The Washington Informer - July 22, 2021 by The Washington Informer

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Capture the Moment Page 37 Vol. 56, No. 40 • July 22 - 28, 2021

Rash of Shootings and Murder of Six-Year-Old Girl Prompt Questions about Public Safety Sam P.K. Collins WI Contributing Writer

5 A young child places a stuffed animal among the homemade signs, flowers and balloons at a makeshift memorial honoring the life of six-year-old Nyiah Courtney. Nyiah was killed late Friday night in a drive-by shooting while on the way home from her grandmother’s house. The shooting also wounded five adults including Nyiah’s mother. (DR Barnes/The Washington Informer)

Jawana Hardy spent much of last Friday night visiting various Southeast neighborhoods and speaking to community members who have lost friends and loved ones to gun violence. For three years, she and others have made these weekly treks throughout Ward 8 as part of what’s known as #GunsDownFriday. After attending a candlelight vigil in Woodland Terrace, Hardy stopped in front of Mart Liquor near Mellon Street, not far from where Deon Kay

Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

Sam P.K. Collins WI Contributing Writer

DELTA Page 20

SAFE PASSAGE Page 36

Wards 7, 8 Officials and Residents Fight for DC-295 Improvements

Delta Variant Linked to 83 Percent of all COVID-19 Cases in U.S. The Delta variant of the coronavirus now accounts for roughly 83 percent of all U.S. COVID-19 cases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky announced on Tuesday, July 20. “The best way to prevent the spread of COVID-19 variants is to prevent the spread of disease and vaccination is the most powerful tool we have,” Dr. Walensky asserted during a U.S. Senate hearing. On July 3, the CDC noted that the Delta variant accounted for about half of the U.S. COVID-19 cases. But that number has dramatically increased.

lost his life during a police encounter last fall. At the time, Hardy, who goes by Miss Hardy DC, didn’t anticipate that corner later becoming the scene of a high-profile murder. Hours later, upon learning that six-year-old Nyiah Courtney had been killed in a hail of gunfire, Hardy immediately started praying, reaching out to family members and collecting materials for a memorial she erected on the corner of Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue and Malcolm X Boulevard on Saturday evening.

5 Residents request inclusion of bridge repairs and long-term infrastructure changes in the FY 2022 budget after the collapse of the pedestrian bridge in Northeast on 295 which, along with five other bridges, has been rated in poor condition. (WI File Photo/Anthony Tilghman)

An emergency declaration recently signed by D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) would expedite the replacement of three bridges along DC-295: the Lane Place Bridge, the Parkside Bridge, and the Douglas Street Bridge. With an infusion of $1.5 million in contingency funds to replace the Lane Bridge and another $250,000 for the Parkside Bridge, local officials expect these projects to wrap up within the next three years.

However, some community members have described the mandate, in the aftermath of a bridge collapse and the Bowser administration’s initial denial of the request to replace these bridges, as just a small part of what’s required for the entire DC-295 corridor. For ANC Commissioner Anthony Lorenzo Green, DC-295 needs a total revamp that prioritizes the needs of the people living in the surrounding neighborhoods, many of whom don’t

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Around the Region................4-11 Prince George's County.....12-13 Business................................14-15 National................................16-17

3Census Bureau Workers Protest Cuts in Hours, Benefits

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Education............................22-23 OpEd....................................25-27 Lifestyle............................. 28-37 Capture the Moment............. 38 Religion.................................... 39

5Barack Obama

5Security Fencing Removal Draws Tourists to U.S. Capitol

Black Facts / Page 6

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

Maryland Democrats Meet-Up at BBQ in Bowie After more than a year of virtual meetings, the Maryland Democratic Party hosted a barbeque Sunday, July 18 to galvanize their efforts to win local and statewide offices. The event kicked off the 2022 election season where all the gubernatorial candidates attended with hundreds of other Democrats and party loyalists at Pleasant Prospect, a former tobacco plantation in Bowie. The party’s major goal is to win back the governor’s mansion which Republican Gov. Larry Hogan has occupied for more than six years. His second, four-year term expires in January 2023. “It was truly great to see so many friends who, thanks to the pandemic, I haven’t seen for 18 months or so. Everyone is fired up and ready to take back the Governor’s seat in 2022!” former Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler posted on his Twitter page Monday, July 19. Editor’s note: Gansler is scheduled to appear on The Washington Informer’s WIN-TV program Friday, July 23. It can 5 Yvette Lewis, chair of the Maryland Democratic Party. be viewed at www.facebook.com/WashingtonInformer. WI (Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer)

Wizards Hire Wes Unseld, Jr. as New Head Coach

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

PUBLISHER Denise Rolark Barnes STAFF D. Kevin McNeir, Senior Editor Ron Burke, Advertising/ Marketing Director Shevry Lassiter, Photo Editor Lafayette Barnes, IV, Assistant Photo Editor Dorothy Rowley, Online Editor ZebraDesigns.net, Design & Layout Mable Neville, Bookkeeper Ron Taylor, Copy Editor Tatiana Moten, Social Media Specialist Angie Johnson, Circulation REPORTERS Stacy Brown (Senior Writer), Sam P.K. Collins, Timothy Cox, Will Ford (Prince George’s County Writer), Hamil Harris, Curtis Knowles, Daniel Kucin, D. Kevin McNeir, Dorothy Rowley, Brenda Siler, Lindiwe Vilakazi, Sarafina Wright, James Wright PHOTOGRAPHERS Shevry Lassiter, Roy Lewis, Jr., Robert R. Roberts, Anthony Tilghman

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Wes Unseld, Jr. was introduced as the new head coach head of the Washington Wizards Washington’s new coach Monday, July 19. And while and there’s plenty of nostalgia, given his father’s (Wes Unseld, Sr.) place in franchise history (leading the team to an NBA championship before later taking over as coach), the son’s greatest asset may be his experience not his name. Unseld, Jr. has served as an assistant with multiple teams including the last six seasons with the Denver Nuggets. Now, he’s been given his shot as head coach. He has signed a four-year contract and becomes the seventh Black head coach hired out of eight openings this offseason in the NBA. Unseld played collegiately at Johns Hopkins and 5 Wes Unseld, Jr. now leader of the Washington Wizards, became a scout with Washington in 1997. He was becomes the seventh Black head coach hired out of eight openings an assistant coach with the Wizards from 2005-11, this offseason in the NBA. (Courtesy ESPN) then spent a season with Golden State and two with Orlando before his stint with Denver. Washington’s only NBA title came in 1978, when the team was called the Bullets. Wes Unseld, Sr. was MVP of the Finals. He was elected to the NBA Hall of Fame in 1988, around the time he took over as Washington’s coach. He died just one year ago. WI

Prince George’s Launches Web Site to Locate Nearby Parks For those who need to locate one of the hundreds of parks in Prince George’s County, there’s now a web site to find it. Prince George’s Parks and Recreation announced Monday, July 19 a resource tool called “ParkFinder.” The interactive map allows online users to either scroll on a map or click on the 41 pages to find a specific park from Cedar Haven Fishing Area in Aquasco to the south to T. Howard Duckett Park in Laurel to the north. Parks officials plan to reevaluate the site and viewers can provide feedback at pgwebmaster@pgparks.com. The site can be found at www.pgparks.com/parkfinder. WI

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AROUND THE REGION

Security Fencing Removal Draws Tourists to U.S. Capitol Grounds Hamil R. Harris WI Contributing Writer After six months of enhanced security measures in the wake of insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, the only disturbance confronting tourists and other visitors on the grounds of the people’s house Saturday, July 17 were ducks demanding extra bread crumbs at a pond on the West Front. Meanwhile, community leaders and D.C. Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners voiced pleasure that the tall brown fence is finally gone thanks to lobby efforts of Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.). “Finally, the fencing around the Capitol complex is beginning to come down, representing an enormous victory for D.C. residents and the American people,” Norton said in a statement in March. “This week, the Architect of the Capitol and the Capitol Police will move the inner fencing around Capitol Square closer to the Capitol, which will allow more pedestrian access to the sidewalks and walkways. Next week, the outer perimeter fencing will be removed. I’ll keep fighting to remove all of the fencing.” Lisa White, a resident of Northeast D.C. and former Ward 7 Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, said, “I am glad the fence is down because it just helps with the overall atheistic of the area.” It took from March to July for

all the fencing to come down and on Saturday some people drove from as far away as Boston, Mass. and Buffalo, N.Y. to romp on the U.S. Capitol grounds. “We saw on TV that the fence was down so we came down,” said Arturo Gonzalez, who brought his wife and children down from Harrisburg, Pa. “When I came before the fence was up.” Morgan Griffith, a graduate physical therapy student at George Washington University, decided to jog near the reflecting pool. “I am really excited I just hope that we can get the city back to its full potential.” Kelly Cook came down from Buffalo, N.Y. with her husband and their son and daughter. “Covid-19 made our family think about making a bucket list of places we want to see. Do you have a list ?” Norton said in her effort to reopen the grounds of the US Capitol, “It’s the year 2021, and we should not be relying on security theater based on 19th-century ideas when state-of-the-art options and cooperation among security forces could have prevented the events of January 6th.” Cook said nobody could have ever predicted the January 6 incident. She thought it was a combination of things. “In the wake of everything that has happen there was a lot of pent up frustration.” WI

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JULY 22-28, 2021

JULY 22

1939 – Jane Bolin becomes the first Black woman to serve as a judge in the United States when she is sworn in as a judge of New York's Domestic Relations Court. 1946 – Actor and activist Danny Glover, best known for his roles in the "Lethal Weapon" series and "The Color Purple," is born in San Francisco.

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JULY 23

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 (right) is forced to give up her Miss America title amid a nude-photograph scandal. She is replaced by Suzette Charles.

JULY 24

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.

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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.

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2004 – Then-Sen. Barack Obama delivers an acclaimed keynote address at the Democratic National Convention, putting him on the national politics radar and launching him on the path to the White House four years later.

JULY 28

1868 – The 14th Amendment, guaranteeing to African Americans citizenship, and all its privileges, is ratified.

JULY 30 BARACK OBAMA

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2020 - Civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis (top) (DGa.) is eulogized and buried in Atlanta, Ga. as the nation honors the man after whom the Voting Rights Act is named. WI

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The last time the Milwaukee Bucks won an NBA title, I was still in elementary school, Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together” was at the top of the R&B charts, crowds swarmed D.C. to protest U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War and the price of gasoline was 40 cents a gallon. The year was 1971. And an emerging superstar, 24-year-old Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (right) – a former UCLA standout who had not developed his trademark “sky hook” and was still known as Lew Alcindor – led his team, the Bucks, to victory and their first championship. Milwaukee, under the leadership of Kareem and Oscar Robertson, 32, the team’s top two scorers, swept the Baltimore Bullets for the franchise’s only NBA to date in a league then dominated by the Boston Celtics. It would be several decades before the Bucks would reach similar heights. Now, 50 years later and in just their second trip to the NBA finals since winning it all, basketball fans

5 Giannis Antetokounmpo (left) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. (Photos courtesy ESPN)

are praising a different big man. Move over Kareem – there’s a new kid on the block from Greece, affectionately known as the “Greek Freak.” And on Tuesday, July 19, after falling behind 2-0 against the Phoenix Suns, the Bucks pulled off the unimaginable, winning four straight games to take the series 4-2 with a 105-98 victory and their second NBA championship. Giannis Antetokounmpo, 26, a giant of a man in more ways than one and with a boatload of extraordinary skills, dominated the game as the team’s home crowd roared their beloved Bucks to victory. Antetokounmpo delivered one of the greatest performances in NBA finals history, scoring a playoff career-high 50 points and grabbing 14 rebounds. He also overcame one of his greatest challenges – free throws – going 17-19 at the charity stripe. As the final buzzer sounded, there would be no doubt who the most valuable player of the series would be – Giannis Antetokounmpo. After the game, the young man of Nigerian descent spoke with reporters, humble as he has shown

himself to be on almost occasion when thrust into the spotlight. “This should make every person, every kid, anybody around the world believe in their dreams,” he said. “I hope I give people from Africa, from Europe – give them hope that it can be done. Eight and a half years ago, before I came into the league, I didn’t know where my next meal would come from. My mom was selling stuff in the street.” He later added what appears to be his mantra: “I don’t look back at the past or worry about what may or may not happen in the future. I focus on and live in the now – in the moment,” he said. Editor’s Note: On a more somber note, celebrations after the game turned potentially deadly after several shootings were reported leaving three people wounded. The gunfire occurred across the Milwaukee River from Fiserv Forum where the game took place. An estimated crowd of 65,000 filled the streets. And while one police officer was slightly injured as fans pushed him aside in their ecstatic mood, there were no reported deaths or serious injuries. WI

‘The World According to Dominic’ will return next week.

8 JULY 22 - 28, 2021

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No Charge Uber Rides Available for Residents to DCPS Free Food Sites

Sam P.K. Collins WI Contributing Writer

Since the pandemic started, D.C. Public Schools [DCPS], along with Martha’s Table and other community partners, has doled out 1.5 million meals to District students who’ve been restricted to their houses. To enhance the program when uncomfortable temperatures make accessing free food even tougher, DCPS is offering free Uber rides for families traveling to and from eight free meal sites across the District. City officials, community partners and families marked the beginning of this special arrangement with an event at Ballou Senior High School, which serves as a grocery distribution site. Ballou alumna and parent LaTonya Ames counted among those in the small group who visited the Southeast school on a recent Friday morning and applauded, along with DCPS Chancellor Lewis Ferebee and others, the display of squash, potatoes, tomatoes and other fresh produce. “I’m a parent who feeds my kids like five or six times a day, but I was worried about other students. This is what I had been praying for: a program to help students,” said Ames, the mother of two Ballou students and two graduates. Ames said she often accompanies her children on trips to Ballou to pick up food, participates in some food distribution activities and even is willing to serve as a driver. For her, helping young people maintain the proper diet is personal. “My boys are football players and they like fruits and vegetables,” Ames told The Informer. “I want them to be able to eat balanced meals, whether or not they’re with us. That’s why I teach them as I go.”

FOOD SECURITY: PART OF A LARGER PLAN

Meals are also available through Uber travel vouchers at the Cardozo Education Campus and Coolidge High School in Northwest, Kelly Miller Middle School in Northeast and Turner Elementary School in Southeast. Up to six round trips for meals are permitted in July and August. This endeavor takes place weeks after the launch of DCPS’ summer acceleration academies through which a por-

tion of the District student population receives literacy and math enrichment. Students are also exposed to instruction in self-expression, holistic growth, career preparedness and identity formation. Still, students are eligible for free meals whether they attend the enrichment academies or not. DCPS officials have touted the academies, along with the food distribution system, as a means of priming students for their return to school in the fall and tackling the effects of the pandemic. To meet students’ nutritional needs, DCPS’ Food and Nutrition Services partnered with Martha’s Table, DC Central Kitchen and Capital Area Food Bank. In the years preceding the pandemic, Martha’s Table, through its Joyful Food Markets and other initiatives, has collaborated with DCPS to connect students and families with fresh produce and encourage healthy food choices. Martha’s Table President and CEO Kim Ford described the partnership as vital in tackling food insecurity from all angles. “At the end of the day, we have had systemic inequities that don’t allow people to be exposed to shelf life items,” Ford told The Informer. “[That’s why] we build [our programs] into everything our children are doing,” she added. “We have two nationally accredited child care centers. We have all types of healthy food. We also provide recipes and cooking demonstrations. We entice people with the cooking and textures.”

