE, Washington, DC. POLP is a District of Columbia limited partnership and an instrumentality of District of Columbia Housing Authority. SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS will be available at the Issuing Office at 1133 North Capitol Street, NE, Suite 300, Office of Administrative Services/Contracts and Procurement, Washington, DC 20002-7599, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, beginning Monday, July 17, 2017 and available on DCHAâ€™s website at www.dchousing.org. SEALED PROPOSAL RESPONSES ARE DUE ON OR BEFORE Tuesday, September 05, 2017 at 12:00 PM. Contact Kimberly Allen, Procurement Manager at (202) 535-1212 or by email at kallen@dchousing.org with copy to business@dchousing.org for additional information.

THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA HOUSING AUTHORITY REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) SOLICITATION NO.: 0032-2017 MOVING SERVICES The District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) requires professional moving services throughout various DCHA properties. SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS will be available at the Issuing Office at 1133 North Capitol Street, NE, Suite 300, Office of Administrative Services/Contracts and Procurement, Washington, DC 20002-7599, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, beginning Monday, July 17, 2017 and on DCHAâ€™s website at www.dchousing.org. SEALED PROPOSAL RESPONSES ARE DUE ON OR BEFORE Friday, August 18, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. Contact LaShawn Mizzell-McLeod, Contract Specialist at (202) 535-1212 or by email at lmmcleod@dchousing. org with copy to business@dchousing.org for additional information.

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JULY 20-26, 2017 15

NATIONAL NAACP Annual Convention Begins in Baltimore

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

As the new administration in the White House continues to cause many to be uneasy, there remains an obvious need for America's oldest and largest national civil rights organization. Beginning Saturday, July 22, the NAACP will host its 108th annual convention in Baltimore and organizers said the five-day conference will allow for the setting of policies, programs and plans of action for the coming year, while there will also be a move to address challenges like the current economic climate and the uncertainty and political unrest the nation has seen.

PROTEST from Page 1 ly rejected. Waters, who, along with other CBC colleagues, met later in the day with those leading the clergy, wasted little time in expressing her distrust of Trump and his promises. “I’m deeply concerned about the direction and future of this country under Donald Trump. When he released his budget on May 23, he promised unprecedented growth, tax cuts for all, the reduction of the national debt and a balanced budget. But instead of supporting working families and uplifting the most vulnerable among us, Trump’s budget is one big tax cut for [the rich]. He continues to treat America’s allies with disdain and disrespect and has shown that he knows nothing about international relations. No matter what anyone says or does, I’m going for his impeachment,” Waters said, also pointing to the alleged relationship between Russia’s Putin and the Trump family as one that’s “all about the dollars.” One evening earlier, many of those attending the press conference helped fill the pews at the historic

16 JULY 20- 26, 2017

"This year's convention takes place at a pivotal time for our country, and for our association," said Leon W. Russell, the chairman of the NAACP national board of directors, said in a statement. "These are changing times, and today, we find ourselves in a new period of turmoil as a nation. We are facing a budget that threatens to gut critical funding for education, a rollback in health care reform that will take affordable care away from 23 million Americans, all while we witness unprecedented efforts to suppress the votes of black and brown people, young people and progressives who would work to see this nation become more inclusive and just." The convention will afford those

from NAACP branches around the country to meet and share ideas and strategies, said Aba Blankson, the organization's vice president of communications and digital media. "The NAACP and the convention are critical at this time," Blankson said. While many events during the conference typically aren't for public consumption, Blankson said this year's convention will feature several events for everyone to attend. For instance, beginning Saturday, the NAACP Experience will feature

an author pavilion where authors will discuss their works and make them available. The "Experience" will also include exhibits, a retail expo and health pavilion where health screenings and massages will be available for those in attendance.

Ebenezer United Methodist Church in Southeast, home of the Hill’s oldest Black congregation (founded in 1827) for an ecumenical worship service that organizers say they hoped would serve as a means of inspiration and be a unifying factor prior to Tuesday’s day of events. Clergy who shared the microphone to express their concerns on Tuesday morning bear the distinction of being among the most powerful and influential African-American faith voices in the U.S., representing national denominations, state ecumenical bodies or local congregations. The excerpts below should be seen as illustrative of their more poignant words directed to both the president and members of Congress. The Rev. Jimmie R. Hawkins, Director, Presbyterian Church (USA), Office of Public Witness: “This is a Kairos moment for God’s people to rise up and speak on God’s behalf. There is no separation between faith and politics because if you are a child of God you are concerned about all areas of human life. The issue at hand is a budget presented by a president who does not realize the full

impact this bill will have on the lives of African Americans and on the American people as a whole. It will devastate lives; most important, it is unnecessary.” The Rev. Dr. Cynthia Hale, Pastor, Ray of Hope Church, Decatur, GA.: “I'm honored to lift my voice for those who have no voice – the least of these, the poor, the vulnerable, left out and sometimes shut out. They are American citizens and their children, senior citizens and the disabled. How can a nation that espouses equality and justice for all do this to our people? President Obama expanded healthcare under his signature healthcare law to cover 11 million more people bringing the total number to 69 million. Now the Republicans want to reverse that expansion.” Bishop Frank Madison Reid, III, Bishop of Ecumenical & Urban Affairs, African Methodist Episcopal Church: “This budget is what I call a reverse Robin Hood budget. It takes from the needy and gives to the greedy. We say to this government not only must justice roll down but our churches will be here until you vote for a budget that lets the money

be released so that the people can be free.” The Rev. Dr. Leslie Copeland Tune, Director, Ecumenical Poverty Initiative: “It was 99 years ago today that a man named Nelson Mandela was born – one who started out boxing but ended his life fighting for justice. Today we stand in his footsteps, the footsteps of Sojourner Truth and Martin Luther King, Jr. And like our ancestors did when they prayed for the end of slavery and Jim Crow, we will be back in these spaces and the halls of Congress, knocking on the doors of all who decide that they should rob the poor just because they are poor. We stand here knowing that sometimes as congressman John Lewis said, sometimes you have to get into good trouble.” The collective of clergy also announced plans to unroll an aggressive social media campaign, #BlackClergyUprising #BlackClergyVoices as a means of persuading Congress to eliminate any healthcare bills that would result in millions of Americans losing their current health care coverage. WI

5 Leon Russell, chairman of the NAACP National Board /Courtesy photo

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"We will also have a diversity career fair on Tuesday and companies like Amazon and Johns Hopkins will be there," Blankson said. T-Mobile, Waste Management, the Human Rights Campaign and

the U.S. Postal Service have also signed on as exhibitors for the career fair and attendees will be able to engage with corporate leaders and make quality connections that could help build a solid network of professionals who value diversity. Professional opportunities will be available in the fields of technology, finance, education, insurance, sales, government, nonprofit, retail, food service, health and more, organizers said. There will also be free activities offered inside the Health Pavilion as organizations will be onsite to provide HIV testing, blood pressure, and glucose screenings at no cost. Visitors of the pavilion can also receive complimentary massages from licensed therapists along with tips on how to improve their health and wellness. Various youth events are also scheduled, including a number of workshops. Further, a public mass meeting will take place on Sunday, July 23 with Russell serving as keynote speaker. The location of the convention rotates each year and organizers look at cities based on national issues and what the NAACP seeks to accomplish, Blankson said. "We have 6,000 to 8,000 people coming and we want to go to different places — East Coast, Midwest, we go all over," she said. The convention's theme, "Steadfast and Immovable," reflects that the NAACP remains poised and committed to seizing the future, according to organizers. Branch delegates and staff, local youth activists and organizers, legislators, business leaders and celebrities are all again expected to come together to engage, network, share strategies, successes and key learnings with the purpose of driving the NAACP's agenda forward. "Our theme for 2017 reminds us that, as an organization, our intent is to fulfill the vision and mission of our founders, and we will leave Baltimore united and committed to making our nation a better place for all," Derrick Johnson, the vice president of the Board of Directors, said in a release. The convention will feature a robust series of seminars, committee meetings, workshops, exhibits and panel discussions, augmented with inspiring keynote addresses from key NAACP leadership, civil rights and faith leaders, media, youth and political influencers. "Fellowshipping is good," Blankson said. "It provides the opportunity to hear the issues that everyone is facing." For more information, including a detailed schedule of events, visit www. naacpconvention.org. WI

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INTERNATIONAL Compiled by Lauren Poteat / WI Contributing Writer

Former Senegal President Makes Political Comeback Former Senegal President Abdoulaye Wade recently surprised citizens with his first return to the country since his 2012 defeat, as he campaigned for this month's upcoming legislative elections. Despite being 91 years old, Wade still is favored among many followers, thousands of whom welcomed the former president on July 10 at Dakar's international airport with chants of "Gorgui (old man) is great." "I heard Senegal is suffering," Wade said to the crowd, voanews.com reported. "And this hurts me. If no one solves this, I will take care of it. My party and other parties have formed a force that will make [current President] Macky Sall leave." Though Wade was a popular opposition figure in Senegal when he won the presidency in 2000, he lost a bid for a third term in 2012 to Sall and retired to France 5 Former President Abdoulaye Wade /Courtesy of africansuccess.org thereafter.

Missing U.S. Journalist Found After Deadly Attack in Congo Forest

5 An American journalist was found after disap-

pearing in a Congo forest during a militia attack. /Courtesy of Martin Harvey

An American journalist was found Saturday after disappearing in an eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo, one day after a local militia attacked a security post. The unidentified female journalist had been traveling Friday afternoon with two European journalists and 14 security guards into the forest when the Okapi Wildlife Reserve in the eastern Ituri region was attacked, reportedly carried out by members of a local militia called Simba. Most of the group had been found later that day, but the American journalist and several Congolese security guards remained missing by early Saturday. The journalist was found in good condition later that day after hiding in the forest, authorities said, though five park guards were killed in the attack. Though it is still unclear why the militia attacked, Congo officials have noted that the eastern region of the nation is rich in natural resources and filled with local militias who often clash with government forces.

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Thousands in Mali March Against President Thousands of Malians hit the streets Saturday in protest of constitutional changes that may give extra powers to President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita. Though Mali's government has delayed the vote, many citizens are displeased with the potential provisions that might enable the president to nominate a quarter of the Senate, remove the prime minister at will and create new regions. "We don't need a revised constitution. We need the state to liberate the north and center of Mali and to take account of people's aspirations," protester and local councillor Sonore Sidibe said during the march, Reuters reported. If the constitution is passed some northern desert regions will also be recognized, much to the dismay of many locals who believe the "rebels" helped allied jihadis to take over parts of the north and use them as a launch for regional attacks. Presidential elections are scheduled for 2018, though officials are not yet sure if Keita will run. WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

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at: 5Mali residents take to the streets in protest

against constitutional changes. /Courtesy of Idrissa Sangare

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JULY 20-26, 2017 17

Why Haven’t Senior Homeowners Been Told These Facts?

- EDUCATIONAL ADVERTISEMENT -

Keep reading if you own a home in the U.S. and were born before 1955.

It’s a well-known fact that for many senior citizens in the U.S. their home is their single biggest asset, often accounting for more than 50% of their total net worth. Yet, according to new statistics from the mortgage industry, senior homeowners in the U.S. are now sitting on more than 6.1 trillion dollars of unused home equity.1 With people now living longer than ever before and home prices back up again, ignoring this “hidden wealth” may prove to be short sighted. All things considered, it’s not surprising that more than a million homeowners have already used a government-insured Home Equity Conversion Mortgage or “HECM” loan to turn their home equity into extra cash for retirement. However, today, there are still millions of eligible homeowners who could benefit from this FHA-insured loan but may simply not be aware of this “retirement secret.” Some homeowners think HECM loans sound “too good to be true.” After all, you get the cash you need out of your home but you have no more monthly mortgage payments.

NO MONTHLY MORTGAGE PAYMENTS?2 EXTRA CASH? It’s a fact: no monthly mortgage payments are required with a governmentinsured HECM loan;2 however the homeowners are still responsible for paying for the maintenance of their home, property taxes, homeowner’s insurance and, if required, their HOA fees. Another fact many are not aware of is that HECM reverse mortgages first took hold when President Reagan signed the

FHA Reverse Mortgage Bill into law 29 years ago in order to help senior citizens remain in their homes. Today, HECM loans are simply an effective way for homeowners 62 and older to get the extra cash they need to enjoy retirement. Although today’s HECM loans have been improved to provide even greater financial protection for homeowners, there are still many misconceptions. For example, a lot of people mistakenly believe the home must be paid off in full in order to qualify for a HECM loan, which is not the case. In fact, one key advantage of a HECM is that the proceeds will first be used to pay off any existing liens on the property, which frees up cash flow, a huge blessing for seniors living on a fixed income. Unfortunately, many senior homeowners who might be better off with HECM loan don’t even bother to get more information because of rumors they’ve heard. That’s a shame because HECM loans are helping many senior homeowners live a better life. In fact, a recent survey by American Advisors Group (AAG), the nation’s number one HECM lender, found that over 90% of their clients are satisfied with their loans. While these special loans are not for everyone, they can be a real lifesaver for senior homeowners like Betty Carter, who recently took out a HECM loan with AAG so that she could finally get the extra cash she needed to fix up her house. “With the help of AAG, I have been able to repair my home’s foundation that I had been putting off for several years, refinish the hardwood floors, paint the interior and will

FACT: In 1988, President Reagan signed

an FHA bill that put HECM loans into law.

have the exterior painted within a few days. My house is starting to look like my home again and it feels good,” says Carter. The cash from a HECM loan can be used for any purpose. Many people use the money to save on interest charges by paying off credit cards or other high-interest loans. Other common uses include making home improvements, paying off medical bills or helping other family members. Some people simply need the extra cash for everyday expenses while others are now using it as a “safety net” for financial emergencies. If you’re a homeowner age 62 or older, you owe it to yourself to learn more so that you can make an informed decision. Homeowners who are interested in learning more can request a free 2017 HECM loan Information Kit and free Educational DVD by calling American Advisors Group toll-free at 1-(800) 791-3770. At no cost or obligation, the professionals at AAG can help you find out if you qualify and also answer common questions such as: 1. What’s the government’s role? 2. How much money might I get? 3. Who owns the home after I take out a HECM loan? You may be pleasantly surprised by what you discover when you call AAG for more information today.

