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‘Good

Trouble Lives On’: Local Activists Remember John Lewis, Rally Against Attacks on Democracy

Continuing to Work Toward an Equitable Future 60 Years After

the Voting Rights Act

By Mya Trujillo WI Contributing Writer

An instrumental figure in the push for civil rights, advocates are uplifting the legacy of the late Congressman John Lewis by advocating for unapologetic and persistent dissent toward human rights violations.

On the fifth anniversary of the freedom fighter’s death, Franklin Park in Northwest, D.C. was one of more than 1,600 locations across the United States where protestors participated in “Good Trouble Lives On” demonstra-

tions to voice their disapproval of President Donald Trump and his administration, and further Lewis’ mission toward a truly just democracy.

At the park, community leaders and activists spoke out against Trump and

4Demonstrators march from Franklin Park to the National Museum of African American History and Culture during the “Good Trouble Lives On” protest, honoring John Lewis’ life, work and legacy by criticizing the current presidential administration. (Mya Trujillo/The Washington Informer)

Amid Local Budget Battle, District Teachers and Parents Embrace Summer Enrichment Programs

Bowser, Ferebee Acknowledge Need for More Youth Engagement

By Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer

Throughout much of this summer, several of the middle school youth who participated in a local career and technical education (CTE) camp spent many a morning learning about, and executing, physics-related

5During her July 17 visit to Brookland Middle School’s CTE Summer Enrichment Program, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, with D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Dr. Lewis D. Ferebee and STEM teacher Dr. Rubiah Harris watching close by, plays with a robot that students made in preparation for The Robot Olympics. (Photo courtesy of Executive Office of the Mayor)

5Malcolm Smith (L) demonstrates what he has learned since becoming an “Unleashed Potential” volunteer at Brandywine Valley SPCA in Northeast. Unleashed Potential is a collaboration between the animal shelter and Representation for the Bottom, founded by Marcelles Queen (far right). (Sam P.K. Collins/The Washington Informer)

Representation for the Bottom, Brandywine Valley SPCA Team Up for “Unleashed Potential”

By Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer

In the nearly three years Malcolm Smith has known Marcelles Queen, he has looked to him as an advocate during times of trouble, and someone

By Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer

In the days following his special election victory, D.C. Councilmember-elect Trayon White made appearances throughout Ward 8, attending events and engaging his soon-to-beagain constituents, regardless of whether they voted for him— or voted at all.

As Advisory Neighborhood Commission 8E Chair Kelly Mikel Williams recounted, White felt the love on Saturday afternoon at Ferebee-Hope Recreation Center, where Advisory Neighborhood Commission 8E held its third annual Community Connection Day Block Party.

“Folks seem to be embracing and supportive and complimentary,” said Williams, who’s in his second term as commissioner of Single-Member District 8E03, which includes portions of Mississippi Avenue and Alabama Avenue in Southeast. “That was the visual vibe I got. I know when he was coming, people were surrounding him engaging in conversation.”

Williams said that since the July 15 special election, he’s heard various

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5Fans are paying tribute to Malcolm-Jamal Warner, the actor best known for his role as Theo Huxtable on the groundbreaking NBC sitcom “The Cosby Show,” after it was confirmed he died from an accidental drowning. He was 54. (Courtesy Photo)

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Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Beloved Star of “The Cosby Show,” Dies at 54

Malcolm-Jamal Warner, the actor best known for his role as Theo Huxtable on the groundbreaking NBC sitcom “The Cosby Show” (1984-1992), has died at the age of 54.

Warner reportedly drowned while on a family vacation in Costa Rica, according to a family source cited by

People magazine. His death was confirmed on Monday, July 21.

Warner’s sudden passing has stunned fans and colleagues alike. He is survived by his wife and daughter, whose identities have been kept private throughout his career. Authorities in Costa Rica have not released additional details, but Warner’s death is being described as a tragic accident.

Warner became a household name in the 1980s as the wisecracking middle child and only son of Cliff and Clair Huxtable on “The Cosby Show,” one of the most successful and influential sitcoms in television history. His portrayal of Theo earned him an Emmy nomination and endeared him to millions of viewers during the show’s eight-season run.

Commanders Sign Super Bowl MVP Von Miller To Bolster Pass Rush

The Washington Commanders have made a major offseason move less than one week away from training camp, signing Super Bowl champion Von Miller, giving the defense an essential spark.

After months of questions surrounding their quiet approach to the edge rusher position, Washington has finally broken silence in such a big way.

Miller announced the signing himself via Instagram, with ESPN’s Adam Schefter confirming his one-year deal with Washington.

“D.C…. What’s good,” Miller posted on Instagram and X, formerly known as Twitter.

The Commanders lost critical sack production with the departure of Dante Fowler Jr., and Miller, though not on every down, is known for his defensive pressure and still knows how to hunt quarterbacks when it matters most.

In 2024 with the Buffalo Bills, Miller recorded six sacks, 32 pressures, and 23 quarterback hits in just 209 pass-rush snaps. Defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. could really use Miller as a situational weapon, to send shockwaves to other teams on third and fourth downs alongside Dorance Arm-

strong and Frankie Luvu. Washington’s defense managed only five fourth-quarter sacks all of last season, giving Miller the opportunity to shine.

However, this move is more than just about stats.

General Manager Adam Peters was a scout for the Denver Broncos back in 2011–who drafted Miller to the NFL. Since day one of being in Washington, Peters has stayed committed to the new vision of the Commanders by surrounding the locker room with proven winners, reliable talent, and established connection.

Following key veteran signings like Bobby Wagner and Zach Ertz, Miller is the latest addition with championship pedigree. On top of his on-field impact, Miller is also one of the league’s premier mentors. His offseason pass rush camps are elite, and now Washington’s young front gets another future Hall of Famer to learn from.

With training camp set to begin on Wednesday July 23, the Commanders are gearing up to get fans honed in on Miller’s signing with anticipation to make another playoff run this season.

Senate Backs Trump’s Move to Defund NPR, PBS in Blow to Independent Media

In a 51-48 vote early last Thursday morning, the Senate approved President Donald Trump’s demand to rescind $9 billion in previously approved federal spending, including $1.1 billion slashed from public broadcasting. The move targets the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which funds NPR and PBS and helps sustain more than 1,500 local public radio and television stations nationwide.

Only two Republicans, Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, voted against the bill. Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) was hospitalized and did not vote. The House approved the bill on Friday to finalize the cuts under the arcane “rescissions” process being used — a rare maneuver that hasn’t succeeded in decades.

The package restores funding for one key program — the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief

(PEPFAR) — but it leaves public media fully exposed. A last-ditch amendment by Collins and Murkowski to restore most of the CPB funding failed.

The White House has labeled NPR and PBS as biased and “radical,” and the decision to eliminate their funding follows a years-long campaign by Trump and his allies to delegitimize independent news coverage. The administration has portrayed public broadcasting as a partisan operation, a view rejected by both networks and public media advocates.

The cuts would impact federal funding from October 2025 through September 2027, and public media stations are already preparing for layoffs and reduced programming. CPB receives $535 million annually and serves as the financial foundation for stations in rural and underserved communities. Those stations often rely on federal support

D.C. Natives Light Up 2025 National Cannabis Festival

Event Promotes Peace and Policy Discussions, Highlights

Unifying Power of Cannabis and D.C. Culture

By Micha Green WI Managing Editor

Heat, humidity and occasional rain didn’t dampen the power of the 2025 National Cannabis Festival (NCF), a weekend that promoted peace, positivity and progress through policy discussions, vendors, and crowd-rocking acts at the Fields at RFK Campus July 18-19.

With several performances from local artists, thought-provoking discussions, engaging activities, and more than 140,000 attendees, the two-day event was not only fun, but showcased the strength of both District and cannabis culture.

“The legalization of cannabis in Washington, D.C., was a part of a progressive movement, and a lot of artists and people were a part of the movement. And so when they got the win, when it was made legal in Washington, D.C., I think that it was somehow directly connected to a lot of artists,” said D.C. native Nyame-Kye Kondo, also known by her stage name Meche Korrect.

For Kondo, a multihyphenate artist and arts educator, taking the festival stage as Meche Korrect on July 18 was a full circle moment.

“I feel very privileged. I remember when the National Cannabis Festival started and I attended a while back, and it was cute,” she told The Informer a few hours before her festival debut. “I remember back then thinking, ‘Oh, man, I should be on this stage.’

WARNER from Page 4

After “The Cosby Show,” Warner continued to build a diverse and acclaimed career. He starred in the UPN sitcom “Malcolm & Eddie” from 1996 to 2000, and held recurring roles in numerous TV dramas and comedies, including “Major Crimes,” “Suits,” “Community,” “The Resident,” “Reed Between the Lines,” ”Jeremiah,” and “9-1-1.” He also voiced The Producer on the popular animated series “The Magic School Bus” and served as an executive producer on the show. Warner’s talents extended well beyond acting. In 2015, he won a Grammy Award for Best Traditional R&B Perfor-

And now I am. I’m excited.”

However the road to the NCF stage was not direct.

“I’ve been performing for basically my whole life, since I was very young, but I actually was on a hiatus when I got this opportunity, and I only really got it because I had planted a seed in the past and had forgotten about it,” the 35-year-old artist explained. “So I feel blessed.”

Having facilitated a camp all summer— including the Friday of her performance— the festival, featuring artists such as: Big Boi, Three 6 Mafia, Ty Dolla Sign, Curren$y, Backyard Band and Black Alley, was a major change from her recent routine.

“I think that being a Washington native, this is a really great opportunity and so I feel good about it, and I feel like everything I’ve gone through kind of leads up to such a positive opportu nity,” she explained.

A graduate of Duke Ellington School of the Arts, the vocalist and storyteller performed new tunes and previously recorded music alongside a live band, and included multimedia elements, African dancers and even a hula hooper.

“I’m just taking audiences on a little journey real quick,” she said, “and giv ing them something nice at the begin ning of this great show.”

Directly following Kondo’s perfor mance, fellow Duke Ellington alum na Kailasa Aqeel-– lead vocalist and co-writer for Black Folks Don’t Swim? —- lit up the stage with the band’s

mance for his work on the song “Jesus Children” with Robert Glasper Experiment and Lalah Hathaway. He was also a published poet, musician, and director, and in recent years had become an outspoken advocate for mental health, particularly in the Black community.

Just days before his death, Warner released what would be his final episode of his podcast “Not All Hood,” a series focused on unpacking generational trauma, wellness, and healing within marginalized communities.

AROUND THE REGION

electrifying, funk-filled and soulful set.

After their engaging set, she said it was an incredible honor being featured on the same lineup as legendary artists who have inspired her for years, as well as others like Kondo, who she has known most of her life.

“These are performers that I look

4 Backyard Band performs on day-two of the National Cannabis Festival on July 19 at the Fields at RFK Campus in Northeast, D.C. (Ja’Mon Jackson/The Washington Informer) CANNABIS Page 31

Fans and celebrities flooded social media on Monday, expressing shock and heartbreak. WI Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

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black facts AROUND THE REGION

JULY 24

JULY 24 - 30, 2025

SOURCE:

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.

1974 – The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a law requiring states to provide equal education to children from all backgrounds was constitutional. This ruling helped pave the way for dismantling segregated schools and enforcing civil rights in education.

JULY 25

1943 – The USS Harmon, the first warship to be named after an African American, is launched in Quincy, Massachusetts.

1960 – The first group of African American students, known as the “Little Rock Nine,” was enrolled at Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas. This was a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement, demonstrating the struggle against school segregation following the Supreme Court’s ruling in Brown v. Board of Education (1954).

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.

JULY 26

1857 – The Dred Scott v. Sanford decision was handed down by the U.S. Supreme Court. The ruling stated that African Americans could not be American citizens and effectively denied them any legal rights. This decision intensified the national debate over slavery and contributed to the Civil War.

JULY 27

1980 – The first National Black Political Convention was held in Gary, Indiana. Organized by Black political leaders, it aimed to unite African American voters and develop a strategy for political power. This convention was significant in the fight for representation in U.S. politics. 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. 1929 – The first African American-owned and operated radio station, WERD, was launched in Atlanta, Georgia. This was an important development in the media landscape, providing a platform for Black voices and perspectives.

JULY 29

1955 – The first meeting of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) was held in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders, the SCLC played a crucial role in the Civil Rights Movement, advocating for nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience.

JULY 30

1962 – The National Urban League’s newspaper, the “Opportunity,” published an editorial calling for integrated schools and equal job opportunities for African Americans. This reflected the ongoing struggle for civil rights and economic equality.

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

BARACK OBAMA (LEFT)

MARY CHURCH TERRELL (LEFT CENTER)

JOHN LEWIS (ABOVE RIGHT)

MAGIC JOHNSON (RIGHT)

P INT

BY SARAFINA WRIGHT

In the memory of John Lewis, what ‘Good Trouble’ would he want us to get into today?

BRANDON, 26 / WASHINGTON, D.C.

“I think the ‘good trouble’ he would want us to get into is staying active with local organizations. In D.C., there’s no shortage of ways to get involved. I have to personally shout out the League of Women Voters of D.C. We’re working hard to mobilize around statehood and making sure everyone’s rights are protected. And it’s not just policy work— showing up matters. We need to be out at rallies, protests, and community events, making our voices heard.”

JACOB ANTHONY, 36 / WASHINGTON, D.C.

“Good trouble would be finding your representatives, or the people who claim to represent you, and holding them accountable. Remind them that the things they’re doing aren’t just killing their constituents, but depriving them of human rights. And do not let them calmly ignore you. Stay there and remind them of the facts and the things they’re doing until they have to call the Capitol Police on you.”

PAM, 75 / WASHINGTON, D.C.

“He would want us to get our congresspeople to act responsibly and ethically and not forget that our country is full of human beings. Congress people and senators should not lose their humanity when they are representing the country.”

MIKE, 30S / WASHINGTON, D.C.

“Release the files.”

THIS PERSON REQUESTED COMPLETE ANONYMITY / WASHINGTON

“As opposed to good trouble, bad trouble is tearing down your communities, breaking the law. John Lewis wasn’t about that. He was about the good trouble, rising up against tyranny, and within the law, making our voices heard.

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AROUND THE REGION

Two Hotel Cleaning Companies to Pay $290,000 in Settlement Over Unpaid Overtime to D.C. Housekeepers

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

Two cleaning companies operating in the District of Columbia have agreed to pay $290,000 to resolve allegations that they systematically failed to pay legally required overtime wages to hundreds of hotel housekeepers.

Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb announced that Mardone Inc., which does business as J&B Cleaning Services and Cuzco Facilities Services, LLC, will provide $215,000 in restitution to 323 current and former workers and pay $75,000 in civil penalties to the District.

The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) launched an investigation after receiving a tip from UNITE HERE Local 25, the union that represents hospitality workers. Investigators found evidence showing that, from January 1, 2021, through this year, employees who worked for both companies in the same workweek often were not paid time-and-a-half for hours worked over 40, as required by the District’s Minimum Wage Revision Act and the Wage Payment and Collection Law.

“Especially as the cost of living continues to increase and working families struggle to make ends meet, I will continue to fight to ensure that all Washingtonians receive the wages and benefits they are legally entitled

to,” Schwalb said. “This settlement puts money back where it belongs— in the pockets of hard-working hotel housekeepers who, despite working physically demanding jobs, were not paid the overtime wages they had earned.”

According to the settlement agreement, J&B and Cuzco, which share common ownership and management, will hire a third-party administrator to manage the claims process and distribute payments. Workers who file claims within 90 days of notification will receive approximately three times the amount initially withheld in wages. Undistributed funds will be turned over to the District. The companies have also agreed to

DEFUND NPR/PBS from Page 4

to operate broadcast towers and cover local news.

“For every public dollar provided, stations raise nearly $7 dollars from donors, including state and local governments, universities, businesses, foundations, and individual viewers and listeners,” CPB has reported. Without that public dollar, small stations may shut down entirely. Even larger affiliates are likely to reduce news coverage and cut programming, creating a ripple effect that affects NPR’s national shows, such as “Morning Edition,” and

train managers about overtime laws, provide clear notice to non-management employees in both English and Spanish about their right to overtime pay, and submit a compliance report within 13 months documenting all hours worked and overtime paid.

“UNITE HERE Local 25 applauds the DC Office of the Attorney General for its investigation into J&B Cleaning Services related to wage theft,” said Linda Martin, president of UNITE HERE Local 25. “The settlement should send a warning to other companies that contract with DC hotels: there are consequences if you disrespect workers and fail to pay them what they’ve earned.”

PBS’s children’s programming.

Fred Rogers Productions, which produces “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood,” is among the nonprofits warning of major disruptions.

“If the stations have fewer dollars to spend, then producers will eventually feel the pinch,” the organization said.

NPR told listeners that eliminating federal funding would lead to “fewer programs, less journalism — especially local journalism — and eventually the loss of public radio stations.”

Filmmaker Ken Burns told CBS News, “I couldn’t do any of the films I’ve done without them being on PBS.” WI

5Two cleaning companies operating in the District of Columbia must pay $290,000 to resolve allegations that they systematically failed to pay legally required overtime wages to hundreds of hotel housekeepers, according to D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb.(WI File Photo)

Republican Congressman Cory Mills Faces Eviction Lawsuit Over Unpaid D.C. Penthouse Rent

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

A District landlord has filed an eviction complaint against U.S. Rep. Cory Mills, a Republican congressman representing Florida’s 7th Congressional District, alleging that Mills failed to pay tens of thousands of dollars in rent on a luxury apartment in Washington, D.C.

According to the verified complaint filed July 9 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, Parcel 47F LLC, the owner of 1331 Maryland Avenue SW, claims Mills accrued an unpaid balance of $18,229.05 as of Jan. 22. The lawsuit targets Penthouse 07, where monthly rent exceeded $17,000 in addition to pet fees, utility charges, and late fees calculated at 5% of the rent amount.

Mills, 44, is a U.S. Army combat veteran who later worked as a

defense contractor before launching his first campaign for Congress in 2022.

A strong supporter of former President Donald Trump, he has been an outspoken critic of what he describes as wasteful federal spending and the culture of Washington.

Mills currently serves on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

“This is a disappointment,” one person wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “He clearly makes continuous bad decisions and thus should be kicked off all committees he is on. This has to be taken seriously as it can’t become [standard operating procedure] for any of our representatives in D.C.”

A spokesperson for Mills did not respond to multiple requests for comment regarding

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the lawsuit.

While the Superior Court has not yet set a final hearing date, some people wonder how Mills was ever able to get such an apartment in the first place.

“How does a retired army guy and now U.S. Rep. even get approved for an apartment that’s $17,000+ a month,” one social media user questioned.

Others argued that congressional representatives should be offered housing for their service.

“They should have barracks in D.C. for Congress,” Regina Gunter, who retired from the U.S. Navy, wrote on X. WI

4After filing an eviction complaint, a landlord is suing Republican Congressman Cory Mills of Florida for an unpaid balance of $18,229.05 as of Jan. 22 for a luxury apartment in Southwest, D.C. (Courtesy Photo)

AROUND THE REGION

Contemporary artist and graphic designer Maurice James Jr. reading one of the latest editions of The Washington Informer. (Ja’Mon Jackson/The Washington Informer)

United States Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.) was joined by state officials Sen. Ron Watson (D-23), Del. Marvin Holmes and Prince George’s County Director of Family Services Elana T. Butler in a pivotal discussion with local seniors on July 28, covering topics such as

warming. (Robert R. Roberts/The Washington Informer)

Trump Demands Commanders Return to Old Name, Dismissing Racism and Reigniting Controversy

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

Having eliminated diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts, attacked the teaching of Black history in schools, and embraced white nationalist rhetoric, President Donald Trump is promoting a return to America’s racist instincts.