AN ONGOING HEAT WAVE

On Friday, D.C. entered the sixth day of the longest heat wave recorded this season. Temperatures surpassed 90 degrees, oftentimes with a heat index of more than 100 degrees. On July 12, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) activated a heat emergency plan for the second consecutive week. Given these circumstances, Ferebee told reporters on July 16 that DCPS’ partnership with Uber couldn’t have come at a better time for families. “We know that transportation can be a barrier,” Ferebee told reporters. “Think about a day when it’s well above 90 degrees. It’s more comfortable to get a ride to a meal site rather than walk. We’re asking our schools to give this information and remind families.” WI

Informer 5.5” 5 DCPS Chancellor Lewis Ferebee observed the production and distribution of free meals at Ballou High School in Southeast, one of eight sites where families can take free Uber rides this summer to pick up free meals and groceries. (Photo by Anthony Tilghman)

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James Wright WI Staff Writer The fate of the historic, shuttered Marriott Wardman Hotel in Northwest remains in the process of being auctioned in a bankruptcy proceeding as of July 20. The proceedings took place in the hotel. However, the general public and media couldn’t observe the auction. Meg Maguire, a housing activist and a board member of the NW Opportunity Partners CDC, spoke to a crowd of demonstrators near the hotel about what she saw of the auction’s proceedings earlier in the day. “I arrived early enough to get into the room where the auction was scheduled to take place,” Maguire said. “When the people running the auction found out I was not there to bid, I was asked to leave. The people in the room sat in clumps and they were mainly men dressed in suits. Before I left, I did learn that the results of the auction won’t be made public until Thursday [July 22]. That’s because the winner of the auction has to be certified by a bankruptcy court before an official announcement is made.” On Jan. 11, the Marriott Wardman’s owners, the Wardman Hotel Owner LLC, a subsidiary of the Pacific Life company, filed for bankruptcy and announced the permanent closure of the hotel and the severing of the management contract with the Marriott Corporation. The hotel formally ceased operations in March 2020, due to the public health emergency declared by D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser because of the coronavirus pandemic. Two housing-oriented organizations—the Ward 3 Housing Justice and the Wardman Hotel Strategy Team—have advocated for the District government to purchase the property and convert it to an affordable housing hub. However, D.C. Deputy Mayor of Planning and Economic Development John Falcicchio told the Informer that the city wouldn’t get into a bidding war over the prop-

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erty and will work with the new owner on creating new affordable housing units. Additionally, the hotel has a rich history in the District with leading African American figures such as Thurgood Marshall staying there in 1954 preparing to argue the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case before the U.S. Supreme Court and waiting for his confirmation to the high court in 1967. Poet Langston Hughes worked at the hotel in the 1920s as a busboy and in the 1930s the grandfather of Black real estate developer R. Donahue Peebles also was employed there. For the past few decades, the hotel has been the site of numerous Black conventions and conferences. Parisa Norouzi, the executive director of Empower DC, criticized Bowser for not purchasing the hotel. “We need to take bold action as a city to get more affordable hous-

ing in the city,” Norouzi said. “The mayor should have stepped in and made this her legacy. Instead, she chose not to do so. Ward 3 is a welcoming community. This is about the right of all people to live where they want to live.” Margaret Dwyer of Ward 3 Housing Justice said, “We fully support Mayor Bowser’s goal of creating 1,990 new units of affordable housing in Rock Creek West, which is largely Ward 3, by 2025. “By converting the Wardman Hotel to housing, Ward 3 can be the home to significant affordable housing opportunities in a new mixed income community,” Dwyer said. Norouzi said if the District government doesn’t bid on the property, her organizations and its allies will seek to meet the new owner and engage them on building affordable housing units. “We will take our plan to them,” she said. WI @JamesDCWrighter

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JULY 22 - 28, 2021 11

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY Shape of P.G.’s Council Districts May Change

Redistricting Process Gets Underway William J. Ford WI Staff Writer Changes in the Prince George’s County population could realign thousands of residents into new legislative districts. The exact number affected in the

nine county council districts remains undetermined, but Prince George’s Redistricting Commission reviewed proposed maps during a Monday, July 19 public hearing, the first step in the process. The commission’s goal will be to equally distribute the population and

also avoid splitting precincts in a particular neighborhood. More specific population figures to realign the districts won’t be available until 2020 U.S. Census data becomes available next month. “Unfortunately, at this stage because of the [delay in releasing] census data, we’re really speculating as to what needs to be done in order to comply with the law,” said Nathaniel Persily, a law professor at Stanford University in California serving as a consultant for the commission. “One of the helpful things the public has already started to provide is advice on the existing districts. That is a good starting point for the discussion.” Persily worked with the county 10 years ago to assess redrawing council districts, a process done every decade to reflect changes in the county’s population. The three-member commission includes board chair the Rev. James J. Robinson, pastor of Tree of Life Christian Ministries in Clinton; David Harrington, president of the county’s Chamber of Commerce; and Charlene Dukes, former president of Prince

George’s Community College who will become interim president at Montgomery College on Aug. 7. Prior to Monday’s session, the commission released maps and population tables for residents to review. One table shows five of the nine County Council districts exceed more than 100,000 people. Residents in the highest populated district reside in District 6 with 106,085. The municipalities and communities in that area include Largo and portions of Upper Marlboro and Bowie. District 7 accounts for the lowest population with 93,274 people who reside near the D.C. border in neighborhoods that include Hillcrest Heights, Seat Pleasant and Suitland. According to the commission, the population in District 7 is underpopulated by 8 percent , or 8,305 people. One proposal to decrease the figure below 4.5 percent would be to move two precincts that occupy most of District Heights from District 6 to District 7. Residents who testified want the commission to show that the districts

Metro Proposal to Ban ‘Repeat Offender’ Commuters Expected By Month’s End William J. Ford WI Staff Writer

Metro’s board of directors plan to discuss and possibly vote July 29 on a proposal that would temporary ban commuters accused of sex offenses and crimes involved with a dangerous weapon or firearm. One of the main reasons, said Metro Transit Police Chief Ronald Pavlik, comes from an increase in offenses such as indecent exposure on Metrorail and buses that doubled in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Pavlik summarized the amended policy focuses on “repeat offenders” who’ve been arrested for these crimes and usually released the same day to appear for a future court date. He said some of those individuals return back to public transportation and commit similar sex-related and firearm offenses. Here’s a summary of the amended policy the board’s safety and operations committee recommended for approval Thursday, July 15: • Person charged with a first offense would receive a 14-day suspension with written details on not being able to use Metrorail and Metrobus services. • Second offense increases to a

12 JULY 22 - 28, 2021

30-day suspension. • Third offense rises to a one-year ban from Metro. The agency would provide for an appeal process within five days and handled by outside counsel and responded to in 15 days. A person found guilty would not be refunded for any transit fees. Pavlik said a person could board a train or bus without automatically being stopped if a person has a SmartTrip card because not all commuters register them. “It’s simply another tool for police officers to use,” he said. “I feel as chief of police that I need to do more. I was looking to protect our employees and our riders.” However, individuals detained for an offense later identified as suspended would also face a trespassing charge. The board reviewed a summary of other transit agencies with similar policies such as Chicago, Los Angeles and Atlanta. Matt Letourneau, who chairs the safety committee, said the suspensions “seem frankly a little bit lax, a little lenient.” “But this is our first foray into this, so I’m comfortable moving forward with the understanding that if this

5 A summary of proposed offenses for commuters accused of sex offenses or crimes that involve a firearm or dangerous weapon on Metrorail and Metrobuses. (Photo courtesy of Metro)

does prove to be effective, we can potentially look at different penalties down the road once the program’s in place,” said Letourneau, who represents Loudoun County, Va. Several transit riders disagreed with the policy and posted comments on Twitter. “Say what you like about how necessary something like this proposed policy is, but by its definition, it would disproportionately affect those already being subjected to disproportionate policing at the hands of MTPD -- and that's not necessary,” said James Pizzuro, a software engineer in Northern Virginia. Before the committee voted, the ACLU of District of Columbia re-

leased a statement against the proposal and called it “racially discriminatory,” adding that it would punish riders accused of a crime before a conviction. Here’s part of a statement from ACLU policy director Nassim Moshiree: “The proposal would unduly impact those who rely on public transit and raises significant due process concerns in stripping people of access to a critical public service – a service they may need to attend court appearances or see a parole officer – based on an arrest, not a conviction, and without an opportunity to be heard by a neutral decision maker.” WI @jabariwill

5 A table that outlines the population in all nine Prince George’s County Council districts. (Screen shot: courtesy of Prince George’s Redistricting Commission)

are fair and equitable. Bradley Heard submitted written testimony and three proposed maps for the commission to consider that include keeping the entire city of Hyattsville and Metro’s Blue Line transit rail in one district. He also suggested shifting the precincts in the Walker Mill area in Capitol Heights. School board member Belinda Queen resides in that area. “We must remember that we have to, even in redistricting, focus on equity and fairness,” she said. “So let’s make sure we have drawn equitable and inclusive maps that ensure that voters, especially voters of color, have an opportunity to elect candidates of their choice.” Heard said the Sept. 1 deadline to submit a final plan to the county council should be extended to allow residents time to comment when the updated census numbers are released next month. He asked if the request can be made in court. Rosalyn Pugh, a counsel for the commission, said her “preliminary response” would be voters must approve any deadline extensions based on the county charter. However, she will research to determine if there’s any precedent to make such a request, especially in emergency situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic. A possible answer could be provided at the next public hearing scheduled at 5 p.m. Monday, July 26. To listen and view the next commission session, go to https://pgcouncil.us/ LIVE.WI @jabariwill

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PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY

U.S. Census Bureau Workers Protest Cuts in Hours and Benefits William J. Ford WI Staff Writer

Raidizon Mercedes of Riverdale worked as a custodian for 14 years to help clean the U.S. Census Bureau offices in Suitland. Mercedes, father of three children, said his daily eight-hour shift decreased by half more than a month ago after Alutiiq Logistics and Maintenance Services (ALMS) took over as the contracting cleaning company for the bureau. “I have a family to take care of. I have bills to pay,” he said outside the Census Bureau on Thursday, July 15. “What’s going on is not right.” He joined at least two dozen colleagues and members of Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 32BJ to protest Alutiiq’s decision to not maintain a current contract for workers to keep their same full-time work hours. In addition, the firm cut health care, pension and other benefits.

Mercedes and his colleagues are deemed essential workers who continued to work through the coronavirus pandemic that affected the D.C. region since March 2020. Jaime Contreras, vice president of 32BJ SEIU, said the contractor seeks to eliminate parts of the contract that harms immigrant workers. One example, he said, would be removing temporary protected status. The designation granted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security are for those who flee other countries due to natural disasters, conflicts and other extraordinary circumstances. When they arrive, those individuals can receive a work permit and are free from deportation. Contreras said the current contract allows those workers up to 90 days to deal with issues such as immigration before they lose a job. Some of the more than 40 workers are TPS holders.

5 Custodial workers and members of 32BJ SEIU protest July 15 in front of the U.S. Census Bureau in Suitland against the agency’s new cleaning contractor, Alutiiq Logistics and Maintenance Services. (William J. Ford/The Washington Informer)

“That’s union busting,” he said. “It’s shameful and its workers deserve better than that.” Will Powell, a public relations officer with the General Services Administration’s Mid-Atlantic region, said in an email Alutiiq’s cleaning

contract for Census Bureau went into effect June 1. Malia Villegas, senior vice president of community investments with Afognak Native Corp., released an emailed statement and said Alutiiq received a contract

Former and Current Prince George’s Police Officers Reach Settlement Against County's Police Department William J. Ford WI Staff Writer Representatives with current and former Prince George’s County police officers announced Tuesday their clients reached a $2.3

million settlement with the county police department for discriminatory and retaliatory practices. The lawsuit filed in December 2018 also includes several policy changes that include the following:

5 A settlement was announced July 20 in a lawsuit filed by current and former Prince George’s County police officers against the Police Department. (FILE: By William J. Ford/The Washington Informer)

• Reduce or eliminate adverse impact and discrimination about Black and Latino officers. • Supervisors will face “severe discipline” if they don’t adhere to reviews on use-of-force. • Supervisors and police officers are required to receive anti-discrimination, anti-retaliation and bias-free training. According to the announcement from the ACLU of Maryland, the county pay $825,000 in reimburse attorney fees to that organization, the Washington Lawyers’ Committee and the D.C. law firm of Arnold & Porter. The firm litigated the case on behalf of the officers. The county must pay an additional $5 million in legal fees as provided in civil rights cases, according to the announcement. The groups plan to use those fees to fund future pro bono cases and other charitable causes. The settlement amount in this case totals $8.1 million. “The settlement with all the policy changes speaks volumes,”

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retired Capt. Joe Perez, president of the Hispanic National Law Enforcement Association and one of the plaintiffs in the suit, said in a statement. “People lost their jobs, some were demoted, some were driven out, and community members were killed. It is my hope that our personal sacrifices will lead to positive change both for the officers and for the communities they serve, so that everyone can be treated with dignity and respect.” County Executive Angela Alsobrooks released a statement Tuesday and plans to host a press conference Thursday to discuss specifics details on the settlement. “I am pleased that we have settled this lawsuit,” she said. “When it was first filed in December 2018, I promised our residents that we would dig deeply into these claims, we would examine each point, and based on what I saw, I would be unafraid to make changes and address issues.” This becomes the second case

SETTLEMENT Page 28

award from the GSA in March. Alutiiq is a subsidiary of Afognak headquartered in Alaska. “Following the award of the contract, ALMS worked with the incumbent workforce in accordance with its plan to employ as many of those individuals as possible, and it did so at a success rate of 91%,” Villegas said. “ALMS is adhering to all aspects of the Service Contract Act and has effectively maintained its employees’ wages and fringe benefits to include paying contributions previously paid into each bargaining member’s various union funds.” Villegas said negotiations with the union continue. Rosa Pereda of Forestville, who’s conducted custodial service at the Census Bureau for 20 years, said her daily work hours got cut from eight to six. Pereda, who spoke Spanish as Contreras translated in English, said Alutiiq wants to decrease sick days from 18 to 12. Pereda “has been depressed” and became emotional as she talked about not only supporting her family in Prince George’s County, but also in El Salvador. If negotiations continue to falter, then the next step will be to involve congressional officials. Rep. Anthony Brown (D-Maryland) represents the 4th Congressional district that includes the location of the Census Bureau. “This is going to escalate if [Alutiiq doesn’t] do the right thing,” Contreras said. WI @jabariwill

JULY 22 - 28, 2021 13

BUSINESS COVID-19 Relief Fund Available for Black-Owned Firms William J. Ford WI Staff Writer In less than two weeks, Inga Toye will celebrate a two-year anniversary owning her Black-owned business called Blossoms Boutique at the Tanger Outlets at National Harbor in Prince George’s County. The small business owner who resides in neighboring Charles County depends on family and close friends to

volunteer and help run the boutique open Friday, Saturday and Sunday. “It’s been slow and steady,” Toye said about trying to sustain a business during the coronavirus pandemic. “We do sales online, but I could use extra money to promote the store. Marketing is not cheap.” Toye and other Black-owned businesses can apply for grants up to $5,000 by Aug. 5 as part of a COVID-19 relief grant program

5 Inga Toye in front of her business, Blossoms Boutique, at the Tanger Outlets at National Harbor. (Shevry Lassiter/ The Washington Informer)

managed by the Washington Football Team and United Airlines. United Airlines will provide grants totaling $25,000 for five businesses that participate in the football team’s Black Engagement Network. Toye

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and nearly 100 other Black-owned business owners in the D.C. region are part of the network’s “Shop Black” directory at www.washingtonfootball. com/ben/shop-black. The group launched the network in November as a way to support, acquire and retain Black talent in the DMV (District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia). The list includes retailers offering apparel, beauty, food, health and wellness supplies and even an endeavor set up as a “kids’ corner.” “We know that Black entrepreneurs face many barriers when it comes to starting and running their own businesses, and we cannot ignore the disproportionate effect COVID-19 has on minorities and minority-owned businesses,” Andre Chambers, the football team’s chief people officer, said in an email Thursday, July 15. “It’s essential that we provide support, and we take great pride as an organization in doing so.” Businesses owners must: • Be a certified Black-owned diverse supplier located in the DMV. • Employ fewer than 15 employees. • Have been established for more than a year with annual revenues of less than $250,000. • Have been a member of the shop Black network since or before May 1. “United is proud to work alongside the Washington Football Team to deepen our shared commitment to the National Capital region and the local, Black-owned businesses that employ our neighbors, energize our economy and enrich our culture,”

Janet Lamkin, the airline’s senior vice president of market and community innovation said in a statement. “Diversity, equity and inclusion are core values at United – values we will continue to advance here in the DMV and across all of the communities we serve.” Local business initiatives are taking place throughout the region in the next several weeks. The District’s Department of Small and Local Business Development will host a workshop on Thursday, July 22. The event will focus on those interested in the food industry to learn how to work in a commercial kitchen and assess and budget necessary materials. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced a “Buy Local Week” to encourage residents to support farmers and seafood operators by purchasing one item each day to go with a meal. The weeklong initiative is scheduled to end Sunday, July 25. At least 25 Black-owned businesses will be showcased Aug. 7-8 at Springfield Mall in Springfield, Va. Toye scrutinized the guidelines and said she fits all the criteria to establish a fully operational business. “It has always been a dream to open a boutique,” said Toye, who works full-time as a transportation specialist for the U.S. Department of Transportation. “The boutique is my happy place. I get so much out of being there.” Details about the network are available at www.washingtonfootball. com/ben/shop-black-signup. WI @jabariwill

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BUSINESS

Our Money Matters Launches at Bowie State Promoting Financial Health

Wells Fargo Awards $5.6 Million to Support Program for Black College Students WI Staff Report In May 2021, The Historically Black Colleges & Universities Community Development Action Coalition [HBCU CDAC] announced the kickoff of a comprehensive financial wellness initiative, Our Money Matters [OMM] for college students of color. The $5.6 million initiative, funded exclusively by the Wells Fargo Foundation, takes a holistic approach to helping students who may be facing food and housing insecurity, college debt and other financial hardships to increase opportunities for financial inclusion and future economic success. HBCU CDAC launched OMM on the campus of Bowie State University, Maryland’s first historically black public university. In 2020, U.S. News & World Report ranked Bowie State University as “one of the nation’s top 30 HBCUs.” Over the next three years, OMM will expand to 25 HBCU and Minority Serving Institution [MSI] campuses across the U.S., equipping roughly 40,000 students of color and the extended community with much needed financial capability skills, personalized tools for managing finances and student loans and access to support services like career closets and emergency financial assistance. Over the long term, the initiative aims to accelerate opportunities for building generational wealth within communities of color to help to close the racial wealth divide. “The initiation of the OMM program is especially timely as the economic burden of COVID-19 is projected to have a devastating impact on HBCUs, MSIs and surrounding communities,” said Ron Butler, CEO of HBCU CDAC. “The OMM program is a proactive solution positioned to address these issues and generational wealth disparities within communities of color. Our partnership with the Wells Fargo Foundation demonstrates our aligned interest in equipping our partner institu-

tions and their surrounding communities with the financial tools needed to create wealth for generations to come,” Butler said. “As a financial institution, we believe we have a responsibility to do even more to accelerate financial inclusion for people of color,” said Darlene Goins, head of Financial Health Philanthropy at Wells Fargo. “HBCUs and MSIs are known for helping generations of Black youth and other students of color achieve academic and professional success. Working with HBCU CDAC, we hope to support students who may be navigating complex financial challenges and give them a stronger foundation for future success and opportunities for wealth generation,” Goins said. Through its holistic “wrap around” approach to addressing the myriad of factors that have contributed to the persistent wealth gap, OMM’s programs and resources will engage, educate, support and scale financial capability and wealth creation in communities of color while disrupting and removing barriers to economic opportunity.