Source: http://reversemortgagedaily.com/2016/06/21/seniors-home-equity-grows-to-6-trillion-reverse-mortgage-opportunity. 2If you qualify and your loan is approved, a Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) must pay off any existing mortgage(s). With a HECM loan, no monthly mortgage payment is required. A HECM increases the principal mortgage loan amount and decreases home equity (it is a negative amortization loan). AAG works with other lenders and nancial institutions that offer HECMs. To process your request for a loan, AAG may forward your contact information to such lenders for your consideration of HECM programs that they offer. Borrowers are responsible for paying property taxes and homeowner’s insurance (which may be substantial). We do not establish an escrow account for disbursements of these payments. A set-aside account can be set up to pay taxes and insurance and may be required in some cases. Borrowers must occupy home as their primary residence and pay for ongoing maintenance; otherwise the loan becomes due and payable. The loan also becomes due and payable when the last borrower, or eligible non-borrowing surviving spouse, dies, sells the home, permanently moves out, defaults on taxes or insurance payments, or does not otherwise comply with the loan terms. American Advisors Group (AAG) is headquartered at 3800 W. Chapman Ave., 3rd & 7th Floors, Orange CA, 92868., (District of Columbia Mortgage Dual Authority License No. MLB9392), V11082016

These materials are not from HUD or FHA and were not approved by HUD or a government agency. V11082016

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HEALTH Volunteer Brings Black Press to Visually Impaired By Noni Marshall WI Intern Perusing through a black-owned newspaper has become commonplace for many, with access to the latest news and events affecting the black community locally and nationally right at their fingertips. Metropolitan Washington Ear volunteer Mark Baker has been providing visually and physically

disabled Washingtonians with this same access, in a different way, for nearly 20 years. "I am a volunteer reader and I have been reading the black newspapers for the Ear since 1999," Baker said. "One day I got a package delivered to my door and the delivery person said 'you have a really nice voice, have you ever heard of the Washington Ear?' I said 'Huh? What's that?' So I did

some research, I went in for an interview and they accepted me, and I've been reading ever since." The Metropolitan Washington Ear enables visually and physically disabled individuals to access available publications "any time of day or night, seven days a week," using touch-tone telephones, according to the organization website While the Ear offers a variety of reading services, Baker, 53, has chosen to be an extension of the Black Press by primarily reading black-owned publications. "I'm glad to be able to provide the Washington Ear service of reading Black newspapers like [The Washington] Informer for the community, whoever they are and wherever they are," he said. "There's a very broad community who is out there and I would love to know about them and have them as regular listeners to black newspapers." With a background as a trained vocalist and radio broadcaster, Baker found that his knowledge B:10” him to better of the voice allowed understand theT:9.5” needs of the people he serves. "I try to do a verbatim reading of the article from start to fin-

5 Metropolitan Washington Ear volunteer Mark Baker reads Black-owned newspapers to the blind. /Courtesy photo

ish without breaks so that it is a continuous reading that people are listening to, because people who aren't able to see the written word are going to be very sensitive to breaks in the reading," he said. "The sound of voice might change, the tempo of the reading, and the inflection might change, all things that are very important

to listeners." Because he does all of his work in the Metropolitan Washington Ear studios, Baker has no interaction with the people who listen to his readings on a regular basis. In fact, in his 18 years of volunteering, he has never met or spoken

BLACK PRESS Page 22

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JULY 20-26, 2017 19

HEALTH

Eating Disorders Get Needed Recognition on Capitol Hill By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer It's an unfortunate truth that eating disorders have been shoved into a box. Many have believed the falsities that are spread about these disorders: that they're about looking good and being thin, that those

who suffer from them are wealthy and self-centered, and that they are predominantly experienced by white women, according to Eating Disorder Hope, an organization that aims to provide hope, information and resources to those who suffer from such afflictions. Research into the world of eating disorders has perpetuated those

stereotypes by focusing studies on those exact populations, officials at the organization said. Studies involving those of lower socioeconomic status or of various races are few and far between. As a result, it is incredibly crucial to dispense what little information does exist about the various populations that experience these disor-

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ders, such as the African-American community. Now, Congress has stepped in. Reps. Tim Murphy (R-Pennsylvania) and G.K. Butterfield (D-North Carolina) helped to lead introduction of a bipartisan House Resolution to create a Congressionally recognized National Eating Disorders Awareness Week. The congressmen said in a joint statement that they worked in December to pass the 21st Century Cures Act, which included provisions from the Anna Westin Act, with overwhelming bipartisan support. It represented the first time Congress passed legislation specifically designed to help the millions of Americans suffering from an eating disorder. "While these measures represent an important first step, more research is needed to train health care professionals, facilitate early intervention treatment, and raise awareness for prevention efforts for those struggling with an eating disorder," the congressmen said in the statement. The resolution syncs with the eating disorder community's more than two-decade tradition of celebrating National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, designating the last week of February as the recognized week. It's the largest national campaign that brings public attention to the critical needs of people with eating disorders and their families. "The goal of National Eating Disorders Awareness Week is to shine the spotlight on eating disorders and put life-saving resources into the hands of those in need," said Claire Mysko, CEO of the National Eating Disorders Association. "Education and early intervention are critical in the fight against these deadly illnesses and we hope that this recognition from Congress will help us reach Americans with the information, support and resources they deserve," Mysko said, adding that the organization thanks Murphy and Butterfield for their support and leadership. More than 30 million Americans are affected by an eating disorder during their lifetime, according to the National Eating Disorders Association. Eating disorders are considered serious and complex mental health conditions that affect individuals of all genders, age, body sizes, race, sexual orientation and socioeconomic statuses and have the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric ill-

ness, association officials said. The resolution crafted by Congress in conjunction with the eating disorders community — which includes the National Eating Disorders Association, Eating Disorders Coalition and the Residential Eating Disorders Consortium — carefully identifies the complexity and needs for the disorder, Mysko said. The resolution addresses the need for more research, training for health professionals, quality treatment coverage, awareness around often stigmatized communities including the military, high body weight individuals, and minority, racial and ethnic groups. "The passage of the 21st Century Cures Act was a great step forward for the eating disorders community," said Dr. S. Bryn Austin, president of the Eating Disorders Coalition and professor of pediatrics at Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School. "But we have a lot of work ahead in our nation's health care system to raise awareness and expertise in recognizing and treating eating disorders and to ensure access to the best possible care for all Americans with eating disorders, no matter who they are or where they live." WI

5 More than 30 million Americans, including minorities, have been affected by an eating disorder. / Courtesy photo

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EDUCATION Poynter, NABJ Partner for Free Leadership Academy By Sarafina Wright WI Staff Writer The Poynter Institute and the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) will once again offer a transformative, tuition-free leadership program to train the best and brightest journalists of color working in digital media. Applications are now being accepted for this fall's Leadership Academy for Diversity in Digital Media in St. Petersburg, Fla. "We are delighted to extend our partnership with The Poynter Institute for a second year so we can expand the pool of minority leaders in the digital journalism space," said NABJ President Sarah Glover. "With the exponential growth of tech-

nologies and digital strategies, we value the training that will put these leaders at the front edge of the future of journalism." The academy, offered to 25 participants, will take place Dec. 3-8 at the Poynter campus, tuition-free via the support of the TEGNA Foundation, with additional funding from The New York Times. The program will be led by media mavens of color such as Mizell Stewart III, vice president of news operations for the USA Today Network, and Ju-Don Marshall, a digital media strategist and chief content officer for WFAE-FM, the NPR affiliate in Charlotte, N.C. Glover, the social media editor for NBC Owned Television Stations, will join Rashida

5 A promotional advertisement celebrating diversity. /Courtesy photo

Jones, senior vice president of Specials for NBC News; Russ Torres, vice president of digital video content and strategy for USA Today Network; Benét Wilson, founder and editor-in-chief, Aviation Queen LLC and many others to lead the expert instruction. This intensive, will address unique issues journalists of color face on the path to leadership in digital journalism and technology organizations. The program aims to combine the efforts of The Poynter Institute and NABJ, the largest organization for journalists of color in the nation, to promote diversity in newsrooms and create cutting-edge opportunities for career development.

"This program is designed to prepare the best young and mid-career journalists of today to lead tomorrow's news organizations," said Poynter Vice President Kelly McBride. "NABJ is a great partner, helping us identify the best curriculum to make the participants successful." The Poynter-NABJ program builds upon the Poynter Leadership Academy for Women, which said it has offered training to the best and the brightest women in digital media in the past three years. Poynter and NABJ are seeking additional funding from media and technology companies, foundations and academic institutions to support the cause. WI

DCPS Students Make Service to the World their ‘Business’ This summer, through the District of Columbia Public Schools Study Abroad program, more than 400 students have participated in fully-funded study abroad trips to more than a dozen countries. One student reflected on his experience in Senegal saying, “We visited Goree Island, the hub for African slave trade by European settlers. We arrived at the only remaining holding cells for transit of enslaved Africans. It was a very intense and emotional experience for me but I have never felt closer to my ancestors; I have never felt closer to myself.” 3 DCPS student travelers work and

play hard at their service site in the Dominican Republic. /Photo courtesy DCPS

22 JULY 20- 26, 2017

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BLACK PRESS from Page 19 to any of the beneficiaries of his services. "I don't have any stories of people who have benefitted from the readings, but I know that people reach out to the Ear and express their appreciation for what we do," he said. "It's sort of providing a service when you don't know who is out there using it. I'm sure they're out there but I've never interacted with them." For what may seem to be a thankless job, Baker finds inspiration to continue to read for the Ear through his own life philosophy. "I have over the years sculpted my entire life around being able to serve other people," he said. "This particular effort is gratifying to me because I get to provide a service to people in our community. "When I was in undergrad at Howard, I really got interested in Alan Lomax, an anthropologist from the 1920s who was very well renowned for doing field recordings of music and interviews of different people including some former slaves," Baker said. "It was so important to me to have an actual voice recording of a real person from that time. I get to provide that for someone else and that's one of the things that motivates me." With a track record of recording readings at least once a week, Baker doesn't plan to stop anytime soon. "To black newspapers, I want them to keep documenting our history … that is so very critical," he said. "Without the black newspapers, we don't have that insight into our history. It's extremely important that what is recorded now will be available for future generations. Hopefully, with funding and support, together, we can do that." WI

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EDUCATION Democrats Far Worse than GOP in Minority Hiring South Carolina Republican Tim Scott Serves as Example in Diversity By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer Democratic senators employ an overwhelming number of white and mostly women, according to a new report on diversity in some congressional offices. The current Congress reportedly stands as the most diverse in history, with more minority lawmakers than ever before and a record 21 women in the Senate. However, pressure has mounted for lawmakers to fill jobs with African Americans, Hispanics and other minorities. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) released a report that revealed his party’s staffing is mostly white. Schumer’s report noted that 32 percent of staffers are “non-Caucasian,” defined as African American, Asian/Pacific Islander, Latino, Native American or Middle Eastern/North African. Fifty-four percent of staffers are women, 46 percent are men. So, when South Carolina Republican Sen. Tim Scott introduced Senate Resolution 11 earlier this year, he received praise from BET founder Robert L. Johnson because the measure drew ideas from Johnson’s “RLJ Rule” which encourages hiring practices to ensure that applicants from every walk of life are given an opportunity to participate in the hiring process. “I want to commend Senator Scott for introducing [the resolution], which calls for companies to increase diversity in the workplace and minority business opportunities, through enhanced best practices, interviewing at least two qualified minority candidates for management positions, and at least two qualified minority businesses for vendor contract opportunities prior to making a hiring or contract decision,” said Johnson, the chairman of the RLJ companies. To Johnson and others, it came as little surprise this month when Scott – the only Republican African-American senator – stood out in another gloomy report, this time by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. The report recognized Scott’s diverse staff and noted that he employs an African American as his chief of staff. “Diversity is incredibly important to my state and of course critically important to me,” Scott said.

“Those folks who don’t have diversity, jeopardizes future success and I’m quick to remind people that you can find great candidates for almost any position if you know how to diversify our poll of applications,” he said. Of the Senate’s 336 top staff jobs – those that carry six-figure salaries and a strong voice on many crucial matters – just 24 were held by individuals of color during the last Congress. “We know that all Americans, from every neighborhood and background, have the ability to achieve great things,” said Scott, the first African American to serve in both the House and Senate. “When we are hiring in my office, I have made it a priority to ensure our applicant pool is open to as diverse a group of people as possible,” he said. Diversity isn’t something Scott has only strived for in the Senate, but he’s done so throughout his home state. Scott said he’s encouraged by the progress in South Carolina. “Look at the last five years of documentation where minority-owned businesses have increased by 44 percent in South Carolina and, for the first time in the history of the state, we will have a Black commander of highway patrol,” Scott said. On July 1, officials announced that Col. Christopher Williamson would succeed the retiring Col. Michael Oliver to become commander. Williamson, a native of Darlington, had served as a deputy commander and has been with the patrol since 1988, working in the Charleston and Orangeburg areas. Scott also noted other diverse hires across the state including that of Max Allen, a former Naval officer, who was named chief of staff at Clemson University two years ago. There was also the success of Frank Martin, a Hispanic who, as head coach of the South Carolina Gamecocks, led the team to an unlikely journey into the Final Four this year. “When you look at some areas of academics, athletes and business, you start to see a good snapshot of the nation, but you see it – diversity – right here in South Carolina,” Scott said. The goal, he said, isn’t just to have diverse outcomes, but to open the door for even more diversity. “I do think it’s important that those who have a voice, encourage others to follow and what we are doing in our own spheres of influence is important and not to the exclusion of any group but specifically not to the exclusion of minorities,” Scott said. WI

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5 Sen. Tim Scott has been praised for having a diverse staff /Courtesy Photo

