The Washington Informer - June 3, 2021

WINNER OF FIVE SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS D.C. AWARDS Capture the Moment Page 44 Vol. 56, No. 33 • June 3 - 9, 2021

Miami Joins Nation’s Surge of Cities Facing Deluge of Senseless Shootings

Summer Fun!

Will Gun Reform Serve as Key Issue for Candidates in Upcoming Primaries?

D. Kevin McNeir WI Senior Editor

5 Vae, Zoey, Kimonie and Katty enjoy the swing set in Chuck Brown Park in Northeast. See more photos on Page 45.

(Robert R. Roberts/The Washington Informer)

The intensive search for three killers continued for a third day on Tuesday, June 1 in Miami after a violent, drive-by shooting left two people dead and 21 people injured outside a banquet hall early Sunday.

One day later, another drive-by shooting left two people wounded while an attempted robbery turned into a gunfight as Miami struggles

By James Wright WI Staff Writer

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

TRUCK SAFETY Page 46

GUNS Page 18

D.C. Residents Carefully Consider Bowser Budget

GOP Opposition to Biden Plan Puts Truck Drivers at Risk President Joe Biden proposed a $2 trillion infrastructure plan beyond improving dilapidated roads and bridges across the country.

Commonly called the American Jobs Plan, the President’s proposal earmarks $115 billion on repairing bridges and 20,000 miles of highways and roads.

Approximately $85 billion would go toward public transportation improvements while $20 billion would improve road safety to reduce crashes, something the National Transportation Safety Board has on its latest Most Wanted List.

The safety board noted that truck crash fatalities are rising on America’s highways, and implementing

to gain control of unprecedented gun violence. Miami Mayor Francis Suarez told reporters for the Miami Herald that the attempted robbery on Monday quickly turned “into a shootout.”

As for the deadly shooting on Sunday, police say the men used assault rifles and handguns to shoot at a crowd that had attended a concert at the hall. Officials have been unable to determine a motive

5 The Alexander Crummell School will receive $20 million to be renovated under Mayor Bowser’s proposed 2022 budget. (Courtesy photo/Wikipedia)

District residents are carefully contemplating D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s fiscal year 2021-2022 budget.

The mayor announced her $17.5 billion budget on May 27 at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Northwest. The local portion of the budget, funds generated from residents and businesses, constitute about $9.2 billion. Bowser’s proposal doesn’t include any tax increases for residents and businesses and utilizes much of President Biden’s American

Rescue Plan funds to fill in fiscal gaps to balance the budget.

Highlights of the budget include funding the Housing Production Trust Fund at $400 million, a historic level; increasing the financing of the Building Blocks DC program — designed to use social services for criminals and victims to fight crime — from $15 million to $45 million; $7.8 million for more violence interrupters and $400,000 for additional credible messengers; $58 million to help fund full-service grocery stores in Wards and 7; $15

BUDGET Page 11

Celebrating 56 Years of Service / Serving More Than 50,000 Readers Throughout The Metropolitan Area

District of Columbia

Did you know that more than 7,000 children in the District live in grandparent-led households?

Learn more about DC’s Grandparent Caregiver Program and how AARP is fighting to protect this and other senior programs at action.aarp.org/DCCaregivers. facebook.com/AARPDC | @AARPDC | aarp.org/DC

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Around the Region................4-11 Prince George's County.....12-13 Business................................14-15 National............................... 16-18 International........................... 20

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Health..................................22-23

Black Facts / Page 6

Education............................24-27 OpEd.................................... 29-31

5Pool Season is Here!

Lifestyle............................. 32-43

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Capture the Moment........44-45 Religion.................................... 47

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4Kennedy Center Honors Lifestyle / Page 32

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4 JUNE 3 - 9, 2021

wi hot topics

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

Alsobrooks Formally Announces Re-Election as County Executive

Metro Installing New Virtual Payment System In June to Replace Older Cards

Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks released a statement last week about her plans to seek re-election next year to remain the majority Black jurisdiction’s leader. Democratic leaders across Maryland envisioned the county native as a strong gubernatorial candidate for the 2022 election. In her statement posted May 26 on Twitter, she summarizes in being in her daughter’s life for the last two years of high school. Plus, Alsobrooks wants to maintain work on building new schools, grow economic tax base and implement police reforms.

“I choose to continue building on our terrific momentum here, at home, in Prince George’s County.

I made a promise to the people of Prince George’s County and I will keep it,” she said.

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority recently announced that they will begin phasing out older SmarTrip cards as part of upgrades to new fare gates and fare payment technology with virtual SmarTrip Cards. This new system will be installed on train stations as well as buses. For those who purchased a metro card before 2012, it will not work on the system.

New Round of Stimulus Checks Issued – And It’s Not Too Late to File Taxes The government has issued a new batch of $1,400 stimulus checks bringing the total number of payments to almost 167 million, or about $391 billion. Most of the payments were prompted by tax returns recently processed by the IRS. Since the American Rescue Plan Act was passed by Congress in March, the IRS, Treasury Department and Bureau of the Fiscal Service have announced new sets of direct payments issued to Americans. More than 900,000 of those checks were sent via direct deposit and the rest were delivered via paper checks. Most of the checks that continue to be issued are directed at taxpayers who are due additional money – socalled “plus-up” payments – now that their tax returns have been processed. In addition, new checks are also being sent to Americans who typically do not file taxes but recently did so in order to claim the stimulus money.

In total, about 472 million payments through the first, second and third stimulus rounds have been delivered for a total of more than $807 billion, IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig said during testimony on Capitol Hill last week.

Most people should receive their $1,400 stimulus checks and “plus-up” payments, if they’re eligible, automatically, according to Erica York, economist at the Tax Foundation. Payments that are still outstanding mostly represent people who are more difficult to reach such as those who have no incomes or bank accounts, York

said. The IRS recently issued guidance for those who are homeless explaining that they may still qualify for stimulus check money, as well as the expanded child tax credit, even if they do not have a permanent address or bank account. Others may miss out on the earned income tax credit if they don’t file.

The good news is that it’s not too late to claim that money.

“If you did miss that filing deadline this year, it’s not too late to file a return,” said Susan Allen, senior manager for tax practice and ethics at the American Institute of CPAs. “You can still file and claim that refund.”

What’s more, you will not owe the IRS a late-filing penalty if you are due money back.

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AROUND THE REGION

District's Republicans Split on Statehood Issue James Wright WI Staff Writer Congressional Republicans oppose the District becoming the 51st state of the union but the city’s local GOP members look at the matter a little differently.

“The District of Columbia Republican Party has officially always supported the right of D.C. residents to have voting rights in the Congress as well as budget and legislative autonomy,” Patrick Mara, the chairman of the party, said.

“That is where we stand on that issue.”

Mara articulates the views of his District party members as the U.S. Congress considers D.C. statehood legislation. No Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives supported D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton’s The Washington, D.C. Admission Act of 2021 when it successfully cleared the House on April 22. Presently, there are no Senate Republicans co-sponsoring Sen. Thomas Carper’s (D-Del.) D.C. statehood bill, with 45 Democrats and Independents signing on to it.

Former Rep. Wayne T. Gilcrest representing Maryland’s Eastern Shore remains the only Republican to vote for D.C. statehood legislation, and he voted for it Nov. 21, 1993 when the House rejected Norton’s first bill to reach the House floor.

Ron Moten has participated in District GOP activities for years and disagrees with his party’s lawmakers on Capitol Hill regarding D.C. statehood.

“I think everyone deserves democracy and equality, especially Black people,” Moten, a candidate for the Ward 7 D.C. Council seat in 2012, said. “We as Blacks have to work harder to have a better quality of life. When the federal relief from the coronavirus was handed out last year, D.C. was shortchanged. It has been proven in this city that Blacks are being hit harder

by COVID. Not having the money we needed at the time to deal with the pandemic affects us more here in D.C. is because we aren’t a state.”

However, Moten said he understands the primary reason Republican lawmakers oppose D.C. statehood.

“D.C. is a liberal city,” he said.

“If D.C. becomes a state, it would be a liberal state.”

Ralph J. Chittams Sr., has served as the vice chairman of the D.C. Republican Party and ran for the at-large council seat in 2018. Chittams said while he enjoys living in the District, it should not be a state.

“D.C. should never be a state for constitutional reasons,” Chittams said. “It is outlined in the papers of the founding fathers of our country that the nation’s capital should be a federal enclave. The founders put that in the Constitution so that the federal government couldn’t be held hostage by any state. The state that houses the nation’s capital could coerce the federal government by withholding fire, police, water and sewage services. If this new state—Washington, the Douglass Commonwealth—were to come into being, Chittams said he could see a scenario where the White House, the Capitol Hill, the Supreme Court building and other federal facilities are dependent on the resources of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth.

Chittams does agree District residents should be exempt from paying federal taxes because they, like residents in the territories, lack voting representation. He said retrocession, meaning District residents should become Marylanders politically, “is feasible” but rejected that idea ultimately.

“The same scenario that could happen with Washington, Douglass Commonwealth could happen with Maryland,” he said. “The federal city is supposed to be autonomous.”

Mara said the D.C. statehood legislation debate has one good point: it puts lawmakers on the record.

“People in Congress need to take a position on this,” he said. “Whether Democrat or Republican. Our second-class citizenship in this city needs to be dealt with.” WI @JamesDCWrighter

5 Patrick Mara serves as the chairman of the District of Columbia Republican Party. (Courtesy photo)

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1906 – Josephine Baker, the world-renowned American-born French singer, dancer and actress, is born. In 1934, Baker became the first Black woman to star in a major motion picture ("Zotuou"). She also became an avowed civil rights activist, speaking out against the racism and segregation she faced as a performer in the United States.

1942 – Curtis Mayfield, famed singer-songwriter, guitarist and record producer, is born. Rising to prominence as a member of the Impressions, Mayfield penned the R&B group's politically charged "People Get Ready" at the height of the civil rights movement before going on to a successful solo career.

He is perhaps best known for creating the soundtrack for the seminal blaxploitation film "Superfly."

1950 – Deniece Williams (top right), Grammy-winning R&B and gospel music star, is born.

Known for her four-octave range, Williams sang backup for Stevie Wonder and recorded a string of successful duets with Johnny Mathis before her breakout pop hit, "Let's Hear it for the Boy." 2008 – Barack Obama clinches the Democratic presidential nomination, becoming the first Black candidate to lead a major party into a campaign for the White House.

JUNE 4

1961 – Soul crooner El DeBarge, who became a star with his siblings in the early 1980s before enjoying a successful solo career, is born.

1972 – Angela

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Davis, famed civil rights activist and Black Panther Party affiliate, is acquitted by an all-white jury in San Jose, California, of conspiracy charges stemming from a 1970 courtroom shootout.

JUNE 5

1945 – John Carlos, a Black American track and field athlete best known for raising a black gloved fist alongside Tommie Smith at the 1968 Olympics during the American national anthem after winning a bronze medal, is born.

1973 – Doris A. Davis is elected as mayor of Compton, California, making her the first-ever African American woman elected mayor of a metropolitan city.

JUNE 6

1966 – James Meredith, the first African American student admitted to the segregated University of Mississippi, is shot in Mississippi by a white man during a civil rights march.

2004 – Phylicia Rashad of "The Cosby Show" fame becomes the first Black actress to win a Tony for a leading dramatic role for her turn as Lena Younger in "A Raisin in the Sun."

JUNE 7

1943 – Nikki Giovanni, renowned poet, writer, commentator, activist and educator, is born in Knoxville, Tennessee.

1958 – Music legend Prince (above), who released 39 albums, won seven Grammy Awards, an Oscar and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, is born in Minneapolis.

JUNE 8

1953 – The Supreme Court rules that restaurants and bars in Washington, D.C., are required to serve African American customers.

JUNE 9

ANGELA DAVIS

6 JUNE 3 - 9, 2021

1845 – Businessman and politician James Napier, who served as Register of the U.S. Treasury under President William Taft, is born.

1934 – Legendary soul singer Jackie Wilson is born in Detroit.

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Bill Cosby, 83, who is serving a 3-to-10-year sentence for a 2018 aggravated indecent assault conviction, was recently denied parole after refusing to admit guilt.

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He's only doing this to get sympathy from his delusional supporters, because he wants to salvage his legacy. Bill quit being Black when he became a billionaire talking down to the working class and poor Blacks to criticize us about our alleged cultural or lifestyle deficits.

PATRICIA THOMAS / WASHINGTON, D.C.

This man is 83 years old and in poor health. Why can't he be released to serve out the remainder of his term in a supervised home environment?

SEAN SUAVE / WASHINGTON, D.C.

Cosby may not have been guilty of all of these allegations, but he was guilty of a few,and I don’t have any sorrow for anyone responsible for committing despicable acts of sexual misconduct. Allegedly, some of “old” Black Hollywood knew about Bill’s conduct for years. Quit the pity party.

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AROUND THE REGION Renowned Poet Nikki Giovanni to Engage Educators on Social Justice, Equity and Anti-racism WI Staff Report

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The Maryland State Department of Education [MSDE] and Arts Education in Maryland Schools [AEMS] will host Nikki Giovanni who will engage with educators across the state on June 6, from 1 to 2 p.m. as part of a keynote presentation on equity titled “Nikki Giovanni Speaks.” The virtual event is free and open to the Maryland education community.

MSDE Division of Curriculum, Instructional Improvement and Professional Learning offers diverse professional learning opportunities to educators every summer. Giovanni’s presentation serves as the pinnacle of ongoing professional development focused on educational equity and antiracism in the Department’s summer professional development program.

Giovanni, one of America's foremost poets, will talk about the role of art and education in social justice and share reflections of the Black Arts Movement. Publishing more than 30 books, she is internationally known for her work as a poet, author, essayist, activist and educator. The Tennessee native has also been named Woman of the Year by Mademoiselle Magazine,

Giovanni, one of America's foremost poets, will talk about the role of art and education in social justice and share reflections of the Black Arts Movement.

Ladies Home Journal and Ebony Magazine, received more than 25 honorary degrees and Governor’s Awards from both Tennessee and Virginia.

Giovanni also serves as a University Distinguished Professor at Virginia Tech and is a recipient of Virginia Tech’s highest honor, the Alumni Outreach award.

In support of its mission of equity and excellence, the State Board approved COMAR 13A.01.06, Educational Equity in 2019. This heralded an intense focus on taking deliberate action to ensure that all Maryland students have equitable access to the “educational rig-

or, resources, and supports that are designed to maximize the student’s academic success and social/emotional wellbeing.”

This opportunity is made available to all Maryland educators through the collaboration between AEMS and the MSDE Offices of Fine Arts, Professional Learning, Equity, and English/Language Arts.

Space is limited and registration is required to receive a link for this event. Attendees can register at https://bit.ly/3yywTt6.

The poem below, “Knoxville Tennessee, one of Giovanni’s most-celebrated works, paints a perfect picture of the activities many Americans enjoyed during the recent Memorial Day Weekend. Enjoy.

Knoxville Tennessee I always like summer Best you can eat fresh corn From daddy's garden And okra And greens And cabbage And lots of Barbeque And buttermilk And homemade ice-cream At the church picnic And listen to Gospel music Outside At the church Homecoming And go to the mountains with Your grandmother And go barefooted And be warm All the time Not only when you go to bed And sleep WI

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

8 JUNE 3 - 9, 2021

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Bowser Kicks Off #BacktoSummer, Opens 2021 Outdoor Pool Season at Woody Ward

AROUND THE REGION

Mayor Also Celebrates D.C. Park System’s #1 National Ranking WI Staff Report

Mayor Muriel Bowser recently joined residents to kick off the District’s outdoor pool season with the “Jump in, DC” celebratory event and cut the ribbon on the renovated and rechristened Woody Ward (formerly Benning Park) Recreation Center. Bowser also announced the District regained its #1 spot as the top-ranked park system in the country by The Trust for Public Land.

“D.C. is ready for summer and all the joy and DPR programming that it brings. We are especially excited that this summer we can reopen our pools and spray parks,” Bowser said. “We know that – because we invest in them and prioritize them – D.C. has fantastic outdoor spaces, playgrounds and recreation centers.

We’re happy to receive recognition for our park system, and even happier to deliver facilities like Woody Ward to our residents.”

The District’s outdoor pools and spray parks will operate on a weekend-only schedule (Saturday and Sunday) through Sunday, June 27. Starting Monday, June 28, all outdoor pools will operate on individual summer schedules, six days a week, from 10:00 a.m.

– 6:00 p.m. The aquatic inventory includes 18 outdoor pools, 11 indoor pools, 33 spray parks and three children’s pools.

The newly renovated, $11 million Woody Ward Recreation Center is a two-story building with an outdoor pool and 24,000 square-feet of exterior and interior improvements. The project scope included adding an elevator to provide ADA accessibility from one floor to the next and ADA

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5 Mayor Muriel Bowser kicked-off summer with the opening of outdoor pools in the District of Columbia on Friday, May 28. (Courtesy photo/DC Department of Parks and Recreation)

accessible exterior doors. There are now two different HVAC systems in the building. Other renovations include, new roofing, windows, paint, flooring, pool repairs and new filter, lighting, security cameras, new Wi-Fi, additional parking and an overhaul on repairs.

The Woody Ward Center is equipped with a new boxing ring and boxing circuit and an updated fitness center with new workout equipment. Other additions include a new gymnasium floor, new pool check-in, pool area drinking fountains, a new reception desk and people counter to measure capacity. Upgrades included wall to wall mirrors in the dance room, a drop-down screen and projector multipurpose room and upgrades to the Arts & Creativity room. There is also a new kitchen with capacity to serve ready-to-eat meals.

“Woody Ward served the Benning Park community as an employee of DPR for 26 years, so it is very exciting for us to celebrate

one of our own with this recreation center that is truly now part of his legacy,” said Department of Parks and Recreation Director Delano Hunter.

The recent ribbon cutting comes the day after Mayor Bowser released her Fiscal Year 2022 Fair Shot budget proposal which includes $420 million over the next six years to improve parks, recreation facilities and libraries and includes: Ward 7: $3.5M to modernize and renovate the Therapeutic Recreation Center; $12.4M to modernize and renovate the Fort Dupont Ice Arena; $22.5M to modernize and renovate Fort Davis Recreation Center; and Ward 8: $20.1M to renovate the Parklands Turner Community Library; $13M to renovate the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center; $20.2M to renovate the Douglas Recreation Center.

For more information on the summer outdoor pool schedule, visit: dpr.dc.gov/page/outdoor-pools. WI

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AROUND THE REGION

BUDGET from Page 1 million to give cash assistance to people who don’t qualify for federal unemployment; $21 million to build a new pedestrian and bicycle bridge connecting Barry Farm to the Anacostia Metro; a previously announced 3.6 percent increase in the base amount of the Uniform Per Student Funding Formula plus increased weights for English Language Learners and at-risk students and $20 million for the Alexander Crummell School in Ward 5 for a recreation center and housing. However, the Metropolitan Police Department’s budget will be reduced by $36 million but the cadet corps will receive $3.4 million to add 100 new slots.

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POLICE CUTS PRAISED

The Defund MPD Coalition said it liked the MPD’s reduction but said it didn’t go far enough to reach their goal of a 50% cut in three years and a significant reinvestment in programs benefitting Black and working-class communities.

“After a year of uprising, this proposal is a step in the right direction but doesn’t get the job done,” Irma Crooms, a leader with Metro DC Democratic Socialists of America. “The police aren’t out there solving crimes or stopping violence: they’re harassing unhoused neighbors and racially profiling Black residents. The police shouldn’t don’t keep us safe, and they shouldn’t get $514 million next year.”

MCDUFFIE’S CONCERNS

D.C. Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie (D-Ward 5), while praising the budget overall on May 27, said it didn’t go far enough to address the District’s racial wealth gap. The councilmember requested $20 million to fund the Child Wealth Building Act of 2021 and $100 million for a guaranteed basic income pilot program but neither got included in the budget.

“Our city has one of the worst racial wealth gaps in the country; not funding programs that intentionally address this disparity defers the dream of real racial equity for another year.” McDuffie said.

5 DC Mayor Muriel Bowser (Courtesy photo)

Nonetheless, McDuffie expressed satisfaction with the mayor funding a new Alexander Crummell School recreation and community center in the Ivy City section of his ward at $20 million, saying residents have long asked for that. Gordon-Andrew Fletcher, chairman of the Ward 5 Democrats, agreed with McDuffie on the renovation of the Crummell School.

“The residents there have fought for 20-30 years for that project and putting money into it is the right thing to do,” Fletcher said.

“The kids in that area need a place to play and they will also benefit from the community center.”

BUDGET’S FISCAL IMPACT

Erica Williams, the executive director of the DC Fiscal Policy Institute, said “this year’s budget is

a historic opportunity to repair the damage done by the COVID-19 crisis and ‘build back better’, especially for Black and Brown residents, who have borne the brunt of harm.”

“We applaud her bold investments in affordable housing, higher wages for city workers, direct economic supports to residents, and funding for schoolbased mental health services,” Williams said. “Our understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of this budget will continue to evolve as we assess the details of the mayor’s plan. We look forward to seeing the D.C. Council build on the strengths of the mayor’s proposal to ensure that D.C. maximizes this unprecedented opportunity for a just recovery and future.”

WI @JamesDCWrighter

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JUNE 3 - 9, 2021 11

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY Prince George’s Council Approves FY 2022 Budget Funding increases Slated for Education and Health Services

By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer Prince George’s County Council unanimously approved a $4.5 billion fiscal year 2022 budget,

with education as the main priority.

More than half of the budget – $2.3 billion – has been earmarked for funding public education, up more than $64 million from the

current spending plan.

Some expenditures include recommendations from the state’s Blueprint for Maryland’s Future robust education plan with a focus on mental health services, expansion of early childhood and college and career readiness.

About 65 clinicians are scheduled to work in the community schools designated to provide before and after school programs, mentorship and offer vision and dental services.

Increases in federal, state and county funding will assist in a myriad of programs such as re-enrolling students who may have dropped out of school this mix of virtual and in-person learning, coordinate an attendance taskforce and English tutoring.

Enrollment for the 2021-22 school years projects to increase by 8,624 students, or nearly 142,000.

“We will be providing substantial things that are needed to effectively run our school system,” council vice chair Deni Taveras (D-District 2) of Adelphi said Thursday, May 27 after passing

Criminal Justice Advocates Plan to Push for ‘Racial Justice’ in Maryland Coalition Dished Out Grades on Legislation

William J. Ford WI Staff Writer The police reform package passed

by Maryland lawmakers less than two months ago became marked as the most comprehensive pieces of legislation in about five decades.

New laws include a new statewide use-of-force standard, prohibiting law enforcement agencies to purchase military equipment from a surplus program and enhance public access to view certain misconduct police records.

But criminal justice advocates say the bills don’t represent true reform.

“All you did was really make me angry and determined to fight,” said Dawn Dalton of Upper Marlboro who manages The Just Us Initiative.

“In 2022, we need to start electing the right people and putting people in position that really care about the people.”

Dalton represents one of the 95 nonprofit groups and other organizations with the Maryland Coalition for Justice and Police Accountability that

12 JUNE 3 - 9, 2021

plan to organize, strategize and mobilize throughout the year in preparation for next year’s legislative session.

In the meantime, the coalition released grades May 26 on legislation presented this year, the same day of the one-year anniversary of George Floyd’s death.

The best grade of an “A” went to reforming the state’s public information act that goes into effect in Oct. 1. The bill known as “Anton’s Law” is named

after Anton Black, 19, a Black man from the Eastern Shore who died after being in police custody in September 2018.

The public can view police disciplinary records of an officer punished for misconduct or various complaints.

However, police officials can still withhold documents if they would interfere with an ongoing investigation, in-

REFORM Page 13

5 A few hundred people with the Maryland Coalition for Justice and Police Accountability march toward the State House in Annapolis on March 4. (FILE: Rob Roberts/ The Washington Informer)

5 More than half of the Prince George’s County $4.5 billion fiscal year 2022 budget will go toward education. (WI File Photo/William J. Ford )

the budget.