The program has three primary components: • The Online Financial Counseling Hub, powered by iGrad, is a digital platform that helps students manage their day-to-day finances and build new skills and habits for life after college, including personalized tools for managing student loans, car loan calculator, investment analyzer and access to certified financial planners. • The Financial Curriculum, developed in collaboration with academics and financial professionals, includes a wide variety of financial health courses and interactive activities, which faculty and staff can also integrate into general education and degree programs. • OMM Service Suite connects students with on campus and community-based support services such as housing assistance, employment opportunities, and career closets that provide access to appropriate interview and work attire. To learn how to get involved as a student, participating school, or community partner visit: www. OurMoneyMatters.com. WI

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5 The Bowie State Student Center. (Photo courtesy Bowie State University)

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JULY 22 - 28, 2021 15

NATIONAL Judicial Misconduct: Judges Violate Their Oaths with Social Media Posts Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer Retired North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Barbara Jackson recently raised the ire of social media users when she used – and misspelled – a derogatory term to describe Bill Cosby. Upset that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court determined that Cosby’s prosecutors had broken the law, leading them to overturn his conviction, Judge Jackson called Cosby a “cretin” and asked Twitter to banish the comedian from its platform. The post sparked backlash, even from those who don’t support Cosby.

It also led to the revelation of more egregious posts by judges called to sit as impartial jurists in their role of adjudicating the law. Over the past two months alone, several judges have exercised their First Amendment rights on social media while throwing impartiality out of the window. In New York, Judge Kenneth Knutsen resigned as the village of Schoharie’s justice and court associate after posting “partisan political content” and “commentary on pending cases,” including convicted Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin. Knutson also allegedly wrote anti-LGBTQ, anti-Muslim, pro-

cop and anti-defendant posts on his Facebook page. He reached an agreement with the town to resign. As part of the deal, Knutsen agreed never to seek a judicial position. “His departure was warranted,” Schoharie Commission Administrator Robert Tembeckjian stated. A Judicial Inquiry Commission in Jefferson County, Ala., charged Circuit Judge Nakita Blocton with violating multiple rules of judicial ethics, including that she took an excessive amount of time to dispose of cases. The commission found that Blocton used fake Facebook accounts to harass those involved in cases before her. She has denied the allegations but officials removed her from the bench. The North Carolina Supreme Court censured retired District Court Judge C. Randy Pool for sexual misconduct, alleging that he attempted to meet women online while sitting on the bench. The Judicial Standards Commission opined that Pool violated numerous codes of ethics during social media conversations with at least 35 women, including using vulgar language. Experts say such actions by judges raise credibility issues, including whether they could make fair and impartial judgments. One published report noted that protocol checks are rare and judges have frequently misbehaved

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16 JULY 22 - 28, 2021

5 Over the past two months alone, several judges have exercised their First Amendment rights on social media while throwing impartiality out of the window. (Photo courtesy Lowman Law Firm)

online. Some have railed against litigants during – and sometimes after – cases are completed. Each state’s judicial ethics board has written codes of conduct for judges to follow. Still, most do not expressly address social media norms of today nor account for shifting technologies, Agnieszka McPeak, an associate professor of law and director of the Center for Law, Ethics and Commerce at Gonzaga University School of Law in Spokane, Washington, told NBC News. Others told the Informer that such actions remain reprehensible. “Keep in mind that judges are often elected by the public. And in order to get re-elected, it is important that sitting judges maintain name recognition and a positive reputation among their constituents,” said Kris Parker, an attorney and political advisor at Hendry & Parker, PA. “A presence on social media is a way for judges to accomplish both. It is, however, unbecoming of a judge to use such means as a way of taking political or otherwise controversial positions. While judges do enjoy First Amendment protections, they also have an ethical responsibility to stay above the fray of political matters,” Parker said. For many jurists, who post, comment and blog about a wide variety of subjects ranging from the innocuous to the inappropriate, social media remains a way of life, added Wendy L. Patrick, a deputy district attorney in San Di-

ego and a past chair of the California State Bar Ethics Committee. “Balancing professional and personal responsibilities is particularly significant for judges, however, given their role in the legal system and concerns over the appearance of impropriety,” Parker noted. “In reality, however, the same rules, guidelines and policies should govern a judge’s conduct both on and offline,” she said. Carole Lieberman, known as “America’s Psychiatrist,” said she’s appalled by how social media comments and investigations are used to express hate. “Judges are an exception,” Lieberman determined. “Judges are supposed to be completely neutral and unbiased. If they express strong opinions on social media, it is announcing to the world that they can’t be fair in cases that involve these issues.” Lieberman stated that competent lawyers could appeal rulings in their cases if they can prove – by the judge’s social media posts – that they were biased towards their client. “For example, if a judge expresses anti-gay sentiments online and he ruled against a gay defendant, the lawyer could appeal this as Judicial Misconduct or say that the judge should have recused himself before hearing the case. If a judge wants to rant on social media, he should stop being a judge – and start being an ‘Influencer,’” Lieberman said. WI @StacyBrownMedia

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Local Retailer Joins National Trend Sarafina Wright WI Contributing Writer Grocer Giant Food has announced that individuals and families using SNAP [Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program] benefits now have the option to pay with an EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer) card when placing online orders for Giant Pickup and Giant Delivers throughout Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia and Delaware. Giant says the new user-friendly experience offers customers the option to add their EBT card to their account on Giantfood.com and begin shopping using their SNAP funds. While browsing online aisles, SNAP customers can sort products to show eligible items and a "SNAP Eligible" label will appear within the product details. At checkout, customers can select the "Apply SNAP benefits" option and then select the amount to charge to their EBT card, allowing personalized budgeting throughout the month. SNAP customers can use their benefits to purchase eligible food and grocery items for online orders but will need to use an alternative preferred credit/debit card or checking account for any items not eligible for SNAP as well as taxes, pickup/delivery fees or driv-

er tips, says the grocer. Online Giant Pickup orders are subject to a $2.95 fee and Giant Delivers orders are subject to a delivery fee between $7.95 and $9.95. As always, customers with SNAP benefits are also able to use their EBT card for eligible food and grocery purchases in-store. "Convenience and value are of great importance at Giant and as online grocery demand continues at an all-time high, we are excited to make shopping more accessible for our SNAP customers on Giantfood.com," said Gregg Dorazio, director of eCommerce for Giant Food. "The rollout of online EBT payments further supports our mission to increase access to healthy food and support hunger relief efforts in the communities we serve, especially as food insecurity issues have been further exacerbated by the effects of the pandemic.” National and local grocers around the country have allowed for customers using SNAP or EBT to pay for their groceries online as consumer trends shift due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Retailers like Walmart, Amazon, Safeway, Aldi and Instacart — a grocery delivery service already enable EBT-paying customers to access grocery delivery. WI

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africa now

COMPILED BY OSWALD T. BROWN, WI CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Nigerian Parents Living Through Student Abduction Nightmare The families of more than 100 Nigerian children snatched from a school nearly two weeks ago pray for their safe return, according to The Ghana Report on July 17. Judith is one of the more than 100 Nigerian children snatched from Bethel Baptist High School, herded by gunmen into the forest after a kidnapping raid on their dormitories. "Last night I couldn’t even sleep when it was raining,” said Hassana Ayuba, mother of an abducted child. “I was imagining whether the rain is falling on their heads. She is allergic to cold. I was imagining how she is feeling right now. I even have to tell myself that see me, I'm cold, I have to use blanket to cover my body. What happened to my daughter now? What is she using to cover her body?" The July 5 raid in Nigeria's northwest Kaduna state was just the latest mass abduction at a school as kidnap gangs seeking quick ransoms zero in on soft targets. "Let a law be passed that will stop the abduction of children in Nigeria entirely. I am a mother... I would not like anybody to take my child away from me for one day. Imagine the trauma, since last week Monday, that parents are passing through," Hassana further expressed. Armed kidnappings for ransom along highways, and from homes and businesses now make almost daily newspaper headlines in Africa's most populous country. "I am very worried, to the extent that sometimes I lack words to express myself. But I want to say that the government in Nigeria promised to protect lives and properties. Maybe we say that they have failed us," said Wobia Jibrailu Ibrahim, father of an abducted child. Outside, in the school yard, parents have collected a pile of shoes and flip-flops their kidnapped children left behind. The following people are listed as missing from Bethel: There are 121 names in all, with the oldest being 19 and the youngest being only 10. The vast majority are under the age of fifteen. At Bethel, police said security guards were overpowered by the gunmen, who as usual arrived in large numbers and heavily armed. CAPTION: The remaining wares of students of Bethel Baptist High School are seen inside the school premises as parent of abducted students pray for the return of their children who were abducted by gunmen in the Chikun local government area of Kaduna state, northwest Nigeria on July 14, 2021. (Photo by Kola Sulaimon/AFP) WI

caribbean now Jamaicans Encouraged to Protect Their Wellbeing by Taking the Vaccine With the expected increase in the supply of vaccines, Jamaica Prime Minister Andrew Holness is encouraging the population to protect their wellbeing by getting vaccinated, according to Jamaica Information Services (JIS). Speaking at a social housing function in Farm Pen, St. Mary, on Friday, July 16, the prime minister said a “good supply” of the medicine is set to arrive in August, and communities will be mobilized to ensure that Jamaicans are safe from the coronavirus (COVID-19). “We may even get some in the remaining days of July, and at that time we will be expanding our vaccination efforts, and communities will be (requested) to participate in the vaccination program,” Holness told his audience. He argued that to decrease the vaccine hesitancy, “influencers” in communities, such as churches and political machineries will be asked to assist, adding that advertisements and public announcements will be engaged “to get persons to take the vaccine.” “I am encouraging all of you to put aside the hesitancy, the ‘wait and see.’ For your own health, take the vaccine when it is your turn. Look out for your local clinic, your local church hall, that is where we will be mobilizing, and when it comes, take the vaccine,” the prime minister urged. WI

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How to Stay Cool and Save Money in the Summer By Louis Davis Jr. AARP DC Director AARP District of Columbia works to make the District a great place for people of all ages to live, work and play. Reduce Energy Use DC brings people together and raises awareness of how our actions can help reduce energy use and fight climate change. AARP DC is excited to be partnering with Reduce Energy Use DC for the second year in a row to help District residents create energy saving habits and save money. During the summer months, older adults spend a lot of time indoors— at cooling centers, the home of friends and family, or in their own homes. Having air conditioning in the summer offers relief from heat and humidity and can prevent heat-related illnesses. But it can also be costly, both to the pocketbook and the environment. We want to spread the word that you can adopt energy saving habits and stay cool in the summer at the same time. For example, even if you have air conditioning, keep ceiling fans running during the summer and change the direction of the blades to counterclockwise to make sure air is blowing downward. If you use box or pedestal fans, place a bowl of cold water in front of each one to create a chilly breeze. Keeping ceiling fans running will allow you to raise the thermostat about four degrees (at least in the rooms that have a ceiling fan), which can lower your energy bill.

In addition to using ceiling fans, there are several ways for people to reduce their energy use. Our number one tip for reducing energy usage is to use your major appliances wisely. Making small changes such as using cold water to wash clothes, only running the dishwasher when full, and using a grill or microwave instead of an oven can be highly effective in reducing energy use. And I recently read that a dryer can lose 75 percent of its efficiency if lint clogs its trap. Cleaning it after every use can save up to $288 on the annual cost of using a dryer! Finally, consider switching from traditional light bulbs in your home to LED lightbulbs, which use less electricity and last 3 – 25 times longer than regular light bulbs. Lighting accounts for about 12 percent of an average residential bill, so the savings on your energy bill from this small change may be significant.

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JULY 22 - 28, 2021 19

HEALTH COVID-19 UPDATE

DELTA from Page 1 The latest Delta surge also has led to increases in both hospitalizations and deaths, Dr. Walensky stated. She remarked that deaths have risen by about 48 percent over the past week, and the U.S. now averages 239 COVID-related fatalities each day. Dr. Walensky insisted that the surge could have been prevented. “Each death is tragic and even more heartbreaking when we know that the majority of these deaths could be prevented with a simple, safe, available vaccine,” she demanded. About two-thirds of U.S. counties have vaccinated less than 40

percent of their residents. That has allowed for the emergence and rapid spread of the highly transmissible Delta variant,” Dr. Walensky continued. President Joe Biden previously set a vaccination goal of reaching 70 percent of eligible adults by July 4 but the U.S. fell just short at 67 percent. Medical experts have warned that the Delta variant remains highly contagious and easily transmitted compared to other strains. “The reason it’s so formidable is the fact that it has the capability of transmitting efficiently from human to human in an extraordinary manner, well beyond any of the other variants that we’ve experienced, up to now,” Dr. Anthony

5 On July 3, the CDC noted that the Delta variant accounted for about half of the U.S. COVID-19 cases. That number has since dramatically increased. (WI stock photo)

Fauci, the White House’s chief medical advisor, said during the Senate hearing. Dr. Ebony J. Hilton, the medical director for GoodStock Consulting, LLC, and Associate Pro-

Jamaica Seeking $10.6 Billion in Slave Trade Reparations from Great Britain Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer Jamaica has put a price tag on slavery and has sent the British government the bill. State officials of the Caribbean nation said they’re asking Great Britain to pay $10.6 billion (USD) in reparations.

4 The chains displayed above were used in the Trans-Atlantic trade to shackle slaves. (ZekethePhotographer via Wikimedia commons)

20 JULY 22 - 28, 2021

The former British colony served as the center of the slave trade with Africans kidnapped, enslaved and forced to work on plantations which produced sugar cane, bananas and other products. That free and inhumane labor greatly enriched the slave owners. “We are hoping for reparatory justice in all forms that one would expect if they are to really ensure that we get justice from injustices to repair the damages that our ancestors experienced,” Olivia Grange, Minister of Sports, Youth, and Culture, told the Reuters news service. “Our African ancestors were forcibly removed from their home and suffered unparalleled atrocities in Africa to carry out forced labor to the benefit of the British Empire. Redress is well overdue.” In the U.S., Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee has pushed H.R. 40, a bill to form a

REPARATIONS Page 21

fessor, Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine at the University of Virginia, repeatedly warned that the combination of vaccine hesitancy, the refusal to wear masks and the Delta variant would create the perfect storm for a worsening pandemic. Dr. Hilton has noted that COVID-19 deaths in predominantly White communities have continued to rise at dramatic rates. She said the snapshot provides a glimpse into just how bad the pandemic remains in African-American neighborhoods. “We see the disparity starting to close but not because Black people are dying less -- it’s because white people are dying more,” Dr. Hilton said. “Between February and March, 58,000 White Americans died of COVID-19 and it’s largely because of the ‘I don’t want to wear a mask ,’ crowd.” She concluded that everyone should strongly consider getting vaccinated and everyone should

continue wearing masks. “People are dying today and they are likely leaving behind orphans,” Dr. Hilton emphasized. We know that one-in-nine Black children were already likely to see foster care in their lifetime. Because of COVID-19, imagine how many [more we can expect] if we are not taking [this] seriously and not getting vaccinated? It is not worth the risk. We have an agent -- an intervention that has been proven safe and it works.” Dr. Hilton concluded: “Look at the studies. We have 77 percent of people saying that they are not fully back to being themselves after they have experienced COVID-19. They have brain fog and other problems. It is not worth the risk, especially when we think about how the Delta variant has shown to be more contagious and more transmissible for our younger generation. We are setting ourselves up for a crisis,” she said. WI @StacyBrownMedia

Medical experts have warned that the Delta variant remains highly contagious and easily transmitted compared to other strains.