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OPINIONS/EDITORIALS

EDITORIAL Once Again, Congress Celebrates its Ability to Bully District’s Voters Members of the House must have a lot of free time on their hands these days and are looking for something fun to do. Maybe that’s why instead of focusing on more substantive matters like health care, immigration, the federal budget and the entire Russia-Trump fiasco, they’ve chosen to once again take aim at their beloved “stepchild” – Washington, D.C. Following the lead of Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.) and his proposed measure which the House Appropriations Committee advanced late last week, the will of D.C.’s voters stands in jeopardy of being overturned and ignored. What’s at stake? The possible repeal of D.C.’s assisted-suicide law, “The Death with Dignity Act of 2016,” should the full House and Senate agree with the measure, along with #45, President Trump. Harris has even stated during a debate on the amendment, “We have the absolute ability to judge anything that the District of Columbia does that we think is bad, bad policy.” Nonetheless, Mayor Muriel Bowser, on Monday, announced the implementation of the Act which became law when passed by the DC Council in November 2016, informing the City that the DC Department of Health will be responsible for regulating and overseeing its implementation. Harris has the reputation of being a thorn in the side of the District, routinely challenging our right for self-determination. Guess it doesn’t matter what the District’s 600,000-plus citizens want or decide. As for the democratic process and free elections, it’s clear that home rule only exists in concept rather than in reality. It sounds a lot like the lord-vassal relationship that existed within the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. Then, the vassal, that is the slave, had an obligation to a lord or monarch. In the minds of Harris and his fellow lords, we are the “slaves” over whom they govern, at least we tend to be treated as such – children who need wiser adults to direct our steps and decisions. In truth, there are thousands of talented, educated, skillful visionaries who have led and continue to lead and serve the District of Columbia – men and women who, through sweat and tears, have earned their positions and deserve to be treated with respect rather than as puppets or play toys. We don’t need Congress to help us make our way and we certainly do not like bullies. It’s way past the time that Congress “stay in its lane” and release us from bondage. WI

Beware: Sugar Kills Sugars and syrups added to foods and beverages can kill you. Too much of either will cause obesity, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. And these are the illnesses that overwhelmingly impact African Americans and Latinos, especially those who reside here in the D.C. area. It is also the reason why two local pastors have filed a lawsuit against one of the nation’s largest soft drink companies and the nation’s largest non-alcoholic beverage association for failing to disclose the health risks of these products to their consumers. Pastor William Lamar of Metropolitan African American Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C. and Pastor Delman Coates of Mt. Ennon Baptist Church in Clinton, Md. filed their lawsuit in D.C. Superior Court against Coca-Cola and the American Beverage Association claiming there is an epidemic that is taking a toll on families and children that overly consume sugary drinks and that it “is a matter of life and death in our communities.” This lawsuit is not the only threat to business these companies are facing. Four cities – Philadelphia, Boulder, San Francisco and Seattle – have passed sugary beverage taxes. Massachusetts is the first state to consider legislation to tax sugary drinks including sodas, sports drinks, fruit drinks and other beverages with added sugar. These taxes reportedly have generated significant revenue for education and other local programs. They have also significantly reduced consumption of sugary drinks while increasing the consumption of water. On the other hand, these companies warn about the negative impact a beverage tax has on local businesses and jobs. WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

TO THE EDITOR Baker's Just What Maryland Needs

Support Mayor's Battle Against Homelessness

I say run, Mr. Baker, run! Both of the articles in the June 29, 2017, edition of The Informer, one by D. Kevin McNeir and the other by William J. Ford, laid out some of County Executive Rushern L. Baker's accomplishments and his failures. His accomplishments far outweigh his failures, such as bringing the MGM casino and its training facilities, the Tanger Outlets, a new hospital in Largo, a new Whole Foods grocery store and numerous other developments all to Prince George's County. It's hard to drive anywhere in the county and not see planned new developments. I wish he would continue as county executive, but I know he is a politician, and a new challenge is something hard to turn his back on. I think Rushern Baker would make a great governor for the state of Maryland, because if he does just half of what he has done for Prince George's County for the state of Maryland he will probably go down as one of the state's greatest governors. So again, I say run, Mr. Baker, run!

After reading your article, "Mayor Bowser Takes Flack for District's Affordable Housing Crisis," by Tatyana Hopkins in the July 6, 2017, edition of The Washington Informer, I felt I needed to write and express my opinion on this issue. Mayor Bower is doing probably the best job on the issue of homelessness of any of the most recent mayors of the District of Columbia. Her drive to close D.C. General as a homeless shelter is long overdue, and her initiative to place a temporary homeless shelter for families in each of the 8 wards in the city will only expedite that closure. We must also remember that Washington, D.C., is the only city in the country that requires that it must provide shelter for all of its homeless residents, so homeless people from all over the area continue to come to D.C. because of that. Homelessness is everyone's problem, not just the mayor's. If we are serious about solving this problem, we must not complain when the idea of tax increases are proposed for housing for the homeless. I agree with the idea that in the richest country in the world and the most powerful city in the world, no one should be without a place to live, but that's just an idea, it's not yet real.

Louise Wayne Bowie, Md.

Coca-Cola is undoubtedly a popular global brand with a significant history of funding local and national community-based programs and events, often targeted toward the Black community. But when it comes to our health, compromise is difficult especially when state legis-

Sam Ellis Washington, D.C. lators, and now pastors, believe they have a responsibility to their voters and worshipers who are not making the best health decisions for themselves and their families. We do not criticize nor commend Pastors Lamar and Coates for the legal action they have taken.

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However, we believe their action should be a reminder that the responsibility of healthy living and moderate consumption rests with the individual consumer. When poor choices are made, more education is needed. WI

JULY 20-26, 2017 25

OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnists

By Marian Wright Edelman

An Open Letter to the United States Senate I learned my first lessons about injustice and health as a little black girl growing up in segregated Bennettsville, South Carolina. I remember my parents' and my sadness over the senseless death of little Johnny Harrington, who lived three houses down from our church and died before he reached 10 because his hardworking grandmother didn't know about the need for or have the money for

him to get a tetanus shot after he stepped on a rusted nail. I also remember being awakened in the middle of the night after a black migrant family's car collided with a white truck driver's vehicle on the highway in front of our parsonage, and the horror I felt when my Daddy, my siblings and I witnessed the white ambulance driver and attendants arrive on the scene only to leave behind the seriously injured black migrant worker after they saw that the white truck's passengers were not hurt. And I remember the loss of a playmate who lived around the

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corner who died from a broken neck after jumping off the bridge at Crooked Creek nearby where many black children swam and many black families fished for food. When I got older, I learned the creek was an outlet for hospital waste and other sewage. The sorrow and outrage and sense of injustice I felt as a child at senseless deaths and injuries shaped my life's work. I cannot stand seeing any child mistreated, placed at risk or excluded from essential services because of the color of their skin or the poverty of their parents or grandparents

they did not choose. God did not make two classes of children and my Biblical values and my parents' efforts to live up to its teachings enjoined me to believe each child is sacred. During the civil rights movement it was always clear that health care was one of the basic rights for which we were fighting because it could mean life or death. As my friend and mentor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. famously said, "Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhuman." I would never have believed that decades later Dr.

King's words would still ring true and that after fifty years of hard-earned progress expanding access to health coverage for 95 percent of all children, it could all be ripped away in a heartless game of politics and greed that disregards human life — even the smallest human life. In the wealthiest nation on earth, the fact that we are still unwilling to treat health care as a right available to all regardless of color, income or creed is a disgrace. That child lives are considered

EDELMAN Page 45

By Raynard Jackson

All Americans Should Learn to Speak English

Over the past three hundred years, when foreigners contemplated immigrating to the United States, foremost in their minds was that they wanted to become Americans; sure they wanted better lives; they wanted to attend our universities; some fled oppression in their own countries, but becoming an American was the prime motivating factor in their decision to come to the United States.

It was a given that being an American would offer them the opportunity for a better life, better educational opportunities and an environment with minimum, if any, oppression. Italians, Germans and the Irish came through Ellis Island in New York City and settled there in their own little enclaves, many speaking little to no English. They all spoke in their native languages at home and in their neighborhood, but they understood that in order to take advantage of all that America had to offer, they had

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to learn English. In those days, part of being an American was learning the new language. They didn't forget their language or their culture from back home, but they fully understood that being an American citizen meant adopting the American culture, which includes the language. Today, you have foreigners becoming American citizens who don't have the ability or the desire to learn English. They have absolutely no interest in adapting to American culture. They are not pursuing

the American dream — they seem only to want the government benefits of citizenship. Citizenship is like marrying a woman. The woman leaves her family, takes the name of her husband, and moves into his house to build a new life together. The woman doesn't forget where she came from, nor her family name, nor her brothers and sisters, but her new life with her husband now becomes her priority and her commitment. Now, just imagine if the woman marries, but doesn't take her husband's name and

doesn't live with her husband, but rather decides to continue to live with her parents. One could argue that she is merely married in name only. Likewise, we are allowing immigrants to become citizens who refuse to accept our culture; they refuse to build a new life, based on American values. When I am in France, I must speak French. When I am in the Dominican Republic, I must speak Spanish. To expect these countries to put

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By Rep. André Carson

Welcoming Immigrants Keeps America Great President Donald Trump was elected on his pledge to make America great again. Yet, for all of his rhetoric, he seems to have forgotten the men and women, from every corner of the globe, who have worked so hard to build the great country we see today. President Trump leads a nation of immigrants, yet part of his plan involves suspending our country's refugee program and barring immigrants from six pre-

26 JULY 20- 26, 2017

dominantly Muslim countries. It's a policy that is not only unsafe, it's unlawful, uninformed and un-American. Many of the most shameful periods in our nation's history were those in which we permitted hatred and fear of the "Other" to shape our public policy. Beginning with slavery—which took a civil war to overcome—to the denial of entry to Jews fleeing Nazism, or the internment of Japanese Americans, today these moments are correctly judged as shameful departures from our core values. Right now, we face

one of those moments. President Trump's ban is affecting millions; mothers with young children, family members trying to reach their loved ones who are already here, and those desperately fleeing for their lives. These people look to America as a land of hope and opportunity, where they can build new lives away from the violence and persecution they face in their home countries. To turn them away at our doorstep is cruel. This policy degrades our alliances with countries we rely on in the war against ISIS — most

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of which are majority Muslim. We cannot ask for their assistance while simultaneously insulting their religion and questioning their reliability. This policy, born out of fear rather than a security strategy, threatens our friendships, fuels terrorist propaganda and supports the false narrative that the West is waging a war against Islam. It makes us a target for terrorism rather than keeping us safe. As a member of the House Intelligence Committee, I know better than most the wide array of threats our country faces ev-

ery day. We cannot ignore them. But forcing an entire population to shoulder the blame is unjust and does nothing but divide us further. This ban is not an effective way to protect Americans. Instead, we should be investing in our intelligence professionals, who can analyze information and develop calculated responses in real time. Additionally, we can further strengthen our immigrant vetting processes to better weed out any legitimate threats without

CARSON Page 45

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OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnist

By James Clingman

It's Your Money, Black Folks Yet another report, the Nielsen African-American Consumer Report, was released in October 2016. Titled "Young, Connected, and Black: African-American millennials are driving social change and leading digital advancement," it points out various issues related to how blacks spend our dollars, with an emphasis on our young people. To put it bluntly, this report is about your money — how much you earn, what you spend it on, and how

it can be obtained from you in exchange for products and services. Yes, it's your money, but for how long? Since most of us will not read a 56-page consumer report, I am going to draw heavily from its contents in hope that you, the black consumer, will learn to teach your dollars how to make more sense. Information is only power if you use it appropriately. The Nielsen Report contains a lot of information, but the question is: Who will benefit from it? The report states, "African-Americans are exuber-

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ant and reflective—optimistic about present-day advances in income, education, entrepreneurship and health care, and determined to forge a better future as influential leaders and catalysts of social awareness against discrimination and social injustice. With incomes steadily rising at a rate that outpaces that of the general population, African-Americans' 'buying power' is expected to grow 21.6% between now and 2020, by which time it will reach just over $1.4 trillion…" Is it black buying power or black buying weakness? Nielsen says, "African-Amer-

ican consumers are focused on 'eating well' and 'looking good,' over-indexing across a wide variety of product categories, ranging from beauty products to fresh foods and ingredients that reflect their proud heritage and cultural traditions. ..There is a 'clear opportunity' for innovation and new-product development in the convenient-healthy eating space." Are black people taking advantage of the "opportunity" we have created? In a section titled, Valuing the Beauty Within, the report states, "Personal image is highly valued and is regarded with an

immense sense of pride in the African-American community. African-American millennials have higher buying rates (per household) for hair care products and personal soap and bath products than their millennial counterparts." Do you think they are talking about black manufactured products? Another section, Feeling Proud, Looking Good, and Spending More, points out that, "Personal image is highly valued and is regarded with an immense sense of pride in the African-American com-

CLINGMAN Page 46

By Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr.

Facing the Assault on Civil Rights The Trump administration has launched an unprecedented rollback of civil rights and voting rights. Those who care about building a more perfect union face harsh headwinds. We've gone from an administration seeking to fulfill these rights to one seeking to repeal these rights.

