The Washington Informer - June 6, 2019

VOL. 54, NO. 34 • JUNE 6 - 12, 2019

It’s African-American Music Appreciation Month. Who’s Your Favorite?

Congressional Chorus Shines Page 32

D.C. Residents Asked to Weigh in on Rayful Edmond’s Fate

Local Attention Pivots to Gun Violence

Significant Response to Incidents in District, Virginia Beach

By Sam P.K. Collins WI Contributing Writer @SamPKCollins As they prepare for a student-led march scheduled for Thursday afternoon, friends, family and members of the Somerset Prep DC Public Charter School community remember slain teenager Maurice Scott as an honor roll student and rising high school sophomore with a promising future.

People of various ages, including Monique Scott, Maurice’s mother, have taken to the streets in response to the recent spate of violence to engulf pockets of the District. Scott spoke before more than 50 people who gathered Friday evening in the Wheeler Road parking lot where her son lost his life.

“I’m sorry that he’s gone. That was my only son,” Scott said to the cadre of quiet, attentive marchers who participated in Ward 8 Council member Trayon White’s “Resources to the Block” event. “He had a twin and now she has to be alone. It’s sad.

“I want the violence to stop,” Scott said. “It shouldn’t have to take us losing someone. I never expected this. Maurice was a good man. A good boy just going to the store and not making it home. Now I don’t have a man in my house.”

Video footage from the morning of May 26 shows a gunman stepping out of a light-colored, four-door car on the 3500 block of Wheeler Road in Southeast and firing shots from a rifle that hit Maurice, two women

GUN VIOLENCE Page 23

By James Wright WI Staff Writer

MEMORIAL QUILT HONORS VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

5 Visitors stroll through quilt pieces laid out on the National Mall as a tribute to victims/survivors of domestic violence.

The quilt features over 3,000 stories from survivors of sexual and intimate partner violence and was on display May 31.

See story on page 16. (Roy Lewis/The Washington Informer)

D.C. Councilman Sponsors Bill to Give Felons the Vote

By James Wright WI Staff Writer

Felons in the District currently don’t have the right to vote, but if a city lawmaker has his way, that will change in a couple of years.

D.C. Council member Robert White (D-At Large) announced that he will introduce the Restore the Vote Amendment Act of 2019 that would allow District felons, no matter where they are incarcerated, to vote in city elections.

“I remind people that there is no provision in the U.S. Constitution removing the right to vote for people who have committed felonies,” White said. “And those who have been convicted do not lose their

EXFELONS Page 52

5 Ward 1 Council member Robert White introduced a bill to restore the right to vote to incarcerated District residents. Currently only incarcerated felons in Maine and Vermont are allowed to vote. (WI Archives/Roy Lewis)

District residents will be asked whether one of its most notorious drug lords should have his sentence reviewed after decades in prison.

D.C. Attorney General Karl A. Racine (D) announced May 30 that his office has been appointed

by U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia Judge Emmett G. Sullivan to represent the views of the community concerning Rayful Edmond III, who managed the largest cocaine ring in the city in the 1980s, and the possibility of him having his sentence revisited and returning to the District.

As a result of this request — a first for the D.C. attorney general’s office — public solicitation on Edmond’s possible homecoming has commenced.

“This is a significant and unique opportunity for District residents to be heard in the adult criminal justice system, where we often don’t have a voice,” Racine said, noting that the development took place in the face of rising debate over the District becoming a state and managing its own affairs.

“This is a historic step for District autonomy,” he said. “For the first time, a federal judge has enlisted the Office of Attorney General to obtain information about the community’s view for sentencing in an adult criminal case.”

Edmond has been credited by law enforcement for introducing on a large scale crack cocaine to

EDMOND Page 46

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On June 4, 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.”

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CIRCULATION Paul Trantham

Women the Cycle of wi hotBreak topics Domestic Violence Maryland Drivers Face House Dems Address

enforcement. She said they threat,” she said. Recall Driver’s License Threat of White law had come together to bring a Among the programs Marlow sense of uniformity in the way wants to see implemented are Supremacists’ Violence When L.Y. Marlow's 23-year-

By Tia Carol Jones WI Staff Writer

domestic violence victims and stricter restraining order policies, onfather Tuesday,survivors June 4, are grilled old House daughterDemocrats told her the treated. more rights for victim's families from the FBI and Department of using Homeofofficials her daughter threatened her “She's her own personal to intervene on behalf of a viclife, the lifeduring of their child, focusing landand Security a hearing howpersonal pain to tim, a domestic violence assessstory, heronown she something had to isbeaddressing theknew Trump administration the grow- Davis-Nickens ment unit coupled with further push forward,” done.

Out ofofviolent her frustration ing threat white supremacist groups. said about Marlow. training for law enforcement withThe law enforcement's handling Davis-Nickens House Oversight subcommittee on civ- said anyone agencies, a Child's Life Protecofil the situation, she liberties decided hearing, to whotitled reads“ConMarlow's book will tion Act and mandatory counselrights and civil start the Saving Promise cam“get it.”

SheFedsaid she “puts the ing for batterers. fronting White Supremacy: Adequacy of the paign. in effort such abyway, the averageof Maryland “If we are everID. going to eradieral Response,” reportedly is thecase latest 5 Sample REAL /Photo courtesy “It seems totobespotlight a viciousways cycletheyperson canTrump get it.” Sheofsaid at the cate domestic violence, we must Democrats say the MDOT that won't turnhasmy family end theonday, administration systematically cut of back re- the book will look at both sides of the coin.

About 50,000 Maryland drivers with the new loose,” said. Marlow helpdomestic people begin sourcesMarlow used to address threats from ex- to have a dia- We need to address both the vicREAL ID must tim file certain documents the state shared her story with the audilogue about domestic violence. and the batterer,”with Marlow tremists even as the FBI has reported a 30 percent Department of Transportation Motor Vehicles Adence the District Heights terrorism Also cases present to 40atpercent rise in domestic justat the event was said. ministration this month, or face having their licenses Domestic Violence Symposium Mildred Muhammad, the exMarlow would also like to see since October. recalled. If driving and pulleddesigned over by a police officer, on May 7 at the District Heights wife of John Allen Muhammad, programs to raise The hearing included FBI Assistant Director could haveawareness their licenses confiscated.

In order Municipal Center. The sympo- who was sentenced todrivers six consecamong children in to for Counterterrorism Michael McGarrity, FBI complyparole with thepublic federaland law, private MDOTschools. officials recomsium was sponsored by the utive life terms without She Deputy Assistant Director for Criminal Investimended appointment online to appear Family and Youth Services by a Maryland jury for his roletoinschedule feelsan children need to be educatgations Calvin Shivers and DHS assistant secreCenter of the city of District the Beltway Sniperatattacks a local MVA branch.

The documents needed for in ed about domestic violence. tary Elizabeth Neumann.

Heights and the National Hook- 2002. Mildred Muhammad complianceisinclude:“We birthhave certificate or passport; proof to stop being pasDemocratic committee members had said they Up of Black Women. security;sive-aggressive and two documents a Maryland the founder of After of thesocial Trauma, withwith poor chilwould cabinet Marlowpress has those writtenmembers a book, of Trump’s an organization thataddress. helps To thehandle the appointments, MDOT extenddren about domestic violence,” on their allocations of personnel, “Color Me “budgets Butterfly,”and which is a survivors of domestic violence Marlow said. ed hours at seven branches through July 2 to handle data about collection practices, and plans” to story four generations of strategic and their children.

Marlow None has worked to break are the additional transaction. of the branches address threats from white supremacists. domestic violence. The book is “I lived in fear for six years.inSix cycle County. of abuseAfter in her located Princethe George’s thefamily, deadline, inspired by her own experiences, years in fear is a long time. Itestimates is and is million confident thedrivers policies MDOT one more willshe need and those of her grandmother, not an easy thing toto come pushing for will start will thatnoregisterout for theisnew ID. However, MDOT her mother and her daughter. of,” she said. process. tify groups of drivers every six months before the Oct. She said every time she reads Mildred Muhammad said “I plan to take these policies to 1, 2020 deadline. excerpts from her book, she still people who want toVisit helphttp://www.mva.maryland.gov/realid/realida Congress and implore them to can not believe the words came domestic violence victim must change our laws,” Marlow said. lookup.htm for more information. from her. “Color Me Butterfly” be careful of how they go into “I will not stop until these poliwon the 2007 National “Best the victim's life, and understand cies are passed.”

Books” Award. that she may be in “survival Tia Carol Jones can be reached “I was just 16-years-old when mode”. at tiacaroljones@sbcglobal.net my eye first blackened and my “Before you get to 'I'm going lips bled,” Marlow said. to kill you,' it started as a verbal WI Elaine Davis-Nickens, president of the National Hook-Up Mayor Muriel Bowser recently established the Mayof Black Women, said there is no or’s Commission on Healthcare Systems Transformation consistency in the way domestic to make recommendations on strategies and investments violence issues are dealt with by necessary to transform health care delivery in the District of Columbia.

5 Larry Hogan in Annapolis on April 8. /WI File “The District’s health care system is at a critical juncPhoto/William J. Ford ture,” Bowser said. “While our city is resource-rich in the kinds of health care we can offer residents, utilization of After months of speculation and traveling across and access to those resources is not equitable. Togethparts of the country, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan has er, with the support of this commission, we’re going decided not to run in the Republican presidential prito change that and ensure that Washingtonians in evmary in next year’s election. The governor said recently ery corner of DC are getting the care they need to live via Twitter, “I truly appreciate all of the encouragement healthy, happy lives.”

I received from people around the nation urging me to While the District serves as home to seven acute care consider making a run for president in 2020. However, hospitals, residents still face challenges in accessing critI will not be a candidate.” ical services. Bowser says the commission’s work will Hogan, one of the few possible candidates to chalfocus on alleviating these challenges by developing reclenge President Donald Trump in the GOP primary, ommendations that address the current stresses in the says he will finish his second, four-year term and also District’s health care system, while specifically targeting work as incoming chairman with the National Goverseveral critical issues including promoting an equitable nors Association. He has also launched “An American geographic distribution of acute care and specialty serUnited,” a national nonprofit advocacy organization vices in communities east of the Anacostia river. The that seeks to create bipartisanship in government.

L.Y.byMarlow 27-member Commission, co-chaired former At“If we can accomplish that in Maryland, then there Large Councilmember David Catania and Sister Carol is no place in America where these same principles Keehan, president/CEO, Catholic Health Association, cannot succeed,” Hogan wrote on Twitter. “Let us seek will develop their recommendations over the next six that middle ground where we can all stand together months and present them to the mayor later this year. and once again unite America.”

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan Will Not Seek Presidential Bid

“

We have to stop being passive-aggressive with poor children about domestic violence. I plan to take these policies to Congress and implore them to change our laws. I will not stop until these policies are passed.

4 / May 15 - 21, 2008 The Washington Informer / www.washingtoninformer.com

4 JUNE 6 - 12, 2019

Bowser Establishes Commission to Help Transform Health Care Delivery

“

SOMETHING NEW EVERYDAY

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Gray: Whether it’s ‘East End’ or ‘East of River,’ Anacostia Needs Health System

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer @StacyBrownMedia In a meeting in which organizers noted the District’s continued wrestling with pressing gentrification issues, the Anacostia Coordinating Council (ACC) tackled the question, “What’s in a name?”

The meeting, held at Garden Memorial Presbyterian Church in Southeast, included Ward 8 Councilman Trayon White and Ward 7 Councilman Vincent Gray, who has lobbied to rebrand the Northeast and Southeast quadrants of the city as “The East End,” instead of “East of the River.”

“That’s not one of the pressing issues that we need to discuss,” Gray said.

But civic leaders, stakeholders and others have receive invites to a series of ACC discussions and forums that officials said will “recall a spirit of examination” with regard to the most appropriate nomenclature for what was once an often-ignored area of the District — one that’ snow rapidly evolving socially and economically and has become a prime target of developers.

The discussions, which kicked off May 29, will include historians, academics, professionals and individuals whom organizers said will offer personal reflections with the ultimate hope that the information can influence a “positive course of change and action for self-determination at the local level.”

By using a concrete example in “East of the River” or “East End,” the ACC said it hopes to focus community skills in community engagement in serious dialogue that leads to a positive outcome for all parties involved.

“Gentrification can and will be many things to different people,” said Philip Pannell, ACC’s executive director. “But one thing is for sure — words matter, and the cultural and neighborhood themes, slogans, identifiers and personal and group nuisances, are significant determinants. Hopefully, we can develop a framework that creates community and enfranchisement and not disenfranchisement and displacement.”

Pannell noted that in future segments, the ACC hopes to cover the history of the term, “East of the River,” “East End” and “Chocolate City,” while taking steps to branding communities.

Still, Gray focused on the push to fast-forward the construction of a new 200-bed, $326 million

hospital that’s scheduled for development on the grounds of the St. Elizabeth’s Campus. Current plans suggest the hospital could be completed by 2023, but Gray has worked to fast-track it to 2021 at the latest.

“We have an enormous health care issue on the east side of the city and there’s been nothing done to address those many issues,” Gray said. “This is a hugely important issue for me because I see the human and economic consequences of failing to address these issues.”

“You know the human consequences are pretty obvious. And the health disparities that we have, the economic consequences are that we’re spending huge sums of money,” Gray said noting that health care is a larger portion of the budget that education and law enforcement combined.

“People have the right to expect more than what they’ve gotten so far and we want to create a real health care system on the East End for the first time ever.”

Gray said with the closure of Providence Hospital, the new hospital is imperative.

“There’s an unbelievable inequity in this city around health care and when you go west in the District, you have some of the finest health care services imaginable,” Gray said.

“But when you go east, it’s not.”

With advances in technology and more than $300 million in the budget, Gray said a new hospital shouldn’t have to wait.

Gray, the city’s former mayor who returned to council two years ago, said despite the struggle he believes things are moving in the right direction.

“Just not fast enough,” Gray said. “When I was mayor, I had $336 million in the budget for a hospital and health care system but after the election (in which he was defeated by Muriel Bowser), that went by the wayside.”

Gray said he’s worked to rebuild that budget and it now contains $326 million.

“We’ve go the money in the budget and I still think we can do this,” he said. “We got it moved up to 2022, but that’s going to be a challenge.”

With that as the “real” issue, Gray said the names “East End” and “East of the River” must take a back seat.

“Whether we change the name or not is irrelevant to me,” Gray said. “The real issue is what we do about the dynamics that we live with every day.” WI

5 DC Council members Vincent Gray (D-Ward 7) and Trayon White (D-Ward 8) offer their opinions on whether or not

“East of the River” should be changed to “East End” during a forum at the Garden Memorial Presbyterian Church in Southeast on May 29, hosted by the Anacostia Coordinating Council, Inc. (ACC). (Brigette Squire/The Washington Informer)

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first two African-American students to enroll at the all-white University of Alabama, over the objections of 1944 – Tommie Smith, an American track and field gold medalist at the 1968 Olympics who raised segregationalist Gov. George Wallace, who stood in a a black gloved fist with fellow Black American John doorway in an attempt to block the two students from enrolling.

Carlos, is born.

1964 – South African anti-apartheid activist and 1966 – James Meredith, the first African-Amerhuman rights icon Nelson Mandela is convicted of ican student admitted to the segregated University conspiracy to overthrow the government. He was senof Mississippi, is shot in Mississippi by a white man tenced to life imprisonment and remained jailed until during a civil rights march. his release in 1990.

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 JUNE 12 in “A Raisin in the Sun.” 1930 – Barbara Clementine Harris, the first wom an ordained a bishop in the Anglican Communion, is born.

JUNE 7 1963 – Medgar Evers, 1943 – Nikki Giovanni, renowned poet, writer, civil rights leader and commentator, activist and educator, is born in KnoxNAACP field secretary, ville, Tennessee. is assassinated by a white 1958 – Music segregationist in front of legend Prince, who his Jackson, Mississippi, released 39 albums, home. In the wake of the won seven Grammy Brown v. Board of EduAwards, an Oscar and cation ruling, Evers had was inducted into the fought to help overturn Rock and Roll Hall segregation at the Uniof Fame, is born in versity of Mississippi Minneapolis. and gain social justice and voting JUNE 8 rights. WI 1953 – The Supreme Court rules that restaurants and bars in Washington, D.C., are required to serve African-American customers.

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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.

JUNE 10

1895 – Actress Hattie McDaniel, who in 1940 was the first African-American to win an Oscar for her role as Mammy in “Gone With the Wind,” is born.

1946 – Famed boxer Jack Johnson, the first African-American world heavyweight champion, dies.

JUNE 11

1920 – Hazel Scott, Trinidadian-bom jazz and classical pianist/singer who in 1950 became the first woman of color to have her own TV show, is born.

1963 – Vivian Malone and James Hood are the

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view P INT

BY SARAFINA WRIGHT

Ava Duvernay’s Netflix miniseries “When They See Us” tells the story of the “Central Park Five,” a group of Black and Hispanic teens from Harlem falsely accused of brutally attacking a white woman. The series has received riveting reviews, but there is a warning that the film may evoke strong reactions.

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This movie moved me psychologically as a counselor and emotionally as a mother of a son. It was a beautiful work! Well done, Ava! She was so responsible with their narrative.

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Ava did a brilliant job telling these brothers’ story. It moved me to tears. This story should be seen by all of us. It’s a history lesson. Thank you for doing this. May Allah continue to use you as a conduit.

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I just wish the media would apologize to them. This was a great film. I can’t watch it again. I have cried all day. I pray someone in the justice [system] takes note for change.

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8 JUNE 6 - 12, 2019

jmccollum@jmlaw.net

I’m not one to plan my schedule with regular pit stops on social media except for taking to Facebook on occasion to track down or catch up with family and friends. However, given Donald Trump’s propensity for delivering his “erudite” reflections via Twitter rather than following tradition and relaying news during White House press conferences, I’ve found it necessary to read and respond to the more colorful tweets of the day.

One exchange between a Black man employed as a hotel manager and a white woman looking to secure a room for the night made me laugh so hard that I had to pull my car over to the side of the road.

We only see the hotel manager in the video which has since gone viral but it isn’t hard to imagine the look on the woman’s face. To summarize the scenario, it seems the woman had called the hotel earlier seeking to book a room for the night. Why she became angry or impatient we do not know but at some point, she felt both compelled and justified to refer to the man by that two-word

phrase that makes Black folks’ blood boil: a “fu**ing nig**er.”

Imagine her surprise when upon reaching the hotel and stopping at the front desk to conclude her business, she came face to face with the same person who she’d earlier addressed with such disdain and disrespect. He was, in fact, the hotel manager. Despite her weak efforts to apologize and her pleas for him to give her a room so she could join her family, already booked for the night, all of whom were grieving after burying the woman’s mother that day, the “Black man in charge” refused to forgive, forget or acquiesce.