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REPARATIONS from Page 20 commission to study reparations for African-American victims of the transatlantic slave trade. “Has anyone addressed the question of slavery and its comprehensive impact on Black Americans in this country? This is what H.R. 40 will do,” Jackson Lee remarked. While H.R. 40 doesn’t place a specific monetary value on reparations, it does focus on investigating and presenting the facts and truth about the unprecedented centuries of brutal enslavement of African people, racial healing and transformation. The bill would fund a commission to study and develop proposals for providing reparations to African Americans. The commission’s mission includes identifying the role of federal and state governments in supporting the institution of slavery, forms of discrimination in public and private sectors against freed slaves and their descendants and lingering adverse effects of slavery on living African Americans and society. Congresswoman Jackson Lee, who sits on numerous House committees, including the Judiciary, Budget and Homeland Security, has made the reparations legislation her top priority during the 117th Congress. “I think if people begin to associate this legislation with what happened to the descendants of enslaved Africans as a human rights violation, the sordid past that violated the human rights of all of us who are descendants of enslaved Africans, I think that we can find common ground to pass this legislation,” she said. In Jamaica, officials displayed shackles, coffles, slave collars, cotton screws, bear traps, branding irons and other items used to control slaves as stirring evidence for the case for reparations. “We need a sense of outrage directed at those who could do such things to other human beings,” Verene Shepherd, a Jamaican resident, wrote in a petition on the Facebook page of the country’s National Council on Reparations. “Reparations now,” Shepherd declared. According to the National Library of Jamaica, about 600,000

HEALTH Congresswoman Jackson Lee, who sits on numerous House committees, including the Judiciary, Budget and Homeland Security, has made the reparations legislation her top priority during the 117th Congress. Africans landed in Jamaica during the slave trade. “Seized from Spain by the English in 1655, Jamaica was a British colony until it became independent in 1962,” the Reuters report noted. “The West Indian country of almost three million people is part of the Commonwealth and the British monarch remains head of state.” Britain prohibited trade in slaves in its empire in 1807 but did not formally abolish the practice of slavery until 1834. To compensate slave owners, the British government took out a 20 million-pound loan – or $27.7 million U.S. – and only finished paying off the subsequent interest payments in 2015. Slaves and their descendants have never received compensation. “I am asking for the same amount of money to be paid to the slaves that were paid to the slave owners,” Mike Henry, a member of the ruling Jamaica Labour Party, told Reuters. “I am doing this because I have fought against this all my life, against chattel slavery, which has dehumanized human life.” WI @StacyBrownMedia

Put Vaccines On Your Back-to-School List Vaccines are the best protection against vaccine-preventable diseases. All DC students must have their immunizations up-to-date before the next school year begins. The COVID-19 vaccine is also available for eligible age groups.

dchealth.dc.gov/immunizations

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JULY 22 - 28, 2021 21

EDUCATION Civilian Space Travel Moves Forward with Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin Venture

Will Blacks Be Given Equal Opportunities into this New Chapter of Human Life? Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer The U.S. government isn’t the only entity trumpeting that the sky’s the limit when it comes to outer space travel. After billionaire Richard Branson’s successful Virgin Galactic flight on July 12, Amazon mogul Jeff Bezos followed suit on Tuesday, July 20, with his Blue Origin space venture. General Electric and other companies promise to

continue the trend soon. The Bezos team’s journey into space occurred on the 52nd anniversary of the Apollo 11 spaceflight that first landed humans on the Moon. Commander Neil Armstrong and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin formed the American crew that landed the Apollo Lunar Module Eagle on July 20, 1969. Armstrong became the first person to step onto the lunar surface. Reportedly, NASA and the U.S. Department of Energy have awarded

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22 JULY 22 - 28, 2021

5 While the initial stage of civilian space travel has a decidedly white face, people of color have emerged as crucial cogs behind the scenes but mainly without a seat on the shuttle. (Photo courtesy NASA)

millions in contracts for companies to produce reactor-design concepts that would facilitate trips to Mars and other destinations. “These design contracts are an important step towards tangible reactor hardware that could one day propel new missions and exciting discoveries,” Jim Reuter, associate administrator for NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, offered in a statement. With white billionaires like Branson and Bezos spearheading civilian flights – one wealthy individual paid $28 million for a seat on Bezos’ planned trip – African Americans and other minorities, many of whom already stand far behind in the world’s economy, want to make sure they won’t get lost in space economics. Virgin Galactic government affairs vice president Sirisha Bandla, a Guntur, India native, fulfilled a lifelong dream on the Branson flight. But little remains known about the prospects of other minorities soaring into space. Few would dispute that the initial stage of civilian space travel has a decidedly white face. And while people of color have emerged as crucial cogs behind the scenes, few, if any, appear to have a seat on the shuttle. Some have responded in the way in which Cedric The Entertainer remarked during the 2000 blockbuster movie, “The Original Kings of Comedy.” “White people only want to go to space to get away from Black people,” the Barbershop star quipped. “Black people are going to go wherever white peo-

ple go,” he hilariously warned. “Pushing boundaries is in my DNA,” asserted Mogale Modisane, a renewable energy engineer and CEO of ToolsGaloreHQ.com, who watched Branson and his team’s flight from South Africa. “I think as Black people, we should consider trips to space. Why not? The opportunity to travel to the boundaries of the earth and beyond is something [to be desired] if the opportunity allows. It could inspire the next generation of Black youth to be the space entrepreneurs of the future,” Modisane said. Mae Carol Jemison, who shared comments following Blue Origin’s landing on Tuesday, became the first Black woman to travel into space when she served as a mission specialist aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour. Jemison joined NASA's astronaut corps in 1987 and was selected to serve for the STS-47 mission, during which she orbited the Earth for nearly eight days on September 12–20, 1992. “I think in 10 years, the excitement of space travel will continue. This is clearly built on the work from 1961 provided by NASA. Now, with the participation of the commercial industry, I hope to see the ticket prices go down and see more humans land on the Moon,” Jemison said during an interview with NBC News reporters on Tuesday. Earl Jones, an insurance agency owner, insisted that African Americans must travel to space. “Richard Branson proved that you don’t need a space degree, and let us not forget that it was three strong

Black women who turned the idea of space flight into a reality with their mathematics,” Jones said, making reference to the “Hidden Figures” trio of Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson and Dorothy Vaughn. “People of color must take full advantage of this and, or, create their own opportunity,” Jones said. “We have come too far not to reach space and beyond.” Branson told NBC News’ Today Show that wealthy individuals should create new industries that can lead to “800 engineers and scientists who can create wonderful things that can make space accessible at a fraction of the environmental cost that it has been in the past.” Janelle Owens, a human resources director at Test Prep Insight, said to break down racial barriers and achieve complete equality, there shouldn’t be disproportions in the race of people engaging in commercial space travel. “The idea of all-white crews traveling to space perpetuates the idea of white elitism and Black people, and other minorities, cannot compete at the highest levels of business,” Owens said. “People of color that have the means to embark on these ventures should 100 percent consider it. Nothing would help the cause of equality and social justice more than seeing Black and brown faces in these spaceships right alongside white passengers. This breaks down conscious and unconscious biases and would set an example for young Black children and other minorities that anything is possible,” Owens said. WI @StacyBrownMedia

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PGCPS BRIEFS

Compiled by Dorothy Rowley WI Staff Writer

MOBILE CLINICS

Students ages 12 and over may receive a free COVID-19 vaccine at mobile clinics at the school sites listed below. To receive the vaccines, administered by the Prince George’s County Health Department, students must bring completed consent forms which are available at the PGCPS website. Monday, July 26 DuVal High School 9880 Good Luck Road, Lanham Tuesday, July 27 Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr. High School 12650 Brooke Lane, Upper Marlboro Wednesday, July 28 Charles Herbert Flowers High School 10001 Ardwick Ardmore Road, Springdale Thursday, July 29 Ernest E. Just Middle School 1300 Campus Way N, Mitchellville Laurel High School 8000 Cherry Lane, Laurel Friday, July 30 Bowie High School 15200 Annapolis Road, Bowie High Point High School 3601 Powder Mill Road, Beltsville

to meet the urgent needs of schools and students in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier this month, MSDE hosted a stakeholder meeting to renew and provide input on the plan, which includes: •Accelerating student re-engagement regarding in-person instruction for all students in the 2021-22 school year, while also providing the necessary supports, especially in the areas of technology/broadband access and outreach, to ensure that students and parents/families remain engaged; •Supporting mental and social-emotional health – Addressing the mental health and social-emotional learning needs of students, particularly among underserved students most affected by the switch to remote learning, and parents/families and educators; and •Addressing the impact of disrupted instruction – Uses evidence-based strategies to lessen the impact of disrupted instruction on student learning that has occurred over the past 15 months and supports local school systems as they do the same. The final plan will be presented to the Maryland State Board of Education for approval on Tuesday, July 27, before submission to the U.S. Department of Education on Friday, July 30.

EDUCATION

5 Eight seniors earned scholarships in plumbing, carpentry and electrical for their work on this year's Student-Built House project. (Photo courtesy PGCPS) 4 Kenmoor Middle School student Madison Harris recently took first place in the “Maryland History Day” competition. (Photo courtesy PGCPS)

STUDENT-BUILT HOUSE SCHOLARSHIPS

Eight seniors earned scholarships in plumbing, carpentry and electrical work for their participation on this year's Student-Built House project. Congratulations to recipients who include: Jarell Clarke, Nahseem Adamson, Keenan Johnson and Javon Washington, Suitland High School; Jonathan Viera, Bright Ojo and Martin Vicente, Bladensburg High School; and Natalie Guzman, Crossland High School.

INPUT CAN STILL BE SUBMITTED FOR HISTORY DAY SCHOOLS EMERGENCY WINNER FUNDING Congratulations are extended The Maryland State Department of Education has sought public input for its draft of the state plan for American Rescue Plan [ARP] Elementary and Secondary Schools Emergency Relief funding. Through the ARP, the U.S. Department of Education will allocate approximately $1.95 billion to Maryland and local school systems

to Kenmoor Middle School student Madison Harris who recently took first place in the “Maryland History Day” competition. Madison went on to advance to the national contest for her project on the importance of mental health in children. WI

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OPINIONS/EDITORIALS

EDITORIAL

Six-Year-Old Nyiah's Short Life Not Lost in Vain

Nyiah Courtney, the six-year-old girl, shot by a gunman in a drive-by at Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue and Malcolm X Avenue in Southeast, is dead. The wanton act of violence occurred last Friday after 11 p.m. Many who heard the gunshots scattered but four adult men and women on the scene sustained non-life-threatening wounds and are recovering. Police say they heard the gunshots and were on the scene in less than 40 seconds but not soon enough to save Nyiah’s life. What will her death mean? Residents say they are aware of the constant presence of police at one of the District’s most notorious intersections. In this block, 13 people have been killed in the past two years, according to Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White. But the passive presence of MPD was never enough to satisfy residents’ demands to clear the area of conspicuous illegal activity. They’ve marched, distributed petitions and demanded a more proactive police presence. They’ve petitioned to close the corner liquor store and fought for the consistent clean-up of nearby Shepherd Park. Despite every effort, their demands weren’t met . . . until Nyiah was killed. Memorials are ascending light poles decorated with balloons, teddy bears, candles and pictures of Nyiah. Messages written in pink, blue and yellow chalk spread across the sidewalk, expressing love and encouragement to Nyiah and her family. Men, women and children hold hands, pray and shed tears as they pass by while verbally denouncing violence and questioning the sense of it all. Notably, the liquor store is closed, the park has been cleaned and police leave their cars and walk the beat. The loiterers have also disappeared. Why did it take the loss of a child’s life before the resident’s long-standing concerns and suggested resolutions were heard? Why is there so much indifference to the complaints of Black and poor people? Does it take a tragedy before folks act and usher in positive change? We agree with D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and MPD Chief Robert Contee that the perpetrators are hardened killers who must not get away with murder. But arrest and prosecution are not the final solutions. The community is begging for support to improve the quality of life for residents irrespective of race and income. It would be irresponsible for another life to be lost before they achieve it. WI

We’ll Need Both Science and Common Sense to Defeat COVID-19 Just weeks ago, most city, county and state officials finally allowed restrictions to expire after hospitalization and death rates related to COVID-19 consistently declined until dropping near or below pre-pandemic numbers. Many boarded airplanes, revisited their favorite restaurants and bars and yanked off those annoying masks with exclamations of “free at last.” But despite the promising news and downward trends, it’s clear that America has celebrated far too soon. Forget the conspiracy theories dominating social media, the millions who have bought into Donald Trump’s rants about the origins of the virus or the huge number of “anti-vaxxers” who refuse to be vaccinated. The decision of scores of Americans to ignore the history behind and impact of previous pandemics, most notably the 1918 influenza virus, has allowed COVID-19 to replicate with ease. Now, with the Delta variant, the U.S. is averaging 1,000 new cases every hour, 30,000 new cases per day. Forty-eight states have confirmed cases of the deadly, highly contagious variant. Cases in Florida have doubled in just one week. And in Arkansas, cases have increased by 245 percent in one month. The CDC has sounded the alarm saying the Delta variant accounts for 83 percent of all new cases – a startling announcement shared Tuesday during a heated exchange between health experts and members of Congress. “Breakthrough” cases have also been reported – that is, examples of those already vaccinated who have contracted the Delta variant. And there are lingering effects, perhaps lifelong health challenges, for those who have contracted the virus and survived. In states like Louisiana, only 36 percent of the population have been vaccinated. And chil-

TO THE EDITOR Mayor Bowser Makes Congratulations to Spelling Superstar Zaila the Right Move Against Big ups to the young queen Zaila Violence Avant-Garde for winning the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Hopefully, all of our children will look at her and see what’s possible! Trevor Brim Washington, D.C.

I’m glad that D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has joined the president’s roundtable on gun violence because the District’s residents need help. Every time we turn, around another innocent child or adult are being killed by these lowlifes roaming the streets with weapons. Somebody needs to do something! Carole Jones Washington, D.C.

dren under 12 still cannot be vaccinated, further confounding the plans of school districts and parents anxious over the future as the fall approaches when millions of children will return to classrooms – or not. And let’s not forget how COVID-19 has impacted life expectancy rates in the U.S which dropped by 1.5 years in 2020, continuing a decline first observed in the first half of last year. The decline is the largest recorded in a single year since World War II. And, to no surprise, the decline is even worse for Blacks and Latinos at 2.9 years and three years, respectively. Death has no respect for age, gender, race, polit-

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ical affiliation or any other differences between humanity. And COVID-19 has not been beaten – not by a long shot. While we don’t want to push those who remain reluctant to get vaccinated, we do urge those who are not vaccinated to stay away from children, the elderly or those with preexisting conditions. We must allow science and common sense to guide our actions in the coming days, months – and perhaps into the next year. Now is not the time to hang on to notions of individual rights. We are on one ship – and we will float or sink, together. WI

JULY 22 - 28, 2021 25

OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnist

Julianne Malveaux

Please Run for School Board

Critical race theory (CRT) asserts that racism is woven into the very fabric of our nation’s institutions. This is not new information for those who have studied how race affects our economy, politics, education, health care and more. CRT is not an attempt to "blame" white America for its origins as much as it is a pedagogical approach to reality. Through critical race theory, we can see the many ways that the uneven application

of laws allowed envious white people to destroy Tulsa's Black Wall Street, colonizers to gentrify Black neighborhoods, doctors to experiment on Black people and more. CRT helps us understand how California stole parts of Mexico, Chinese people were imported here (without wives or families) to build railroads, and how our Constitution defined black folks as fractions of people. Attorney and Professor Derrick Bell (1930-2011) wrote about the many ways our racist gendered patriarch systematically oppressed Black people and others at the pe-

Guest Columnist

riphery. He used both legal theory and fiction to amplify his points. Critical race theory has been taught in our nation's colleges and universities, and especially in our law schools, for decades. Now white legislators are passing laws in several states to outlaw the teaching of CRT because it hits too close to home. Much of this legislation demonstrates how ignorant some of these legislators are. It also illustrates how heated the battle for fact and knowledge is. Some think the South won the Civil War, which they describe as the war of “North-

ern Aggression.” Though the statues are coming down, there are still those who believe those statues were erected for heroism, not resistance to equality. And every time you see a Confederate flag flying, you must know that those stars and bars were only added to state flags after Brown V. Board of Education became law, and white Southerners wanted to communicate their allegiance to racism. The legislators who oppose CRT also oppose knowledge. Now, their fearlessly foolish conservative leaders are urging them to “take over” the schools by running for school

boards around the country. Rich Lowry, the National Review editor, wrote a piece, "The Point of the Anti-CRT Fight Should Be To Take Over the Schools"(https://www. nationalreview.com/2021/07/thepoint-of-the-anti-crt-fight-shouldbe-to-take-over-the-schools/). What he means is to take over young people's brains. Lowry is smart enough to know that the historical whitewash conservatives are attempting cannot withstand historical scrutiny. So he and his conservative minions would in-

fore that, the nation established itself as a world economic power on the backs of enslaved persons. Even after the emancipation, extra-legal maneuvers allowed former slaveowners to re-enslave the formerly enslaved in a status that recreated systemic slavery. At a snail’s pace, social consciousness, mass guilt and economic necessities eased the difficulty in the progression toward achieving various social amenities. In every U.S. war, enslaved per-

sons and their progeny were allowed to fight and die for national interests. In percentages no less than whites, Black “citizens” made productive contributions to the national good. For their entirety in the U.S., Blacks and other “citizens” of color learned about the value of the vote. After all, the U.S. was a democracy operating on the premise of “majority rule.” Although they

MALVEAUX Page 45

E. Faye Williams

Once Upon a Time

Once upon a time there was a country called the United States of America. In the history of humankind, it was a relative newcomer. The United States was hypocritically established under a set of principles and laws that, upon their face, were worthy, but impractical to implement given the mindset of many of its citizens.