Instead of a reconstruction, we are faced with a retrenchment, an effort to radically reverse the gains that have been made by women, people of color and the LGBTQ community. Instead of understanding that expanding civil rights is a vital therapy to heal this nation, the Trump administration views it as a threat to its rule. The rollback is govern-

Askia-At-Large

mentwide. The Labor Department has announced plans to disband the division that polices discrimination among federal contractors as a "cost cutting measure." The Environmental Protection Agency plans to eliminate the environmental justice program that focuses on the environmental threats to minority communities. The Education Department is decimating staff-

ing of its Office of Civil Rights. The Department of Housing and Urban Development has revoked guidance on a rule that allows transgender people to stay in sex-segregated shelters matching their gender identity. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, formerly a senator representing Alabama, has led the rollback. The DOJ has reversed its opposition to a Texas discriminatory

voter ID law. Sessions has announced that he would review consent decrees that the Obama Justice Department made to reform police departments. Sessions has ordered U.S. prosecutors to seek the maximum sentences, while moving to revive private prisons. The administration is gearing up for a national

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By Askia Muhammad

50 Years Later, Blacks Still Waiting for Justice According to my always-correct, precise calculations, 1967 was the last chance America might have voluntarily been able to achieve racial integration. Yes, the nonviolent civil rights movement had migrated from the South to the North and West, with a deadly progression: Harle, 1964; Watts, 1965; Baltimore, Dayton, Milwaukee, 1966; and then Detroit and Newark in 1967 — truly a tipping point. By 1968, the nation lurched to the right and the time for

accomodation officially ended, though the aftereffects would ripple out until Barack Obama's presidency, and the resultant "alt-right" snapback. After the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968 and the ascension of President Richard Nixon and his racially-tinged "law and order" politics, the country's success in integrating schools nationwide was still in the single digits. That was 14 years after the Supreme Court's landmark Brown v. Board of Education desegregation decision. Despite fierce opposition, the effects of the civil rights

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movement spread diversity, and multiple achievements across all disciplines, for tens of thousands of qualified, talented black folks who got an opportunity to contribute rather than a racial rebuke, and the contributions have been enormous. There are more than 50 black members of the House and Senate, hundreds of mayors, thousands of judges, police chiefs, and yet the problems they are challenged with are the same problems black people were confronting 50 years ago. We have been, in my humble opinion, on the correct road

to get to freedom, justice and equality — we have simply been proceeding in the wrong direction. Today, like before, there is a racial backlash. But in addition, there is resentment for the comeuppance of women — asserting themselves like never before on the coattails of civil rights movement energy. Gender politics have also taken hold in the wake of civil rights gains. Even drug "abuse," now glamorized as an "opioid crisis," has garnered respectability, while black people remain America's despised and rejected … killed by cops every week

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… juries acquit killer cops… So what exactly are we deliberating in 2017? It can't be the viability of racial integration as some long-overdue solution to America's racial dilemma. Back in 1961, Nation of Islam Minister Malcolm X told radio interviewer Eleanor Fischer that at the rate integraion was proceeding in public schools, it would take another 100 years just to get integration in education. That was 56 years ago! And the status of school integration today is as if there had never been

ASKIA Page 46 JULY 20-26, 2017 27

LIFESTYLE Babyface Talks About his Musical Career and ‘Gratefulness’

Legendary Entertainer to Headline DMV’s Summer Spirit Festival By D. Kevin McNeir WI Editor @dkevinmcneir Some entertainers sing while others provide the groove as instrumentalists. But in rare instances a gifted individual comes along who brings a third component to their arsenal as a songwriter/producer – like the multi-Grammy Award winner Kenneth Brian Edmonds. Of course, anyone familiar with the cavalcade of stars who have earned their place at the top of the R&B world probably know Edmonds, 58, by his pro-

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5 Babyface, one of several headliners at this year’s Summer Spirit Festival, has established himself as one of the most prolific and

talented singers, songwriters and producers in history since first hitting the scene in the mid-70s. /Photo courtesy Babyface

fessional moniker – “Babyface” – a name given to him by funk master Bootsy Collins for whom he played early in his career because of his “youthful look.” And when he takes to the stage on Saturday, Aug 5 as one of several headliners, including his good friend Fantasia, for the always-anticipated Summer Spirit Festival, he says he’s going to simply do what he’s been doing since he began his professional career in the mid-70s, bringing “passion, an honest performance and making sure everyone has a really

good time.” “It’s going to be a show to remember if for no other reason than because Fantasia, who I truly love and admire, will be there too and who goes all the way with unbelievable emotion,” he said. “I’ve never been known as a party guy but when I’m on stage I guess I become someone else. At some point, I’ll perform a medley of the songs I’ve written and produced, taking a walk down memory lane. I’m always surprised when I see the audience’s reaction when they realize

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that many of my songs have been a significant part of their lives,” said Babyface, who’s penned a plethora of chart-topping songs for other entertainers including Midnight Star’s “No Parking on the Dance Floor,” Whitney Houston’s “Exhale (Shoop Shoop)” along with rest of the 1995 soundtrack from the film “Waiting to Exhale” that also featured hits he wrote for Mary J. Blige and Brandy and the Boyz II Men classic, “End of the Road.” The shy Indianapolis native, who hails from a family of six boys, including brothers Melvin and Kevon Edmonds who once shared the spotlight as members of After 7, first began writing songs during his youth to express his emotions. Since then, he’s gone on to conquer almost every imaginable musical genre – something he says he still finds “a little hard to believe.” “Music seems to have always been an integral part of my life but I never imagined that I would have the opportunity to work with so many icons, so many celebrities and now, with so many new, younger talents – new kids on the block,” he said. “I’ve had my share of awards and I have achieved great success in my career. But with all that, I’m simply grateful that I’m still here, still going, still able to do that for which I have hoped for as long as I can remember, what has always mattered the most – reaching people, touching their hearts, minds and souls through my music.” He shared two personal stories that he says he’s never forgotten: one involving his mother and the other with Stevie Wonder. In both instances, he emphasizes the lessons he learned have remained with him as sources of inspiration and encouragement. “My mother would tell me to focus not on what people said but what they did,” he recalled. “She also

told me that we can learn from our experiences, even if they were painful as long as we don’t do the same thing or make the same decision again. So, I thank God for even those who wanted to hurt or take advantage of me. They showed me what not to do.” “I played close attention to Stevie Wonder as I was growing up and was amazed by his humility. Despite the many awards he received, the record number of Grammys he earned, he never talked about himself, his talent, or his accomplishments. He only spoke about his concern for others – his community, the world. I first time I met him was at Jezebel’s (the iconic, trailblazing soul food restaurant in New York City owned and operated by the late Alberta Wright) and after greeting one another he started singing one of my very first solo hits. He knew every word. That’s when I knew that what I was doing mattered.” Babyface said he truly “grateful” that he’s been blessed so richly and that the ride is still continuing, adding “I’m savoring this journey.” “People often ask me what song among the many that I’ve written is my favorite. I don’t really know how to answer that. I like to say I haven’t written that song yet. Besides, when I’m on stage, when people are singing along with me, or singing along with an artist who’s performing a song I’ve written, that’s the moment that makes me most proud – that’s my favorite song,” he said. Summer Spirit comes to the DMV on Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 5-6 at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland. Saturday’s lineup includes: Babyface, Fantasia, Common, De La Soul and more. For tickets go to ticketfly.com or visit the Merriweather Box Office. Showtime for both days is 2 p.m. WI

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LIFESTYLE

Local Favorites to Get the Party Started at Summer Spirit Fest

Go-Go Beats Punctuate the Air for Two Days of Great Music for Beautiful People First of a two-part seriess By D. Kevin McNeir WI Editor @dkevinmcneir When the Summer Spirit Festival kicks off on Saturday, Aug. 5, concert promoter Darryll Brooks promises that the “DMV will be in full effect” as some of the area’s most-celebrated entertainers join nationally-known artists for two days of family fun and finger-popping music guaranteed to get fans out of their seats. Those who attend the two-day concert and come from cities far from the Greater Washington Area may not be as familiar with local favorites Wisdom Speeks, DJ Kool, Big Tony and Trouble Funk or EU featuring Sugar Bear. But by the time the annual festival comes to a close, it’s fairly certain they’ll not only remember these names but will hunger for more of their music. But just who are these “unsung”

superstars that have been using their musical talents and creativity to bring joy, laughter and songs of celebration to the DMV and beyond for so many years? Let’s take a look.

WISDOM SPEEKS: THE MASTER OF ‘GLOBAL SOUL’

Producing music since the age of 15, Wisdom Speeks [WS], aka Whop Craig, has been illuminating audiences with a unique style of music that he calls “global soul” since 2009 when he first organized his band. Their goal, he says, has always been to share a message that encourages “living, loving and laughing with a positive heart. “Tomorrow is not promised to anyone so I tell the truth because with wisdom there’s hope that opportunity can bring peace,” Wis-

5 Wisdom Speaks /Courtesy of the artist

SPIRIT Page 30

5 DJ Kool /Courtesy of the artist

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JULY 20-26, 2017 29

LIFESTYLE

'Thurgood' Debuts at the Olney Theatre By Lauren Poteat WI Contributing Writer

5 A one-man performance of "Thurgood" will be presented July 22 at the Olney Theatre Center for the Arts in Maryland. /Courtesy of olneytheatre.org

Four decades after Thurgood Marshall became the first black to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, the Olney Theatre Center for the Arts highlights the iconic jurist's history with a behind-the-scenes look at his personal struggles and growth in "Thurgood." "The one-man show [starring veteran TV actor Brian Anthony

Williams] depicts the incredible story of the Baltimore, Md., native who changed the face of American jurisprudence and helped end segregation in our schools — a really important moment in our history, especially in today's political climate," said Whitney Stringer, a spokesperson for the Maryland theater. Directed by Emmy winner Walter Dallas, the show brilliantly breathes life into the late justice by shining light on

his childhood in Baltimore and education, including his years at Howard University, as well as his career as a groundbreaking NAACP litigator. A pre-show conversation with public policy scholar and frequent Thurgood Marshall performer, Lenneal Henderson, will be held Saturday at 5 p.m. For more information, visit olneytheatre.org. WI

SPIRIT from Page 29

5 Trouble Funk and Big Tony /Courtesy of the artist

UNIVERSAL PICTURES PRESENTS IN ASSOCIATION WITH PERFECT WORLD PICTURES A WILL PACKER PRODUCTIONS PRODUCTION A MALCOLM D. LEE FILM “GIRLS TRIP”REGINA HALL TIFFANY HADDISH LARENZ TATEEXECUTIVEMIKE COLTER KATE WALSH WITH JADA PIPRODUCED NKETT SMITH AND QUEEN LATIFAH MUSICBY DAVID NEWMAN PRODUCERS PRESTON HOLMES JAMES LOPEZ BY WILL PACKER p.g.a. MALCOLM D. LEE p.g.a. STORY SCREENPLAY BY ERICA RIVINOJA AND KENYA BARRIS & TRACY OLIVER BY KENYA BARRIS & TRACY OLIVER DIRECTED A UNIVERSAL PICTURE BY MALCOLM D. LEE SOUNDTRACK ON BACK LOT MUSIC

STARTS FRIDAY, JULY 21

CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS FOR THEATERS AND SHOWTIMES

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dom Speeks said. The band’s fan base includes those young and old but they all have become enamored with the WS brand of musical storytelling and distinctive rhythm beats. Wisdom Speeks, who followed in the footsteps of the late, great Chuck Brown as the sound of the DC lottery, says he felt more comfortable writing music and developing concepts for others early in his career. But then things changed. “I saw myself as a coach but one day I found myself standing at the mic. I guess I had to become a player and represent what I had been creating. It was certainly a form of music and style that I could bring the best to the people,” said Wisdom Speeks, a native of the District now residing in Upper Marlboro. He says he can’t wait to get on stage at the Summer Spirit Festival. “We’re going to provide a gumbo of funk, jazz, reggae, hip-hop, salsa along with that D.C. street beat,” he said. “That’s our culture. And it’s really an honor to be representing the DMV alongside of folks like EU and Trouble Funk. Then, to be in the company of people like Babyface and Fantasia is something that’s wonderful and amazing. It’s hard to explain how I feel.” “I’ve never been what you’d call ‘the artist’ but people seem to like what we bring to the stage. We performed last year and had to come back for an encore. Now that we’re returning for our second year, we promise one thing: we’re bringing our very best,” he said. Wisdom Speeks recalls a time during his youth when he decided that he wanted to be part of the entertainment industry even though he wasn’t sure back then how it would happen. “My dad took me to see B.B. King and I remember listening to

SPIRIT Page 31

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LIFESTYLE SPIRIT from Page 30 him and feeling goose bumps run up and down my whole body. I looked at my father and told him ‘that’s what I want to do.’”

GO-GO’S OWN BIG TONY HAS MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR

Big Tony, 57, grew up in Southeast with the majority of his formative years being spent in the projects. But he says the experiences he gleaned on the streets of Washington, D.C. would provide the foundation for he and his group, Trouble Funk, as they developed their “non-stop, percussion-driven, best-seen-live, experience the party, audience-participatory, call and response, grassroots, homegrown music called Go-Go.” “We’re viewed as the worldwide ambassadors of Go-Go – a distant but older cousin of hip-hop – and for the past 30-plus years, we’ve taken this sound from the gritty streets of D.C. to the clubs of the nation and to festivals around the world,” said Tony “Big Tony”

Fisher, Trouble Funk’s band leader, bassist and vocalist. Bursting on the scene in 1978, Trouble Funk started out with Big Tony, along with Robert “Syke Dyke” Reed, James Avery, Taylor Reed, Emmett Nixon, Mack Carey, Timothy “Teebone” David, Chester Davis, Gerald Reed and David Rudd. They took over the musical landscape with songs that included: “Drop the Bomb,” the first Go-Go record released outside of D.C. (Sugar Hill Records), “Pump Me Up” and “So Early in the Morning.” Big Tony says one of his fondest memories from his storied career includes the time he joined Dave Grohl on stage at the Kennedy Center when the Smithsonian’s new National Museum of African American History and Culture opened its doors with an all-star tribute that aired on ABC, “Taking the Stage: African American Music and Stories that Changed America.” “That had to be one of best moments in my life,” said Big Tony who, just a few years ago, wondered

if he had very long to live. In 2003, Big Tony’s kidneys shut down. He would go on dialysis for the next 13 years, hoping and praying he says for a new kidney. Then, something wonderful happened. “A friend had received a kidney transplant and pointed me in the direction of GW Hospital. I signed up, I prayed and I waited. But my body was wearing down. First, they thought they had a match but discovered that it wasn’t the right one. But I kept praying. About a week after my birthday (May 5), the hospital called again and told me ‘we think this is it.’ They were right. And last May I celebrated my first year as a successful kidney recipient. God is so good,” he said. As for the style of music he and the band will bring to the Summer Spirit Festival, Big Tony says it’s almost “hypnotic.” “Fans can expect an explosion on stage because we drop bombs,” he said with a laugh. “We bring high energy and while we do mostly Go-Go, we’re really best described as a funk music band that happens to play Go-Go. Of course, we do

5 Sugar Bear with EU / Courtesy of the artist

cover tunes for the DC folks. But we take to the road, we hit ‘em hard with the original music. Go-Go comes from Washington, D.C. It was born here and there’s no other music like it. It has a lot of percussion and instrumental emphasis.” “And one thing’s for certain: you

can’t sit down on Go-Go.” Next week in the Washington Informer, look for our interviews with Sugar Bear of EU and the club DJ master himself, DJ Kool who will also be part of the Summer Spirit Festival lineup of local, show-stopping entertainers. w

“This decade’s most eloquent theatrical statement on race” (New York Times) by a MacArthur Genius Grant-winner

BY BRANDEN JACOBS-JENKINS DIRECTED BY NATAKI GARRETT

JULY 18 – AUGUST 6

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It’s going to be an exciting Summer ‘17!