Rather, he said stood his ground, maintained his poise and then said emphatically, “I’m the one you talked to on the phone.

It’s above me now. But there’s a Best Western next door.”

I suppose you could say the woman realized a racist’s worst nightmare: when the person in authority, a person who one could have easily and safely assumed would be at the helm “back in the day,” is today, a Black man or woman. In the four decades since Dr. King’s death, a new American Majority has slowly emerged. In 1968, America was home to approximately 25 million people of color – 12 percent of the U.S. population. By 2008, people of color numbered more than 104 million people – 36 percent of the population.

In other words, the U.S., due to changing demographics, continues to move closer to a new reality when whites will be a minority of the American population with census projections estimating that by 2044, the U.S. will become a “majority minority” nation.

In a perfect world, this change in the skin color of those making up the majority of U.S. citizens wouldn’t mean very much and life would go on as usual. But America has long been a country confound-

ed by, established upon and replete with numerous examples of illogical, unjust ironies. The Founding Fathers were determined to set the new nation on the path of liberty and justice for all – God-given rights they believed that should be afforded to everyone, as long as they were white men. At the same time, they refused to extend those same “inalienable rights” to those born with darker hues (Native Americans and Blacks specifically).

But the times, they are a-changing as the above cited white, racist woman seeking lodging discovered the hard way. Still, she’s not the first forced to confront her deepest fears, nor will she be the last.

I’ve often wondered how different the landscape of America and the world would be if white racists had to deal with the consequences of their actions, attitudes and ignominy as they have long committed heinous acts in order to maintain control, holding on for with a vice-like grip to a centuries-old system of “white privilege” and enjoying its many benefits.

As the countdown continues and the majority in America becomes the minority, racists unwilling to change their ways like Pharaoh whose hardened heart could not allow for compassion are in for a shockingly-new reality. Today, or maybe tomorrow, they’ll look up and realize that the lawyer, the doctor, the judge, the teacher – even the hotel manager – are all Black.

James Baldwin said it best in his conclusion to his prophetic work, “Notes of a Native Son.” “The time has come to realize that the interracial drama acted out on the American continent has not only created a new Black man, it has created a new white man, too . . . This world is white no longer, and it will never be white again.”

WI

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Budget Process Goes Forward, Awaits Mayor Bowser’s Signature

AROUND THE REGION

By James Wright WI Staff Writer

While the D.C. Council has passed the city’s 2020 fiscal budget, more of the process needs to take place before its official ratification.

On May 28, the council approved the $15.6 billion spending plan for the District and while areas existed where D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) had disagreements with their changes, the mayor expressed overall satisfaction with the budget.

“In our 24th consecutive balanced budget, we asked those who have prospered the most to share the upside,” Bowser said. “This budget is fair, just and bold. It reflects the needs of our city as a whole, invests in keeping D.C. affordable for families, seniors and longtime residents, and represents the values and priorities of our city. I am proud that with the council’s and the community’s support, we passed a budget that will give more Washingtonians a fair shot and support our shared priorities of keeping D.C. a diverse and inclusive city.”

Bowser had special praise for the students at Benjamin Banneker Academic High School, the District’s top secondary institution. The students scored a victory by having their campus moved from the old Euclid Street NW location to a new one in the Shaw neighborhood.

Meanwhile, Shaw Middle School will move to the Euclid location, which didn’t sit well with “Save Shaw” advocates.

“Of course, I also want to thank and congratulate the students from Benjamin Banneker High School who learned firsthand just how important our local budget process is,” Bowser said. “Banneker students showed up, made their voices heard, and I know that our community is proud of all they accomplished, in school and at the Wilson Building.”

There are issues that will continue to be debated such as the subsidy of the United Medical Center (UMC) that Council member Vincent Gray (D-Ward 7) wanted reduced from $40 million to $15 million. The council, with an amendment to the budget by Council member Trayon White (D-Ward 8) and Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D), added a combined $7 million to UMC, bringing the subsidy to $22 million, to Gray’s chagrin.

Bowser only got $116 million of the $130 million she sought for the Housing Production Trust to fund affordable housing projects,

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but she did get two controversial tax hikes for $114 million, with one on commercial property in the city and the other on mixed-used real estate transactions over $2 million.

When the budget was approved on May 28, Bowser came into the council room and shook hands with council members for getting this part of the process done.

This process, the Local Budget Act, has become known to most residents but there are other components as well.

Before Bowser can sign the budget, the document must go through a Budget Support Act (BSA). The BSA serves as the legislative vehicle for any changes to law that are necessary to implement the budget and the budget acts.

For example, the BSA may include adjustment to tax rates or modifications to the statutory mission of an agency. To be included in the BSA moved by the council, a subtitle must be germane to the budget and must be funded.

This process gets into the intimate details of the budget such as name or function changes that makes it come out balanced. The Local Budget Act

and the BSA have to go through a congressional review period.

In addition, an instrument called the Budget Support Emergency Act, acts legislatively for time-sensitive provisions that are contained in the BSA. The federal portion of the budget goes from the mayor to the president of the United States for inclusion in a federal appropriation act approved

by Congress.

Meanwhile, the federal portion of the city’s budget are subject to the federal appropriations process that D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D) handles.

Norton lauded a recent victory when the U.S. House of Representatives Appropriation Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government passed the fiscal year 2020 D.C. appropriations bill that contained no anti-home rule riders, no congressional appropriation of local funds, $40 million for the D.C. Tuition Assistance Grant Program and a $250,000 increase in the family income eligibility limit for the grant program.

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World War II veteran, 100-year-old Sidney Walton (in wheelchair) with DC Council Chair Phil Mendelson, Congresswomen Eleanor Holmes Norton, Mayor Muriel Bowser, U.S. Senator Paul Strauss, U.S. Rep. Franklin Garcia and Outreach Specialist at DC Mayor’s Office of Veterans Affairs, Elliot Tommingo at the DC War Memorial on May 30 during a press conference giving an update on the fight for DC statehood.

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“I had to succeed. I would never stop trying, never. A violinist has his violin, a painter his palette.

All I had was myself. I was the instrument that I must care for.”

– Josephine Baker ‘Josephine’ [1976], world-famous entertainer born June 3, 1906

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AROUND THE REGION Community Members Defend Sankofa at Council Hearing

By Sam P.K. Collins WI Contributing Writer @SamPKCollins

In the weeks leading up to what would be an emotionally charged D.C. Council hearing, droves of community members took to group email lists, social media, local radio programs and the streets in support of a bill that would alleviate Sankofa Video Books & Cafe’s property tax burden.

On Monday, longtime Sankofa patrons, artists, authors and activists flooded Room 500 of the Wilson Building in anticipation of their chance to make their case, in person, to the five members of the D.C. Council’s Committee on Business & Economic Development through which the legislation would have to go.

Much to the chagrin of some public witnesses, only Council member Kenyan McDuffie (D-Ward 5), chairperson of the business and economic development committee, attended the hearing. Despite her visible disappointment in that outcome, Sankofa co-owner Shirikiana Aina Gerima railed against the forces she said preclude her and her husband Haile from fulfilling long-term goals for heir store — including ADA accommodations, HVAC upgrades and a stronger infrastructure to support independent artists.

“Our intention is to grow and the possibilities have increased,but that attempt gets undermined with each property tax increase,” Gerima told McDuffie in her support of The Mypheduh Films DBA Sankofa Video and Books Real Property Tax Exemption Act, introduced by D.C. Council member Brianne Nadeau (D-Ward 1) in January.

“We have managed to stay in the black and are current with our taxes — but with sacrifice,” Gerima said.

“We could be more effective in inspiring young people and bringing generations together had not had to pay such a heavy burden all these years — one that’s getting heavier and heavier.”

On Saturday, public frustration with Sankofa’s probable closure reached its apex during the #DefendSankofa outdoor concert on the front steps of the Georgia Avenue establishment. We Act Radio’s Kymone Freeman, lead coordinator of the event, likened the property tax increases to cultural genocide in his impassioned cry for community support.

Later that evening, revelers danced to the stylings and sounds of JusPaul and The Bruvaz, Alison Carney and DJ Lance Reynolds of WPFW-FM’s “House of Soul” program. On Mon-

day, hours before the start of the hearing, the Malcolm X Drummers performed in front of the Wilson Building in solidarity with Sankofa.

Other voices at Monday’s council hearing included Eurica Huggins of the African Diaspora Ancestral Commemoration Institute, Gregory Carr, chair of the Department of Afro-American Studies at Howard University, Alexis McKenney, community organizer from Bread for the City, Acklyn Lynch, Ayanna Gregory and Paul Coates, founder of Black Classic Press and Ta-Nehisi Coates’ father.

They spoke to Sankofa’s relevance to people of African descent running out of places to safely affirm their cultural identity.

“Sankofa is a meeting place where people from everywhere can be free to explore and debate the historical and contemporary issues that affect our communities,” Huggins, a District resident of more than 30 years, told McDuffie as she explained how Sankofa allowed ADACI to host cultural programs in its establishment since opening in the late 1990s.

“Washington, D.C. is pretty unfriendly and unaffordable to nonprofits,” she said. “The Gerimas never hesitated to open their space. It’s never been a question of what you can afford, but how soon can you present your work and how can it help our community.”

Sankofa’s property tax burden, currently at $30,000, has increased by 25 percent over the past decade, Gerima told McDuffie in her testimony. By October, that amount would more than likely increase to $33,000, she said.

In order to become law, the Mypheduh Films DBA Sankofa Video and Books Real Property Tax Exemption Act must pass through the Council’s Business & Economic Development Committee and the Council’s Committee of the Whole, before going to Mayor Muriel Bowser and through a congressional approval process.

Sankofa, named after the Gerimas’ critically acclaimed 1993 film about the return to one’s African identity, attracts authors, poets, academics and other intellectuals, many of whom feature their work in the store and make presentations before live audiences.

In recent years, as other businesses along Georgia Avenue and in the Shaw area struggled to meet increasing financial burdens, the Gerimas upgraded Sankofa’s sound system and invested in the construction of an outdoor deck in the back of the store for outdoor movie nights and rentals.

However, without the passage of

tax abatement bill, these and other efforts to keep up with the rate of change in the Shaw area will be futile, Florida Avenue Grill owner Imar Hutchins warned McDuffie and Nadeau in his public testimony on Monday. Nadeau, not a member of the Council Committee on Business & Economic Development, walked into the council chambers shortly after the start of the hearing.

“Small businesses that make up the fabric of D.C. are disappearing.

They’re going out quietly,” Hutchins said on Monday, at times alluding to what he described as the more than 400 percent property tax increase that has affected his business.

“With them, we lose not only the jobs they represented but the cultural continuity. That’s why this case is so important,” he continued. “Sankofa should be thought of as representing other businesses that didn’t ask for help, that didn’t know how to mobilize people in a room to write the council, or were too embarrassed by their situation until they struggled in solitude and went away.” WI

5 Haile and Shirikiana Aina Gerima, owners of Sankofa Video, Books and Café, host a rally and concert on Saturday, June 1 in support of their fight for Tax Abatement to ease the financial tax burden facing the Café. (Roy Lewis/The Washington Informer)

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JUNE 6 - 12, 2019 11

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY Healthy Food Options Become Available in Prince George’s County

By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill

Prince George’s County residents enrolled in the federal food stamp program can visit a few area farmers markets to receive fresh fruit, vegetables and produce.

Four of the markets in Capitol Heights, Cheverly, Greenbelt and Riverdale Park will participate in the Maryland Market Money program, which allows residents in nutrition programs such as Supplemental Nutrition

Assistance Program (SNAP), Women Infants and Children (WIC) and Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP).

This year’s program will increase the number of market participants from 21 to 35 statewide. Some of the money to expand it came from the state Department of Agriculture for marketing materials, hire people to run the program at local markets and equipment to accept customer payments.

In Prince George’s, the markets in Capitol Heights, Cheverly and

5 Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks makes a purchase May 30 at the Riverdale Park Farmers Market.

(Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer)

Greenbelt joined the program this year.

“I would hope more of our farmer’s markets will join us,” said Amy Crone, executive director of the Maryland Farmers Market Association that oversees the Market Money program.

Crone said the state has 145 farmers markets, but each must meet certain requirements to participate.

For instance, each market must have at least two vendors who are farmer producers and sell raw or processed items. Markets must also accept all forms of nutrition benefits and comply with data collection and reporting on the program.

The goal will be to exceed last year’s total of $263,300 in federal nutrition benefits and Maryland Market Money matching funds at 21 farmers markets.

Residents who spend $5 can receive an additional, or “match,”

of $5 in tokens per market day to purchase fruit, poultry and other food.

However, Prince George’s residents will be able to receive a $10 match after spending the same amount on each market day.

“While it might not sound like a lot of money, doubling $10 to $20 can have a tremendous impact on the purchasing power to buy fresh fruit and vegetables,” said Gloria Brown Burnett, director of the county’s Department of Social Services. “We believe that any opportunity to strengthen families helps create stability in the lives of our county residents.”

Besides state funding, the county allocated $120,000 in next year’s fiscal budget toward the program.

Michael J. Wilson, director of Maryland Hunger Solutions in Baltimore, said 79,000 residents use SNAP benefits in Prince

George’s.

However, each market opens at various times as follows: • The Riverdale Park market opens all year from 3-7 p.m. every Thursday.

• Greenbelt Farmers Market from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Sunday until Nov. 24.

• The Capital Market of 20743 in Capitol Heights will open from 4-8 p.m. every Friday from June 7 until Sept. 27.

• Cheverly Community Market will open from 8 a.m. to noon every other Saturday from June 8 through Oct. 26.

Residents who may travel to other parts of the state can use the tokens at participating markets. Two in neighboring Montgomery County are open year-round, including from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday in downtown Silver Spring and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Sunday in Takoma Park. WI

5 An example of healty food available for all. (Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer)

12 JUNE 6 - 12, 2019

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PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY Education Major Item Approved in Prince George’s Budget

By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill

In one of the most laid-back budget sessions in recent years, the Prince George’s County Council unanimously approved a $4.3 billion fiscal year 2020 with a major focus on education.

Nearly $2.1 billion, or 60 percent, will be used to hire additional teachers, paraprofessionals and school facility projects.

County Executive Angela Alsobrooks made education a top priority in her first budget proposal.

“As team leader for our county, [Alsobrooks] gave the council a great running start and has continued to work with us throughout this budget process to achieve our shared priorities …” said Council Chair Todd Turner (D-District 4) of Bowie.

State money helps with the majority of education spending in the budget approved May 29.

About $90 million would come from state funding with portions from the “Education Blueprint for Maryland’s Future” such as college and career readiness programs and resources from special needs stu-

dents. Those came from recommendations made by the Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education, also known as the Kirwan Commission led by William E. “Brit” Kirwan, former chancellor of the University of Maryland System.

When students begin the 201920 school year, they expect to see 123 new teachers, 90 aides, or paraprofessionals, 23 school psychologists and 18 pupil personnel and school social workers.

Educators did speak out during the public hearings to request an increase in salaries which were frozen amid the 2008 recession.

Interim schools CEO Monica Goldson announced May 14 to offer raises for employees whose salaries were “frozen” between 2010 to 2012. The $46.5 million proposal over a three-year plan would affect up to 8,300 persons.

The budget will also allow some libraries in Prince George’s to expand Friday hours and open on Sundays. However, it’s up to each individual library on the hours of operation.

In regard to public safety, the police department will not only be able to hire 100 new recruits in five different classes, but also receive

state assistance to install no more than three speed cameras along Route 210. The nearly 21-mile highway stretches from Oxon Hill near the District border into neighboring Charles County.

Another part of public safety, the second-largest expenditure in the budget at 22 percent, also plans to 60 additional correctional officers and 48 fire and emergency services personnel.

Meanwhile, Alsobrooks also focused on making the county tidier.

She proposed to revert trash collection to twice a week, but will go with a plan to start at 3,000 homes to collect food and yard waste on one day and trash another.

About $200,000 will be aside to purchase waste containers and expansion of food waste collection.

In addition, about 12 new positions would be created in the Department of Environment for trash pickup.

“This first budget cycle for me was an exciting time,” said Streeter (D-District 7) of Hillcrest Heights.

“We had a positive outcome to our budget process. I just look forward to continuing to serve our citizens to make sure they get the services they so deserve.”

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PGC DHCD 2019 HousingFair (Informer).indd 1

5 Prince George’s County Public Schools CEO Monica Goldson speaks at an April 12 press conference at Beacon Heights Elementary. On May 29, the county council approved a $4.3 billion fiscal year 2020 budget with more than half focused on education. (William J. Ford/The Washington Informer)

Although the council approved the budget 8-0, three members — Thomas Dernoga, Jolene Ivey and Mel Franklin — weren’t present.

Ivey said she received a copy of the budget at 12:45 p.m., 30 minutes before council’s session at the County Administration Building in Upper Marlboro.

“I was surprised [the council] started voting before we had a chance to read it,” Ivey (D-District 5) of Cheverly said. “So I was read-

ing it. Seems pretty reasonable.”

During a press briefing after the council passed the budget, Turner said all council members received a final version of the budget.

“It was unanimous of the people who were there,” he said. “Like every budget, there are things people want to see. Could we do everything for everybody? We couldn’t do that.”

The budget will go into effect July 1. WI

JUNE 65/17/2019 - 12, 2019 11:47:23 AM13

BUSINESS Task Force Questions Racial Disparity in City Contracts

By James Wright WI Staff Writer An ad hoc group of African-American entrepreneurs have organized to request the D.C. government produce a study on how many Black businesses and firms are getting city government contracts.

The DC Black Business Task Force called for the study to determine whether the government has been meeting its goals in regard to awarding contracts to Black-, minority- and women-owned businesses, as well as

14 JUNE 6 - 12, 2019

to identify potential contracting opportunities.

The purpose would be to examine whether there are disparities between the contracting dollars the government’s contract awards to Black-, minority- and women-owned businesses and the amount they might be expected to receive based on the number of such businesses available to perform the work among the total pool of eligible contractors.

Disparity studies has a factual foundation that the District government can use to help ensure that all of its agencies are using

procurement processes that result in fair and equitable outcomes.

Local governments are not required to have disparity studies but they may work to support the constitutionality of a minority/women’s program. In the District, the vehicle would be the certified business enterprise program.

Alfred D. Swailes, owner of A&A Premium Paint Distributor in Northeast and spokesman for the task force, said a disparity study of the District’s Certified Business Enterprise (CBE) needs to take place. The CBE program offers preferences in contracting opportunities for firms operating in the District that participate in it.

Swailes said he and other Black businesses leaders in the District sense that they aren’t getting their fair share of city government contracts but can’t quantify that claim.