Even the author of its most important documents, who exalted the God-given freedoms of MEN, enslaved men, women and children, and ignored the rights of white women. Essential to its Declaration of Independence, the U.S. affirmed, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit

Guest Columnist

of Happiness.” These were empty words for enslaved persons. Comprising 25 percent of the U.S. and a third of the Southern population, their dehumanization was codified in the Constitution as three-fifths human. They were denied rights given by God and, for most, the only man-given right was the right to work for free – no life beyond enslavement, no liberty and no pursuit of happiness. Nearly 90 years after declaring independence and 150 years be-

WILLIAMS Page 45

Marc H. Morial

Biden’s ‘Full Moral Prestige, Power’ Sought for Voting Rights

(“The 21st century Jim Crow assault is real. It's unrelenting, and we're going to challenge it vigorously. While this broad assault against voting rights is not unprecedented, it's taking on a new and, literally, pernicious form. It's no longer just about who gets to vote or making it easier for eligible voters to vote. It's about who

26 JULY 22 - 28, 2021

gets to count the vote -- who gets to count whether or not your vote counted at all. It's about moving from independent election administrators who work for the people to polarized state legislatures and partisan actors who work for political parties. To me, this is simple: This is election subversion. It's the most dangerous threat to voting and the integrity of free and fair elections in our history.” – President Joe Biden)

TriceEdneyWire.com-Last week, I had the opportunity to meet with President Biden and Vice President Harris to discuss the appalling attack on democracy that is ongoing in state legislatures across the country, as well as other issues of racial justice. A few days later, President Biden delivered one of the most impassioned speeches of his presidency, echoing many of the themes we discussed in our meeting. He al-

luded to our meeting, reminding Americans of our commitment to “stay vigilant and challenge these odious laws in the courts.” I was proud that we pushed the president to address the issue, and we intend to continue pushing. The National Urban League helped lead the meeting between the White House and a group of leaders from eight legacy Black civil rights organizations. Joining me were Melanie Campbell, president

and CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation; Dr. Johnnetta Cole, national chair and president of the National Council of Negro Women; Wade Henderson, interim president of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights; Damon Hewitt, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law;

MORIAL Page 45

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OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnist

Oscar H. Blanton

The Semantics Of “Semite”

Language and the use of words can be more powerful than any weapon of mass destruction. “Wordsmithing” in the wrong hands can bring on a plague of violence and destruction biblical in proportions. And this brings us to the current widest widely use of the word “anti-Semitism.” Donald Trump, a master of obfuscation and prevarication, in or-

der to gin up his evangelical support, signed an executive order on Dec. 11 titled “Executive Order on Combating Anti-Semitism.” Despite its humanistic title, this order does not combat anti-Semitism. It is merely meant to throttle free speech concerning human rights issues in Israel and many individuals, including Jews, have concerns about it. In a recent opinion piece in The Guardian, Kenneth Stern, the director of the Bard Center for the Study of Hate, wrote, “[Anti-Semitism] was never intended to be

Guest Columnist

a campus hate speech code, but that’s what Donald Trump’s executive order accomplished this week. This order is an attack on academic freedom and free speech, and will harm not only pro-Palestinian advocates, but also Jewish students and faculty, and the academy itself.” Fifteen years prior to writing his piece in The Guardian, Stern – considered an expert on the topic – drafted a working definition of anti-Semitism for the American Jewish Committee. It is usually a “third rail” in

domestic political discourse for non-Jews to analyze the use of the word “anti-Semitism” in America. But the intentional division of the many and varied identities in this country is now reaching a critical point and the weaponizing of language by demagogues like Donald Trump is throwing fuel on the fire. Language is generally considered to be a convention, where those who communicate understand a word or phrase to have a commonly understood meaning. And in this sense, anti-Semitism is generally understood in America

to mean hostility to or prejudice against Jews. However, most dictionaries tell us that Semites are not solely Jews, but any of “a number of peoples of ancient southwestern Asia including the Akkadians, Phoenicians, Hebrews and Arabs.” This has been a working definition since 1848. Donald Trump is not so concerned with the protection of Jews as he claimed when signing this order. He is more concerned with the

BLANTON Page 46

Ben Jealous

Texas Democrats Are Getting into ‘Good Trouble’

One year after the death of the great civil rights icon John Lewis, a group of Texas Democratic lawmakers is following Lewis’s lifelong call for people to make “good trouble” and “necessary trouble” to secure equality and justice for all. Congressional Democrats should bring the same level of commitment to resisting and overturning a new wave of voting restrictions

that voting rights activist Stacey Abrams has labeled “Jim Crow 2.0.” Here’s why dozens of Texas lawmakers were in Washington, D.C. last week: Texas is the latest Republican-run state where legislators and the governor are trying to impose new voting restrictions—banning drive-through and 24-hour early voting, restricting distribution of absentee ballots, imposing new voter ID provisions—that they hope will make it harder for

Askia-At-Large

Democrats to win future elections. Their voter suppression laws are aimed at Black and brown voters and others more likely to support Democratic candidates. Republican officials are also trying to make former President Donald Trump happy by giving credibility to his false claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him. They’re using his lies about “election fraud” and “election integrity” to justify new restrictive voting rules. In Texas, Republicans control

the state House and Senate. And hard-right Gov. Gregg Abbott is eager to do Trump’s bidding. Back in May, Texas Republicans tried to push their election bill through the House just before the close of the legislative session. Because the Texas House is required to have two-thirds of its members present to conduct official business, Democratic legislators stopped the bill from passing by walking out of the chamber. But Abbott is so set on getting his new voting law that he

ordered legislators to come back into session this month to push it through. To prevent the state’s Republicans from forcing new voting restrictions into law, more than 50 Democratic legislators left the state. Abbott and Republican Senate leaders have threatened lawmakers with arrest to try to force them to attend the session. And he has said he will keep calling special sessions until he gets his way. That’s

local population as to how Negro males were to comport themselves in the presence of White women. Thanks to his mother—Mamie Till Mobley, who had an open-casket funeral displaying his mutilated head, which was subsequently published in Jet magazine—Emmett Till’s murder became a lesson to Black people all over the world. I was in the nearby Mississippi Delta town of Indianola during the summer of 1955. Nothing much had been made of Till’s disappearance that

reached my consciousness, though I was just 10 years old at the time. But then, there was no filter which kept any living, breathing, black person at the time, from seeing those photographs from that funeral. Those pictures woke up a lot of folks. The way the going-home-for-summer routine worked is that Black baby-boomers-turning-into-teenagers, “went home to Big Mama’s house” for the summer. It was great juvenile delin-

JEALOUS Page 46

Askia Muhammad

Emmett Till: First Civil Rights Martyr

Sunday, July 25, 1941 marks the 80th anniversary of the birth of Emmett Till. Only thing is, Emmett only completed 14 trips around the sun, with folks on this earthly plane. In August, 1955 near Greenwood in the Mississippi Delta, he became the First Martyr in the Second Black Reconstruction—the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s.

Emmett Till was brutally murdered and disfigured not because in real life he was some Bigger Thomas-type, badass nigger. No, he was just the poster-boy for a nigger who committed “eyeball rape” against a White woman. As bad as it is—looking lasciviously at a White woman—in reality, it never really happened. In a small grocery store in Money, Miss., Till apparently had words with 21-year-old Carolyn Bryant, the white, married proprietor of the store. Till allegedly flirted with the woman, and

then uttered a “wolf whistle,” apparently to school his local companions as to how “cool dudes” like him handled their women back in Chicago, where he lived. Several nights later, a lynch-mob, organized by Carol’s husband Roy Bryant and his half-brother J.W. Milam, descended on the home of Mose Wright, Till’s great-uncle, abducted the child, mutilated him, then shot him in the head, before they weighted his body and dumped him in the Tallahatchie River. It was meant to be a lesson to the

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ASKIA Page 46 JULY 22 - 28, 2021 27

LIFESTYLE Maryland Work Group to Develop Cannabis Legislation for 2022 Voter Referendum William J. Ford WI Staff Writer

Maryland House Speaker Adrienne Jones announced Friday her support for voters to decide through a referendum in 2022 whether to legalize cannabis. The Democratic leader from

SETTLEMENT from Page 13 within a year the county reached in a settlement. In September, the county settled for $20 million with the family of 43-year-old William Green, killed by a former police officer in January 2020 while handcuffed in a police cruiser. The family’s attorney, Billy Murphy, said the $20 million settlement represented the largest figure in Maryland and one of the largest in the country for an unlawful shooting by police. Murphy also represented the

28 JULY 22 - 28, 2021

Baltimore County highlighted a plan to create a bipartisan work group to hash out details on legislation such as the regulation, production and oversight of the product. Parts of the cannabis plant, often referred to as marijuana, remain only legal for medicinal purposes in Maryland.

family of Freddie Gray in Baltimore, who reached a $6.4 million settlement with the city nearly six years ago after Gray died while in police custody. In February, Alsobrooks announced nearly four dozen recommendations for the police department to implement such as mental health programs, officer training to prevent racial profiling and not hire officers with a history of misconduct or disciplinary problems. The recommendations came from a police reform task force that formed last year after a report highlighted more than two dozen

5 Maryland lawmakers plan to discuss cannabis legislation this fall. (Photo courtesy of Mary & Main)

“While I have personal concerns about encouraging marijuana use, particularly among children and young adults, the disparate criminal justice impact incidents by white officers who created a hostile work environment for Black and Latino officers. The report also showed Black and Latino officers are twice as likely to receive disciplinary charges compared to their white counterparts and senior officers failed to keep track of disciplinary actions. Michael E. Graham, a former 33-year veteran with the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department, compiled the nearly 100-page report on behalf of the plaintiffs. WI @jabariwill

leads me to believe that the voters should have a say in the future of legalization,” Jones said in a statement. “The House will pass legislation early next year to put this question before the voters but we need to start looking at changes needed to state law now.” Jones appointed Del. Luke Clippinger (D-Baltimore City) to chair the work group. He also chairs the House Judiciary Committee. “Cannabis use has had a disparate impact on people of color for too long with no real impact on public safety,” Clippinger said in a statement. “The Speaker has been clear that we will do this with an eye toward equity and consideration to black and brown neighborhoods and businesses historically impacted by cannabis use.” The 11-member work group of eight Democrats and three Republicans plans to meet starting in the fall. Their tasks will include: • To address expungement of previous cannabis convictions and determine any changes to existing laws. • To review existing criminal and traffic laws related to marijuana. • To structure equitable ownership in cannabis-related businesses. Thirty-seven states, including

Maryland, allow for the use of medical cannabis. According to the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission, the projected medicinal sales in the state reached $450 million last year. The figure doubled in the state of Massachusetts and tripled in the state of New Jersey. Legalizing marijuana for recreational purposes has passed in 18 states, the District of Columbia and Guam. Governors in New York, New Mexico and Virginia signed marijuana legislation into law this year. However, it remains illegal on the federal level as a “Schedule 1” drug under the Controlled Substance Act through the Drug Enforcement Administration www.dea.gov/ drug-information/drug-scheduling. Del. Nicole Williams (D-District 22) of Greenbelt, one of the members appointed to the cannabis work group, said times have changed nationwide on the stigma of marijuana. “I think it’s time for us as a state to really study legalizing marijuana for recreational use,” she said. “I agree with the Speaker in terms of putting it to the voters of the state of Maryland to see if that is the direction they want to go. If so, [we need to create] a regulatory framework that is equitable and fair for all Marylanders.” WI @jabariwill

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Hip Hop Icon Biz Markie Dies at 57 Markie Dee, Shock G and Whodini’s Ecstasy. “My close friend Biz Markie is gone Hip Hop has lost another legend. at 57,” hip hop star and actor Ice T Biz Markie, the rapper, producer, wrote on Twitter. “We shared a tour and actor whose hits included “Just a bus, our very 1st tour ‘The Dope Jam Friend” and “Nobody Beats the Biz,” Tour.’ We were all so young and hype.” NBA Hall of Famer Earvin Maghas died at the age of 57. Nicknamed “The Clown Prince of ic Johnson wrote, “RIP to my friend Hip Hop,” Biz was born Marcel Theo and music legend Biz Markie. A DJ, Hall in Harlem, across the Triboro rapper and producer, Biz Markie really Bridge from Queens. There, he cut his knew how to rock a party. Cookie and teeth collaborating with MCs and DJs I will never forget when he came to like Big Daddy Kane, Marley Marl our 25th anniversary event in Europe and kept everyone on the dance floor.” and Roxanne Shanté. And Questlove paid tribute with Biz also made his mark in Manhattan at clubs where he quickly became a lengthy post of many examples of what he learned from Biz. the center of attention. “Biz built me man,” Questlove He rose to fame with the Juice Crew, working day and night with wrote. “In my early, early stages, it was the famed DJ Mr. Magic who helped Biz who taught me the real places to Biz hone his skills as a beatboxer and cop records. Biz taught me what citbecame one of the most influential ies had good digging. Biz taught me where to collect 45s. Biz taught me figures in music. Biz’s death follows that of oth- where to collect 8 track tapes. Biz to get(outlines).pdf me into Star Wars er icons in 2021 like PRINT DMX,1_Washington Prince ‘tried’ Q4 AMTRAK Informer 1 action 7/7/21 Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

figure collecting. Biz taught me where in Tokyo I should go to collect vintage iron-on decals.” Questlove continued: “This cat was one in a million. He taught me a lot. I’m using all of the education he taught me. We will miss him.” Not only did Biz find acclaim in music but his unique talent also earned him a successful television and film career. Biz appeared in films like “Men in Black II,” “SpongeBob SquarePants,” “Black-ish” and the fun children’s show, “Yo Gabba Gabba!” In 2014, Biz revealed in a nationally-televised interview that he had Type 2 diabetes and declared his will to live while revealing that he had lost 140 pounds. “I’m going to be Biz Markie until I die,” he asserted in a later interview. “Even after I die, I’m going to be Biz Markie.” WI @StacyBrownMedia 10:33 PM

LIFESTYLE

5 Biz Markie at the 2016 Juice Crew Reunion (BBC Kings NYC/Wikimedia Commons/Flickr)

CMY

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Solving the Case of Relisha Rudd Remains Focus for Family, Friends

Missing Persons Advocates Encourage Community Collaboration with Police Sam P.K. Collins WI Contributing Writer In the years since the search for Relisha Rudd began, many District residents, both young and old, have either gone missing or succumbed to violent acts in cases that have remained unsolved. This trend, some activists and missing person advocates say, stems from people’s reluctance to cooperate with the police. As part of an ongoing effort to solidify police-community relations, some activists have taken to the streets to educate D.C. residents about the benefits of police cooperation and encourage them to reveal any information they know about Relisha’s disappearance and the recent shooting death of six-year-old Nyiah Courtney. “A lot of people in the community don’t want to deal with the police but we’ve got to break away from the street code,” said Henderson Long, an investigator and missing persons advocate. On Sunday, Long, some of his colleagues, members of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Youth and Family Services Division, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, converged near the 7-Eleven on the corner of 49th Street and Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue in Northeast for “Relisha Rudd Remembrance Day.” For several hours, participants passed out age-progression photos of Relisha who disappeared in 2014 at the age of 8, along with information about a $50,000 reward. In the weeks before the event, organizers also circulated a petition demanding D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) to increase the reward amount to $75,000. During the event, passersby heard about how fingerprinting services, DNA databases, scent preservation toolkits and drone technology can make a difference in solving missing persons cases. “It’s a lot easier to call for help,” Long said. “People have to be educated and understand the significance of immediately reporting their

5 Henderson Long speaks to a crowd of activists and police officers during “Relisha Rudd Remembrance Day,” Sunday, July 18. (Sam P.K. Collins/The Washington Informer)

missing loved ones. No one is going to check if you’ve got any warrants. Law enforcement wants to help you find your loved one.”

SEVEN YEARS AND COUNTING

March 1 marked seven years since Relisha, then 8, was first reported missing after school officials grew suspicious about her prolonged absence. Camera footage from 18 days prior placed her at a local motel with Khalil Tatum, a janitor at the thenopen D.C. General Shelter where Relisha stayed with her family. Police later found Tatum’s wife dead at a hotel in Prince George’s County and the body of Tatum in a shed at Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens. Though Relisha’s case gained momentum within the beltway, it failed to attract nationwide attention other than a segment on the Steve Wilkos Show on the CW network in 2017. During that segment, Shamika Young, Relisha Rudd’s mother, declined to take a polygraph test about her alleged role in Relisha’s disappearance. For years, there’s been speculation

about the part that Relisha’s family played in her disappearance, and why Young, upon being questioned about her daughter’s absences, told school officials Relisha had been under the care of a “Dr. Tatum.” Dialogue about this case has often centered on how best to protect young people and other vulnerable members of society. Frederick Hill III, a missing persons advocate of more than 20 years, told The Informer that stronger legislation would have prevented Tatum from working in places frequented by children. He said without the proper protections against repeat offenders, well-meaning people are less likely to trust the authorities. “People are scared to offer any information because [the information] might include them in the scheme, so to speak,” said Hill, a business owner and one-time D.C. Council candidate. “For years, we’ve been dumped on like that. Unless they’ve been counseled on their rights and how to protect themselves when giving information, it makes it hard for people to come forward.”

RUDD Page 45

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LIFESTYLE

National Trust Awards $3 Million in Grants to Preserve Black History

Funds to be Shared by Organizations Governing 40 U.S. Sites Sarafina Wright WI Contributing Writer The National Trust for Historic Preservation has announced more than $3 million in grants to 40 landmark sites and organizations through its African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund. Over the past four years, the National Trust has funded 105 historic places connected to Black history and invested more than $7.3 million to help preserve landscapes and buildings imbued with Black life, humanity and cultural heritage. This year’s funds were awarded to key places and organizations that help the Action Fund protect and restore significant historic sites, says the Trust. The grants covered four cate-

gories: capacity building, project planning, capital, and programming and interpretation. Some of the grantees include: People's AME Zion Church built in 1910-11 in Syracuse, N.Y. and designed by Wallace Rayfield, the second licensed Black American architect in the U.S., the People's AME Zion Church— the city’s oldest standing African American church structure— needs restoration and stabilization of its exterior. The Hayti Heritage Center a cultural arts and arts education venue in Durham, N.C., is housed in the historic St. Joseph’s AME Church, constructed in 1891. The grant will help repair its stainedglass windows, doors and original wooden pews. The North Carolina African

American Heritage Commission - working in conjunction with the South Carolina African American Heritage Commission, will document and map Green Book sites in both states, developing a model for a national Green Book sites marker and digital mapping program. National Negro Opera Company - founded in 1941 by Mary Cardwell Dawson, the National Negro Opera Company in Pittsburgh was the first Black-owned opera company in America. Funds will be used to develop a feasibility study and business plan to define programming options and forge revenue models that activate and sustain operations at offices and studios that were constructed in 1908. Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ - significant for

5 Prince Hall Masonic Lodge in Atlanta. Courtesy of National Trust.

its association with Mamie Till Mobley and Emmett Till as the site of Till’s 1955 funeral, critical structural stabilization of the 1922 Chicago church will be addressed. Karamu House - site of poet and playwright Langston Hughes’s Cleveland residential apartment, also housed the nation’s oldest Af-

rican American theater, and will be restored for use as short-term housing for emerging artists of color to be artists-in-residence. Prince Hall Masonic Lodge part of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park, the

LANDMARKS Page 45

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The Community Energy Center, a cooperative with the National Newspaper Publishers Association and National Association of Hispanic Publications Media, will provide information and perspectives on the integral role of the energy sector in daily life for American families in a wide range of communities.