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Our DTU Fellows are busy connecting and collecting amazing stories from the African American community! This year, Discover the Unexpected , presented by the all-new 2018 Chevrolet Equinox in partnership with the National Newspaper Publishers Association, includes students from Howard University, Spelman College, Morehouse College and Clark Atlanta University. Right now, our 8 DTU Fellows are hard at work at the Washington informer in Washington D.C., The Atlanta Voice in Atlanta, The Carolinian in Raleigh and the Louisiana Weekly in New Orleans. These young journalists will explore these rich strongholds of African American history and culture, and share unexpected stories from our community. Our DTU Fellows are navigating their assigned cities in the all-new 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. This crossover offers available features like built-in 4G LTE Wi-Fi, Apple CarPlay compatibility, 10 available advanced safety features and SUV functionality. Theyâ€™ll discover that the all-new Equinox is everything you need, to do everything you want. Show your HBCU support! Check out their inspirational stories and watch their exciting videos. Follow their journey and Discover the Unexpected. Discover more of their story at www.nnpa.org/dtu.

2017 DTU Fellows: Noni Marshall (Howard University), Alexa Spencer (Howard University), Darrell Williams (Morehouse College), Tiana Hunt (Clark Atlanta University), Ayron Lewallen (Morehouse College), Taylor Burris (Spelman College), Jordan Fisher (Clark Atlanta University), Kelsey Jones (Spelman College)

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LIFESTYLE Exhibits Showcase East of the River Artists By Eve M. Ferguson WI Contributing Writer Between the two galleries housed in the Anacostia Arts Center and the Honfleur Gallery on Good Hope Road, there's no shortage of art that conveys the level of talent that lies East of the River in Wards 7 and 8. The 11th annual East of the River Exhibition at the Honfleur Gallery features three female artists who have their own distinct styles and inspirations, but the pieces on view have a strong affinity between them and come from similar creative places. Each artist makes an individual statement about spirituality, identity and the repetition of forms and

textures, but together they create a continuum. Asha Elena Casey, Sheila Crider and Amber Robles-Gordon's work meld together in this annual exhibition as if they were created to be contained in one space. Both Crider and Robles-Gordon work in mixed media, employing the use of fabric, jewelry, photographs and other materials that fold into their works, conveying traditions, personal statements and statements on race and inclusion. Crider, who received multiple Small Project Grants from the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities, is a familiar fixture in the arts scene in Anacostia, having re-

cently created a public art project at the new St. Elizabeths. Her work at Honfleur stems from a project that she intended to result in quilting. Instead, her "Paducah Residency Project" made use of the quilt batting in a unique way with braided lengths of fabric representing humanity, interconnectedness, binding and chains. Similarly, Robles-Gordon's "Let Me Tell You About the Baes and the Bees" series, which usually employs found objects, relates to Crider's work in the repetition of chains, although Robles-Gordon uses jewelry and strands of pearls to create the same verticality of mixed textures. Casey, the most junior of the three women, uses the repetition of a central image in "Petra in White" and "Petra in Black," layering on deep and varied textures around the face of a black woman. While the exhibition creates a rhythm that draws on related elements of the three artists' works, next door at the Anacostia Arts Center's Blank Space Gallery, the inaugural DC Artist East Exhibition is an eclectic amalgam of different media and approaches by more than a dozen artists who live East of the River, some familiar to exhibits there and around the city, and others who are exhibiting for the first time. The artists included in this exhibit are members of an online community of creators living and working East of the River.

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Remy Aqui, a pho tographer who has lived in Anacostia for the past four years, is showing his enhanced photography for the first time at the center. He joins more familiar names such as photographers Jonathan French and Bruce McNeil and mixed media artists Jay Coleman and Malik Lloyd in this expansive show, which takes up every bit of wall space in the broad, light-filled lobby and hallways. After fellow artists him to show his work, Aqui entered two of his photographs into the exhibit which were selected by Anacostia Arts Center's creative 5 "Autumn Still Life" (2016) by Remy Aqui /Courtesy photo director. One of his photos, welcoming gesture." "Townhouse in NW," shows a very "I attempt to turn photos of mine different view of what might nor- into colorful imagery of work [such mally be an everyday part of Wash- as old postcards] depicting a fading ington's landscape. The multi-tex- neighborhood landscape," he said, tured house has a large banana tree in describing the surreal façade of the the front, and, according to Aqui, is house's bright, tropical colors. reminiscent of a tradition in his forA third exhibit by photographer mer home of San Francisco, "where Vincent Brown looks at the plight a new homeowner is accepted into of the homeless in D.C., taken with their neighborhood by having a tree his iPhone, titled "City Under Siege" presented to the new neighbor as a in the Vivid Solutions Gallery. Although he had intended his work to be focused on other aspects of life in Washington, Brown was taken aback at the prevalence of homeless people on the streets, which then demanded his focus. Part of the annual art exhibits at this stretch of Good Hope Road also includes the bestowing of the annual East of the River Distinguished Artist Award. In 2012, the East of the River Distinguished Artist Award was created to celebrate the exemplary caliber of artists from Ward 7 and 8. This year, the award went to James Terrell for his brightly colored abstract paintings included in the exhibit in the Blank Space Gallery. His acrylic painting "Kind of Blue" was inspired by jazz trumpeter Miles Davis and the song it is named for. The East of the River Artist Award provides prize money for the artist to use to further their creative career. All three exhibitions are on display until Aug. 5 at the Honfleur Gallery at 1241 Good Hope Road SE and the Anacostia Arts Center at 1231 Good Hope Road SE. For more information, visit www. archdc.org or call 202-631-6291. WI WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

LIFESTYLE

wi book reviewA

Horoscopes

JULY 20 - 26, 2017

ARIES A nebulous link suggests that the influence of certain friends may not be as helpful as you think. Their advice or words of wisdom could be misleading. It might be because they don’t really understand your situation fully. Bearing this in mind, it would be better to pay attention to your intuition. Later in the week, a more dynamic phase encourages you to forge your own path ahead. Lucky Numbers: 15, 26, 32

"Sin of a Woman"

by Kimberla Lawson Roby c.2017, Grand Central Publishing $26 ($34 Canada) 312 pages

TAURUS You might feel like doing something on the spur of the moment to relieve a feeling of pressure. If you feel this way at the start of the week, it might be more beneficial to stick with an idea or project and see it through to the end, as your efforts won’t then be wasted. As the focus shifts to your home zone, the cosmos encourages you to take a step back and indulge in a bit of pampering and self-care. Lucky Numbers: 5, 31, 51 GEMINI You may easily absorb other people’s energies this week, which could have an impact on certain decisions. In fact, Monday might not be the best time to commit to a path. But later your confidence will return as the celestial picture changes and your efforts to get organized and communicate produce results. You should have no difficulty in deciding what is best for you. Lucky Numbers: 13, 25, 29 CANCER The early part of the week could coincide with mixed messages, or you

might be tempted to leap into action based on false information. Things become steadier as the week progresses, and as long as you don’t hurry you can do well. Financial matters take the top spot in your list of priorities. Lucky Numbers: 24, 36, 45

Sin of a Woman

LEO There is a positive shift in the air this week that will enliven and invigorate you. You

By Terri Schlichenmeyer WI Contributing Writer Nothing's set in stone. Few things are. Lucky for you, there's usually a chance to change your mind or have a do-over. You can often get another go at something because few things are that firmly decided. As in the new book "Sin of a Woman" by Kimberla Lawson Roby, you can sometimes have a second chance. More and more every day, Porsha Harrington got on Pastor Raven Jones Black's last nerve. But Raven absolutely had to put up with Porsha, which was part of the problem: Porsha, inheritor of her father's estate and mistress of Raven's then-husband-now-ex, had given Raven $250,000 to start New Vision Christian Center. The partnership would make them both rich; Raven would be the church leader, Porsha would be the assistant pastor, they'd both get paid from member contributions and tithes. That is, as long as Raven could tolerate being near Porsha. Which wasn't long. Years ago, Raven spent time in prison for embezzlement from the church belonging to her ex-father-in-law, Rev. Curtis Black. She'd also stolen some money from a loan shark, and she'd told huge lies all the way to the bank. But that was all coming around to bite her now, and she needed another scheme to get everyone off her back. If she could start with Porsha and make money doing it, well, all's the better. So Raven just cooked up another lie. Something was missing from Porsha Harrington's life. She was single, for one. More than anything, Porsha wanted to be married with a family, a desire that was so strong, it shocked her. Something else shocked her, too: she realized, in prayerful moments, that the men she'd mostly chosen were married ones, and God just couldn't be happy about that at all. Instead, He seemed to be leading her to become more active at New Vision, and that made her heart glad. So did Dillon, the man she'd cheated with once, who'd now turned over a new leaf himself. God would point Porsha into the direction she needed to be. He had plans for her. Too bad Raven did, too. Oh, yes. Now there you go: a novel with scandal, back-stabbing, nastiness, prayer, gutter behavior, responsibility, and pure entertainment. That's "Sin of a Woman." And yet, just because author Kimberla Lawson Roby has put one of literature's worst-behaved characters in a book that strongly features that character's delicious awfulness doesn't mean that the book itself is horrible. No, readers will be surprised to see that, while this story is sexy and wonderfully outrageous, it's also rather tame; Roby veers away when the bedroom door closes, so there's nothing offensive here. The story is spicy, but it won't burn your eyes; one character even turns virtuous, which should tell you plenty. That obviously sets us up for a sequel, for which readers will hunger. If you thought your summer was going to be boring, there's still time to change your mind: look for this novel and enjoy. For you, "Sin of a Woman" is rock-solid. WI WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

are ready to tackle the next big project or make some significant changes. Prior to this, it would help to be careful about what you promise, as an impulsive yes to a request could mean you aren’t able to fulfill it. Lucky Numbers: 4, 28, 43

VIRGO Your social life continues to look upbeat, with a focus on this sector coinciding with a reunion, or perhaps you will look up someone you haven’t heard from in a while. If you’re meeting with someone you’ve had a spat with, it might be possible to heal the past, but great sensitivity may be required to do it. It’s time to relax and recharge. Lucky Numbers: 1, 6, 9 LIBRA You may lack energy in a situation that calls for action at the start of the week. However, there’s also a good chance that you’ve already invested time and energy into this matter and that results have not been forthcoming. Asking friends for advice could mean that things turn out better than you’d hoped. Finally, your social life will have extra sizzle just in time for the weekend. Lucky Numbers: 11, 18, 44 SCORPIO If you’ve been experimenting with various ideas and trying on new options for size, you might be tempted to take one of them further without thinking it through properly. This could lead to problems and disappointment down the line, so your best option may be slow down and do further research. Even spending another day or so gathering information can help you make wiser choices. Lucky Numbers: 13, 14, 52 SAGITTARIUS Doing the best for everyone may mean that plans become watered

down and no easy solution presents itself. You may have no option, as someone will criticize you whatever you decide. Just do what seems best to you and don’t worry what others say. You’ll be in a lighter and brighter space by the weekend anyway. Lucky Numbers: 17, 31, 56

CAPRICORN Mixed messages could be an issue at the week’s start. If you want to get the coming days off to a productive start, it might help to slow down and think things through. You’ll be glad you did, as your efforts, in tandem with others, will be far more fruitful. From Thursday, you’ll enter a more intense phase that could pave the way for deeper change from the inside out. Lucky Numbers: 6, 10, 21 AQUARIUS Go easy with your money at the week’s start. Save your cash for something that’s worth your while. Tuesday could also be a day of indulgence, but your chart suggests that this could be good for you. You’ll be ready to knuckle down and get some work done on Wednesday. From here, a shift occurs and the emphasis moves to your sector of relating, encouraging a lot more interaction. Lucky Numbers: 2, 7, 25 PISCES While opportunities for fun and delightful experiences continue to present themselves, there’s a shift in the air this week that could encourage a more dedicated outlook. This change of heart may come about as a result of mistakes made earlier in the week that may have cost you. Lucky Numbers: 3, 9, 10

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JULY 20-26, 2017 35

SPORTS Girls Softball Making Noise Under the Radar

5 The DC Grays RBI, a program aimed at revving up baseball in inner cities, has produced a women's soft-

D.C. Team to Compete in Regionals By Sarafina Wright WI Staff Writer Local girls will compete this weekend in Major League Baseball's Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) regional tournament, a program that cultivate ballplayer talent in inner cities. The DC Grays RBI women's softball team will face off against teams from North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Baltimore, with the hopes of making it to the RBI World Series in Cincinnati, thanks to the generosity of the Grays. "Two years ago the DC Grays applied for and received a grant from Major League Baseball directly to be the facilitator for the RBI program in Washington, D.C.," said Harry Thomas, DC Grays RBI softball director. "RBI is the MLB's answer to reviving baseball in the inner city. It also encompasses girls softball." Thomas, the program coordina-

ball team competing in the RBI regionals in Philadelphia this month. /Photo by John E. De Freitas

tor for all of the softball components, said the organization wants to simply give the girls an opportunity, which first comes from removing financial blocks. "We are very blessed that the Grays, as an organization, [is] financially committed so that the financial barrier is out of the way for these girls," he said. "Part of what the Grays are doing is restoring several fields in the area and they support other leagues, but the girls component has really grown." The Grays are a MLB-sponsored team in the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League in which college players around the country get the opportunity to travel and gain experience. The local collegiate team got its name from the historic Homestead Grays of the Negro National League which once called Washington home. The original mission of the team

was to create and develop a group that would become "ambassadors for baseball" in the District. The main goal now is to engage more inner city youth and their families in the sport of baseball by bringing talented college ballplayers from around the country to play in a top-tier summer league, conducting summer camps and clinics for kids. Now in its second year, the RBI softball program boasts roughly 50 girls, ages 10 to 19, who participate in year-round programs including a fall league, winter and spring indoor clinics and camps for children. "After the summer camps, we culminate with the summer league, selecting older girls at the 19u level that represents the District of Columbia in the regional tournament which we will be in this week in Philadelphia," Thomas said. The tournament runs from July 20 - 23, hosted by the Philadelphia Phillies.