“The CBE program is race and gender neutral, meaning that getting city business cannot be based on race or gender preferences,” Swailes said. “We don’t know how many Black businesses are getting city business, but it isn’t

5 The DC Black Business Task Force is requesting the District government conduct a disparity study on African-American contracts. (WI File Archive)

enough. I have talked to a number of Black business owners and they say they aren’t getting any business from the city but they can’t prove it because there is no data to back that up. We want to make sure that the CBE process is fair and equitable to Black businesses.”

Michael Smith, who owns a business in the District, echoed the need for a disparity study.

“I have been in business for over 30 years and I have heard anecdotes from other Black businesses about this issue,” Smith said. “It is hard to put your finger on it. I have gone after opportunity after opportunity and I have dotted I’s and crossed t’s.”

Smith admits to being puzzled about why he hasn’t gotten business lately.

“The city does give you a chance for review as to why you didn’t get the contract,” he said.

“When I went through the process, you can just feel things and you hear similar stories.”

Smith said the process becomes irritating when new businesses that are not likely not African-American-owned come to the city and get contracts.

“What is their background?”

Smith said. “Why are they able to get the contract? You can sense when something is not right.”

At one time, the District had one of the most robust Black setaside programs in the country.

Marion S. Barry, who served as mayor of the District from 19791991 and 1995-1999, made it a point to advocate that Black businesses get District government contracts.

At one point, in the 1980s, the District received national attention when 35 percent of all the city’s business went largely to Black businesses and professional firms.

However, that preference changed when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the case of City of Richmond vs. Croson in 1989 that Richmond’s minority setaside program, which gave pref-

erence to minority business enterprises (MBE) in the awarding of municipal contracts, lacked constitutionality under the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The court found that the city failed to identify both the need for remedial action and that other non-discriminatory remedies would be insufficient.

On the basis of Richmond vs.

Croson, the District government went to court when O’Donnell Construction sued it in 1990 over its set-aside program for Black businesses. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ultimately took the side of the construction company, saying the District “must have a strong basis in evidence” to support its racially-based program.

“The District cannot simply rely on broad expressions of purpose or general allegations of historical or societal racism,” Judge A. Raymond Randolph wrote in his opinion. “Rather, its legislation must rest on evidence at least approaching a prima facie case of racial discrimination in the relevant industry. The District’s response to the problems of the past — if these have been satisfactorily demonstrated-must be narrowly tailored to achieve its end.”

The O’Donnell decision eventually led to the creation of the District’s CBE program.

D.C. Council member Kenyan McDuffie (D-Ward 5), who chairs the council’s Committee on Business & Economic Development, said that he’s not familiar with the task force and could not comment on its efforts but noted that he has supported what he refers to as disparity studies by the District Department of Local and Small Business Development (DLSBD).

The office of fellow Council member Trayon White (D-Ward 8), however, supports the efforts of the disparity study dealing with Black businesses and wanted to move forward earlier this year but

DISPARITY Page 48

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BUSINESS

Archbishop Carroll High Estate Planning - A Relationship Issue School Names Brian Ellerbe Aimee D. Griffin, Esq., New Athletic Director The more time I spend estate planning the more I am clear that it is

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer @StacyBrownMedia

Archbishop Carroll High School (ACHS), a Catholic school in Northeast, D.C., has named Brian Ellerbe the school’s new athletic director.

Ellerbe, a local product, brings more than three decades of experience in intercollegiate athletic coaching and recruitment, He began his new position on Monday, June 3.

“Brian Ellerbe has tremendous leadership and administrative experience in athletics, and is a terrific fit for Archbishop Carroll Athletics as we work to ensure our student-athlete success on the field and in the classroom,” said the school’s president Larry Savoy.

“Brian has proven to be a man who cares deeply about education and student-athlete achievements. For all these reasons, we are thrilled to welcome him to Archbishop Carroll High School,” Savoy said.

Ellerbe, a decorated, local high school basketball standout (Bowie High School) who earned Washington, DC All-Metropolitan honors and was one of the area’s leading scorers in 1980 and 1981.

In 1981, he played in the McDonald’s Capitol Classic game which also included NBA Hall of Fame players Michael Jordan and Patrick Ewing.

Ellerbe also holds collegiate honors from Rutgers University to include second all-time in assists.

After successful high school and collegiate careers, Ellerbe began a memorable tenure in collegiate coaching.

Notably, Brian was the first African-American basketball head coach at both Loyola University Maryland and University of Michigan.

In 1998, he led the University of Michigan to the inaugural Big Ten Men’s Basketball Championship.

Ellerbe also held assistant coaching positions at Rutgers University, Bowling Green State University, George Mason University, University of South Carolina, University of Virginia, George Washington University, DePaul University and Morgan State University.

“I am thrilled to join the leadership team at Archbishop Carroll High School,” Ellerbe said.

“It was clear from the moment I met with the team, they have a deep love for the institution and understand the positive role athletic plays in preparing young people for the challenges they will face in life. I am excited to work with the Carroll community to build on past success and create a shared vision for the future of Carroll Athletics,” he said.

WI

indeed all about relationships. I often state that the only people who don’t need an estate plan is the one who doesn’t care about anyone nor is cared about by anyone.

Let’s start with the simple premise that there will be confusion naturally in a situation if there is illness or death. I have two adult children who I have no doubt love me dearly. However, if they had to make decisions regarding my end of life care, the probability is great that they would make very different decisions. I believe my son and daughter would be on polar opposites of the decision making pendulum regarding maintaining my life through artificial means or letting nature take its course. Without that clarity from me, I believe that each child would be left feeling great animosity toward his or her sibling. I could possibly destroy their relationship because I didn’t plan. I love my children and want them to find comfort and solace with each other. I need to take steps to protect that relationship in addition to protecting my personal desires.

Statistics show that cohabitation is up compared to marriage. While some states allow for benefits with common law marriage, home sharing does not common law marriage or domestic partnership make. Often the loved one with whom life is shared as a partner does not have legal title to the shared home or the assets that are created together. If there is no planning there is no protection from the laws of intestacy, which is the law that is in place for people who pass away without a will. There are very specific rules about passing assets.

The relationship burden is real and challenging. I am also sitting with members of blended families. In this era there are many people who come to a marriage with children. There is a desire to create a oneness in the family but the law still sees that the distinction with biological families as opposed to “step” children.

In my family my father’s mother was married and had 3 children. Her husband passed away and she then married my grandfather. Together they had 13 additional children. My grandmother predeceased my grandfather. The assets that my grandmother held with my grandfather passed to my grandfather. When he passed away the assets that he had passed to his biological children. I know that my aunts and uncles were not perceived as “step” or “half” children, but the law does not recognize the relationship of a stepchild. Blended families require specific instructions to insure that the relationships are preserved when estate planning. In a time when many families have complicated structures we need to take the extra step to make sure that our intentions will protect and transfer wealth in way in which we had planned.

As we think about planning for our loved ones we must take the time to be mindful of the relationship that we have with the loved one. There are circumstances when we have adopted a person as a child. In the Black community we often take in people who are connected to us by blood or by love. We treat them as our family but there is indeed no legal relationship. Many of us know of families where the grandparent raises the child’s children but don’t take steps to legally adopt. If there is no estate planning the grandchildren would not receive an inheritance if the child was still alive. This could potentially be a problem if there was a reason such as substance abuse that required the grandparent to take physical custody of the grandchildren.

Caring for the relationship requires caring and planning beyond today. Show you care by making the plans necessary to create, protect and transfer the wealth.

Aimee D. Griffin, Esq., The Griffin Firm, PLLC www.yourestateplanningattorney.com - (202)379-4738 5335 Wisconsin Ave NW - Suite 440 Washington DC 20015 1401 Mercantile Lane - Suite 383 Upper Marlboro MD 20774 100 International Drive - 23rd Floor Baltimore MD 21202 1100 Peachtree ST NE Suite 200 Atlanta GA 30309 2530 Meridian Parkway Suite 300 Durham NC 27713

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www.washingtoninformer.com 5 Brian Ellerbe/Archbishop Carroll High School

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JUNE 6 - 12, 2019 15

NATIONAL Monument Quilt Sends Message Against Rape Culture, Domestic Violence

By Hamil R. Harris WI Contributing Writer The National Mall in D.C. was lined Saturday with red quilts written by survivors of rape and domestic violence who collectively offered a message to so many who still suffer in silence: “You Are Not Alone.”

As the sun fell behind the

Washington Monument, groups of women and men stood around the Monument Quilt, which represented the cries of more than 3,000 survivors who made a quilt to deal with their pain.

The quilt was spread on the mall from May 31 to June 2, and while walking between the panels, it felt as if one was standing over a bed and listening to the

5 The Monument Quilt on display in the middle of the National Mall May 31 serves as a tribute to victims of domestic violence across the U.S. The quilt feature 3,000 stories from survivors of sexual and intimate partner violence. (Roy Lewis/ The Washington Informer)

survivors cry out for help.

“I am a house ravaged by fire.

I have been rebuilt on a structure that withstood the fire,” read one panel.

“Speak Up, Speak Out,” read another.

“When the war was over, others were set free but not me,” another said.

The quilt was the vision of one woman, Hannah Brancato, a Baltimore resident and herself a survivor of domestic violence.

She began to share her story six years ago with others and they begin to organize others who ultimately created an organization, FORCE: Upsetting Rape Culture.

“A lot victims of sexual and domestic violence see it is our burden to carry alone and it is treated as a private issue,” Brancato said. “By putting this in a public space, we are saying it is everyone responsibility to deal with this.

We need to share this burden.”

Organizers said Saturday’s event was the culmination of a 33-city tour of the United States and Mexico, written in English and Spanish, that were stitched, written or painted.

Alexis Flanagan, one of the

event organizers, said placing the quilt on the Mall “is a call to this country that survivors are affected by the rape culture. So many of us come from backgrounds because we are not being believed.”

Charnell Covert, a community organizer from Baltimore and professor at Towson University, said she hopes that the voice of Black women and girls is heard, “because often the voice of survivors is seen as white and middle class.”

Numerous poems and speeches during the event came from women young and old, Black, white and Latina.

“I used every tactic. I even said no,” said a woman named Isabel as she read her poem. “But you said you loved me. You called me beautiful. For a moment I believed you. I told you my dad was home. I even told you that I was a lesbian but you told me that you could change that. From then on I was scared of the teenage dream of having a boyfriend and going on dates.” WI

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was rebuffed by McDuffie.

McDuffie called his efforts and White’s duplicative, and White’s staff decided to wait for the Ward 5 lawmaker’s next move.

Kristi Whitfield, director of the DLSBD, said she is aware of the task force’s concerns and has been in contact with them.

“In fact, we already have some studies in progress focusing on minority- and women-owned businesses, prime contractors and/or subcontractors,” she said.

Whitfield notes that her department conducts a triennial review of the programs and “will be look-

ing at a lot of data regarding the state of the program through the lens of equality which is near and dear to my heart and to the heart” of Mayor Muriel Bowser (D).

Swailes said Black businesses aren’t well-organized in the District and that needs to change in order to get the disparity study done and for progress in getting government contracts to take place. He said he would like a town hall meeting in the District to take place in September or October so that the topic can be addressed.

“People need to vent their frustrations on this and it needs to be on the record,” he said. WI

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NATIONAL

Candidate Marianne Williamson Gets Real at DC Town Hall

By Jacqueline Fuller WI Religion Writer @JacquelineF1017

Marianne Williamson has been known for her work in the spiritual arena as a healer, activist and author who has guided people through life’s challenges to help them heal emotionally.

But can her campaign to become the president of the United States heal this country of its past transgressions?

The event was held May 20 at Unity of Washington, D.C. and moderated by Rev. Sylvia Sumter, who reminded attendees that their faith community is not endorsing any candidates.

“I do think it’s a wonderful opportunity for all of us to ask questions and to dialogue with someone who is bringing a new narrative to our political environment,” Sumter said.

The event was coordinated by Williamson’s campaign team.

She is one of 23 Democratic candidates running for president.

During the beginning of Wil-

liamson’s speech, she explained how she had a 35-year career dealing with universal spiritual themes and how the teachings of the world religions and spiritual traditions can to transform people’s lives. She explained the similarities when people face their own character defects and do the inner work to improve their lives and can happen when the United States faces its defects.

“I’m running for president because America is only going to change if America is willing to get deep and get real,” Williamson said.

Williamson answered questions on public policy on immigration, racial disparities, defense spending, diplomacy, universal health care, improving opportunities for women and children and reducing violence across the country. One of the topics that has been considered radical throughout her campaign is for reparations for Americans who are descendants of slaves.

She told the audience that many White Americans are now aware

5 2020 Democratic Candidate for President Marianne Williamson (Courtesy photo/YouTube screenshot)

of the history of slavery and the need for economic restitution.

“Let us do the right thing. Let us pay reparations for slavery,” Williamson said.

Sharif Shafi, an advocate for reparations, thanked Williamson for having this issue as part of her campaign and educating people on the injustices of slavery.

“I saw Marianne on CNN and willing to do whatever I can to give you a jump-start in the DMV,” Shafi said.

WI

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JUNE 6 - 12, 2019 17

INTERNATIONAL

africa now

COMPILED BY OSWALD T. BROWN

Ex-Botswana President Mulls Return to Government Former Botswana President Ian Khama has not ruled out the possibility of returning to government, if asked to be deployed by the new party that is on the cards.

Last weekend, Khama quit the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), which he led for 10 years until last year. The party was co-founded by his father, Seretse, in 1961.

Speaking to the Johannesburg-based City Press at the National Airways Corporation offices in Lanseria on Friday, Khama dismissed recent criticism that he wants to rule from the grave.

When asked if he would consider a role in government, if offered by the new party,

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Khama just grinned.

“I’ve not been asked,” he said.

If he decided to join the new party, which is still in the process of being launched, he would prefer to be behind the scenes, he said.

It was never on his radar to join politics when he was in the army, but he was pursued to do so in the late 1990s.

“That wasn’t the path I wanted to follow,” Khama said. “I believe I’ve done my bit and played my role. I’ve sacrificed those years that I had not planned for myself to be in government and politics. I’m just trying to get on and do other things. Being in government hasn’t crossed my mind for now. I’ve never thought about it.”

On criticism that he wanted to rule from the grave, Khama said Botswana had always been different from those African countries whose presidents extended their stays in office by amending their constitutions to increase their terms.

“That we didn’t do in Botswana,” he said. “That I didn’t do. It never crossed my mind to do that. So, ruling from the grave is not something that I want to do because I think it leaves a very bad taste in one’s mouth.”

Botswana, a country of about 2 million people, had many people capable of leading it, he said.

“It should never be vested in one person, because that will always be very unhealthy. Ruling from the grave is certainly not my intention.”

Khama said he decided to quit the BDP because it no longer was the party that he belonged to and his father co-founded.

Khama cited several incidents that he felt were foreign to the party.

These include the alleged purging of members who worked closely with former Foreign Affairs Minister Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi, who announced her intentions to contest the party’s and the country’s leader, Mokgweetsi Masisi, during the party’s historic first leadership contest in April.

Masisi was reportedly nominated unopposed following Venson-Moitoi’s withdrawal of her candidature a few hours before a vote by party members. “[Tthe Masisi faction] were getting up to all sorts of tricks to try to undermine her chances,” Khama said. “They even went as far as suggesting that she wasn’t a citizen of Botswana. Imagine that. She had served two or three presidents, including [Masisi], and suddenly, because she wanted to stand, she was no longer a citizen. That was cleared up, but it was one of the dirty tactics to try to take support away from her. There were also other actions they took to try to benefit Masisi and advantage him in the leadership elections. And then her supporters started being targeted.”

He said the BDP was becoming increasingly divided. Three members of Parliament were suspended because of not being on Masisi’s side.

One of them, he said, fled to South Africa, fearing for his life, which has never happened in the history of Botswana.

“We’ve heard about it in other countries but not in Botswana,” Khama said. “What was his crime? He was her campaign manager. He also intended to stand for the position of secretary-general at the next party congress in July, against Masisi’s preferred candidate, who is the incumbent secretary-general.”

He had consulted with party members before coming to the decision to quit the party.

When he eventually announced his decision last weekend, he said those present threw down their membership cards to show that they were quitting the party as well.

caribbean now Guyana President Confident of Reelection

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by John De Freitas

at:

 18 JUNE 6 - 12, 2019

Guyanese President David Granger has once again expressed confidence in winning the next general election, telling residents Friday on the East Bank of Demerara that he is on a mission to eradicate homelessness and that this will be done before he leaves office.

“I would like to leave office where there is not a single homeless Guyanese,” Granger said, the Guyana Chronicle reported. “Every single Guyanese will have a roof over their head. ‘Cause I ain’t leffing for just now.

“Every citizen has the right to proper housing accommodation, [and] we must work to make this a reality,” the president told officials from the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), who were among those present at Perseverance Housing Scheme. “Housing is important to the quality of life. Housing helps to take them out of poverty, [and] if we want to improve the quality of life, we have to improve the quality of housing. I would like to leave office without there being a single homeless citizen.”

Accompanying the president on his visit were Ronald Bulkan, minister of communities; Annette Ferguson, minister within the Ministry of Communities with responsibility for housing; and officials of the CH&PA including board Chairman Elsworth Williams, CEO Lelon Saul, and Omar Narine, director of projects. They had journeyed to Perseverance Housing Scheme after visiting Prospect New Housing Scheme.

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How to Stay Safe in the Summer Sun Submitted by AmeriHealth Caritas District of Columbia The summer is a great time to get outdoors and have some fun.

It’s the time for summer vacations, trips to the beach, picnics, and barbecues. But as nice as the sunshine is, summer brings a few safety risks that can put a damper on your plans. Strong heat and sunlight may pose risks for both adults and children.

Check out the tips below so you can stay safe while having fun in the sun.

SCREEN THE SUN

Clear skies and bright, sunny days are perfect vacation weather. While the sun can feel nice, harsh rays and high temperatures can be dangerous. Here’s how you can protect your family while still enjoying the sun.

• Stay hydrated: Make sure to drink lots of fluids when it is hot outside. It is easy to become dehydrated in the summer, especially during outdoor activities.

Water is the best thing to drink to stay hydrated. Avoid drinking things that can dry you out, such as alcohol.

• Dress appropriately: Covering your skin is key to protecting it. Even if it’s hot, wearing a

long-sleeved T-shirt can protect your skin. Protect your face by wearing a hat or visor. If you are at the beach or the pool, consider setting up a beach umbrella for added protection. Be sure to wear sunglasses, too. These can help protect your eyes from harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays.

• Apply sunscreen regularly: Sunscreen is sometimes called sunblock or suntan lotion. It is an important part of your skin care, even if you don’t think you need it. It can help protect you from harmful UV rays from the sun, which can increase the risk of skin cancer. Look for sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15 and one that provides both UVA (ultraviolet A) and UVB (ultraviolet B) protection. Reapply lotion every two hours.

SCHOOL’S OUT

No one loves summer more than kids. But just because the kids are on summer vacation doesn’t mean their parents are. Make sure your kids have a safe summer with the following tips.