On Sunday, the president posted a racially charged message on his Truth Social platform, demanding that Washington’s NFL team restore its previous name — a name long condemned as a slur against Indigenous people.

“The Washington ‘Whatever’s’ should IMMEDIATELY change their name back to the Washington Redskins Football Team,” the president wrote. “There is a big clamoring for this… Our great Indian people, in massive numbers, want this to happen… OWNERS, GET IT DONE!!!”

He later threatened to block funding for RFK Stadium if Washington does not change its current name.

“I may put a restriction on them that if they don’t change the name back to the original ‘Washington Redskins,’ and get rid of the ridiculous moniker, ‘Washington Commanders,’ I won’t make a deal for them to build a Stadium in Washington,” Trump wrote.

He also insisted that Major League Baseball’s Cleveland Guardians return to their former name, the Indians.

While sports executives have dismissed Trump’s remarks, his sugges-

name the franchise carried from the 1930s to 2020, when it was changed to the Washington Football Team before its current name in 2022. Advocates note the original name as a racial slur comparable to the most vile insults hurled at other marginalized groups. (WI File Photo/Marcus Relacion)

tions reignited a painful history and ongoing conversation about race, identity, and power — especially in the nation’s capital.

Josh Harris, who purchased the Washington Commanders in 2023 from disgraced former owner Dan Snyder, had previously shut down speculation about returning to the old name.

“The name was changed, and it’s not going back,” Harris said in an earlier statement, which appeared to make clear that the new ownership has no interest in revisiting a controversy that has long divided the city and caused deep harm.

THE HISTORY BEHIND THE FORMER

NAME, NEW NAME

The controversy — centered in Washington — dates back to 1933, when the franchise changed its name from the Boston Braves to the Boston Redskins. The team relocated to Washington in 1937, where it remained known as the “Redskins” until 2020–when it was then called the Washington Football Team.

For decades, Indigenous leaders, civil rights advocates, and scholars condemned the name as a racial slur comparable to the most vile insults hurled at other marginalized groups.

In the early 1970s, the first significant public backlash against the name took hold, with Washington journalists and activists comparing the term

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5President Donald Trump suggests the Washington Commanders revert to the highly contentious

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY

Maryland’s Shameful Legacy: Youth of Color Still Funneled into Adult Courts and Prisons

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

A disturbing discovery in Maryland has reignited calls for urgent reform to the state’s youth justice system— one that critics say still reflects the racism and cruelty of its 19th-century past.

In a wooded area near the Cheltenham Youth Detention Center in Prince George’s County, at least 100 unmarked graves of Black children—some dating back to the 1800s—have been uncovered near the former House of Reformation and Instruction for Colored Children. Originally established in 1870 to detain Black boys as young as 5 years old, the facility operated under brutal conditions that included forced labor and systemic neglect. The site, long ignored by state officials, serves as a chilling reminder of the state’s history of warehousing Black youth.

But according to The Sentencing Project, that past is tragically still present.

“Maryland’s shameful legacy of racism, neglect, and abuse in its treatment of young lives continues to this day,” said Olivia Naugle, Youth Justice Campaign strategist at The Sentencing Project. “More than 150 years later, though desegregated by the courts and operating under a new name, it still overwhelmingly detains youth of color, who are often charged as if they were adults.”

In fact, Maryland now ranks fourth in the country for incarcerating people for crimes committed as children. Per capita, it charges more youth as adults than almost any other state, second only to Alabama. Black children are seven times more likely to be charged as adults than

their white peers.

Naugle and other advocates point to Maryland’s expansive list of 33 offenses that require automatic adult charges for youth, one of the most extreme in the nation. While over half of U.S. states have moved to restrict or eliminate such automatic charging mechanisms, Maryland remains an outlier.

State Senator William C. Smith Jr. (D), who chairs the state Senate’s Judicial Proceedings Committee, has vowed to reintroduce legislation narrowing the list of crimes that send children directly to adult court.

“We have the opportunity to reckon with the injustices of the past through action in the present,” Smith wrote in a Facebook post. His proposed reform would reserve adult charges only for the most severe offenses, such as murder and rape.

“This is a critical step toward addressing the racial disparities that plague Maryland’s youth justice system,” Naugle added. “We applaud Senator Smith for tackling this deeply flawed system of youth injustice.”

BLACK AND BROWN YOUTH DISPROPORTIONATELY TRIED AS ADULTS

The Sentencing Project’s “Youth in Adult Courts, Jails, and Prisons” paints a damning picture nationwide, but particularly in states like Maryland.

Although the number of children tried as adults in the U.S. has dropped from 250,000 annually at the turn of the century to 53,000 by 2019, the overwhelming majority of those still being transferred are youth of color. Black youth—who make

5The Cheltenham Youth Detention Center serves as a secure detention facility for youth who are waiting to go to court or be placed in a treatment facility. In a wooded area near the facility, at least 100 unmarked graves of Black children have been uncovered near the former House of Reformation and Instruction for Colored Children. (Courtesy Photo)

up less than 15% of the national youth population—comprise 63% of those detained pending criminal court hearings.

The practice of treating children as adults in the legal system surged in the 1990s, fueled by racist myths about so-called “super-predator” youth. The policies disproportionately targeted Black and brown children and have been thoroughly debunked by crime data and behavioral science.

“In 2001, the U.S. Surgeon General’s report found that ‘there is not evidence that the young people involved in violence during the peak years of the early 1990s were more frequent or more vicious offenders than youth in earlier years,’” according to the Sentencing Project report. “Yet, the damage of these punitive, racist policies had already been done.”

Violent juvenile crime has declined, and neurological research shows that young people are less capable of impulse control and more amenable to rehabilitation than adults.

Still, children sent to adult prisons are at a significantly higher risk of suicide, sexual assault, and long-term trauma.

The Sentencing Project reports that housing children in adult jails increases recidivism and severely hinders their ability to reintegrate into society. Youth convicted in adult court often lose access to record expungement, educational and vocational programs, and communi-

ty-based rehabilitation services.

In 2019 alone, 76 minors were held in adult jails in Maryland. Another 16 were housed in adult prisons. Most of those detained were youth of color.

In January, the Maryland Equitable Justice Collaborative (MEJC) released 18 recommendations to the Maryland General Assembly in order to address mass incarceration in the state. Recommendations included: providing trauma-informed mental health treatment, expanding community-based reentry programs, and limiting the charging of youth in adult criminal court.

“No single person created mass incarceration, and no single person can correct its devastating effects on communities of color across Maryland,” Attorney General Anthony Brown, who serves as MEJC cochair, said in the statement. “These recommendations are a crucial first step in making our state fairer, and safer, for all. Just as this crisis has harmed Black communities for decades, our efforts will impact Maryland families for generations, helping them heal from the trauma of mass incarceration.”

‘THEY AT LEAST DESERVE SOME RESPECT IN DEATH THAT THEY DIDN’T GET IN LIFE’

Advocates say the rediscovery of the graves near Cheltenham offers

a sobering parallel between past and present.

The boys buried there were labeled “inmates” on death certificates dating as far back as 1898. They died behind bars for offenses ranging from petty theft to simply being labeled “incorrigible.” Their names and lives were long forgotten—until now.

“They can’t be made whole,” said Rosemary Clark, a genealogist who uncovered over 100 death certificates tied to the reform school. “But they at least deserve some respect in death that they didn’t get in life.”

Senator Smith and former Department of Juvenile Services Secretary Vincent Schiraldi have applied for funding to preserve and memorialize the site. However, advocates insist that memorials alone are insufficient.

“We have to make sure we don’t repeat the mistakes of the past,” Schiraldi told The Washington Post. “They were segregating kids by race and treating the kids of color more poorly and burying them in a potter’s field. But at least they were taking them out of the adult prisons of the day.”

For Naugle and The Sentencing Project, Maryland’s modern policies show that not enough has changed.

“It is long overdue that Maryland ends this harmful, ineffective policy,” Naugle said. “If we want to break the cycle, we must stop pretending children are adults. We must finally treat them like children, especially children of color who’ve borne the brunt of this system for over a century.” WI

Liquid Intrusion Brewing Company: Making Beer and Black History

By James Wright WI Staff Writer

After a hard day of work, many people head to their local convenience store to pick up beer, so they can go home, relax and drink their favorite brand while reflecting on their lives.

The most popular beers in the U.S., according to a November 2024 Forbes, are Modelo Especial, Bud Light, Michelob Ultra, Coors Light, and Corona Extra. In addition, a Statista survey reveals that Bud Light is a favorite among Black beer drinkers.

However, Andrew and Jasmine Dill, co-owners of Liquid Intrusion Brewing Company based in Brandywine, Maryland, are hoping people consider their brand when hoping to unwind to a tasty craft beer.

“We make a great beer,” Andrew Dill, 35, told The Informer. “When we create beer we use quality ingredients such as yeast, hops, malts and water. Our philosophy is that everyone likes beer, you just may not know your brand.”

The couple own and operate the first Black-owned brewery in Prince George’s County. The husband and entrepreneur noted that while they are the first, they are not the only African American owned breweries in the county, noting Black Beauty in Bowie and knowledge of a third that is in formation.

He said that there are approximately 10,000 craft breweries in the U.S. and less than 1%—86— are Black owned. Of the 86, 12 are Black women-owned, and that includes Liquid Intrusion Brewing Company, co-owned by Dill and his wife.

The Dills are active members of the National Black Brewers Association and the Brewers Association of Maryland based, in Annapolis that represents the interest of beer entrepreneurs in the state.

“We also belong to the Brewers Association that represents brewers on Capitol Hill and in the executive branch,” said Dill. “They

lobby and work for the interests of the industry nationally.”

THE FOUNDING OF LIQUID INTRUSION BREWING COMPANY

Both 35, the Dills are high school sweethearts who attended Suitland High School in Suitland Maryland and Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, North Carolina.

When they graduated from college, they came back to Prince George’s County to begin their life together.

“My wife worked in IT, and I worked for various beer distributors in the Adams Morgan and Gallery Place neighborhoods of Washington,” said Dill. “I also worked for Anheuser-Busch in Richmond, the World of Beer in Bethesda, Maryland and a Belgian Beer company. I have always been around beer.”

For Dill, the emergence of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020 “changed everything.” He was laid off from his job at the Belgian Beer company and his wife transitioned her work duties from the office to home.

“It was then that I decided to hone my brewing skills,” said Dill. “With the support of my wife, we decided to start the business, Liquid Intrusion Brewing Company, and we had the support of our family and friends.”

Liquid Intrusion Brewing Company officially launched in September 2022.

In addition to his longtime career working with beer, Dill said there was another motive for him and his wife to start the company.

“We wanted to create generational wealth,” he said, “and this company was the way to do it.”

THE PHILOSOPHY AND MONEY OF LIQUID INTRUSION BREWING COMPANY

While the Liquid Intrusion Brewing Company prides itself on being a Prince George’s County product, its reach goes beyond the borders of the

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY

majority-Black jurisdiction.

The company’s beer can be purchased in the District, other parts of Maryland, and Delaware, where Dill is proud to have reach in the First State.

“We tend to focus on self-distribution of our beer, but we do have partnerships,” he said. “Delaware is where we partner with a distributor so that people can sample our product. We can be found in places like Rehoboth Beach, which is close to Ocean City, Maryland, and in Wilmington that gives access to that area close to Pennsylvania. We don’t distribute in Northern Virginia because of some complications, but we have found Delaware to be more relaxed.”

The Liquid Intrusion Brewing Company scored a major win when it secured a spot in the Baltimore-Washington Thurgood Marshall International Airport.

Airports tend to be difficult venues for small and minority businesses to set up or have their products sold due to cost of operations, but the Dills persisted.

“We reached out a couple of times to BWI and we finally broke through,” said Dill. “They are craft beer friendly. They liked our story and took a chance on us. We are sold on Concourse C at Firkin Flyer.”

Like many Black businesses, access to capital is an issue for the Liquid Intrusion Brewing Company. They

have been advised and consulted by professionals at Prince George’s County Economic Development Corporation and that relationship has opened other doors.

One door that has opened and worked well so far is SEED SPOT, a nonprofit organization with operations in Phoenix, Arizona and the District who educate socially conscious entrepreneurs on business practices through instruction and mentoring.

Tristan Gandolfi, vice president of programs at SEED SPOT, spoke highly of the Dills as participants in their program.

“The Dills work relentlessly on their company, and they have made so much progress,” said Gandolfi, 40.

Gandolfi said her organization educates its participant-entrepreneurs in finding resources and mentors for their businesses. She notes that while

they do not provide capital for their participants, they offer them education on how to seek investors and have ecosystem partners.

“We do offer a stipend in our program for entrepreneurs to get certifications such as being a CBE (Certified Business Enterprise),” she said.

The Dills plan to use the knowledge gained from SEED SPOT to open a brick-and-mortar store in Brandywine. They are looking for partnerships, specifically people who believe in minority ownership and love craft beer.

They view beer as the glue to help people be more relaxed to connect.

“We are looking for private investors,” said Dill. “Right now, we are a boot strap organization. We don’t draw a salary. The money we make goes back into the business. We are determined to be successful.”

WI @JamesWrightJr10

5Maryland Gov. Wes Moore listens intently as Jasmine Dill, co-owner of the Liquid Intrusion Brewing Company in Prince George’s County, explains her product. (Courtesy Photo/Liquid Intrusion Brewing Company)

BUSINESS

D.C. Unemployment Claims Surge, Ranking Worst in the Nation

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

The nation’s capital is confronting an escalating wave of unemployment claims, with new data showing the District ranks last in the country for progress in stabilizing its labor market.

According to WalletHub’s latest report, “States Where Unemployment Claims Are Decreasing the Most,” initial filings in D.C. rose 22.63% over the prior week and were 73.21% higher than the same week a year ago. So far in 2025, the District has recorded the highest cumulative increase in claims compared to the same period last year, ranking 51st overall behind every state.

WalletHub found D.C. also placed near the bottom in other measures, including 44th for change in claims compared to the previous week, 50th for the change compared to the same week in 2024, and 47th for unemployment claims per 100,000 workers in the labor force.

“Continued uncertainty regarding longer-term trends as the effects of widespread AI adoption and changes in AI tools continue,” said Joyce P. Jacobsen, a WalletHub expert and professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and Wesleyan University. “At this point, recent safe havens like

ACADEMY OF HOPE

learning to code seem less safe. The continued uncertainty regarding the levels and effects of tariffs on domestic industries and the slowdown in the tourist industry in the U.S. are also keeping hirers cautious as they wait to see the full effects of the current federal administration’s seesawing policies.”

Jacobsen added that it’s difficult to imagine consumer and employer confidence rising any time soon.

“The best-case scenario for the year is low but positive growth rather than a turn towards recession, but 2025 may well manage to do this as the full effects of the tariffs and other administrative policies may not become clear until af-

ADULT PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL / REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS 40TH ANNIVERSARY COMPREHENSIVE CAMPAIGN CONSULTANT

The Academy of Hope Adult Public Charter School in Washington, DC is seeking proposals from consultants for our 40th Anniversary Comprehensive Campaign. View the full RFP and submission details at https://aohdc.org/get-involved/jobs/. Proposals are due July 31, 2025.

ACADEMY OF HOPE

ADULT PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL / REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS ELEVATOR MODERNIZATION/REPLACEMENT

The Academy of Hope Adult Public Charter School in Washington, DC is seeking proposals for Elevator Modernization/Replacement of Hydraulic with Traction. View the full RFP and submission details at https://aohdc.org/get-involved/jobs/. Proposals are due July 31, 2025.

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TURNKEY DESIGN-BUILD, FF&E AND OCCUPANCY SERVICES

The Academy of Hope Adult Public Charter School in Washington, DC is seeking proposals from Design-Build contractors. View the full RFP and submission details at https://aohdc.org/get-involved/jobs/. Proposals are due August 11, 2025.

3 People network at the University of the District of Columbia Congress Heights Campus at a job fair in April 2025. The D.C. area is confronting an escalating wave of unemployment claims. (WI File Photo/ Robert R. Roberts)

unemployment funds as more layoffs occur and be less concerned about a negative impact on their future job prospects or opportunities.”

Jacobsen added that unemployment rates have never fully reflected the state of the job market and that continues to be the case.

ter the holiday season, boding less well for 2026,” he said.

Another WalletHub expert, Dr. Carolyn Wiley, a professor at Roosevelt University, said the trend she expects in the foreseeable future is a greater uptake in unemployment claims.

“Employers contribute to unemployment insurance, to ensure access to these funds when needed. These days laid off employees are more likely to apply for it, and employees and employers have less stigma around it,” Wiley stated. “Employees during the pandemic and thereafter, found this benefit to be extremely helpful. I expect that more people will leverage

COMMANDERS from Page 11

“Redskins” to anti-Black slurs. The team president at the time claimed the name was meant to “convey reverence,” but the defense rang hollow for many in the Native American community.

By 1992, protests escalated.

At Super Bowl XXVI, played in Minnesota and featuring the Washington team, thousands demonstrated against the name. That same year, Suzan Shown Harjo, a prominent Native American rights advocate, led a legal challenge to revoke the team’s federal trademark protections. The courts initially ruled in her favor in 1999, declaring the name disparaging, but years of appeals followed.

Daniel Snyder, then-owner of the team, remained defiant. In 2013, he famously told USA Today, “We’ll never change the name. NEVER — you can use caps.”

That same year, President Barack Obama urged Snyder to reconsider.

“In particular, discouraged workers and underemployed workers, including the many workers who do not utilize fully their formal training, are not reflected,” she said. “The current job market is less about high unemployment and more about structural issues, such as the mismatch between what skills employers are looking for and what skills potential workers have.”

She also shared challenges younger workers experience.

“The issue for many younger and even middle-aged workers is also the inability to find a single well-paying job with full benefits,” Jacobsen continued, “leading more workers to hold multiple part-time positions and shortterm gigs.”

Despite Snyder’s efforts to portray the name as honoring Native heritage — even citing alleged support from Indigenous leaders and organizations — key groups like the Red Cloud Indian School explicitly refuted any endorsement, calling the name offensive and harmful.

In Washington, the pressure mounted. Activists, corporate sponsors, and even the District’s local officials spoke out. The team ultimately retired the “Redskins” name in July 2020, after FedEx, Nike, and PepsiCo investors pushed for the change, citing reputational damage and social responsibility. FedEx, which held naming rights to the team’s stadium, was especially influential — its CEO, Fred Smith, was a part-owner.

For two seasons, the team played under the placeholder name “Washington Football Team” before unveiling “Commanders” in 2022. WI Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

“If I were the owner of the team and I knew that the name of my team… was offending a sizable group of people, I’d think about changing it,” Obama said.

Business briefs

Eastern Market Extends to Reagan National Airport

By James Wright WI Staff Writer

The famed Eastern Market— a more than two-century old public market located in the Southeast, D.C.— expanded to Northern Virginia at Reagan National Airport’s National Hall as a retail store on July 14.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser was joined by leaders of the D.C. Department of General Services, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA), Fraport USA and WHSmith/Marshall Retail Group for the official opening.