"The most important thing that we do is we try and take our very experienced players and hold open practices," Thomas said. "Our older players work with kids who are just learning so they can go through the steps and processes and see how the game is to be played. "We are very fortunate this year, because we have two girls in our program that are currently playing at the college level that are good mentors to the girls that come into the program," he said. "What we also do is develop girls from our different leagues and local high schools and get them ready for tournament play, but the ultimate goal is get them into college. We help them as athletes teaching them the proper way to play and to be student-athletes while preparing them for their future." Thomas said the most important thing the public should know is that Title IX, a portion of the United States Education Amendments of

1972, paved the way for the girls to be student-athletes. "The act created great opportunities at the college level for girls to be able to compete and play," Thomas said. "We also take our girls to academic showcases, because our goal is to get our girls into college, so we try to use their athletic ability to open up avenues. "We are going to be taking 12 girls to a showcase in Long Island, New York," he said. "These showcases help, so that inner-city girls can have the same opportunities as girls from much more privileged backgrounds." Thomas added that they target schools such as Harvard, Yale, Howard, Hampton and the top academic schools in the nation. "What people need to realize is that academics plays a huge part in recruiting and getting into schools," he said. "The better you are academically, the more doors that are open for you." WI

NFL's Santana Moss Schools Youth on Importance of Education By Martell Pegues WI Contributing Writer

5 Santana Moss /Photo courtesy of the Washington Redskins 36 JULY 20- 26, 2017

What started as a youth football clinic with retired Washington Redskins wide receiver Santana Moss at FedEx Field became an educational session about sports, success and life after football. Moss, who spent the bulk of his 14 years in the NFL in Washington, discussed on Thursday, July 13 how perseverance helped him throughout his career and life, both athletically and academically. “Even when there were some of my darkest moments as a player and as an individual in life dealing with the things we deal with — never quit. Don’t have quit in your vocabulary,” he said. Moss, who obtained his master's in business administration from the

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University of Miami, stressed to the children the importance of this achievement. “If I’m a grown man who spent 14 years in the NFL [and] can return to obtain another degree after earning my bachelor’s degree, they can do it, too," said Moss, who last played in 2014. "The only chance to do something more with yourself after having a career like myself is by having these degrees, being educated, and knowing that there is more." The youth clinic was born out of a partnership between Comcast and the Prince George's County Department of Parks and Recreation. “It’s through partnerships that you’re able to speak to people who’ve done some pretty significant things in our society,” said Ronnie Gathers, department director. “We’re able to provide these opportunities

throughout Prince George’s County. Whether sports, arts, swimming — you name it, and we can provide those opportunities.” Brad Palazzo, director of external affairs for Comcast Beltway, said the cable and internet company aims to be a contributor to the community as well. “Comcast is deeply committed to the Prince George’s County community we serve and we strive to give back," he said. "By giving them an opportunity to meet Santana, come to FedEx Field and help keep the kids active, we’re positively impacting these young lives and leading by example." Palazzo said the company also focuses on youth development and digital literacy through its Internet Essentials initiative, which allows the internet to be accessed at reduced rates. WI

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JULY 20-26, 2017 37

OPIODS from Page 1 middle-aged African-American males, during a July 14 press conference at the Southeast Family and Medical Counseling Services clinic. "We must work together to curb this growing epidemic and treat it like the public health issue that it is," Bowser said. "It's a serious issue and we have a serious plan to combat it." In 2015, then-HHS Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell announced the agency's plan which targeted three priority areas: improving prescribing practices, expanding access to medication-assisted treatment and expanding the use of naloxone. Many states, D.C. included, followed suit and developed their own plans to tackle to opioid epidemic. Bowser said the city's government, public health and law enforcement agencies have developed a similar broad and coordinated response to address its opioid epidemic which include expanding access to substance abuse services and the opioid counteragent naloxone, as well as increased public education. "In Washington, D.C., we will continue to lead the way by conducting cutting-edge research, developing proven treatments, and working with our regional and federal partners to coordinate efforts," Bowser said. In late 2015, heroin surpassed cocaine as the second most used substance in the city, with alcohol as the most used substance. The city's opioid-related deaths jumped from 83 in 2014 to 231 in 2016. So far, this year, the epidemic has claimed 106 lives. "Washington, D.C., is unfortunately not immune to the [opioid] epidemic," Roger Mitchell Jr., the

5 Tanya Royster, Director of the DC Department of Behavioral Health /Courtesy photo

District's chief medical examiner, said of the national opioid crisis. "However, the epidemic looks a little bit different in our city." The District's opioid epidemic is unique in that it primarily affects African-American males who have been active heroin users for more than 10 years. Nearly 90 percent of the city's users are aged 40 and older. Roger said the city's opioid overdose deaths primarily occur among black men, aged 40-60 and in Wards 5, 6, 7 and 8. He said Ward 7 is affected the most. According to Rogers, many of the city's opioid epidemic victims are long-term heroin users and suffer from the chronic disease of addiction, and die due to the presence of more potent synthetic opiates

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included in or replacing the heroin supply, most notably fentanyl. Fentanyl suppresses pain, but also affects a user's ability to breathe. "The drugs that are being found at death are now 50 to 100 times more potent than the drugs we have seen in the past," Mitchell said. "Because the designer drugs that are flooding our community are changing dayto-day and week-to-week, we must match our level of forensic testing to the severity of these substances." Part of the District's coordinated response involves an innovative partnership between the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and the Department of Forensic Sciences in which the department tests the contents of needles found at the sites of potential opioid overdose deaths and compares them with compounds in the victim's body to help OCME identify emerging synthetic drugs being marketed as heroin in the city. Bowser also announced that the city would distribute 2,500 naloxone kits. Naloxone is an FDA-approved emergency treatment for known or suspected opioid overdose, with no reported side effects in people who

are or are not taking opioids. In May 2016, the District purchased nasal spray naloxone kits and has since distributed 1,000. Officials say last year's kits aided in over 300 overdose reversals. The city's Department of Health distributes the kits through two community partners, Family and Medical Counseling Service Inc. and the Northeast organization Helping Individual Prostitutes Survive (HIPS). DOH will also launch a project to expand medication-assisted treatment in the city, which combines counseling with medications that block cravings for opioids and other drugs. It will train 100 primary care providers to prescribe suboxone, a combination medicine that reduced withdrawal symptoms and cravings, to expand patient's access to the drug by eliminating the need to visit overwhelmed stand-alone clinics. The District's Department of Behavioral Health has been awarded a $2 million federal grant over the next two years to combat its opioid crisis and expand its recovery and prevention services that support DOH's medication-assisted treatment effort.

The grant will aid the city in the implementation of a public awareness campaign in the fall targeting long-term heroin users with "innovative" messages to encourage them to seek treatment and make use of the city's naloxone kits. The campaign will also address the leading route to opioid abuse nationwide, misuse of prescription opioids. Though DBH officials say prescription abuse in the District is not "a huge problem," they "are starting to see some peaks" and want to implement early intervention strategies with the public awareness campaign. The grant will also help the city add additional care coordinators to their system to link patients with other needed services. "For people who are struggling with recovery from substances, the message that we have is that there is help available and there is hope you can recover," said DBH Director Tanya Royster. "There is one simple phone number: 1-888-7WEHELP." DBH partners with more than 30 service-providers to link patients with individualized recovery services including detox and residential and outpatient care. WI

Black Pastors Sue Coke for Deception By Hamil R. Harris WI Contributing Writer In the city of Atlanta, the corporate headquarters for Coca-Cola is almost as popular as the Martin Luther King Memorial and gravesite of the slain civil rights leader. But after decades of sponsoring events and making commercials that have endeared Coke to many African-Americans, a lawsuit recently filed in D.C. Superior Court charges that the amounts of sugar the beverage company puts in its products doesn't make it a real friend to the black community at all. "In the District of Columbia, more people die of diabetic-related illnesses than from murder, cancer and AIDS combined," said Rev. William Lamar, pastor of the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church in the District, who filed the lawsuit last week. "Our goal is stop corporate audacity because it affects our community." The suit charges that despite scientifically established links between sugary drinks and obesity, Type 2 diabetes and heart disease, Coca-Cola continues to engage in deceptive practices in the marketing of its products to the African-American community. Rev. Delman Coates, senior

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pastor of Mt. Ennon Baptist Church in Clinton, Md., and the Praxis Project, a nonprofit organization focused on building healthier communities, are also parties in the lawsuit. "This is about saving lives, this is not about sponsorships for a dinner," Coates said, referring to Coca-Cola's recent backing of the Congressional Black Caucus's annual legislative conference. "When people look at the amount of sugar served in a Coca-Cola and compare that to the recommendations of the American Heart Association, they will come around." The lawsuit seeks an injunction under the District of Columbia's Consumer Protection Procedures Act, which protects District residents from improper trade practices. The injunction calls for Coke and the American Beverage Association to stop engaging in unfair and deceptive marketing of sugar-sweetened drinks — including any direct or indirect claim that the drinks do not promote obesity, Type 2 diabetes, or cardiovascular disease. For its part, Coca-Cola called the suit "legally and factually meritless" and vowed to fight the charges. "The Coca-Cola Company

understands that we have a role to play in helping people reduce their sugar consumption," the organization said in an issued statement. "That’s why we support the recommendation of the World Health Organization that people should limit their intake of added sugar to no more than 10 percent of their total daily calorie intake. We have begun a journey toward that goal. "So we are taking action to offer people more drinks in smaller, more convenient sizes, reducing sugar in many of our existing beverages, and making more low and no-sugar beverage choices available and easier to find at local stores," the company said. "We'll also continue making calorie and nutrition information clear and accessible so people can make more informed choices for themselves and their families without the guesswork." In a 2013 interview with CNN, Coca-Cola CEO James Quincey said that "the experts are clear — the academics, government advisers, diabetes associations … a calorie is a calorie." But Coates said this is just not true. "The fact of the matter is many of our politicians have been misinformed about the benefits of sugary sweet beverages," he said. WI

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RELIGION

THE RELIGION CORNER

The Griffin Firm, PLLC

Dousing the Flames of the Diabetes Epidemic, Pt. 5 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…Hosea 4:6 For the past few weeks, I have shared with you, the readers the story of my family's struggle with Type 2 diabetes and the great loss of our mother, Fannie Estelle Hill Grant, in such a horrific manner. Mother only lived 12 years after her diagnosis. Here is the continuation of her story. She lost both of her legs; she was extremely sad and depressed! Who wouldn't be? You live your entire life, walking around, and healthy for the most part, only to end your life without legs! Mother had high blood pressure, seven strokes in 12 years and was on kidney dialysis. She was only 61 when she had her first major stroke, which resulted in paralysis. Let me conclude this series with an interaction I heard between Dr. Griffin P. Rodgers of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and a caller during an C-SPAN interview on Sept. 14, 2014. The caller's mother had diabetes, as did two older siblings who both take insulin shots and had difficulties with this disease. The caller, despite not having developed the disease, expressed concern about the family's genetic makeup — if they have the gene and I don't, I would like to know why I succeeded in life without becoming a victim of that. "Our genetic makeup says a lot about what we are likely to become," Rodgers told the caller. Mt. Zion Baptist Church

"You may or may not have the same risk because we have two parents and you inherit half of your genes from one parent and half from the other. It could be that susceptibility gene, you may have been lucky to not inherit. A lot has to do with our environment, how much we are exposed to, what we eat. "As it turns out, in Type 2 diabetes, our environment begins even earlier," he said. "For studies we have funded, both in our NIH Phoenix Branch and other sites nationally, determines that our environment begins in utero. A mother who develops Type 2 diabetes or who has diabetes during pregnancy, the infant born to that mother when they have diabetes is more likely to develop diabetes later on in life than an infant born to that same mother who was not affected with just a small diabetes — known as gestational diabetes. There is something in our environment we are trying to understand. That's another factor to be considered. "Of course, if it runs in your family, that does put you at higher risk," Rodgers said. "It sounds like you're doing the right thing and you are being checked periodically to determine whether you have any signs of it. A good prescription, however, is exercise and maintaining your weight at a level that your doctor approves." I wanted to share this with you, just to conclude. It may not be our fault, when it is in our genes, which shows even more why early detection is import-

Committed to providing services and supports to increase the capacity of individuals, businesses, and communities.

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with Lyndia Grant ant. Type 2 diabetes did run in my mother's family, but it wasn't discussed very much; they really didn't understand what they needed to know and share. This is why I've taken the bull by the horns. I have promised to tell this story for the rest of my life. Dr. Rodgers said a good prescription is, one, get checked early and regularly, two, learn how to eat properly when you discover you are a candidate, and three, exercise and lose weight! When you follow this simple 1-2-3 plan, you will save yourself and your loved ones from experiencing a life filled with pain, unnecessary suffering and regrets! WI

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Historic St. Mary’s Episcopal Church

Reverend John W. Davis Pastor

The Rev. E. Bernard Anderson Priest

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

Foggy Bottom - Founded in 1867 728 23rd Street, NW - Washington, DC 20037 Church office: 202-333-3985 - Fax : 202-338-4958 Service and Times Sundays: 10 a.m. Holy Eucharist with Music and Hymns Wednesdays: 12:10 p.m. - Holy Eucharist

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.