Earlier this month, Verizon announced it will provide an iPad for students, teachers and administrators at Samuel P. Chase Academy in Forestville and Nicholas Orem Middle School in Hyattsville. Through the company’s partnership with Digital Promise, the students will receive the 5G technology to use at school and home year-round.

Although there’s no property tax increase, property owners will experience a nearly 6% hike in water and sewer bills.

According to the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission, a household with three using 55 gallons of water per person daily would see a quarterly increase of $11.83 on the bill.

Because late fees resumed Tuesday, July 1, customers can receive information on financial assistance at www.wsscwater.com/assistance, or call 301-206-4001.

With mental health a major focus in the county, officials allocated $20 million to renovate a 31,200-square-foot building next to Luminis Health Doctors Community Medical Center in Lanham.

Luminis Health will add another $3 million toward construction of the building and will maintain it once it opens in December.

The center plans to accommodate about 5,000 patients 13 and

older annually for ambulatory services. Some of those include substance abuse disorders, psychiatric and counseling.

It will employ 100 new people such as therapists, nurse practitioners, psychologists and social workers.

County Executive Angela Alsobrooks announced last year to reallocate the $20 million from the police department budget previously proposed a public safety training building.

The upcoming fiscal year police budget will decrease by $12.6 million from the current spending plan. Part of the reason, according to the budget, deals with higher vacancy rates, limited recruit classes and overtime totaling $9.5 million.

However, $291,600 will pay to hire a director of race and equity and two psychologists. These new positions are based on a recommendation from the county’s police reform work group.

“This is the people’s budget,” said council chair Calvin Hawkins II (D-At-Large) of Upper Marlboro. “Listening to the police reform task force committee and we listened to the citizens who came to our public hearings and town halls to speak on their concerns.”

The budget goes into effect July 1.

WI @jabariwill

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PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY

Taveras Hosts Mental Health Forum with Focus on Men of Color William J. Ford WI Staff Writer The coronavirus pandemic has presented many inequities in America, but health professionals say mental health has been challenging and wnill remain a problem if not dealt with properly.

In conjunction with Mental Health Awareness Month in May, Prince George’s County Council vice chair Deni Taveras hosted four forums with a focus on senior citizens, children and women and color.

Taveras (D-District 2) of Adelphi led a session Saturday, May 29 that dealt with men of color.

“This panel, compared to some of the other panels, is just so much more important and so relevant to the things that are happening in this day and age,” she said. “Not to say other issues aren’t as equally important, but I find that this is a particular issue that we need to hone in real deep.”

According to a January report a https://bit.ly/3c4wXHl from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the suicide rate

REFORM from Page 12 vasion of privacy or right to a fair trial.

Legislation to limit police officers use of force received a “B-” for departments to implement de-escalation training tactics, officers intervening to prevent excessive use of force and document incidents. The penalty for officers who violate the policy could be up to 10 years in prison.

The worst grade of an “F” came in regards to lawmakers not passing any legislation to remove officers from schools, formerly called school resource officers (SROs).

Legislation from Dels. Jhenelle Wilkins and Gabriel Acevero, Democrats from Montgomery County, proposed to direct $10 million from the state SRO program and pay for student mental health and wraparound services.

Some jurisdictions such as Harford and Frederick counties support SROs, but some education advocates have said they don’t fit in a school setting and often criminalize Black and Latino students.

among Black men in 2018 stood at 12.2%. Those in the age group of 25 to 44 ranked the highest at 19.5%.

In ranked nearly the same for Latino males at 12.1%, but the group of men ages 45 to 64 ranked the highest at 11.5%.

The Kaiser Family Foundation noted in state rankings at https:// bit.ly/3uxZ6x, nearly 25% of adults nationwide in 2018-19 reported “any mental” or “serious mental” illness in the past year.

Maryland’s percentage at 22.1% ranked 47th out of the 50 states and District of Columbia.

Kent Alford, director of behavioral health for Prince George’s with the University of Maryland Capital Region Health, said curing of societal ills such as police brutality, homelessness and drug and substance abuse can help eliminate mental health.

“All those things intersect and cause mental deterioration,” said Alford, one of the four people who spoke on the virtual discussion Saturday. “Unfortunately, until we get to the root of these kind of the social issues, these factors that “We have seen in jurisdictions this being a problem where they have a lot more children of color in those schools,” said Yanet Amanuel, public policy advocate for the ACLU of Maryland.

The repeal of the 1974 controversial Law Enforcement Officers’ Bill of Rights statute received a “C-” from the coalition. The new law allows for civilians to serve on charging committees and trial boards to recommend discipline for an officer to a police chief.

The legislation doesn’t allow citizens enough authority to weigh in on the discipline of officers serving on an internal group chosen by police, state and local officials, versus being on an external body with stronger oversight, said Dayvon Love, public policy director for Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle in Baltimore.

“It opened some doors. It opened some transparency. It created some avenues for [the public] to see what’s happening on the inside,” he said.

“Until the community has power over the institution that’s supposed to serve us, that’s the only thing we would be

5 Prince George’s County Council vice chair Deni Taveras, top left, hosts a mental health discussion May 29 with a focus on men of color. (Screen shot: Courtesy of Deni Taveras District 2 office)

In conjunction with Mental Health Awareness Month in May, Prince George’s County Council vice chair Deni Taveras hosted four forums with a focus on senior citizens, children and women and color. cause the trauma will continue to occur.”

In addition to the lack of resources in the Black community, the panel said, seeking the right able to credibly say is racial justice.”

The coalition administered an “incomplete” grade on Baltimore City maintaining control of the police department, which remains the only law enforcement agency in Maryland under state control. Voters will be able to make the final decision, but that may not happen until next year or in 2023.

Sen. William C. Smith Jr. (D-Montgomery County), who chairs the Judicial Proceedings Committee and help lead the effort crafting and passing the police reform bills, said conservations will continue. For instance, review on allowing a mental health professional go out on a 911 call and handle a behavioral crisis.

“I feel better about what we accomplished almost every day. It is the most comprehensive and consequential reform in policing in our state’s history and I think will serve as a model nationally,” Smith said. “That doesn’t mean that we’re done. The conversation is just starting on a larger, broader set of reforms, but this is an awfully good start.” WI @jabariwill

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

help also remains a problem.

Marcus Hughes, a resident in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Howard University Hospital, said about 2% of psychologists nationwide are Black and no more than 5% of social workers are Black.

“For individuals that even do make it to the point where they reach out and find their provider, what is the likelihood that provider will be culturally related to them…[with an] adequate level of empathy that’s necessary to treat someone…” he said. “All of these things need to be taken into account.”

Another question discussed focused on how to assess someone in need of mental health treatment.

Gebrehana Zebro, a psychiatrist who specializes in addictive medicine with Luminis Health in Annapolis, said some symptoms a youth or adult can show from changes in personality include low performance in school, change in physical appearance, avoid conversation and not eating.

Untreated, Zebro said a decrease in mental health could lead to depression, anxiety and possibly violence.

“These are really warning signs something is going wrong,” he said. “If a person has a mental ill-

ness, it is difficult to obtain anything.”

Charles Wiley, a council member in the town of North Brentwood who works as a behavioral specialist, said his uncle offered straight-forward advice.

“Make sure you have your wits about you,” he said. “When you have to deal with situations, you’re able to think through it and process it appropriately.”

Some treatments to deal with mental illness are talking with a community support group, help from a licensed professional and even medication.

In the District, which ranked seventh in the nation in the Kaiser Foundation rankings at 27.7%, runs an online parent support group called “Wellness Wednesday” at https://dbh.dc.gov/service/ parent-support-program.

Barbara Bazron, director of the city’s Department of Behavioral Health, said more than 1,000 parents have participated so far.

“We really have to mind our mental health every day, all year long,” she said Friday, May 28 during an interview on the Washington Informer’s WIN-TV program. “Mental wellness is a critical part of overall wellness.”

D.C. residents in need of mental health support can call a 24hour hotline at 1-888-793-4357.

Prince George’s County residents can call this 24-hour hotline at 1-800-273-8225, or can go to www.communitycrisis.org for more information on various services.

WI @jabariwill

JUNE 3 - 9, 2021 13

BUSINESS Black-owned Businesses, Acclinate and K’ept Health, Make Most of JLABS Resources

Johnson & Johnson Innovation’s D.C. Incubator Helps Start-ups that Target Health Disparities D. Kevin McNeir WI Senior Editor In a previous report in The Washington Informer, we announced a new partnership formed by D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, the District’s Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, the Washington D.C. Economic Partnership and Johnson & Johnson Innovation who launched a health equity challenge focusing on reducing chronic

health care challenges in the District.

However, the program’s real focus rests with assisting organizations whose goals address reducing disparities that impact health outcomes in communities of color and include innovative approaches which can transform patient outcomes in maternal mortality, cardiovascular diseases and systemic autoimmunity or kidney diseases.

The program, JLABS@Washington, D.C., Johnson and Johnson In-

5 Del Smith, CEO and co-founder of the Alabama-based digital health company Acclinate, opened a new office at JLABS, Washington, D.C. several months ago. The move counts as an effort to take full advantage of the resources provided by the newly-established program and its incubator space, all provided by Johnson & Johnson Innovation. Residents in the hub must be Black-owned businesses who focus on reducing health disparities faced by African Americans or other minorities. (Photo courtesy Mikyla Tuggle, JLABS)

14 JUNE 3 - 9, 2021

novation, serves as a 32,000-squarefoot incubator located at the new Children’s National Research & Innovation Campus in Northwest, situated on a portion of the former Walter Reed Army Medical Center Campus.

But while only days remain before the June 11 deadline for applicants to submit their proposals in efforts to secure one of the four grants in the QuickFire Challenge, other businesses have already taken up residency in the JLABS facilities including two Blackowned businesses, Acclinate and K’ept Health.

Del Smith, Acclinate’s CEO and co-founder and Sheena Franklin, CEO and founder of K’ept Health, shared their views on what attracted them to JLABS as well as the benefits they believe will come through their newly-forged alliances.

Sally Allain, head of JLABS@ Washington, D.C., Johnson and Johnson Innovation, said the key to the program remains simple: helping minority-owned businesses secure a seat in the marketplace and achieving success.

“As we opened the facility in D.C., our focus was to target science and technology on the East Coast, engaging companies with Black CEOs, some of whom may be first-time entrepreneurs and to identify companies and bring them into the incubator with our support in driving solutions for customers,” Allain said. “Part of our initiative and support is to bring light to great scientists and entrepreneurs and wrap our resources with them.”

“This is our 13th no strings site to open and D.C. offers a vibrant, eco-

system that’s perfect for those working in transformational science and technology. Many of the companies who join us are diverse founders who are addressing the health needs of a diverse population. They’re working on disruptive technology which is sorely needed for minority populations who have long been underserved,” she said.

Smith’s company, Acclinate, with headquarters in Birmingham, Ala and another location in Huntsville, counts as an alpha institute for bio technology. He said they’re a young company that’s big on ecosystem advances.

“This was a good move for us because we are able to combine being in D.C. with our focus on health disparities in a city where regulations, like those handed down by the FDA, routinely take place,” he said. “Being in a location where the major pharmaceutical companies are based is also important because the values and goals of those businesses are part of the terrain.”

“Health disparities and inequities are the direct outcome of the work we’re doing. Our success will be apparent if we’re able to secure an increase in the representation of minorities in clinical research and trials. Ultimately, drugs would then be created with the same levels of efficacy for everyone and not just those in the trials – volunteers who have historically been white.”

“We realize that Black-owned businesses in bio technology and pharmaceutics are still a rarity. We know that when we’re at the table, most of the others do not look like us and so we have to provide additional proof and validation of what we can do. That doesn’t intimidate us, however. In fact,

it can be seen as a benefit because we understand the inherent issues associated with the levels of mistrust related to the healthcare industry that have long existed in the Black community.

After all, we’re part of that community,” Smith said.

Before founding K’ept Health, Franklin worked as a healthcare lobbyist for more than 20 years. But she wasn’t just a lobbyist – she was also a patient who suffered from a severe skin condition.

In her struggles to find a dermatologist who could help her, she realized that many did not understand the differences she faced due to her melanin-rich skin. She also found that significant systemic gaps existed in the dermatology industry. So, she went on a listening tour with women, particularly women of color. She eventually decided to build a data-driven app and culturally-competent, integrative health platform to increase access to the best in dermatology care.

“Johnson & Johnson is one of the leading businesses in consumer health and having them as a mentor will allow my company to take in all of the information we can and apply that knowledge to our own business in terms of the consumer health experience that we offer,” Franklin said.

“The pandemic has actually proven beneficial for us because we were already promoting a telemedicine platform. So, many of our potential patients and customers were already comfortable with the new format. That’s made it easier for us to attract more patients while requiring less education.”

“For the majority of Black-owned businesses, whether they’re technology-based or not, the critical issue is access to capital. Because we’re a deep tech start-up company, it’s even more challenging for us to find the right investors. But the kind of exposure we’re now receiving because of our affiliation with JLABS is invaluable.”

“We’re based in the District and have our headquarters here. But we’re confident that we’ll soon be able to branch out into the region, especially along the East Coast. Along the way, we’ll be able to remain on top of the latest telemedicine laws in each state and align ourselves with those laws,” Franklin said.

For more about Acclinate, visit www. acclinate.com.

For more about K’ept Health, visit www.kept.health.

For more information and to apply for the JLABS QuickFire Challenge, visit http://jji.jnj/dc-inclusive.

WI

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

BUSINESS

Ward 8’s Cloyd Seeks to Stream D.C. Events with Personal Stories

Rapper 50 Cent Encouraged Him to Start Business James Wright WI Staff Writer Ivan Jose Cloyd is known to people in the District as a television actor but he recently took on another occupation, entrepreneur, with the advice of famous rapper Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson.

In January, the Ward 8 Congress Heights neighborhood resident launched Quadrant, a firm that seeks to stream District activities and the stories of Washingtonians, in the manner Netflix does. Cloyd, 30, said his experiences in television made him realize a locally-focused streaming business is needed in the District.

“My vision for this started in 2016 when I was working in the television industry for ABC,” Cloyd said. “In time, I developed an interest in the technological aspects of television.

When the coronavirus pandemic set in, I decided to go for it and started Quadrant. From my interactions

with people, I see that the demand is there. People want local content and due to the pandemic, people have started streaming.”

Cloyd said Netflix wants to increase its presence in the District but their content isn’t local but national. He said Quadrant wants to tell the stories of local Washingtonians, “whether they are Asian, Ethiopian, Latino or white because this is not a Black thing.”

FIRST CONTRACT

Cloyd already has his first major contract. Starting the 2021-2022 school year, he will stream District of Columbia State Athletics Association high school football and boys and girls’ basketball regular season games.

“I have heard of situations where parents wanted to go to their children’s games but could not go because of work or illness, Cloyd said.

“This way, through Quadrant, they will be able to see their children play.”

Cloyd said another firm will stream the championship games.

50 Cents’ Priceless Advice Cloyd grew up in the Shaw neighborhood in Northwest. He admits to being a member of a crew, a loose-knit group of young people associated generally with criminal activity and having been arrested a few times.

Cloyd attended Archbishop Carroll High School but dropped out during his junior year. He eventually received his high school diploma from Miami-based Continental Academy High School.

Cloyd has worked with television commentator Armstrong Williams as a producer and various places in the city while pursuing an acting career. He has acting credits for shows such as TV One’s “Thou Shalt Not”, ABC’s “For Life” and the Investigation Discovery Channel’s “Deadly Affairs.”

It was through “For Life” he met 50 Cent, the well-known rapper,

songwriter, television producer, actor and entrepreneur. Cloyd played an inmate on “For Life”, which 50 Cent produced. He said working and talking with 50 Cent gave him great insight into the acting business.

“For me, 50 Cent is a great business mentor,” he said. “He showed me how to navigate the acting world.

He stressed to me that the real power in the entertainment industry is behind the camera. 50 Cent also said the way to make money is to do it in my own city. Quadrant was born out of my conversations with him.”

Cloyd said his goal is to have Quadrant in three major cities grossing $25-50 million a year in five years. Cloyd has been accepted into the We Aspire program with the District’s Department of Small & Local Business Development, an incubator program. He said We Aspire has committed to help capitalize Quadrant. Additionally, he has had conversations with real estate developer R. Donahue Peebles on funding and possible collaborations. WI @JamesDCWrighter

5 Ivan Jose Cloyd is a Congress Heights resident and actor who owns a streaming firm. (Courtesy Photo/Ivan)

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JUNE 3 - 9, 2021 15

NATIONAL Pennsylvania Parole Board Denies Bill Cosby Release

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer A Pennsylvania parole board has denied early release for Bill Cosby, citing the board’s desire for the comedian to participate in and complete unspecified institutional programs.

The board also noted that it had

16 JUNE 3 - 9, 2021

received a negative recommendation by the state Department of Corrections, despite Cosby’s work with several men at SCI-Phoenix who told the Black Press that he has helped them turn their lives around.

The board also said the 84-yearold entertainer hasn’t developed a parole release plan and has not

5 The Pennsylvania Parole Board has denied Bill Cosby an early release. (WI File Photo)

participated in or successfully completed a treatment program for sex offenders and violence prevention.

A jury convicted Cosby in 2018 of aggravated indecent assault, and the trial judge designated him as a sexually violent predator. He was sentenced to three to ten years in prison, though Cosby continues to maintain his innocence.

Cosby is awaiting a Supreme Court decision, hoping the state’s highest court will reverse his conviction.

During the Supreme Court hearing in December, the justices appeared unimpressed with the prosecution’s explanation for using Cosby’s controversial civil deposition and prosecutors’ use of hearsay witnesses.

“I tend to agree this evidence was extraordinarily prejudicial to your client,” Justice Max Baer told Cosby’s attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, during the hearing.

“A defendant must be tried for what he did and not who he is,” Bonjean argued. “He had no shot. The presumption of innocence just didn’t exist for him at that point.”

Prosecutor Adrienne Jappe argued that the hearsay testimony showed a typical pattern, claiming Cosby befriended and isolated women and then drugged them to have sex with them.

During the trial, Andrea Constand, the lone victim, said the two never had intercourse.

She admitted to some forms of

intimacy but claimed she was “unconscious” when Cosby put his hands inside her pants during their last intimate encounter.

Justice Christine Donohue told Jappe, “Frankly, I don’t see it.”

Chief Justice Thomas Saylor and Justice Kevin Dougherty also expressed being troubled by the hearsay testimony.

“The news that the Pennsylvania State Parole Board has denied [Cosby’s] parole is not a surprise to Mr. Cosby, his family, his friends, and his legal team,” Cosby’s spokesman Andrew Wyatt said in a statement.

“It was brought to our attention by Mr. Cosby that over the past months, members of the PA State Parole Board had met with him and empathically stated, ‘if he did not participate in SVP [Sexual Violate Predator] courses that his parole would be denied,’” Wyatt continued.

“Mr. Cosby has vehemently proclaimed his innocence and continues to deny all allegations made against him as being false, without the sheer evidence of any proof. Today, Mr. Cosby continues to remain hopeful that the Pennsylvania State Supreme Court will issue an opinion to vacate his conviction or warrant him a new trial.”

WI @StacyBrownMedia

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NATIONAL Senate Republicans Block Bill to Establish Commission to Investigate January 6 Riot D. Kevin McNeir WI Senior Editor Efforts to create an independent inquiry to investigate the deadly January 6 Capitol Hill riot failed Friday, May 28, after Senate Republicans blocked the vote. The bill fell short of the 10 Republican votes needed to advance and illustrated the GOP’s desire to move on from the insurrection which left five people dead and 140 police officers injured.

The vote, 54 to 35, confirmed that the bill had a bipartisan majority of support with six Republicans voting with Democrats. However, the bill needed 60 votes to advance. The six GOP senators who backed the bill included: Mitt Romney of Utah, Susan Collins of Maine, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Rob Portman of Ohio, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Ben Sasse of Nebraska. Nine Republican senators and two Democrats did not vote.

The Republican opposition highlights the stranglehold which former President Donald Trump still has on most of his party and illustrates the deep partisan divide surrounding the fallout of the attack on the U.S. Capitol, a critical point which Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer made following the vote.

The New York Democrat said the Republican minority “just mounted a partisan filibuster against an independent commission to report on January 6.”

“This vote has made it official: Donald Trump's 'Big Lie' has now fully enveloped the Republican Party,” Schumer added.

The tally of Republican supporters was one fewer than the seven GOP senators who voted to convict Trump at his second impeachment trial earlier this year. Republican Sens. Richard Burr of North Carolina and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania did not vote. Toomey's office told

reporters he missed the procedural vote due to a family commitment but said if he had been in Washington, he would have voted to advance the legislation. Burr had said ahead of Friday that he opposed the bill.

Portman did not vote to convict Trump in February.

Schumer signaled on Friday that Democrats should move forward with a select committee to investigate the January 6 attack because “facts must come out.”

The key vote had been expected as early as Thursday but due to the order of Senate procedure that vote had to wait until the previous legislation was cleared. Republican senators have delayed overnight passage of a massive bill designed to increase American competitiveness with China and that means the key procedural vote on a bill to create the January 6 commission has to wait. That impasse was solved Friday morning when senators agreed to bring the vote back up after a one-week recess for the Memorial Day holiday.

(Courtesy photo)

Supporters of the January 6 commission, including the mother of a Capitol Police officer who died the day after the riot, pleaded with GOP senators throughout the week in order to convince at least 10 Republicans to back the plan.

Murkowski, took aim at her GOP colleagues Thursday night for moving to block the measure and remained critical of the rationale by Senate Minority Lead-

er Mitch McConnell.

The mother of fallen U.S. Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick met with more than a dozen Republican senators, including Murkowski, urging them to vote to establish the commission. But even after those meetings, which two sources familiar said were cordial, most of the senators told her they wouldn't be changing their minds.

WI

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JUNE 3 - 9, 2021 17

NATIONAL

illustrated in a recent television ad, “Every Fifteen Minutes.”

The ad highlights Levine’s leadership in the House of Delegates fighting for common-sense gun safety legislation. He has introduced and secured the passage of several bills aimed at preventing gun violence.

Two of Levine’s 2021 gun bills have recently been signed into law by Virginia Governor Ralph Northam: HB2081, “Safe Polls Law,” prohibits guns in polling places while HB2295, “Safe Capitol Law,” prohibits guns in the Capitol, Capitol Square and all state-owned buildings and offices.

Levine begins the TV ad by saying, “Every fifteen minutes, an American is shot dead with a gun.

What’s been the response?”

The ad then shows former president Donald Trump, former house speaker Paul Ryan, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Senator John Thune (R-S.D.) each responding to separate instances of gun violence: Trump: “Our thoughts and prayers . . . “ Ryan: “Our first thoughts are with the families . . .”

McConnell: “Keep them in our prayers . . . “ Thune: “Our prayers are with the injured . . . “ In response, Levine says the following: “I’ve led the fight for universal background checks and keeping guns from people with severe mental illness. As your Lieutenant Governor, I’ll never stop fighting to make Virginia a safer place to live, work and go to school. Because Virginia deserves active leadership.”

“Thoughts and prayers just aren’t cutting it,” he concludes.

DEL. LEVINE, CANDIDATE FOR VIRGINIA LT. GOVERNOR: ‘PRAYERS AREN’T CUTTING IT’

PANDEMIC HASN’T STOPPED MASS SHOOTINGS, JUST LIMITED EXPOSURE TO THE PUBLIC

for the attack but believe it stems from a rivalry between two groups.

“Our law enforcement teams . . . are doing everything possible to bring those responsible for this weekend's violent acts to justice,” Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava tweeted late Monday.

“And we will work harder than ever to break the cycle of gun violence and prevent the next tragedy.”

Several people in the crowd were armed and returned fire, resulting in 23 people shot, two of whom died at the scene, police said. The victims have not been identified.