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LIFESTYLE

Twitter’s Blue Verification Mark Appears to be a Black and White 'Thing' Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

The New Pittsburgh Courier, the St. Louis American and Philadelphia Tribune count among the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) most successful print and digital publications. The 81-year-old NNPA serves as the trade association that represents the more than 230 Blackowned newspapers and media companies of the 194-year-old Black Press of America. Founded in New York with Freedom’s Journal before the end of slavery, the world has long recognized the Black Press as the trusted voice of the African-American community. But, Twitter has failed to acknowledge the Black Press. While almost every white-

owned media outlet carries the blue verification badge provided to Twitter users to recognize their credibility, authenticity and public interest, the social media platform has chiefly turned a blinds-eye toward the Black Press. Preliminary research found only the fabled New York Amsterdam News with a blue checkmark. Even then, the newspaper’s prolific publisher, Elinor Tatum, tweets sans verification. Famous publications like the Washington Informer, Atlanta Voice, Houston Forward Times, Chicago Defender, Los Angeles Sentinel and the New Journal & Guide, have yet to be recognized by Twitter. Ironically, the New Journal & Guide in Virginia broke the story of the famous “Hidden Figures.” That story became a blockbust-

er movie and introduced three brilliant and long overlooked Black women at NASA, Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson, to the nation and the world. Impactful Black Press journalists like Jeffrey Boney of the Houston Forward Times, Anthony Tilghman of the Washington Informer, and Chris Bennett of the Seattle Medium also have been overlooked by Twitter. A thesis by Michael Oby at Georgia State University noted that the Black Press coverage of the Emmett Till lynching proved a catalyst to the civil rights movement. “Subsequent stories in the black press reported not only Emmett Till’s murder and the trial but also a widening mobilization within the race, notably the creation of associations in de-

MARY MCLEOD BETHUNE DAY ACADEMY PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS Multiple Services Mary McLeod Bethune Day Academy Public Charter School in Washington, DC is seeking competitive proposals for the delivery of the following services: • • • • • •

Student Transportation for the 2021-22 School Year Classroom Furniture 150 MacBook Air or similar laptop computers Contracted School Nurse Design Build Services for School Library Design Build services for renovation of residential property

Mary McLeod Bethune Day Academy reserves the right to select the firms that best serve the interests of Mary McLeod Bethune Day Academy Public Charter School. Bid packages may be obtained by contacting: Marcus McKay Business Manager Mary McLeod Bethune Day Academy Public Charter School 1404 Jackson St., NE Washington, DC 20019 purchasing@mmbethune.org This solicitation does not commit Mary McLeod Bethune Day Academy Public Charter School to award a contract, pay any costs incurred in the preparation of a bid, or to contract for services. Mary McLeod Bethune Day Academy Public Charter School reserves the right to reject any or all bids received as a result of this request, or to cancel in part or in its entirety this solicitation, if it is in the best interest of the School to do so. Deadline & Submission: Submit bids responsive to one or more of the requested services via email to purchasing@mmbethune.org no later than 5pm on July 30, 2021.

34 JULY 22 - 28, 2021

5 While almost every white-owned media outlet carries the blue verification badge provided to Twitter users to recognize their credibility, authenticity, and public interest, the social media platform has turned chiefly a blind-eye toward the Black Press. (Symbols: android community)

fense of civil rights,” Oby wrote. “The coverage of news and views in the black press provide substantial evidence that this mobilization ignited the civil rights movement of the mid1950s, just months before the Montgomery, Alabama bus boycott led by Martin Luther King, Jr.” Oby extolled the value of the Black Press in the thesis, which fulfilled his requirement for a master’s degree. “We should have all Blackowned newspapers and media companies and Black journalists verified on Twitter,” said Tilghman, who has enlisted the assistance of National Association of Black Journalists President Dorothy Tucker. Tilghman and others question why Twitter acts quickly to verify non-Black media but continues to decline requests by Black publications and journalists. Despite facing past criticism of racism, having its own caste system, and discrimination, Twitter appears unfazed in its ignorance toward the storied 194-year history of the Black Press and the impact of many of the accomplished journalists who work for NNPA. The organization had little problem verifying the account of

Jason Kessler, a known white supremacist who used the platform in 2017 to organize Unite the Right rallies in Charlottesville, Virginia. Based in San Francisco, Twitter says any official accounts of qualifying news organizations and individual accounts of journalists employed by verified news organizations also qualify for the blue check if their account is public without protected tweets. Also, the biography in the account refers directly to the news organization’s name and links to the official URL of that organization. Twitter’s verification policy states: “Qualifying organizations include newspapers; magazines; broadcast, cable, satellite, and streaming TV and radio news networks, stations and programs; digital news publishers; podcasts; and similar media, and must adhere to recognized professional standards for journalism such as those laid out by the Society of Professional Journalists, Independent Press Standards Organization, and International Federation of Journalists, or have committed to the International Fact-Checking Network’s code of principles.” WI @StacyBrownMedia

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As Nyiah’s mother lies in a coma, and other family members continue to grieve the young girl’s death, Hardy said the same questions about police officers, particularly the degree to which they are able to prevent murders in historically overpoliced and underserved communities, continue to weigh on her mind. “On one side of the coin, those guys are hanging out right there. Do you want to lock those guys up or do you want police to try to de-escalate violence?” Hardy asked. “You would think with the police there, people wouldn’t shoot but they do! We must not wait for the police to create change, we must do it ourselves.’’

CALLS FOR QUICK ACTION

Nyiah’s murder on July 16 not only raised the District’s death toll to 103, according to data from the Metropolitan Police Department [MPD], but elicited calls for more direct police action, the elimination of loitering spots and harsher penalties for violent offenders. On Monday, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) notified the D.C. Council that she’s allowing MPD to use as much overtime as necessary to tackle the increase in violent crime. In her letter to the council’s Committee of the Judiciary and Public Safety, Bowser said residents don’t feel safe. This has especially become the case after three people, one of whom counts as a baseball fan, suffered gunshot wounds outside of Nationals Park on Saturday night. The shootout sent players and fans running for cover and triggered an evacuation of the grounds. MPD officials said the other two victims had ties to a vehicle recovered at the scene and have since been questioned. In the aftermath of Nyiah’s murder, MPD Chief Robert Contee III issued an emergency shutdown order for Mart Liquor, which has become the target of a burgeoning movement against the proliferation of liquor stores in Southeast. MPD has also issued a $60,000 reward for information about Nyiah’s murder and circulated surveillance video showing gunfire coming from a silver Toyota driving down Malcolm X Boulevard. Community events throughout much of the week provided multiple opportunities for reflection on Ny-

5 D.C. Police Chief Robert Contee and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser at a news conference on Saturday, July 17 asking for help to identify the car believed to be used in the drive-by shooting that left Nyiah Courtney dead. (Courtesy photo/ Facebook grab)

iah’s death and that of other young victims of gun violence. On Sunday, legions of young people, teachers, coaches and community organizers converged on the field at Stanton Elementary School for the annual gathering in honor of Karon Brown, an 11-year-old who lost his life in 2019. The six-hour event included spoken word, music, yoga, a performance from go-go band ABM and comments from community members. One of the speakers, Kevin McGill of Firehouse Ministries, implored youth to listen to their elders. He further implored elders to have more of a presence in young people’s lives. In regards to the need for more police, McGill stressed the need for balance but said that police officers and other people in power often do little to prevent crime with the information they have at their disposal. “We have more police agencies in D.C. than anywhere else but kids can ride with AKs,” McGill told The Informer. “We know neighborhoods are beefing but people are reactive, not proactive. More police leads to more arrests and incarceration for no reason. [That’s why] we need programs for kids who are nine and ten years old so they can have a different mindset,” he said.

RESIDENTS REQUEST POLICE PRESENCE AND DILIGENCE

More than a year ago, George

Floyd’s murder sparked protests in D.C. and across the U.S. It also compelled localized conversations about defunding police and relegating some of the responsibilities of officers to other agencies. The D.C. Council passed legislation that launched a DC Police Reform Commission which compiled a series of recommendations including the deployment of behavioral health specialists as first responders and the expansion of community resources for the city’s most vulnerable. Months later, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) announced a $59 million comprehensive, public health-focused approach to ending gun violence that relies on violence interrupters, services for returning citizens, youth programs and an enhanced safe passage program. Even so, some people like Ward 7 resident Muriel Cooper have espoused the need for police to maintain a presence in the community. Cooper, who moved to Deanwood three months ago, counted among her primary concerns the frequent sound of gunshots outside her window. “From what I’ve seen, the Metropolitan Police Department is adamant about making sure people are safe,” Cooper said. “They do their due diligence. Wards 7 and 8 have the anti-violence initiative and they do what they can to prevent crime. There’s a balance and it starts at the top. It’s about training and ensuring the people in authority are competent.” WI

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LIFESTYLE

wi book review Memoirs by Women Writers c.2021 various publishers $26.00 - $28.00 various page counts

horoscopes

JULY 22 - 28, 2021

ARIES An opportunity opens up ahead. Your hard work is starting to pay off. There's a slight divergence between the opportunities coming available to you and what you're trained to do. This might take you out of your comfort zone. This is about applying your core skills to a different area. All this comes back to a wish you made several months ago. Lucky Numbers: 37, 17, 53 TAURUS You may have boundless energy this week. Stagnation does not bring prosperity. Its movement and change that signals the Universe to bring you more resources. Now things are getting ready to change. Over the course of the next few months, you may be moving, renovating the house or things in your neighborhood are changing. Time to dust off your resume just in case. Lucky Numbers: 29, 36, 42 GEMINI Several friends reach out to you for advice. There are stories to share. Today's a good day to meditate on where you're heading with your life. You might want to make a list of your considerable skills. Make a second list of the things that you would like to learn. It's time to commit more energy to the things you're truly interested in. Lucky Numbers: 6, 30, 22

By Terri Schlichenmeyer WI Contributing Writer See one, do one, teach one. They say that that's a good way to gain a new skill: observe, try the action yourself, and then share what you did with someone else. You can learn a lot from another's experiences, as you'll see in these great memoirs by women writers... We all like to think we had a normal growing-up, but what is "normal"? In "Nowhere Girl" by Cheryl Diamond (Algonquin, $27.95), the author recounts a childhood of seeming adventure, spent in a number of countries and continents. By the time she was a teen, she'd done things that most of us only dream of doing, until the nightmare of her life became clear: Diamond was born into a family of criminals and con artists and things were about to get bad... Similarly, look for "Upper Bohemia" by Hayden Herrera (Simon & Schuster, $26.00), whose free-spirited parents moved Herrera and her sister around from place to place and lifestyle to lifestyle when they were children. The danger inside this story is different than in the Diamond book, but no less heart-wrenching. Both of them are page-turners. Another memoir of an unconventional upbringing is "The Ugly Cry" by Danielle Henderson (Viking, $27.00). When she was ten years old, Henderson was left for her grandparents to raise, though they were rather unprepared for a child at their ages. As a Black girl being reared in a mostly-white neighborhood, Henderson missed her mother but the woman's absence turned out to be a gift: Henderson's feisty, foul-mouthed Grandma never let her forget her capabilities or her strength. Beware the profanity in this tale, and love it anyhow. When Shawna Kay Rodenberg was just four years old, her father tore his family from their roots in Kentucky and moved them to Minnesota to live in an isolated religious community. In "Kin: A Memoir" (Bloomsbury, $28.00), Rodenberg writes about being a child in a restricted community, and the abuse she endured while living there. But that's not the end of the tale: after the sexual abuse was revealed, Rodenberg's family moved back to Kentucky, to kin, and a new-old home in coal country. This tale's about enduring, and about understanding yourself, your past, your family and your future. And finally, there's "Sacrifice: A Gold Star Widow's Fight for the Truth" by Michelle Black (Putnam, $28.00), who recounts in her memoir about searching for the truth of how her husband died. He was in Niger in 2017 and was killed in an ambush but Black wasn't given many details, past that. The tragedy that left her with two young boys to raise on her own. She was also left to search for clues and facts of her husband's death, without the Army's help. If these memoirs don't quite fit what you're in the mood for, then be sure to ask your favorite bookseller or librarian for more ideas. They're pros at this and with their help, you'll be able to see yourself reading one or all of these books. WI

CANCER You are very noticeable this week and may receive compliments from people you admire. You tend to give compliments, but now it's good to receive. Sometimes opportunities present themselves that are bigger than you may feel ready for. It's good to visualize how far you have come, how much you've grown, and in what an adventure a big opportunity would be. Picture positive thoughts. This helps you see the path ahead. If you have trouble visualizing a positive outcome, this is a block to your success. Lucky Numbers: 40, 25, 2 LEO There is adventurous energy for you this week and you can express your true self to your friends and family. Things are looking up. You may have had a dream or can now easily envision your future. As you start to journal, you might find it all unfolds in front of you. It's okay to go enthusiastically forward even though you're not sure where you'll end up. It's the journey that counts. Lucky Numbers: 43, 3, 23 VIRGO You could be the recipient of compliments—and even cash from people around you. Open your arms and allow others to give to you. This would be a good time to gather some family members and talk about your long-term plans—especially your career trajectory, possible educational choices, or purchasing your own home. Think of this discussion as more informing rather than asking permission. It is important that you follow your heart. Lucky Numbers: 221, 29, 45 LIBRA Relationship energy is hot. If you want to meet someone new you have a great window this week. In fact, even those Libras in love relationships will be getting some attention. Today, you may be envisioning a different plan for yourself. Perhaps even a change of career. While you know that's not possible to do in one week, just by thinking about this, you're sending an affirmation to the Universe. Lucky Numbers: 35, 56, 19 SCORPIO You are highly productive with bursts of energy throughout the week. Pull out your list of things to do and add the truly important goals to that list. You'll be able to check off more than you expect. You may be pondering going back to school or returning to a previous type of employment. There are possibilities fanning out in front of you. It's good to be open to the options. Lucky Numbers: 30, 56, 6 SAGITTARIUS You could have a week of enormous fun and a little bit of adventure. When planning out your week, schedule in the adventure first. You have a purpose and while it's not always very clear, the Universe is continually stepping up and helping you stay on your path. Today you may receive messages through friends, snippets from TV shows, or lyrics from songs that help you find your footing on that path. Lucky Numbers: 19, 36, 50 CAPRICORN There may be a gathering of family and friends in your home perhaps for a milestone event. Cooking, cleaning, and repairs may have you rushing around getting ready for guests. You may see a documentary or a news clip, and suddenly be inspired by that person's journey. You may have noticed your own path shifting slightly and heading in a different direction. A small alteration in your course could, in a few years, put you in an entirely different place. Lucky Numbers: 30, 33, 18 AQUARIUS You have a busy week with lots of communication. You love to take the road less traveled and yet today, as you look under your feet, you're on the same old path. Now you have the opportunity to investigate something new. It may not unfold overnight, but by starting on a new road you could be in a very different place just six months from now. Lucky Numbers: 3, 45, 34 PISCES There is a lot of activity around finances over this week. At the same time, more money is coming in now that you're keeping better track of your finances. A talent of yours has been revealed. You feel inspired to explore this further. If you are looking for love, you have a positive window of opportunity for about four weeks. Lucky Numbers: 20, 34, 40

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JULY 22 - 28, 2021 37

CAPTURE the moment

For more photos, visit www.washingtoninformer.com

GOOD TROUBLE VIGIL

A candlelight vigil marking one year since the death of Rep. John Lewis was held at Black Lives Matter Plaza on July 17, celebrating his legacy and demanding national standards to protect the right to vote.

5 Joe Madison “The Black Eagle” and Attorney Daryl D. Jones share the stage during the “Good Trouble” candlelight vigil at Black Lives Matter Plaza on July 17. (Roy Lewis/The Washington Informer)

5 The DC Statehood delegation attends the “Good Trouble” candlelight vigil at Black Lives Matter Plaza on July 17. (Roy Lewis/The Washington Informer)

5 The stage is set at the candlelight vigil with a wreath honoring the life of Rep. John Lewis at Black Lives Matter Plaza. (Roy Lewis/The Washington Informer)

5 Supporters of DC Statehood pay tribute to Rep. John Lewis at the “Good Trouble” candlelight vigil at Black Lives Matter Plaza on July 17. (Roy Lewis/The Washington Informer) 4 Texas House of Representatives Carl O. Sherman with the Texas Democratic Delegation speaks during the “Good Trouble” candlelight vigil on July 17 at Black Lives Matter Plaza. (Roy Lewis/The Washington Informer)

38 JULY 22 - 28, 2021

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RELIGION the religion corner WITH LYNDIA GRANT

Fail Your Way to Success, Les Brown Says

‘For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. ‘ 2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV Last week, I saw a tiny goldfish go from his bowl inside a home to a river, and became a huge fish! Who knew a tiny goldfish could survive and would grow to become a normal size fish? Reminds me of my topic for today. It shows how the environment helps us grow to reach our full potential rather than staying in a muddy pond or a fish bowl. In the earliest days of our lives, we're taught to associate failure as something not good for us, then we begin to believe failure is to be avoided. Instead of seeing it as a part of life. In one form or another, every one of us experiences failure. There are many who refuse to try new things for fear of failure. We as a people feel failure brings us down to a level beneath the level to which we have become accustomed. As children, our parents and teachers encourage us to avoid failure. In elementary school, we aim for the honor roll, failing grades like ‘F’ are out of the question for us winners. Les Brown said it this way “You have to learn to fail your way to success!” Two world-renowned psychologists, Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky, who won a Nobel Prize for their work, explain why we fear failure so much. It is how it makes us feel, which is twice as great as how we feel from a win.