• Check their vision: Summer vacation is the perfect time to schedule children’s vision checks. If they have any vision problems, you can address them before the school year starts. Ask your kids if they have trouble seeing certain things in

school or at home.

• Buckle up: Whether you’re going on a road trip or just down the block, kids should always be securely fastened while riding in the car.

Children under age 8 should always ride in a car seat. Kids should continue to sit in the back seat until at least 12 years old.

• Stay cool: Children under age 4 are at the greatest risk of damage from extreme heat and sunlight.

Make sure they are dressed for the weather and using sunscreen at all times. Never leave children or infants in a parked car.

PLAYING IT SAFE

Warmer weather means swimming, biking, and sports. Summer is a great time to get some exercise, but if you aren’t careful, these activities could lead to injury. The good news is it’s easy to stay safe. Arm yourself with information to make sure you’re protected before hitting the field.

• Swim safe: Swimming is a great activity for hot days and exercise, but it can be dangerous. Drowning is the leading cause of accidental death for children ages 1 – 4. Never leave children alone near water and teach them how to swim and to stay away from drains. Learning how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can help you to save a life in

an emergency.

• Gear up: When children ride a bike, skateboard, or scooter, make sure they always wear the right protection. Helmets, knee and elbow pads, and wrist guards can make the difference between a bruise and a break. If your child plays a sport, make sure he or she always wears the right gear.

• Safety first: Keep a first aid kit in your home. You can buy a first aid kit from a drug store or make one yourself. Make sure your kit has bandages, pain relievers like acetaminophen, antibiotic ointment, soap

or hand sanitizer, and a first-aid manual with emergency phone numbers.

AmeriHealth Caritas District of Columbia wishes you a safe and happy summer. If you have questions about summer safety or other health issues, call Member Services today at 1-800-4087511.

Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; SaferCar.gov; PoolSafety.gov; MedlinePlus.gov All images are used under license for illustrative purposes only. Any individual depicted is a model

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English: ATTENTION: If you speak English, language assistance services, at no cost, are available to you. Call 1-800-408-7511 (TTY/TDD: 202-216-9885 or 1-800-570-1190).

Spanish: ATENCIÓN: si habla español, tiene a su disposición servicios gratuitos de asistencia lingüística. Llame al 1-800-408-7511 (TTY/TDD: 202-216-9885 o 1-800-570-1190).

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JUNE 6 - 12, 2019 19

HEALTH Nationwide ‘Walk to End Alzheimer’s’ is June 21 WI Staff Report June is Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month and according to Alzheimer Association statistics, last year about 9,000 people age 65 and older in the DC region, were living with Alzheimer’s.

However, while an estimated 5.1 million people across the country age 65 and older are living with the debilitating disease that affects memory, that

315656_6_x_6.5.indd 1

20 JUNE 6 - 12, 2019

number is expected to reach 7.1 million in the next decade.

To that end, the summer solstice month of June presents an opportune time to hold conversations about the brain and share the fact that Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias have become a major public health issue.

On June 21 people donned in purple, across the world, will participate in the fundraising activity “Walk to End Alzheimer’s”

5 Supporters dedicated to ending Alzheimer’s converge during last year’s national event. (Photo courtesy Alzheimers.org)

–, the world’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Overall, the goal of the walk to be held in 600 communities nationwide and which is also known as “The Longest Day,” is to outshine the darkness

5/30/19 10:56 AM

of the disease for which there has been no cure or way to slow down its progression.

Although much has been achieved in the fight against Alzheimer’s and researchers have seen historic increases in federal funding for dementia research and critical advances in care and support, there’s more work to be done.

“I joined this movement because my mother, Edie, lived with Alzheimer’s for 15 years and died of it in 2011. This intrepid woman who had overcome virtually every challenge life threw her way met her match in this devastating disease,” Karen Stevenson, 2019 Alzheimer’s Impact Movement Advocacy Forum chair, writes in a letter to fellow advocates against the debilitating disease.

“Reflecting on my mother’s struggle, I realized that I’d had 15 years of training for a job I never wanted. I thought about what Alzheimer’s had done to our family — how my mother had suffered, how painful the experience had been for her children and everyone who loved her. I resolved to get involved and have been an advocate on the state and national levels ever since.

“Every one of you has a unique reason for joining this fight. On the Forum’s Hill Day, our purple-clad advocates will storm Capitol Hill to tell their stories, and Congress will listen.

It’s vital that once again we show up in record numbers and urge lawmakers to make Alzheimer’s a national priority.”

Meanwhile, diagnosing Alzheimer’s dementia requires a careful and comprehensive medical evaluation. Although physicians can almost always determine if a person has dementia, it may be difficult to identify the exact cause. In addition, several days or weeks may be needed for an individual to complete the required tests and examinations and for the physician to interpret the results and make a diagnosis.

ALZHEIMER’S FACTS

• Between 2000 and 2017, the number of deaths from Alzheimer’s disease as recorded on death certificates has more than doubled, increasing 145 percent, while the number of deaths from the number one cause of death (heart disease) decreased 9 percent.

• Alzheimer’s disease is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States.

• More than 16 million Americans provide unpaid care for people with Alzheimer’s or other dementias.

• 1 in 3 seniors dies with Alzheimer’s or another dementia; and the disease kills more than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined.

• In 2019, Alzheimer’s and other dementias will cost the nation $290 billion.

• Every 65 seconds someone in the United States develops the disease.

• Older African Americans are about twice as likely to have Alzheimer’s or other dementias as older Whites. WI

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HEALTH

Children’s National, HSC Health Care System Combine Forces

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Partnership Will Improve Care for Children, Youth with Complex Needs

By D. Kevin McNeir WI Editor @dkevinmcneir Families with and advocates for children living with complex medical conditions in the Greater Washington Area have reason to celebrate given the recent news from two of the nation’s leading health care systems, nationally-recognized for their individual abilities to provide the very best in pediatric care, who have signed an agreement to create an integrated partnership.

With the merger of the two organizations, Children’s National Health System [Children’s National] and The HSC Health Care System [HSC)] have confirmed and their goal to collectively provide seamless care for children and young adults with complex medical needs in the District and across the region.

With a combined 285 years of pediatric experience, Children’s National and HSC have each secured significant expertise delivering complementary health care services to children and young adults with complex needs. Many of their young patients face particularly complex and rare health conditions. By coming together, this new partnership will create one of the nation’s most comprehensive models of care for this patient population.

Medical advances have result-

ed in added hope for families, significantly increasing life expectancy for children with complex medical needs. As advances continue to be made, the result has been an increase in demand for both specialized care as well as innovations to address the longer-term needs of these children.

“As we’ve developed advances that improve care for these children, we know that integrated care plays a significant role,” said Kurt Newman, M.D., president/CEO, Children’s National Health System.

“That understanding has driven the commitment of both Children’s National and HSC to seek a new way of collaborating that we hope will become a model for others,” he said.

The importance of delivering highly-coordinated care to children with complex medical needs gained national attention upon the signing into law of the bipartisan ACE Kids Act earlier this year. Children’s National collaborated with HSC in a national pilot program that provided the foundation for the landmark legislation.

“The patients and families we serve routinely navigate a complex system with a multitude of specialists and services required for their care. Together, we know we can make it easier for them to access care. Ultimately, our

5 Patricia Browne, CEO of the National Children’s Center (NCC), and Victor Fields, CEO of Health Services of Children with Special Needs Inc. (HSCSN), work with HSCSN member to cut ribbon and invite guests into a new outreach location. They are joined by members of HSCSN and stakeholders from NCC, the HSC Health Care System and the Department of Healthcare Finance (DHCF). (Amy Smucker/eastoftheriverdcnews.com)

goal is to improve the quality of life for our patients and their families,” said Nathaniel Beers, M.D., president/CEO, The HSC Health Care System.

The signed agreement has since moved on for regulatory approval – a process that experts in the industry anticipate being completed this fall.

Children’s National Health System, based in the District, has served America’s children since 1870 and is one of the nation’s Top 5 pediatric hospitals, ranked No. 1 in newborn care for a second straight year, while also ranked in all specialties evaluated

by U.S. News & World Report.

The pediatric academic health system offers expert care through a convenient, community-based primary care network and specialty outpatient centers in the D.C. Metropolitan area, including the Maryland suburbs and Northern Virginia. Children’s National has long been recognized for its expertise and innovation in pediatric care and as a strong voice for children through advocacy at all levels: local, regional and national.

The HSC Health Care System is a 135-year-old non-profit health care organization committed to serving individuals with complex health care needs and eliminating barriers to services.

HSC is a unique and comprehensive system of care in the Greater Washington Area whose mission remains to change lives through expert, family-centered medical care, care coordination and empowerment through advocacy and education. The HSC Health Care System through The HSC Foundation, operates The HSC Pediatric Center, an inpatient sub-acute facility, three HSC Outpatient Centers in the District and Maryland, HSC Home Care, LLC in the District and HSC Home & Residential Services in Maryland and Health Services for Children with Special Needs, a comprehensive health and supportive services care plan for Supplemental Security Income-eligible children and young adults up to 26 years of age within the District.

For more about The HSC Health Care System, visit www. hschealth.org. WI

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HEALTH

Ward Forum Highlights Need for Senior Activism WI Staff Report A room of nearly 50 seniors living in Ward 8 in Southeast were recently told to become better advocates for themselves in order get more of what seniors across the District get.

Some agreed while others looked perplexed by what they heard from senior advocates participating in a Senior Community Development Committee Forum held Friday, May 30 at Covenant Baptist Church in Southwest.

Former Ward 8 Council member Sandy Allen, who also heads the AARP Ward 8 chapter, said she was familiar with the attendees because “I can guarantee that it’s always the same people who show up at these meetings.”

“We have to become the squeaky wheel,” Allen said. “Seniors need to become proactive for the things they want in Ward 8.”

Seniors in Ward 8 represent about 8.6% of the population, less than two-thirds of the rate of seniors in the District. Over half live in their own homes and just

over one-third are living in poverty, according to a Ward 8 Senior Snapshot issued by the D.C. Senior Advisory Coalition.

But the statistics may vary based upon who is defining a senior, said Phil Pannell, a Ward 8 activist and former president of the local chapter of AARP. “AARP defines a senior as a person who is 50-plus. Patrons are eligible for a senior meal at IHOP at 55. Eligibility to join the Congress Heights Senior Wellness Center begins at 60.

And one is eligible for Medicare at 65. So, what is a senior?” Pannell asked jokingly.

To the contrary, Ward 8 Council member Trayon White commended the seniors for being very active towards the city council.

“I remember times when seniors took up all of the seats in the council chambers and in the overflow room. Give yourselves an applause for that,” White said.

“Our office has been laser-focused that we keep seniors as a high priority.”

He praised them for their ad-

vocacy against a proposed hotel at an upcoming development called Union Square that is now promised to be a new senior living facility.

“Sometimes it’s worth a fight,” he said to applause from the crowd. “It’s imperative we stay engaged.”

White appealed to the group to tell him what services they want provided at the proposed East End Hospital at St. Elizabeths that will replace United Medical Center in Southeast when it eventually closes.

“I want to know what kind of specialty services you need, because it does us no good to put $325 million in a facility and yet it doesn’t meet the needs of the people it was designed to serve,” he said.

Other representatives of programs serving seniors also participated on the two panels and the seniors welcomed their presentations. Issues ran the gamut at the forum, including affordable senior housing, health, transportation and taxes and safety. WI

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22 JUNE 6 - 12, 2019

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GUN VIOLENCE from Page 1

and a girl.

Maurice, at the tender age of 15, later succumbed to his injuries in a local hospital, police said. He would be one of three gun victims in the District during Memorial Day weekend. The Metropolitan Police Department reported 13 shooting incidents across the city and 20 people struck by bullets in that span of time.

As of Monday, the District has reported 64 homicides for 2019, on par with what had been recorded around that time last year.

Despite relatively low homicide figures, compared to the 1990s, the more than 300 homicides in the last two years has elicited some concern among officials who designate childhood trauma, drug and alcohol abuse, frustration about lack of opportunity as key determinants of gun violence in the city.

Last Friday’s event preceded a bevy of anti-violence events that took place across the city, including a fourth annual peace rally and march along Benning Road in Southeast and the #DontMuteDC outdoor go-go on the corner of 7th Street and Florida Avenue in Northwest. While each gathering involved collaborations with local organizations and government agencies, concerned residents also weighed in about how to curb neighborhood violence.

“We have to teach the young men the value of sitting at the fee of older men,” said Cliff Beckford, pastor of Living Word Church in Southeast and a D.C. resident of more than 30 years, as he described what he called the result of leaderless communities on Friday evening.

“Young men need to see and value the wisdom of older men who can tell their pitfalls and help them not fail,” Beckford said. “Older men were willing to teach and young men listened. If that wisdom doesn’t continue, you have young men without knowledge leading others to destruction.”

NOT JUST A D.C. PROBLEM

On Friday, more than four hours before Scott addressed a large crowd near the Holiday Mart on Wheeler Road, a recently resigned city government employee in Virginia Beach, Virginia opened fire on and killed 12 colleagues with the use of his two legally purchased weapons and silencer, raising questions for some about how gun reform would have prevented this situation.

Incidents of gun violence on campuses, places of worship, nightclubs, eateries and other public places across the United States have taken nearly 200 lives and caused more

HEALTH than 60 injuries so far this year, anti-gun advocates report.

In mentioning the Virginia Beach mass shooting at the California Democratic Convention on Saturday, Sens. Cory Booker (N.J.) and Elizabeth Warren (Maine) touted tackling the more common, daily occurrences of gun violence — similar to what unfolds in the District and other American cities — as a solution.

In February, a Democrat-backed gun reform bill passed the U.S. House, mostly along party lines. It currently awaits action by the Senate, some Democratic pundits say to no avail because of what’s been described as reluctant Republican leadership backed by the National Rifle Association.

If passed, the bill named HR 8 would ban firearms transfers between unlicensed individuals. An accompanying bill extends the review period for a background check.

In advocating for HR 8 earlier this year, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) evoked the memory of the 17 people who died on the campus of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, last year and several other young victims of gun violence since then.

“Here are the facts: nearly 40,000 lives are cut short every year from gun violence,” Pelosi said on the House floor in March. “An average of 47 children and teenagers are killed by guns every single day.

“It’s all about the children, the children, the children,” she said. “We read about the tragic mass murders that have happened in our country and they stir us to action, hopefully.

Here it’s been they stir us to a moment of silence and now finally to action.”

ADDRESSING CAUSES OF NEIGHBORHOOD VIOLENCE

As gun crimes continue to occur in pockets of Southeast, Northeast and east of Rock Creek Park in Northwest this year, officials have mulled how to strike a balance in increasing law enforcement presence and addressing the underlying causes of violent crime. The District’s Department of Forensic Science (DFS) reported the recovery of approximately 1,200 weapons from more than 500 crime scenes since October.

On Saturday, several people and government agency officials converged on KIPP DC Promise Academy on Benning Road for the fourth annual Peace Rally DC to End Gun Violence, a collaborative effort between ANC Commissioner Veda Rasheed (SMD 7E01) and members of the Ward 7 commu-

Despite relatively low homicide figures, compared to the 1990s, the more than 300 homicides in the last two years has elicited some concern among officials who designate childhood trauma, drug and alcohol abuse, frustration about lack of opportunity as key determinants of gun violence in the city. nity, along with DFS, the Ayana J. Mcallister Legacy Foundation and WPGC 95.5 FM. The rally and march wrapped up with a concert on the grounds of the Benning Road Boys & Girls Club featuring EU and Sugar Bear.

After brief remarks from D.C. Council member Elissa Silverman (I- At large), Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Kevin Donahue and others, marchers walked along Benning Road and eventually crossed East Capitol Street as they cajoled neighbors, onlookers and even cyclists to accompany them to Benning Road Boys & Girls Club where music blared from speakers and guests received pamphlets about city services.

People of all ages joined the march, some said out of a concern for their future and that of their peers.

“I’m worried about the violence and people dying. We feel trapped and it’s too easy to come into contact with guns,” said Christina Carter, a lifelong Ward 7 resident and member of the Fort Davis Youth Community Alliance.

“For the youth, it starts in the home and we have a high rate of depression in our community,” Carter said. “We have no support system and turn to violence. I feel like the adults are taking too long to make change.”

In April, young people affiliated with the Black Swan Academy appealed to their council members during budget hearings for the expansion of mental health services

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as part of the organization’s #LentMeVent campaign. In their testimony, public and public charter school youth tied unmitigated mental illness that affects 7 million teenagers nationwide to higher rates of suspension, stints in the juvenile justice system and suicide.

Though the District spends more than its peer cities on social services, according to a report by the Urban Institute, Deputy Mayor Donahue, a District employee of 20 years, said local agencies under his purview have to collaboratively remove the social, emotional and economic barriers to resources.

“We have credible messengers and building things closer, to make sure we have services worthy of their trust,” he told The Informer on Saturday. “It’s not about lack of capacity. Sometimes, if we have a job program for someone who can’t get employed, it’s because of childcare or trauma.”

On Friday, White’s “Resources to the Block” event connected Ward 8 residents to representatives of the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (ONSE), Department of Behavioral Health, Department of Employment Services and the DC Commission on Father, Men and Boys.

In front of Horace & Dickie’s on Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue near Malcolm X Avenue, White, ONSE

Executive Director Delbert McFadden, Cora Masters Barry and Ward 8 State Board of Education Representative Markus Batchelor, among several others reminded marchers about the circumstances that accelerate violence in under-resourced communities.

“Some people lack educational attention and have childhood trauma and issues. With community conflict, they’re not able to take transportation sometimes and get housing,” McFadden told The Informer.

For nearly a year, ONSE, through the Neighborhood Engagement Achieves Results (NEAR) Act, has enriched more 50 likely victims or perpetrators of violent crime enrolled in the Pathways Program with resources that lessen the burden of acquiring gainful employment.

In her fiscal year 2020 budget proposal, Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) expanded ONSE’s violence interrupter program through which people with rapport in violence-afflicted neighborhoods establish relationships with residents and mitigate disputes.

“At ONSE, we look at the person and support the household, the siblings and the children,” McFadden said. “You have social media, generations of beef and changes in the housing structure. They need clothing, housing, food and soft job skills so they can fish for themselves.”

WI

JUNE 6 - 12, 2019 23

HEALTH Quintet Raises Funds for Tanzania Adventure

By Sam P.K. Collins WI Contributing Writer @SamPKCollins A group of D.C. youth, many of whom have never traveled internationally, will spend nearly two weeks in Tanzania this month on a trip organized by a local nonprofit dedicated to turning Black youth into global citizens and strengthening their ties to the motherland.

The 12-day excursion, which starts with a ferry ride to Zanzibar from Dar-ses-salaam and includes a visit to the Arusha region, home of the Serengeti National Park and Mt. Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak. Another part of the trip exposes students to Pan-African history rarely taught in mainstream educational spaces.