Miami-Dade police director Alfredo “Freddy” Ramirez III called the banquet hall attack a “cowardly act of gun violence” and promised to seek justice against “these cold-blooded murderers.”

County Commissioner Keon Hardemon said at a news conference Monday that the shooting, and others in recent days, has had a chilling effect on the community.

“We have to be clear about what's happening in Miami-Dade County,” Hardemon said. “These are acts of domestic terrorism.”

In efforts to bring the assailants to justice, several rewards have been offered including Camping World CEO and TV personality Marcus Lemonis who has put up $100,000 as a means of assisting authorities “arrest and convict” the suspects. The Miami division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has added $25,000 to the reward while Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers have contributed $5,000 bringing the total to $130,000.

“This is our community, we are stronger together,” Ramirez said.

“We need our county to step up with information.”

JOHN LEWIS from Page 1 CHILDREN Page 17

Stay Informed! www.washingtoninformer.com

18 JUNE 3 - 9, 2021

GUNS from Page 1

Closer to home here in the Greater Washington Area, with just one week remaining until the June 8 Virginia Democratic primary election, Delegate Mark Levine has taken on gun reform as a major component of his campaign as

Large-scale shootings have not stopped during the COVID-19 pandemic – they’ve just become less public, researchers say.

The Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass shooting as

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GUNS Page 41

Men and Depression: A Different Experience Submitted by AmeriHealth Caritas District of Columbia Every June is Men’s Health Month. It’s a time to raise awareness of how to help prevent and treat health problems in men.

Men, did you know you may experience depression differently than women do? The signs of depression can differ in men and women. But, according to Harvard Medical School, for both men and women, major depression is still one of the most disabling conditions. Learning how this condition can appear in men may improve our ability to recognize it in ourselves or others.1

KNOWING THE RISK

About 10% to 17% of men will experience major depres-

sion during their lives. Men with depression have some higher risks than women do:1 • In general, men are more likely to have a heart attack, coronary artery disease, or stroke. Depression increases the risk for these conditions, which may leave men with depression more vulnerable to them.

• Depression increases risk for suicide. Men are four times more likely to die from suicide than women. This suggests that depression may lead to suicide more often for men than for women.

SPOTTING THE SIGNS

Men are more likely than women to show these symptoms of depression:1 • Feeling irritable or angry • Losing interest in work or hobbies • Having trouble sleeping • Having headaches, digestive troubles, or aches that don’t go away • Using more alcohol or substances

• Becoming controlling, abusive, or violent • Taking physical risks, like unsafe driving Depression can be hard on those who have it — men and women both. Men who struggle with depression are far from alone. Men may hesitate to talk about their feelings or seek the help that may improve their lives. But it’s important that those who need help reach out for it.1 If you or someone you know is having thoughts of self-harm, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) right away. They offer trained help 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The information in this article is to help you learn more about this topic. It is not to take the place of your health care provider. If you have questions, talk with your health care provider. If you think you need to see your health care provider because of something you have read in this information, please contact your health care provider. Never stop or wait to get medical attention because of something you have read in this material.

Sources: 1. “Recognizing Depression in Men,” Harvard Health Publishing, https://www.health.harvard. edu/newsletter_article/recognizing-depression-in-men.

“Men: Take Charge of Your Health,” U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, https://health.gov/myhealthfinder/ topics/doctor-visits/regular-checkups/men-take-charge-your-health All images are used under license for illustrative purposes only. Any individual depicted is a model

#BestMe

Health Tips for Men

Odds are, there are men in your life who could take steps to live happier, healthier, and longer. If this sounds familiar — for someone you know, or for you — check out these tips:2 • See your primary care provider (PCP) for regular checkups. Even when you feel fine, checkups can help you keep tabs on your health. Some health problems can be caught earlier with regular health care appointments.

• Get any recommended screening tests. These can check for some health problems before they show symptoms.

• Keep up to date on your shots (vaccines). This includes getting a flu vaccine each year.

• Avoid or limit your use of alcohol • Stop smoking • Eat healthy foods and maintain a healthy weight

Find us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/amerihealthdc. / Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/amerihealthcaritasdc. / Find us on Instagram at www.instagram.com/amerihealthcaritasdc.

#BestMe

Rewards Program

I got a gift card for getting my annual physical. You can too.

You can get a $25 gift card if you: • Are an AmeriHealth Caritas District of Columbia enrollee • Are 12 – 21 years old • Get an annual physical exam

Visit www.amerihealthcaritasdc.com/member/eng/ healthy-living/reward-program.aspx to learn more.

Note: An enrollee cannot get more than $75 in incentives each year.

Certain limitations and restrictions may apply.

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All images are used under license for illustrative purposes only.

Any individual depicted is a model.

AmeriHealth Caritas District of Columbia complies with applicable federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex.

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JUNE 3 - 9, 2021 19

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West Africa Leaders Suspend Mali from Region Block over Coup

West African leaders suspended Mali from their regional bloc Sunday over what they said amounted to a coup last week, Ghana’s foreign minister said after an emergency meeting to address the political crisis in Mali, Associated Press reported on Sunday, May 30, in an article written by Francis Kokutse.

The bloc, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), “is worried about the security implications for West Africa because of the continued insecurity brought about by the political upheavals in that country,” Foreign Minister Shirley Attorkor Botchwey said.

At the end of their summit, the heads of state of the ECOWAS member nations demanded that Malian authorities immediately release former transitional President Bah N’Daw and Prime Minister Moctar Ouane, who are being kept under house arrest.

In their statement, the leaders condemned the arrests by Mali's military, which they said violated mediation steps agreed to last September, a month after a coup d’etat led by the same man who has now again taken power in Mali, Col. Assimi Goita.

ECOWAS also called for a new civilian prime minister to be nominated immediately, a new inclusive government to be formed and the 18-month transition of power leading to February 2022 elections to be carried out, saying a monitoring mechanism will be put in place to assure this.

In addition, the statement said, the head of the transition government, the vice president and the prime minister should not under any circumstances be candidates in the planned Feb. 27 presidential election.

ECOWAS urged all international partners, including the African Union, the United Nations, and the European Union, to continue to support the successful implementation of the transition in Mali.

The heads of state expressed “strong and deep concerns over the present crisis in Mali, which is coming halfway to the end of the agreed transition period, in the context of the security challenges related to incessant terrorist attacks and the Covid-19 Pandemic with its dire socio-economic impacts,” the statement said.

Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo opened the summit in Accra on Sunday, saying ECOWAS must “ remain resolute in supporting the people of Mali to find a peaceful solution, and restore democracy and stability in the country.”

Mali’s constitutional court on Friday named Goita as the West African nation’s government leader days after he seized power by deposing the president and prime minister and forced their resignations. Their arrests last Monday by the military took place hours after a new Cabinet was named that left out two major military leaders. The court said Friday that Goita would take the responsibilities of the interim president “to lead the transition process to its conclusion.”

The deposed interim president and prime minister had been appointed following the August 2020 coup led by Goita.

The military coup against then President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita led to mediations by ECOWAS that were also led by Nigeria’s former leader, Goodluck Jonathan. The transitional government was set up with Goita as transitional vice president.

Elections were to be held in February and March 2022.

After taking power, Goita assured that the elections would still be held, though it wasn't clear what part the military would play in the government.

CAPTION: In this Friday, Sept. 25, 2020 file photo, retired Col. Maj. Bah N'Daw, right, is sworn into the office of transitional president, and Col. Assimi Goita, left, head of the junta that staged the Aug. 18 2020 coup, is sworn into the office of transitional vice president, at a ceremony in the capital Bamako, Mali. WI

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Barbados Special Schools Benefit From New Partnerships

A partnership between the Barbados Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training (METVT) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has sought to enhance the safety measures of special schools in Barbados.

Barbados Today reported on Sunday, May 30, that under the ‘Safe and Healthy Reopening of Schools for Students with Special Education Needs’ project, the Ann Hill, Irving Wilson and Erdiston Schools have been outfitted with automatic water dispensers, detachable soap dispensers and portable hand sanitiser dispensers, directional floor markers, and thermometers, thanks to PAHO. Six-seater tables with umbrellas were also installed to provide students with outdoor seating.

PAHO also donated gallons of hand sanitisers, gloves, and face masks for both adults and children, some of which have “window” panels, allowing deaf individuals to safely read the lips and facial expressions of the persons with whom they are communicating.

The donation also included educational resource materials, three smart screen televisions and six laptops.

Speaking at the official handing over ceremony at the Ann Hill School, Pine Plantation Road, St. Michael, on Wednesday, May 26, the Education Minister expressed her gratitude to PAHO, noting that it greatly aided the safe return to the classroom for special needs students, whose lessons are heavily interactive. WI

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Women Face Unique Risks for High Blood Pressure and Stroke

From millennials to menopause, what you need to know about your risks

Submitted by American Heart Association Women have a lot on their plates, and sometimes important self-care can take a back seat to work, family and other obligations. In fact, nearly 50% of adult women have high blood pressure, and nearly three-quarters of those with high blood pressure don’t have it under control. Uncontrolled high blood pressure can significantly increase a woman’s risk for a stroke, but a few important steps can help reduce that risk and give women (and their loved ones) one less thing to worry about.

“We know that 1 in 5 women will have a stroke in their lifetime, and that stroke kills more women than it does men,” said Dr. Ameya Kulkarni, American Heart Association subject matter expert and interventional cardiologist at Kaiser Permanente.

“Women have carried so much burden over the past year and, it has impacted their health. As we return to some form of normal life, we want women to take time to not only know their risk for high blood pressure and stroke, but to feel empowered to put their health first.”

Ruth Williams-Brinkley, regional president of Kaiser Permanente, chairs the Greater Washington Region’s Go Red for Women campaign – highlighting the shared of goal of Kaiser Permanente and the

American Heart Association to help everyone in the communities they serve to live more active, hearthealthy lifestyles.

High blood pressure is a leading cause of stroke, and while it is not directly linked to gender, women have unique health considerations that may put them at a higher risk of developing high blood pressure such as a history of birth control use, pregnancy or menopause.

Doctors and researchers have found a link between birth control pills and an increase in blood pressure among some women. They say that it is more likely to occur in women who are already overweight, have kidney disease or have a family history of high blood pressure. A combination of birth control pills and smoking can be very dangerous to women and is not recommended.

A woman's health during pregnancy can be a preview of her health in the future. Women who had high blood pressure during pregnancy are at an increased risk for developing high blood pressure and having a stroke later in life.

The physical changes associated with menopause also increase a woman's risk of developing high blood pressure.

Of note, women of Black and Hispanic ethnicity may develop high blood pressure at a younger age and have a higher average blood pressure than other racial groups, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Fortunately, 80% of strokes may be prevented and lowering high blood pressures reduces stroke risk.

Women can measure their blood pressure at home regularly and let their doctors know if it’s normally above 120/80. In addition, lifestyle adjustments such as getting enough exercise, eating healthfully, maintaining a healthy weight, and not smoking can go a long way to reduce women’s disease risk from high blood pressure.

To continue to call attention to issues around women’s cardiovascular health the American Heart Association Greater Washington Region is calling on all women to

rally around the Go Red For Women movement designed to increase women’s heart health awareness and serve as a catalyst for change to improve the lives of women globally.

Go Red for Women is a yearround platform created to address the disparity between genders with regards to awareness, treatment and prevention of heart disease. The movement has grown into one of the most iconic and revolutionary campaigns in the world of health.

On June 17, join us for a free digital celebration and hear from special guests that will inspire the

Greater Washington Region to come together as a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives.

“Kaiser Permanente is honored to support the inaugural Go Red for Women campaign in the Greater Washington Region, as this mission is an extension of the important work being done at Kaiser Permanente to eliminate health disparities and improve health for everyone in our community,” said Dr. Kulkarni.

The Go Red for Women movement is nationally sponsored by CVS Health and locally sponsored by Kaiser Permanente, Sheehy Auto Stores and Laird Lott and Linda Gooden.

To register for the Go Red for Women digital celebration and for more information and tips about women’s health and stroke prevention at all stages of life, visit DCGoRed.Heart.org.

GO RED FOR WOMEN GREATER WASHINGTON DIGITAL CELEBRATION

JUNE 17, 2021, 5PM EDT DCGoRed.heart.org

Join us for a free digital celebration of the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women movement designed to increase women’s heart health awareness and serve as a catalyst for change to improve the lives of women globally.

Ruth Williams-Brinkley Regional President, Kaiser Permanente 2021 Chair, Go Red for Women Campaign

Hear from special guests and be inspired to come together as a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives.

To get involved and for more information, please contact Heidi.Arnold@heart.org or visit DCGoRed.heart.org.

Go Red for Women National Sponsor:

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Lead Local Sponsor:

JUNE 3 - 9, 2021 21

HEALTH Entertainer Gina Barilone wants to ‘Push the Envelope’ against Pancreatic Cancer

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

None of it made sense to Gina Barilone. She spent her days working as an administrative coordinator for the Johns Hopkins Institution and many

22 JUNE 3 - 9, 2021

evenings basking in the glow of love with her children and closest friends.

On most weekends, Barilone could be found on a concert stage belting out hits from artists like Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, and Whitney Houston. Barilone even performed

some original tunes with her entertainment business, Mzz B Productions, LLC. Mzz B provides live bands, photo booths, DJ/KJ, and live sound production for private and corporate clients in Maryland, D.C., Virginia, and other areas.

With the pandemic shutting the world down in 2020, Barilone was just like everyone else— at home and with minimal physical contact with the world.

About three months into the pandemic, the golden-voiced Baltimore resident felt some pain in her stomach.

As it continued, she concluded that the pains must be a gynecological issue, so she called her doctor.

“Several years ago, I had some fibroids removed, and doctors determined that it was a fibroid; however, they wanted to perform other tests and MRIs to be sure,” Barilone recalled.

“In July, the pain had increased in my stomach and progressed to my lower back. I knew that it could not be fibroids causing this pain, so I thought maybe I pulled a back muscle.

Suddenly, my symptoms worsened with intensified stomachaches, severe backaches, diarrhea, jaundice, loss of appetite, and rapid weight loss. I was finally scheduled for an X-Ray and then finally a GI appointment in August.”

In September, Barilone underwent an intense routine of blood work, testing, prescription medication, and CT scans. “After consulting with my nurse practitioner, Jennifer, I knew I had to take this seriously.

During an ultrasound, doctors noticed a mass at the head of my pancreas. I was terrified,” Barilone remembered.

“I didn’t know how to be brave. I truly thought I was going to die. Jennifer did her best to comfort me and give me hope. Her optimism and positive spirit allowed me to breathe.

“Tests revealed my pancreatic duct was blocked, so I immediately underwent a procedure to have a stent placed to drain bile and to confirm the diagnosis: Stage II pancreatic cancer.

“My first oncologist believed I was too old to handle the strongest chemotherapy treatment, and my chances for long-term survival were minimal. I knew I deserved better.”

Her weight dropped from 157 to 134 pounds.

Today, Barilone is at a steady 119 pounds, and her antigen 19 levels are well. “Although I’ve developed neuropathy in my legs, feet and knees and some days severe fatigue, I’m still able

5 Gina Barilone is battling pancreatic cancer, but she’s participated in a 5K walk and is performing a benefit concert on June 5. (Photo courtesy Gina Barilone)

to manage long walks,” Barilone said.

She recently completed a 5K run/ walk and has returned to work.

Barilone also has returned to the recording studio at Stages Music Arts, working with singer and songwriter Richard Crafton.

“Starting this June, I’m laying the backing vocals on a second album with Cam Aliff, who is known as Tex Moonlight,” Barilone exclaimed.

But her fight is far from over. According to the National Cancer Institute, only 8.2 percent of pancreatic cancer patients survive for five years.

The pancreas is deep inside the body, and standard physical exams cannot detect early tumors. People usually have no symptoms until the cancer has already spread to other organs.

A diagnosis like this can drain the patient of most resources, so Barilone’s family has started a Go Fund Me campaign to help offset some of the rising medical costs.

The brave hit maker is also performing during the Mzz Bs Beatz and Eatz Benefit show at Stages Music Arts in Cockeysville, Maryland on Saturday,June 5, 2021 at 5 p.m. Attendees must be at least 21. Tickets are $65, and $580 for a table of 8.

Tickets include a full course meal, live entertainment, white or rose wine,

raffle tickets, giveaways and live entertainment.

For more information about the fundraiser or to purchase tickets, visit: www.mzzbncompany.com.

“The benefit was developed to unite family, friends and colleagues in one place at one time to unite to celebrate hope and endurance of life, through love, support, eats and music,” Barilone said. “I want to give back as well as I am receiving.”

Barilone also cautions women to not ignore any signs their bodies might signal.

“Take time out with your primary care physician and run tests,” she noted. “If they don’t work hard for you to find out what’s wrong with your body, then seek help from others. Our lives are too beautiful and precious. No health, no wealth.”

“Less than 20 percent to 30 percent, of those with pancreatic cancer, have a life expectancy of five years,” Barilone noted. “But I would like to— with God’s grace— push that envelope.”

To contribute to the Barilone family Go Fund Me, visit: https://gofund. me/81acc4e2 Click here to learn more about the signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer.

WI @StacyBrownMedia

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HEALTH FDA Commits to Evidence-Based Actions to Save Lives, Prevent Future Generations of Smokers WI Staff Report The FDA recently announced it is committing to advancing two tobacco product standards to significantly reduce disease and death from using combusted tobacco products, the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S. The Administration is working toward issuing proposed product standards within the next year to ban menthol as a characterizing flavor in cigarettes and ban all characterizing flavors (including menthol) in cigars; the authority to adopt product standards is one of the most powerful tobacco regulatory tools Congress gave the agency. This decision is based on clear science and evidence establishing the addictiveness and harm of these products and builds on important, previous actions that

banned other flavored cigarettes in 2009.

“Banning menthol – the last allowable flavor – in cigarettes and banning all flavors in cigars will help save lives, particularly among those disproportionately affected by these deadly products.

With these actions, the FDA will help significantly reduce youth initiation, increase the chances of smoking cessation among current smokers, and address health disparities experienced by communities of color, low-income populations, and LGBTQ+ individuals, all of whom are far more likely to use these tobacco products,” said Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock, M.D. “Together, these actions represent powerful, science-based approaches that will have an extraordinary public health impact,” she

(Photo by Andres Siimon on Unsplash)

said. “Armed with strong scientific evidence and with full support from the Administration, we believe these actions will launch us on a trajectory toward ending tobacco-related disease and death in the U.S.” The agency continues to take urgent action to reduce tobacco addiction and curb deaths. There is strong evidence that a menthol ban will help people quit. Studies show that menthol increases the appeal of tobacco and facilitates progression to regular smoking, particularly among youth and young adults. Menthol masks unpleasant flavors and harshness of tobacco products, making them easier to start using.

Tobacco products with menthol can also be more addictive and harder to quit by enhancing the effects of nicotine. One studyExternal Link Disclaimer suggests that banning menthol cigarettes in the U.S. would lead an additional 923,000 smokers to quit, including 230,000 African Americans in the first 13 to 17 months after a ban goes into effect. An earlier studyExternal Link Disclaimer projected that about 633,000 deaths would be averted, including about 237,000 deaths averted for African Americans.

“For far too long, certain populations, including African Americans, have been targeted, and disproportionately impacted by

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

Tobacco products with menthol can also be more addictive and harder to quit by enhancing the effects of nicotine. tobacco use. Despite the tremendous progress we’ve made in getting people to stop smoking over the past 55 years, that progress hasn’t been experienced by everyone equally,” said Mitch Zeller, J.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products.

“These flavor standards would reduce cigarette and cigar initiation and use, reduce health disparities, and promote health equity by addressing a significant and disparate source of harm. Taken together, these policies will help save lives and improve the public health of our country as we confront the leading cause of preventable disease and death,” he said.

If implemented, the FDA’s enforcement of any ban on menthol cigarettes and all flavored cigars will only address manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, import-

ers and retailers. The FDA cannot and will not enforce against individual consumer possession or use of menthol cigarettes or any tobacco product. The FDA will work to make sure that any unlawful tobacco products do not make their way onto the market.

The FDA will work with partners in other federal agencies to make sure the support is there for those who are trying to quit.

Smokers interested in quitting today should visit smokefree.gov or call 1-800-QUIT-NOW to learn about cessation services available in their state.

The FDA also remains focused on its regulatory oversight of e-cigarettes and other electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS).

The Center for Tobacco Products recently provided an update on its ongoing work of conducting the premarket review of ENDS and other tobacco product applications, and has issued warning letters to ENDS product manufacturers and retailers who continue to sell products that are illegally on the market. The FDA has also made a significant investment in a multimedia e-cigarette public education campaign. The campaign targets nearly 10.7 million youth aged 12-17 who have ever used e-cigarettes or are open to trying them, and highlights information about the potential risks of e-cigarette use. WI

JUNE 3 - 9, 2021 23

EDUCATION PGCPS BRIEFS Compiled by Dorothy Rowley WI Staff Writer

BOUNDARY INITIATIVE

PGCPS recently released an interim which presents findings from the first phase of data analysis and community engagement. The Boundary Initiative also includes three draft plans and maps depicting potential future boundaries. Because the report marks the beginning of another critical phase of community engagement and public input will play a key role in the final decision regarding selection and implementation.

As school officials become closer to completion of the report, parents and guardians are encouraged to read the full report or summary by using the interactive tool, and taking the survey.

Meanwhile, the Boundary Initiative will conclude by February 2022 with recommended boundary changes offered to the Prince George’s County Board of Education for their approval.

SUMMER LEARNING

This year’s Summer Learning Spark program will offer prekindergarten through 12th-grade students opportunities for acceleration, enrichment, intervention, credit recovery and original credit.

The 2021 programs are available to all students at no cost and offer flexible scheduling including in-person, virtual or hybrid. Students will also be permitted to keep their school-issued devices over summer break to support continued learning.

For a full list of options visit PGCPS.org. Please note that in addition to the school system’s summer programs, several schools are offering programs to enrolled students.

LOTTERY APPLICATIONS

PGCPS is accepting late lottery applications to fill limited kindergarten and first grade seats in immersion programs for the 202122 school year. To qualify for the

5 As Coach Powell begins looking forward to a return of normalcy, in Episode 12 of high school sports series PG13, the school community comes together to coordinate athletic opportunities for students. (Photo courtesy PGCPS)

lottery, applicants must meet age requirements and live within the boundary of the requested school.

Placement offers will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.

‘MARYLAND HISTORY DAY’

Middle and high school students from public, private, parochial, home, and cyber schools are welcome to participate in “Maryland History Day” which sparks critical thinking helps develop skills in research as well as in analysis, writing, and public speaking.

Working solo or in small groups, students create original documentaries, exhibits, performances, research papers or websites exploring a breadth of historical topics within an annual theme. District contests are held throughout Maryland every February and March, with June

13-17, 2021 celebrated virtually as National History Day. Congratulations to students who competed in the annual Maryland Humanities Maryland History Day competition: Mykha Lizette Floresca, Oxon Hill High School; Madison Harris, Kenmoor Middle School and Ellis and Lillian Merrill, Accokeek Academy. They will advance to the national event to compete among 3,000 participants from across the country and beyond.

VERIZON HOTSPOT RECALL NOTICE

Returns Exchanges of Verizon

Hotspot Devices Verizon has issued a nationwide recall of 2.5 million hotspots, including almost all PGCPS hotspots, after it was made aware that the lithium-ion battery in the hotspots can overheat, posing a possible fire and burning hazard.

PGCPS will be working with Verizon as quickly and efficiently as possible to return all Ellipsis Jetpack mobile hotspot devices that were issued by PGCPS. Additional communication about the process for families to return their hotspots and receive a new one.

WI

5 Placement offers for the PGCPS lottery will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. (PGCPS photo)

24 JUNE 3 - 9, 2021

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40 Years of HIV and Over 40 Years of Community Healthcare 40 Years…

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Of caring for those who were often turned away.