The 3,544-square-foot store brings the spirit of one of the District’s most iconic and historic des-

tinations directly to air travelers by featuring locally made goods, souvenirs, and travel essentials from city-based vendors and a one-stop shop of convenience items.

“The local businesses who sell at Eastern Market are part of the fabric of D.C., and we’re proud to bring their creative spirit directly to travelers coming to and through D.C.,” said Bowser. “This store is about creating opportunity for our small businesses, uplifting local vendors, and giving everyone who loves our city another chance to take a piece of it back home.”

The new store features products from more than a dozen local vendors who regularly sell at the Capitol Hill site, further expanding their

visibility to a global audience and promoting homegrown talent and entrepreneurship.

Plus, other District-based stories such as Solid State Books and DC Arts District Store were also celebrated as having a presence at the airport, offering more opportunities for visitors and residents to support local businesses.

The Eastern Market store is the result of a unique public-private partnership. In June 2024, the District signed a license agreement with The Marshall Retail Group, LLC (a subsidiary of WHSmith) to bring the branded Eastern Market retail store to the airport. MWAA, the authority that operates and manages Washington, D.C.-area airports, partnered with Fraport USA to manage the concessions program and, along with WHSmith, to help bring the store concept to life.

“On behalf of WHSmith North America, we are honored to be the trusted airport operating partner for the historic D.C. landmark Eastern Market,” said Huw Crwys-Williams, CEO of WHSmith North America. “As the crown jewel of our

expansive portfolio of travel essential, specialty, and coffee concession locations at DCA, we are incredibly thankful to all our business partners at both Fraport Washington and the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority for their continued

support through the opening of all our locations, along with our joint venture partners, culminating with the grand opening of Eastern Market here in the National Hall.” WI @JamesWrightJr10

THE RIGHT MORTGAGE AWAITS.

5 District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser checks out merchandise at the new Eastern Market retail store at Reagan National Airport on July 14. (Courtesy Photo/ Mayor Muriel Bowser, X)

NATIONAL

‘Our Silence Will Not Protect Us’: New Report Tracks Growing Assault on Protest Rights

Anti-Protest Laws Exist in 47 out of 50 States, Threatening Americans’ Constitutional Rights

By Mya Trujillo WI Contributing Writer

The right to assemble, an integral part of the United States Bill of Rights and a crucial pillar of democracy, is under attack across the country as 103 bills criminalizing protest have been passed or introduced since January 2024. To raise awareness of the deviation from democracy and advocate for freedom of speech, civil rights organization the Advancement Project published the report “Our Silence Will Not Protect Us: Tracking Recent Trends in Anti-Protest Laws” on July 10.

“These laws turn constitutionally protected activity into criminal conduct and chill dissent before it even begins,” said Carmen Daugherty, the Advancement Project’s deputy executive director, during a media briefing. “And we know the goal is not safety. It’s to suppress social movements, especially those led by people of color and other marginalized communities.”

Situations like the conflict in Gaza, the planning and opening of Atlanta’s Cop City, federal budget cuts amid President Donald Trump’s return to office, and increased raids and arrests by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) among other incidents have been catalysts for various protests in the last two years.

Advancement Project’s report analyzes critical legal strategies used by lawmakers to discourage communities from utilizing their First Amendment right, including: updated definitions and penalties that increase

the risk of arrest, new regulations penalizing common protest behaviors like masking or blocking traffic, restrictions on visas and financial aid packages targeting immigrant and student protestors and restrictions on where demonstrations can occur.

“We released this brief to help the public, policymakers, advocates and those in media to see the bigger picture– the laws are part of a coordinated backlash, and we need a coordinated response,” Daugherty said. “Protests have always been essential to change in this country and in the world. Silencing dissent is not just a legal issue. It is a democracy issue.”

AUTHORITARIAN TACTICS, RACIAL PROFILING UNDERMINE THE RIGHT TO DISSENT

On June 6, multiple immigration sweeps were carried out by ICE in downtown Los Angeles and surrounding areas, sparking days of demonstrations from people expressing their grievances with the federal agents’ actions. The protests led to clashes with participants against deportation officers in riot gear and the L.A. Police Department (LAPD).

Demonstrators were met with force in standoffs with the LAPD that included the utilization of tear gas, pepper spray and flash-bang grenades to disperse the crowds.

The following day, clashes between protestors and law enforcement in Compton and Paramount inclined Trump to federalize the California

National Guard and deploy 2,000 soldiers to L.A.

Marakay Alemseged, an L.A. organizer at Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI), believes this reaction from the U.S. government is a demonstration of authoritarianism and control.

“In Los Angeles, ICE raids and the militarized response against our collective outrage are a coordinated campaign of terror,” Alemseged said when the Advancement Project brief launched. “Black and brown communities are being disappeared, kidnapped, punished and surveilled by federal and local law and immigration enforcement, all while being blamed for the very violence used against them.”

Aside from already targeting movements led by marginalized communities, the anti-protest laws are often enforced in areas with large populations of people of color. For example, Louisiana House Bill (HB) 383 grants civil immunity to anyone who drives a vehicle into a protest, with limited immunity offered if they cause a fatality. Illinois HB 2357 also refers to protesting and traffic, stating that any demonstration that blocks traffic for more than five minutes is considered a felony offense.

Louisiana also enacted HB 205/ Senate Bill 52, which broadens the list of offenses that guarantee a racketeering charge, and also redefines a riot as a “public disturbance” with three or more participants that could potentially lead to injury or damage.

Under this definition, even a nonviolent demonstration could warrant a racketeering accusation. In Illinois, a nonviolent protest could be considered a felony if any public infrastructure is damaged or defaced.

“In many cases, such laws are selectively applied, with law enforcement targeting individuals and groups based on their race or membership within a movement,” the Advancement Project wrote. “This reinforces a pattern of racial profiling that criminalizes Black and brown people simply for engaging in their constitutionally protected right.”

‘WE

WILL FIGHT FOR OUR PEOPLE AND WIN’: THE RIGHT TO RESIST AS A GLOBAL FIGHT FOR FREEDOM

The laws also threaten international communities, first by targeting immigrant protestors’ visa statuses and threatening students with deportation under Executive Order 14188, which has caused almost 2,000 cases of visa revocation due to their participation in protest efforts on college campuses.

Due to the U.S.’s influence in the global stage, anti-protest laws, which exist in every U.S. state except for Nebraska, Wisconsin and Wyoming, also have the potential to encourage rights violations across the globe, normalizing the silencing

of citizens’ needs and critiques of government operations. This is one of the many reasons why the Advancement Project’s report is crucial during such trying times.

“I think it sends a clear message to international communities that the crackdown on protest rights in the U.S. is not just our issues, but it’s part of a broader trend of authoritarianism that reverberates globally,” Daugherty told The Informer. “But I think it’s important that by documenting these threats, we aim to build solidarity with human rights defenders worldwide and connect our struggles with global movements for freedom and accountability.”

Even though government officials’ efforts to stifle communities’ voices may be discouraging to many who wish to practice their constitutionally protected rights, the Advancement Project encourages people to reject control tactics and do what they can to continue organizing and engaging in grassroots mobilization. Advocacy experts note that as long as demonstrators have built solid, supportive networks, know their rights and push for protective laws, a more liberated future is possible.

“The U.S. government hopes to violate us into silence and complicity, but instead, we’re being loud and we’re fighting for our families, for our friends, for our neighbors and our futures,” Alemseged said. “We will not comply and we will not be divided. We will fight for our people and win.” WI

5 Crowds flood the National Mall during the “Hands Off” protest– a series of peaceful protests that took the nation by storm in April 2025. (WI File Photo/Mya Trujillo)

National Urban League Declares ‘State of Emergency’ for Black America in 2025 Report

By Stacy M. Brown Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

In its most urgent warning to date, the National Urban League has declared a “state of emergency” for democracy and civil rights in the United States. The organization’s 49th annual State of Black America report, unveiled at its conference in Cleveland, Ohio, outlines what it describes as a deliberate, coordinated campaign to reverse decades of progress for Black Americans.

“A democracy willing to destroy itself rather than deliver justice is a democracy in crisis,” the report states.

National Urban League President Marc H. Morial emphasized the necessary steps to combat this attack on civil rights.

“The work is difficult. The road is long,” Morial said. “But we know from experience that the arc of history does not bend toward justice on its

own—it must be bent by those with the strength and will to see it through.”

This year’s report, titled “State of Emergency: Democracy, Civil Rights, and Progress Under Attack,” sounds the alarm over efforts to dismantle civil rights protections, suppress voting access, and strip away diversity initiatives.

“The notion that we are living through a ‘state of emergency’ is not rhetorical flourish. It is an honest reckoning with a government increasingly determined to sacrifice its founding principles—equality, liberty, and justice—rather than accept the truth of a diversifying nation and deliver equitable opportunity to all,” Morial wrote in his foreword.

Among the most pressing threats detailed in the report is the systematic rollback of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

“Almost daily, since January 20, 2025, the federal government, at the direction the White House, has set fire to policies and entire departments

dedicated to protecting civil and human rights, providing access to an equal education, fair housing, safe and effective healthcare, and ensuring that our democratic process is adhered to across the nation,” the report authors wrote.

It also describes the radical transformation of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division.

“Under its new leadership, the Civil Rights Division has been hollowed out and repurposed transforming from a guardian of justice into a tool for political retribution,” the report said.

Within weeks of the new administration taking power, “cases against election deniers who’ve tampered with the election equipment were dismissed and January 6th rioters were pardoned.”

The report also warns of a rise in digital extremism.

“During the 2024 election cycle, accounts supporting progressive candidates also saw their accounts blocked and shadow-banned without explanation,” the report documented, calling this “a digital rollback of rights mirroring what’s happening in courts and legislatures.”

The report also describes the coordinated backlash against diversity, equi-

ty, and inclusion (DEI) efforts.

“Following the murder of George Floyd, far-right extremists seized an opportunity to stop the calls for racial equity by reframing the policies as ‘woke’ and anti-American,” according to this year’s State of Black America.

NEXT STEPS: ‘THIS IS NOT BUSINESS AS USUAL’

The National Urban League’s response, detailed in the report, includes a broad campaign of legal challenges,

advocacy, and community organizing. It has launched the Equitable Justice and Strategic Initiatives division, established the 21 Pillars for Public Safety framework, and coordinated the Fair Budget Coalition to push for a “just and inclusive FY2026 federal budget.”

The League also filed suit, alongside Lambda Legal and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, challenging executive orders that target diversity and equity.

Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

5 National Urban League President Marc H. Morial says the current state of the nation is “not business as usual,” offering steps to take in order to combat the attacks on democracy and civil rights. (WI File Photo/Cleveland Nelson)

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Local Nigerians Weigh In on President’s Latest Visa Restrictions

‘Every

Nigerian I Know, Knows Someone… Impacted by Trump’

By D. Kevin McNeir WI Contributing Writer

Keeping with his campaign promise to enact more stringent policies targeting the flow of immigrants into the U.S., President Donald Trump announced new visa restrictions on July 8 impacting four African nations: Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, and Ethiopia, leaving many people from those countries concerned about their future plans and next steps.

The policy change follows a June 4 presidential proclamation, which immediately imposed either full restrictions or limited entry for 19 countries, most of them located either in Africa or the Middle East.

Those who trace their roots to Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon or Ethiopia, must now contend with visa restrictions that bear no resemblance to those imposed by former President Joe Biden, and they are already feeling the effects. Further, professionals, students, and travelers seeking to visit or study in the U.S. must now grapple with the new policies.

“Every Nigerian I know, knows someone who has been impacted by Trump and his agenda,” said Dr. Charles Olawole, 51, a Nigerian-born theologian, who lives in Upper Marlboro, but has been a naturalized citizen for 26 years.

As president and CEO of The Pan-African Unity Summit Group, Olawole routinely travels to Nigeria, and other African nations, and remains keenly aware of the issues and concerns that are most pressing in the minds of most Nigerians.

Some Nigerians, both here in America and abroad, continue to maintain a “wait-and-see” attitude as to how they will be affected by the policy changes. But others have been openly critical about the stance that Trump has taken.

“He’s targeting documented and undocumented people who come from specific countries. He has allowed rampant visa abuse and invoked oppressive travel bans,” Olawole told The Informer. “Even those with green cards are, for the first time in history, afraid and uncertain about their own travel status.”

politicians make too many promises that they don’t keep. Driven toward change, he once served as the African Diaspora Liaison to the National Democratic Party, but resigned in 2016, frustrated by what he explained as the ineptitude of his colleagues.

“I was tired of seeing folks pose for photo ops and use people for their own political gains,” he said. “Nigerians want a leader not a politician. We want someone who clearly loves his country and his people and will fight for them. We want someone who can teach us how to fish so we don’t need handouts. That’s why a lot of us support Trump.”

RESOURCES IN A TIME OF UNCERTAINTY

‘WE WANT SOMEONE WHO CAN TEACH US HOW TO FISH SO WE DON’T NEED HANDOUTS’

Sylvester Okere, 60, shares several similarities to Olawole as a Nigerian-born man who has since moved to the United States and become a naturalized citizen.

However, Okere said he supports the president.

“He’s a leader who says what he means, means what he says and calls a spade a spade,” he said.“One of the biggest problems in Africa is poor leadership and inefficient government and after years of neglect, Nigerians like me simply want to see what good leadership is all about.”

While he currently lives in Columbia, Maryland, Okere, the youngest of 11 children, said he works to stay true to Nigerian customs.

“Africans believe in traditional values, family, God, and country,” he said. “What we don’t like is when we are used as pawns in a political game of chess. Africa already has what it needs to feed itself, but we need solid leadership, better training and a greater commitment to preparing youth for the future.”

Okere, who owns a private security firm, said he’s heard too many

Representatives from The Nigerian Center in Southeast, D.C., noted the nonprofit has seen an increased flow of traffic since the second Trump administration and announcement of the recent restrictions.

People like Olawole note there’s a heightened sense of anxiety and confusion that has since erupted among Nigerians who currently live, work or study in the Washington metropolitan area.

“The worst thing is how these policies are separating families,” Olawole told The Informer. “My people are suffering from fear, mental anguish and depression. They’re even afraid to gather in places where they’ve received encouragement and passed on their traditions to future generations: schools, grocery stores, and churches.”

Further, Olawole emphasized that people on the continent are also aware of how their lives can be upended when a changing of the guard in the White House leads to revisions in U.S. foreign policies.

“With the cuts in medical assistance, we’re already seeing a rise in cases of malaria, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis,” Olawole continued. “God only knows what will happen if we see another pandemic like COVID develop.”

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HEALTH

By Jada Ingleton WI Content Editor

As the American with Disabilities Act, or ADA, marks its 35th anniversary this July, National Children’s Center (NCC) CEO Terrance King is honoring the transformative legislation with a nod to the evolution of disability rights and a prompt reminder of its continued significance – particularly in the face of legislation targeting pivotal protections.

“Our fight right now in regards to disability services is not to go back-

wards,” King told The Informer. “We see individuals who have come through [NCC]...and now they are thriving in an inclusive opportunity, whether it’s work, employment, schools. All of these things have been somewhat of a connection to over 35 years of the American Disability Act.”

The remarks follow the Supreme Court’s approval to dismantle the Department of Education, threatening civil rights against discrimination under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, along with the

Thanks to the American with Disabilities Act, programs such as the National Children’s Center Early Learning and Early Intervention Center (ELC), pictured during last year’s Pre-K graduation, thrive in support of children and families with disabilities. (Courtesy

passing of the Trump-led 2025 Budget Reconciliation Bill — the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, or OBBBA – which will reduce federal Medicaid spending by approximately $1 trillion over the next decade.

As president of the regional nonprofit empowering children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), King hails this month’s Disability Pride as a pivotal reflection of the resistance and resilience that fortified the bill signed into law on July 26, 1990.

Further, he challenges organizations and communities alike to illuminate that foundation through initiatives aimed at increasing community engagement, national awareness, and upholding the promises afforded by the ADA, such as the 60hour Medicaid vigil hosted by The Arc – a national organization serving people with IDD – on the National Mall July 23 through 26.

“We’ve taken so much, and made so much ground over these 35 years [with the ADA],” King said. “We have to continue to advocate, make a voice, state a voice, and encourage others to join us as well.”

UPHOLDING THE PROMISES AFFORDED BY THE ADA

With the support of the Americans with Disabilities Act, annual programming such as NCC’s respective Day Program and Early Learning and Early Intervention Center (ELC) summer camp, hosted in Ward 8, thrive in shaping the liveli-

“Just because the passing of [OBBBA] has occurred, we have to continue to voice our concerns,” King pleaded, highlighting the need for unity to champion equity in healthcare, education, employment opportunities, and housing for people with disabilities.

Thus, in honor of the 60th anniversary of Medicaid, organizations in support of disabled persons such as NCC, Bethesda-based Makom, and others are gathering atop the National Mall to share truths and call attention to the communities across the nation disproportionately affected by the biggest cuts in the program’s 60-year history.

With the visual demonstration to commence through July 26 at 9 a.m. ET, the goal is reminiscent of a similar vision lauded by former Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin (D), a prominent supporter of the ADA, following the bill’s congressional approval in 1990.

hood and independence of disabled persons in the DMV.

External partnerships with organizations like Women and Drones Network and Northwest’s Lifeline Partnership prioritize inclusive skill building by supporting development and interest with exposure to drone flying and cooking classes, all the while prompting a “creative, stimulating” environment for participants to garner essential life skills and self-confidence that will benefit job employment and independent living.

“It’s not just confined to a single month. At NCC, we live this mission day in and day out through the people that we provide [for],” King told The Informer. “From accessible services, inclusive supports, deepening their respect for dignity and potential – for every person, as we say, to live as independently as possible.”

The NCC president notes the ongoing mission of the disability pride movement that catapulted with the Capitol Crawl of 1990, when more than 1,000 people marched from the White House to the U.S. Capitol in the spring to demand that Congress pass the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The physical demonstration saw individuals – as young as then 8-year-old Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins – toss aside wheelchairs and canes to enact change amid the realities of inaccessible architecture, transportations, and a host of vital services, some of which King warns can vanish “if we keep going in this

tion.”

“Today, Congress opens the doors to all Americans with disabilities,” Harkin signed to his colleagues in American Sign Language, in honor of his deaf brother. “Today we say no to ignorance, no to fear, no to prejudice.”

Beyond July’s Disability Pride Month, King encourages communities to leverage numerous avenues to ensure people with disabilities relish the continued protections established 35 years ago.

Among the calls to action include: attending D.C. Council meetings; volunteering for disability organizations; lobbying local and federal representatives and policies; voting; and staying connected with advocacy groups like NCC to further awareness and information.

To increase disability pride representation, alongside the aforementioned focus areas, the CEO emphasized addressing issues centered on social determinants where individuals with disabilities are often overlooked, such as innovation and technology.

“Whether you’re a neighbor, a policy maker, a teacher, a reader of The Washington Informer, we all need to play a role in this…providing a voice…growing the disability pride, especially for those who cannot speak for themselves,” King told The Informer. “They count on organizations like NCC, and they count on you. So if you have any opportunity to advocate – to send a message, a letter, email, a text, do so. You’re making a difference.”