“We’ll go to the farm purchased by [Black Panther couple] Pete and Charlotte O’Neal back in the

1970s. They built a school on the property, started an organic farm, and focused on educating the children of Arusha,” said Lydia Curtis, founder and executive director of Sadiki Educational Safaris, which organized the upcoming trip with MedAse, an organization founded by local schoolteacher Jamila Thompson.

Upon their return to the United States, the five participants, hailing from Boone Elementary School in Southeast and Duke Ellington High School in Northwest, will use video footage collected on iPads to create short films about their travels, all to be shown at a public screening scheduled for the fall.

Last December, Sadiki Educational Safaris and MedAse launched a campaign to raise funds for the young travelers that will culminate with a live musical event on Colorado Avenue and Longfellow

5 Jamila Thompson (second right) with supporters at a March sip-and-paint event for MedAse and Sadiki. (Courtesy photo)

Street in Northwest.

On Memorial Day, singer/activist Luci Murphy, Abeeku, and members of the Malcolm X Drummers and Dancers collected $300 during an afternoon performance at the intersection of 7th and H streets in Northwest. Proceeds from a June 14 concert at Fellowship Baptist Church in Northwest

will go toward meeting a fundraising goal of $5,000, Curtis said.

“This trip is designed to target children who wouldn’t normally get any chance to travel,” she told The Informer.

“We want to give children from underserved neighborhoods in D.C. an opportunity to become global citizens, shape their identity,

district of columbia water and sewer authority

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING Wednesday, June 12, 2019 / 6:30 p.m.

District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority Headquarters 1385 Canal Street, S.E., Washington, D.C. 20003 Second Floor Board Room The Board of Directors of the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (the Board), in accordance with Section 216 of the Water and Sewer Authority Establishment and Department of Public Works Reorganization Act of 1996, effective April 18, 1996, (D.C. Law 11-111; D.C. Official Code § 34-2202.16 (2012 Repl.) approved Board Resolution 19-21, which, if adopted, would amend Sections 112 (Fees) and 199 (Definitions) of Chapter 1 (Water Supply) and Section 4101 (Rates for Sewer Service) of Chapter 41 (Retail Water and Sewer Rates) of Title 21 (Water and Sanitation) of the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations (DCMR). Pursuant to 21 DCMR Chapter 40, the Board will conduct a public hearing at the above stated date, time, and place to receive comments on the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, which was published in the D.C. Register (DCR) at 66 DCR 5440 on the April 26, 2019.

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Each individual or representative of an organization who wishes to present testimony at the public hearing is requested to furnish his or her name, address, telephone number and name of the organization (if any) by calling (202) 787-2330 or emailing the request to Lmanley@dcwater.com no later than 5:00 p.m., Monday June 10, 2019. Other persons wishing to present testimony may testify after those on the witness list. Persons making presentations are urged to address their statements to relevant issues.

Oral presentations by individuals will be limited to five (5) minutes. Oral presentations made by representatives of an organization will not be longer than ten (10) minutes. Statements should summarize extensive written materials so there will be time for all interested persons to be heard. Oral presentations will be heard and considered, but for accuracy of the record, all statements should be submitted in writing. The hearing will end when all persons wishing to make comments have been heard.

Written testimony or comments on the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking may be submitted by mail to Linda R. Manley, Secretary to the Board, District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority, 1385 Canal Street, S.E., Washington, D.C. 20003, or by email to Lmanley@dcwater.com. Such written testimony to be clearly marked “Written Testimony for Public Hearing, June 12, 2019” and received by 5:00 p.m. Monday, June 17, 2019.

dcwater.com

24 JUNE 6 - 12, 2019

and learn about the good images of Africa and Africans that will help them shape their own positive identity as Black people,” Curtis added.

Experts tout travel abroad experiences as paramount in the young person’s tolerance for different cultures and ideas. Some also point to the various learning opportunities that go beyond textbooks and videos. Such experiences often prove difficult for students who have limited means that preclude them from acquiring tickets, let alone passports and other required items.

Since its 1995 inception, Sadiki International Safaris and MedAse have tackled this issue by organizing and raising funds for trips to Jamaica, Ghana, South Africa and Senegal. In recent years, local school districts across the country, including D.C. Public Schools, have taken on that cause, launching free study abroad programs.

This year, for the first time in more than 20 years of Sadiki’s existence, some parents will accompany their children on the trip, part of what Curtis described as an attempt to make the cultural exchange more of a family affair.

Ja’Teah Knox, future Sadiki Educational Safari traveler and Boone Elementary student, spoke to the potential for growth when she explained what she anticipated in the weeks leading up to the trip.

“I want to learn about African culture and see what it’s like to live there,” Ja’Teah said. “I think it’s important for young people like me to travel to Africa because we don’t know about other places and we can learn. I plan to tell my friends what it was like to visit Africa when I get back.”

WI

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Washington Informer 05292019.indd 1

JUNE 6 - 12, 2019 25 5/29/2019 4:25:27 PM

EDUCATION Negro Spirituals Reveal Transformative History Replete with Hope, Pain ‘Jubilee’ Pays Tribute to Fisk’s A Cappella Ensemble

By D. Kevin McNeir WI Editor @dkevinmcneir At its best, music has the potential to heal broken hearts, inspire the downtrodden, encourage us when courage fails – even transport into the past when our ancestors lived – those days of “yeah and nay.”

And as those in the Greater Washington Area have come to expect, Arena Stage in South-

west, led by Molly Smith, artistic director, Edgar Dobie, executive producer and with the magic touch of Tazewell Thompson, captures the sounds and souls of the historic Fisk Jubilee Singers in their latest production – the world premiere of “Jubilee.”

Tazewell, in the dual role of both playwright and director, provides a history lesson in song with an innovative,

5 The cast of “Jubilee.” (Photo Arena Stage)

heart-stirring score and a talented cast that combine in the retelling of the rich legacy of the Fisk Jubilee Singers – an American a cappella ensemble who continue to perform Negro spirituals originally sung by slaves prior to the Civil War. If you missed this production, it’s certainly your loss.

But be encouraged as you can still set your radar on today’s Jubilee Singers who tour and

record, well aware of the responsibility they bear as they stand on the shoulders of that group of unknown singers, most of them teenagers and former slaves, who took their inspiring musical message on the road for the first time on November 16, 1871.

(The group’s recording “Bright Mansions” remains available for purchase and serves as their most popular collection of songs).

As they touched down on the campus of Oberlin College in Ohio to perform for a national convention of ministers, they unwittingly introduced a new genre to the public that has since become an American tradition. Tazewell resurrects those early years when the Singers journeyed throughout the U.S. and Europe, sharing sacred music – “secret messages” formed and communicated by enslaved Africans and Blacks who lived in the South just after the Civil War.

The cast of 13 singers, along with Musical Director Dianne Adams McDowell, present several dozen spirituals, capably capturing our attention with a capella singing that unveils a time in American history in which former slaves amazingly overcame racism, poverty and racism.

Aundi Marie Moore offers a commanding performance in the role of soprano Maggie Porter – a member of the original Fisk Jubilee Singers often referred to as the group’s “diva.” She’s joined by the phenomenal tenor Travis Pratt playing Isaac Dickerson as well as Lisa Arrindell who tackles several roles including another Jubilee standout, Ella Sheppard, Queen Victoria and a Southern belle who hosts a tea during which the Fisk Jubilee Singers perform.

In fact, not only does the cast

JUBILEE Page 52

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5 Singers tell the story in “Jubilee.” (Photo Arena Stage)

Washington Informer: 5.65” x 6.1”

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EDUCATION

Ballou’s Hospitality and Tourism Academy Recognized Nationally

By Sam P.K. Collins WI Contributing Writer @SamPKCollins In its fifth year as a gateway to the District’s hospitality industry for students, Ballou Senior High School’s Career Academy on Hospitality and Tourism gained national recognition as a top-tier career preparedness program with industry-specific curricula, workbased learning experiences and connections with professionals.

The academy counted among nearly 90 programs that received a distinguished ranking by NAF, a national network of education, business and community leaders. During the latter part of last month, students, teachers, alumni, D.C. Public Schools (DCPS) officials and hospitality industry mavens celebrated this milestone during an on-campus ceremony.

“Ballou’s Career Academy on Hospitality and Tourism broadened my view on what I can do in marketing and communications to help people and get my voice out there,” said Amya McKoy, a Ballou senior and recipient of scholarships from the Washington Hospitality Association, Academy Partner, Inc., and the American Experience Foundation.

During her stint in Ballou’s career academy, Amya interned at the World Bank and participated in a hospitality summer program at Cornell University. She said those experiences shaped her business persona and inspired her to represent local youth, particularly those from Southeast, as a viable audience for hotel, restaurant and venue owners.

“I learned that hospitality brings in tax dollars and helps the schools,” said Amya, who also expressed plans of studying communications at Bowie State University next fall.

“The industry attracts people all over the world. People should know that D.C. is one of the most diverse places in the country, where you can do literally anything. There are many places in Southeast for people to explore; they shouldn’t just go to places they feel are nicer.”

Ballou, along with Columbia Heights Education Campus and Wilson Senior High School, both in Northwest, offered a hospitality and tourism academy this academic year.

In a matter of days, Amya’s class

will be the second graduating class from the Ballou Career Academy of Hospitality and Tourism on its way to entering what’s estimated to be a $5.2 billion playing field.

The Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development said the District’s hospitality industry supports more than 80,000 local jobs, including hotels, restaurants and performing venues with tens of thousands of seats, in making it one of the city’s strongest sectors.

On the road to graduation, career academy enrollees took courses related to hospitality, marketing, event planning and customer service, along with two academic core courses that complement those activities. Students also complete industry-recognized certifications in aspects of customer service.

Other components of the hospitality and tourism career academy include events with hospitality industry leaders and workday activities where students see every level of operation within a business that attracts tourists. Such was the case during a visit to Nationals Park earlier during the school year.

“Hospitality is one of the top employers in our city and region,” said Erin Bibo, deputy chief of college and career programs at DCPS. “It’s not just hotels. We host so many conventions and events. The students are interning in high school and they go off the college. There’s an interest on both ends for our young people to work [in these companies] permanently. It’s a strategic approach to developing a loyal workforce that understands your brand.”

NAF gave the Ballou Academy of Hospitality and Tourism high marks in the areas of student enrollment, certification passage rate, workplace learning and completion and strength of the advisory board.

The hospitality and tourism academy advisory board, comprised of local leaders in the hospitality industry, ensures that students at the Ballou Career Academy of Hospitality and Tourism benefit from access and institutional knowledge. The information that students divulge during events makes for a mutually beneficial relationship.

Founding board member Thomas Penny said such a connection could pay dividends in

5 D.C. Schools Chancellor Lewis Ferebee greets Ballou Senior High School senior Amya McKoy during a ceremony honoring the Ballou Career Academy on Hospitality and Tourism on May 30. (Courtesy photo)

bridging the gap between longtime D.C. residents and transplants in a thriving city.

“We got a unique group of board members who understand that this is a unique time in the city’s history and we have a responsibility to introduce young people to the fruits of the hotel industry,” said Penny, president of Donohoe Hospitality Services, a company in which he started as a dishwasher nearly three decades ago. He told The Informer that he often shares that story with Ballou students.

“They can transition to college and come back to our industry,” Penny said. “Throughout the time in our academy, we provide scholarships and students spend a significant amount of time with hospitality professionals, understanding what they have to do to have a similar experience. The beauty is that we have the highest ranking professionals in the D.C. area.” WI

WE Want to Hear from You District of Columbia Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking Wants to Hear From You at the Proposed 2020 Health Insurance Rates Public Hearing When:

Monday, June 10, 2019 at 5:30 p.m.

Where: One Judiciary Square, Old Council Chambers 441 4th St. NW, Washington, DC 20001 Why:

Commissioner Stephen C. Taylor will conduct a public hearing to review the 2020 individual and small group health insurance rates proposed by carriers offering health benefit plans in the individual and small business market in the District of Columbia.

Who:

Want to be a public witness? Contact Howard Liebers to be added to the witness list by 5 p.m. on June 7 at howard.liebers@dc.gov or 202-442-8571. This deadline has been extended to encourage additional participation by the public.

For witness and written statement requirements, visit disb.dc.gov.

Stay Informed!

Special accommodation requests including sign language and other language translation must be received by the Department at 202-442-8571 by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, June 7, 2019.

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JUNE 6 - 12, 2019 27

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3:54 PM

EDITORIAL

OPINIONS/EDITORIALS

Lonnie Bunch: The Right Man at the Right Time Lonnie Bunch launched a nationwide fundraising campaign to fulfill a century-old “fitful and frustrated” effort to establish a museum dedicated to the life and legacy of African-American history and culture in Washington, D.C. Such luminaries as Congressman John Lewis and the late Congressman Mickey Leland of Texas, resurrected the effort in the early 80’s. However, it was not until 2003 following a report from a commission appointed by President George W. Bush which led to the passage of the law authorizing the establishment of the National Museum of African America History and Culture [NMAAHC] that the long-held collective dream finally became a reality.

Bunch writes that upon being appointed as the museum’s director, all the position required was to “articulate a vision, hire a staff, find a site, amass a collection, get a building designed and constructed, ensure that more than $500 million could be raised . . . ease apprehension among African-American museums that they all would benefit from the NMAAHC, learn to work with one of the most powerful and influential boards of any cultural institution and answer all arguments – rational and otherwise.” And, in the beginning as Bunch traveled the country to solicit support, all he had to share were a few pieces of paper and a strong, convincing message.

Bunch’s success has been well documented since the NMAAHC officially opened in 2016 with more than 600,000 visitors, reportedly, in the first three months. It has proven to be one of the most popular museums in the Smithsonian complex and probably has the most diverse staff of all of the museums.

For these reasons and many others, Lonnie Bunch is the right choice to be named the 14th Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, a position he will assume on June 16. He is the first African American to head the Smithsonian since it was founded in 1846, which includes 19 museums, the National Zoo and nine research centers.

The heavy load Bunch has carried won’t get any lighter as he strives to right the ship at the Smithsonian that is laden with an array of challenges including complaints of discrimination across the board. It will be a new day at the Smithsonian and not only a test of Bunch’s already proven fortitude but also of his ability to successfully revise a culture at the Smithsonian – a change in direction and philosophy that’s long overdue.

WI

D.C., America Need Answers to Scourge of Gun Violence, Not a Tweet of Solace We’d like to thank the President for his heartfelt tweet offering his condolences to the families of the 12 men and women shot and killed in the latest gun-related massacre, this time occurring over the weekend in Virginia Beach. We can only assume that his travels overseas during which he, the first lady and his inner circle hobnobbed with British royalty serve as the reason why he has yet to come forward with anything of substance and merit to answer a decades-long plea from Americans to our leaders and lawmakers to confront what can only be described today as a national emergency.

But silence, similar to the silencer – the sound suppressor employed by the Virginia Beach shooter that he placed on his semiautomatic weapon so that those who stood in his path could not be warned of pending doom by the sound of gunfire – is anything but and far from “golden.” Silence, in its most ominous configuration, is potentially, if not inevitably, deadly.

Even the District continues to face a version of the nation’s “code red situation” when it comes to the ease with which guns can be acquired, the prevalence in which they’re indiscriminately used and the devastation that marauding gunslingers invoke on our communities, color notwithstanding. One need only look back a few weeks ago to the Memorial Day weekend for evidence.

Still, as the number of deaths escalate from the relentless occurrences of mass shootings now recorded at public schools, nightclubs, concerts, newspapers, public facilities, factories and houses of worship, we wonder how many more must die before elected officials, at every level, forget about political endorsements, their legislative future or the whims of their financial contributors who hold the purse strings to staggering amounts of cash and join the cadre of Americans who continue to call for an end to the madness.

Whatever the reasons behind the dearth of those who have the gumption to stand up for life, instead of the rights and well-entrenched sway of the National Rifle Association, something must be done. Vigils with candles and teddy bears last for only a moment. But the pain of losing a loved one in a senseless barrage of bullets lasts a lifetime.

Is there anyone brave enough to stand up, show up and bring a voice of reason in light of this epidemic of gun-related insanity that continues to hold our country in a state of fear and paralysis? WI

TO THE EDITOR Lonnie Bunch Making Moves

Kudos to Mr. Lonnie Bunch and his latest appointment. He’s been a hero of mine for a while now for single-handedly bringing the African American Museum to life. Since its opening, he has masterfully handled the crowds, success and programing of this country’s best institution. His position as the 14th Smithsonian secretary is well-deserved.

Camery Simmons Washington, D.C.

Blacks and the Arts

The Washington Informer continues to wow me. I appreciate the extensive arts and music coverage this issue. Black people care about the arts too!

WI Expanding Horizons

Im writing to share how great it has been to have The Washington Informer in Prince George’s County — inside Starbucks!

The role of the Black newspaper can never be discounted and its important that it can reach its readers and/or target market in the places that they frequent. How cool is it to be at the counter and see The Washington Informer at Starbucks in Largo?

The copies leave quickly and I caught a patron enjoying a copy on Saturday.

I’m a Starbucks regular. I know the stores and customers. Congratulations on showing up in places we frequent.

Michael Smith

Geneva Keever

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JUNE 6 - 12, 2019 29

OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnist

By Julianne Malveaux

Black Folks, the Trade Wars and Foreign Policy

Our nation’s 45th president is dead set on a trade war. He has increased tariffs on goods produced in China, and he has now indicated that he will increase tariffs on goods produced in Mexico. While the president will say that this is a tax on the countries he is imposing tariffs on, the fact is that it is a tax on people who buy goods produced in China or Mexico.

Products manufactured in China include electronics and electronic components, televisions,

washing machine and refrigerators, and more. With a 25 percent tariff, a $300 dishwasher will now cost $375. The duty won’t take effect today or tomorrow, but within a few months, U.S. sellers will have no choice but to pass the cost along to consumers.

The tariff on Mexico will mostly hit agriculture. The president says he will impose a 5% tariff effective next week and will increase by another 5% monthly. It will primarily affect agricultural products like avocados and tomatoes, but folks who enjoy a Mexican beer or two will find those beers more expensive. Here’s the rub, though. While Mexico exports more than $250

billion in goods to us, we also export at least $20 billion to them.

Farmers who send soybeans and corn to Mexico are vulnerable if Mexico decides to retaliate by imposing tariffs of their own.

45 says he is imposing the tariff on Mexican-produced goods because of border immigration. The tariffs, 45 says, will be lower if Mexico can stop border immigration.

But the tactic of increasing tariffs will have a negative effect on the Mexican economy, exacerbating, instead of abating, border immigration. And it will hit every consumer in her pocket. Because so many U.S. auto companies have cars assembled in Mexico, at the maxi-

Guest Columnist

mum tariff, the average car will cost at least $1,000 more. And what about the grocery basket?