Of fighting the fear and stigma that came with HIV. Of advocating for public health support, intervention, and funding.

Of volunteering time, empathy, heart, and dedication.

Of providing substance use treatment services.

Of helping people die with dignity.

Of marching passed the White House and down Freedom Plaza.

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And now we have multiple treatments for HIV.

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And now we have HIV prescription assistance programs.

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That led to volunteering as an AIDS buddy.

That led to the oldest medical-legal partnership in the nation. hat led to HIV and Hepatitis C clinical research T at Whitman-Walker.

That led to HIV mentorship programs and HIV peer counseling programs.

That led to creating the AIDS Education Fund and AIDS Education Hotline.

That led to Max Robinson becoming the namesake of Whitman-Walker’s clinic in southeast Washington, DC. That led to Magic Johnson sharing his HIV status and increasing HIV awareness in Black communities.

he led to 35 years of AIDS Walks to raise funds to T fight HIV – with the 2021 Walk & 5K to End HIV on October 23rd! Register at WalktoEndHIV.org!

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nd now we HIV prevention tools like PrEP and A PEP, condoms, barriers and HIV treatment. nd now we have scientifically proven strategies A like U=U – which means someone who takes HIV medication consistently and as directed will achieve an Undetectable viral load of HIV, making their HIV Untransmittable to another person through sex. nd now we have decades of clinical HIV research A that helped pave the way for COVID-19 vaccines that are safe and effective at preventing severe symptoms, hospitalization and death from COVID-19.

And now, Whitman-Walker will open a new medical home in southeast Washington, DC – coming to St. Elizabeths in 2023 where we will be able to deliver even more care and services to community!

hat led to candlelight vigils with Elizabeth T Taylor and Judith Light.

GIVE TODAY AT whitmanwalkerimpact.org/donate2021

That led to the creation of the AIDS Quilt

by Cleve Jones and community.

That led to local Washington, DC heroes and HIV activists doing their parts to fight HIV. That led to documenters and photographers who preserved it all.

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

JUNE 3 - 9, 2021 25

EDUCATION Get Covered. Stay Covered.

“Do the Write Thing” Gears Up for Another Summer of Youth Activism Sam P.K. Collins WI Contributing Writer

LOST YOUR JOB?

The New COVID-19 Relief Law Helps People Who Were Laid Off • Now you can get health insurance for as little as $2/month and no deductibles.

Example of savings: A 57-year-old person who paid $357/month, now pays $3.76/month for the same coverage with no deductibles.

• If you received unemployment benefits any time in 2021, you can qualify for lower premiums.

Qualify even if you no longer get unemployment benefits.

• For DC Health Link customers, lower premiums are now available.

To find out if you qualify for lower premiums, go to DCHealthlink.com and click on “PLAN MATCH” ACT NOW BECAUSE THIS IS ONLY FOR 2021!

DCHealthLink.com • (855) 532-5465 / TTY: 711

Stay Informed! www.washingtoninformer.com

26 JUNE 3 - 9, 2021

This summer, the Do the Write Thing (DTWT) program will continue its mission of providing youth with cognitive and emotional development through the exploration of issues affecting them and their peers, including mental health, gun violence and police brutality.

DTWT’s two virtual cohorts, hosted in collaboration with the Marion S. Barry Summer Youth Employment Program, will culminate in a student-run virtual town centered on the intra-community violence that, throughout and well before the pandemic, has plagued District communities and claimed many young lives.

“First the youth do the research on the topic, then they have to script the different segments of the town hall: the causes of violence, the effects of guns and violence in our neighborhood, and the solutions to the problem,” said Lolo Smith, co-founder of DTWT, a local nonprofit that has been in existence for more than a decade.

“They have to script all three of those segments,” Smith continued.

“They have to decide who to invite as panelists. The students want some youth leaders in the Black Lives Matter movement, adults [like] the police chief or mayor, and someone from youth-serving agencies.”

In late June, DTWT and several other youth employment partners will host summer job programs amid a citywide attempt to give District residents some sense of post-pandemic normalcy.

Doing so for young people however, may prove cumbersome, particularly given the learning loss and socioemotional strife experienced in the virtual learning space for more than a year.

With greater focus on those circumstances, the Marion S. Barry Summer Youth Employment Program announced plans to expand its reach to 13,000 youths between 14 and 24 years old, encourage safe virtual employment opportunities, and facilitate experiences where students earn money as they attend school before going to their summer job.

5 Learning is fundamental (Courtesy photo)

Participants in DTWT’s upcoming summer programs will start their daily sessions with 20 minutes of mindfulness and meditation before engaging in socioemotional learning and the discussion of various topics that will prepare them for the August town hall production.

During the first three weeks, they will also take part in DTWT Co-Founder/Executive Director G. Sidney Nordé’s seminar that’s based on a program designed to tackle racial injustice and pandemic-related instability through the youth’s creation of an alternative economy.

In years past, DTWT youth spent their summers channeling their curiosity and frustrations into the production of a dozen award-winning poetry anthologies. Last fall, the pandemic paved the way for year-long, simultaneous programming for students at seven District middle and high schools.

For Catherine Turner, a student returning to DTWT this summer, sharpening her skills as a poet and working with other young people proved to be sufficient preparation for what she described as a productive school year at The Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Northwest.

“I learned about being more of a team player. It helped that the other students were great to work with, and we collaborated well,” said Turner, a sophomore who produced video for last summer’s virtual town hall, recorded her reading of four books for

WRITE Page 27

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DCPS

BRIEFS

Compiled by Dorothy Rowley WI Staff Writer

RESCUE PLAN

The U.S. Department of Education has released the template for the “American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund” to assist schools in safely reopening and running operations, and to provide necessary supports to schools and students affected by the pandemic.

While the application provides an opportunity to gain feedback from the public to ensure community needs are reflected and met by the state spending plan, OSSE will provide information about how the “D.C. State Plan Application” can be crafted to build equitable and sustainable supports to enable District students to go back to their classrooms safely.

SUMMER LEARNING

Every summer, DCPS provides extended summer learning opportunities such as literacy enrichment for elementary students and credit

WRITE from Page 26 DTWT’s virtual book club, and took part in a virtual poetry open mic toward the end of last year.

“Our teachers really encouraged us, and [this experience] taught me to be more of a social person,” added Catherine. “This allows you to see perspectives that are different from your own, see the world from different angles, and keep an open mind.”

DTWT participant and Banneker Academic High School student Michelle Tillery told The Informer that her involvement as a town hall cohost last summer taught her valuable lessons and helped her make sense of what she and her peers endured during the pandemic.

recovery for secondary students.

This summer, DCPS will expand offerings to include learning supports for every grade, including Pre-K, with a variety of in-person and virtual learning opportunities for up to 7,000 students.

Most programs will start on July 6 and run through Aug. 6.

REOPENING FALL

VACCINATION CLINICS

DCPS is asking families, teachers, staff, and community members to help prioritize how our federal recovery funds should be used. To that end, the school system welcomes all feedback by completing a brief survey TODAY! http://bit.ly/dcps-recovery-survey …

DCPS has opened its COVID-19 vaccination clinics and urges families and individuals to public schools to get vaccinated in partnership with DC Health and Safeway Pharmacies.

Any District resident who is 12 years or older can visit select DCPS locations and receive their COVID-19 vaccine. In partnership with DC Health and Safeway Pharmacies, walk-in vaccination clinics will open at Anacostia High School, Eastern High School, Luke C. Moore High School, and Ida B. Wells Middle School. However, schools will be open Monday-Saturday and hours vary by location.

“The science is clear: vaccines are the single most effective tool we have to stop the spread of the coronavirus,” Chancellor Lewis Ferebee said in a statement. “To help meet our commitment to fully reopen schools for every student, every day in the fall, it is our responsibility as a community to get vaccinated, including our middle school and high school students.”

Meanwhile, Vaccine information for adolescents and adults is available at coronavirus.dc.gov/page/ get-vaccinated.

She, too, expressed plans to return this summer, especially as she recounted receiving a shoutout from D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) during last summer’s town hall.

“When COVID happened, there was no time to process, so having that town hall gave the youth in the program to speak about our experiences and the gun violence and protests that took place not too far into the pandemic with George Floyd,” said Michelle, a junior who also provided narration for DTWT books.

“The town hall showed me the importance of communicating effectively and having good time management,” said Michelle. “[As a young person], you have to be aggressive and not take no for an answer.” WI

DCPS will fully reopen this fall for the 2021-22 academic year, with in-person learning for all students.

The first day of school for students is Aug. 30 and enrollment is now open at http://enrolldcps.dc.gov .

RECOVERY FUNDS

EDUCATION

poet-athletes back on the field safely so they can have fun with their teams!”

2021 OVATION HONOREES

This year’s “Standing Ovation” award honors classroom teachers who have adapted to a virtual learn-

ing space while having engaged students in an inspiring, creative, and compelling way, both academically as well as socially/emotionally.

The prestigious award also honors central office employees who have made a significant impact on DCPS’ ability to swiftly transition to distance learning. WI

DC SCORES

Chancellor Lewis Ferebee recently tweeted: “We're so glad to work with @dcpublicschools to get our

5 Chancellor Lewis Ferebee expressed his gratitude at getting DCPS’ poet-athletes safely back onto the fields. (DCPS Photo)

DCTAG, Apply Now.

Take Classes In-person or Online If you’re 26 or younger, a DC resident with a high school diploma or GED, and meet a few other requirements, the DC Tuition Assistance Grant (DCTAG) can help by providing up to $10,000 a year to participating colleges and universities, nationwide.

Apply by September 17, 2021, to begin classes this fall.

TEXT DCTAG @ 474747 to get started. dconeapp.dc.gov

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

JUNE 3 - 9, 2021 27

Need help with rent or utilities? Mayor Bowser has your back.

Apply for #STAYDC today.

833-4-STAYDC (78-2932)

stay.dc.gov

#STAYDC 28 JUNE 3 - 9, 2021

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OPINIONS/EDITORIALS

EDITORIAL

Whitman Walker Battles HIV During COVID

Many lessons COVID-19 teaches are a virus can spread widely, it can be extremely deadly, and when the masses become infected are generally, science responds quickly. That’s the good news resulting with a vaccine that’s returning every day as we know it following a pandemic that killed more than 500,000 Americans in the past year. On the other hand, however, we see that when a virus is equally as deadly but only to a specific group, a remedy or cure may take a lifetime to discover and even longer to administer. At the same time, innumerable lives are lost along the way.

It was 40 years ago when the New York Times wrote: “Doctors in New York and California have diagnosed among homosexual men 41 cases of a rare and often rapidly fatal form of cancer.

Eight of the victims died less than 24 months after the diagnosis was made.” That “cancer” was later named HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, and the virus that has been responsible for the deaths of 700,000 people in the United States and approximately 13,000 people per year. As of 2018, the CDC reported that about 1.2 million people are living in the U.S. with HIV, and about 14 percent of them (1 in 7) don’t know it and need testing.

In D.C., the growing HIV pandemic was met by a health services organization that specifically served Gay men. Whitman-Walker, founded in 1973, evolved with the needs of its patients. It offered a VD Clinic that later provided substance abuse treatment services, a legal clinic, family planning services, and an AIDS Education program. Without the quickfire approach from scientists to find a cure, Whitman Walker dedicated its resources to support HIV patients with a plethora of needs, and it did so until the very end for those it helped die with dignity.

This week, Whitman Walker turns 40. The leadership and staff are not just standing on their laurels, and there are many, including the lowest new HIV cases, at 300, since 1984. They are also celebrating their expansion of services, including a new 116,000 square foot medical home, coming to the St. Elizabeth’s Campus East in 2023.

Whitman Walker has a story to tell about the health and wellness services it offers to help conquer a virus that is no longer a death sentence. They continued to do so during COVID-19.

We’re proud to share a piece of that story here and look forward to hearing how more lives are extended while scientists search for an effective vaccine and a cure for HIV is found.

WI

Truth, Justice and the. American Way – Sorry, That Was Superman’s Claim to Fame

As the U.S. Senate met recently to vote on whether they should “approve” a commission to investigate the riot which occurred on Jan. 6 at the U.S. Capitol, we half-hoped that those members of the hallowed halls on the Hill would actually do the right thing.

Half-hoped!

After all, peeling back the inconsistencies and falsehoods behind any situation as grave as the January insurrection should have always been the goal – or was it?

It shouldn’t matter which political party our U.S. senators represent. They should be able to.

Discern between right and wrong and govern themselves accordingly.

We hold our senators to a higher level of truth and justice. But perhaps that’s just an idea … something that’s merely “blowing in the wind” as the 60s superstar Bob Dylan considered in his same-titled song.

Many political pundits suggest that so few Republicans voted against the establishing of a commission because they did not want to muddy the waters. They want us to begin looking forward at the next election cycle, not backwards when the Democrats swept the House, Senate and the White House.

Others say that the feel of the elephant in the room, that is, Donald Trump, led most GOP senators to vote against the commission. So, that would suggest that they would rather ignore the truth, it seems.

That’s the real tragedy. But as the old folks said, “what’s done in the dark will come to the light.”

There may not be a commission, for now, to dig deeply for the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. But one day, the facts – all of them – will surely be revealed to the American public.

Back in the 1950, a popular television show featured a man with a cape of red, white and blue.

His name was Superman and the slogan most frequently associated with him was “Truth, justice and the American way.”

Sounds familiar doesn’t it. It just doesn’t seem to be the mantra for many of our 21st century politicians. Now, the only thing that matters is winning. WI

TO THE EDITOR I was glad to read that ANC Ward 8 Chairman Salim Adofo is protesting the number of liquor licenses in Ward 8. No where else are these people allowed to open up liquor store after liquor store but in our communities and I’m sick of it! We cannot stand by and just allow this continued degradation of our communities as our people disintegrate into nothingness! When is the next protest?

I know the ancestors are truly proud and amazed at Kristen Clarke. I’ve followed her work for years and she is truly a force and a gem. She’s the first Black woman to head the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division and because of her leadership she won’t be the last.

Halane Marshall Washington, D.C.

Sheila Demby Washington, D.C.

Readers' Mailbox

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

JUNE 3 - 9, 2021 29

OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnist

Marc H. Morial

The Tulsa Massacre Exemplifies America's Reluctance to Confront White Supremacism

"I will never forget the violence of the white mob when we left our home. I still see Black men being shot, Black bodies lying in the street.

I still smell smoke and see fire. I still see Black businesses being burned. I still hear airplanes flying overhead.

I hear the screams," she said. "I have lived through the massacre every day. Our country may forget this history but I cannot." — 107-yearold Viola Fletcher, survivor of the 1921 Tulsa race massacre

They killed an estimated 300 people. They inflicted serious injury on more than 800 people.

They burned more than 1,250 homes to the ground, along with every church, school and business.

They left 10,000 people homeless and wreaked about $200 million in property damage in today's dollars.

Not a single one of the murderous white mob that obliterated the affluent Black neighborhood of Greenwood, Oklahoma, ever was prosecuted. Every insurance claim filed by a Black property owner was denied.

Guest Columnist

Though it was covered extensively in newspapers at the time, the Tulsa race massacre, which happened 100 years ago this week, was nearly lost to history. Someone ripped an article about the arrest that triggered the massacre, along with half the editorial page, from the only copy of the May 31 Tulsa Tribune to be microfilmed. Even most Black residents of Tulsa never heard about the massacre when they were growing up. Oklahoma schools began including it in their curriculums only last year.

A century later, the Tulsa massacre is one of history's clearest ex-

amples of America's deep-seated reluctance to confront the legacy of white supremacism, and of the intense, enduring economic scars Black Americans bear to this day.

The effort to suppress history that makes white Americans uncomfortable didn't begin or end with the Tulsa massacre. The Jim Crow South of my childhood was steeped in the mythology of the Lost Cause — the erroneous claim that the Civil War was not fought over slavery, but against the encroachment of federal power.

A more recent manifestation is the alarmist backlash against

the 1619 Project, The New York Times' Pulitzer Prize-winning examination of slavery's role in shaping the American present.

The University of North Carolina board of trustees went so far as to defy the recommendation of the university's dean, chancellor and faculty and deny tenure to Nikole Hannah-Jones, the journalist who conceived the project.

Critical race theory, a decades-old academic concept which suggests that racism is embedded in American law and

Mooney's talents as a comedic writer and social critic were fully revealed in the 1975 skit: "Dog – tree; fast – slow; rain – snow; white – black; Negro – Whitey; tar baby – ofay; colored – redneck; jungle bunny – peckerwood; porch monkey – cracker; spade – honky; nigger – dead honky!" The brilliance was that Mooney uncovered most of the racial pejoratives used by and against Black and white people. However, the genius was contrasting the relative calm main-

tained by the white interviewer to the visible and rising anger of the Black job-seeker.

By the end of the joke, Chase offered Pryor $5,000 to start. Pryor, still seething about the racial insults, responds to the generous offer with, "Yo mama!" It was equally effective as comedy and social commentary.

Paul Mooney had already made his mark by scripting lines for

MORIAL Page 53

Vincent L. Hall

Paul Mooney, Explained

The Creator speaks subtly to all of us in time and space. Some call it coincidence, others prophecy or signs. Consider that James Brown, a gift to Black America, died on Christmas Day 2006. Thomas Jefferson and John Adams died hours apart on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of American independence. Hmmm! However,

the God of the Universe fixed it so that Paul Mooney would draw his last breath on the birthdate of Malcolm X. There are plenty of parallels between Paul the Comic and Malcolm the so-called Communist. Both were fiery and unapologetic in their rebuttals of racism and American hypocrisy. Both laughed, albeit cautiously!

Paul Gladney aka Paul Mooney was a comedic genius, but not the type we celebrate today. Comedy is much more than rattling off a lita-

Guest Columnist

ny of well-placed curse words and discussions on genitalia. When I think of comedy, I think of writing in its most perfect art form.

You tether those words and thoughts to well-timed deliveries, and it makes laughter inescapable.

Paul Mooney was both writer and actor. One of his most famous jokes appeared on "Saturday Night Live," using Chevy Chase and Richard Pryor. Pryor was asked to respond to a word-association exercise to see if he was employable.

HALL Page 53

Rep. James Clyburn

Recognizing the Centennial of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre

As a former history teacher, I often quote George Santayana's admonition that "those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." But one cannot remember that which one does not know. And that is the case for too many people regarding the Tulsa Race Massacre.

And for good reason.

30 JUNE 3 - 9, 2021

The more interactions I have with folks in Washington and around the country, the more appreciative I am of Ernestine Walker, Marybelle Howe, William Howell, Rosa Harris and many other teachers, and some of the other students they taught, and with whom I studied and debated on the campus of that little HBCU (historically black college and university) — South Carolina State — in Orangeburg, South Carolina.

I was blessed with integral knowledge of Tulsa, Rosewood, Florida; Hamburg, South Carolina; and many other historic — and horrific — events that were "whitewashed" by newspapers and left out of history books. I still remember the one-on-one session I had with Ernestine Walker discussing Tulsa native John Hope Franklin's outstanding book "From Slavery to Freedom" as a blessed experience.

And it was a blessing to have

had a one-on-one with John Hope himself when he chaired the "race committee" for President Bill Clinton. I still wonder whatever happened to the product that committee produced. I was also blessed by Tulsa native Alfre Woodard, who wrote the foreword to my memoir, "Blessed Experiences."

The Tulsa Race Massacre is a prime example of inflaming issues and ignoring history. They both significantly lead to the

inability and failure to learn the real lessons that true history can teach us. It was the inflammatory reporting of the chance encounter of a young Black man, Dick Rowland, and a young white elevator operator, Sarah Page, that ignited one of the deadliest episodes of racial violence in our nation's history.

On May 31, 1921, the Tulsa Tribune newspaper printed

CLYBURN Page 53

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OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnist

Charlene Crowell

The Significance of Kristen Clarke Leading the DOJ's Civil Rights Division

On the one-year anniversary of the death of George Floyd, a 51-48 vote in the U.S. Senate sealed Kristen Clarke's place in history: the first woman, the first woman of color, and the first Black woman to receive Senate confirmation to head the Department of Justice's (DOJ) Civil Rights Division.

The largely partisan vote included Maine's U.S. Senator Susan Collins as the only Republican to support the

historic confirmation.

After years of rollbacks to hardwon racial progress, Ms. Clarke and all of DOJ are poised to correct, reverse and advance "justice for all" as a genuine reality instead of a slogan.

The COVID-19 pandemic and recession have thrown into sharp view vast health disparities and economic inequities. Much of Black America has suffered in ways that harkened back to Jim Crow and its separate, but never equal, status.

For Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, Clarke's nomination is as significant as it is promising.

Guest Columnist

"At this moment in history, filling this division, the Civil Rights Division, on the anniversary of George Floyd's murder on the streets of Minnesota, we are confirming the first woman of color in the history of the United States to head this division," Durbin said. "It is a historic choice. …

It shouldn't be trivialized by ignoring the many endorsements she received because of her good life's work, having spent her entire career defending the civil rights of all Americans."

"Kristen Clarke is the right person at the right time to serve as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights,"

said Center for Responsible Lending Federal Advocacy Director and Senior Counsel Ashley Harrington. "Her vast experience in civil rights law reflects our country's challenges — from fighting against mortgage discrimination and a grossly inequitable criminal justice system to taking on hate crimes and voter suppression aimed at denying Black and brown people the right to vote. We are excited for Ms. Clarke to take the helm in protecting the civil rights of all Americans."

Since a new administration began in January, a series of hopeful signs signal that regressive and harmful prac-

tices will be challenged in the name of justice.

Nominated on Jan. 7 by President Biden, his remarks noted Clarke's nomination for both its significance and opportunity.

"The Civil Rights Division represents the moral center of the Department of Justice. And the heart of that fundamental American ideal that we're all created equal and all deserve to be treated equally," Biden said. "I'm honored you accepted the call to return to make real the promise for all

CROWELL Page 30

Marian Wright Edelman

Two Prayers for Children

Oh God Hear the cries of Your children everywhere Ravaged by violence, poverty, racism, sexism, abuse and hatred Scared, labeled, arrested and imprisoned unjustly Ignored by those with power as they languish in crumbling schools and dangerous neighborhoods, homeless shelters and detention

centers Labeled too often by those entrusted with their education and protection as dumb, disruptive, bad and losers Marginalized by those who are elected to protect them because they don’t vote or make campaign contributions Resented and neglected by some entrusted to care for and protect them in often inhumane and underfunded child welfare and juvenile justice systems Hear our cries for our children all

Askia-At-Large

powerful God and help them in every needed way Fight their battles, turn the hearts and transform the actions of those who imprison them in the darkness of violence, structural poverty and low expectations Open the Red Sea of hope and opportunity to them Send manna in the wilderness of greed and Lead them into the promised land.

Children – God’s Sacred Inheritance Reduced by many from God’s gifts and inheritance To men’s property To women’s burden To society’s problem To workforce commodity To a family value To political photo-op and prop To fodder for military To corporate marketing target Valueless unless marketable Valueless unless problemless Valueless as vulnerable dependent

humans entrusted to adult protection and care Valueless as God’s special creations and messengers of hope Valueless until consumers Children are the seeds from heaven and the stewards of tomorrow.

God’s precious inheritance squandered throughout our earth.

reporting the true facts to the public.

Like the twice-impeached former president, they know full well that some of their members gave guided tours of the Capitol’s elaborate tunnels on the days leading up to the attack.

The House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) knows that he in fact spoke to Donald J. Trump while the siege was taking place. McCarthy wants no parts of a report which reveals to the world what he and The Donald had to say while this criminal attack was underway.

Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.), an acolyte who is loyal to Trump, falsely claimed during a House hearing that the Jan. 6 Capitol riot was more like a “normal tourist visit.” The only problem is that he is pictured helping Capitol Police barricade the doors leading to the House floor when his “tourist” friends were trying to break in and do harm to Congress members, particularly House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). There’s no way Clyde

Excerpted from the revised upcoming edition of my book, "Guide My Feet: Prayers and Meditations for Our Children" WI

Askia Muhammad

GOP Pleads Fifth Amendment on Jan. 6 Riot

To put it simply, the Repugnikkkan Party in the United States has copped a Fifth Amendment plea, when it comes to the treasonous Jan. 6 rebellion and attempted overthrow of the democratically elected government.

And the way things are proceeding concerning new voting restrictions, they’re not going to need to steal their way into power in the future. They’ve

already rigged the system in their favor.

Technically, invoking the Fifth Amendment cannot be equated with an admission of guilt, but in many instances, it’s interpreted as being pretty suspicious. The applicable Constitutional text reads: “No person shall be…compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself…” It is the presumption of innocence to which all white people are entitled. In other words, the suspect cannot be forced to prove his/her own guilt.

It's when we get to cases where a

person is not accused, when refusing to testify because their truthful testimony might incriminate them — that’s when taking the Fifth Amendment looks suspicious.

In the case of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol — the worst such breach since the Civil War, and even then, the Confederate Battle Flag was never flown inside — Repugnikkkan Senators and House members were complicit with the traitorous mob and the seditious U.S. President, and they want no part of an honest, trusted tribunal,

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ASKIA Page 54 JUNE 3 - 9, 2021 31

LIFESTYLE Five National Artists Recognized As 43rd Kennedy Center Honors Pandemic-Delayed Ceremony was Worth the Wait

By Brenda C. Siler WI Contributing Writer The annual Kennedy Center Honors originally scheduled for December 2020, fell victim to the pandemic. A scaled-down 2021 ceremony will broadcast on June 6, 8:00 p.m./ET on CBS. The current 43rd Kennedy Center Honors awardees agreed this year’s event felt better because there was more

time to spend with one another.

This year’s awardees are multi-disciplinary artist, choreographer, and actress Debbie Allen; singer-songwriter and activist; country singer-songwriter Garth Brooks; violinist Midori; and actor Dick Van Dyke.

A DIFFERENT HONOREE CEREMONY YEAR

5 Howard University alumna Debbie Allen is one of the 2021 Kennedy Center Honor awardees. She is a multi-disciplinary artist, choreographer and actress. (Photo courtesy Scott Suchman)

32 JUNE 3 - 9, 2021

“This past year has taught us many things including the need to be flexible and adaptable,” said Kennedy Center President Deborah F. Rutter.

“The unusual circumstances inspired new ways for us to present a deeper experience, and hopefully understanding, of the art and lifetime work of our honorees. Last year also shined a bright light on the impact of how art and culture speak to our collective human experiences.Pandemic-Delayed Cer-

5 The 2021 Kennedy Center Honors awardees after receiving their medallions. The gala will air on June 6, 8:00 p.m./ET on CBS. Seated, from left: Debbie Allen, Dick Van Dyke and Midori. Standing, from left: Joan Baez and Garth Brooks. (Photo courtesy Michael Crowe, CBS)

emony Was Worth the Wait The gala was one of several activities held for the honorees participated. Included was a White House visit with President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden. During a pre-ceremony press briefing the day of the gala, Rutter asked Baez about something she did at the White House.

Baez immediately belted out in perfect voice to the delight of reporters, “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ‘Round.” This Freedom Song was one of many sung by the Freedom Singers during the civil rights movement.

PRESENTING THE HONOREES

Allen, a Howard University alumna, is currently director/ actress on the television show “Grey’s Anatomy.” This is one of many roles in entertainment she has enjoyed. Out of the five awardees, Allen has the most experience directly with the Kennedy Center over the past 20 years.

She has been a choreographer and performer for the Kennedy Center Honors. Allen has also been an artist-in-residence creating more than eight productions for young audiences at the Kennedy Center.

She has also been a member of the Artists Committee for Kennedy Center Honors.

“This award is for a body of work and it is so impactful. It’s very humbling for me having worked here for decades,” said Allen. “It’s an acknowledgement of my work and it is a level of respect.

It is so appreciated.”

Baez successfully merged folk music with social and political consciousness. As a veteran of the movement, she shared her thoughts on the social and civil rights reckoning we are experiencing.

“We all have biases; some think they don’t. It remains to be seen what we’ve learned from the last four years. We can’t do anything but come up,” said Baez.

Midori made her debut with the New York Philharmonic at age 11.

At age 21 she started her Midori and Friends Foundation to bring music education to young people in underserved communities.

“From an early age, I have been gifted with extraordinary experiences. I consider them to be my treasure and fortune that I might now draw upon. I wish to accomplish much going forward,” said Midori Brooks still seemed stunned to

be on the stage. For the past 35 years, he heightened country music’s profile like no other singer before him. Brooks has an international imprint.

“I have watched many of my heroes sit in that booth during their ceremony, I have even had the joyous honor of singing for some of them on their special night,” said Brooks.

Dick Van Dyke at age 95 was clearly the “Belle of the Ball” among fellow honorees. His iconic role as Rob Petrie on the “Dick Van Dyke Show” is one that fans continue to enjoy though it went off the air in 1966.

“My best memories of are the five years working with Carl, said Van Dyke referencing his career and this show created and produced by Carl Reiner and Sheldon Leonard. “Everybody looked forward to coming to work every day.

Nothing was written in stone. We all got to put our five cents worth in. It was so much fun.”

Learn more about the Kennedy Center Honors at https://www.kennedy-center.org Instagram: @kennedycenter Twitter: @kencen Facebook: https://www.facebook. com/KennedyCenter WI

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LIFESTYLE

Influencers in Black Culture Honored in “Salute THEM Awards”

June Black Music Month Observance Enhances Celebration Brenda C. Siler WI Contributing Writer Music artists we have known for decades along with many who have worked behind the scenes will be honored on June 6 at 10:00 p.m./ET during the “Salute Them Awards.” Legendary singers and composers Sly Stone and Earth Wind & Fire, gospel ambassador Dr. Bobby Jones, hip hop pioneer and philanthropist Ludacris, jazz pianist composer and band leader Patrice Rushen, renowned songstress Darlene Love, director Billie Woodruff, choreographer Jamal Josef and celebrity stylist June Ambrose will be honored.

The broadcast is presented by BNC and “Café Mocha” the number one syndicated radio program for women of color. The awards will feature musical tributes and will be co-hosted by hosts of “Café Mocha” Yo-Yo, Loni Love and “Ain’t Too Proud” Broadway star Saint Aubyn. “Salute THEM” airs from the new National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) in Nashville and is presented in observance of “Black Music Month” in June.

The “Salute THEM Awards” is characterized as the “soundtrack of our lives.” It marks the second in the “Saluting Our Culture,” awards series recognizing the significant impact of those who have been an inspiration for change through their artistry. The “Salute Her Awards” held in 2019 honored Washington Informer publisher Denise Rolark Barnes for her outstanding achievements.

“Café Mocha is ecstatic to pay homage to this year’s honorees,” according to Café Mocha creator and executive producer Sheila Eldridge. “These legendary treasures collectively exemplify a body of creative forces given to the architects of the contemporary music industry today.”

This year’s tribute performers

during the Salute THEM Awards include 2021 Academy of Country Music Awards new male artist of the year Jimmie Allen, multi-Stellar Award nominee and Gospel Music Association Dove Award winner Maranda Curtis; and multi-GRAMMY nominated songwriting and production duo Louis York.

This is a first for the Salute THEM Awards, airing on the newly relaunched BNC, which is available in more than 52 million households with linear agreements in place thanks to major providers including Xfinity (Ch 1116), DIRECTV (Ch 342), Spectrum, DISH (Ch 361), and available on over 200 million internet-connected devices via partnerships with Amazon Fire TV, Pluto, Roku, Tubi, Vizio, Samsung and more.

“BNC is excited to partner with Café Mocha to present the Salute THEM Awards and pay tribute to a fantastic collection of honorees,” said Princell Hair, CEO of BNC. “This event marks the first of many partnerships and presentations that will allow BNC to honor and showcase Black excellence and the myriad of contributions that people of color have made to American culture.”

Additional presenting sponsors for the Salute THEM Awards are Toyota North America and AARP. The awards will broadcast on BNC and via www.SaluteTHEMAwards.com across all Café Mocha network's social media platforms @cafemocharadio.

The Salute THEM Awards benefits the Mocha Cares Foundation to support housing and services to combat homelessness and domestic violence through mentorship programs. Learn more about Salute THEM Awards on YouTube https://youtu.be/ZUjb8Li-KLk WI Instagram and Twitter: @cafemocharadio

5 Hosting the Salute THEM Awards are Loni Love (right), co-host of Café Mocha and Saint Aubyn, singer and actor who portrayed Dennis Edwards in the Broadway musical “Ain’t Too Proud.” The awards program will air on June 6 at 10:00 p.m./ ET from the new National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) in Nashville on BCN and via www.SaluteTHEMAwards.com (Photo courtesy Miles Ahead Entertainment)

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JUNE 3 - 9, 2021 33

LIFESTYLE

Tragedy of Tulsa Massacre Remembered 100 Years Later Event Ignored by America for Decades as Survivors Feared Future Violence

Lynch Tonight,” Ellsworth says.

But when the Works Progress Administration went to microfilm the old issues of the Tribune in the 1930s, the op-ed had been torn out of the newspaper, Ellsworth said.

Many believe the newspaper coverage undoubtedly played a part in sparking the massacre.

D. Kevin McNeir WI Senior Editor A century ago this week, white rioters burned the wealthiest Black community in America to the ground.

At the turn of the 20th century, the Greenwood District of Tulsa, Oklahoma, became one of the first communities in the country thriving with Black entrepreneurial businesses. The prosperous town, founded by many descendants of slaves, earned a reputation as the Black Wall Street of America and became a harbor for African Americans in a highly segregated city under Jim Crow laws.

On May 31, 1921, a white mob turned Greenwood upside down in one of the worst racial massacres in U.S. history. In a matter of hours, 35 square blocks of the vibrant Black community were turned into smoldering ashes. Countless Black people were killed — estimates ranged from 55 to more than 300 — and 1,000 homes and businesses were looted and set on fire.

But for decades, the massacre received scant mentions in newspapers, textbooks and civil and governmental conversations. It wasn’t until 2000 that the slaughter was included in the Oklahoma public schools’ curriculum and it has only been in recent years that the event was chronicled in American history textbooks.

To ensure that the tragic event was not forgotten, the 1921 Tulsa Race Riot Commission was formed in 1997 to conduct a thorough investigation resulting in the release of a report in 2001.

“The massacre was actively covered up in the white community in Tulsa for nearly a half century,” said Scott Ellsworth, a professor of Afro American and African studies at the University of Michigan and author of “The Ground Breaking” about the Tulsa massacre.

“When I started my research in the 1970s, I discovered that official National Guard reports and

34 JUNE 3 - 9, 2021

THE AFTERMATH

other documents were all missing,” Ellsworth said. “Tulsa’s two daily white newspapers went out of their way for decades not to mention the massacre. Researchers who would try to do work as late as the early 1970s had their lives and their careers threatened.”

In the week following the massacre, Tulsa’s chief of police ordered his officers to go to all the photography studios in Tulsa and confiscate all the pictures taken of the carnage, Ellsworth said.

These photos, which were later discovered and became the materials the Oklahoma Commission used to study the massacre, eventually landed in the lap of Michelle Place at Tulsa Historical Society & Museum in 2001.

The Tulsa museum was founded in the late 1990s but visitors couldn’t find a trace of the race massacre until 2012 when Place became executive director and resolved to tell the full story. A digital collection of the photographs was eventually made available for viewing online.

Not only did Tulsa city officials cover up the bloodbath but they also deliberately shifted the narrative of the massacre by calling it a “riot” and blaming the Black community for what went down says Alicia Odewale, an archaeologist at University of Tulsa.

The massacre would not be discussed publicly in the Africa-American community for a long time – mostly out of fear as they reasoned if it happened once, it could happen again. For those who survived, it became a traumatic event much like what occurred for Holocaust survivors and World War II veterans who often refrained from telling their children and grandchildren what they had encountered.

Ellsworth said he knows of descendants of massacre survivors who didn’t find out about it until they were in their 40s and 50s.

“The silence is layered just as the trauma is layered,” Odewale said. “The historical trauma is real and that trauma lingers especially because there’s no justice, no ac-

countability and no reparation or monetary compensation.”

WHAT TRIGGERED THE MASSACRE?

On May 31, 1921, Dick Rowland, a 19-year old Black shoe shine man, tripped and fell in an elevator and his hand accidentally caught the shoulder of Sarah Page, a white 17-year-old operator.

Page screamed and witnesses said they saw Rowland running away.

Police were summoned but Page refused to press charges.

However, by that afternoon, there was already talks of lynching Rowland on the streets of white Tulsa. The tension then escalated after the white newspaper Tulsa Tribune ran a front-page story entitled “Nab Negro for Attacking Girl In Elevator,” which accused Rowland of stalking, assault and rape.

In the Tribune, there was also a now-lost editorial entitled “To

For Black Tulsans, the massacre resulted in a decline in home ownership, occupational status and educational attainment, based on a recent study through the 1940s led by Harvard University’s Alex Albright.

Today, only a handful of Black businesses exist on the single remaining block in the Greenwood district once hailed as the Black Wall Street.

This month, three survivors of the 1921 massacre, ages 100, 106 and 107, appeared before a congressional committee and a Georgia congressman introduced a bill that would make it easier for them to seek reparations.

Meanwhile, historians and archaeologists continue to unearth what was lost for decades. In October, a mass grave in an Oklahoma cemetery was discovered that could be the remains of at least a dozen identified and unidentified African-American massacre victims.

“We are able to look for signs of survival and signs of lives. And really look for those remnants of built Greenwood and not just about how they died,” Odewale said. “Greenwood never left.”

GREENWOOD COMMUNITY REMEMBERS, 2021

A crowd of about 200 gathered between the highway and the historic Vernon AME Church on Monday, May 31, to commemorate the day a century ago that the church was nearly destroyed.

The Rev. Robert Turner, who serves as pastor of the church

TULSA Page 42

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Washington Gas Cares

Let Us Help You When You Need it the Most Submitted by Washington Gas Washington Gas understands the ongoing challenges that residential and business customers may be facing when it comes time to pay their gas bill. We are available to assist you every step of the way and provide support to meet your essential energy needs. Many of our customers continue to experience financial hardship as a result of the pandemic. Our team is prepared to help you manage the challenges of paying your utility bill. We stand ready to work with you to identify energy assistance options and/or a payment plan that fits your budget.

We encourage you to act now.

The sooner you reach out to us, the sooner we can explore options and find a solution custom tailored for you.

Don’t wait. Check out the various energy assistance program options available to assist with managing your Washington Gas bill: • STAY DC: This program provides financial assistance to Washington D.C. residents who are unable to pay rent and/or utilities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Visit stay.dc.gov or call 833-4-STAYDC from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Apply now to get the help you need to recover and get through this. Through

STAY DC, the District will: • Pay unpaid rent going back to April 1, 2020; • Pay forward rent, up to 3 months at a time; • Pay for water, gas, and electricity expenses on your behalf, and • Provide extended housing support for up to 18 months, per tenant.

• LOW INCOME HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (LIHEAP): Through this program, the federal government distributes funds to the District of Columbia which, in turn, provides grants to qualified applicants to help them pay their energy bills.

For assistance on LIHEAP, RES or a payment plan, call 844-WASHGAS and select option 2. Please note that wait times may be extended due to the higher call volume.

• RESIDENTIAL ESSENTIAL SERVICE (RES): With this program, eligible households may qualify for a discount on a portion of the natural gas they use each month during the heating season from Nov. 1 to Apr. 30. To be eligible for the RES discount, customers must: • Use natural gas as the main source for home heating; and • Be certified by the Department of Energy & Environment as eligible for LIHEAP. There are many payment options available to assist with managing

your Washington Gas bill: • Deferred Payment arrangements are available for up to 12-months, or 24-months for customers receiving energy assistance with no down payment required.

• Budget Plan spreads the cost of winter heating over the entire year.

We calculate your average monthly payment based on historical natural gas usage, adjusted for normal weather and projected gas costs.

• Payment Extension Plan are available for residential customers only and allows for the extension of the payment due date.

• Automated-Payment Plan allows you to sign-up to pay your bill automatically every month on your payment due date.

PREPARE FOR SUMMER – MONEY AND ENERGY SAVINGS

As seasons change, customers may notice a fluctuation in their bill amounts. It is recommended that customers take simple steps such as: • Setting your thermostat to 78°F in the summer.

• Hanging up window treatments that block sunlight and prevent heat from entering through your windows • Replacing your air/furnace filter regularly.

• Changing your light bulbs to LEDs.

• Caulk, weather-strip and insulate openings where you think air may infiltrate your home.

These steps may help manage your home energy costs and stay safe, cool and energy-smart when temperatures begin to rise. The typical home saves an average of 25 percent on energy consumption and saves an average of more than $275 annually in heating and cooling costs after weatherization services.

WASHINGTON GAS CONSTRUCTION NOTICE: PIPELINE REPLACEMENT WORK ON MORRIS ROAD, SE Washington Gas is committed to the safe and reliable delivery of energy to its customers. As part of that commitment, we have been modernizing our infrastructure by replacing aging pipeline in the District of Columbia through PROJECTpipes. This accelerated pipeline replacement program with the DC Public Service Commission is designed to improve our system across DC.

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We encourage you to act now. The sooner you reach out to us, the sooner we can explore options and find a solution custom tailored for you.

Work that started on Morris Road, SE from West Street, SE to Hunter Place, SE, on February 8, 2021 is expected to be completed in November 2021. Construction work will entail the installation and abandonment of main pipes as well as the replacement of individual residential services between 9:00 am – 4:00 pm, Monday - Friday, weather and construction conditions permitting.

Washington Gas also wants to reassure residents that we will continue to partner closely day-to-day with our experienced contractor, Miller Pipeline, to minimize any disruption and any impact to customers in the area.

If you have questions regarding any of our construction processes, please call the PROJECTpipes Hotline at 202-624-6400, email Project_Pipes@washgas.com or visit washingtongas.com/projectpipes.

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JUNE 3 - 9, 2021 35

LIFESTYLE

Ten Social Security Myths

By James Wright WI Staff Writer As Americans continue to age nationally, Social Security Insurance will be a source of income for millions during their golden years.

However, there are myths about the program in the general population, according to AARP’s May 28 Webletter, that are simply not true.

MYTH #1 SOCIAL SECURITY IS GOING BROKE.

The Facts: As long as work-

ers and employers pay payroll taxes, Social Security (SS) will not run out of money. It is a pay-as-you-go system with revenue coming in from the Federal Insurance Contributions Act and the Self-Employed Contributions Act taxes deducted from pay.

While the system presently is solvent, it has paid out more than taken in recently and if major changes aren’t made, experts estimate the system will be in a financial crisis by 2035.

MYTH #2 THE SS RETIREMENT AGE IS 65.

The Facts: The full retirement age—when a worker qualifies for 100% of the benefit calculated from lifetime earnings—is 66 years-old and 2 months. Over the next five years, it will increase by two months at a time, setting at 67 for people born in 1960 and after.

MYTH #3 THE ANNUAL COLA IS GUARANTEED.

The Facts: Since 1975, SS law has required benefit amounts be adjusted annually for inflation but there is no requirement that this cost-of-living-adjustment (COLA) produce a yearly increase. COLA increases are tied to a federal index of prices for

select consumer goods and services. If there are increases, they will likely be a COLA. Congress and the president have nothing to do with this process.

They would have to take separate action to change the COLA.

MYTH #4 MEMBERS OF CONGRESS DON’T PAY INTO SS.

The Facts: Contrary to popular belief, members of Congress came into the SS system in 1984. Before that, lawmakers paid into the Civil Service Retirement System. Those in office on Jan. 1, 1984 were allowed to remain in the civil service system but only in conjunction with Social Security. By the way, two senators and five House members remain from those days.

MYTH #5 THE GOVERNMENT RAIDS SS TO PAY FOR OTHER PROGRAMS.

The Facts: The two trust funds that pay out SS benefits—one for retirees and their survivors, the other for people with disabilities—have never been part of the federal government’s general fund. While SS is a separate, self-funded program, the federal government does borrow from it and pays the money by way of a fixed process.

See what’s new with a river view.

MYTH #6 UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS DRAIN SS.

There’s now more to do at the Old Town waterfront. Enjoy brand new waterfront dining spots. Take a tour of the tall ship Providence, a reproduction of the first ship authorized to serve in the Continental Navy. Wander among the 102 shimmering pilings of Groundswell, the 2021 public art installation at Waterfront Park. Or stroll the riverside African American Heritage Trail with a new online trail guide.

Explore more at

VisitAlexandriaVA.com/Waterfront

The Facts: Undocumented people cannot claim benefits under SS. Some do get SS numbers under false pretenses and payroll taxes are deducted, even though they will not collect benefits later in life. However, there is evidence undocumented employees actually improve SS’s bottom line. A report by SS actuaries said undocumented immigrants made a net contribution of about $12 billion to the program in 2010 and their earnings would likely continue to “benefit the financial status” of SS.

MYTH #7 SS IS LIKE A RETIREMENT SAVINGS ACCOUNT. The Facts: The

36 JUNE 3 - 9, 2021

government

doesn’t stow your payroll tax contributions in a personal account for people to be paid out with interest when you retire. Your benefit is based on how much money you earned over your working life, not how much you paid into the system.

MYTH #8 PEOPLE DON’T PAY TAXES ON SS BENEFITS.

The Facts: That was true until 1984. The system was overhauled the previous year and a portion of your SS benefits are taxable, depending on income level. Anyone with less than $25,000 a year in income won’t pay SS taxes but higher amounts are assessed on a rising scale. Some states tax SS benefits also.

MYTH #9 AN EX-SPOUSE’S BENEFITS COME OUT OF YOUR OWN.

The Facts: If you are divorced, your ex-spouse may be eligible to get SS benefits based on your earnings record and (vice versa). As for benefits with present spouse, these can be up to 50 percent of the benefit amount you are entitled to at full retirement age. However, those ex-spouse (or spouse) benefits don’t reduce your SS. You get benefits based on your earnings history and the age you file for SS.

MYTH #10 PEOPLE LOSE BENEFITS PERMANENTLY IF THEY KEEP WORKING.

The Facts: SS does have a rule, called the “earnings limit” or “earnings test” that can temporarily reduce the benefits of people who are working. The rule only covers people who claim benefits before full retirement age and continue working. In this situation, SS withholds a portion of benefits if earnings from work exceed a set cap, which changes every year and differs depending on how close one is to full retirement age.

WI @JamesDCWrighter

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LIFESTYLE

‘The Other Black Girl’ Book Explores a Workplace War and Racism in Publishing

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer Lindsay Sagnette, the vice president and editorial director at Atria Books, said she could not remember the last time she was so confident that a book was going to set the world on fire.

That’s because Sagnette hadn’t come across Zakiya Dalila Harris’ “The Other Black Girl.”

“The Other Black Girl is a psychological masterpiece, where microaggressions and gaslighting turn a company’s ‘civilized’ atmosphere into a slowly unraveling horror,” Sagnette declared.

“Zakiya Dalila Harris is a storyteller of the highest order, and she will sear Nella Rogers into your consciousness. I hope you are as overcome as I was when turning the pages of this mind-blowing and important book and that you will join me in celebrating the arrival of this major new literary talent.”

With a June 1 release date and reportedly 100,000 copies shipped – unique for a debut novel – The Other Black Girl tracks the story of 26-year-old Nella Rogers.

According to the publisher’s website, Rogers is an editorial assistant tired of being the only Black employee at the fictional Wagner Books.

“Fed up with the isolation and microaggressions, she’s thrilled when Harlem-born and bred Hazel starts working in the cubicle beside hers,” The publisher noted.

They’ve only just started comparing natural hair care regimens, though, when a string of uncomfortable events elevates Hazel to Office Darling, and Nella is left in the dust.