Once we're solid winners, we fear possible embarrassment if we fail. Let's take a look at my examples. After working very hard to plan an “A” list speaker lineup for my company's grand opening in 1983; they all came, then I was terrified to speak in front of them! My sisters said to me, "You're the company president, you're going to have to begin to speak on our behalf." It was difficult, but I did it, and speaking became the norm for me. In fact, I began to enjoy speaking, even went to speaker training from two of the best known speakers in the world, Les Brown and Dr. Willie Jolley. I had to fail my way to success. And today, forty years later, public speaking is one of my best qualities. I enjoy it now. Secondly, learning to host my radio show! It was nerve wracking. One of the Radio One managers complimented my abilities as a radio show host a couple years back by saying "I remember when you first started, you were like a deer in the headlights, now you are really doing it!" My ability was there all along but to have that initial fear was normal. Finally, how nervous I was to perform my first acting job with my role of acting beside singer Melba Moore. Rehearsal was difficult, I studied hard; came to all the rehearsals, did well, then for-

got all of my lines during the first show! The audience didn't know since I made up lines that worked since my script totally left my brain. With seventy guests in the audience, family, friends and colleagues, some from out of town, I refused to show myself as a failure. The second show was a piece of cake! We must take the bull by the horns and try to accomplish those things in which God sent us here to achieve. Today, I look forward to another such stage performance. My guest said they couldn't see any nervousness. I guess I am an actress after all! What is interesting is that two tech giants of our century, both of whom are worth billions of dollars, have very different mindsets on the topic of failure: they are tolerant of failure, and embrace it. Both Chinese business magnate Jack Ma and Amazon owner Jeff Bezos believe it is okay to fail and that failure is part of the process. Bezos says his tolerance to failure is a big part of the culture at Amazon, responsible for its big successes, he said, “Failure comes part and parcel with invention. It’s not optional. We understand that and believe in failing early and iterating until we get it right.” What this teaches us is that our various paths allow us to learn what works and what doesn’t. WI

(301) 864-6070

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(301) 864-6070

jmccollum@jmlaw.net

Adams Inspirational A.M.E. Church Dr. E. Gail Anderson Holness / Senior Pastor Rev. Ali Gail Holness-Roland / Assistant & Youth Pastor 12801 Old Fort Road • Ft. Washington, MD 20744 Office (301) 292.6323 • FAX (301) 292.2164 Service and Times Sunday Worship 10:15 am Sunday Church School 11:00 am Youth Sunday every 4th Sunday Prayer Call @ Noon every Tuesday & Thursday 978.990.5166 code: 6166047# Virtual Bible Study Wednesday Facebook & Zoom 7:00 pm “A Growing Church for a Coming Christ” www.adamsinspirationalamec.org

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JULY 22 - 28, 2021 39

RELIGION The Miracle Center of Faith Missionary Baptist Church

Pilgrim Baptist Church

Bishop Michael C. Turner, Sr. Senior Pastor

Rev. Louis B. Jones II Pastor

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

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

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

Blessed Word of Life Church

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

Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ

Church of Living Waters

Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church

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

St. Stephen Baptist Church

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

Third Street Church of God

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

Reverend William Young IV Pastor

Bishop Lanier C. Twyman, Sr. Senior Pastor

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

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

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

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

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

Service and Times Sunday School: 9:30 AM Sunday Morning Worship Service: 11:00 AM Communion Service: First Sunday Prayer Service/Bible Study: Tuesday, 6:30 PM 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: 7:00 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 421 Alabama Ave. SE Washington, DC 20032 Phone: 202-746-0113 Fax: 301-843-2445 Service and Times Sunday School: 10:15 AM Sunday Worship Service: 11;15 AM Children’s Church: 11:15 AM Tuesday Bible Study: 6:30 PM Motto : “A Great Commitment to the Great Commandment” Website: www.turningheartschurchdc.org Email: gr8luv4u2@gmail.com

40 JULY 22 - 28, 2021

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reverend John W. Davis Pastor 5101 14th Street, NW / Washington, DC 20011 Phone: 202-726-2220 Fax: 202-726-9089 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. “A Church with a past to remember – and a future to mold” www.mtzbcdc.org

headline and photo for Mount Olivet LIF - MALCOLMXLutheran Church DAY John F. Johnson Reverend Dr.

901 Third Street N.W. Washington, DC. 20001 Phone (202) 842-3411 Fax (202) 682-9423

1306 Vermont Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20005

themcbc.org

“Ambassadors for Christ to the Nation’s Capital”

Rev. Dr. Alton W. Jordan Pastor

Isle of Patmos Baptist Church

Mt. Zion Baptist Church

Reverend Dr. Paris L Smith, Sr. Senior Pastor

Service and Times Sunday Church School : 9:00 AM Sunday Morning Worship: 10:10 AM Bible Study Tuesday: 6: 00 PM Prayer Service Tuesday: 7:00 PM Holy Communion: 3rd Sunday 10:10 AM

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

Crusader Baptist Church

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

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

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

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

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

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

Israel Baptist Church

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

Dr. Earl D. Trent Senior Pastor

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

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

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

Sermon On The Mount Temple Of Joy Apostolic Faith

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

Elder Herman L. Simms Pastor

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

New Commandment Baptist Church

Eastern Community Baptist Church Damion M. Briggs Pastor

Rev. Stephen E. Tucker Senior Pastor

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rehoboth Baptist Church

Reverend Peter R. Blue Sr. Pastor

Rev. Curtis l. Staley Pastor

2001 Brooks Drive District Heights MD. 20744 240.838.7074

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Shiloh Baptist Church

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

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

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

Christ Embassy DC

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

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

First Rising Mt. Zion Baptist Church

Mt. Horeb Baptist Church

Rev. Dr. Wallace Charles Smith Pastor

Rev. Oran W. Young Pastor

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rev. Dr. George C. Gilbert Senior Pastor

Email Address: admin@pbc712.org

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

Holy Trinity United Baptist Church

Florida Avenue Baptist Church

Reverend Christopher L. Nichols Pastor

Rev. Dr. Jerryl V. Moody Pastor-Elect

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

St. Matthews Baptist Church

Emmanuel Baptist Church

King Emmanuel Baptist Church

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

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

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

JULY 22 - 28, 2021 41

LEGAL NOTICES DISTRICT COURT CLARK COUNTY, NEVADA CASE NO.: D-21-625518-D, DEPT: X Gerard Lacey Plaintiff, vs. Katrina Lacey Defendant. SUMMONS NOTICE! YOU HAVE BEEN SUED. THE COURT MAY DECIDE AGAINST YOU WITHOUT YOUR BEING HEARD UNLESS YOU RESPOND IN WRITING WITHIN 20 DAYS. READ THE INFORMATION BELOW CAREFULLY. To the Defendant named above: A civil complaint petition has been filed by the plaintiff against you for the relief as set forth in that document (see the complaint or petition). The object of this action is: Divorce. If you intend to defend this lawsuit, within 21 days after this summons is served on you (not counting the day of service), you must: 1. File with the Clerk of Court, whose address is shown below, a formal written answer to the complaint or petition. 2. Pay the required filing fee to the court, or file an Application to Proceed In Forma Pauperis and request a waiver of the filing fee. 3. Serve a copy of your answer upon the Plaintiff whose name and address is shown below. If you fail to respond the Plaintiff can request your default. The court can then enter a judgement against you for the relief demanded in the complaint or petition. STEVEN D. GRIERSON, CLERK OF COURT, By: Desiree Darris, Deputy Clerk, Date 4/20/2021, Family Courts and Services Center, 601 North Pecos Road, Las Vegas, Nevada 89155, Issued on Behalf or Plaintiff: June Young, 1290 W. horizon Ridge Pkwy #2212, Henderson, NV 89012, In Proper Person. Published in

LEGAL NOTICES In God We Trust. Declaration of Nationality. Notice of White Flag Surrender. Notice of Special Appearance : I am that I am: " Frimpong Ampadu© ", in full life, in propria persona, sui juris, in solo proprio, Haqdar by natural issue, the beneficiary and heir of: " AMPADU, FRIMPONG © ", corp.sole Dba.: " FRIMPONG AMPADU© ", having reached the age of majority, being aboriginal to the northwestern and southwestern shores of Africa, the Atlantic Islands, the continental Americas, being duly certified, hereby affirms to declare my tribal intention to be as my pedigree subscribes, as a: Moorish American, but not a citizen of the United States. I declare permanent, and unalienable, allegiance to The Moorish Empire, Societas Republicae Ea Al Maurikanuus Estados, The Constitution for the united States of America, Article III Section 2, The Lieber Code, Hague Conventions of 1899 & 1907, The Geneva Conventions, [ United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples ], and all natural laws governing moors, and hereby declare and proclaim my nationality in good faith as a: Moorish American. I am that I am: " Frimpong Ampadu© ", from this day forward, in harmony with my Nationality / Status / Jurisdiction, shall be known as: " kwesi frimpong mma-nson© ". Notice of White Flag Surrender: as "hors de combat", pursuant to The Geneva Conventions, Article III, as a minister of The Moorish Empire, and Internationally Protected Person. Notice of: LAWS AND CUSTOMS OF WAR ON LAND ( HAGUE, IV), ARTICLE: 45, 46, & 47. Notice of Claim pursuant to Public Law 87-846, TITLE II, SEC. 203. Notice of Bailment Merging of Legal Title with Equitable Title : This order is to preserve legal and equitable title , and to reserve all rights, title, and interest, in the property, Re: Birth And Death Registry, Ghana: A2470282, " FRIMPONG AMPADU© ", is as a special deposit order conveyed to " Frimpong Mma-Nson Private Trust© ". All property of the same issue and amount, in like kind and specie, is to be returned fully intact , as a Special Deposit order of the Depositor / Beneficiary / Bailor / Donor / Principal / Creditor: " kwesi frimpong mma-nson© ", nom deguerre: " Frimpong Ampadu© ", as a special deposit order in lawful money. This special deposit is to be used exclusively for the benefit of : " Frimpong Mma-Nson Private Trust© ", an Inter Vivos Unincorporated Divine Grantor Trust. This deposit is not to be commingled with general assets of any bank, nor depositary / trustee / agent / bailee / donee / debtor. This deposit is not limited to, but including: discharge and set off, of any and all outstanding liabilities as accord and satisfaction. Inter alia enact fuit. All Rights Reserved. Deo volente. Notice of Reference : 0112358-13

Washington Informer June 24, July 1, 8, 15, 22, 2021

LEGAL NOTICES

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

2021 ADM 613

2021 ADM 000607

2021 ADM 632

Cleora F. Morton Decedent

Willard M. Berry Decedent

Dorothy Strong Johnson Decedent

Cheryl Chapman Henderson, Esq. 4920 Niagara Road, Suite 200 College Park, MD 20740 Attorney

Michelle L. Evans, Esq. Offit Kurman, P.A. 7501 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 1000W Bethesda, Maryland 20814 Attorney

Deborah D. Boddie 1308 Ninth Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 Attorney

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Sheila D. Douglas and Annette E. Douglas, whose addresses are 4877 Queens Chapel Terrace, NE, Washington, DC 20017 and 920 Sheridan Street, NW, WDC 20011, were appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of Cleora F. Morton who died on 11/30/2020 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 1/8/2022. 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 1/8/2022, 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: 7/8/2021 Sheila D. Douglas Annette E. Douglas Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Vanessa Berry Chatelain, whose address is 38 rue de la Chine, Paris, France 75020, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Willard M. Berry who died on April 13, 2021 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 1/8/2022. 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 1/8/2022, 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: 7/8/2021 Vanessa Berry Chatelain Personal Representative

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Wanda Johnson, whose address is 802 West Orient Street, Tampa, Florida 33603, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Dorothy Strong Johnson who died on February 27, 2021 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 1/8/2022. 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 1/8/2022, 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: 7/8/2021 Wanda Johnson Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

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

2021 ADM 623

2021 ADM 000621

2021 ADM 000627

2021 ADM 000649

2019 ADM 001388

Jean D. Wilson aka Jean Delores Wilson Decedent

Robert W. Medley Decedent

Betty Jean Ross Decedent

Darrell Chatmon aka Darrell Maurice Chatmon aka Darrell M. Chatmon Decedent

Lucian Franklin Tibbs Sr. Decedent John M. Bryan, Esq. 2311 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 500 Arlington, VA 22201 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Lucille Tibbs, whose address is 2014 14th Street, SE, Washington, DC 20020, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Lucian Franklin Tibbs Sr. who died on February 1, 2021 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 1/15/2022. 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 1/15/2022, 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: 7/15/2021 Lucille Tibbs Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Quiana Sheree Shaw, whose address is 3810 Carpenter Street, SE, Washington, DC 20020, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Jean D. Wilson aka Jean Delores Wilson who died on June 11, 2020 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 1/15/2022. 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 1/15/2022, 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: 7/15/2021 Quiana Sheree Shaw Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

42 JULY 22 - 28, 2021

Valerie Edwards 1725 DeSales Street, NW Suite 600 Washington, DC 20036 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Tameca Medley, whose address is 9416 Spring House Lane, Apt. 1, Laurel, MD 20708, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Robert W. Medley who died on December 12, 2020 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 1/15/2022. 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 1/15/2022, 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: 7/15/2021 Tameca Medley Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

Tina Smith Nelson, Esq. Legal Counsel for the Elderly 601 E. Street, NW Washington, DC 20049 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Brenda Browne, whose address is 359 Chaplin Street, SE, Washington, DC 20019, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Betty Jean Ross who died on July 26, 2020 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 1/15/2022. 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 1/15/2022, 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: 7/15/2021 Brenda Browne Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

Aimee D. Griffin, Esq. 5335 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, Suite 440 Washington, DC 20015 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Monica McEaddy and Eric F. Chatmon, whose addresses are 10009 Huxley Dr., Lanham, MD 20706 & 10501 Foxlake Dr. Mitchellville, MD 20721, were appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of Darrell Chatmon aka Darrell Maurice Chatmon aka Darrell M. Chatmon who died on November 8, 2019 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 1/22/2022. 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 1/22/2022, 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 22, 2021 Monica McEaddy Eric F. Chatmon Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens 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 2020 ADM 000900 Leroy Austin Smith Decedent Richard Tappan 8300 Boone Blvd. Vienna, VA 22182 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Carol A. Smith, whose address is 7015 Storch Lane, Lanham, MD 20706, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Leroy Austin Smith who died on November 2, 2019 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 1/22/2022. 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 1/22/2022, 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: 7/22/2021 Carol A. Smith Personal Representative

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TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer In God We Trust. Declaration of Nationality. Notice of White Flag Surrender. Notice of Special Appearance : I am that I am: " Zechariah Edward Dolphin El© ", in full life, in propria persona, sui juris, in solo proprio, Haqdar by natural issue, the beneficiary and heir of: " DOLPHIN EL, ZECHARIAH EDWARD© ", corp. sole Dba.: " ZECHARIAH EDWARD DOLPHIN EL© ", & "DOLPHIN, ZECHARIAH EDWARD©", corp. sole Dba: "ZECHARIAH EDWARD DOLPHIN©", having reached the age of majority, being aboriginal to the northwestern and southwestern shores of Africa, the Atlantic Islands, the continental Americas, being duly certified, hereby affirms to declare my tribal intention to be as my pedigree subscribes, as a: Moorish American, but not a citizen of the United States. I declare permanent, and unalienable, allegiance to The Moorish Empire, Societas Republicae Ea Al Maurikanuus Estados, The Constitution for the united States of America, Article III Section 2, The Lieber Code, Hague Conventions of 1899 & 1907, The Geneva Conventions, [ United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples ], and all natural laws governing moors, and hereby declare and proclaim my nationality in good faith as a: Moorish American. I am that I am: " Zechariah Edward Dolphin El© ", from this day forward, in harmony with my Nationality / Status / Jurisdiction, shall be known as: " zechariah edward dolphin el© ". Notice of White Flag Surrender: as "hors de combat", pursuant to The Geneva Conventions, Article III, as a minister of The Moorish Empire, and Internationally Protected Person. Notice of: LAWS AND CUSTOMS OF WAR ON LAND ( HAGUE, IV), ARTICLE: 45, 46, & 47. Notice of Claim pursuant to Public Law 87-846, TITLE II, SEC. 203. Notice of Bailment Merging of Legal Title with Equitable Title : This order is to preserve legal and equitable title , and to reserve all rights, title, and interest, in the property, Re: : State File Number 1200119129309, " ZECHARIAH EDWARD DOLPHIN© ", is as a special deposit order conveyed to " Creative Fate Trust© ". All property of the same issue and amount, in like kind and specie, is to be returned fully intact , as a Special Deposit order of the Depositor / Beneficiary / Bailor / Donor / Principal / Creditor: " zechariah edward dolphin el© ", nom deguerre: " Zechariah Edward Dolphin El© ", as a special deposit order in lawful money. This special deposit is to be used exclusively for the benefit of : " Creative Fate Trust© ", an Inter Vivos Unincorporated Divine Grantor Trust. This deposit is not to be commingled with general assets of any bank, nor depositary / trustee / agent / bailee / donee / debtor. This deposit is not limited to, but including: discharge and set off, of any and all outstanding liabilities as accord and satisfaction. Inter alia enact fuit. All Rights Reserved. Deo volente. Notice of Reference : 0112358-13

In God We Trust. Declaration of Nationality. Notice of White Flag Surrender. Notice of Special Appearance : I am that I am:" Melshonda Patrice Buchanan© ", in full life, in propria persona, sui juris, in solo proprio, Haqdar by natural issue, the beneficiary and heir of: " BUCHANAN, MELSHONDA PATRICE© ", corp.sole Dba.: " MELSHONDA PATRICE BUCHANAN© ", having reached the age of majority, being duly certified, hereby affirms to declare my tribal intention to be as my pedigree subscribes, as an: Moorish American National, but not a citizen of the United States. I declare permanent, and unalienable, allegiance to the united States of America, The Lieber Code, Hague Conventions of 1899 & 1907, The Geneva Conventions, and all natural laws governing moors, We the People, and hereby declare and proclaim my nationality in good faith as a: " Moorish American ". I am that I am: " Melshonda Patrice Buchanan© ", from this day forward, in harmony with my Nationality / Status / Jurisdiction, shall be known as: " melshonda buchanan© ". Notice of White Flag Surrender: as " hors de combat ", pursuant to The Geneva Conventions, Article III, as a minister of Ahayah's covenant: Law of the People, and Internationally Protected Person. Notice of: LAWS AND CUSTOMS OF WAR ON LAND ( HAGUE, IV), ARTICLE: 45, 46, & 47. Notice of Claim pursuant to Public Law 87-846, TITLE II, SEC. 203. Notice of Bailment Merging of Legal Title with Equitable Title : This order is to preserve legal and equitable title , and to reserve all rights, title, and interest, in the property, Re: " State File Number 109-1983-086812 ", " MELSHONDA PATRICE BUCHANAN© ", is as a special deposit order conveyed to " Melshonda-Patrice:Mangham Trust© ". All property of the same issue and amount, in like kind and specie, is to be returned fully intact , as a Special Deposit order of the Depositor / Beneficiary / Bailor / Donor / Principal / Creditor: " melshonda buchanan© ", nom deguerre: " Melshonda Patrice Buchanan© ", as a special deposit order in lawful money. This special deposit is to be used exclusively for the benefit of : " Melshonda-Patrice:Mangham Trust© ", an Inter Vivos Unincorporated Divine Grantor Trust. This deposit is not to be commingled with general assets of any bank , nor depositary / trustee / agent / bailee / donee / debtor. This deposit is not limited to, but including: discharge and set off, of any and all outstanding liabilities as accord and satisfaction. Inter alia enact fuit. All Rights Reserved. Deo volente.