Tariffs are used to direct consumers away from foreign manufacturers and toward national ones.

Theoretically, if a Mexico-produced avocado costs $2 with a tariff (maybe up from $1.50 without, numbers all theoretical), and a California-produced avocado costs $1.75, a cost-conscious consumer, given the tax, might choose the California avocado over the Mexican one. But if California can’t produce enough avocados to meet demand, folks will pay more with the tariff. It’s a tax on consumers. Will people be as willing to take the hit with a $1,000

tax on an automobile? Possibly not.

People may delay purchases instead of seeking out domestic automakers. In any case, it’s a hit on the U.S. economy.

Because African Americans earn less (with a median family income under $40,000, compared to $60,000-plus for whites), we are more likely to be the consumer affected. Consumer taxes are regressive taxes, taxes that hit the folks at the bottom hardest. Our voices need to be raised around the tax on Chinese produced goods, as well as the tax on Mexican manufactured goods. In his fit of pique, however,

MALVEAUX Page 53

By Marc H. Morial

Congressional Hearing Highlights Challenges, Importance of 2020 Census and new immigrants.” — Rep. William Lacy Clay

“Despite the positive changes we have made throughout history, there is a persistent trend of bad actors playing politics with the survey in order to disenfranchise racial minorities. We see a present-day example of this type of bad faith provision in the 2018 announcement that the Department of Commerce planned to add a citizenship question to the census. There was no valid reason for this proposal other than a concerted effort to suppress the response rate of minorities

A leadership gap, inadequate funding and staffing and a deliberate campaign to intimidate immigrants and communities of color all make the 2020 census among the most challenging in American history.

This was my recent testimony before a special field hearing of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties regarding the upcoming Census.

The hearing, titled “Getting Counted: The Importance of the

Census to State and Local Communities,” was held at Queens Community College at the request of Reps.

Carolyn B. Maloney, co-chair of the House Census Caucus, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Days after the hearing, irrefutable evidence emerged to bolster my testimony that the “citizenship question” is a ploy to rob vulnerable communities of their political power. A political strategist who played a key role in adding the citizenship question authored a study concluding the question would allow lawmakers to draft even more extreme gerrymandered maps to shift power away the targeted

Guest Columnist

vulnerable communities.

The National Urban League has a long history of playing an active role in the decennial census, beginning with Urban League Executive Director Whitney L. Young Jr.’s testimony before the House Subcommittee on Census and Statistics in September 1970.

Continuing his legacy, the Urban League has served on past census advisory committees, and I’ve had the honor of chairing the Census Bureau’s 2010 Census Advisory Committee at the invitation of President Barack Obama’s secretary of commerce, Gary Locke.

During this week’s hearing, I testified that the racial and political polarization of our society puts at risk the most important element of our representational democracy. Distrust of government is historically high, and the looming presidential election threatens to politicize the process.

Hostility toward immigrants, emanating from the highest offices in the land, has created a climate of fear inhibiting people from responding.

We must combat these threats. An inaccurate census will deprive communities of accurate data for most

MORIAL Page 53

By Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr.

A New Plan to Make Wall Street Pay for Creating the Foreclosure Crisis

Last week, as Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) convened a House Financial Services Committee hearing, featuring the CEOs of Wall Street’s biggest banks, the financial watchdog group Better Markets released a stunning report on the banks’ criminal records: “Wall Street’s Six Biggest Bailed-Out Banks: Their RAP Sheets and Their Ongoing Crime Spree.”

30 JUNE 6 - 12, 2019

The report profiled the records of Bank of America, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley and Wells Fargo.

Detailing the staggering $8.2 trillion that was committed to bail out these banks when their excesses blew up the economy in 2008, the report laid out what it called their RAP sheets — the record of illegal activity for which they have been fined a cumulative total of $181 billion in over 350 major legal actions.

The report concludes that these big banks “have engaged in — and con-

tinue to engage in — a crime spree that spans the violation of almost every law and rule imaginable. … That was the case not just before the 2008 crash, but also during and after the crash and their lifesaving bailouts. …

In fact, the number of cases against the banks has actually increased relative to the pre-crash era.”

The scope of the illegal activity is breathtaking — overcharging soldiers on their mortgages, conspiring to fix the price of credit card fees, massive improper foreclosure practices, billing customers for services never

provided, rigging interest rates, violating sanctions against countries like Iran, and more. The large fines are, for these mega-banks, merely a cost of doing business. And so the crime wave continues.

The banks particularly prey on the vulnerable, regularly pleading guilty of discriminating against African Americans and Latinos. Long after the bailout, for example, JPMorgan Chase paid $53 million to settle charges that it had discriminated against minority borrowers by charging them more for a mortgage

than white customers.

The banks were at the center of the housing bubble and its collapse.

About 10 million people were displaced from over 4 million homes across the country. Minority neighborhoods were hit the hardest.

For decades, the banks red-lined minority areas, depriving residents of access to mortgages or loans for small business development. Then, when the banks inflated the housing bubble, they targeted minority neighbor-

JACKSON Page 53

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OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnist

By Kaia Wright

The Equality Act is Anything But Equal

The Equality Act recently passed by the House of Representatives enshrines into law the affirmation of regressive, sexist stereotypes, eradicates the sexbased protections of women and girls, and adversely affects the sex-based rights of lesbians and gay men.

The sponsors of this bill have missed the mark. Gender iden-

tity must be removed from the Equality Act. With its egalitarian title and stated objective of expanding civil rights, the Equality Act appears to be a positive step towards strengthening one of our country’s foundational objectives — liberty and justice for all. The law as proposed amends several statutes, including the vaunted Civil Rights Act of 1964, to extend federal protection against discrimination to members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender

and queer (LGBTQ) community. The Equality Act does so by expanding the definition of “sex” to include “sexual orientation” and “gender identity.” However, a critical analysis of the legislation’s content reveals that the inclusion of gender identity has devastating consequences for women, girls, lesbians and gay men.

The Equality Act defines gender identity as “the gender-related identity, appearance, mannerisms or other gender-related characteristics of an individual,

Guest Columnist

regardless of the individual’s designated (sic) sex at birth.” Putting aside the tautology of including “gender-related identity” in the definition of “gender identity,” none of these items can be explained without resorting to sexist stereotypes. There is not a single “mannerism” “appearance” or non-biological “characteristic” that is connected to a person’s sex. In fact, it is this very tethering of stereotypes to men and women that the Civil Rights Act, particularly regarding Title

VII and employment discrimination, explicitly prohibits. Yet the Equality Act seeks to embed this regressive concept into federal law.

Males competing against women and girls in sports has dominated headlines regarding this bill, and while athletics and Title IX are important issues, this singular focus obscures the breadth and depth of the infinite ways gender identity’s presence

WRIGHT Page 54

By E. Faye Williams

Ignorance Breeds Racism

By ignorance breeding racism, I don’t mean the lack of college or other educational degrees. I’m really talking about how some families teach their children to hate certain people based upon lies. In order to really drive home the point I’m making, I recommend a book called “Confessions of A Recovering Racist,” a book by my good friend, the late George O’Hare, in cooperation with Emma Young of Chicago.

George does the best demonstration of how ignorance breeds

racism as he talks about his upbringing and how he discovered the truth about the lies he was taught about Black people as a child. Some of it is humorous, but is the best lesson I’ve ever read or heard on the need for people to get to know each other before judging them. Even as I’m writing this, I know there’re a lot of people who would prefer not to know the truth about those they already hate without cause, but truth can change others.

George speaks about how he became a changed person once he met such people in person, listened to them, talked and worked with Dr. Martin Luther

Askia-At-Large

King Jr., Dick Gregory, Jesse Jackson, Father Clement, Willie Barrow and many others.

He speaks of the time he found himself at a meeting of Black people when a woman asked what he was doing there, and he thought he’d explain to her how he believed in equality of all people and wanted to do what he could to help. The woman told George he didn’t belong there and should go back to his own community and talk with his own people.

When he told Dick Gregory about the encounter, to George’s shock, Mr. Gregory agreed with the woman and said there were many people talking to the Black

community, but raised the question of who was talking to the racists in the white community.

George saw his opening.

Because he had so much respect for Mr. Gregory, George took on a different approach and began quizzing white people about things he had learned about the value of Black people to our world. Once when a white man was telling him about his mother’s open-heart surgery and found that after surgery she was doing well. George said to his friend, “So a Black man saved your mother’s life.” The man could not believe it was Daniel Hale Williams, a Black man,

who made medical history by performing the first successful open-heart surgery and all heart surgeons use his techniques today!

From that point, George went on to enlighten his friend on Garrett Morgan (inventor of the traffic light and gas mask), Dr. Percy Julian (who discovered the value of cortisone and invented foam used to put out fires), Dr. Shirley Jackson (the Black woman who invented the touch-tone telephone, the portable fax, caller ID, call waiting and the fiber-op-

WILLIAMS Page 54

By Askia Muhammad

Ron Clark: A Prince Among Men

So many of my friends have gone away recently. Unita Blackwell, the first Black female mayor in the state of Mississippi; saxophonist Fred Foss, who played with Lionel Hampton and Tito Puente and who taught hundreds of pupils in the DMV how to “swing”; and now Ron Clark, the founder of Regional Addiction Prevention (RAP) Inc., one of the most successful drug treatment facilities in the nation.

Ron’s was a storied career. He

was named D.C. Citizen of the Year in 1976. He was embraced

by First Lady Nancy Reagan for her “Just Say No” anti-drug campaign. His work literally saved and redeemed thousands of lives over the decades. He was a cultural warrior, a generous benefactor and a friend to the multitudes.

This may sound odd, but I knew Ron Clark long before I ever met him. You see, I used to walk down the street on which he lived, going to my grandfather’s house in South Central Los Angeles to work in his garden on

Saturdays. Ron lived on 52nd Place. It was a quiet, tree-lined street and, most importantly, there were no thugs or rowdies sitting on the stoops on 52nd Place like there were on 53rd or 51st streets, which is why square little me liked his street.

I didn’t know that his gentle spirit resided along there, as did another famous, furious spirit, bass player and composer Charles Mingus. Ron, a bass player himself, recalled hearing the immortal Mingus and his band rehearsing on his block, and so he set out to join the en-

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semble.

One day the band was all set to travel to New York for an important gig, a potential breakthrough opportunity. The only thing is that Ron got busted on a drug charge, the night before the band departed. Mingus and the band went on to greatness, and Ron went to Synanon, the famous 12-step drug treatment facility in Southern California.

After that, his whole life was rearranged.

Ron took what he learned healing himself from addiction and came to Washington where

he founded RAP, Inc., and the rest, as they say, is history.

When he moved to the nation’s capital from L.A. in the early 1970s, he got there just in the nick of time. D.C. was suffering a major drug epidemic and wore the nickname “murder capital of the nation.” Substances such as heroin (“smack,” “horse,” “lady”), powder cocaine and crack (freebase), PCP (“angel dust”) and other hallucinogens were strangling the life out of adults and youths, robbing

ASKIA Page 54 JUNE 6 - 12, 2019 31

LIFESTYLE Congressional Chorus Superb in Musical Tribute to Justice

Concert Serves as Prelude to Civil Rights Tour in the South

By D. Kevin McNeir WI Editor @dkevinmcneir From the very first downbeat of an overture which provided a beautifully arranged version of the African-American spiritual “Wade in the Water” to a resounding finale selection, “Justice,” which featured the full chorus and the NorthEast Senior Singers, D.C.’s own Congressional Chorus used every opportunity to illustrate why they remain one of the best com-

munity-based vocal ensembles in the Greater Washington Area.

The theme of their 32nd Season Finale Concert, “Let Justice Roll,” served as a somber, yet stark reminder of the centennial of the “Red Summer of 1919” – a summer 100 years ago during which numerous deadly racial conflicts and lynchings occurred in more than 30 U.S. cities including the District. As the heat of the season rose, attacks continued with hundreds of people, mostly Black, be-

5 The combined choirs of the Congressional Chorus deliver in 32nd season finale concert. (Robert Roberts/The Washington Informer)

ing killed and thousands of Blackowned businesses and homes being burned or destroyed.

David Simmons, artistic director for the Congressional Chorus, says he chose the theme and the selections as a means of “our continuing commitment to shine a light on issues of social justice through our performance of outstanding American choral works.”

The program served as the opening concert for the Chorus’s upcoming five-day Civil Rights Concert Tour in Alabama and Georgia slated for July in collaboration with 3 WI editor D. Kevin McNeir, ecstatic after the concert.

(Robert Roberts/The Washington Informer) 6 Soloist Rhea Walker leads the choir. (Robert Roberts/The Washington Informer)

32 JUNE 6 - 12, 2019

the Grace Chorale from Brooklyn.

The combined choruses will perform at several historic civil rights sites in Selma, Montgomery, Birmingham and Atlanta including the National Memorial for Peace and Justice which honors the more than 4,000 African Americans lynched in the U.S. The centerpiece of the evening, “And They Lynched Him on a Tree,” brought further attention to the horrors of lynching in the choral ballad composed by the Black musician William Grant Still. The lyrics and the haunting melodies, sung with great aplomb and care evoked an eerie sense of déjà vu for this writer – as if I were experiencing the pain of the mother featured in the song whose son falls victim to a lynch mob.

As a testament of the obvious hard work that the choirs and musicians put into preparing for this concert, when closing my eyes, I could not tell if the singers were Black or white. In fact, the only thing that remained clear for me were the soaring notes, the hushed tones, the crescendos and decrescendos that pulled this writer and the rest of the audience along with the choir as they shared their comprehensive prayer for justice and the day when America’s reality replaces its rhetoric.

D.C. native Livinia Thornton Odejimi, 68, now living in Annandale, says it was her first time hearing the Congressional Chorus and as she left National City Christian Church, she felt “emotional beyond words and more elated than I’ve been in a very long time.”

“This was the music that my mother just loved. She just died

recently and I wish that she could have been here with me to hear this choir. She would have been so thrilled,” Odejimi said, adding that prior to her mother’s death, she formed a small choir in Springfield at her residence, the Green Spring Village, that combined Blacks and whites together in song. The group would be named “Shared History” and continues to sing and perform seven years since its founding.

My personal favorite from the performance was the traditional freedom song that became the unofficial theme song of the Civil Rights Movement, “We Shall Overcome.” This arrangement by Tom Trenney, performed by the chamber ensemble and full chorus, is one that I’ve never heard or sung before. What surprised me is that while I’ve heard this song hundreds of times, I cannot recall any time previous when I found myself unable to complete the final verses because of being overcome by emotion. It was a moment that confirmed for me the stellar quality of the Congressional Chorus.

The Chorus now turns its focus to a summer fundraising event, “Songs That Connect Us,” on June 13, 6 – 8 p.m. at City Winery. The funds will assist the group as they continue their commitment to their powerful musical ministry. (Tickets can be purchased at EventBrite.com under “Songs That Connect Us.”) Well done Chorus! Well done David Simmons! Well done, indeed!

Find out more about the Chorus at www.CongressionalChorus.org.

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LIFESTYLE

‘Noche de Estrellas’ Gala Honors Theater, Community Stars

By Eve M. Ferguson WI Contributing Writer To say that GALA Hispanic ​ Theatre’s annual gala, “Noche de Estrellas,” is not a typical fundraising event would be an understatement, as members of the Latino community and other theater patrons came together last week at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in northwest D.C. ​Honorees for the evening of music, performances and graciously short speeches were Marvin Weissberg, who was recognized for Philanthropy in the Arts and Social Justice; Sonia Guitiérrez, President Emeritus and Founder of the renowned Carlos Rosario Public Charter School, recognized with the Community and Education Leadership Award; and the star of the evening, Diane Guerrero, known best for her roles in the hit Netflix series “Orange is the New Black” and CW’s “Jane the Virgin.” ​The petite actress, dressed in a tailored black suit with short, glossy hair brushed back, came across as extremely mature for her age, although she certainly does not look like the 33-yearold that she is. ​But life made her grow up fast.

Born in New Jersey to Colombian parents, Guerrero grew up in some of the tougher parts of Boston —Roxbury and Dorchester — before her parents and older brother were deported to Colombia when she was just 14, leaving her alone in the United States to be raised by friends and neighbors.

The recipient of the Artistic ​ Excellence and Activism Award credits the arts with saving her when she was at her lowest point.

“The arts have always been ​ such a huge part of my life,” Guerrero said. “Especially as a child. It really helped me to survive in many respects, growing up the way that I did. In a neighborhood that lacked certain resources, I was able to latch on to the arts as a kid. Through that, I learned about history and politics, and what was going on around me. For me, it has always been important for me to be affiliated with organizations that care about this.” ​GALA has made a mark in its 43 years of operation. Starting

in a small house in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood of northwest D.C., where the Latino population has always had a stronghold, husband-and-wife team Hugo and Rebecca Medrano made a place for the youth to have a positive space to exist.

Paso Nuevo, the theater’s ​ youth organization, trains youth not only to act, but also to serve the theater in general as stage managers, back stage crew and more. ​For the “Noche de Estrellas,” two current members of the youth group performed a piece to the sound of a beating drum, telling the stories of children separated from their parents at the border — an obvious flashpoint for the Hispanic community in D.C. and beyond.

Guerrero was recognized as ​ an advocate for her work with the Immigrant Legal Resource Center and Mi Familia Vota, an organization that promotes citizenship and voter registration.

In 2015, she was named White House Ambassador for Citizenship and Naturalization. ​“As a woman of color, and a person who knows the impact of the arts, especially as a child, I would like to further this message,” Guerrero said. “Representation was slim, and when I was a young girl, I was looking to escape, to learn. I said ‘I’m here!

Talk to me!’

“I just wanted to be one of the players, one of the actors,” she said. “I never saw people who looked like me, but I never thought this would be my career.

I thought I had to blend in, and that meant denying who you are.

I had to seek real help to realize that my truth is the arts, unapologetically.” ​Such sentiments were echoed when Mario Acosta-Vélez introduced Sonia Gutiérrez, who faced insurmountable odds sustaining the Carlos Rosario Public School, which also took the lead in adult education, teaching many immigrants basic English so they could become employed.

“When the school lost its ​ funding and had to shut down, she rebuilt the school for it to become one of the most celebrated charter schools in the country,” he said. ​While the premise for “Noche de Estrellas” was a serious one, the patrons and enthusiastic

5 The cast of FAME The Musical delighting the attendees. (Courtesy photo/Stan Weinstein)

supporters enjoyed the tropical-themed menu serving mango shrimp ceviche, smoked chicken and Cabernet truffle beef medallion with lemon polenta cake, finished off with a Chocolate Praline Dome nestled in a Grand Marnier reduction. ​While wine flowed freely, Venezuelan guitarist Jonathan Acosta serenaded the audience following a rousing number by the cast of “Fame: The Bilingual Musical”

now playing at GALA Hispanic Theater in Columbia Heights. ​“When I was in acting school, we had to perform ‘Fame,’” Guerrero said after singing the opening lines to the title song. “To receive an award for artistic excellence is humbling, and it makes me very happy. For me to be recognized by my community means a lot. We are about something, we mean a lot. We are all stars.”