“Then the notes begin to appear on Nella’s desk: LEAVE WAGNER. NOW,” the book details.

“It’s hard to believe Hazel is behind these hostile messages. But as Nella starts to spiral and obsess over the sinister forces at play, she soon realizes that there’s a lot more at stake than just her career,” the publishers conclude.

Atria Books calls the 361-page tome a “whip-smart and dynamic thriller and sly social commentary that is perfect for anyone who has

ever felt manipulated, threatened, or overlooked in the workplace.”

“The Other Black Girl will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last twist.”

Written by Harris, who spent nearly three years in editorial at Knopf/Doubleday before writing The Other Black Girl.

Harris also inked a television deal with Hulu and is writing the pilot with Rashida Jones.

Harris drew the inspiration for the book while working at Knopf/ Doubleday. She told the New York Times that she was washing her hands one day, a Black woman she’d never seen emerged from a stall.

The two were the only two African Americans working on that floor.

“I remember being so excited,” Harris told the newspaper. “And then being like, ‘Oh, OK, we — we’re not having a moment. Cool.’

I don’t think she noticed any of this.”

As Harris walked back to her desk, she thought about why she had been so eager to connect with this stranger, she continued.

“She had been the only Black woman in her department for so

long, as she had often been the only Black girl in her classes growing up in Hamden, Connecticut,” the author noted.

Harris, who earned an MFA in creative writing from The New School, found her first group of Black female friends in college and has often felt anxious with other Black people about “just not feeling Black enough.”

The beginnings of a story started to form in her mind.

Harris told the Times that she had Black readers in mind, particularly Black women, and she made a conscious decision not to explain every reference that might slip by other demographics.

Harris said she hopes others in publishing won’t read the book and seek someone else to blame for the industry’s problems.

“The thing I didn’t want readers — especially ones who worked in publishing — I didn’t want them to be like, ‘Oh that’s definitely that person, and I never would do anything like that,’” Harris said.

“Having them all be representative of the industry itself was really important to me because the accountability feels that much more pressing.” WI

3 Zakiya Dalila Harris pens scintillating tale of ‘ The Other Black Girl’ (Courtesy photo)

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To Heal A Nation: A Lifelong Struggle to Create The Vietnam Wall

Founder and Former Soldier Jan Scruggs Battled the Odds to Build Vietnam Memorial

By James Reston, Jr. Zenger News Whether Americans today believe the Vietnam War was a bright shining lie, a noble cause, or something in between, one thing is for certain: most can now agree it was a national tragedy compounded by the treatment of the men and women deployed over the course of the conflict and when they came home.

How should a country heal after a divisive war? What could be done to bring the rage and recrimination to an end? How long would reconciliation take — if indeed the healing could ever happen?

From the end of the war to the early 1980s, debate raged on how to commemorate the war among citizens who believed very different things.

At the time, the competition for an appropriate design to commemorate the sacrifice in Vietnam was the largest contest of its kind in the history of art with 1,421 entries — a remarkable explosion of creativity.

The surprising winner was a 21-year-old Yale undergraduate named Maya Lin, whose concept of a simple, chevron-shaped black granite wall became instantly controversial. A group of high profile, forceful veterans led the charge against it, denigrating the design as shameful and nihilistic, an insult to veterans and a paean to anti-war protesters. They did everything they could to scuttle the winning design and replace it with something more “heroic” . . . and they almost succeeded.

No one could have predicted that this simple V of black granite, and simple space of contemplation, Coming to terms with our defeat in Vietnam did not begin when President Richard Nixon withdrew U.S. forces.

It would take about five years after the last American soldier was lifted off the roof of the American Embassy in Saigon, when President Jimmy Carter turned his attention to the anguish of Vietnam late in his term. On May 30, 1979, at a White House reception for veterans after the Memorial Day holiday, Carter proclaimed that the nation was, at last, ready to change its heart and mind toward the Vietnam soldier

5 Crowds leave flags, photos, citations and other memorabilia at the Vietnam War Memorial on Memorial Day in honor of their family members. (Roy Lewis/ The Washington Informer)

and recognize his valor, sacrifice, and commitment.

Jan Scruggs, a shy, somewhat awkward 29-year-old veteran, deserved much of the credit for the shift. As a teenage member of the 199th Light Infantry Brigade, Scruggs had been badly wounded by a rocket-propelled grenade in a bloody battle northeast of Saigon in May 1969. In the time he spent in a hospital in Cam Ranh Bay recovering, he came to accept his injury without bitterness but as a predictable event of war. He had earned his “red badge of courage,” he would say. Over the course of his tour, he had seen half of his military unit killed or wounded.

Back home Scruggs graduated from American University in 1975 and went on to earn a master’s degree in psychology a year later, focusing on Vietnam veterans’ painful readjustment to civilian life and PTSD. In May 1977, he penned an article for the Washington Post entitled “Forgotten Veterans of that ‘Peculiar War.’” “Perhaps a national monument is in order to remind an ungrateful nation of what it has done to its sons,” Scruggs wrote. Fifteen months later he published a second bitter editorial about the “continued indifference” toward the Vietnam veteran. He had come to believe that something more than rhetoric was needed to honor soldiers like himself, and his notion of a national memorial for Vietnam veterans was percolating.

Scruggs imagined a memorial of names — having names on a memorial, he felt, would guarantee public and political support.

That spring in 1979, with $2,800

of his own money and somewhat clueless about the immense hurdles he would face, Scruggs began to mobilize a campaign for a memorial that would honor the sacrifices of U.S. servicemen in Vietnam.

He imagined such a memorial in a prominent place on the National Mall, with a garden-like setting where visitors would come for rest and reflection. In late April, Scruggs and friends formed a corporation called the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. They held a press conference over Memorial Day weekend and boldly announced their intent to raise one million dollars to build the memorial.

But the effort got off to a rocky start. In June, Roger Mudd of CBS News reported that the group had raised exactly $144.50. Their efforts were spoofed on late night television and mocked by critics.

This began his struggles, challenges and hurdles to build a Vietnam War memorial.

Once the dream of a memorial was realized, it was embraced with near universal acceptance and has become a place of reflection about not only the Vietnam War but all wars.

Just as the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington has transcended the specifics of the war it memorializes and ascended to the level of the universal, so the issue of reconciliation and reconstruction after a divisive war has also become timeless.

Jan Scruggs is retired now, and as he enters his twilight years, an effort is underway to get the attention of the White House to award him the Presidential Medal of Freedom. WI

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JUNE 3 - 9, 2021 39

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LIFESTYLE

Family, Friends Honor Life of Mary Ann Wells, Lifelong Advocate for Higher Education WI Staff Report Mary Ann Wells was one of eight children born to Rufus and Willie Mae Brown, on May 4, 1932, in Memphis, Tennessee.

Mary deeply believed in God and his son, Jesus Christ. Even though her family followed various faiths and beliefs, she always felt that “we have so much more in common than not.” She viewed faith in God, love, family and education as the four cornerstones of a successful life. Based on these criteria, Mary enjoyed a full and fruitful life.

As a twin, which was rare during the time of her birth, she entered life with a splash and continued in that same manner until her death. Mary and her twin accepted Christ at the age of 10 years old after which she became an

40 JUNE 3 - 9, 2021

active member of the youth choir at Macedonia Baptist Church in Memphis where she was raised.

She was always an avid reader and knew her career had to be something that would pique her interest. She never considered any career other than journalism.

Mary was educated in the Memphis school system and graduated from Douglas High School where she continued her joy of singing by participating in the glee club and served as a member of the cheerleading squad. During her high school years, she met and ultimately married her sweetheart Harold G. Nickelberry. Together they moved to the Washington D.C. area to pursue better employment and educational opportunities. From this union three children were born: Kennie Lynn, Harold Jr. and Terri Ann.

Mary was a champion of pursuing education and set an example by returning to school to attend college in San Francisco. She pursued her lifelong passion and selected journalism as her major because she loved the “power of words.”

She particularly enjoyed the process of collecting and telling a story. Her secret weapons included her ability to disarm and neutralize her subjects with a great sense of humor, outgoing personality and that special “Mary” entrance which she complimented with hats, jewelry and a smile.

Mary loved reporting on the political and community issues of the day and could debate with the best of them. She established her own tabloid newspaper, the

OBITUARY Page 42

5 Mary Ann Wells, 88, of Landover, Maryland, died while at home surrounded by her family on Friday, April 30.

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

GUNS from Page 18 one with four or more people injured or killed, not including the perpetrator, counted more than 600 such shootings in 2020, compared with 417 in 2019.

That trend has continued into 2021 with at least 232 mass shootings as of May 26. (Including Wednesday’s shooting in San Jose, Calif, the Archive has counted 15 mass murders, which it defines as four or more people killed, in 2021.)

There’s no consensus for the definition of a mass shooting which complicates efforts of nonprofits and news organizations to document the severity of the problem.

However, The Violence Project uses the narrow definition of the Congressional Research Service which requires attacks to be in public and exclude domestic shootings and those “attributable to underlying criminal activity.”

An explanation promoted by CNN defines a mass shooting as one with four or more injuries or deaths.

Despite the nuances that shape and differentiate the definition, few can dispute the persistence of the problem in the U.S. Some mass shootings remain prevalent in our nation’s conversations because of the number of people killed, the motivations of the assailants or the apparent randomness of the crimes. When these factors are cited, mass killings like Columbine, Newtown or Parkland immediately come to mind. But America has witnessed numerous other mass killings which fail to garner the same kind of attention.

In 2021 alone, there have already been a disturbing rash of mass shootings and senseless gun violence, often leading to the death of innocent adults and children:

Friends, family and children were gathered inside when the shooting occurred. The gunman was “a boyfriend of one of the female victims,” the police said.

April 28: Boone, N.C.: A 32-year-old man killed his mother, stepfather and two police officers before fatally shooting himself at the end of a 13-hour standoff. Another officer was struck by gunfire but avoided injury because the bullet hit his Kevlar helmet.

April 15: Indianapolis: At least eight people were killed, not including a gunman who was believed to have taken his own life after opening fire in a FedEx warehouse. Family members said workers were unable to use their cellphones on the job, leaving them unable to confirm their safety for hours.

April 7: Rock Hill, S.C.: A former N.F.L. player shot and killed a doctor, the doctor’s wife and their two grandchildren inside their house, as well as two air-conditioning technicians who were working outside the home.

The gunman later killed himself, the authorities said.

LIFESTYLE scene. The gunman was injured and taken into custody.

gunshot wounds. A day after the shooting, he was arrested.

March 16: Atlanta: Eight people, including six women of Asian descent, were killed at three spas, at least two of which had been frequented by the gunman. The attack caused particular alarm among many Asian-Americans.

Jan. 9: Evanston, Ill.: At least five people, including a 15-year-old girl, were killed in a shooting spree in the Chicago area, the police said. The gunman shot a total of seven people before he was killed by the police.

March 13: Indianapolis: A shooting near the city’s east side left four people dead, including a 7-year-old child and critically wounded a woman, the authorities said. The police said the shooting stemmed from a domestic dispute.

Feb. 2: Muskogee, Okla.: Five children and a man were killed and a woman was seriously injured when they were shot at a home. A brother of one of the victims was arrested at the scene. The police said they believed that the victims were related.

Jan. 24: Indianapolis: Five people, including a pregnant woman, were found dead inside a home after the authorities came in contact with a juvenile male, who was suffering from

April 3: Allen, Texas: Authorities said two brothers killed four family members before killing themselves. The bodies were discovered after the police arrived at the home for a welfare check.

March 31: Orange, Calif.: A gunman opened fire at a real estate office, killing four people, including a 9-year-old boy. The shooting was most likely related to a “business and personal relationship which existed between the suspect and all of the victims,” the authorities said.

May 26: San Jose, Calif.: Nine people were killed in a shooting at a rail yard while the gunman, a transit worker, also died after taking his own life.

March 28: Essex, Md.: A gunman killed his parents, two people at a convenience store and then himself in a shooting spree, the police said.

May 9: Colorado Springs: A man killed six people before fatally shooting himself at a birthday party at a mobile home park.

March 22: Boulder, Colo.: A gunman inside a grocery store killed 10 people, including the first police officer to arrive at the

(Photo by Natalie Chaney on Unsplash)

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

CHICAGO’S MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND OF THREE DEATHS, 34 INJURIES ‘BEST’ IN RECENT YEARS

While the Chicago Police Department canceled days off and put officers on 12-hour shifts as community leaders worked to remove people out of the line of fire, one irony ensued during the Memorial Day Weekend. The Windy City reported its least violent holiday weekend in three years: three deaths and 34 wounded in shootings across the city.

Despite the overall tally equating that recorded in 2018, last weekend counted as less deadly than three years ago when seven were killed and 30 others wound-

ed. Last year, 10 people were shot dead and 39 others wounded over the holiday weekend.

Most of the people shot this year, 21 in total, were attacked on the Southside according to a SunTimes analysis. Meanwhile, despite the pandemic, statistics released

by Chicago police indicate that the number of shooting victims has risen 24% over the same period last year. Through the end of May, 1,386 people have been shot in Chicago, a jump from 1,116 during the same time in 2020.

Murders have risen 5% compared to 2020, with the police department reporting 252 murders so far this year.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the police superintendents who work for her have repeatedly blamed judges when the city’s violence starts to rise arguing that if judges would keep more people locked up after arrest, then they wouldn’t be able to commit crimes, and violence in Chicago would decrease.

This kind of rationale has remained popular with U.S. politicians and reflects the thinking that has propelled mass incarceration.

But many of the highest-ranking city officials and activists dispute the mayor’s claim.

“We can’t keep our community safe if people just keep cycling through the system,” Lightfoot has long complained.

But some city leaders, including former Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Susan Lee continue to take Lightfoot to task.

Lee says the data does not support Lightfoot’s premise which “attributes violence to the people bonding out” of jail, referring to the process in which people accused of crimes can pay money to be released from jail if a judge finds they would not be a threat to public safety.

“Very few folks who bond out actually commit violent offenses with a gun,” Lee said adding that there have long been “concerns about the quality of this data from some,” but that the Chicago Police Department, while invited to review the data failed to do so.

“It never happened,” Lee said pointing to a major reason that has allowed the talking point to persist. WI

JUNE 3 - 9, 2021 41

LIFESTYLE TULSA from Page 34 — one of the only structures to partly survive the race massacre in Tulsa's Greenwood neighborhood in which a white mob killed hundreds of Black residents in 1921 — dedicated a prayer wall to the massacre's victims.

"This is the largest crime scene in America that has never been investigated," he said.

Turner's address, alongside other religious leaders, was part of a series of ceremonies marking the centennial of the massacre in a community once known as Black Wall Street, which is getting new national attention.

Even though the anniversary is a somber one, many here said they are determined to celebrate the culture and community that Black Tulsans built — while using this moment to demand reparations for all that has been taken from them.

Mayor G.T. Bynum told NBC News it was important to him that the city engage in a fair process to determine the future of Greenwood, where much of the land is now owned by the city. The city has faced criticism for not prioritizing the massacre's survivors and their descendants in the redevelopment of Greenwood.

"Whatever happens needs to be a community-driven effort," Bynum said. "It’s incredibly important to us that whatever we

end up seeing happen here, that the community has pride in it, just like the community had pride in Black Wall Street. MAY 31, 202105:12 Monday's commemoration began with a solemn ceremony in which half a dozen large jars, each labeled "Unknown" to represent the victims of the massacre whose names were not recorded, were filled with soil by speakers and attendees.

Late Monday evening, a candlelight vigil occurred to begin 100 years from the moment a white mob pillaged the prosperous Black neighborhood, murdering hundreds of people and displacing thousands more. The violence stretched into the next day, culminating in the looting of Black homes, with armed white mobs rounding up survivors and placing them in an internment camp.

President Joe Biden visited Tuesday, the day that officially marks the centennial. While Biden's visit was not expected to be public, he did tour the Greenwood Cultural Center across the street from Vernon AME Church.

On Monday, Biden signed a White House proclamation declaring a day of remembrance, which called upon Americans to remember those who were killed as well as those who survived, and to "commit together to eradicate systemic racism and help to rebuild communities and lives that

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5 The last survivors of the Greenwood Massacre. (Courtesy photo)

have been destroyed by it."

Former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams and musician John Legend had been scheduled to headline a "Remember and Rise" event Monday, but it was canceled because of a disagreement

between the event's organizers and representatives of massacre survivors and their descendants.

A state commission in 2001 found that the damages to Greenwood in 1921 would equal nearly $30 million. However, no

reparations have been paid to survivors or their descendants, and no people or entities have been held criminally liable. That has left many here skeptical that anything will change in Tulsa, a city that reains largely segregated. WI

OBITUARY from Page 40

share her memories and experiences with those family members who remained. As the family matriarch, she encouraged them to remain strong, support each other and to always do their best.

Mary was an active member of the Hear the Word Bible Church in Bowie, Maryland under the direction of Pastor Thomas E. Cunningham. She looked forward to worship and fellowship during which she received a deeper understanding of God’s word. She lived a simple, yet full life based on her favorite scripture, Nehemiah 6:3: “I am doing a great work. I cannot come down.” She believed this verse sustained her while raising her children, fulfilling her role as a wife and mother, completing her college degree and remaining focused on her goals.

She loved the uncomplicated pleasures of life, family visits, reading newspapers, attending church, singing in choirs, eating food, laughing, dancing and conversing and debating issues.

She was known as a hat collector

and would regularly be stopped by people young and old alike because of her flair for wearing hats pulled forward and tilted to the side. Often, those who saw her could be heard saying, “she is wearing that hat!”

Mary believed that a simple life’s lesson is best captured in the Serenity Prayer: “God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can and the Wisdom to know the difference.”

The memories of Mary’s full yet simple life will be cherished by her oldest daughter Kennie Lynn Ford, son Harold Gurion Nickelberry, Jr. (Kimberly), youngest daughter Terri Ann Childress (Michael), eight grandchildren, 20 great grandchildren, three great-great grandchildren and many nieces, nephews, cousins and in-laws, as well as a host of church members and friends.

Mary was preceded in death by her siblings, Hazel, Lucy, Lola, Billy, Kenneth, Martha, Barbara and Alline and her second husband Claude E. Wells. WI

Teacher Connection and treasured all her journalistic experiences and adventures. After her second husband of 32 years, Claude E. Wells, retired from the military, she retired from journalism. They later relocated to Maryland to be closer to family. Upon Claude’s death, Mary revived her writing and served as a freelance journalist with The Washington Informer for many years.

Mary loved her family which served as her lifelong priority. She liked to travel no matter the destination but especially enjoyed visiting members of her family. Her travels took her to many countries, including Cuba and Israel.

But one of favorite destinations included Senegal. On the African continent, she experienced an emotional connection to her family’s history after a visit to Dakar where she witnessed the “Door of No Return.”

With the loss of her siblings, she felt a special responsibility to

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

LIFESTYLE

wi book review ""The Secret History of Home Economics"

By Danielle Dreilinger c.2021, Norton $27.95 348 pages

By Terri Schlichenmeyer WI Contributing Writer You've had a lot on your plate this past year.

Lockdowns, virtual classes, and stay-at-home orders weren't all bad, though; the hunker-down was an opportunity for a new hobby. Knitting busied your fingers. Reading engaged your mind. Newly discovered baking skills literally added to your plate and, as in "The Secret History of Home Economics" by Danielle Dreilinger, Great-Grandma would be proud.

Our nation wasn't but a few decades old when it became very clear that some citizens were lacking resources, to the point of "disadvantage." Women, for example, were generally solely in charge of the home and everything about it, and that often made for a hard life. By the 1870s, though, help was coming: Ellen Swallow, a "country girl" with an astounding drive to learn, insisted on studying the growing new field of science. She then made it her life's work to use what she'd learned to better the lives of women.

Margaret Murray Washington saw the same need, but in a different way: born just before the Civil War ended, she knew that Black women likely already possessed housekeeping skills and needed no further instruction there. Washington, wife of Booker T., instead pushed for the creation of "domestic science" classes at Tuskegee, believing that a formal degree would ensure racial equality.

The idea of domestic science (or "home economics," as it was later called) was not without detractors but ultimately, emphasis was placed on science and economics. Women learned efficiency in daily chores, but they also learned ways to save money and fix everything from clothing to appliances, not to mention food safety, gardening, sanitizing and healthy cooking. Professional home economists reached out to women to enhance communities. Women reached out to county professionals for tips during peacetime and war.

By the 1970s, feminism swept across the country and home ec "seemed practically to break loose from a corset." It became clear that such things weren't just for women; still, by the end of the decade, home ec was becoming more quaint than quintessential.

Says Dreilinger, it's high time we bring it back.

There's one important thing you'll fully understand after you've read "The Secret History of Home Economics": our foremothers were not to be trifled with. They were watchful, highly desirous of education, progressive, ingenious and humble about their ignorance. In short, as author Danielle Dreilinger shows, Great-Grandma was fierce.

Home ec, as it turns out, wasn't originally just the homey, cooking-sewing-baby-care classes like those you had in high school. Adult women, both professionals and everyday housewives, fought hard to gain opportunities for all homemakers and to turn the job into one with esteem. Those warriors came from surprising corners to do that, and how they did it is a story complete with embedded racism, Eleanor Roosevelt, two women who were "essentially married to each other," and practice-babies.

Readers of women's history will love this book, as will general historians, feminists and anyone with an interest in domestic arts. There's still work to do, so find "The Secret History of Home Economics" and dish it up. WI

horoscopes

JUNE 3 - 9, 2021

ARIES You are in the early stage of renewal on Monday, and it is uncomfortable and slow going. As early as Tuesday, you'll feel a lot sprightlier. On Wednesday, bound out of bed early and be the first person getting to work. Thursday and Friday find you flexing your muscles, getting things done and polishing your reputation. What you do is almost as important as how you do it. Lucky Numbers: 1, 33, 45 TAURUS The intensity of what you're going through speaks volumes about how much this person means to you. You don't necessarily want to publicize how you feel, but people can see it written on your face; talking about it may be a better strategy than pretending to ignore it. Thursday and Friday find you grounded, curious and happy. And in the mood to travel. Lucky Numbers: 19, 35, 43 GEMINI Life is laid out like a math problem for you on Monday, and you spend the day trying to determine which are the relevant variables. This calculating mindset cuts through everything else and will be helpful on Tuesday and Wednesday as well, during a deep, intelligent dialogue with your most brilliant friend (as many insights as you have, preaching is not going to work). Lucky Numbers: 7, 8, 10 CANCER It's as if you're on a ship in a storm. With everything slipping and sliding, Monday isn't the time to get involved with anything long-term and binding. Wait until things settle and you know exactly what you're working with. Tuesday and Wednesday, do something rejuvenating (a trip to the spa? a swim?) and Thursday and Friday, don't worry about doing very little (what's on TV?). Lucky Numbers: 5, 9, 31 LEO A beautiful antique makes its way into your life. In any case, Then, Tuesday, a comet of love crashes into Earth and the scorching fires of romantic bliss burn brightly through Wednesday night. By Thursday morning, the fires will have died out and you'll be returned to everyday terrain, albeit with a few embers glowing in the corners. Lucky Numbers: 20, 21, 53 VIRGO Everyone has different ways of getting through the day, and different ways of seeing things. You are interested in someone else's perspective on Monday, but that doesn't necessarily mean you'll agree with them.