Photo)

Trump-Appointed Judge Blocks Medical Debt Relief, Harming Millions— Especially Black Americans

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

A Trump-appointed federal judge has blocked a key rule that would have removed medical debt from the credit reports of roughly 15 million Americans, dealing a harsh blow to struggling families already burdened by the high cost of health care, particularly Black Americans who carry a disproportionate share of that debt.

Judge Sean Jordan of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas ruled to vacate the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) rule issued in January under the Biden administration. The judge sided with credit reporting industry groups, who argued that the CFPB had exceeded its authority under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

The decision halts a rule that had not yet taken effect and was designed to prevent medical debt, which is often the result of billing errors,

SUMMER PROGRAMS from Page 1 concepts while constructing and programming small robots.

Those hands-on lessons will soon culminate in what’s been dubbed “The Robot Olympics.”

This competition, scheduled to take place during the latter part of this week, will allow students who attended Brookland Middle School this summer to showcase their creations and demonstrate their knowledge of scientific theories, as taught by award-winning D.C. Public Schools (DCPS) teacher Dr. Rabiah Harris.

“They all had the same pieces to start with and they all had the same base of instruction that they chose,” said Harris, a 2024 D.C. Teacher of the Year finalist and STEM instructor in DCPS’ CTE Summer Enrichment Program. “The kids have really tried to make it their own, so I’m super excited to see them going against one another. Everyone loves a little competition.”

For the last three weeks, students under Harris’ tutelage experimented with robots before preparing for the competition. Along the way to creating these machines, they learned about velocity, torque and force as they cranked up the robots’ speed

insurance disputes, or unavoidable emergencies—from dragging down a person’s credit score.

Julie Margetta Morgan, former CFPB official and now president of The Century Foundation, told CBS MoneyWatch that medical debt “doesn’t show whether [someone is] likely to pay their mortgage or other debts.”

The court decision effectively slams the door to that reform.

According to the Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker, nearly 20 million adults in the U.S. owe medical debt, with a total estimated at $220 billion. Among them, 3 million people owe more than $10,000. That burden is not shared equally: 13% of Black Americans report having medical debt, compared to 8% of white Americans and 3% of Asian Americans. Medical debt also disproportionately affects women, people with disabilities, and those living in the South and rural areas.

In addition, more than half of all

and assessed how much of a load they could carry.

Harris told The Informer that students also explored robotic structure and function as they anticipated the different environments the machine would have to navigate. She called it a learning experience that sparked students’ creativity while exposing them to a lucrative career field.

“Some kids didn’t even know how to take the pieces apart or put them together, so that was definitely a learning curve for some versus others,” said Harris, who’s entering her 21st year as a K-12 teacher. “Some people felt more comfortable in coding and some people felt more comfortable in building. It was nice to give them that taste and then introduce the Robot Olympics for the remainder of the program.”

SUMMER ENRICH-

MENT:

A MATTER OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND COLLEGE/CAREER ATTAINMENT

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) and DCPS Chancellor Dr. Lewis D. SUMMER PROGRAMS Page 29

collection items on credit reports are for medical bills, according to the CFPB.

While private credit bureaus like Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion have taken limited steps—such as removing medical collections under $500—consumer advocates note these changes fall short of true relief, especially for low-income households and communities of color.

Medical debt has lasting effects: KFF polling shows people with such debt often cut back on food, clothing, and other essentials, drain savings, borrow from friends and family, or skip needed care entirely. For many, even those with health insurance, a serious illness or emergency can trigger financial ruin.

The Biden administration’s nowblocked rule aimed to address this by recognizing that medical debt is not a reliable indicator of financial behavior and should not influence credit scores. But that rule was effectively frozen after Trump reinstalled

5 A recent U.S. Court decision halts a rule that would have removed medical debt from the credit reports of roughly 15 million Americans, dealing a harsh blow to struggling families. (Courtesy Photo)

Russ Vought—a fierce critic of the CFPB—as acting director in February. Vought promptly issued a directive halting new rules and investigations, leaving the agency in a state of paralysis.

With 20% of Americans having at least one medical debt collection on their credit report, and with Black communities most likely to carry that debt, the ruling stands as a glar-

ing example of policy decisions with racial and economic consequences. States like Colorado and New York have taken steps to protect consumers, but without federal backing, millions remain exposed.

“There are a lot of flaws in our medical billing and reporting system, and it lands in the consumer’s lap,” Margetta Morgan stated. WI

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EARTH OUR

Extreme Heat Fuels Widespread Climate Alarm as Americans Reject Cuts to FEMA and NOAA

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

As record-breaking heat waves sweep across the country this summer, a new national poll reveals an overwhelming majority of Americans are linking the punishing temperatures to climate change — and voicing deep concern about the government’s ability to respond.

The American Climate Perspectives Survey 2025, conducted by ecoAmerica, found that 86% of Americans say rising temperatures have increased their concern about climate change, with more than half reporting they are “a lot” more concerned.

The sentiment cuts across demographic and political lines, with 97% of Democrats, 83% of Independents, and 79% of Republicans expressing heightened worry about the climate crisis.

“Americans are connecting ex-

treme heat to climate change, their health, and government inaction,” said Meighen Speiser, executive director of ecoAmerica.

Nearly 9 in 10 respondents recognize the toll heat is taking on public health, with 58% saying extreme heat affects health “a lot.”

This awareness is remarkably consistent across racial, age, and income groups.

Among Black Americans, 91% said rising temperatures have intensified their concern about climate change, reflecting some of the highest concern levels among any group surveyed.

Those concerns are not abstract.

Decades of research by the Brookings Institution, NOAA and others, show Black communities often face the greatest exposure to extreme heat and the fewest resources to adapt.

Studies have documented that historically redlined neighbor-

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hoods, where many Black Americans live, are routinely up to 10 degrees hotter than wealthier, predominantly white neighborhoods nearby.

“Extreme heat is the deadliest climate hazard in the United States. And while heat itself does not discriminate, centuries of racist housing policies such as redlining magnify its impact. Such policies segregated Black neighborhoods, induced lower rate rates of homeownership, and ensured underinvestment in those communities— all of which make Black residents more vulnerable to extreme heat,” according to the September 2023 Brookings report. “In 2021, the Environmental Protection Agency reported that Black people are 40% more likely than non-Black people to live in areas with the highest projected increase in mortality rates due to extreme temperatures.”

In cities such as Atlanta and Baltimore, Black homeowners are significantly more likely to face heat risks and energy insecurity, limiting their ability to cool their homes as temperatures rise.

Nationally, Black renters experience higher rates of energy insecurity, with over half struggling to afford adequate cooling during heat waves.

Meanwhile, the latest study also points to a notable shift in how Americans perceive the link between climate change and extreme

weather. Eighty-two percent now believe that climate change is making extreme events, such as floods, wildfires, and hurricanes, more frequent and severe, up six points since 2021.

The most dramatic change is among Republicans: the share who recognize that climate change is fueling extreme weather surged 17 points over four years, from 58% in 2021 to 75% in 2025.

These findings arrive as proposals to slash funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) advance in Washington.

The agencies are widely seen as the nation’s front-line defense against disasters and a critical source of weather forecasting and emergency relief.

The risks are particularly acute for Black communities already facing disproportionate impacts from hurricanes and flooding, as seen in the devastation of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and more recent storms that have repeatedly displaced predominantly Black neighborhoods in the Gulf Coast and Southeast.

The survey shows Americans are not just worried about rising temperatures — they’re anxious about the government’s readiness to protect communities. Seventy-nine percent said cuts to FEMA and NOAA make them more concerned

Among Black Americans, 91% said rising temperatures have intensified their concern about climate change, reflecting some of the highest concern levels among any group surveyed.

about the federal government’s ability to respond to climate impacts. That includes 92% of Democrats, 76% of Independents, and 69% of Republicans, underscoring that the anxiety is bipartisan.

Generational divides are also apparent. While 95% of young adults reported that extreme heat has boosted their concern about climate change, the figure was lower — but still significant — among adults over 65, at 70%. However, across all age groups, majorities agree that the crisis is escalating and requires immediate action.

“These findings show it’s time to drop partisan politics and rather meet this moment with urgency, leadership, and protection,” Speiser said. WI

5 A new national poll reveals an overwhelming majority of Americans are linking the punishing temperatures to climate change — and voicing deep concern about the government’s ability to respond. (WI File Photo/Robert R. Roberts)

High Court Decision Leaves D.C.’s Black Students Vulnerable, Advocates Warn EDUCATION

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

The Supreme Court’s decision to let President Donald Trump move forward with plans to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education is drawing concern among educators and civil rights advocates in Washington, D.C., where many public schools serve a predominantly Black student population.

According to enrollment data from the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education, schools in neighborhoods east of the Anacostia River and several clusters west of the river have the highest share of Black students. In Congress Heights alone, more than 7,000 Black students are enrolled in public schools this year. Citywide, Black students make up the largest racial group in District of Columbia Public Schools.

Advocates warn that closing the Education Department could severely weaken oversight that helps address racial disparities in school discipline, funding, and access to advanced courses—challenges that are already documented in D.C. schools.

In a 6-3 decision issued Monday, the Court lifted an injunction that had blocked Trump’s administration from laying off nearly 1,400 employees. The layoffs are the first step to eliminating the department entirely, fulfilling a long-standing campaign promise to return education oversight to the states.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon praised the decision, saying it confirmed the president’s authority over agency operations.

“Today, the Supreme Court again confirmed the obvious: the president of the United States, as the head of the executive branch, has the ultimate authority to make decisions about staffing levels, administrative organi-

zation, and day-to-day operations of federal agencies,” McMahon said in a statement.

Supreme Court Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown-Jackson ruled against lifting the injunction.

“When the executive publicly announces its intent to break the law, and then executes on that promise,” Sotomayor wrote in the dissent, “it is the judiciary’s duty to check that lawlessness, not expedite it.”

Critics say the plan will destabilize the public education system and jeopardize programs for vulnerable students. Black educators and civil rights groups have expressed concern that the dismantling will undercut enforcement of anti-discrimination protections and end funding streams that have helped close opportunity gaps.

“If we no longer have a department, we may not necessarily really have the research and support to really make sure that all students are achieving at high levels,” Patrick Rice, chair of the Black Educational Advocacy Coalition, told reporters. “That data and information would be critical. A lot of the districts did not pay close attention to their subgroups, and the department can have the accountability piece of making sure that a school district is doing everything they can to provide an equitable education.”

A report from the Thurgood Marshall Institute warns that the far right’s Project 2025 blueprint for education rejects enforcement of civil rights protections under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, including the legal doctrine that allows the government to challenge school policies with discriminatory effects, even if no explicit intent to discriminate is shown. According to the report, eliminating that authority

would make it far harder to address the disproportionate suspension of Black students and the disparities in advanced coursework.

“Denying these truths doesn’t make them disappear — it deepens the harm,” NAACP President Derrick Johnson said after the group filed suit against the Education Department over funding cuts targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.

Black students already face deep disparities in school discipline, access to advanced coursework, and school funding. An earlier investigation cited by advocates found that majority-Black school districts invested about half as much per student in facilities compared with majority-white districts. Nearly 21% of Black students rely on Title I funding for low-income schools, a stream of aid that could be eliminated if the department is abolished.

Beyond K-12 schools, Pell Grants for low-income college students and programs like Head Start for preschoolers are also at risk of being potentially in jeopardy. Research has shown that Black children who participate in high-quality early education score significantly higher on cognitive assessments than their peers who do not.

In D.C., schools in communities such as Congress Heights, Edgewood, Bloomingdale, and Kingman Park already enroll thousands of students in neighborhoods with high poverty rates. Title I funding, which supports low-income schools, and

Pell Grants for college students are among the programs likely to be affected by the department’s closure.

“For folks who’ve been committed to protecting public education for Black and brown children, and really protecting Black students’ experiences, the job just got even harder,” said

Jalisa Evans, founder of the Black Educator Advocates Network. “I think coupling the DEI attacks and the loss of our Department of Education truly tells the story of what our schools are going to look and feel like for both Black students and Black educators.” WI

5 The Supreme Court’s decision to let President Donald Trump move forward with plans to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education is drawing concern in Washington, D.C., where the majority of the public school population is Black. (WI File Photo/ Anthony Tilghman)

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Funding Cuts to NPR and VOA Hurt Everyone. Could Black

Media be Targeted Next?

Recent funding cuts to National Public Radio (NPR) and Voice of America (VOA) are more than just bureaucratic belt-tightening—they symbolize a direct attack on independent journalism and public media, with damaging effects on Black-owned and community-focused news outlets.

NPR and VOA have long been pillars of accessible, fact-based reporting in a media landscape increasingly dominated by partisanship and mis-

By defunding these institutions, the government weakens sources of credible news, especially in underserved communities that rely on public broadcasting for coverage of issues often ignored by mainstream commercial outlets.

As Global Leaders

information. By defunding these institutions, the government weakens sources of credible news, especially in underserved communities that rely on public broadcasting for coverage of issues often ignored by mainstream commercial outlets. The cuts also send a chilling message: Journalism that challenges dominant political narratives or centers marginalized voices may be seen as expendable—or worse, threatening.

This is especially concerning for Black media, which has historically filled the gap left by mainstream neglect. Outlets like The Washington Informer, The Cleveland Call and Post, and The Miami Times, not only inform but also empower Black communities with news tailored to their everyday realities.

If public media becomes vulnerable, Black media could be the next target.

Conservative critics already accuse Black-owned outlets of “identity politics” or “divisiveness,” mirroring the language used to attack diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

Bill Siemering, a NPR founding member, emphasized the potential

harm and domino effect that can come from the recent cuts.

“Eliminating funding for NPR is not just cutting a budget line — it’s cutting off the democratic conversation. We created NPR to give voice to the voiceless, to inform without commercial pressure, and to reflect the diversity of the American experience,” said Siemering. “Undermining that mission puts our democracy at risk.”

Additionally, these cuts often come before larger efforts to control narratives and silence dissent. By weakening trusted platforms like NPR and VOA, political forces lay the groundwork to discredit or cut funding for outlets that promote racial justice, human rights, or accountability.

Black media must stay vigilant— not only defending their independence but also forming coalitions to resist being wiped out.

In an era of disinformation and culture wars, attacks on the public and Black media are not isolated—they are part of a larger strategy.

The fight for truth, representation, and fairness in journalism continues, and the stakes have never been higher. WI

Seek Connections, U.S. Policy Promotes Divide

The Trump administration has announced a new “Visa Integrity Fee” that will require some international visitors to pay $250, in addition to their existing visa costs. This policy can only be interpreted as divisive and racist in a world that is growing smaller and more connected in numerous ways.

It can be said that while African nations and others are moving toward greater openness—easing visa restrictions and embracing a more globally inclusive future—the United States under the Trump administration is retreating behind walls, both literal and bureaucratic.

Countries like Rwanda, Ghana, Benin, Kenya, and Angola have become models for regional and international cooperation, eliminating visa barriers to attract investment, tourism, and goodwill. These policies reflect an understanding that global engagement isn’t a threat—it’s a catalyst for opportunity. It is a major focus for African leaders who are

coalescing around strategies to unify and improve access to their respective countries to increase employment opportunities, job training, economic development, and expand technological advances.

In stark contrast, the Trump administration’s immigration and travel policies have targeted non-European nations with increasing intensity. Expanded travel bans and stricter visa requirements have disproportionately impacted African, Middle Eastern, and Asian countries. Despite claims of national security, the pattern reveals a disturbing bias—one that elevates Western nations while sidelining others.

The result is not just a restrictive immigration framework, but a racialized lens through which the world is viewed. The message sent is unmistakable: if you come from a predominantly Black or Brown nation, your welcome is limited—if it exists at all.

Is America now saying, “Lend me your oil, your diamonds, your cobalt,

agriculture and textiles, but your people are no longer welcome?”

This approach is not only out of step with global trends; it undermines America’s moral authority and its foundational promise as a nation that thrives on diversity. In an era where technology shrinks distances, air travel gets us places quicker, and cultural exchange is more essential than ever, the Trump administration’s policies are creating a widening divide— separating us from the very world we should be leading and learning from.

As borders open across Africa and other regions signal a future built on cooperation, the U.S. cannot afford to build higher walls and deeper divides. If we continue down this path, we risk not only our reputation but also our relevance.

A smaller world demands a broader vision. The United States must decide whether it will be a partner in global progress— or the architect of its own isolation WI

TO THE EDITOR

Dear Members of The Informer, I recently read your article on the mental health crisis among Black men, and it truly resonated with me. Thank you for bringing much-needed attention to this critical issue.

Thank you for the front page article on the WMATA Better Bus Network. Please follow-up with more in-depth articles which spotlight the devastating impact these recent changes are having on historically working class black and brown communities.

Angela Gore Curry Youth Yoga Instructor ARISE Educational Services Bowie, Maryland

Gregory Cox Capitol Heights Maryland

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

OPINIONS/EDITORIALS

Guest Columnist

Gloria Brown

Rising Waters Will Not Drown the American Spirit

As a Teach for America (TFA) alum who started my teaching journey in Atlanta, Georgia, I vividly remember the experience the AmeriCorps Education award afforded me 13 years ago. Without it, I would have never been able to become a teacher. More than a decade later, I remain passionate about expanding educational opportunities for all students.

I have chosen to stay in the field, serving the place where I first started, but in a different capacity. Now, I have transitioned from the classroom to a role that enables me to impact our support systems and continuous learning cycles for 240 TFA corps members and over 2,100 program alumni.

More than 9,000 Teach for America alumni who have benefited from the education award identify as Black.

My path to the classroom was a pivot from a focus on business administration at Florida Agricultural

The American College System is broken. Not because students don’t work hard enough, but because the system is no longer built to support them.

Since my parents were in school in the 1970s, college tuition has skyrocketed, wages have stagnated, and nearly 55% of all student debt, over $869 billion, is held by Americans

and Mechanical University (FAMU). I was a proud rattler–I had the world in front of me and was well-prepared to take on the corporate world. Then, another opportunity was presented to me: national service. I would be able to provide students who looked like me and faced the same challenges I did, with a rigorous academic experience and a glimpse of hope as a teacher. I knew I could accept the call to serve because I was offered the AmeriCorps Education Award to offset some financial hurdles, which was critical since, at the time, I was facing

Guest Columnists

my own student loan debt and both of my parents were in college, managing the high costs of their education.

THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH BECOMING A TEACHER

Most people are unaware of the costs associated with becoming a teacher, including training, certification, and professional development. That can easily exceed $20,000. It is an impediment to building a sustainable education workforce that we do

Rep. Oye Owolewa and Kalah Neal

We Deserve a Free College Education

under 40.

According to the Federal Reserve, 30- to 39-year-olds carry an average student loan balance of $42,014, a financial anchor just as many are trying to buy homes, start families, or build careers. For too many, pursuing a degree means signing away a decade or more of financial freedom. Many recent graduates struggle to find fulltime, well-paying work in their fields, despite carrying tens of thousands in debt.

The Student Debt Crisis is our biggest financial catastrophe since the Subprime Mortgage Crisis of 2006. With that said, nobody is hit harder by student debt than D.C. residents. Washingtonians are the most heavily indebted, owing an average of more than $55,000 in student loans. With our rising cost of living coupled with recent drop in career opportunities within the federal government, people are waking up from the promise of the American Dream only to face a nightmare. The only way to fix this crisis for the future generations is to

enact a bold solution.