“Noche de Estrellas” benefits ​

Paso Nuevo and other youth activities administered by GALA Hispanic Theatre, and while the night of stars only happens once a year, giving can happen at any time by contacting the GALA Hispanic Theatre office (2437 15th Street NW, Washington DC 20009).

“Fame: The Bi-Lingual Mu​ sical” runs through June 9 at GALA Hispanic Theatre (3333 14th Street NW).

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LIFESTYLE DuVernay’s ‘Central Park Five’ Netflix Series: A Call to Action

By Hamil R. Harris WI Contributing Writer

Raymond Santana, Kevin Richardson, Korey Wise, Yusef

Salaam and Antron McCray were all teenagers on April 19, 1989, when a 28-year-old white woman was beaten and raped while jogging after hours in

New York City’s historic Central Park.

Linda Fairstein, who oversaw the sex crimes unit in the

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Manhattan district attorney’s office at the time, prosecuted and landed convictions against the five youth — four African-American and one Hispanic, all between ages 14-16. The “Central Park Five” would each spend between five and 15 years in prison.

“I want to hate these murderers and I always will. I am not looking to psychoanalyze or understand them, I am looking to punish them,” said Donald Trump, who at the time was a New York real estate mogul who paid $85,000 for full-page ads in four city newspapers calling for the death penalty in the case.

But then convicted serial rapist Matias Reyes admitted in 2002 serving time on other charges that he alone assaulted and raped investment banker Trisha Meili, and the five youths’ convictions were ultimately vacated. But even with the admission and subsequent revelations that Fairstein coerced the boys into confessing despite having no DNA evidence linking them to the crime, Trump never apologized.

Today, 20 years after the case gripped the nation, renowned filmmaker Ava DuVernay has directed the new Netflix series “When They See Us,” that tells the young men’s story of justice delayed.

The series “is a love letter to these men, whose childhoods were stolen by this harrowing case,” DuVernay said in an email. “It is also a love letter to the millions of boys and girls of color who are presumed guilty on sight. My goal is to shed light on the inequities and the bias that makes a case like this

possible.”

In the same way so many men of color have been convicted, executed and lynched for crimes they didn’t commit, the Netflix series shows how the prosecutor built a case around the five youths prematurely classified as guilty, rather than engaging in a full-scale investigation.

“We explore a travesty of justice laid bare,” DuVernay said.

“We chronicle a broken system fueled by politics, profit and inaction. But we can and should take action.”

In addition to making the film, DuVernay is part of the group Color of Change and its “Winning Justice” campaign, which has been rallying people of color in communities across the country to come together and set the agenda for a new wave of prosecutors.

“And in a dozen cities, thanks to many of you, we now have prosecutors being measured by their commitment to justice rather than by how many people they put in prison,” she said.

“I’m hoping you’ll watch ‘When They See Us’ and be moved to discuss and interrogate the current criminal system of injustice,” DuVernay said. “But I also hope you don’t stop there. Here is how you can make your voice heard: Visit Winning Justice to join campaigns to stop over-policing and racial profiling in our communities to reform our bail system so people’s freedom is not determined by how much they can pay for it; to treat children in the system like children and not criminals to hold prosecutors accountable for wrongful convictions.” WI

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5 The cast and original members of the “Central Park Five” (Courtesy photo)

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LIFESTYLE ‘The Black Overlay’ at DCAC: A Glance at the Black Body Blackness, regardless of whether the artist, or curator, said or implied such and even when they said it was not about Blackness,

but about some other concept or idea. That is to say, no matter

BLACKOUT Page 46

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artists shared their experiences in which “the public assumed that their respective creative or scholarly work was about

Snarky Puppy

It is summer, and the heat of a hot, sticky Washington day leads to the reduction of clothing. And that reduction of clothing, and tendency towards the spare, the slinky and the skimpy naturally leads to thoughts of sweaty sex.

“The Black Overlay: Infinite Desire,” currently on view and being performed at DCAC, a collaboration between two artists; Sherman Fleming and Holly Bass, takes an unfiltered look at the Black body and its perception through Fleming’s abstract watercolor series, “Infinite Desire,” and Bass’ performance art in which she will reenact some of Fleming’s pieces.

“The Black Overlay” is the result of the artistic intersection between Fleming and Bass which began in 2015, and is in its first incarnation at the current DCAC show.

The visuals are new works

by Fleming, curated by Bass and Terence Washington and a re-staging of two of Fleming’s performance art pieces, played out by Holly Bass, the multimedia artist whose oeuvre also includes training in modern dance.

“Something Akin To Living” opened the exhibit on June 1, where collaborator Wilmer Wilson, measured, sawed and fit together 40 pieces of wood slats between the performer (Holly Bass) and two support columns so that the performer had to use her body to literally hold everything together.

It looked like bondage, and those images of nontraditional sexual practices are mirrored in the watercolors that show disjointed bodies in odd, but overtly sexual positions. Some are collages of different bodies woven together at strange angles. But the message is clear.

The Black body is a sexual tool.

Fleming’s watercolors are collage-based and stem from a 2012 series of abstractions that draw loosely from Japanese Edo woodblock cuts, also known as Ukiyo-e, or the “Floating World.” His performance pieces, of which two will be performed by Bass during the show, running from June 1-22, examine Black masculinity but Bass will take on Fleming’s role, throwing the entire piece into a quandary about sexuality, gender and the body.

The title comes from conversations between Fleming, Bass and Washington where all three

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5 Infinite Desire #17, Watercolor (Photo courtesy of Sherman Fleming)

The DC Jazz Festival®, a 501(c)(3) non-profit service organization, and its 2019 programs are made possible, in part, with major grants from the Government of the District of Columbia, Muriel Bowser, Mayor; with awards from the National Endowment for the Arts, the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, an agency supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts; the Office of Cable Television, Film, Music & Entertainment; the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development; and, in part, by major grants from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, the Galena-Yorktown Foundation, The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, Wells Fargo Foundation, Gillon Family Charitable Fund, the NEA Foundation, Venable Foundation, The Dallas Morse Coors Foundation for the Performing Arts, The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation, The Leonard and Elaine Silverstein Family Foundation, and the Reva & David Logan Foundation. ©2019 DC Jazz Festival.

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JUNE 6 - 12, 2019 35

LIFESTYLE

Lonnie Bunch Makes History, Leaves NMAAHC in ‘Good Hands’

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer @StacyBrownMedia At 66, Lonnie Bunch has long carved out a place in history.

The founding director and driving force behind what’s easily the most popular Smithsonian museum — the National Museum of African American History and Culture — and a renowned go-getter, Bunch is preparing to become the Smithsonian’s 14th secretary.

On June 15, when his appointment takes effect, Bunch will be the first African American to hold that position in the institution’s 173-year history.

“Well, I am obviously humbled and honored and I realize that the Smithsonian is the place that I love the most,” Bunch recently told The Washington Informer. “To be honest, after building with a great team the National Museum of African American History and Culture, this was my chance to give back to the

institution.”

Born and raised in New Jersey, Bunch has spent the majority of his adult life as a history museum curator and administrator. He once served as president and director of the Chicago History Museum and he was the first curator at the California African American Museum.

Bunch received a bachelor’s degree in African American history in 1974 and a master’s degree in American history two years later from American University in northwest D.C. With overwhelming popularity, the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) continues to thrive and Bunch said his goal remains to encourage an inclusive audience at all Smithsonian properties. “[The museum] is really in some ways a glue that helps to hold things and African Americans, Asian Americans and all visitors really get a chance to understand,” he said.

“Maybe the most important impact of the museum is that people of all

races, political points of view, economic status, all come together and sometimes they debate but often what they do is marvel at the history and they share their own stories.”

Such dialogue is what Bunch said envisioned.

“What I want is for the Smithsonian to be that place where everybody comes and learns about science and the environment or understand the world of technology and how the challenges of diversity in this country go hand in hand,” he said.

Bunch said everyone involved knew that importance of the museum.

“The staff did better than I could ever have imagined,” he said. “So I knew it was going to be something people would pay attention to, but I didn’t realize that it would become the touchstone of many generations.”

The future of the museum and all of Smithsonian’s properties is bright, Bunch said. A national search will begin in earnest for his NMAAHC

THE SOCIAL POWER OF MUSIC

5 Lonnie Bunch (Courtesy of Smithsonian)

replacement but the museum remains in good hands with a strong board.

With powerful individuals such as Oprah Winfrey contributing, there are plans to continue to enhance the experience at NMAAHC, Bunch said.

“We’re about to open a show in the fall on the first African American to participate in World War I and there’s a lot of new things that are going on,” he said. “But I think the thing you want to remember about the Smithsonian is that people come to see the touchstone. So, you never want them to not be able to see

Chuck Berry’s Cadillac or Harriet Tubman’s shawl. So, part of the tension is, what can you change?”

Bunch said his mission moving forward is to make sure people understand the wonders of the Smithsonian.

“I want to hold the Smithsonian to the highest standard when it comes to diversity and inclusion and excellence in the way we interpret science, the arts and history,” Bunch said. “I want the Smithsonian to do an even better job of embracing Washington, D.C. because you must remember to always take care of home.” WI

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Tattoo Culture Reflects American Society, Different as Black and White

LIFESTYLE

DC’s Annual Expo Sheds Light on Growing Industry, Artists, Connoisseurs

By D. Kevin McNeir WI Editor @dkevinmcneir D.C.’s only summertime gathering for fans and artisans of body art, the 2nd Annual Nation’s Tattoo Expo, recently touched down in Arlington, VA for the three-day event as hundreds from across the region converged to experience creatively-crafted tattoo contests or to meet their favorite artists, including several recognized among the world’s finest.

Meanwhile some in attendance even tossed caution to the wind in order to sit with a master craftsman and receive their very first tattoo.

The next time you watch Jeopardy, you can flaunt your knowledge about tattoo on the planet by sharing the fact that the art form can be traced to more than 3,000 years before the birth of Christ, in lands that include Egypt, Polynesia, Taiwan, China and Japan.

Tattooing in the U.S. officially surfaced during the mid-19th century just before the Civil War with the demand increasing among members of the military during the War, followed by the inevitable ebbs and flows of popularity and purposes for getting tattoos, still mainly among members of the armed services. Sailors and soldiers excluded, only young adults from among the upper-class could afford tattoos – illustrations that confirmed their status in society, until the invention of the electric tattoo machine just after World War I which allowed those from lower socioeconomic classes to join established groups – rebels and criminals included.

Still, as late as 1975, only 40 tattoo artists were recorded as entrepreneurs in the U.S. Five years later, that number had skyrocketed to more than 5,000 – a cadre of trained artists who had left industries requiring their skills to take advantage of a booming surge within the “skin mural trade.”

However, as some artists and fans contend, a marked difference remains between Blacks and whites, both in terms of opportunities afforded artists within the industry and those who savor the chance to add illustrations on their bodies and the meanings, messages and stories behind their tattoos.

One veteran artist showcased during the recent Expo representing and employed by Black Ink Crew, a Black-owned tattoo and body pierc-

ing company founded by Bronx native Ceaser Emanuel that currently holds the top position among VH1’s reality shows, says Blacks, despite lagging behind whites who have long-dominated the tattoo industry, are now more than ever, unequivocally poised to “catch up to the competition.”

“Social media was the real engine that provided essential exposure for Black tattoo artists and we’ve used that platform to illustrate and prove that our art is actually better than that done by most of the white artists – artists who have always gotten most of the attention and the revenue,” said Trocon (Tro), 41, a trained fine artist and one of several lead tattoo artists employed by Emanuel’s Black Ink franchise based in Atlanta.

(Others include New York, Chicago and Orlando).

“I left corporate America more than 16 years ago to enter a tattoo apprenticeship program – it was the best $2,500 investment I’ve ever made,” he said. “I have a great job and I wake up every day excited and ready to experience something different.”

“Tattoo artists are just like other artists except we create our work on a different canvas, a person’s skin,” he said. “My clients are mostly Black but like others, they want tattoos with meaning, that remind them of others who have died or who have a message they want to share with the world. My job is to get it done and to get it done the right way.”

“Of course, you can’t do the same kind of tattooing on the skin of those of color like you can on whites. Plus, Blacks and whites have different kinds of skins. As a medium, you can do more on white skin than Black which often leads some to believe that white artists are better. Not true. It just means that you can utilize more vibrant colors on a canvas that’s white.”

“The tattoos I have and those I do on others make others stop and notice me and I like that. But I do regret getting tattoos on places like my neck and the top of my hands that cannot be hidden by clothes. Tattoos have gotten a lot more acceptance than they once did but you don’t’ want to get caught on the wrong side. Not everyone does or will approves of tattoos.”

I asked my son, Jared McNeir, 25, why he become so enamored by tattoos and what messages he seeks

to transmit to others through the tattoos he now has. His answers, summarized below, actually surprised me given the time and consideration he’d clearly invested prior to getting his several tattoos.

“Tattoos became more and popular while I was in high school and my Black classmates who were older than me were following the example of people like Alan Iverson, Lil Wayne and Tiga – those who shared similar experiences to young Black men like us. I was a senior, 17, when I got my first tattoo.”

“There’s a false perception that our tattoos aren’t equal in quality to those that whites get. I disagree because

5 Tattoo artist Tro of Black Ink Atlanta giving a tattoo session to an attendee at the DC Tattoo Arts Expo held at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Va. May 31 to June 2. (Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer)

the art and images on my body give me a true sense of pride and I enjoy sharing that artwork and the stories behind them with people as I desire.

Even as young Black man employed in New York as a technology consultant, I have found that tattoo art has gained significant acceptance in corporate America. Almost everyone

has tattoos except some who work at very tradition banking or corporate finance companies. And you have to save your money if you’re serious about getting a quality tattoo because good work, unlike what’s often described in the Black community as ‘basement or hood tattoos’ does not come cheap,” he said. WI

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LIFESTYLE

Caribbean Filmfest Returns to AFI for Heritage Month

By Eve M. Ferguson WI Contributing Writer Now in its 19th year, the Caribbean Filmfest returns to the AFI Silver Theater in celebration of Caribbean Heritage Month, observed throughout June, with a marathon of films from throughout the Caribbean.

This year, the themes of the festival are music, a given for the musically rich Caribbean traditions and innovations; and female directors telling stories of Caribbean women’s lives.

Stories of the African Diaspora from the islands find voice in the week-long festival that kicks off on June 6 with “HERO-Inspired by the Extraordinary Life & Times of Mr. Ulric Cross,” a Trinidadian national who was instrumental in the nascent days of Pan- Africanism.

The musical films — ranging from Cuba’s “Eliades Ochoa: From Cuba to the World,” a

biopic on the Buena Vista Social Club star, to “Bruk Out: A Dancehall Queen Documentary” — cover the diversity of Caribbean music, interspersed with diasporic tales like “Babylon,” Franco Russo’s raw 1980s film about Jamaican sound systems in London, starring singer Brinsley Forde of the British reggae group Aswad.

“Rudeboy: The Story of the Making of Trojan Records” takes a historical glance back at the legendary London-based ska and reggae label that sustained Jamaican immigrants when they first arrived in Great Britain, a topic particularly pertinent in the wake of the Windrush political scandal, in which many West Indian migrants were wrongly deported from Britain.

Other documentaries examining Caribbean history and putting it into world context are “1950: The Nationalist Uprising” telling the story of 10 days in October in Puerto Rico. “Massacre

5 “Eliades Ochoa: From Cuba to the World,” tells the story of the Buena Vista Social Club sensation, one of the musically-themed films at DC Caribbean Filmfest. (Courtesy photo/ DC Caribbean Filmfest)

River” examines the sad plight of Haitian descendants living in the neighboring Dominican Republic and that country’s efforts to marginalize and deport those

5 “Rudeboy: The Story of Trojan Records,” will be screened twice at the DC Caribbean Filmfest at AFI Silver from June 6-12. (Courtesy photo/DC Caribbean Filmfest)

residents, most who were born in the DR. “The Reggae Boyz” tells the story of Jamaica’s renowned national soccer team. Filmmaker Jill Schaufer will engage the audience in a Q&A session following the June 9 screening.

“Hall” tells the story of a murder in Barbados in 1984 and the amazing events that followed after two of the suspects escaped from prison. “Being Blacker,” is the resulting film when musician Blacker Dred from Jamaica invited filmmaker Molly Dineen to film his mother’s funeral and his tragic story that came from his loss and 40 years of living in Great Britain.

The lighter side of island life is also well-represented in “The Extraordinary Life of Celeste Garcia,” from Cuba. This directorial debut film from Arturo Infante is a humorous fantasy about aliens from outer space and the doldrums of middle-aged life, and “Sprinter” by Jamaican director

Storm Saulter, a triumphant film about a young Jamaican track runner. Both are feel-good stories about dealing with life’s lemons and overcoming obstacles.

One highlight of the generous cinematic offerings is “Douvan Jou Ka Leve,” a documentary film by Haitian director Gessica Généus about the island’s religious landscape and schism between Haitian Vodou and Christianity. Tickets for this film, screening on June 9 at noon have a special price of $5.

The Caribbean Filmfest runs June 6-12 at the AFI Silver Theater and Cultural Center (8633 Colesville Rd, Silver Spring, Md.). The festival is presented annually and is co-sponsored by the Caribbean Association of the World Bank, Caribbean Professionals Network, the Institute for Caribbean Studies and the Africa Now Project. Go to www.afi.com/silver for a complete schedule, ticket prices and showtimes.

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Willie Ford, Co-founder of the Dramatics, Dead at 68

By D. Kevin McNeir WI Editor @dkevinmcneir

Some of the unsung stars in the world of R&B, while relatively unknown by casual music fans, will forever be remembered because of their voice.

Such is the case of the Willie “Sugar Bear” Ford, a phenomenal bass singer and one of the co-founders of the legendary soul group The Dramatics (formerly The Dynamics), who died May 28 at the age of 68.

In an interview with EUR, Michael Henderson, another legendary singer, writer and producer, shared his thoughts about Ford.

“He was one the greatest bass singers of all time along with Melvin Franklin of The Temptations,” Henderson said about his friend.

He added that he’d just recently spoken with Ford who had been resting at his home but had been assured that he was ready to get back to work.

The Dramatics, formed in Detroit in 1964, are best known for their 1970’s hit songs “In the Rain” and “Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get” which both reached the Top 10 Pop hits. Native Detroiters will fondly remember the group appearing frequently on the local dance show popular during the 70s, The Scene.

The group’s founders include: Ron Banks, Willie Lee Ford and Larry Reed.