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

“A Church with a past to remember – and a future to mold”

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

www.mtzbcdc.org

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JULY 20-26, 2017 39

RELIGION The Miracle Center of Faith Missionary Baptist Church Bishop Michael C. Turner, Sr. Senior Pastor 9161 Hampton Overlook Capitol Heights, MD 20743 Phone: 301-350-2200 Fax: 301-499-8724

Service and Times Sunday Worship Times : 7:30 a.m. 7 10:00 a.m. Communion: 1st Sunday Sunday School: 9:00 a.m. Bible Study: Wednesday, 12 Noon Bible Study in homes: Tuesday 7:00 p.m. Website: www.themiraclecenterFMBC.com Email: Miraclecenterfmbs@gmail.com Motto: “We Walk by Faith, Not by Sight”

Pilgrim Baptist Church Rev. Louis B. Jones II Pastor 700 I Street, N.E. Washington, D.C. 20002 (202) 547-8849 Service and Times Worship Sundays: 7:30 & 11:00am 5th Sundays: 9:30am 3rd Sundays: Baptism & Holy Communion Prayer & Praise: Wednesdays @ Noon & 6:30pm www.pilgrimbaptistdc.org

Church of Living Waters

Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church

Crusader Baptist Church

Rev. Paul Carrette Senior Pastor

Rev. Dr. Michael E. Bell, Sr., Pastor

Rev. Dr. Alton W. Jordan Pastor

Reverend Dr. Calvin L. Matthews Senior Pastor

Harold Andrew Assistant Pastor

2498 Alabama Ave., SE - Washington D.C. 20020 Office: (202) 889-7296 Fax: (202) 889-2198 - www.acamec.org

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

4915 Wheeler Road Oxon Hill, MD 20745 301-894-6464

Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 8:00am and 11:00am Sunday Church School - 9:15am & Sunday Adult Forum Bible Study - 10:30am 2nd & 4th Monday Women’s Bible Study: 6:30pm Tuesday Jr./Sr. Bible Study: 10:00am Tuesday Topical Bible Study: 6:30pm Tuesday New Beginnings Bible Study: 6:30pm Wednesday Pastoral Bible Study: 6:30pm Wednesday Children’s Bible Study: 6:30pm Thursday Men’s Bible Study: 6:30pm Friday before 1st Sunday Praise & Worship Service: 6:30pm Saturday Adult Bible Study: 10:00am “The Amazing, Awesome, Audacious Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church”

Service and Times Sunday Morning Worship: 11:00am Holy Communion: 1st Sunday Sunday School: 9:45am Men’s Monday Bible Study: 7:00pm Wednesday Night Bible Study: 7:00pm Women’s Ministry Bible Study: 3rd Friday -7:00pm Computer Classes: Announced Family and Marital Counseling by appointment

1200 Isle of Patmos Plaza, Northeast Washington, DC 20018 Office: (202) 529-6767 - Fax: (202) 526-1661

Service and Times Sunday Service: 8:30am& 11:00am Bible Study: Wednesday 7:30pm Communion Service: First Sunday www.livingwatersmd.org

E-mail: Crusadersbaptistchurch@verizon.net www.CrusadersBaptistChurch.org “God is Love”

Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ

St. Stephen Baptist Church

Third Street Church of God

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

Drs. Dennis W. & Christine Y. Wiley Pastors

Bishop Lanier C. Twyman, Sr. Senior Pastor

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

Bishop Alfred A. Owens, Jr.; Senior Bishop & Evangelist Susie C. Owens – Co-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

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

610 Rhode Island Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002 (202) 529-4547 office • (202) 529-4495 fax

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

Services and Times Sundays: 10:00am Worship Services Bible Study: Wonderful Wednesdays in Worship and the Word Bible Study Wednesdays 12:00 Noon; 6:30pm (dinner @ 5:30pm) Sunday School: 9:00am – Hour of Power

Blessed Word of Life Church

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

Campbell AME Church Rev. Dr. Henry Y. White 2562 MLK Jr. Ave., SE - Washington, DC 20020 Adm. Office 202-678-2263 Email: Campbell@mycame.org 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: pm “Reaching Up To Reach Out” Mailing Address Campbell AME Church 2502 Stanton Road SE - Washington, DC 20020

Turning Hearts Church Virgil K. Thomas, Sr. Senior Pastor/ Teacher 4275 4th Street, S.E. Washington, DC 20034 Phone: 202-746-0113 Fax: 301-843-2445 Service and Times Sunday School 8 – 9 AM Worship Service 9 – 11 AM Tuesday Night Bible Study 6:30 – 8:00 PM Wednesday Daytime Bible Study 11 AM – 12:30 PM Motto : “A Great Commitment to the Great Commandment” Website: www.turningheartschurchdc.org Email: faithdefender@verizon.net

40 JULY 20- 26, 2017

“An inclusive ministry where all are welcomed and affirmed.” www.covenantbaptistdc.org

Isle of Patmos Baptist Church

Services and Times Sunday Early Morning Worship: 7:45am Church School: 9:30am Sunday Morning Worship: 10:45am Tuesday: 7:00pm/Kingdom Building Bible Institute Wednesday: Prayer/Praise/Bible Study-7:30 pm Baptism & Communion Service: 4th Sunday – 10:30am “We are one in the Spirit” www.ssbc5757.org E-mail: ssbc5757@verizon.net

Services and Times Sunday School: 9:30am Sunday Worship: 11:00am Sunday Community Worship Service: 8:30 am “Ambassadors for Christ to the Nation’s Capital” www.thirdstreet.org Live Stream Sunday Worship Service begins @ 12:00 noon www.thirdstreet.org

Greater Mt. Calvary Holy Church

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

Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 7:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Holy Communion: 2nd Sunday at 7:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Sunday Church School: 9:20 a.m. Seniors Bible Study: Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. Noon Day Prayer Service: Tuesdays at Noon Bible Study: Tuesdays at 7 p.m. Motto: “A Ministry of Reconciliation Where Everybody is Somebody!” Website: http://isleofpatmosbc.org Church Email: ipbcsecretary@verizon.net

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

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

Mount Carmel Baptist Church Joseph N. Evans, Ph.D Senior Pastor 901 Third Street N.W. Washington, DC. 20001 Phone (202) 842-3411 Fax (202) 682-9423 Service and Times Sunday Church School : 9:00am Sunday Morning Worship: 10:10am Bible Study Tuesday: 6: 00pm Prayer Service Tuesday: 7:00pm Holy Communion: 3rd Sunday 10:10am themcbc.org

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RELIGION Shabbath Commandment Church

All Nations Baptist Church

King Emmanuel Baptist Church

Bishop Adrian A. Taylor, Sr. Pastor

Rev. Dr. James Coleman Pastor

Rev. Daryl F. Bell Pastor

7801 Livingston Road Oxon Hill, MD 20745 301-534-5471

2001 North Capitol St, N.E. - Washington, DC 20002 Phone (202) 832-9591

2324 Ontario Road, NW Washington, DC 20009 (202) 232-1730

Service and Times Sabbath School 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Service 11:00 a.m. Praise & Worship Preaching 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Motto: “A Church Keeping It Real for Real.” Website: Shabbathcommandmentchruch.org Email: Praisebetoyhwh@gmail.com

Zion Baptist Church

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

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

Emmanuel Baptist Church Rev. Dr. Clinton W. Austin Pastor

Dr. Earl D. Trent Senior Pastor

Rev. Dr. George C. Gilbert Senior Pastor

2409 Ainger Pl.,SE – WDC 20020 (202) 678-0884 – Office - (202) 678-0885 – Fax “Come Grow With Us and Establish a Blessed Family”

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

4504 Gault Place, N.E. Washington, D.C 20019 202-397-7775 – 7184

Service and Times Sunday Worship: 7:30am & 10:45am Baptism/Holy Communion: 3rd Sunday Family Bible Study Tuesdays – 6:30pm Prayer Service: Tuesdays – 8:00pm

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

www.emmanuelbaptistchurchdc.org

“Where Jesus is the King”

Lincoln Park United Methodist Church

Sermon On The Mount Temple Of " Joy Apostolic Faith

Matthews Memorial Baptist Church Matthews

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 Sunday Worship Service: 10:15AM Sunday School: 9:00am Monday: Noon Bible School Wednesday: Noon & 7PM: Pastor’s Bible Study Ordinance of Baptism 2nd Holy Communion 4th Sunday Mission Zion Baptist Church Shall; Enlist Sinners, Educate Students, Empower the Suffering, Encourage the Saints, and Exalt Our Savior. (Acts 2:41-47) www.zionbaptistchurchdc.org

Rev. Dr. Morris L Shearin, Sr. Pastor

Rev. Dr. Diane Dixon Proctor 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 - lpumconthegrow@gmail.com www.lpumcdc.org

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

Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 10:00 A.M. Sunday School: 8:30 A.M. Holy Communion1st Sunday: 10:00 A.M. Prayer Service: Wednesday at 6:30 P.M. Bible Study: Wednesday at 7:00 P.M.

Service and Times Sunday Worship: 10: am Holy Communion: First Sunday 10: am Sunday School: 9: am Bible Study: Wednesday @ 12 noon and 6:30pm Motto: “A CHURCH ON THE GROW”.

Holy Trinity United Baptist Church

Florida Avenue Baptist Church

MemorialRev. Joan E. Buchanan

Executive Pastor

Baptist Church

2616 MLK Ave., SE - Washington, DC 20020 Office 202-889-3709 - Fax 202-678-3304

Rev. Joan E. Buchanan Service and Times Executive Early PastorWorship Service:

7:30am Worship Service: 11:00am New Member’s Class: 9:45am 1st Sunday, 11:00am ServiceHoly andCommunion: Times Church School: 9:45am Early Worship Service: 7:30am Wednesday 12:00pm Bible Study Prayer,11:00am Praise and Bible Study: 7:00pm Worship Service: Saturday Bible Study: 11:00am Apostolic in Doctrine, Pentecostal in Experience, New Member’s Class: 9:45am Baptism 4th Sunday: 11:00am Holiness in Living, Uncompromised and Unchanged. st 1 Sunday, 11:00am The Apostolic Faith is still alive –Acts 2:42Holy Communion: “Empowered to love and Challenged to Lead a Service and Times Sunday Apostolic Worship Services 11:00 A.M and 5:00 P.M Communion and Feet Wash 4th Sunday at 5:00 P.M Prayer/Seeking: Wednesday at 8:00 P.M.

Service and Times 9:30AM. Sunday Church School 11:00 Am. Sunday Worship Service The Lord’s Supper 1st Sunday Wednesday 7:00pm Prayer & Praise Services 7:30pm. Bible Study Saturday before 4th Sunday Men, Women, Youth Discipleship Ministries 10:30am A Christ Centered Church htubc@comcast.net

Christ Embassy DC

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

Church School: Multitude 9:45am of Souls to Christ”

Wednesday 12:00pm Bible Study

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 a.m. Sunday School: 9:15 a.m. Holy Communion: 11:00 a.m., 3rd Sun. Bible Institute: Wednesday - 1:30 pm Prayer Meeting: Wednesday - 12:00 Noon

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

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

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

St. Matthews Baptist Church

Eastern Community Baptist Church

New Commandment Baptist Church

Rehoboth Baptist Church

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

Salem Baptist Church

Prayer, Praise and Bible Study: 7:00pm Saturday Bible Study: 11:00am

Peace Baptist Church

Baptism 4th Sunday: 11:00am

“Empowered to Love and Challenged

Rev. Dr. Michael T. Bell

to Lead a Multitude of Souls to Christ”

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

712 18th Street, NE Washington, DC 20002 Phone 202-399-3450/ Fax 202-398-8836 Service and Times Sunday Morning Worship Service: 7:15 am & 10:50 am Sunday School: 9:30am Wednesday Prayer & Testimonies Service: 7:30pm Wednesday School of the Bible: 8:00pm Wednesday - Midweek Prayer Service: 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Pennsylvania Ave. Baptist Church 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 A.M. Sunday Worship Service: 11:00 A.M. Monday Adult Bible Study: 7:00 P.M. Wednesday Youth & Adult Activities: 6:30 P.M. Prayer Service Bible Study

“The Loving Church of the living lord “ Email Address pbcexec@verizon.net

Shiloh Baptist Church

First Rising Mt. Zion Baptist Church

Mt. Horeb Baptist Church

Rev. Dr. Maxwell M. Washington Pastor

Rev. Curtis l. Staley Pastor

Rev. Alonzo Hart Pastor

Rev. Dr. Wallace Charles Smith Pastor

Rev. Oran W. Young Pastor

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

Worshiping Location Knights of Columbus - 1633 Tucker Road Fort Washington, MD 20744 (240) 838-7074

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

917 N St. NW - Washington, DC 20001 (202) 232-4294

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

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

Service and Times Sunday Morning Prayer Service: 8:00 a.m. Sunday Church School: 9:15 a.m. Sunday Morning Worship: 10:40 a.m. Third Sunday Baptismal & Holy Communion:10:30 a.m. Tuesday Church At Study Prayer & Praise: 6:30 p.m.

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

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 a.m. Sunday School: 9:00 a.m. Worship Service: 10:30 a.m. Holy Communion: 4th Sunday 7:30 a.m. & 10:30a.m. Prayer Services:Tuesday 7:30 p.m. Wednesday 12 Noon

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

The Church Where GOD Is Working.... And We Are Working With GOD

Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 10:00 am Sunday School: 9:00 am Holy Communion 3rd Sunday Morning Prayer / Bible Study: 6:15 pm - 7:20 pm (Tuesday) Theme: “The Kingdom Focused Church” Matthew 6:33 and Mathew 28:18-20, KJV Email: stmatthewsbaptist@msn.com Website: www.stmatthewsbaptist.org

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

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Service and Times Sunday School for All Ages: 8:00 a.m. Sunday Worship Services: 9:30 a.m. Midday Prayer & Bible Study: Wednesday 11:30 a.m. Evening Prayer & Bible Study: Wednesday 7:00 p.m. Laymen's League: Thursday 7:00 p.m. 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.

JULY 20-26, 2017 41

LEGAL NOTICES

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

Administration No. 2017 ADM 142

Administration No. 2017 ADM 705

Administration No. 2017 ADM 722

Administration No. 2017 ADM 723

Administration No. 2016 ADM 1417

Christopher B. Powers aka Christopher Bruce Powers Decedent

French R. Nickens aka French Ricardo Nickens Decedent

Charles Reginald Stroman Decedent

Richard T. Russell Decedent

Richard Earl Dew Decedent

Attorney

Laurie Pyne O’Reilly 1050 17th Street, Suite 1100 Washington DC, 20036 Attorney

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

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

Hillary Russell, whose address is, 1123 East Capital St. SE, Washington, DC 20003 was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Richard T. Russell who died on March 17, 2017 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., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before January 6, 2018. 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 January 6, 2018, 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.

William Dew, whose address is 17608 Gatsby Terrace, Olnew, MD 20832 was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Richard Earl Dew who died on November 10, 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., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before January 6, 2018. 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 January 6, 2018, 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.

Peter D. Antonoplos, Esq 1725 DeSales Street NW, Suite 600 Washington, DC 20036 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Luke B. Powers, whose address is 4500 Johnson Avenue, Western Springs, IL 60558 was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Christopher B. Powers aka Christopher Bruce Powers who died on December 28, 2016 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., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before, January 6, 2018. 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, January 6, 2018, 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: July 6, 2017

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Glenn O. Tapscott & Ronald C. Gilmore, whose addresses are 1207 Pickering Circle, Upper Marlboro, MD 20774 & 1501 Kearny St., NE, Washington, DC 20017 were appointed Personal Representative of the estate of French R. Nickens aka French Ricardo Nickens who died on April 1, 2017 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., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before January 6, 2018. 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 January 6, 2018, 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.

Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer

Aaron K Stroman, whose address is, 5330 Ames St. NE, Washington, DC 20019 was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Charles Reginald Stroman who died on April 5, 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., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before January 6, 2018. 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 January 6, 2018, 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: July 6, 2017

Date of first publication: July 6, 2017

Aaron K Stroman Personal Representative

Glenn O. Tapscott Ronald C. Gilmore Personal Representatives

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Luke B. Powers Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY

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

Anne Meister Register of Wills TRUE TEST COPY

Washington Informer

Date of first publication: July 6, 2017 Hillary Russell Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Anne Meister Register of Wills

Washington Informer

Date of first publication: July 6, 2017 William Dew Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer

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

Administration No. 2017 ADM 721

Administration No. 2017 ADM 740

Administration No. 2017 ADM 750

Administration No. 2017 ADM 603

Administration No. 2017 ADM 719

William Henry Carter IV Decedent

Ruth V. Hamm-Gadson aka Ruth Valerie HammGadson Decedent

Shebra D. Simms aka Shebra Denise Simms Decedent

Kassahune Mekonnen Decedent

Richard James Fields Decedent

Attorney

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

Larry C. Williams, Esquire 7600 Georgia Ave. NW, suite 405 Washington, DC 20012 Attorney

Inga M. Simms, whose address is 8239 Canning Terrace, Greenbelt MD 20770 was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Shebra D. Simms aka Shebra Denise Simms who died on January 24, 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., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before January 13, 2018. 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 January 13, 2018, 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.

Sindu Gima, whose address is, 6304 Kansas Ave. NE, Washington, DC 20011 was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Kassahune Mekonnen who died on April 27, 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., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before January 6, 2018. 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 January 6, 2018, 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.

Kisha L. Woolen, Esquire Tobin O’Connor & Ewing 5335 Wisconsin Avenue, NW #700 Washington, DC 20015 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Jacqueline A. Carter, whose address is 1202 Monroe St. NW Washington, DC 20010, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of William Henry Carter IV who died on April 10, 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., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before January 6, 2018. 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 January 6, 2018, 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: July 6, 2017 Jacqueline A. Carter Personal Representative

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Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Francis Eugene Gadson, whose address is 5623 Eads Street, NE Washington, DC 20019 was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Ruth V. Hamm-Gadson aka Ruth Valerie HammGadson who died on May 4, 2017 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., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before January 13, 2018. 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 January 13, 2018, 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: July 13, 2017 Francis Eugene Gadson Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer

Date of first publication: July 13, 2017 Inga M. Simms Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer

Washington Informer

42 JULY 20- 26, 2017

Date of first publication: July 6, 2017 Sindu Gima Personal Representative

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NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Nathan James Fields, whose address is, 602 46th Place, SE Apt 21 Washington, D.C. 20019 was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Richard James Fields who died on December 26, 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., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before January 6, 2018. 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 January 6, 2018, 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: July 6, 2017 Nathan James Fields Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister 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

Administration No. 2017 ADM 754

Administration No. 2017 ADM 810

Administration No. 2017 ADM 794

Administration No. 2017 ADM 775

Administration No. 2017 ADM 808

Henri M. Davis Decedent

William Tait Wilson Decedent

Jean Francine Talley Decedent

Clara Mae Smith Decedent

Stella Lee Staton Decedent

Barry M. Tapp 14662 Cambridge Circle Laurel, MD 20707 Attorney

Kisha L. Woolen, Esquire Tobin O’Connor & Ewing 5335 Wisconsin Avenue, NW #700 Washington, DC 20015 Attorney

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

Attorney

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

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Cassandra Davis and Olivia Cook, whose addresses are, 4119 Rainier Ave., Mt. Rainier, MD 20712 and 4201 32nd St., Mt. Rainier, MD 20712 were appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of Henri M. Davis who died on February 25, 2015 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., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before January 6, 2018. 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 January 6, 2018, 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: July 6, 2017 Cassandra Davis Olivia Cook Personal Representatives

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS William D. Wilson, whose address is 121 North Rockburn Street, York, PA 17402, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of William Tait Wilson who died on March 30, 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 (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before January 20, 2018. 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 January 20, 2018, 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: July 20, 2017 William D. Wilson Personal Representative

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Anne Meister Register of Wills

Washington Informer

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

Administration No. 2017 ADM 813

Administration No. 2017 ADM 596

Bonnie McLendon Decedent

Teresa H. Giral Decedent

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

Attorney

LaTanya McLendon and Kokeeta McLendon, whose addresses are 1707 W Street, SE, Washington, DC 20020 were appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of Bonnie McLendon who died on May 9, 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 (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before January 20, 2018. 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 January 20, 2018, 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: July 20, 2017 LaTanya McLendon Kokeeta McLendon Personal Representatives

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Teresa Maria Giral, whose address is 5813 Macarthur Blvd, NW Washington, DC 20016 was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Teresa H. Giral who died on February 24, 2017 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., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before January 20, 2018. 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 January 20, 2018, 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: July 20, 2017 Teresa Maria Giral Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Anne Meister Register of Wills

Washington Informer

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

Akeena Talley, whose address is 30 Sandstone Court, Unit 1, Annapolis, MD 21403, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of jean Francine Talley who died on June 23, 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., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before January 20, 2018. 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 January 20, 2018, 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.

Annie Lillian Reynolds, whose address is 5622 9th Street, NW Washington, DC 20011 was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Clara Mae Smith who died on April 25, 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., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before January 20, 2018. 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 January 20, 2018, 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: July 20, 2017

Akeena Talley Personal Representative

Annie Lillian Reynolds Personal Representative

Latonya A. Morgan, whose address is 1019 Kenyon Street, NW, Washington, DC 20010, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Stella Lee Staton who died on September 8, 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., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before January 20, 2018. 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 January 20, 2018, 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: July 20, 2017 LaTonya A. Morgan Personal Representative

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Anne Meister Register of Wills

Washington Informer

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

Administration No. 2017 ADM 817

Administration No. 2017 ADM 793

Phillip Ferrell, Sr. Decedent

Hattie Dennis Decedent

Edward G. Varrone, Esq. 910 17th Street, NW, Suite 800 Washington, DC 20006 Attorney

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

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

Sylvia Ferrell, whose address is 324 Todd Place, NE, Washington, DC 20002, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Phillip Ferrell, Sr. who died on March 26, 2008 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., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before January 20, 2018. 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 January 20, 2018, 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.

Yolanda Valentine, whose address is 212 Scarlett Lane, Harker Height, TX 76548, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Hattie Dennis who died on March 27, 2017 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., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before January 20, 2018. 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 January 20, 2018, 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: July 20, 2017 Sylvia Ferrell Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer

Date of first publication: July 20, 2017

Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer

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Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer

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categorically denying a safe haven for those who need our help the most. We should be focusing on real tools to keep our country safe, relying on facts and analysis instead of uninformed biases. Since our founding, our

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must include speaking English, knowing the Pledge of Allegiance and being loyal to America and only America and all of its values. This must be codified in law and enforced. You can't be a basketball player, but play football everyday. You can't be a chef, but study to be a lifeguard. You can't be a preacher and never study the Bible. Likewise, you can't be an American and not speak English. Just because you are a legal citizen doesn't mean that you're automatically an American. Being an American is about the language, the culture and the values. That's what every American should have in common. Until we get back to these principles, we will continue to lose the true meaning of what should make us all Americans. WI

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everything in English to accommodate Americans who don't speak their language would be the height of arrogance and very impractical. In 1975, liberal Democrats amended the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to "mandate" that all voting ballots be printed in multiple languages to accommodate citizens who don't speak English. The language provision is part of section 203 of the Voting Rights Act and was meant "specifically" for blacks who were in the South who couldn't read or write, because many blacks, historically, were denied access to an education. This had nothing, let me repeat, nothing to do with people who refused to learn English. But, as liberals are good

at doing, they began to expand the definition of section 203. This mandate codified into law that the government "must" make accommodations for any citizens that don't speak English. Therein lies the problem. How can you be a citizen of these United States and not speak English? This foolishness cannot be allowed to continue. Language is always the key ingredient in defining a country and is one of the defining things that make a person a part of that particular country. You can't be a Frenchman and not speak French. You can't be a German and not speak German. So, why, in America, can you be allowed to be American, but not speak English? I am really fed up with immigrants wanting citizenship, but not wanting to become Americans. Being American

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moral decency alive. I have just returned from two days in the Mississippi Delta which Senators Robert Kennedy, Joseph Clark and George Murphy visited 50 years ago where they saw children with listless eyes and bloated bellies from lack of food and health care. Mississippi is one of 19 states that turned down Medicaid expansion money their people need. Health injustice still disproportionately affects people of color but those who will suffer come from every race in every state. Would you vote to deprive your own children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews of basic life supports? I suspect not. Denying children essential health care makes no moral or economic sense. Healthy children and adults make America stronger and safer. So at this critical moment in our nation's history, I hope you will stand up for children, the disabled, and the elderly left behind in multiple ways by the politics of greed and self-interest. Please vote NO on the misnamed Better Care Reconciliation Act — a mean-spirited, draconian, un-American step backward that would leave preventable suffering among millions in its wake. WI

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political fodder rather than a sacred responsibility by every adult is unjust and shameful. You, the ever-powerful United States Senate, will soon have a choice to make when Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell brings the deeply harmful, flawed, unpopular and misnamed Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA) — it should be called the Worse Care Reconciliation Act — to the Senate floor for a vote. This draconian bill will unravel decades of progress fighting for more health equity and justice for all. I hope every voter will stand up for children, the disabled, the elderly, and the most vulnerable among us and make sure those who vote against them are held accountable. At a time when 95 percent of children in America have health coverage after years of laboriously achieved incremental progress with bipartisan leadership and the percentage of uninsured Americans is at a record low, will you vote for renewed pain and suffering or forward progress? Will you vote to end Medicaid as we know it — a lifeline for more than 37 million children

and more than 40 percent of children with special health care needs — to pay for a giant tax cut for wealthy Americans and corporations who don't need or deserve it? Will you vote to rip away health coverage from 22 million Americans and leave millions more paying a lot more for skimpier coverage? Will you vote to undermine coverage for essential services for children and other Americans including those with pre-existing conditions? Will you vote to strip important and popular protections, returning us to a day when discrimination based on age, gender, health status and ability to pay is permitted? Will you vote to deprive millions of Americans mental health and substance abuse treatment in the midst of a national opioid crisis? You may be wooed with "fixes" being negotiated behind the scenes that tinker around the edges of the cruel, unjust Better Care Reconciliation Act, but make no mistake: it is irreparably flawed and no altering of growth rates and caps, taxes, or creating special "funds" or "risk pools" will fix it. It deserves a swift and decisive death in the Senate if we are to keep any semblance of an American sense of fairness and

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munity. Consumer product companies have long been aware of the 'dedicated consumption' of personal health care items by black consumers. African-Americans of all ages show higher buying rates than non-African-Americans for women's fragrances, grooming aids, personal soap and bath needs, deodorant, sanitary protection, family planning, and feminine hygiene…The long history of personal care spending has led many consumer products companies to offer highly-developed lines of popular African-American cosmetic, fragrance, and hair-care products that cater to the wants and needs of African-American men and women." Is that why L'Oréal has purchased black hair care and cosmetic companies? As their commercial says, "Because [you're] worth it." Uh-oh, here it comes, the pièce de résistance: "Optimism about the future. In 2012, for

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assault on voting rights, pushing measures that will make voting more difficult. Women, people of color, the poor and the LGBTQ are the targets and the direct victims of this assault. But the entire country will suffer, as basic rights are denied, prisons are expanded, and hopes and dreams are snuffed out. Now is the time for citizens of conscience to join together to defend and expand basic civil rights. We will work to defend voting rights, building the movement to add the federal right to vote to the U.S. Constitution. As some move to constrict voting, we will move

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the first time in American history, African-Americans had the highest rate of voter registration and turnout of all races, 66% versus 64%. And while the majority of African-Americans are optimistic that the country is headed in the right direction, there is an ongoing need in their communities for more affordable housing, health care, child care and higher education." Does that seem a bit oxymoronic to you? Besides, what did we get from all that voting? The report says, "In 2015, African-Americans 'controlled' $1.2 trillion in buying power, 8.6% of the nation's total, and a 21% increase over 2010. … The gains in black buying power reflect not only African-Americans' population growth, but also their increasing education and entrepreneurship, as well as their advancing into their peak earning years." Our money is "subject" to our "control" but we are not appropriately controlling it; we do not leverage it. Finally, the report says,

"Nielsen has provided these reports to better illustrate the 'unique' qualities of the African-American community, the 'business opportunities' that exist, and the best methods for a productive and successful 'connection.' As business executives look for opportunities to grow their businesses and gain market share, it is critical to measure and evaluate the opportunities." Dr. James Lance Taylor points out that black millennials, many who earn $60,000 to $85,000 straight out of college, are migrating to the South in record numbers. Armed with that kind of money they must take full advantage of it, collectively, and build something for themselves and their progeny— something they "control." Black consumers are the most studied segment in this nation, because, as Willie Sutton once said when asked why he robbed banks, "That's where the money is." It's our money this report is talking about, black folks — are we accessing the opportunities therein? WI

to expand it. Illinois is about to become the ninth state to pass automatic voter registration, with the potential addition of an estimated 1 million voters to the voting rolls. We will push to pass automatic voter registration in states across the union. If successful, we will add a stunning 51 million new voters to the rolls. We will demand that President Trump fulfill his promise to invest $1 trillion in rebuilding America, helping to generate real jobs doing vital things that need to be done. We will defend sanctuary cities providing some support for undocumented workers with children. As the Department of Justice retreats from the enforcement of civil rights, we

will expand the pressure on corporations and governments to adhere to equal employment opportunity from the boardroom to the basement, from their contracts to philanthropy. Dr. Martin Luther King taught us "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." Now, in this headwind of injustice, it is time for the tribunes of justice to move forward. Now is the time for citizens of conscience to come to the aid of their country. WI

ASKIA from Page 27 a Suupreme Court decision, mandating desegregation. More than 50 percent of black students today attend schools whose populations are 90 percent black. Are we going to plod, wrongheadedly in the wrong direction until the 100year mark, before we determine that "self-determination" is in our best interest. "What the white man in America needs to realize is there's a new thinking among black people today which makes them not willing to sit around and wait for five years to get this problem solved, much less a hundred years," said Brother Malcolm.

Make it plain, Brother Malcolm! What is being realized in 2017 America, however, is The Revenge of White Guys. Ku Klux Klan rallies by armed terrorists in the open. These wicked people believe they can once again make black people cower back into submission. Sorry, guys. That dog won't hunt. There can be no solution to the challenges facing America without justice for black folks. I take comfort in that certainty. Meanwhile, here we are trying to make a "deal," or at least be at the table or in the room when the deal is struck. Fifty years after 1967, 63 years after 1954, still waiting. WI

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