Today’s bold solution is for D.C.’s only public university, University of the District of Columbia, to become free for all D.C. residents. UDC becoming tuition free is a necessary correction to a system that punishes ambition and widens inequality.

The wage gap between the college educated and those without a degree is staggering. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, bachelor degree holders earn almost twice as much per year compared to folks who only have high school diplomas

W. Marshall

Denying Food Has Caused Misery by Recklessness

When Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election, the change in administration provided our nation with a four-year reprieve from much of the misery we are currently experiencing during the early months of Trump’s second term in office.

Multiple times during Trump’s first administration (2017–2021),

the United States objected to U.N. resolutions that asserted the right to food as a legal and enforceable human right. Israel frequently joined the U.S. in casting opposing votes. The two allies were sometimes the only nations voting against the resolutions.

Officials under the Trump administration made it clear: while recognizing the importance of fighting hunger, they were unwilling to endorse the concept of a “right to food” as an obligation under international law. The votes

reflect a consistent strategy of opposing the recognition of food as a binding human right. This pattern of inhumanity has continued into the second Trump term while producing needless suffering that has a direct impact on our nation’s foreign and domestic policies.

With 319 million people on the brink of starvation in places such as Gaza, Sudan, South Sudan, Mali, and Haiti, the State Department was recently forced to destroy 500 metric tons of warehoused food, which eventually expired and

was no longer considered safe to send to potential recipients. The high-energy biscuits that were destroyed are typically used to meet the immediate nutritional needs of children in crisis situations.

Was this a situation that could have been avoided? If the Trump administration had not been reckless in dismantling the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) while suspending most foreign assistance, what are the chances that the destroyed emergency food could have been prop-

not discuss often enough. In my current role, I hear from teachers often who identify it as one of their main issues with job satisfaction. Many of our new teachers would not be able to choose this work without the financial support of AmeriCorps’ Education Award.

AmeriCorps is a vital engine for progress across our nation, especially for educators entering the profession. The recent decision to eliminate $400 million in AmeriCorps funding is a setback that will ripple across our na-

($60,000 vs $32,000). Increasing access to education doesn’t just improve one’s economic future, but also improves public safety. Studies show that every year of college education reduces one’s risk of committing a violent crime by 10%. D.C. residents deserve to live in communities where our local government is investing in proactive methods to keep us safe. There’s no better investment than providing quality college education at no cost.

erly distributed?

Can humanitarian needs of any scale be handled with a sense of urgency and compassion when there is a political mindset that does not view the “right to food” as a binding human right? Is the “right to food” also ignored when the nation’s largest anti-hunger initiative, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), is suffering deep cuts from the so-called “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act.”

David

Guest Columnist

Punished for Doing Their Job

Epstein files were the longest way from my mind to write about this week. I thought I would be writing about the great Appeals Court decision overturning the conviction of Baltimore’s former brilliant State’s Attorney, Marilyn Mosby. We know she was convicted while doing what more than 35,000 people did in the U. S.,

with 735 of them being in Baltimore. The Appeals Court agreed with us as we worked so hard to explain that case to people who couldn’t believe she hadn’t “stolen” somebody’s money. It was hers! I will tell you more next week.

Trump fails to change the other subject. MAGA folks are marching, protesting, and burning MAGA hats. He’s in deep trouble with some of his supporters. One said, “It’s not the crime; it’s the cover-up!” There is a MAGA upheaval. For once, Trump is facing

MAGA blowback over handling of the Epstein files. The backlash is growing.

House Speaker Mike Johnson did a reversal today. I know his voters already feel lied to and betrayed. They were already a bit upset with him over Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ because many of them had learned exactly what was in the budget and that the cuts impacted them, their grandparents, their children.

Callers on radio programs said, “This is a betrayal.” The backlash

is growing. Trump wants to pretend he doesn’t even need those objecting to what he is saying or doing. People want to know what’s in those files. Pam Bondi earlier said the files were on her desk. Now they’re not! MAGA Backlash is growing. Meanwhile the “No Kings” protests are rising and some MAGAs have adopted them. They’re even quoting the late Congressman John Lewis when he urged “Good Trouble.” Those protests are going on across the U.S. His MAGA base is finally

What Ida B. Wells Would Say About Trump and the Epstein Files

Let’s not pretend America isn’t fluent in silence. We’ve perfected the art. Generations of whispers have been buried beneath courthouse stairs, inside Black churches burned for daring to breathe, in the hush that follows every time the powerful are caught with blood on their hands and the courts say, “There’s nothing to see here.”

But Ida B. Wells never honored silence. She dragged truth through the front door and nailed it to the front page. She named names. She published evidence. And if she were alive today — watching the shadowy evasions surrounding Donald Trump and the Epstein files — she would not be polite. She’d grab the rotting roots of this hypocrisy and hold them to the light.

She’d start, no doubt, with a question that still slices deep:

Whose lives matter enough to seek justice?

Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes were not rumor. They were not internet conspiracy. They were documented patterns — flights, photos, testimonies, names. Girls, many of them underage, many of them vulnerable, trafficked through a network that dressed itself in wealth and power. And now, as the files gather dust, and accountability is dissolved in distraction, the question lingers like stench: Why haven’t we seen the full truth?

Let’s be clear — when Ida documented the lynchings of Black men across the South, she knew what kind of America she was confronting. She wrote, with fire in her typewriter, that these were not acts of spontaneous violence, but orchestrated spectacles — rituals of control. The mob didn’t just want blood. They wanted silence from everyone who dared to demand due process or ask questions. And that’s what’s happening again.

Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes were not

The State of Black America: The Call, the Crisis, the Charge

A war has been declared in this country. And the fight isn’t just for diversity, equity, and inclusion or for fair economic and criminal justice practices. It’s for the soul of America. It’s to determine which of us will have an opportunity not to prosper but merely survive in a future clouded with uncertainty at every turn.

It’s for the fundamental right of Americans to protect themselves against predatory corporate practices, destructive environmental policies, and state-sanctioned violence by vigilantes and uniformed officers alike. And it’s for the right etched in the very fabric of what it means to be an American, which is the right to vote in a fair and free democracy where every vote is counted and every vote matters. That is the war that has been brought to the feet of every American and the doorstep of the civil

rights community at the top of this year. It’s the war being waged in courtrooms across this land, from local jurisdictions to the Supreme Court.

It is no secret that we are in a state of emergency. The hardfought victories of the Civil Rights movement, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, Equal Employment Opportunity laws, and the establishment of the Department of Education, are being systematically dismantled.

But as we’ve stated in our D3 framework, we doubled down on our advocacy on Capitol Hill and at the White House and moralized in the 49th edition of the State of Black America Report, State of Emergency: Democracy, Civil Rights, and Progress Under Attack, the National Urban League movement is not backing down. We are defeating poverty through every program offered through our affiliates. We’re defeating poverty through the work of our Equitable Justice and Stra-

beginning to see the broken promises, and their Representatives are not showing up in Town Halls to explain. Their blind loyalty has a crack. They just learned it is alleged that Trump sent Epstein a bawdy 50th birthday letter. He said “Happy Birthday and drew an alluring picture with a naked woman, suggesting his close relationship with Epstein. Of course, in typical Trump style, he is threatening to sue the Wall Street Journal

rumor. They were not internet conspiracy.

Because Trump’s America isn’t just about politics — it’s about power that performs above the law. It’s about a nation where truth is selectively prosecuted, and memory is manipulated like currency. And now we have Epstein — a man whose crimes implicated princes, presidents, billionaires. We have a dead man in a cell, a so-called suicide that

tegic Initiatives division to correct a discriminatory and punitive system that keeps our people economically and civically disadvantaged and causes our communities irreparable trauma.

We are defending our Democracy through every action taken by our Washington Bureau to hold elected officials accountable for their actions and inactions in this moment. We are demanding diversity through the collaborative

Marc H. Morial

Guest Columnist

E. Faye Williams

Guest Columnist

Mustafa Ali WILLIAMS

Guest Columnist

LIFESTYLE

WASHINGTON INFORMER WEEKEND CHECKLIST

WASHINGTON INFORMER'S

Things To Do, DMV!

By Trevor Johnson WI Intern

From live music and dance parties, to hands-on workshops, cultural festivals, and behind-the-scenes tours, this lineup of events has engaging activities to enjoy all weekend.

Whether wanting to hit the trail, dive into local arts, connect with authors, or pick up a lifesaving skill, here’s what’s happening around the DMV region to keep the whole family engaged.

Plus, remember to take a look at the Washington Informer Calendar to keep up-to-date on more of the fun events and programming happening throughout the D.C. area

THURSDAY, 24

DMV Made Pre-Fest Mixer

6 p.m. - 10 p.m. | Free Metro Bar DC, 1525 Newton Street.

NW, Washington, D.C. 20010

Get festival weekend started at Metrobar with a 21+ pre-party open to performers, partners, and the public. It’s the perfect chance to connect, enjoy live music, and set the tone for the main event.

DJ Shablast will bring the crowd favorites, alongside a special live performance by BORN I. Plus, grab exclusive DMV Made merch, available only at this kickoff event.

Horseback Trail Ride

7 p.m. - 8 p.m. | $100

Frying Pan Farm Park, 2709 West Ox Road Herndon, VA 20171

Explore Frying Pan Farm Park on horseback with a guided trail experience designed for ages 8 and up.

Each session includes time in the indoor arena, a scenic 30-minute ride along wooded paths and open fields, plus a hands-on segment for

learning basic horse and tack care. No prior riding experience is needed, but all participants must complete waivers for both the park and the program host before joining the ride.

FRIDAY, 25

Botany and Bugs: Behind the Scenes at the National Museum of Natural History

10 a.m. - Noon | $55 - $65 Museum of Natural History, 10th Street. & Constitution Ave. NW Washington, D.C. 20560

Spend the morning behind the scenes at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, exploring two remarkable collections with museum curators.

Visit the United States National Herbarium, one of the world’s largest plant collections, and learn how preserved specimens support research in conservation, ecology, and taxonomy.

Then, tour the museum’s vast entomology collection, home to over 35 million insects, arachnids, and myriapods,and discover how these specimens help scientists study ecosystems, protect agriculture, and guide conservation efforts.

BEAT STREET 80s 90s Hip Hop

Dance Jammy Jam

6:30 p.m. - 11:30 p.m. | Free BlackRock Center for the Arts, 12901 Town Commons Drive Germantown, MD 20874

Celebrate the golden era of hip hop with a throwback dance party, featuring classic hits from the ’80s and ’90s.

During the event, dance the night away on the lawn or, if the weather turns, inside the BlackBox Flex Space.

With signature cocktails flowing and timeless tracks spinning, it’s the perfect night to vibe out with friends and enjoy the music that defined a generation.

SATURDAY, 26

The International Author’s Expo 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. | Free Cisco WebEx - Virtual Online

Join Teresa K. Page, LLC for the International Author’s Expo, a virtual event designed for authors, vendors, and book lovers.

Enjoy a chance to connect, explore new books, attend workshops and panels, shop unique finds, and win giveaways.

Whether an author, aspiring writer, reader, or retailer, this event has something for everyone.

DMV Made: A Culture & Wellness Festival

1 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. | Free The National Mall, 14th Street SW & Jefferson Drive SW, Washington D.C. 20004

Celebrate creativity, culture, and community at this free family festival hosted by Words Beats & Life.

Engage in a full day of live performances, interactive workshops, art experiences, poetry, storytelling, and wellness activities, all designed to bring people together.

The lineup features artists like E.U. featuring Sugar Bear, Navasha Daya, KAMAUU, Oh He Dead,

Black Folks Don’t Swim?, The Messthetics, Awon and more.

SUNDAY, 27

CPR, First Aid, & AED ClassAmerican Red Cross Certificate Noon - 2:15 p.m. | $99 Be Hive Wellness, 8245 Boone Boulevard 6th Floor, Suite 630 Vienna, VA 22182

Get certified in pediatric and adult CPR, first aid, and AED with this blended course, combining online learning and in-person instruction.

Taught under American Red Cross guidelines, the class covers essential skills for handling emergencies like choking, severe bleeding, and other critical situations.

Certification meets OSHA, VDOE, personal training, and workplace standards and is valid for two years.

Candle Making With Instructor Cafi - Candle Making Class by Classpop!

2 p.m. - 4 p.m. | $39 Dc Brau, 3178-B Bladensburg Road, Washington, D.C., 20018

Learn the basics of candle making in this hands-on workshop, where attendees craft their own custom-scented candle from start to finish.

Guided by an instructor, guests will explore wax types, fragrance blending, wicking, and pouring techniques, plus take home finished candle with a personalized label.

5Celebrate creativity, culture and community at the DMV Made Festival on the National Mall, a full day of live performances, art, workshops, wellness activities, and more, all free and open to the public. (Courtesy Photo/Words Beats and Life, Eventbrite)

Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter Tour Turns D.C. and the World Into a Runway for Black Western Style

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

As Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter tour approaches its final stop on July 26 in Las Vegas, the cultural aftershocks are still rippling—none louder than in Washington, D.C., where two soldout nights turned the nation’s capital into a Western-style celebration of Black identity, history, and fashion.

“I came here thinking it was just about the music, but it was like a fashion show for the culture,” said 29-yearold Alicia Martin from Southeast D.C., who arrived at Nationals Park in a suede fringe jacket, custom silver boots, and a wide-brimmed cream hat. “We made it ours. It was elegant. It was powerful. Beyoncé didn’t just bring the South—she brought the ancestors with her.”

“This was the first time I ever wore a cowboy hat, and it felt like I was stepping into something bigger than just fashion,” said 34-year-old Jamal Greene of Northeast D.C. “My whole crew came in denim and boots. It felt like we were reclaiming something.”

That feeling is being echoed across the country.

From Houston to D.C. to London, Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter tour has sparked a fashion movement that’s breathing new life into Western aesthetics—particularly in Black communities.

The look is bold, sharp, and unapologetically rooted in a history that mainstream culture has long overlooked.

Black-owned brands, such as Houston’s Bstone Western Wear, have seen explosive growth. Founder Dymond Taylor said her store’s online traffic has increased by 212% since the start of the tour. Her stretch denim flares, and slogan tees have become

Concertgoers from across the DMV packed the venue dressed in rhinestone cowboy hats, double-denim sets, satin sashes, and custom boots, creating a sea of Western Black glam rarely seen at this scale. Popup shops and Black-owned vendors throughout the city reported a spike in business in the days leading up to the shows.

SUMMER

PROGRAMS from Page 21

Ferebee visited the CTE Summer Enrichment Program on the morning of July 17. For nearly an hour, the duo watched students play with their robots. They then asked students questions about their summer enrichment before Bowser watched, and later joined a student using a remote control to drive their robot across the floor and pick up a red-orange cube.

That visit, which took place more than a week after the passage of Bowser’s emergency juvenile curfew law, and several weeks after her mayoral order forbade the closure of educational facilities during the continuing resolution battle on Capitol Hill, provided the mayor an opportunity to speak about the bevy of local summer academic and enrichment programming.

“Look at this beautiful campus where we have kids who are engaged in robotics and [the summer] bridge program to middle school,” Bowser said. “It’s just an amazing opportunity. Over 12,000 of our kids are in a summer youth opportunity where they’re learning about careers, and

learning and earning.”

This summer, young people between the ages of 9 and 24 have been participating in various programs, including: the CTE Summer Enrichment Program; the Marion S. Barry Summer Youth Employment Program (MBSYEP); Career Ready Early Scholars Program (CRESP); and a citywide service project coordinated by D.C. Department of Employment Services (DOES) and the Mayor’s Office on Volunteerism and Partnerships.

D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) has also been hosting the Late Night Summer Hype series at recreation centers across the District. However, Bowser admitted there’s work left to be done— especially when it comes to engaging adolescents and young adults.

“We continue to want to have kids who are a little bit older who aren’t as interested in camp anymore to make sure that there are activities for them,” Bowser told The Informer.

In the age of social media, and what authorities call “teen takeovers” along U Street and in Navy Yard, Bowser said that all District institutions, governmental and otherwise, should be

go-to staples for fans.

“This is more than a trend—it’s about showing up and showing out in ways our people have always done but rarely got credit for,” Taylor said. “The energy Beyoncé created gave us permission to be seen.”

‘IT FELT LIKE HISTORY GOT FLIPPED ON ITS HEAD’

The global fashion industry has responded, too.

PrettyLittleThing reported a 622% increase in searches for cowboy jackets in the U.K. following the tour’s European leg. Cowboy boots and hats also surged, up 53% and 85% respectively.

The marketplace platform Vinted saw “Western” fashion searches spike by 16% and “denim” by 8% during the same period.

The movement is also a cultural correction. Historians have long noted that one in four cowboys in the American West were Black, yet the cowboy mythos largely erased them

ready to serve young people.

“I think as a society, not just as a government, but as a community, it’s family, it’s churches, all of the other important institutions,” Bowser said. “We need to continue to think of ways to engage young people and give them the positive attention and feedback that they think they’re seeking.”

In total, 64 middle school students enrolled in DCPS’ career and technical education summer enrichment programs at Brookland Middle School and Ballou High School this year.

When not in the classroom, students who participated in the “Mastering Robotics” and “Mini-Medic” courses at Brookland Middle School went on field trips throughout the D.C. metropolitan area— including at the National Museum of Health and Medicine in Silver Spring, Maryland, National Inventors Hall of Fame Museum in Alexandria Virginia, and the Air and Space Museum in Southwest.

This fall, these students will either start or continue their middle school education at Brookland— or a handful of other District public schools, in-

from popular culture. Beyoncé’s bold visuals and stage wear—bejeweled chaps, star-spangled leather, and Buffalo Soldier iconography—have reignited conversations about ownership and representation.

“Watching all these people, especially Black folks, leaning into this look—it felt like history got flipped on its head,” said Martin.

cluding Ida B. Wells Middle School, Langdon Middle School, and Alice Deal Middle School.

If all goes according to education officials’ plans, students will graduate from high school within a matter of years and enter the workforce, likely with a college degree or certification in a technical career field.

Ferebee noted that, with the CTE Summer Enrichment Program, that career exploration can happen earlier.

“We want them to learn as much as they can over the summer in these enrichment programs, but also making the connections academically during the school year,” Ferebee said, “and then….begin thinking about the career pathway they want to pursue in high school in our CTE programs.”

Months after President Donald J. Trump entered office for the second time, District officials continue to adjust to a job market no longer dominated by federal government jobs. The public education sector, in conjunction with D.C. Department of Employment Services, the Workforce Investment Council, University of District of Columbia, and DPR, has been focused on how to connect

As the tour wraps this week, stylists say the impact is likely to outlast the final show. Black designers are seeing increased demand, and fans aren’t putting their boots away anytime soon.

“I ain’t never thought I’d dress like this,” said Greene, tipping his hat outside the stadium. “But now I feel like I’ve been missing out on a part of who we are.” WI

District residents to family-sustaining jobs.

Ferebee said the same theory applies at the K-12 level. While he didn’t speak to long-term effects—such as college completion and attainment of an industry career— Ferebee told The Informer that officials have seen more immediate benefits.

“We know when our students are in career technical education programs, that their attendance is better, their grades better, and ultimately there are students that are prepared for what’s next when they graduate,” Ferebee said.