Tuesday and Wednesday, your vim and vigor is no match for the inactivity everywhere else, which drags you down a bit, at least until Thursday. Thursday and Friday are bright days filled with hot air balloons and sweet romance. Lucky Numbers: 13, 22, 38 LIBRA Being good with your money is not just about being selfish, it's also about being smart. Nevertheless, Monday's financial dealings get you thinking about values — not a bad thing to be thinking about. Tuesday and Wednesday are about feelings and expression; your current projects are challenging you in ways you didn't expect. Thursday, you wake up feeling weird for no discernible reason, and Friday finds you feeling nostalgic about nothing in particular. Lucky Numbers: 5, 23, 40 SCORPIO You are the sun and your friends are the planets; you are their center of gravity. You'd have it no other way: It's incredibly flattering to be depended upon by so many people who are fabulous in their own right. Tuesday and Wednesday are defined by philosophical questions and the likelihood of being led along by others — you might find yourself buying something you have little use for — but Thursday and Friday, you are shrewd, determined and in control. Lucky Numbers: 5, 6, 18 SAGITTARIUS You're in deep processing mode on Monday, and you might feel like being alone. Your subconscious is on overdrive right now, trying to reconcile your internal picture with the big picture outside of you. Your friends may be of some help in sorting all this out. An exploration of some kind is perfect for the group's energy. Stimulation is good. Original thinking is good. Lucky Numbers: 28, 50, 54 CAPRICORN You are in the right mindset to make some long-term decisions on Monday, but you want to make sure all your ducks are in a row. (Your ducks may not be as orderly as they appear.) Tuesday and Wednesday, discipline is key. You may have sudden pangs of worry that what you thought was possible isn't possible. Pish posh! Ridiculous! You can do anything, as Thursday and Friday attest. Your accomplishments by week's end are impressive, but you've only just begun. Lucky Numbers: 26, 38, 45 AQUARIUS The future of your career has never seemed less clear to you. Monday is a typical Monday, except that you have some major nagging questions in the back of your mind as well. Commiserate with friends on Tuesday to get some perspective. Then, you'll start Wednesday with a sense of expansiveness, a sense that anything is possible. Let this feeling last. Lucky Numbers: 10, 12, 16 PISCES Legal and financial matters are fuzzy at the start of the week. Tuesday you don't have to be as careful — everything goes your way naturally — but pay extra attention and take care to do the right thing, and you'll make major headway on several plans you once thought impossible. Thursday and Friday, a friend is in need of some help and might not know how to ask for it. Anticipate this. Lucky Numbers: 7, 23, 40

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

JUNE 3 - 9, 2021 43

CAPTURE the moment

For more photos, visit www.washingtoninformer.com

4 Members of the Knights of Columbus of the District of Columbia honor James E. Jenifer Jr. of the U.S. Colored Infantry 19th Regiment, at the African American Civil War Memorial in Northwest on Memorial Day. (Roy Lewis/The Washington Informer) 6 Members of the Knights of Columbus of the District of Columbia honor James E. Jenifer Jr. of the U.S. Colored Infantry 19th Regiment, at the African American Civil War Memorial in Northwest on Memorial Day. (Roy Lewis/The Washington Informer)

5 The family members of Captain Riley Leroy Pitts leave citations and memorabilia at the Vietnam War Memorial on Memorial Day. (Roy Lewis/The Washington Informer)

5 The City of District heights in Prince George’s County held a Veterans Park dedication on Memorial Day. The Park, located at Kipling Parkway Spur and Marbury Drive in District Heights. (L-R) Councilmember Mel Franklin (left) – Member-at-Large and Councilmember Derrick Leon Davis – District 6, in attendance along with Jr. Trooper Bryan Charles Pitts.

(Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer)

44 JUNE 3 - 9, 2021

5 (L-R) Councilmember Franklin, Council Chair Calvin Hawkins II – Member-at-Large, City of District Heights Commissioner Cynthia Miller and Councilmember Derrick Leon Davis. (Anthony Tilghman/ The Washington Informer)

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CAPTURE THE MOMENT Anacostia Park in Southeast was filled with bicyclists, skaters, and families enjoying the weather and grilling.

(Roy Lewis/The Washington Informer)

4 A father and son head to the basketball court at Chuck Brown Park on Franklin Street in Northeast.

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JUNE 3 - 9, 2021 45

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a comprehensive strategy to eliminate speeding-related crashes must occur.

Protecting vulnerable road users through a safe system approach and preventing alcohol- and other drug-impaired driving also top the Most Wanted List.

The board also wants lawmakers to craft legislation requiring collision-avoidance and connected-vehicle technologies on all vehicles and eliminate distracted driving.

While most Democrats back the President’s plan, it doesn’t appear that there are enough Republican votes for passage.

“We’re going to have discussions in our committee about safety and infrastructure regarding trucking, probably a variety of things on safety,” U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, chair of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, told NJ.com.

“We’ve got a lot of congestion and growth and issues,” said Cantwell (D-Washington). “We have some things that are infrastructure investments, and there’s some that are just very specific safety.”

Reportedly, bipartisan talks are on the brink of collapse.

“We continue to think there needs to be major progress by Memorial Day,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told CNN. “All that is not going to happen

by Memorial Day. But we really need to get this done this summer, which is why we continue to want to see, even just in the few days between now and the holiday, some real progress if we’re going to pursue this path.”

The NTSB’s push for legislation comes as truck driver deaths sit at their highest level in more than

5 President Biden wants to provide billions to repair the nation’s roadways and improve safety for truck drivers. (Photo Lisa M. Macias, U.S. Air Force)

three decades.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s most recent report showed that 885 large truck occupants died in 2018 – an increase of about 1 percent compared to the prior year.

It is the highest since 1988 when 911 occupants of large trucks died.

Trucking industry groups have offered both their support and skepticism about President Biden’s infrastructure plan.

“We commend President Biden for leading on infrastructure and putting forward his Administration’s vision to modernize and revitalize our nation’s aging transportation networks,” said Chris Spear, the president and CEO of the American Trucking Associations.

“The health of our economy, the strength of our supply chain,

Stay Informed!

www.washingtoninformer.com 46 JUNE 3 - 9, 2021

and safety of the motoring public require us to make big, bold investments in our nation’s roads and bridges, and this plan would steer much-needed critical projects along our National Highway,” Spear stated.

However, Spear added that the associations did not believe the administration’s funding proposal is politically tenable nor a reliable long-term solution to the shortfall facing the Highway Trust Fund, which is responsible for ensuring that America’s roads and highways continue to be among the safest and most technologically sound in the world.

NATSO, the trade association representing the nation’s truckstops and travel plazas, offered its approval for the President’s plan.

“We are pleased to see that the Administration’s plan did not incorporate tolling existing interstates and commercializing rest areas, which would harm off-highway businesses and highway users,” stated NATSO president and CEO Lisa Mullings.

“NATSO is encouraged by the Biden Administration’s commitment to the nation’s immediate and long-term infrastructure needs as outlined in today’s proposal.

“NATSO and its member locations are eager to work with the Administration to advance its infrastructure objectives, including building a reliable and safe nationwide network of electric vehicle charging stations.” WI @StacyBrownMedia

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RELIGION the religion corner WITH LYNDIA GRANT

Tulsa Massacre Remembered: 100 Years Later "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." — Galatians 3:28 As we find our country facing a racial reckoning yet again, we learn and reflect on the many tragedies of the Tulsa Massacre, which took place exactly 100 years ago this week on May 31-June 1, 1921. Over the past week, seemingly every television channel has shared stories of successful Black-owned businesses bombed from planes or going up in flames!

Tulsa, Oklahoma's Black district, known as Greenwood, was attacked by a white mob, resulting in two days of bloodshed and destruction.

The area had been considered one of the most affluent African American communities in the United States for the early part of the 20th century.

Between 1865 and 1920, African Americans were on a roll, founding more than 50 Black townships in the state, making it the largest number of Black townships after the Civil War. In fact, on Greenwood Avenue, they had built luxury shops, restaurants, grocery stores, hotels, jewelry and clothing stores, movie theaters, barbershops and salons, a library, pool halls, nightclubs and offices for doctors, lawyers and den-

tists. Greenwood also had its own school system, post office, a savings and loan bank, hospital, and bus and taxi services, as well as the most successful hotel in the entire country.

In that community, African Americans spent entirely within their own shopping district. My research further showed how each dollar changed hands 19 times before it left the Black community, which is economic development in the highest denominator.

This community, known as "Black Wall Street," accepted all types of African Americans. The affluent and the low-income residents were all welcomed and felt at home in Greenwood. The record shows how many were working in menial jobs as janitors, dishwashers, porters and domestic jobs. They made their money outside of Greenwood, yet they always brought that money home and spent it within the district.

So how did the destruction of this community begin in the first place?

With jealousy leading the pack, it all started because of this lie: During the Memorial Day weekend after 19-year-old Dick Rowland, a Black shoe shiner, was accused of assaulting Sarah Page, the 17-year-old white elevator operator of the nearby Drexel Building, and taken into custody. After the arrest, rumors spread through the city that Rowland was

Mt. Zion Baptist Church

to be lynched, and the rest is history. With so much hatred already moving through the area, and with Jim Crow still rearing its ugly head, it was only a matter of time before this organized raid included bombs dropping out the sky and Ku Klux Klan given sheriff badges and guns to go out to shoot, kill and destroy Black men, women and children in the community.

Just imagine what life would be like for us today if those businesses would have been able to continue to flourish. African Americans are some awfully intelligent people; for them to come right out of being enslaved and become so successful in such a short time is nothing short of amazing. This level of intelligence obviously frightened many whites here in America, who have always declared themselves superior. Enslaved were treated as if they were lower than animals, yet after the Emancipation Proclamation, there was a good number of African-Americans who became extremely successful and did so in such a way that disturbed whites, thus the need to put a stop to our success and push us back.

If only everyone would do what the above Scripture tells us where it says: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."

WI

John F. Johnson Reverend Dr.

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

1306 Vermont Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20005

“A Church with a past to remember – and a future to mold” www.mtzbcdc.org

EMPLOYMENT LAWYERS MCCOLLUM & ASSOCIATES, LLC ADA, Age Discrimination, Benefits, Civil Rights, COBRA, Contracts, Deaf Law, Defamation, Disability Law, Discipline, Discrimination, FMLA, FLSA, FOIA, Family Responsibility, Harassment, HIPPA, OSHA, National Origin Discrimination, Non-Compete, Race Discrimination, Rehabilitation Act, Retaliation, Severance Agreements, Sexual Harassment, Torts, Whistleblowing, Wage-and-Hour, Wrongful Discharge SERVING MARYLAND, DC, & NORTH CAROLINA

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headline and photo for LIF Mount Olivet MALCOLMXDAY Lutheran Church

Reverend John W. Davis Pastor

Service and Times Sunday Worship Service - 8:00 a.m. & 11:00 a.m.

Children’s Church - 11:00 a.m. (1st & 3rd Sundays) Communion - 10 a.m. 4th Sunday Sunday School - 9:15 a.m. (4th Sunday 8:15 a.m.)

Prayer Meeting & Bible Study - Wednesday 7:00 p.m.

(301) 864-6070

Service and Times Divine Worship, Sunday 10:00 a.m.

Communion 1st and 3rd Sunday “Friendliest Church in the City” Website: mountolivetdc.org Email: mtolivedc@gmail.com

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JUNE 3 - 9, 2021 47

RELIGION The Miracle Center of Faith Missionary Baptist Church

Pilgrim Baptist Church

Bishop Michael C. Turner, Sr. Senior Pastor

Rev. Louis B. Jones II Pastor

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

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

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

Blessed Word of Life Church

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

Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ

Church of Living Waters

Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church

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

St. Stephen Baptist Church

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

Third Street Church of God

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

Reverend William Young IV Pastor

Bishop Lanier C. Twyman, Sr. Senior Pastor

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

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

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

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

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

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

Campbell AME Church Rev. Dr. Henry Y. White 2562 MLK Jr. Ave., SE - Washington, DC 20020 Adm. Office 202-678-2263 Email: Campbell@mycame.org Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 10:00 AM Sunday Church School: 8:45 AM Bible Study Wednesday: 12:00 Noon Wednesday: 7:00 PM Thursday: 7:00 PM “Reaching Up To Reach Out” Mailing Address : Campbell AME Church 2502 Stanton Road SE - Washington, DC 20020

Turning Hearts Church Virgil K. Thomas, Sr. Senior Pastor/ Teacher 421 Alabama Ave. SE Washington, DC 20032 Phone: 202-746-0113 Fax: 301-843-2445 Service and Times Sunday School: 10:15 AM Sunday Worship Service: 11;15 AM Children’s Church: 11:15 AM Tuesday Bible Study: 6:30 PM Motto : “A Great Commitment to the Great Commandment” Website: www.turningheartschurchdc.org Email: gr8luv4u2@gmail.com

48 JUNE 3 - 9, 2021

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Website: http://isleofpatmosbc.org Church Email: ipbcsecretary@verizon.net

St Marks Baptist Come Worship with us...

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

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

Mount Carmel Baptist Church Reverend Dr. Paris L Smith, Sr. Senior Pastor 901 Third Street N.W. Washington, DC. 20001 Phone (202) 842-3411 Fax (202) 682-9423 Service and Times Sunday Church School : 9:00 AM Sunday Morning Worship: 10:10 AM Bible Study Tuesday: 6: 00 PM Prayer Service Tuesday: 7:00 PM Holy Communion: 3rd Sunday 10:10 AM themcbc.org

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

Website: Shabbathcommandmentchruch.org Email: Praisebetoyhwh@gmail.com

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

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

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

Israel Baptist Church

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

Dr. Earl D. Trent Senior Pastor

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

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

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

Sermon On The Mount Temple Of Joy Apostolic Faith

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

Elder Herman L. Simms Pastor

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

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

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

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

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

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

Service and Times Sunday Apostolic Worship Services 11:00 A.M and 5:00 PM Communion and Feet Wash 4th Sunday at 5:00 PM Prayer/Seeking: Wednesday at 8:00 PM Apostolic in Doctrine, Pentecostal in Experience, Holiness in Living, Uncompromised and Unchanged.

The Apostolic Faith is still alive –Acts 2:42

New Commandment Baptist Church

Eastern Community Baptist Church Damion M. Briggs Pastor

Rev. Stephen E. Tucker Senior Pastor

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rehoboth Baptist Church

Reverend Peter R. Blue Sr. Pastor

Rev. Curtis l. Staley Pastor

2001 Brooks Drive District Heights MD. 20744 240.838.7074

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Shiloh Baptist Church

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

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

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

Christ Embassy DC

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

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

First Rising Mt. Zion Baptist Church

Mt. Horeb Baptist Church

Rev. Dr. Wallace Charles Smith Pastor

Rev. Oran W. Young Pastor

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rev. Dr. George C. Gilbert Senior Pastor

Email Address: admin@pbc712.org

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

Holy Trinity United Baptist Church

Florida Avenue Baptist Church

Reverend Christopher L. Nichols Pastor

Rev. Dr. Jerryl V. Moody Pastor-Elect

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

St. Matthews Baptist Church

Emmanuel Baptist Church

King Emmanuel Baptist Church

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

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

JUNE 3 - 9, 2021 49

LEGAL NOTICES In God We Trust. Notice of White Flag Surrender. Notice of Special Appearance: I am that I am: “beatriz bey©”, nom deguerre:“ vasquez, beatriz©”, in full life, in propria persona, sui juris, in solo proprio, Haqdar by natural issue, the beneficiary and heir of: ‘‘VASQUEZ, BEATRIZ©’’, corp.sole Dba.: ‘‘ BEATRIZ VASQUEZ © ’’. I being Trustee of ‘‘ VASQUEZ, BREAILY© ’’, corp.sole Dba.: ‘‘ BREAILY VASQUEZ© ’’ having reached the age of majority,

LEGAL NOTICES

being duly certified, hereby affirms the following: Notice of White Flag Surrender: as “hors de combat”, pursuant to The Geneva Conventions, Article III, and Lieber Code, as Taino moorish Americans, and ministers of The Moorish Empire, and Internationally Protected Persons. Notice of LAWS AND CUSTOMS OF WAR ON LAND (HAGUE, IV), ARTICLE: 45, 46, & 47. Notice of Claim pursuant to Public Law 87-846, TITLE II, SEC. 203. Notice of Bailment Merging of Legal Title with Equitable Title : This order is to preserve legal and equitable title , and to reserve all rights, title, and interest, in the property, Re: [1] THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH REGISTRY OF VITAL RECORDS AND STATISTICS, REGISTERED NUMBER: 001986, ‘‘ BEATRIZ VASQUEZ© ’’, [2] The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Registry of Vital Records and Statistics, REGISTERED NUMBER:1095 , STATE FILE NUMBER: 026542, ‘‘ BREAILY VASQUEZ© ’’ is as a special deposit order conveyed to “ Beatriz Bey Trust ”. Individual Trust being an Unincorporated Divine Grantor Inter Vivos Trust. Inter alia. This deposit is not to be commingled with general assets of any bank, nor depositary/ trustee/ agent/ bailee/ donee/ debtor. This deposit is not limited to, but including: discharge and set off, of any and all outstanding liabilities as accord and satisfaction.

All Rights Reserved.

ARLENE THOMPSON Petitioner, vs.

SHARON COLLIER, et al.

Respondents.

NOTICE OF SERVICE OF PROCESS

BY PUBLICATION TO: SHARON COLLIER the above named Respondent: TAKE NOTICE that a pleading seeking relief against you has been filed in the above- entitled action. The nature of the relief being sought is as follows: Partition of Real Property.

You are required to make defense no later than June 15, 2021, said date being 30 days from the first publication of this notice and upon your failure to do so the party seeking service against you will apply to the Court for the relief sought.

This the 16th day of May, 2021 Andrew D. Phillips Kraus & Phillips, PLLC 285 Church Street NE Concord, NC 28025 704-707-4224 Telephone 704-943-9166 Facsimile

50 JUNE 3 - 9, 2021

LEGAL NOTICES

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

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

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

2021 ADM 000145

2021 ADM 000324

2021 ADM 000451

2021 ADM 000442

Ruth Williams Decedent

Franklin Ellsworth Scott Decedent

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

Tina Smith Nelson, Esq. Legal Counsel for the Elderly 601 E Street, NW Washington, DC 20049 Attorney

Carlette Prince, whose address is 1926 4th Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Ruth Williams who died on August 1, 2020 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 11/20/2021. 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 11/20/2021, 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: 5/20/2021 Carlette Prince Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Rosalie Elaine Scott, whose address is 1816 Kenyon Street, NW, Washington, DC 20010, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Franklin Ellsworth Scott who died on October 8, 2020 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding.

Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 11/20/2021. 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 11/20/2021, 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: 5/20/2021 Rosalie Elaine Scott Personal Representative

In God We Trust. Declaration of Nationality. Notice of White Flag Surrender. Notice of Special Appearance : I am that I am: " Harrison Le Mon III© ", in full life, in propria persona, sui juris, in solo proprio, Haqdar by natural issue, the beneficiary and heir of: " LE MON III, HARRISON© ", corp.sole Dba.: " HARRISON LE MON III© “, &, " LEMON III, HARRISON© ", corp.sole Dba.: " HARRISON LEMON III© “, having reached the age of majority, being aboriginal to the northwestern and southwestern shores of Africa, the Atlantic Islands, the continental Americas, being duly certified, hereby affirms to declare my tribal intention to be as my pedigree subscribes, as a: Moorish American, but not a citizen of the United States. I declare permanent, and unalienable, allegiance to The Moorish Empire, Societas Republicae Ea Al Maurikanuus Estados, The Constitution for the united States of America, Article III Section 2, The Lieber Code, Hague Conventions of 1899 & 1907, The Geneva Conventions, [ United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples ], and all natural laws governing moors, and hereby declare and proclaim my nationality in good faith as a: Moorish American. I am that I am: " Harrison Le Mon III© ", from this day forward, in harmony with my Nationality / Status / Jurisdiction, shall be known as: " harrison le mon bey© ". Notice of White Flag Surrender: as "hors de combat", pursuant to The Geneva Conventions, Article III, as a minister of The Moorish Empire, and Internationally Protected Person.

Notice of: LAWS AND CUSTOMS OF WAR ON LAND ( HAGUE, IV), ARTICLE: 45, 46, & 47. Notice of Claim pursuant to Public Law 87-846, TITLE II, SEC. 203. Notice of Bailment Merging of Legal Title with Equitable Title : This order is to preserve legal and equitable title , and to reserve all rights, title, and interest, in the property, Re: State File Number 107-81-000384, " HARRISON LE MON III© ", is as a special deposit order conveyed to " House Of Le Mon Bey Trust© ". All property of the same issue and amount, in like kind and specie, is to be returned fully intact , as a Special Deposit order of the Depositor / Beneficiary / Bailor / Donor / Principal / Creditor: " harrison le mon bey© ", nom deguerre: " Harrison Le Mon III© ", as a special deposit order in lawful money. This special deposit is to be used exclusively for the benefit of : " House Of Le Mon Bey Trust© ", an Inter Vivos Unincorporated Divine Grantor Trust. This deposit is not to be commingled with general assets of any bank, nor depositary / trustee / agent / bailee / donee / debtor. This deposit is not limited to, but including: discharge and set off, of any and all outstanding liabilities as accord and satisfaction.

Inter alia enact fuit. All Rights Reserved. Deo Favente.

Notice of Reference: 0112358-13

Terunesh Zeamanuel Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Jingo Jingo, whose address is 12122 Turnstone Ct., Silver Spring, MD 20904, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Terunesh Zeamanuel who died on May 29, 2020 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 11/20/2021. 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 11/20/2021, 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: 5/20/2021 Jingo Jingo Personal Representative

David William Rife Decedent Edward G. Varrone, Esq. 1825 K Street, NW, Suite 1150 Washington, DC 20006 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Pawvana Pansiri, whose address is 1330 New Hampshire Ave., NW, Apt. 1013, Washington, DC 20036, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of David William Rife who died on May 11, 2020 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 11/20/2021. 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 11/20/2021, 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: 5/20/2021 Pawvana Pansiri Personal Representative

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

IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION CABARRUS COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA File No. 21 SP 118

LEGAL NOTICES

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

being aboriginal to the northwestern and southwestern shores of Africa, the Atlantic Islands, the continental Americas,

LEGAL NOTICES

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

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

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

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

2020 ADM 889

2021 ADM 000428

2021 ADM 000452

Wallace Holland aka Wallace W. Holland aka Wallace William Holland Decedent

Mary F. McKinney Decedent

Calvin Murray Decedent

Matthew F. Shannon, Esquire 1420 N Street, NW, #203 Washington, DC 20005 Attorney

Shari G. Kleiner 5614 Connecticut Ave., NW #107 Washington, DC 20015 Attorney

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

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Karen Holland, whose address is 1417 Primrose Street, NW, Washington, DC 20012, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Wallace Holland aka Wallace W. Holland aka Wallace William Holland who died on 3/6/2020 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 11/27/2021. 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 11/27/2021, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Maurice McKinney, whose address is 3042 Nash Place, NE, Washington, DC 20020, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Mary F. McKinney who died on January 30, 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., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 11/27/2021. 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 11/27/2021, 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: 5/27/2021 Maurice McKinney Personal Representative

Date of first publication: 5/27/2021 Karen Holland Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Ronald Murray and Shirley Ann Murray, whose addresses are 2137 Kingsley Lane, Chesapeake, VA 23323 and 3400 Commodore Barney Dr., NE, 300W, WDC 20018, were appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of Calvin Murray who died on 1/25/2021 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding.

Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 11/27/2021. 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 11/27/2021, 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: May 27, 2021 Ronald Murray Shirley Ann Murray Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

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

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

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

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

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

2021 ADM 485

2021 ADM 488

2021 ADM 000513

2021 ADM 508

2021 ADM 000518

Gloria Maxiene Goodwin Decedent

Melvin Burnley Decedent Howard Haley, Esq. The Haley Firm, PC 7600 Georgia Ave, NW #405 Washington, DC 20012 Attorney

Julia Lenes Decedent

Dolores E. Brown Decedent

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

Curtis Williams Decedent

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

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

Renee Goodwin, whose address is 2510 Pomeroy Road SE, #202, Washington, DC 20020, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Gloria Maxiene Goodwin who died on November 2, 2020 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding.

Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 11/27/2021. 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 11/27/2021, 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.