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BRIDGES from Page 1 own a car. “We need to go from a highway to a boulevard so we can live and walk. That [means] restructuring the road to make it more blended and connected to the community,” Green told The Informer. In the aftermath of the Polk Street pedestrian bridge collapse on June 23, Green has spoken at length about how DC-295, since its construction in the 1950s, has isolated the majority-Black communities of Parkside-Kenilworth and Mayfair from the rest of the city. As an elected official and ANC Vision Zero caucus member, Green has often expressed frustration about not getting clarity from other city officials about how to prevent traffic fatalities and congestion along the major streets that connect to DC-295. While not totally satisfied with the mayor’s recent announcement, he described it as an opportune moment for elected leaders to demand more of the federal government. “When you’re reimagining 295, you have a roadway where people can still come through our community in a way that doesn’t look like NASCAR,” Green said. “That’s going to take a federal investment and matching language to action.”

COMPETING PRIORITIES

Earlier this week, Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer made known his plans to move through with a $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure plan that has not yet been finalized. He has also corralled Democrats around the passage of a $3.5 trillion budget resolution that funds family and clean energy programs, along with Medicare. Republicans, out of concern about what has been described as a rushed timeline, pledged to vote against the larger infrastructure bill. All the while, Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) has facilitated the influx of federal dollars in District infrastructure projects, a move she described as the result of conversations with District residents concerned about bringing life to eastern portions of the city. For instance, she told The Informer that, despite DC-295 not counting as federal land, upgrades

...Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) has facilitated the influx of federal dollars in District infrastructure projects, a move she described as the result of conversations with District residents concerned about bringing life to eastern portions of the city. to portions of the corridor near the Malcolm X Interchange, and other areas between Firth Sterling Avenue SE and the South Capitol/ Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue, have been factored into the construction of the new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in Southeast. As chair of the House’s Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, Norton has also ensured that a FY 2022 appropriations bill includes $5 billion for investments in Vision Zero programs and instructure projects that reconnect divided by the construction of highways and investments in Vision Zero programs. “I’ve been able to make that connection because DHS is of great importance to the federal government and D.C., Norton told The Informer. “I’ve gotten funds for DC-295 and should note that DHS is the first agency to be built east of the Anacostia River, which makes it important to us and DC-295. This is resulting in a major awakening. DC-295 is important to residents because of the way it connects to DHS and St. Elizabeths.” Changes to the portion of DC295 between Fifth Sterling Avenue SE and South Capitol/Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue include bridges, retaining walls, storm drainage, extensive landscaping, a continuous shared use path, along with the reconfiguration of interchanges. Though residents have applauded some of these changes, there’s still concern about some of the adjustments they’ve had to make nearly four years after the start of construction along that stretch of the corridor.

For instance, cars often struggle to merge into one lane after exiting onto Malcolm X Boulevard and Chesapeake Avenue. Speeding, and the conditions under which drivers feel they are forced to do so, also counts among people’s concerns. ANC Commissioner Monique Diop, whose constituency includes the Bellevue community, recounted successfully fighting a speeding ticket she said she received trying to keep up with other drivers surpassing the speed limit near the South Capitol/Martin Luther King, Jr. exit of DC-295. In regards to the construction near her single-member district, Diop said she welcomes change and has always invited the District of Department of Transportation to make its case. However, convincing her constituents that the newly paved portion of DC-295 leading to the future DHS site directly benefits them has been a battle in itself. “The government did that [construction on DC-295] the Department of Homeland Security,” Diop told The Informer. “We’re getting a push-off area where you can stop and look at the view, but they wouldn’t have done that for us,” she added. “They are also adding bike lanes but they don’t come where I live -- at least I don’t think so. If they were to do the construction for our community, the [walkways and bike lanes] would extend there.”

RESIDENTS QUESTION WHERE FUNDS TARGETS

On June 23, DC Fire and EMS

BRIDGES Page 45

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LANDMARKS from Page 32

RUDD from Page 30

MALVEAUX from Page 26

Prince Hall Masonic Lodge in Atlanta is the former headquarters of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, where Martin Luther King, Jr. maintained an office. The lodge was also the site of a Madam C.J. Walker Beauty School and housed WERD, the first African American-owned and -programmed radio station. The grant will provide funding for a preservation plan to guide future restoration of the building’s character and condition. With $50 million of funding, the action fund is the largest preservation effort ever undertaken to support the longevity of African American historic sites, according to the trust. This year’s announcement represents the largest single disbursement in the action fund’s four-year history. Since its inception in 2017, the trust has raised nearly $30 million due to primary support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the Ford Foundation. This year, the fund nearly doubled in size when philanthropists MacKenzie Scott and Dan Jewett unveiled a $20 million grant. “The gift acknowledges the power of preservation as a form of equity and asserts the importance of Black history as a vital force in the American cultural landscape,” the trust said in a statement. WI

CALLING ON POLICE TO DO MORE

stead inject their ideology into our schools, using low-turnout, low-budget races to grab power. Roland S. Martin deserves credit for lifting this. For years, he has been looking at the damage school boards do. He applauds, and Lowry echoes, the power school boards have. To choose book vendors. To shape the curriculum. To select teachers and trainers. The anti-CRT crowd would shut this down. But we also shut ourselves down when we get stuck at the top of the ballot. It is essential to choose a President and Vice=Presi-

BRIDGES from Page 44

Commissioner Dorothy Douglas led her constituents in demanding that the D.C. Council includes bridge repairs and long-term infrastructure changes into the FY 2022 budget that benefit seniors and children. She told The Informer that she has spoken to DDOT about this issue for decades, all to no avail. “That money should’ve already been allocated. The question is what happened to it,” Douglas said. “There’s a safety issue. What about the seniors coming through the bridge?,” she added. “Kids also have to get across those bridges. We have been talking about it for a long time. The government has been taking the money dedicated to our area and shuffling it somewhere else. We need to have something in place to make sure that residents are being served with the tax dollars.” WI

reported at least five injuries from the bridge collapse near the Benning Road/Foote Street exit of DC-295. Authorities initially mentioned that the bridge passed a February inspection. But a report then surfaced which revealed that the bridge received a “poor” rating one month ago. Still, authorities remain cautious in exclusively blaming the bridge’s structural challenges on the collapse, although they did credit the truck with exacerbating decades of wear and tear. On the morning of July 9, a number of Ward 7 residents testified before the D.C. Council’s Committee on Transportation & the Environment about plans to replace the pedestrian bridge that collapsed along DC-295 toward the end of June. During that meeting, ANC

In neighboring Prince George’s County, go-go pioneer Michael Muse has faced similar hurdles in his attempt to get answers about his son Christian Muse, who disappeared nearly a decade ago from the Glassmanor area of Oxon Hill, Maryland. Adding Muse’s frustrations -- the primary contact within the Prince George’s County Police Department for Christian Muse’s case has changed over the last nine years. All the while, Muse has recounted not receiving much in terms of updates from the police, even as tips continue to pour in about his son’s whereabouts. While he has advocated cooperation with the police in missing persons cases, Muse told the Informer that police departments must also be diligent about locating the missing and keeping their family members abreast of the latest developments in their investigation. He said that has not been the case in his situation. “Police need to be more accessible,” said Muse, a one-time member of Rare Essence. “It’s never been that way. It’s like running a race with muddy boots. As a community, we need to be more proactive with any missing person, no matter what color they are. It’s one of those things people don’t think about until it happens to them.” WI

WILLIAMS from Page 26 were locked out of the voting process by extra-legal procedures like counting beans or bubbles in a bar of soap, or by the indifference of futility and frustration, they witnessed and took note of the power and influence that others derived from voting. Taking note led to action, and Blacks and other citizens of color began to pursue an equal measure of participation and reward. It looked like their efforts would bear fruit until an Orange Ogre appeared spouting “Grievance Politics.” This Orange Ogre convinced a small, but active group that their lives were being unfairly imposed upon by people of color, or folks who spoke a different language, or folks seeking a better life in the U.S. The Orange Ogre convinced his followers that the remedy to their frustration of seeing others enjoying the fruits of the U.S. was to reject the principles of democracy

MORIAL from Page 26 Sherrilyn Ifill, president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund; Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP; and Rev. Al Sharpton, president of the National Action Network. I was grateful for the opportunity to impress upon the president and vice president the urgency of confronting the wave of anti-voter legislation that is surging through state legislatures. When we look at what is happening in this nation, we see an effort to impose a system of American apartheid on our grand and glorious multicultural nation. State laws are used to suppress the

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dent, a Senator and Congressperson, and it is equally important to select a zoning commissioner or a school board member. Rich Lowry's piece makes it clear and makes it plain. He says that "education is too important to be left to educators." He wants rabid (he didn't say white, but I will) parents to run for school boards and to use their passion to lock knowledge out. So this is my plea to woke, progressive Black folk. Please run for school board. There are tens of thousands of Black women who have retired from education. Would you please run for the school board? There are young

people of color who understand the flaws in the education that was delivered to them. Please run for school board. There are entrepreneurs who decry the inadequate education that so many young people bring when they apply for new jobs. Please run for school board. Many of these posts can be won with a few hundred votes and a few thousand dollars. The rightwing has their marching orders. We need to have ours, too. We can serve our communities and our nation by standing up for knowledge. Please run for school board. WI

The Orange Ogre convinced his followers that the remedy to their frustration of seeing others enjoying the fruits of the U.S. was to reject the principles of democracy which had shaped it and brought any greatness it had achieved. which had shaped it and brought any greatness it had achieved. Under his tutelage, they developed alternate realities where truth and facts do not matter. He taught that the undemocratic theft of elections and the unfair retention of power are means to a positive end. And the world would, once again, be the great place for those not cursed with abundant melanin. This fairy tale is far too similar to our own reality. It’s not amus-

ing or frivolous. We are at a historic crossroad and our children’s future is in the balance. Whether straight facts or fairy tales, you must understand the significance of the problem. Our voice and our right to vote are being challenged into oblivion. YOU must accept a sense of urgency that is proportional to the threat. You must beware of that “GREAT” place to which the Orange Ogre wants to return. WI

vote, the filibuster process is used to obstruct Congressional oversight. The courts are used to undercut the Voting Rights Act, all to subvert the democratic process and overturn the will of the people. We urged President Biden to put the full moral prestige and the power of the presidency behind voting rights, to help frame the debate for the American people. As a candidate, he talked about the soul of the nation. No issue cuts to the soul of the nation more than voting rights. I was glad to hear President Biden and Vice President Harris reconfirm their determination to push for passage of the For the People Act and the John Lewis

Voting Rights Advancement Act – two vital bills that would protect voting rights and the integrity of the elections process. We also discussed the frustrating delay in securing passage of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which is currently being negotiated in the Senate. Days after the meeting, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, who is leading the negotiations for Senate Republicans, said he hopes a police reform package is approved by the end of this month. We look forward to continuing the discussion and holding the president and vice president to their commitments. WI

JULY 22 - 28, 2021 45

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BLANTON from Page 27 division of Americans into “us” and “them.” It is convenient for him to weaponize the term “anti-Semitism” in order to demonize the supporters of other Semitic people, such as Palestinians, who criticize the actions of the government of Israel. This is a distortion of cultural identity to curb the freedom of political speech, the aim of which is to homogenize America into a white Christian nation. Joining the ranks of those who want to divide this nation in order to homogenize it are bigoted religious leaders in Texas like Robert Jeffress, senior pastor of First Baptist Church, Dallas, and the Rev. John C. Hagee, founder of Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, who is known for his end-times preaching. Despite their histo-

JEALOUS from Page 27 why the Texas legislators came to Washington, D.C. They brought an urgent message to members of Congress: the only way to protect voters from voter suppression at the state level is to pass national voting rights legislation. The House of Representatives has previously passed the For the People Act, which would reverse many new voting restrictions and includes a number of priorities specifically outlined by John Lewis during his lifetime, and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, which would help prevent future voter suppression efforts from taking effect. Both are essential to protect

ASKIA from Page 27 quency-prevention. From New York, Philadelphia, Detroit, Chicago, Los Angeles, black children were repatriated back down South to “the country.” In those days, being from a place where soul music could be heard anytime before midnight on the radio meant that the returnees were expected to know all the latest songs and dances, well in advance of the locals As the cool guy from L.A., or New York or Chicago, Emmett was doubtless boastful among his buddies, probably even exaggerating his prowess, but for the life of me I can’t imagine what could have come over him to make him think he could flirt with, whistle at, or even put his arm around the waist of a white woman seven years older anywhere, least of all

ries of religious intolerance, both of these vendors of religious hate were guests at the White House’s Hanukkah party, which took place after the signing ceremony for the executive order. Jeffress is known for postulating that Jews and other non-Christians are destined for hell while Hagee has called Hitler a “half-breed Jew” who was a “hunter” fulfilling God’s will. Can we really believe that Trump is concerned with hate speech when he pals around with people like Jeffress and Hagee? Can we believe he wants to stamp out hate speech when he has said there were “very fine people” protesting in Charlottesville, Va., by torchlight shouting “Jews shall not replace us”? America, in a sense, is a small village where we all drink from a common well of democracy that springs from mutual respect and

the common good. Trump and his minions are poisoning that well with the toxic wordsmithing of hate speech. He schemes to turn this country into a white Christian monolith, while falsely accusing the intended victims of his bigotry of being the perpetrators of villainy. If we, as Americans, are concerned about injustices towards Semitic people, we should approach it in terms of all Semitic people, including the descendants of the Akkadians, Phoenicians, Hebrews and Arabs. These times are telling as to who the American people are and what they stand for. And while actions speak louder than words, the words we use have a lot to say about us as well. We should not allow legitimate criticism to be muted by those falsely claiming to muzzle hate speech. WI

democracy and voting rights. But right now Senate Republicans are using the filibuster to block the For the People Act, and they could do the same to the VRA. President Joe Biden has just made a strong speech in defense of voting rights. He denounced new voter suppression efforts. And he called for the Senate to pass the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. I am grateful that President Biden has called attention to the urgent need for congressional action. Now we need him to use his leadership to get voting rights legislation through the Senate. And if Republicans continue to block it using a filibuster, he must

work with Senate leaders to break through that obstruction. John Lewis nearly died in the struggle to pass the national Voting Rights Act. He dedicated his career in Congress to defending it. I am steeling myself for the disgust I will feel when Republican officials praise him on the anniversary of his death at the same time they are undermining the cause to which he devoted his life. Texas Democrats are honoring John Lewis by making good and necessary trouble. It is time for Democrats in Washington, and any Republicans committed more to country than party, to do the same. WI

in Mississippi in the summer of 1955. But that’s what Carolyn Bryant testified in the “trial” of her husband and brother-in-law. An all-white jury found the lads innocent in a trial that concluded before lunchtime. Then, just two months later, shielded by double jeopardy, immunity protection, Milam and Bryant confessed to the grizzly act in an interview with Look magazine. They knew their whiteness was all the innocence they needed. Curious, one day I was alone in a subway from the U.S. Capitol to the Senate Office Building with Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.), then senate majority leader. Lott was also born in 1941 and I asked him what he remembers about the murder when he was a child. “Nothing,” Lott said, pointing out that he was from Pascagoula, politically a whole continent

away, on the Gulf of Mexico coast. Now, the only other new revelation about the murder comes in a new book— “The Blood of Emmett Till”—by historian Timothy Tyson. Carolyn Bryant Donham confessed that her trial testimony, that helped exonerate two guilty men who murdered Till, was a lie! “The story she told at the trial using imagery from the classic Southern racist horror movie of the ‘Black Beast’ rapist,” Tyson wrote in his 2017 book. “But about her testimony that Till had grabbed her around the waist and uttered obscenities, she now told me, ‘That part’s not true.’” Emmett Till was indeed, a martyr, in the same George Floyd’s became The Martyr of the Third Reconstruction, Emmett Till was the First Martyr of the Second Reconstruction. WI

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JOIN THE CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT’S REALLY HAPPENING IN OUR CLASSROOMS. Because our children are worth it. Real Talk, Real Change returns with a candid discussion, in episode three, on the racial disparities in our education system, and more importantly, what can be done to rebuild it.

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