Ferebee, like Bowser before him, acknowledged the need to up the ante.

“For those students that go on to higher ed, we see a lot of success as well, but we don’t see everybody engaging the way that we would like,” Ferebee told The Informer. “And so that’s why we’ve been thoughtful about what students are interested in and also the career opportunities we have in the city and also in the region that we can connect students to.” WI Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

5Guests enter Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter concert in Landover, Maryland on July 4. From Houston to D.C. to London, Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter tour is inspiring a fashion movement that’s breathing new life into Western aesthetics—particularly in Black communities. (WI File Photo/Shevry Lassiter)

HOW IT WORKS SHOWCASE YOUR ORGANIZATION

The Informer offers plenty of advertising opportunities to get people to associate you as the Best of the DMV.

Visit washingtoninformer.com/ best-of-dmv-2025 to learn more.

No one understands the DMV like our readers! Our Best of the DMV campaign introduces a new campaign where readers can nominate and vote for their favorite local businesses, organizations, and personalities from the region. Participants will make their picks on the best things this city has to offer and we'll compile the results to create our ultimate readers’ choice guide.

NOMINATION PHASE: JULY 1 – 31, 2025

Come to our site DAILY to nominate your favorite businesses, bars, restaurants, people, and more. Once nominations close, we will tally the top nominations in each category to move on to the Voting Phase.

VOTING PHASE: SEPT 1 – OCT 3, 2025

Readers will select their preferred winners, by coming back daily to vote for them.

washingtoninformer.com/best-of-the-dmv

CANNABIS from Page 5

up to and I’ve seen perform and been impressed with over the years,” Aqeel told The Informer soon after she and the band electrified the festival stage. “It’s exciting.”

PUTTING ON FOR D.C., PROMOTING ADVOCACY, EDUCATION, UNITY

Like Kondo and many of the artists on the lineup, for Aqeel, getting to the National Cannabis Festival stage has come after years of hard work, collaboration and an unwavering determination to uplift people through music.

“I started with the band in 2018, and we’re here today— seven years later,” said Aqeel, 33, before recognizing NCF for its intentionality in providing a platform for D.C. artists to shine. “It’s important to be acknowledged after continuing this practice of writing, collaborating, rehearsing, and expressing ourselves on stage and in the world.”

In her second year performing at the festival, Kayce Bailey, lead singer of the celebrated band Black Alley, emphasized the importance of the festival highlighting local artists.

“The music scene in D.C. is so popular. It’s so ingrained in the culture of the city. Like, you cannot come here and not put [local artists] like us on the stage. The people in D.C. want to hear a little go-go… I appreciate the National Cannabis Festival for doing that,” Bailey told The Informer before lighting up the stage. “Backyard is going to be here tomorrow. I know that’s going to be lit.”

Beyond the music, Bailey said that the band enjoys participating in the festival for some of the positive mes-

sages promoted through its programming, noting NCF “as a great cause” that “brings awareness.”

“I feel like there are a lot of efforts in the cannabis industry that could be helpful to people— mental health, even physical health,” she said. “This is an event that… brings joy to people.”

For Caroline Phillips, NCF founder and executive director, the goal has always been about creating a safe space to network, advocate, and come together in the name of cannabis.

Through summits, community engagement, advocacy, and the annual festival, Phillips has stayed true to her commitment of not only uplifting the cannabis industry, but fighting to make it more equitable after years of Black and brown people being disproportionately incarcerated due to harsh marijuana laws and sentences.

Despite progress, Phillips emphasizes there’s still work to do and the 140,000 festival attendees help further that mission.

“We’re so excited to host another epic National Cannabis Festival celebration at this critical time for cannabis advocacy,” Phillips said in a statement before the two-day event.

Thankful for the opportunity to take the stage Friday night, Kondo also noted she appreciated the empowering nature of National Cannabis Festival programming.

“It really shines light on the educational aspect of cannabis, which I think is important,” she said, further highlighting its ability to unify people in the name of cannabis culture and music, even at a divided time for the nation. “I know that some people may not deem something like [cannabis] important, but I feel like the National Cannabis Festival brings good people together.”

5Black Folks Don’t Swim? performs at the 2025 National Cannabis Festival (NCF) on July 18. Lead vocalist and co-writer Kailsa Aqeel appreciates the NCF offering opportunities for D.C. performers to showcase their skills as part of the national celebration of cannabis culture. (Micha Green/The Washington Informer)

review wi book

“Joy Goddess: A’Leila Walker and the Harlem Renaissance” by A’Lelia Bundles

c.2025, Scribner

$29.99

364 pages

Terri Schlichenmeyer WI Contributing Writer

Mama said.

Mama said to be nice to others. “Stand up for yourself,” she said. “You can do whatever you put your mind to. Stay out of trouble. Take care of yourself and those you love.”

Mama said a lot of things that shaped your life, and in the new book “Joy Goddess” by A’Lelia Bundles, Mama left a huge legacy. She remembered a time before, and a time after.

In the before, Lelia Walker and her mother had little-to-nothing. Lelia’s father had died when she was very young, and it was up to her mother, Sarah, to put food on the table and a roof over their heads with her hard work. There was simply no room for extras.

In the after – after Sarah had become Madame C.J. Walker, head of a beauty empire that catered to Black women – there was money, mansions, and a certain kind of fame. There was still hard work, too, but Lelia embraced it because she was proud of her mother’s acumen – maybe more so, in fact, after Madame made young Lelia a “full partner” with the responsibility to run some of the farther-flung accounts. It was true that mother and daughter didn’t always see eye-to-eye. Because she’d worked away from Madame for years, Lelia felt emboldened to speak her mind but Madame often shut her down. Lelia wanted to choose her own husband, but Madame let her feelings about the beau be known. They argued fiercely, then acted like there was never any problem. They loved one another, says Bundles, but they were “’fire and ice.’”

Lelia, Bundles says, sought her mother’s opinion on all matters, but she didn’t often heed her mother’s words. Madame didn’t like that but as the years passed, she gave more and more of the business up, confident that Lelia (later, A’Lelia) would take care of things – and she was, overseas, as her mother’s health began to fail…

Filled with lush word-painted images of opulence and wealth and a sometimes-reverential tone, “Joy Goddess” is a biography that covers a lot of territory: because author A’Lelia Bundles is A’Lelia Walker’s great-granddaughter, it’s part family history, as well as Black history.

It’s a business biography, too, in a large way. And it’s a love story, pure and simple, one that will appeal to any headstrong mother-daughter pair.

It’s that last part that features most strongly and builds to break hearts, even though readers are never unaware of what’s to come. Bundles is honest about how the Walker women changed surrounding lives – Madame had “adopted” a daughter with mixed outcome – and how their beauty empire positively affected Black business and culture for decades but she seems to push racism aside somewhat in the telling here.

Instead, Madame and A’Lelia’s accomplishments and the world they lived in take front-and-center, and you’ll appreciate that.

This is a book for readers who want a wide-reaching biography with hints of inspiration. It’ll make a great book club book or mother-and-daughter tale to share.

Read “Joy Goddess.” Mama would approve.

horoscopes

LIFESTYLE

JULY 24 - 30, 2025

ARIES New season, new you, Aries. Lighting up your sphere of leisure, creative self-expression, romance, and joy, midsummer is the best time to channel the archetype of that powerful leonine pride. Take time to do you; do what lights you up. This is your solar power—charge your batteries the eco way! Less caffeine, more play, more fun, and more showing off to a celebratory audience. Lucky Numbers: 5, 9, 33

TAURUS There’s a leadership aspect to this season, so step up your game in that department. Since we’re in the sign of Leo, a fixed sign like your own, hashtag it’s not just Taurus who owns “stubborn.” Leo does too. Its embedded challenge could be aligning your work-life balance; less duty and more home, family, or play time; more me time. Lucky Numbers: 16, 50, 53

GEMINI You’re nailing the Leo pride, confidence, and extroverted personality with a capital P when you dial it up. This is a sign of entertainment, fun, and frivolity, which is why you get along. You’re young at heart and always ready to discover new things and people, get social, and get off your usual track. Lucky Numbers: 4, 11, 37

CANCER Take a creative yet commanding approach to how you earn, invest, and lead. Leo energy is no slouch, taking its iconography from the top-tier queen of the jungle, or in most cases, the savanna. Channel this energy when it comes to making choices, pitches, or changes to your income streams. Lucky Numbers: 17, 23, 39

LEO It’s your time to shine as Leo season lights up. Your color and metal is gold because it’s associated with the brilliant sun, which is the celestial object ruling your sign. Take that idea of the central, life-giving sun and remind yourself to maintain main character energy. This means revitalising areas of your life you have let dim or strayed from. Lucky Numbers: 7, 11, 32

VIRGO Cook up your best new ideas, talent, and connection to your core inner intelligence. Charge your vitality, Virgo. Take the time out you need, or plug into whatever lights up your creative spirit. Write up your intentions, wishes, and commitments, planting them like seeds on the new moon cycle, Lucky Numbers: 6, 8, 35

LIBRA It’s party time, Libra—get out and about among your social networks, make new friends, collaborate, and bask in the new solar season under Leo’s reign. It is all about play, fun, leadership, and pride. A paint-and-sip class? Why not?! If they don’t possess enough class to pass, consider forming your own version and take it up to a ’grammable level. Party-hop, host—it’s about celebration. Lucky Numbers: 20, 23, 54

SCORPIO As the sun moves into the midsummer month, it ignites your career and public image sector. Prepare to emblazon and impress through your professional path as choices light up and perhaps a significant person is illuminated. We all know you prefer stealth mode, or at least a decent amount of personal privacy, so this is a little challenge to step into the light, radiate a positive mindset, and take up the reins of your career. Lucky Numbers: 1, 23, 52

SAGITTARIUS Pride, leadership, and entertainment rule, so call on them as the eternal teacher and create your own brand of edutainment. No matter how serious or high-brow the topic, or how downright low-brow the series you’re not so secretly binging, the best way to get your message across is through laughter and joy. The same goes for your world: Let people know how to treat you by leading by example and laying down the law as you would with wayward cubs. Lucky Numbers: 6, 29, 55

CAPRICORN Take a creative and even dramatic approach to intimate encounters, bringing fun into the seriousness of it all. Dress up as a character and role-play? Just remember that safe word in case someone gets carried away. This is Leo season, full of pride, a dash of healthy ego, and sensibility based on heart-centered leadership. Lucky Numbers: 21, 31, 50

AQUARIUS You shine in creative partnerships this month, so team up for the win. A large or bright personality balances your detached, intellectual approach—reminding you to have fun and trust your instincts. How are you faring in your relationships? Lucky Numbers: 3, 6, 11

PISCES Vitamin D is your go-to, so load up on nature, even if that’s a quick blast of sunshine on your lunch break. Leadership in your role at work is great for self-esteem or confidence building, and vice versa. Feeling that you have an element of control and contribution is essential, as is feeling recognised, celebrated, and rewarded; don’t be surprised if you’re on the receiving end this month. Lucky Numbers: 5, 8, 27

SPORTS

Venus Williams Makes History in Return to Tennis at Mubadala Citi DC Open

By Skylar Nelson WI Contributing Writer

Celebrated athlete Venus Williams made a stunning return to professional tennis in the Mubadala Citi DC Open, stepping back onto the court for the first time in more than a year and even making history Tuesday night.

“This is very special for me to come back and play tennis,” said Williams. “I think it’s a surprise for the fans, a surprise in general as I hold my cards tight. And you know in this last year, I have been through a lot physically so to come back and be able to play, and hopefully enjoy myself is a great opportunity.”

The 45-year old icon who holds 21 Grand Slams titles across singles and doubles, beat Peyton Stearns, ranked

No. 35 in the world, in straight sets during the first round of the Mubadala Citi DC Open on July 22.

In her first singles victory since 2023, Williams became the oldest person to win a tour-level match since 47-year-old Martina Navratilova in 2004 at Wimbledon.

Her history-making triumph comes after Monday night’s success, when she joined forces with hometown favorite Hailey Baptiste to deliver a 6-3, 6-1 win over Eugenie Bouchard and Clervie Ngounoue.

“For me it’s a dream come true,” said Baptiste. “It’s something I probably didn’t expect to happen in my career. So to have the opportunity is just really amazing to me. To be able to share the court with her, even if I was playing against her, it would have been amazing. But to actually team

with her and get a win– no words.”

For Williams, returning the court in the nation’s capital has extra special significance.

“I am so excited to be here in D.C.,” said Williams. Playing here is like playing at home. I have an older sister who lives here and a cousin who lives here, lots of cousins, a niece, my great nephew, and on and on… I remember my first time coming here when I was about 13 years old. So definitely a love affair with D.C. and also a great opportunity to play in the U.S.”

With her long-awaited return to Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) singles Williams is set to face fellow American Peyton Stearns in the first round. It will be Williams’ first official singles match since March 2024, when she last competed at the Miami Open.

Williams accepted a wild card into the WTA 500 event, which marks her second singles appearance at the tournament. Her previous outing came in 2022, when she fell in the opening round to Canadian Rebecca Marino.

Despite that result, Williams has deep ties to D.C.’s tennis scene, having served as the Marquee Player for the Washington Kastles in World TeamTennis. She helped lead the team to five titles and was a six-time team standout.

The atmosphere was electric at the John A. Harris Grandstand, with fans and stars present to see the tennis legend’s return. DMV native and NBA champion Kevin Durant was in attendance to witness the moment.

Williams’ sharp play and seamless chemistry with Baptiste marked a promising start to the tournament which runs through July 27.

With the Mubadala Citi DC Open underway, tennis has been set to redefine the sports realm in the nation’s capital.

“Washington continues to solidify its place as one of the premier destinations on both the ATP (Association for Tennis Professionals) and WTA tours,” said Mark Ein, chairman of the

Williams’ sharp play and seamless chemistry with Baptiste marked a promising start to the tournament which runs through July 27.

Mubadala Citi Open in a May statement, announcing the preliminary tournament lineup.

In addition to Williams, the tournament is showcasing an impressive lineup of talent this year, including top American stars like Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe, Jessica Pegula, and Coco Gauff.

“I’m just here for now and who knows, maybe there’s more,” said Williams. “Like I said, I hold my cards close and at the moment I am focused on, just on this. I haven’t played in a year, there’s no doubt I haven’t played tennis but obviously coming back to play matches, it takes time to get back in the swing of things. I definitely feel I’ll play well, I’m still the same player.” WI

5Celebrated athlete Venus Williams competes in the 2025 Mubadala Citi DC Open. Many fans and celebrities alike, including DMV native and NBA champion Kevin Durant, were present for her Monday doubles match, which she won alongside Hailey Baptiste. (Marcus Relacion /The Washington Informer)

5DMV native Frances Tiafoe is expected to play in this year’s Mubadala Citi DC Open. (WI File Photo/Abdullah Konte)

CAPTURE the moment

Thousands flocked to the Fields at RFK Campus in Northeast, D.C. for the ninth annual National Cannabis Festival July 18-19. Featuring live music, food, culture, activism and entertainment, the festival was a fun-filled two-day event promoting peace, unity, progress and equity.

(Ja’Mon Jackson/The Washington Informer)

RELIGION

Need Help Teaching Faith at Home? This Program Can Help

Faith-Filled Families Makes Spiritual Parenting Easier with a Range Of Resources

By Rev. Dorothy Boulware Word in Black

This article was originally published online with Word In Black, a collaboration of the nation’s leading Black news publishers (of which the Informer is a member).

Proverbs 22:6 instructs the

community of faith to “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

Great advice, sure, but some would say, easier said than done. Who knew the future would bring customized programming and funding to make it possible? But

Faith-Filled Families: Christian

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Practice for Abundant Parenting is helping to reimagine what Proverbs 22:6 looks like in practice.

Indeed, the growing spiritual formation project, which is based at Virginia Theological Seminary

3“The Essence of Ministry: A Devotional for Clergy by Clergy Embracing Children’s Spirituality” (2024) features clergy from various denominations and even features international contributors. (Courtesy Photo)

in Alexandria, offers a range of resources to help parents carry out their spiritual responsibility to nurture faith at home with their children.

WELCOMING CHILDREN INTO CHURCH

The initiative began with Donna Sweeting who unexpectedly found herself sitting in seminary classes during the pandemic, and always raising one key question: “How are we welcoming the children into church?”

Her questions turned into action.

“About a month before I got ready to graduate, one of my main professors told me that Lilly Endowment had invited the school, Virginia Theological Seminary, to apply for a Christian Parenting grant,” Sweeting says. “It was the first time they were offering it, and my professor asked if I would help

in transmitting their faith to their children or godparents or grandparents.”

DEVOTIONALS AND PRAYER CARDS

The team’s first volume of devotionals “The Essence of Ministry: A Devotional for Clergy by Clergy Embracing Children’s Spirituality” (2024), is written by clergy from Episcopal, AME, CME, and Pentecostal traditions — and even features international contributors, like a chaplain from Nagaland, India, who wrote in both English and Sumi. One Spanish chaplain also contributed in both English and Spanish.

“We’ve had hospital, hospice, community and daycare chaplains as writers. We’ve had clergy who are leaders in their field, in terms of working with children,” McPhee says.

In addition to the devotional there are subscription boxes and prayer cards, all available on Amazon as well as the Faith-Filled Families website.

The prayer cards are a hit — especially with nervous adults.

The idea: to help churches with preschool programs and support Christian parenting at every level.

With her background directing Christian preschools in Orlando, Sweeting stepped in as project director — and brought along Dr. Missiouri McPhee, a theologian and longtime friend.

”I’m a practical theologian, but more practical than the theological part sometimes. And I knew what I needed and that she had it,”

McPhee was capable and willing to be a part of this endeavor.

“What we are attempting to do is to create resources for families to make it not as taxing,” McPhee says. “Unfortunately, some families feel they have to be straight theologians in order to engage in faith formation with their chil-

McPhee says she loves “making the Bible come to life, faith formation come to life, and parents getting it and feeling comfortable

“Have you ever asked an adult to pray in church? I mean, like an officer of the church? And you watch the color drain from their faces as they assume the position?” McPhee says. “So we came up with this concept of having the prayer cards for the parents, and we’re working on the prayer cards for the kids.”

Each prayer card uses both colors and letters for accessibility and the initiative even has a mascot named EDGE — which stands for Explain, Demonstrate, Guide and Empower.

And the learning doesn’t just stay in classrooms or boxes.

“I’ve partnered with three churches and we have monthly dinners,” Sweeting says. “We put together some type of activity for the family and do that activity with them. Then we send them home with a resource they can use to build on the subject we explored — but we always start with dinner.” WI

This week, allow me to share with you about how my older brother was murdered on July 21, 1978, this week. It happened 47 years ago, right here in the District of Columbia.

He was a merchant, owner of a floor sanding and refinishing company along the upper Georgia Avenue corridor.

My brother was older than me by three years and the family was so proud of him.

Leon started out as a high school dropout. He quit school to work, to help my mother and father out raising nine children after moving to D.C. after a lifetime as sharecroppers. The year the family relocated to D.C. was 1964.

Though he dropped out of school to work, Leon did finally go back to Spingarn Night School to graduate and he received his high school diploma. He was very proud of his achievement.

He finally could cherish his official graduation photograph wearing his cap and gown. That photo now hangs alongside all of my mother’s children who graduated high school. Just to graduate from high school meant a lot back then, during the 1960s and 70s.