Debra Reid, whose address is 1216 Holbrook St., NE, Apt. #2, Washington, DC 20002, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Melvin Burnley who died on June 23, 2015 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision.

All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 11/27/2021. 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 11/27/2021, 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: 5/27/2021

Date of first publication: 5/27/2021

Renee Goodwin Personal Representative

Debra Reid Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

Washington Informer

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

In God We Trust. Declaration of Nationality. Notice of White Flag Surrender. Notice of Special Appearance : I am that I am: " JAMAAL ANTHONY JACKSON© ", in full life, in propria persona, sui juris, in solo proprio, Haqdar by natural issue, the beneficiary and heir of: " JACKSON, JAMAAL ANTHONY© ", corp.sole Dba.: " JAMAAL ANTHONY JACKSON© ", having reached the age of majority, being aboriginal to the northwestern and southwestern shores of Africa, the Atlantic Islands, the continental Americas, being duly certified, hereby affirms to declare my tribal intention to be as my pedigree subscribes, as a: Moorish American, but not a citizen of the United States. I declare permanent, and unalienable, allegiance to The Moorish Empire, Societas Republicae Ea Al Maurikanuus Estados, The Constitution for the united States of America, Article III Section 2, The Lieber Code, Hague Conventions of 1899 & 1907, The Geneva Conventions, [ United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples ], and all natural laws governing moors, and hereby declare and proclaim my nationality in good faith as a: Moorish American. I am that I am: " JAMAAL ANTHONY JACKSON© ", from this day forward, in harmony with my Nationality / Status / Jurisdiction, shall be known as: " jamaal anthony jackson © ". Notice of White Flag Surrender: as " hors de combat ", pursuant to The Geneva Conventions, Article III, as a minister of: The Moorish Empire, and Internationally Protected Person. Notice of: LAWS AND CUSTOMS OF WAR ON LAND ( HAGUE, IV), ARTICLE: 45, 46, & 47. Notice of Claim pursuant to Public Law 87-846, TITLE II, SEC. 203. Notice of Bailment Merging of Legal Title with Equitable Title : This order is to preserve legal and equitable title, and to reserve all rights, title, and interest, in the property, Re: Public Health, Illinois Department Of, ILLINOIS STATE FILE NUMBER: 112-92-036757, " JAMAAL ANTHONY JACKSON© ", is as a special deposit order, conveyed to: " JJ&J Holdings Trust© ". All property of the same issue and amount, in like kind and specie, is to be returned fully intact , as a Special Deposit order of the Depositor / Beneficiary / Bailor / Donor / Principal / Creditor: "jamaal jackson© ", nom deguerre: " JAMAAL ANTHONY JACKSON© ", as a special deposit order in lawful money. This special deposit is to be used exclusively for the benefit of : " JJ&J HoldingsTrust© ", an Inter Vivos Unincorporated Divine Grantor Trust. This deposit is not to be commingled with general assets of any bank, nor depositary / trustee / agent / bailee / donee / debtor. This deposit is not limited to, but including: discharge and set off, of any and all outstanding liabilities as accord and satisfaction.

Inter alia enact fuit. All Rights Reserved. Deo volente.

2021 ADM 489 Patricia Donelson aka Patricia Ann Donelson Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Felicia Donelson, whose address is 223 17th Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Patricia Donelson aka Patricia Ann Donelson who died on January 9, 2021 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 11/27/2021. 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 11/27/2021, 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: 5/27/2021 Felicia Donelson Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

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

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

Mary Elizabeth Williams, whose address is 1314 Shady Glen Dr., District Heights, MD 20747, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Curtis Williams who died on April 27, 1999 without a Will, and will serve with Court supervision.

All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 11/27/2021. 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 11/27/2021, 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.

Anita Claudia Custodio, whose address is 4908 Arkansas Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20011, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Julia Lenes who died on June 17, 2020 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision.

All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 11/27/2021. 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 11/27/2021, 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: 5/27/2021 Mary Elizabeth Williams Personal Representative

Date of first publication: 5/27/2021 Anita Claudia Custodio Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

Washington Informer

In God We Trust. Declaration of Nationality. Notice of White Flag Surrender. Notice of Special Appearance : I am that I am: " Nathan James Izzard© ", in full life, in propria persona, sui juris, in solo proprio, Haqdar by natural issue, the beneficiary and heir of: " IZZARD, NATHAN JAMES© ", corp.sole Dba.: " NATHAN JAMES IZZARD© ", having reached the age of majority, being aboriginal to the northwestern and southwestern shores of Africa, the Atlantic Islands, the continental Americas, being duly certified, hereby affirms to declare my tribal intention to be as my pedigree subscribes, as a: Moorish American, but not a citizen of the United States. I declare permanent, and unalienable, allegiance to The Moorish Empire, Societas Republicae Ea Al Maurikanuus Estados, The Constitution for the united States of America, Article III Section 2, The Lieber Code, Hague Conventions of 1899 & 1907, The Geneva Conventions, [ United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples ], and all natural laws governing moors, and hereby declare and proclaim my nationality in good faith as a: Moorish American. I am that I am: " Nathan James Izzard© ", from this day forward, in harmony with my Nationality / Status / Jurisdiction, shall be known as: " nathan bayyacht© ". Notice of White Flag Surrender: as "hors de combat", pursuant to The Geneva Conventions, Article III, as a minister of The Moorish Empire, and Internationally Protected Person. Notice of: LAWS AND CUSTOMS OF WAR ON LAND ( HAGUE, IV), ARTICLE: 45, 46, & 47. Notice of Claim pursuant to Public Law 87-846, TITLE II, SEC. 203. Notice of Bailment Merging of Legal Title with Equitable Title : This order is to preserve legal and equitable title , and to reserve all rights, title, and interest, in the property, Re: State File Number: XXXX, " NATHAN JAMES IZZARD© ", is as a special deposit order conveyed to " Bayyacht Family Trust© ". All property of the same issue and amount, in like kind and specie, is to be returned fully intact , as a Special Deposit order of the Depositor / Beneficiary / Bailor / Donor / Principal / Creditor: " nathan bayyacht© ", nom deguerre: " Nathan James Izzard© ", as a special deposit order in lawful money.

This special deposit is to be used exclusively for the benefit of : " Bayyacht Family Trust© ", an Inter Vivos Unincorporated Divine Grantor Trust. This deposit is not to be commingled with general assets of any bank, nor depositary / trustee / agent / bailee / donee / debtor. This deposit is not limited to, but including: discharge and set off, of any and all outstanding liabilities as accord and satisfaction. Inter alia enact fuit. All Rights Reserved. Deo volente.

In God We Trust. Declaration of Nationality. Notice of White Flag Surrender.

Notice of Special Appearance : I am that I am: " Jessica Maria Lewis© ", in full life, in propria persona, sui juris, in solo proprio, Haqdar by natural issue, the beneficiary and heir of: " LEWIS, JESSICA MARIA© ", corp.sole Dba.: " JESSICA MARIA LEWIS© ", having reached the age of majority, being aboriginal to the northwestern and southwestern shores of Africa, the Atlantic Islands, the continental Americas, being duly certified, hereby affirms to declare my tribal intention to be as my pedigree subscribes, as a: Moorish American, but not a citizen of the United States. I declare permanent, and unalienable, allegiance to The Moorish Empire, Societas Republicae Ea Al Maurikanuus Estados, The Constitution for the united States of America, Article III Section 2, The Lieber Code, Hague Conventions of 1899 & 1907, The Geneva Conventions, [ United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples ], and all natural laws governing moors, and hereby declare and proclaim my nationality in good faith as a: Moorish American. I am that I am: " Jessica Maria Lewis© ", from this day forward, in harmony with my Nationality / Status / Jurisdiction, shall be known as: " ablaa fawziya bayyacht© ".

Notice of White Flag Surrender: as "hors de combat", pursuant to The Geneva Conventions, Article III, as a minister of The Moorish Empire, and Internationally Protected Person. Notice of: LAWS AND CUSTOMS OF WAR ON LAND ( HAGUE, IV), ARTICLE: 45, 46, & 47. Notice of Claim pursuant to Public Law 87-846, TITLE II, SEC. 203. Notice of Bailment Merging of Legal Title with Equitable Title : This order is to preserve legal and equitable title , and to reserve all rights, title, and interest, in the property, Re: State File Number 0109260-1982, " JESSICA MARIA LEWIS© ", is as a special deposit order conveyed to " Freedom Lineage Trust© ". All property of the same issue and amount, in like kind and specie, is to be returned fully intact , as a Special Deposit order of the Depositor / Beneficiary / Bailor / Donor / Principal / Creditor: " ablaa fawziya bayyacht© ", nom deguerre: " Jessica Maria Lewis© ", as a special deposit order in lawful money. This special deposit is to be used exclusively for the benefit of : " Freedom Lineage Trust© ", an Inter Vivos Unincorporated Divine Grantor Trust. This deposit is not to be commingled with general assets of any bank, nor depositary / trustee / agent / bailee / donee / debtor. This deposit is not limited to, but including: discharge and set off, of any and all outstanding liabilities as accord and satisfaction. Inter alia enact fuit. All Rights Reserved. Deo volente.

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

Frederick D. Cooke, Jr. 1250 Connecticut Ave., NW Suite 700 Washington, DC 20036 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Kenneth A. Brown, whose address is 1813 Kearney Street, NE, Washington, DC 20018, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Dolores E. Brown who died on July 22, 2019 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision.

All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 11/27/2021. 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 11/27/2021, 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: 5/27/2021 Kenneth A. Brown Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2021 ADM 000015 Cathryn T. Gartmann Decedent James Larry Frazier, Esq. 918 Maryland Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Stephanie Gartmann, whose address is 1711 Mass. Ave., NW, #132, Washington, DC 20036, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Cathryn T. Gartmann who died on December 16, 2020 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 12/03/2021. 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 12/03/2021, 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: 6/3/2021 Stephanie Gartmann Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer In God We Trust. Declaration of Nationality. Notice of White Flag Surrender. Notice of Special Appearance : I am that I am: " Tony Shawn Lewis© ", in full life, in propria persona, sui

JUNE 3 - 9, 2021 51

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

Inter alia enact fuit. All Rights Reserved. Deo volente.

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2020 ADM 000715 Floyd White Decedent James Larry Frazier, Esq. 918 Maryland Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Robbin C. Johnson, whose address is 3703 Woodsman Court, Suitland, MD 20746, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Floyd White who died on April 23, 2020 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 12/3/2021. 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 12/3/2021, 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: June 3, 2021

LEGAL NOTICES SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2021 ADM 486 Thermon Lee Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Caroline Lee, whose address is 1428 Whittier Place, NW, Washington, DC 20012, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Thermon Lee who died on January 24, 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 12/3/2021. 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 12/3/2021, 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: 6/3/2021 Caroline Lee Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

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CROWELL from Page 31

MORIAL from Page 30

Americans."

Soon thereafter, a tsunami of endorsements for Clarke's confirmation highlighted national and diverse support for her service. Her backers included labor unions, environmental activists, law enforcement officials, legal colleagues and civil rights leaders.

Perhaps one of the earliest and most poignant expressions came from John W. Marshall, son of the late Thurgood Marshall, the nation's first Black associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Penned on behalf of his family, the Feb. 9 letter to U.S. Senate leadership drew a key historic connection.

"Ms. Clarke is a pathbreaking lawyer, like my father, who built her career advancing civil rights and equal justice under the law, and breaking barriers through her leadership for people of color while making our nation better for everyone," Marshall wrote.

His letter also shared an eye-opening example of Clarke's groundbreaking work in civil rights.

"Ms. Clarke has successfully utilized the law as a vehicle for advancing equality, as my father did," he wrote.

"For example, she successfully represented Taylor Dumpson, who was targeted for a hate crime after her election as American University's first female Black student body president."

Similarly, the NAACP — the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization — advised Senate leadership before its scheduled confirmation hearing of its support for Clarke.

On April 12, Derrick Johnson, the organization's president and CEO, wrote, "The NAACP believes that Ms. Clarke is exceptionally suited to oversee the Civil Rights Division at a time when people of color have suffered devastating harm at the hands of law enforcement. She is the leader we need to ensure local police agencies are complying with civil rights laws and advancing public safety by maintaining positive relationships with the communities they serve. Ms. Clarke has prosecuted police misconduct cases and has worked to make the criminal justice system fairer for people of color."

Clarke's legal career takes on even more significance when one considers that the daughter of Jamaican immigrants grew up in public housing in New York City's Brooklyn borough.

Although financial resources were limited, the family's teachings of discipline and hard work were not. From public schools, her collegiate studies took her to the prestigious Ivy League.

public policy, is white supremacy's latest bugbear. The idea that America's social and economic inequities are the result of deliberate policy choices — rather than differences in effort and ability — is a dangerous one for those invested in preserving the status quo. As Adam Serwer writes in The Atlantic, it suggests that different policy choices could produce a more equitable society.

It may be this fear, rather than the more commonly-cited factor of shame, that motivated suppression of the Tulsa race massacre.

To acknowledge that the wealth of Greenwood was taken by force is to acknowledge that a massive debt is owed.

The violence that raged for 24 hours in Greenwood ostensibly was triggered by an accusation — likely false, according to the 2001 report of the Tulsa Race Massacre

CROWELL Page 54

HALL from Page 30 Redd Foxx and Demond Wilson.

"Sanford and Son," to this day, is viewed as one of the best-written Black television shows ever. The show provided a resting place for Black souls and teachable moments for white viewers.

Mooney remained relative with the times. Who else could have created "Homey D. Clown" other than another angry Black man? "In Living Color" had many working parts, but Homey D.

CLYBURN from Page 30 the headline, "Nab Negro for Attacking Girl in Elevator," and the same edition included a report of a white mob's plan to lynch Rowland. The newspaper account was based on false claims that Mr. Rowland sexually assaulted Ms. Page, a white woman, and is cited as the spark that incited a mob to burn and loot 35 blocks in the Black Greenwood neighborhood of Tulsa and kill an estimated 300 people.

It was later determined that the event was fabricated, in other words, "a big lie." Mr. Rowland was later vindicated, but the damage to the Tulsa community and the loss of life could not be undone. Today, we are expe-

Commission — that a 19-yearold Black shoeshiner assaulted a 17-year-old white elevator operator. But many observers at the time suggested that white resentment of Black prosperity was the primary cause of the attack.

The Chicago Defender reported in June 1921: Letters had been sent to prominent men of the Race demanding that they stop extending the bounds of the district within which they were segregated. A rumor has been extant for some time to the effect that it was the desire of white industry or of private citizens to appropriate the lands which the Race had gained possession of. Since the area had become a segregated district to them, the value had increased and white speculators saw a chance for immense profits if they could only drive the inhabitants out.

According to the 2001 commission report, "At the time, many

said that this was no spontaneous eruption of the rabble; it was planned and executed by the elite.

Quite a few people — including some members of this commission — have since studied the question and are persuaded that this is so, that the Tulsa race riot was the result of a conspiracy. This is a serious position and a provable position — if one looks at certain evidence in certain ways."

Whatever the true motivation, white Tulsans moved quickly to exploit the economic devastation and terror of Greenwood residents, swooping up their land for a pittance. A city committee proposed converting the land to commercial use, emphasizing the desirable racial segregation that would result: We further believe that the two races being divided by an industrial section will draw more distinctive lines between them and thereby eliminate the intermin-

gling of the lower elements of the two races, which in our opinion is the root of the evil which should not exist.

In its 2001 report, the commission recommended payment of reparations to survivors and descendants of survivors, but 20 years later, they have not been paid.

Hughes Van Ellis, who was an infant at the time of the massacre, testified before a House Judiciary Subcommittee earlier this month.

"We were made to feel that our struggle was unworthy of justice, that we were less than the whites, that we weren't fully Americans," Van Ellis said. "We were shown that in the United States, not all men were equal under the law.

We were shown that when Black voices called out for justice, no one cared.

"Please, do not let me leave this Earth without justice," he said.

WI

Clown made an indelible niche for the variety/comedy show. Homey had enough self-love to survive and enough consciousness to castigate white America for the hatred and disrespect he had to endure as a Brother.

Last but not least, Mooney became "Negrodamus," a play on the French astrologer, physician and "seer" Nostradamus.

Mooney developed and played the role of Negrodamus as part of "Chappelle's Show." As Negrodamus held one of his patent-

ed psychic question-and-answer sessions, a brother in the audience asked him why white people love Wayne Brady so much. Negrodamus replied that white people like Wayne Brady because he makes Bryant Gumbel look like Malcolm X. His answer reminds us that most whites hate Black radicals and activists and love the "kinder, gentler" brands of Blackness! Conversely, a significant reason proBlack voices like Dave Chappelle, Paul Mooney and Malcolm X engender themselves to white liberal

audiences is that these whites want to understand who we are.

Paul Mooney was funny, but he told the truth so blatantly that even die-hard revolutionaries shuddered. He could be raw and risqué and then dismiss his anger with a smile and a nod. On the day that we remember what should have been Brother Malcolm's 96th birthday, we lost Paul Mooney at 79. There is a prophecy or parallel there somewhere. Wish Paul was here to explain!

WI

riencing a modern-day "big lie" that seems to be tearing at the fabric of this country. Hopefully we have learned lessons from the Tulsa Race Massacre that will help maintain the greatness of our fragile democracy.

Greenwood was known at the time as "Black Wall Street" due to its status as one of the most prosperous African American communities in the country. The devastation wrought by the mob, many of whom had been deputized and armed by local officials, took the lives and livelihoods of many in the Greenwood community. It caused irreparable damage to hundreds of Black families, who never received justice for their losses.

I, like many of you, am old enough to remember those lit-

tle bank books that were issued when you opened a bank account. Those little books were not fireproof and many survivors of the massacre whose only proof of their bank accounts were burned up with their other possessions, never got their money and were never compensated for their losses.

This horrific incident was erased from collective memory when the Tulsa Tribune destroyed all original copies of the May 31, 1921, edition of the newspaper and removed it from any archival copies. Scholars later discovered that police and state militia archives about the riot were missing as well. We cannot overcome the issues of race that have troubled our nation since its inception by ignoring the failings of

our past.

I often quote Alexis De Tocqueville's notion that America's greatness lies not in being more enlightened than any other nation, but rather because it has always been able to repair its faults. To repair our faults, our country must acknowledge past mistakes and work to ensure we don't repeat them.

I believe this anniversary gives us the opportunity to remember this dark past and recommit ourselves to finding ways to address racial inequities by taking steps that are necessary to repair the faults of our past. Working together, with informed acknowledgements and our eyes wide open, we can make significant strides in our "pursuit of a more perfect union." WI

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JUNE 3 - 9, 2021 53

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CROWELL from Page 53 In 1997, she received her bachelor's degree from Harvard University. Three years later in 2000, Clarke completed her Juris Doctor at Columbia University.

Her first job as a new attorney was as a federal prosecutor with the Department of Justice, working on voting rights, hate crimes, and human trafficking cases. In 2006, she joined the NAACP Legal Defense Fund until then New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman appointed her as director of the state's Civil Rights Bureau.

In this state role, Clarke led enforcement actions spanning criminal justice, voting rights, fair lending, housing discrimination, disability rights, reproductive access and LGBTQ rights.

As recognition of her legal acumen grew, so did the number of honors she received: the 2010 Paul Robeson Distinguished Alumni Award from Columbia Law School, 2011 National Bar Association's Top 40 Under 40, the 2012 Best Brief Award for the 2012 Supreme Court term from the National Association of Attorneys General, and the New York Law Journal's 2015 Rising Stars.

Months later, the August 2016 edition of the American Bar Association (ABA) Journal featured a Q&A interview with Clarke. In part, she reflected on her childhood and how it influenced her career aspirations.

"I've experienced what it's like to be underprivileged, and I've experienced very privileged settings as well," she said. "I feel a deep sense of responsibility to use the opportunities that I have been given to help those less fortunate.

We live in a nation that's divided along

ASKIA from Page 31 would want to have his name authorizing a report that would make him out to be a bald-faced lying bucket of excrement.

If any of those members who sided with or gave comfort to the lawbreakers, had voted to approve a fair, bipartisan commission to investigate and report on that lawlessness, it would be like authorizing testimony against themselves. So, most GOP members took the Fifth, that is, invoked their constitutional privilege to not authorize an investigation which would reveal their guilt.

And Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) does not want an impartial, fair-minded report that would reveal that he and his buddies are no better than the Proud BoysOath Keepers-thugs who stormed the

lines of race and class. I have a personal sense of what life is like on both sides of that divide, and I want to figure out how we close some of those gaps and level the playing field."

At the April 14 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on her nomination, Clarke recalled her legal career journey and the principles that guided her work.

"I began my legal career traveling across the country to communities like Tensas Parish, Louisiana and Clarksdale, Mississippi," she testified.

"I learned to be a lawyer's lawyer – to focus on the rule of law and let the facts lead where they may.

"When I left DOJ, I carried the words of the late Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall as my guide: 'Where you see wrong or inequality or injustice, speak out, because this is your country. This is your democracy.

Make it. Protect it. Pass it on,'" Clarke said. "I've tried to do just that at every step of my career."

Now, Clarke returns to the Department of Justice at a time when the agency is recommitting its focus on serving the entire nation equitably.

Since early this year, a series of actions reflect the agency's renewed commitment to civil rights. Here are a few examples: In February, following an FBI investigation, a Michigan man was indicted on a charge of hate crimes after confronting Black teenagers with racial slurs and weapons for their use of a public beach.

In March, two former Louisiana correctional officers were sentenced for their roles in a cover-up of a 2014 prisoner's death at the state's St. Bernard Parish that followed a failure to

provide medical treatment while incarcerated.

In April, the DOJ and the City of West Monroe, Louisiana reached a consent agreement following a lawsuit alleging violation of the Voting Rights Act. Although nearly a third of the city was Black, the at-large election of city aldermen resulted in all-white local officials. With the consent decree, the method of aldermen selection will change to a combination of single district representatives and others elected at large.

On May 7, the DOJ issued a threecount indictment of four Minneapolis police officers on federal civil rights charges in the death of George Floyd.

Additionally, convicted former officer Derek Chauvin faces an additional two-count indictment for his actions in 2017 against a 14-year-old teenager. The indictment charges Chauvin with keeping his knee on the youth's neck and upper back, as well as using a flashlight as a weapon.

Additionally, the DOJ is currently investigating police practices in both Louisville, Kentucky, and Minneapolis. Readers may recall that Breonna Taylor was killed in her Louisville home during a late-night, no-knock warrant police entry.

"Our nation is a healthier place when we respect the rights of all communities," Clarke advised in her confirmation hearing remarks. "In every role I've held, I have worked with and for people of all backgrounds. … I've listened deeply to all sides of debates, regardless of political affiliation. There is no substitute to listening and learning in this work, and I pledge to you that I will bring that to the role if confirmed." WI

seat of the U.S. government with the intention of overthrowing the legal, duly authorized, 2020 presidential election, simply because their slimy, whore-mongering, frequently bankrupted candidate who was certified to have told more than 16,000 lies during his four years in office, lost the contest fair and square.

These crooks are worse than the mobsters whom we saw and read about committing despicable acts and getting away with it by bribing and murdering law enforcement officials in crime novels and movies, because these creepy Republikkkans in the House and the Senate are themselves the crooked law officers and judges.

Even Ginni Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, tweeted out a congratulatory welcome message and her “love” to the mob on Jan. 6. “GOD BLESS EACH

OF YOU STANDING UP or PRAYING!” she wrote to the mob. She has since deleted that message, and not tweeted again since Jan. 8.

They all know “the deal.” Most of the GOP members were in on it. They don’t give a hoot about the high-sounding principles they profess.

All they care about is maintaining the power of their tribe which believes in white supremacy, not in “democracy,” not in constitutional law and not “equal justice for all.”

The GOP just wants to rule, and their members have revealed that all they’re concerned about is holding on to absolute power, no matter who or what they have to crush in the process of holding on to it.

On the “advice of counsel,” they decline to authorize an investigation because the truth will incriminate them.

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