Earlier, before he graduated, he worked at a drug store, then he got hired to do floors. Though he was not an expert, he learned more each day, obtaining all of the skills needed to sand and refinish hard wood floors so well, that he was promoted to the role of foreman, as he went simultaneously to night school, working full time during the day.

His growth continued. Once he understood the world of sanding and refinishing, he began to purchase his very own equipment and started to get customers of his own. Gradually, he used his car, accepted jobs and began

WITH LYNDIA GRANT

The Power of Forgiveness: Remembering Leon Grant’s Life, Love and Sacrifice 47 Years Later the religion corner

sanding and refinishing floors in his own business part-time, evenings and weekends. He would work a second shift for himself. This is when his growth as an entrepreneur began. Plus he was still a young man with a strong body.

His business grew and grew over the years. Eventually, he hired a full staff, purchased trucks and other equipment for his office, which was located across the street from McGuire Funeral Home, just about half a block. His office address was 7323 Georgia Avenue, N.W., DC, in Ward 4.

We lost my brother in a senseless shooting, it was a pre-planned robbery attempt!

Let me tell you what happened.

Though Leon had made a lot of money in his business, and several cousins and family members came to work for him, they too learned and several of them started their own businesses as well. Let’s say this growth was similar to a family enterprise.

One day, Leon’s partner hired a secretary for him, while he was away on a business trip, but she was not working out for him. He had high work ethics. Her work performance couldn’t satisfy him, so eventually, he fired her.

This young lady worked there long enough to learn about his vault, where he kept cash on hand to pay our younger brothers, who he hired to have summer jobs, and so they too could

learn the business.

Amazingly, all the boys’ names rhymed, they were Elton, Dalton, Shelton and Felton. They looked up to their big brother. Today, one of them has an extremely successful business still thriving today, located in Los Angeles.

Once Leon fired this young lady, she set up a plot for her friends to rob him, whether they meant to murder him or not, we don’t know. They did shoot him in his neck above the bullet proof vest, striking his jugular vein. They did not suspect that this shooting was done in front of plain clothes cops.

After receiving a fatal shot, he bled to death a short time later that same day while being treated at Washington Hospital Center.

Bishop Earl W. Edwards, who conducted the funeral service at the Faith Bible Church, 14th Street and Maryland Avenue NE, characterized the 30-year-old Leon as a man who was “willing to lay his life on the line and to be out front; he didn’t fear what people would do to him, he was not afraid.”

“In a few days, what was in the dark will come to light and things will unfold as to the details of the case and the reason why it happened to him,” Bishop Edwards told the mourners during the emotional service.

Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

RELIGION

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Purpose

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Rehoboth Baptist Church

First Rising Mt. Zion Baptist Church

Historic St. Mary’s Episcopal Church

Promised Land Baptist Church

viewpoints on the outcome, with a contingent of residents disappointed in, as he described it, the lack of concern for the collective wellbeing of the ward from those caught up in White’s expulsion from the council.

Another area of concern, Williams said, was the low voter turnout in Ward 8.

As reported by D.C. Board of Elections, 7,806 registered Ward 8—less than 14% of the electorate— participated in the election. White, the beleaguered incumbent, clinched victory with 2,187 votes— less than 30% of the electorate. The other candidates— attorney Mike Austin, Advisory Neighborhood Commission Chair Salim Adofo, and former D.C. Council chief of staff Sheila Bunn— split the other votes, with Bunn securing second place as a result.

For Williams, who didn’t disclose his candidate of choice, such a scenario, in which tens of thousands of people sat home, speaks to a greater problem affecting Ward 8.

“Ward 8 has a lot of power that we’re not using,” Williams told The Informer. “That’s why we’re stuck with one grocery store, and afraid that it’s going to run away. If we used our collective power in Ward 8, like Ward 3 does, or Ward 2, or Ward 1, we would not be having this conversation right now.”

Days after the special election, conversation continued as supporters of Initiative 83 described the outcome of the race as even more reason to implement ranked-choice voting, as outlined in the ballot measure that more than 70% of District voters approved last fall.

Since the approval of Initiative 83, proponents and opponents have been in a tug-of-war about the ballot measure’s future.

Earlier in the budget season, D.C. Councilmember Anita Bonds (D-At large), chair of the committee that conducted oversight of DCBOE, placed Initiative 83 low among her budget priorities due to questions about its impact and the use of white out on the petitions submitted for ballot approval.

Earlier this month, the Fiscal Year 2026 budget that D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson circulated didn’t include funding for Initiative 83. However, on July 14, the day before the special election, the D.C. Council approved a budget amendment by D.C. Councilmembers Christina Henderson (I-At large) and Brianne Nadeau (D-Ward 1) that funds the rankedchoice voting portion of the law, in part, with funds originally allocated

for ranked-choice voting.

“You have some of the highest health disparities per capita in the country, and I didn’t like that,” White told Ward 8 Democrats Chair Troy Donte Prestwood in his reflection about food insecurity. “And I’m not a supporter of Ranked Choice Voting. So that’s a double whammy.”

During what was one of his first major appearances after the special election, White revealed plans for a yet-to-be-scheduled strategic planning meeting and unity breakfast. He also encouraged residents to attend a unity kickball game at Lockridge Field (Oxon Run Park) scheduled to take place on the afternoon of Aug. 2.

All events, White said, count as part of an effort to foster comradery and ensure Ward 8 is on one accord upon his full return to the council.

“I may be the one who won this election, but if I don’t win, we don’t win,” White said on Saturday. “We have to put our differences aside and not just talk about what we disagree on...But what we can figure out, what we can agree upon. That’s going to take community effort, and I look forward to working with the community.”

for a newly council-approved farmer’s market grant program.

WIlliams, a Democrat whosse challenged D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton for her seat during previous election cycles, questioned an assertion among supporters that Initiative 83 spur civic engagement among who he described as disillusioned voters.

“At the point where you only have 7,500 people voting anyway, I don’t think ranked-choice would have done the job,” Williams told The Informer. “What you’re looking at is…the interest, and if 80,000 voters felt that none of the [candidates] were good enough to qualify, then those 80,000 could have collectively and independently either got up and ran themselves, collectively got around behind someone, brought their demands to that individual, and…helped them get in office.”

POST-SPECIAL ELECTION VICTORY, COUNCILMEMBER-ELECT WHITE TALKS INITIATIVE 83 AND OTHER PRESSING ISSUES

Last weekend, during his virtual appearance before the Ward 8 Democrats, Councilmember-elect White criticized the manner in which Henderson and Nadeau secured funding

GOOD TROUBLE from Page 1

the current administration’s policies, and artists performed for the crowd, firing up attendees before the group marched to the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) as a final act of protest.

“It can be daunting at times to try and stop a president like this, but a leader gets their power from the people, and we, the people, can take that away,” said Samantha Davis, founder of the Black Swan Academy, to demonstrators. “Noncooperation has been used by movements throughout history to demand justice and to win it. No one knew this better than John Lewis.”

The title of the nationwide initiative in honor of Lewis directly refers to the activist’s famous philosophy of always making noise and getting in “good trouble,” through nonviolent yet assertive protest against unjust conditions, policies and leadership.

In D.C, and across the nation, demonstrators criticized the Trump administration’s attacks on voting rights, federal funding, and immigration, alongside other areas of concern.

For the rest of the program, White weighed in on matters of public safety, Medicaid funding, housing and RFK campus development.

As Medicaid recipients in D.C. and across the U.S. await the effects of budget cuts, White suggested increasing tax revenue as a means of preserving those healthcare benefits. The RENTAL Act also came up in the discussion, with White pointing out to audience members that he would be council member again in time to adjust the law.

“I did not agree with the RENTAL Act, but I want to offer some amendments to create more affordable housing,” White said. “I talked about senior housing, but it’s housing across the board as well in D.C and I think that we need to beef up our ability to put money in the budget like I did with the community and trust to ensure that people can not just rent, but own.”

White later touted out-of-school time funding, early childhood literacy programs, and scholarships for young people like former D.C. State Board of Education student representative Calique Barnes— who launched a crowdfunding campaign earlier this year to cover his Morehouse College tuition— as valuable violence prevention tools. WI

Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

application if the applicant fails to provide documentation that proves their U.S. citizenship. If it becomes law, the SAVE Act will make voter participation more difficult by ending automatic, online and mail-in voter registration programs made possible through the Voter Registration Act.

Because of these attacks on U.S. citizens’ right to their civic duty, D.C. resident Brandon Bush believes that using one’s constitutional right to participate in protests is a crucial step toward a more equitable government and country.

“We are here because we’ve had people, especially John Lewis, who fought for our right to vote in elections because he realized the power of the vote,” Bush told The Informer. “If we relinquish that by not showing up to things like this, not creating good trouble, then we just relinquish everything that we hold sacred.”

“Everything is stirred up and in the air, so this is a great time to demand they codify our civil rights, our voting rights, our reproductive rights, our education, our health care. These things need to really be legalized and locked in stone,” Terryn Nelson, a native Washingtonian who attended the march, told The Informer. “Once we topple this regime, then the work really begins to create the future that we’re going to have.”

RACIAL DISPARITIES PERSIST AS SAVE ACT THREATENS VOTING ACCESSIBILITY

Almost 60 years ago, Lewis, Rosa Parks and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. were among the prominent civil rights leaders watching as President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act on August 6, 1965.

Now, the John Lewis Voting Rights Act Amendment of 2025 has been introduced to fight to uphold some of the protections that were allotted in the original legislation six decades ago.

That’s because many modern-day freedom fighters— from the people who take to the streets, to certain members of Congress— are concerned about current policies that they feel suppress voters.

On April 10, the House of Representatives passed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which prohibits states from accepting a federal election voter registration

Minority communities have historically been disproportionately affected by voting laws and registration regulations, such as the literacy tests required in many southern states between the 1850s and 1960s that were used to deprive Black Americans of their right to vote. Despite the Voting Rights Act of 1965 prohibiting racial discrimination in voting, research reveals minorities are still susceptible to being disproportionately affected by voting regulations. A recent study published by the University of Maryland Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement shows that Black, Hispanic and Asian/Pacific Islander adult citizens are less likely to have a valid driver’s license compared to their white counterparts, which could complicate participation in elections under the SAVE Act if passed. Per the report, 18% of Black adult citizens, 15% of Hispanic adult citizens and 13% of Asian/Pacific Islander citizens don’t own a license compared to just 5% of white adult citizens.

District resident Dante O’Hara believes racial disparities should be at the forefront of these national demonstrations, attributing a lack of focus on such issues to needing more Black participants in these movements.

“Yes, we’re commemorating the death of John Lewis... but we are not addressing the elephant in the room, which is that the centrality of the struggle is racism,” O’Hara told The Informer. “Black folks have been the heartbeat of this country’s democratic struggle, and if we’re not dealing with that question as a central question in our organizing, then we’re going to be in some deep [mess].” WI

Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

5D.C. Councilmember-elect Trayon White is engaging his soon-to-be-again constituents, regardless of whether they voted for him— or voted at all. Only 14% of the electorate voted in the Ward 8 Special Election. (WI File Photo)

YOUTH from Page 1 eager to create opportunities for young people.

Such was the case earlier this year when Smith accepted a volunteer role at Unleashed Potential – a program that Queen’s organization, Representation for the Bottom, started in collaboration with Brandywine Valley SPCA. Two days out of the week, Smith and other young residents of the Congress Park community accompany Queen to the Northeast animal shelter, where they learn to care for hundreds of dogs and cats.

“It opened my eyes to think maybe this could be like a step forward to success or greatness,” said Smith, 18. “I was automatically excited when Marcelles told me about it and he had to meet and greet with the CEO of the animal shelter.”

Since coming on as a volunteer at Brandywine Valley SPCA, Smith has learned how to clean kennels and prepare dog treats. More recently he and other program participants practiced using those treats and a clicker to initiate dog commands.

From that point, all participants work their way to the point where staff members allow them to walk the dogs around the property alone.

Smith said that over the course of the program he gathered tools that he can implement as a dog owner and a young man seeking self-sufficiency.

“I was excited about it overall…how it could be some legal income, a step forward, like a career path,” Smith said. “I learned how to use my basic training on animals. I learned what to do with exotic animals and non-exotic animals.”

MARCELLES QUEEN

SEEKS SUPPORT AS HE PAYS IT FORWARD

Queen, a graduate of the Pathways Program within the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (ONSE), entered the Congress Park community after the early 2023 death of Martez Toney— known to many in the community as Tez.

Through Representation for the Bottom, Queen conducted programming for Smith and other youth in Congress Park that brought them in contact with elected officials, community leaders and nonprofit organizers. Of the others who assisted in those efforts was James Robinson, a young adult from Congress Park who, like Queen, participated in Pathways and, before his death earlier this year, spent time with youth at Brandywine Valley SPCA.

As the D.C. Council, according to a staffer in D.C. Councilmember Brooke Pinto’s (D-Ward 2) office, solidifies Pathways’ placement in ONSE, Queen continues to tout the program as the catalyst behind his transformation.

“You have a lot of individuals… coming from situations where you don’t see hope, but Pathways gives you an outlet to meet different people,” Queen said. “You meet your city council members. You meet different people from different wards, different sections [with] different races [and] types of households. It’s all about the experience and how we share it with each other.”

Years later, Queen said he’s made progress with the youth of Congress Park. However, without consistent grant funding, he questions the degree to which he and other providers can keep Smith and other young people out of trouble.

“He knows how to operate as a man,” Queen said about Smith. “But coming from a community like Congress Park, there’s a lot of stuff he has to navigate by himself. He’s always super successful when he…has something positive going on.”

For Queen, Unleashed Potential is another element in what he said needs to be an ever-expanding package of programs that youth can choose between as iterations of the D.C. summer youth employment program.

“In situations like this where I’m able to partner with other good people, Malcolm has the structure that he needs to keep being successful,” Queen told The Informer. “Partnering with the animal shelter [brings] stability to Congress Heights. Sometimes it’s not just about [the] program. It’s really just about people loving and helping other people.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE, AND MALCOLM SMITH’S REQUEST

Aaron Johnson, chief operating officer at Brandywine Valley SPCA, said he relished the chance to build upon a volunteer program already in existence at one of the D.C. metropolitan area’s largest animal welfare organizations.

“I think it’s always a great opportunity where you can involve the youth and be able to have good programs that give them some knowledge and also keeps them out of trouble at the same time,”

Johnson told The Informer.

Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

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SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 ADM 000564

Wilbert Earl Mims Jr. Decedent

Jeffrey K. Gordon, Esq. 5335 Wisconsin Ave., NW #400 Washington DC, 20015

Attorney

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

James Thompson Jr., whose address is 7812 Beechnut Road, Capitol Heights, Maryland 20743, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Wilbert Earl Mims Jr. who died on June 10, 2023 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 1/10/2026. 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 1/10/2026, 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: 7/10/2025

James Thompson Jr. 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

2012 ADM 349

Glenwood Britt Decedent

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

J. Anthony Concino III, Esq., whose address is 5335 Wisconsin Ave., NW, Suite 400, Washington DC 20015, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Glenwood Britt who died on January 10, 2012 without a Will. 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 1/10/2026. 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 1/10/2026, 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: 7/10/2026

J. Anthony Concino III, Esq. Personal Representative

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

LEGAL NOTICES

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 ADM 000654

Kandra J. James aka Kandra Jeanett James Decedent

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

Beulah E. James, whose address is 507 Oglethorpe St., NW, Washington, DC 20011, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Kandra J. James aka Kandra Jeanett James who died on January 21, 2025 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 1/10/2026. 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 1/10/2026, 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: 7/10/2025

Beulah E. James

Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens

Washington Informer

LEGAL NOTICES

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2024 ADM 000705

Arnold A. Smith Decedent

Louvenia W. Williams, Esq. 9701 Apollo Drive, Suite 301 Largo, Maryland, 20774

Attorney

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

Ethel Canty Bothuel, whose address is 11256 Torrie Way, Unit K, Bealeton, VA 22712, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Arnold A. Smith who died on July 29, 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 1/10/2026. 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 1/10/2026, 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: 7/10/2025

Ethel Canty Bothuel 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

2024 ADM 001009

Therese Wanji Chia aka Therese Wanji Ngassa Chia Decedent

Howard Haley, The Haley Firm PC 7600 Georgia Ave., NW #416 Washington, DC 20012 Attorney

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

Joseph Lavela, whose address is 6006 41st Ave., Hyattsville, MD 20782, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Therese Wanji Chia aka Therese Wanji Ngassa Chia who died on April 26, 2022 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 1/10/2026. 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 1/10/2026, 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: 7/10/2025

Joseph Lavela 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

2025 ADM 676

Ellen V. Terry aka Ellen Virginia Terry Decedent

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

Katherine Nixon, whose address is 2317 33rd Street, SE, Washington, DC 20020, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Ellen V. Terry aka Ellen Virginia Terry who died on February 11, 2023 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 1/10/2026. 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 1/10/2026, 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: 7/10/2025

Katherine Nixon 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

2025 ADM 00601

Carol A. Jenifer Decedent

Deborah D. Boddie, Esq. ProbateLawDC 1308 Ninth Street, NW, Suite 300 Washington, DC 20001 Attorney

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

Kia Walker, whose address is 2150 Village Green Drive, Fairburn, Georgia 30213, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Carol A. Jenifer who died on April 4, 2025 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 1/10/2026. 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 1/10/2026, 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: 7/10/2025

Kia Walker 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

2025 ADM 000673

Carolyn Jane Jones Decedent

Yvonne Davis Smith, Esquire 2501 Northampton Street, NW Washington, DC 20015 Attorney

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

Cheryl Ann Clark, whose address is 1258 Howlson Place SW, Washington DC 20024, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Carolyn Jane Jones who died on October 13, 2018 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 1/17/2026. 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 1/17/2026, 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: 7/17/2025

Cheryl Ann Clark 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

2025 ADM 00282

Edna E. Tibbs

Decedent

Kevin Judd, Esq. 601 Pennsylvania Ave., NW Suite 900-South Building Washington, DC 20004

Attorney

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

Kevin Judd, Esq., whose address is 601 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Suite 900-South Building, Washington, DC 20004, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Edna E. Tibbs who died on May 17, 2024 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 1/10/2026. 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 1/10/2026, 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: 7/10/2025

Kevin Judd, Esq. 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

2024 ADM 000606

David Earl Johnston Decedent

Graner S Ghevargheso 600 14th Street, NW Washington, DC 20005 Attorney

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

Robert Johnston, whose address is 1916 Shushan Drive, Ceres, CA 95307, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of David Earl Johnston who died on December 8, 2023 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 1/17/2026. 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 1/17/2026, 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: 7/17/2025

Robert Johnston

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

2025 ADM 000667

Deborah Qusi Ellen Bishop Decedent

Graner S. Ghevarghese 600 14th Street, NW, 5th Floor Washington, DC 20005

Attorney

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

Karly Amanda Ginny Bacon, whose address is 119 Upsal Street SE, Washington, DC 20032, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Deborah Qusi Ellen Bishop who died on October 24, 2024 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 1/17/2026. 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 1/17/2026, 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: 7/17/2025

Karly Amanda Ginny Bacon

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

2025 ADM 000647

Stive C. Tchakounte Decedent

Anne S. Quinn Momentum Law Group 9211 Corporate Blvd., Suite 350 Rockville, MD 20850 Attorney

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

Bonaventure Tchakounte, whose address is 219 Nicholson St., NE, Washington, DC 20011, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Stive C. Tchakounte who died on July 9, 2021 without a Will and will serve with Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 1/17/2026. 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 1/17/2026, 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: 7/17/2025

Bonaventure Tchakounte Personal

Nicole

LEGAL NOTICES

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

2025 ADM 680

Fulton C. Mays aka Fulton Clarence Mays Decedent

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

Johnnie M. Mays, whose address is 529 Oglethorpe Street NE, Washington, DC 20011, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Fulton C. Mays aka Fulton Clarence Mays who died on January 22, 2025 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 1/17/2026. 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 1/17/2026, 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: 7/17/2025

Johnnie M. Mays

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

2025 ADM 000695

Daniel Jeffers aka Daniel Curtis Jeffers Decedent

Lizamarie Mohammed, Esq. 300 New Jersey Ave., NW Suite 300 Washington, DC 20001 Attorney

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

Lynda Kettel aka Lynda Catherine Kettel, whose address is 290 E. Melissa Lane, Shelton, WA 98584, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Daniel Jeffers aka Daniel Curtis Jeffers who died on November 25, 2024 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 1/24/2026. 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 1/24/2026, 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: 7/24/2025

Lynda Catherine Kettel Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

LEGAL NOTICES

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 ADM 679

Henry Austine Stewart Decedent

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

Frances P. Harrington and Brenda L. Walker, whose addresses are 4209 22nd Ave., Temple Hills, MD 20748 and 2522 Afton Street, Temple Hills, MD 20748, were appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of Henry Austine Stewart who died on April 4, 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 1/17/2026. 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 1/17/2026, 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: 7/17/2025

Frances P. Harrington

Brenda L. Walker 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 2025 ADM 000218

Edmond Woods Decedent

Heather L. Sunderman, Esq. 7811 Montrose Road, Suite 400 Potomac, Maryland 20854 Attorney

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

Robert Woods, Maurice Woods and Kristin Woods, whose addresses are 3311 Chauncey Pl., #102, Mount Rainer, MD 20712; 5709 Lanier Ave, Suitland MD 20746 & 1223 46th St., SE, Washington DC 20019, were appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of Edmond Woods who died on 2/17/2025 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 1/24/2026. 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 1/24/2026, 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: 7/24/2025

Robert Woods

Maurice Woods

Kristin Woods

Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

LEGAL NOTICES

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

2025 ADM 000675

Rachel H. Corbie Decedent

Angela F. Ramson

Fox Rothschild LLP 2020 K Street NW, Suite 500 Washington, DC 20006 Attorney

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

Anthony Greene and Alante Corbie, whose address is 12214 Montreat Place, Waldorf, MD 20601, 917 Shepherd St., NW, Washington, DC 20011, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Rachel H. Corbie who died on February 26, 2025 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 1/17/2026. 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 1/17/2026, 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: 7/17/2025

Anthony Greene Alante Corbie 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

2025 ADM 000637

Betty Jane Thornton Decedent

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

Jody Thornton Smith, whose address is 1835 Vermont Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Betty Jane Thornton who died on 3/8/2025 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 1/24/2026. 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 1/24/2026, 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: 7/24/2025

Jody Thornton Smith 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

2025 ADM 000723

Estate of Robert Michael Siegel

NOTICE OF STANDARD PROBATE

Notice is hereby given that a petition has been filed in this Court by Stephen O. Hessler for standard probate, including the appointment of one or more personal representatives. Unless a responsive pleading in the form of a complaint or an objection in accordance with Superior Court Probate Division Rule 407 is filed in this Court within 30 days from the date of first publication of this notice, the Court may take the action hereinafter set forth.

In the absence of a will or proof satisfactory to the Court of due execution, enter an order determining that the decedent died intestate appoint an unsupervised personal representative

Date of first publication: July 17, 2025

Stephen O. Hessler 1230 D Street, SE Washington DC, 20003 Petitioner/Attorney:

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2024 ADM 001502

Brenda Lofton Haynie Decedent

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

Anthony Haynie Jr., whose address is 3902 C Street, SE, Washington, DC 20019, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Brenda Lofton Haynie who died on March 18, 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 (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 1/24/2026. 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 1/24/2026, 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: 7/24/2025

Anthony Haynie Jr. Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

LEGAL NOTICES

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

2025 ADM 000753

Estate of Bruce Barth

NOTICE OF STANDARD PROBATE

Notice is hereby given that a petition has been filed in this Court by DCA Capitol Hill SNF, LLC d/b/a Bridgepoint Sub-Acute and Rehabilitation Capitol Hill c/o Danielle Sampson Parker for standard probate, including the appointment of one or more personal representatives. Unless a responsive pleading in the form of a complaint or an objection in accordance with Superior Court Probate Division Rule 407 is filed in this Court within 30 days from the date of first publication of this notice, the Court may take the action hereinafter set forth.

In the absence of a will or proof satisfactory to the Court of due execution, enter an order determining that the decedent died intestate appoint an unsupervised personal representative

Date of first publication: 7/24/2025

Jonathan M. Harnois, Esq.

297 Willbrook Blvd. Pawleys Island, SC 29585

Petitioner/Attorney:

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

LEGAL NOTICES

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 ADM 000371

Christopher Fairfield Mathew Muller aka Christopher Muller Decedent

Julie A. Simantiras, Esq.

The Geller Law Group 4000 Legato Road, Suite 1100, PMB 6084 Fairfax, Virginia 22033 Attorney

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

Glee Nanette Murray, whose address is 137 12th Street SE, Washington, DC 20003, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Christopher Fairfield Mathew Muller aka Christopher Muller who died on 12/6/2024 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 1/24/2026. 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 1/24/2026, 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: 7/24/2025

Glee Nanette Murray 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

2025 FEP 000080

December 27, 2024 Date of Death

Michael B. Malone, Sr. Name of Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Christine L. Malone whose address is PO Box 1170 Huntingtown, MD 20369 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Michael B. Malone, Sr., deceased, by the Register of Wills for the Orphan’s Court for Calvert County, State of Maryland, on February 4, 2025.

Service of process may be made upon John J. Behun 505 Tenth Street, SE, Washington, DC 20003 whose designation as District of Columbia agent has been filed with the Register of Wills, D.C.

The decedent owned District of Columbia personal property. Claims against the decedent may be presented to the undersigned and filed with the Register of Wills of the District of Columbia, 515 5th Street, NW, Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001 within 6 months from the date of first publication of this notice.

Date of first publication: July 24, 2025

Christine L. Malone Personal Representative

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2024 ADM 000532

Mildred J. Lockridge Decedent

Stephanie L. Royal, Esq. The Royal Legal Group, PLLC 5335 Wisconsin Ave., NW, Suite 440 Washington, DC 20015 Attorney

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

Cheryl M. Whisonant, whose address is 8615 Monmouth Drive, Upper Marlboro, MD 20772, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Mildred J. Lockridge who died on July 22, 2023 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 1/24/2026. 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 1/24/2026, 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: 7/24/2025

Cheryl M. Whisonant

Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

LEGAL NOTICES

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2024 ADM 371

Doris Handy Fleming aka Doris Handy Decedent

Shari Kleiner, Esq. 5614 Connecticut Avenue NW, 107 Washington, DC 20015

Attorney

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

Taylor Fleming, whose address is 4601 SW Althena Dr. Port Saint Lucie, FL 34986, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Doris Handy Fleming aka Doris Handy who died on October 18, 2023 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 1/24/2026. 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 1/24/2026, 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: 7/24/2025

Taylor Fleming 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

2025 ADM 000707

Novella Bourn Decedent

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

Evelyn Patricia Bourn, whose address is 5304 Clay Terrace NE, Washington, DC 20019, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Novella Bourn who died on March 14, 2025 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 1/24/2026. 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 1/24/2026, 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: 7/24/2025

Novella Bourn Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

LEGAL NOTICES

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

2025 FEP 75

12/15/2003

Date of Death

Janyce Cecelia Prince Name of Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Janet L. Collins whose address is 2802 John A. Thompson Road, Temple Hills, MD 20748 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Janyce Cecelia Prince, deceased, by the State of Maryland Court for Prince Georges County, State of Maryland, on 1/22/2004.

Service of process may be made upon Nicole A. Banks 1451 Morris Road, SE, Washington, DC 20020 whose designation as District of Columbia agent has been filed with the Register of Wills, D.C. The decedent owned the following District of Columbia real property: 512 Ridge Road, SE Unit #208 Washington, DC 20019. Claims against the decedent may be presented to the undersigned and filed with the Register of Wills of the District of Columbia, 515 5th Street, NW, Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001 within 6 months from the date of first publication of this notice.

Date of first publication: 7/24/2025

Janet L. Collins Personal Representative

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

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

2025 ADM 000692

Pauline E. Green Decedent

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

Seritta Bathanazas, whose address is 1912 ½ Naylor Road, SE Washington DC 20020, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Pauline E. Green who died on November 26, 2024 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 1/24/2026. 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 1/24/2026, 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: 7/24/2025

Seritta Bathanazas Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

LEGAL NOTICES

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

2025 ADM 000724

Lucy Nora Taylor Decedent

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

Jonathan Gray, whose address is 1010 Canterbury Lane Laplata MD 20646, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Lucy Nora Taylor who died on January 9, 2025 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 1/24/2026. 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 1/24/2026, 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: 7/24/2025

Jonathan Gray 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

2025 FEP 000079

Date of Death

2/22/2025

Rufus Carter Seabron

Name of Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Sadie Ashby whose address is 5707 Baltimore Avenue, Hyattsville, Maryland 20781 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Rufus Carter Seabron, deceased, by the Orphans Court for Anne Arundel County, State of Maryland on, March 11, 2025.

Service of process may be made upon Aimee D. Griffin, Esq. 5335 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, Suite 440, Washington DC 20015 whose designation as District of Columbia agent has been filed with the Register of Wills, D.C.

Date of first publication: 7/24/2025

Sadie Ashby Personal Representative

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

BROWN from Page 26

tion’s infrastructure, from disaster relief to education, in very disparate ways.

A LIFELINE FOR STUDENTS AND THE PROFESSION

For organizations like Teach for America, AmeriCorps funding is essential to sustaining the pipeline for thousands of passionate, capable individuals who enter classrooms where the need is greatest. In a nation grappling with chronic teacher shortages, particularly in high-need communities, this funding is a lifeline for students and for the future of the profession. Those interested in this profession may not view it as a sustainable career path. The last thing you want to hear as a prospec-

OWOLEWA/NEAL from Page 26

Research shows that in addition to economic freedom, reducing student debt also impacts civic engagement. Moderate student loan debt has been associated with increased political engagement, especially among liberal arts graduates who were more likely to interpret their debt as a symptom of systemic failure. In other words, the system is so burdensome, it’s politicizing an entire generation.

tive new teacher is that you will have fewer financial resources, especially when you come from a low-income background, like 60% of TFA corps members.

For Black educators, that support is even more crucial when you add a higher average burden of student loan debt. More than 9,000 Teach for America alumni who have benefited from the education award identify as Black. They have and continue to lead classrooms across the country, serving more than 294,000 students in 1,700 schools in partnership with 350 school districts and communities. They have had a consistent and significant impact on students’ learning over three decades. And we need more.

The program empowers our communities to lead on the issues that matter most to them.

We must further invest in providing educational opportunities to rebuild the foundation of our city. Free public college would make quality post secondary education a human right, not a luxury. It would send a clear message: education is not reserved for the wealthy, the lucky, or the well-connected. It’s for everyone willing to learn.

We can no longer rely on campaign promises of loan reform and temporary forgiveness. We need

MARSHALL from Page 26 sits halfway between Phoenix and Albuquerque with its one grocery store and one local food bank serving over 3,500 people. If the one grocery store closes due to the food aid cuts, the next closest option for groceries is approximately 30 miles away.

For many, this program is truly a legitimate lifeline, saving individuals from hunger. It is not just impacting the urban poor. The repercussions will be felt hard in rural communities and food deserts— areas where people overwhelmingly voted for Trump. SNAP benefits are not just a humanitarian effort; they play a critical part in smalltown grocery stores and rural economies that rely on the steady and reliable income that SNAP benefits provide. It’s the ripple effect. When a local store loses a critical number of SNAP shoppers to government cuts, many stores will have no choice but to shut their doors for good. These rural stores immediately lose a major source of stable income, far greater than supermarkets in more affluent areas. When the only grocer in a town shuts down, it can automatically create a food desert.

St. Johns, Ariz. is a community that overwhelmingly supported Trump in the 2024 election. It

At a broader level, AmeriCorps serves as a powerful gateway to public service, especially for younger generations, who have been very clear: they want to make a sizable impact, not just leave a footprint. And AmeriCorps offers an entry point while uplifting communities and strengthening our civic fabric.

Every dollar invested in AmeriCorps returns $17 in economic value. That is a cost-effective force for economic and social good. The program empowers our communities to lead on the issues that matter most to them.

Cutting AmeriCorps undermines our ability to solve problems together. If we care about the future of education and civic leadership, we must protect and expand opportunities for national service.

structural change now. A free public university is how we begin to repair the damage and build a future where higher education expands opportunity, instead of narrowing it.

A tuition free UDC helps create a level economic playing field where Washingtonians of all incomes, races and backgrounds can come together to build themselves and their communities.

We deserve a free college education! WI

nizations that currently lack the infrastructure to handle the potential surge of vulnerable individuals seeking assistance.

“I lean pretty heavily right most of the time, but one of the things that I do lean to the left on is we’re a pretty wealthy country, we can help people out,” said St. Johns Mayor Spence Udall. According to a study from the Commonwealth Fund, the Republicans’ cuts to the nation’s anti-hunger program will lead to thousands of job losses and a drop in revenue across the agriculture, retail grocery, and food processing industries.

Hunger relief organizations are also bracing for the ripple effect.

Food banks are likely to bear the brunt of the cuts because they are often the last resort in the fight against hunger. Cuts to food assistance programs and other benefits could force millions of people to seek help from charitable orga-

“A misperception of the public is that when needs go up, we do more. We can only do more when resources go up. We can’t magically produce more food,” said Brian Greene, president and CEO of the Houston Food Bank.

All the pending human misery comes from shortsighted lawmakers who are afraid and intimidated by President Donald Trump. They gave the dictator his megabill, even though it means people are going to encounter more stress of not knowing where their next meal is coming from, forcing people to rely on overwhelmed charities that will be faced with more people seeking help and less food to meet the need, and the continued destruction of the social safety net. In six months, America has found different ways to deny people the basic right to food. It’s reckless and cruel.

AIRLINE CAREERS

WILLIAMS from Page 27

for publishing the letter. I don’t think his MAGA base is buying his attempt to distance himself from a close relationship with Epstein. Comey’s daughter being fired must have a bit of information about the Epstein files that somebody, maybe not just Trump, doesn’t want us to know! Ms. Comey is known for her role in the prosecution of Epstein and was abruptly fired at the time with no clear reason. It isn’t right to punish a prosecutor for doing her job. Of course, she was given no reason for

ALI from Page 27

reads more like a script. We have a client list that should’ve shaken Washington to its knees. But instead, we get sealed documents, broken chain-of-custody, and a public too exhausted to scream. Wells would scream.

She would not be seduced by partisan spectacle. She wouldn’t care if the abuser wore red or blue, if they donated to Democrats or dined with Republicans. She would follow the facts. And she’d remind us, again and again, that justice delayed is justice denied. So, what would she do with the Epstein files?

What makes this moment all the more grotesque is how familiar it feels. For centuries, America has built monuments to men while burying the victims. Ida knew this. That’s why she kept records. That’s why she printed the names of sheriffs and mayors, why she risked her life to publish testimonies no one wanted to hear.

She’d publish them. Every name. Every page. Every alias. Ev-

MORIAL from Page 27

work of our Demand Diversity Roundtable and by suing this administration for an outright racist executive order that is undermining our Democracy, eroding trust in our systems, and dismantling our government.

For the Urban League movement, this state of emergency and scourge on our nation and community is a call to action.

This week at our national conference in Cleveland, we convened affiliate leaders, community advocates, and thought leaders from across the country with one mission and a unified message:

her firing—so it leaves us to gather all the information and figure it out.

She led prosecutions against Epstein for sex trafficking of minors in 2019 and secured Ghislaine Maxwell’s 20-year sentence for similar crimes. She was a senior trial counsel and had nearly a decade of service. Several of her colleagues walked out of the building with her apparently showing support for her.

I wonder why Bondi did an about face on what was/is available in the Epstein files. She closed the case. She made sure Comey would

ery co-conspirator.

And what would she say about Trump?

She’d call him what he is: a man who’s spent a lifetime dodging accountability, whether in real estate, elections, insurrections — or now, the quiet implication that his name may be nestled among the worst of the worst. A man who brags of sexual assault on tape and still walks freely through halls of power. Donald is a man who’s more symptom than anomaly—a reflection of a country that still measures justice on a scale tilted by money, race, and fear.

This isn’t just about Trump, of course. It’s about every institution that looked the other way. Every prosecutor who declined to push. Every network that buried the story. Every citizen who decided not to ask, “Why are the victims always expected to forget before the perpetrators are ever named?”

Ida would not forget.

There is no justice without truth.

She would remind us that injustice is not just a crime against the

we are not backing down.

We shared economic strategies to equip our communities and partners with the tools needed to help navigate an employment landscape that has become increasingly hostile towards people of color, especially Black women. Provided support and training for entrepreneurs and small business owners to thrive in the face of changing economic headwinds.

Invested in our young people at our annual youth summit as a reminder that even in a state of emergency, their dreams and ambitions are worth investing in and fighting for.

Developed civic engagement

not handle this case. Is there something Comey might explain that doesn’t sit well with Trump? Ms. Comey’s father is under investigation about Trump’s involvement in ties with Russia. Is there some relationship--like maybe revenge?

Ms. Comey made enemies when she exposed the rot among elites. The firing of her and her father suggests a broader agenda to allow no dissent.

Trump’s administration undermines the rule of law. We deserve better. Yes, Ms. Comey, fear is the tool of a tyrant. WI

victims — it is a public wound. And the longer we pretend not to see it, the deeper it festers.

She would also remind us that the silence around Epstein is not just about protecting powerful men. It is about what we teach our daughters. It is about what we demand from our press. It is about what kind of country we are willing to be.

Because in the end, the question isn’t just what happened? It’s why don’t we care enough to find out?

There is no justice without truth. No healing without reckoning.

If Ms. Ida B. Wells were here today, she’d be typing in all caps:

UNSEAL THE FILES.

NAME THE NAMES.

TELL THE DAMN TRUTH. Because until we do, every flag we wave is just camouflage, and every courtroom oath is just theater.

And the silence?

That silence becomes complicity.

action plans to prepare our communities for the midterms in 2026 and support grassroots and civic engagement groups with the resources they need to fight back against rapidly expanding discriminatory voting laws.

We are taking the time to recognize every single person in this fight, thanking them for their contributions and reminding them why we do this work.

The Urban League movement is banding together to weather the storms to come, fight for our freedoms and Democracy in the face of tyranny, and equip our leaders every day to build a nation that reflects its values and its citizens. WI

WHERE THE MONEY GOES.

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