Tragically, one of the founding members, Reed, survived victimization

by Detroit Police officers in one of the events that touched off the Detroit Riots in the now historic July 1967 Algiers Motel incident – a situation during which the group’s valet, Fred Temple, was killed by the police.

Reed left the group after the incident.

To this date, The Dramatics continue to tour and perform, albeit in two separate versions of the original soul group.

Ford will be buried in his beloved hometown of Detroit on Wednesday, July 12. WI

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5 Willie Ford.

6 (Bottom) The original members of The Dramatics. (Courtesy photos)

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Pro Athletes Converge in Southeast to Encourage Increased Social Activism

By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill Iyonna Stephenson learned the term soccer moms became defined through the 1999 U.S. women’s national soccer team when two players hired a nanny to care for their children.

“Most people say boys are stronger than girls, but you never believe it until you do it yourself,” said the fifth-grade student at KIPP DC Aim Academy in Southeast.

Iyonna, 11, joined several hundred people who attended a more than two-hour discussion on athletes and activism Thursday, May 30 at the Entertainment and Sports Arena in Southeast. The talk presented by The Athletic and Washington Mystics featured stories from current and former professional athletes which focused on historical moments in sports, equality and the intersection of sports and social justice.

Cameron Coye, 14, listened to Briana Scurry, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and World Cup champion, who explained how the women’s national soccer team constantly fought for equal billing with the men’s team.

“My aunt played basketball. I didn’t know that people focus on men athletes more than girls,” said Cameron, an eighth-grader at AIM Academy who runs track and plays soccer. “It’s not good. Women went through a lot to get where they are.”

Besides Scurry, attendees also heard from U.S. women’s hockey

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star Hilary Knight, Mystics guard Natasha Cloud and Ibtihaj Muhammad, who won a bronze medal in fencing in the 2016 Olympics.

The most colorful comments came from former NFL player Martellus Bennett, who retired in March 2018 and played for five teams that ended with the New England Patriots.

In 2016, Bennett became one of the handful of NFL players who supported former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick to silently protest against police brutality and other unjust treatment against Blacks. Instead of standing for the National Anthem before games, he kneeled.

Bennett, 32, poked fun at the majority of current athletes who proclaim to fight for injustices but are simply “false activists.”

Bennett also challenged white, high-profile quarterbacks Tom Brady and Drew Brees and retired quarterback Peyton Manning to speak up on racial injustice and challenge the NFL’s policies on players charged with domestic violence who are allowed to play.

“All these great white heroes they have running around throwing the football. If they jump in the conversation, it would be so much bigger,” Bennett said. “You look at NFL advertisement, it’s all quarterbacks.

Every single commercial is a quarterback doing something stupid. If they were to take a knee with Kaepernick, the conversation would totally

ACTIVISIM Page 52

5 John Carlos (left), a 1968 Olympic bronze medalist, talks about the historical moment when he and Tommie Smith held silent protest against racial injustice.

Carlos and Damion Thomas, curator of sports at Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, participate in a discussion on athletes and activism at the Entertainment and Sports Arena in Southeast on May 30. (Kristoffer Tripplaar/The Atlantic)

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LIFESTYLE

wi book review “Martin Luther King Jr.: Voice for Equality!”

By James Buckley Jr. and YouNeek Studios c.2018, Portable Press $12.99 ($17.99 Canada) 96 pages

By Terri Schlichenmeyer WI Contributing Writer The heroes in comic books arrive in fancy costumes.

Their heads are ringed by bubbles that say things like “POW!” and “ZOOM!” and that’s when bad guys fall like dead twigs from a tree.

BAM! All the heroes in comic books are super-powerful and mighty, but here’s the thing: as you’ll see in the new book “Martin Luther King Jr.: Voice for Equality!” by James Buckley Jr. and YouNeek Studios, real heroes sometimes quietly wear suits and ties.

Welcome to this history tour. Your guides are Libby (aka Lady Liberty, the statue) and the boy who will someday be your “Uncle Sam.” Today, they’ll take you on a tour of the life of a boy named Mike.

Yes, that was his name at birth: Michael King Jr., but when Mike was a boy, his father changed both their names to honor a religious man. That was also when Martin Luther King Sr. decided to become a minister. Later, Martin Luther King Jr. did, too.

Back then, young King knew that it was wrong to deny someone their rights, based on the color of their skin. As a child, he vowed to do something about Jim Crow laws someday but it wasn’t until he was older and visited Connecticut that he learned what it was like not to be segregated. That trip changed his focus — he was still a man of God, but he’d use his talents as speechmaker and leader to gain civil rights for African Americans.

It wasn’t easy.

King’s house was bombed and, although his family was safe, it was scary. His followers and friends were beaten and bloodied in fields, on the streets and in marches. His life was threatened and that landed him in the hospital once.

And yet, King never gave up — he persevered by reaching out to politicians and other influential people who could help the cause.

He planned and marched, even though there were times when he was just plain tired. And he did it until the day he died on a hotel balcony, killed by a man with a gun …

Kids who struggle to read, or who claim they don’t like to read may change their tune with “Martin Luther King Jr.: Voice for Equality!”

Parents take note: this isn’t your old-school stuffy history book.

Using the younger versions of two historical icons, author James Buckley Jr. tells the story of Dr. King through comic-book-like illustration and balloon text, mediums that are familiar to both readers and reluctant readers. Inherently, that makes this a tale kids can relate to, but Buckley also uses modern language that children understand, which helps get them involved by subtly including them in the emotions inside the story. Crisp illustrations by YouNeek Studios then keeps them engaged.

That makes this a story that could turn a middle-schooler’s groans into smiles this summer, while it’ll still appeal to kids who love books. For either kind of child in your home, “Martin Luther King Jr.: Voice for Equality!” is a book they’ll ZOOM! through.

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horoscopes

JUNE 6 - 12, 2019

ARIES On the one hand, you might be open to meeting new people, networking, and promoting your ideas to a wider audience. On the other, you might be more in the mood to stand back from too much activity and spend more time at home. There’s a new moon in Gemini on June 3, which you certainly won’t want to miss. If you’re thinking of launching a website, blog, or online marketing business, this is the time to go for it. And as convivial Venus moves into the sign of the Twins on the eighth, you can increase your appeal across the board. Lucky Numbers: 12, 13, 26 TAURUS Luscious Venus is in your sign for most of this week, inspiring you to enjoy the small things in life like the smell of coffee, the feel of the breeze on your cheek, and the beauty you see around you. The sun is in your sector of finance and values, and with a new moon in this sector on Monday, you might be in the mood to improve your cash flow. If you’ve thought about starting a small side business, this is very much the time to go about it. Lucky Numbers: 5, 10, 11 GEMINI With the sun in your sign, you’re truly in your element and likely feeling more vital and confident. This is your chance to express yourself and get moving on projects that are dear to your heart. With a sparkling new moon in your sign on Monday, this powerful lunar phase is the best of the year for you and perfect for setting your intentions. Whether you want to kick-start a new habit or begin a project, this is your chance. Lucky Numbers: 18, 19, 40 CANCER The sun in a more secluded sector of your chart until June 21 could turn your attention inward to your deeper thoughts and feelings. If something has been an issue for a while, this might be the time when you seek closure and healing. Doing so could relieve you of stress and tension and leave you more energized overall. Lucky Numbers: 6, 29, 53 LEO Your social life looks set to sparkle. With the sun in this zone until June 21 and a lively new moon on Monday, you’re all set for some wonderful times ahead. This is an opportunity to move in new circles and explore various interests. Let your curiosity lead the way. Lively Mercury’s move into your spiritual zone on June 4 could turn your focus inward. You’ll find it easier to connect to your feelings and intuition and remember your dreams. Lucky Numbers: 22, 30, 48 VIRGO You’re in the spotlight this month, making this a perfect time to forge ahead with key ambitions or personal goals. Use this opportunity to update your resume and perhaps get yourself noticed on social media. The new moon on Monday may be able to help here because it encourages you to take steps in the direction of your plans. Set your intentions, connect with the right people, and get moving. Lucky Numbers: 5, 38, 59 LIBRA You might be eager to grab opportunities that bode well for the future. A lovely focus on your sector of travel and far horizons may be a call to leave your comfort zone and embrace new ideas. With the new moon in Gemini and this same zone on Monday, it might be an opportunity to kick-start a course of study or arrange a travel itinerary. Whatever you want to begin, this is your opportunity to do so. Lucky Numbers: 1, 13, 39 SCORPIO Life may have seemed more intense lately, and this phase continues over the coming weeks. However, this week a new moon in a deeply emotional sector could be an opportunity to free yourself from past entanglements. Whatever no longer serves you should be released, and this lunar phase on June 3 can help you do it. You can then make space for all the opportunities that are already stacking up. Lucky Numbers: 11, 12, 13 SAGITTARIUS The focus this week is very much on your sector of relating, which could coincide with more interaction than usual. Your social life may be a lot busier and you might be eager to improve the quality of your most important relationships. The new moon in this sector on Monday can be very helpful for taking things to a new level. Whether you want to commit further to a new lover or take on a business partner, this is the time to do so. It can also be helpful for signing contracts and deals. Lucky Numbers: 4, 19, 21 CAPRICORN This week’s new moon in your lifestyle sector on Monday can be helpful for kick-starting a new and more efficient phase. It’s a chance to consider what you want to accomplish and what habits you need to put into place to do so. There’s no need to be too ambitious too soon. One or two small adjustments can quickly build and lead to bigger accomplishments. Lucky Numbers: 7, 46, 56 AQUARIUS The presence of the sun in your sector of leisure and recreation makes this a very positive and dynamic time. Are you ready to showcase your skills and talents? If so, the new moon on Monday is the perfect time to do so. Start now and the momentum can quickly build. Lucky Numbers: 24, 26, 43 PISCES Home and family life could be very rewarding this week and over the coming weeks.

The sun’s presence in this sector could inspire you to look around and see how you can make improvements. If you do want to make changes, the new moon on Monday is the best time to start.

Whatever your plans, the moon tide can help speed your progress. Lucky Numbers: 14, 33, 41

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JUNE 6 - 12, 2019 41

CAPTURE th e mo me n t

5 This plaque, dedicated to Rosa Parks, sits outside of the Mansion on O Street in Northwest. The plaque was unveiled on Friday, May 31. (Robert Roberts/The Washington Informer) (TOP RIGHT) A plaque dedicated to Rosa Parks outside The Mansion on O Street was unveiled on Friday, May 31 in Northwest. Posing in front of the plaque are Elaine Steele, Rosa Park’s caregiver and co-founder of the Rosa and Raymond Parks Foundation, H.H. Leonard, owner of the Mansion on O Street, Mayor Muriel Bowser, and Ward 2 Councilman Jack Evans. (Robert Roberts/ The Washington Informer) 4 The Exposure Group’s 7th annual photography exhibition, Colors of Life opened at Howard University Gallery at Founders Library on Saturday, June 1.

Some of the Exposure Group members whose photos are represented in the exhibit are introduced. (Roy Lewis/The Washington Informer)

5 Photographer and Exposure Group member, Gloria C. Kirk, talks to Francoise Pfaff about her images being showcased at the 7th Annual Colors of Life Exhibition at Howard University Founders Library on opening day, May 31. The exhibit runs through July 31, 2019. (Roy Lewis/The Washington Informer) 4 Rhea Ballard-Thrower (right), executive director of Howard University Libraries and Bonita Bing, president of the Exposure Group, welcome exhibitors and their guest to the 7th Annual Colors of Life Exhibition that will be in the Howard University Founders Library Gallery through July 31, 2019. (Roy Lewis/The Washington Informer)

42 JUNE 6 - 12, 2019

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JUNE 6 - 12, 2019 43

SPORTS United, Fire Play to Draw

5 D.C. United midfielder Lucas Rodriguez makes a slide tackle against Chicago Fire defender Raheem Ewards and midfielder Djordje Milailovic during a game at Audi Field in D.C. on Wednesday, May 29, which ended in a 3-3 tie. (John E. De Freitas/The Washington Informer) 3 D.C. United midfielder Leonardo Jara gets past Chicago Fire midfielder Aleksander Katal during a game at Audi Field in D.C. on Wednesday, May 29, which ended in a 3-3 tie. (John E. De Freitas/The Washington Informer) (Top Left) Chicago Fire forward C.J. Sapong (left) heads the ball past D.C. United goalkeeper Bill Hamid for a goal in the first half of a game at Audi Field in D.C. on Wednesday, May 29, which ended in a 3-3 tie. (John E. De Freitas/The Washington Informer) (Far Left) D.C. United midfielder Lucas Rodriguez pushes the ball out of Chicago Fire goalkeeper Kenneth Kronholm’s hand for a goal that was eventually waved off during a game at Audi Field in D.C. on Wednesday, May 29, which ended in a 3-3 tie. (John E. De Freitas/The Washington Informer)

Mystics Win at Home

5 Washington Mystics guard Kristi Toliver (20) attempts to dribble past her opponent during a 96-75 victory over the Atlanta Dream on June 1, the Mystics’ inaugural game at their new home venue, the Entertainment and Sports Arena in Southeast. (Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer) 4 Washington Mystics forward Emma Meesseman (33) runs down the court during a 96-75 victory over the Atlanta Dream on June 1, the Mystics’ inaugural game at their new home venue, the Entertainment and Sports Arena in Southeast.

(Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer)

44 JUNE 6 - 12, 2019

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46 JUNE 6 - 12, 2019

the District and surrounding areas. He brought 1,000 to 2,000 kilos of cocaine to the District weekly during the 1980s and he generated $300 million annually.

Edmond’s actions created an atmosphere during the 1980s in which the District became known nationally as the “murder capital of the United States” and at one point, his operation employed about 150 people. Known for its ruthless tactics, Edmond’s organization has been blamed for the deaths of 30 people by law enforcement officials.

However, District street lore has stories of Edmond helping people to pay rent and providing food for the holidays. Edmond had a reputation as a dapper dresser, being a constant customer at chic Georgetown clothing stores.

A passionate fan of the Georgetown University men’s basketball program, Edmond attended games. But in a highly publicized incident, Georgetown University men’s basketball coach John Thompson requested, in very strong terms, that Edmond stay away from his program and particularly two of his key players, John Turner and Alonzo Mourning.

Edmond’s arrest took place on April 15, 1989. The security surrounding his trial became extraordinary with jurors’ names kept secret and they remained under bullet-proof glass during the proceedings.

Edmond stayed at the Marine Corps Base Quantico in Quantico, Va., and flown daily by helicopter to the federal courthouse for the proceedings. Eventually, Edmond got convicted on a wide range of charges, chief being running a continuing criminal enterprise and conspiracies to distribute and possess with intent to distrib-

BLACKOUT from Page 35

what each of them creates, there seems to always be an overlay of Blackness imposed by the public imagination.”

Fleming’s other works “explored notions of Black masculinity.” But when he included white women performers, the perceptions changed to be construed as a statement of “interracial sexual dynamics or about whiteness.” According to the curators, this did not happen when the collaborator was a white male or a Black female.

The 10 paintings by Fleming on view are all numbered and titled “Infinite Desire,” and create a more mellow view of the activities in his performance pieces.

5 D.C. residents are being given a chance to share their thoughts on whether convicted drug kingpin Rayful Edmond III should receive an early release from prison. (Courtesy photo/NBC Washington)

ute five kilograms of cocaine and more than 50 grams of cocaine base.

On Sept. 17, 1990, Edmond received multiple sentences of life without parole as well as terms defined in months for the other offenses.

Edmond served some time in Lewisburg Federal Penitentiary in Pennsylvania but got in trouble conducting business for his criminal enterprise in 1996 using the telephone and received an extra 30 months for that.

Eventually, Edmond became a government informant. Racine said Edmond became helpful as a cooperating government witness in providing information and substantial assistance on criminal suspects and activities.

“Because of his cooperation, His second performance piece, “Pretending to be Black,” will take place on June 20 at 6:30 p.m. with Bass, guest artist Wilmer Wilson and Maps Glover. The two- to three-hour performance will be held in the DCAC Theater.

At the end of the exhibit, Fleming will engage in a conversation with Bass on June 22 from 3-4:30, moderated by co-curator Washington.

All events are free and recognize the 30th anniversary of DCAC (2483 18t Street NW in Adams-Morgan). Gallery hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 2-7 p.m. For more information, call 202-462-7833 or email info@dcartscenter.org.

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the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia has requested that Rule 35, the reduction of sentence, for Mr. Edmond,” Racine said.

Under federal law, Sullivan has the power to reduce Edmond’s sentence.

Racine said Sullivan then bought the city’s attorney general into the process by appointing it as an “amicus curiae” or “friend of the court” for resident solicitation.

The D.C. attorney general prosecutes juvenile cases and some adult misdemeanors in the city, while the District’s U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecutes most adult criminal charges, including felonies.

District residents will be able to express their views on Edmond’s possible release on June 13 at the Old Council Chambers (441 4th Street NW) from 6-9 p.m.; June 15 at Martha Table’s (2375 Elvans Road SE) from 11 a.m.- 1 p.m. and June 29 at the Franklin D. Reeves Center (2000 14th Street NW) from 1-3 p.m.

“We selected these sites for the listening sessions from different areas of town by factors such as access to public transit and whether the venue can accommodate large crowds,” Racine said. “People can also communicate to us by email and we have trained operators on a telephone line and of course, ‘snail’ mail. We want all parts of the community to be heard.”

Residents can go to www.RayfulEdmondFeedback.com for more information. Racine said his office will submit a brief to Sullivan reflecting the community’s views by Aug. 30.

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RELIGION the religion corner WITH LYNDIA GRANT

Dousing the Flames of the Diabetes Epidemic, Pt. 2 Your body is a temple. — 1st Corinthians 6:19 This is the second of a five-part series published in 2003, posted to share with readers how my mother suffered from Type 2 diabetes due to lack of knowledge. Why did she suffer? After learning the cause and effects, now I can help others.

Last week, I shared how mother suffered for 12 years with Type 2 diabetes and she acquired many complications that result from her having had this disease. She died in 2000 on Christmas Day. This campaign kicked off at Trinity Washington University.

It was my master’s thesis, and my professor told me, “I expect this campaign to become national” — and it has! Mother lost both of her legs to amputations, had kidney failure and several strokes. At the young age of 61, Mother had her first major stroke that caused paralysis. She ended up in Howard University Hospital, and they did not discover she had Type 2 diabetes until years later, since the testing was not a routine back in the 1980s.

Throughout our lives, we had been blessed, becoming successful businesswomen, doing exactly Mt. Zion Baptist Church Reverend John W. Davis Pastor 5101 14th Street, NW Washington, DC 20011 Phone: 202-726-2220 Fax: 202-726-9089 Service and Times Sunday Worship Service - 8:00 a.m. & 11:00 a.m.

Children’s Church - 11:00 a.m. (1st & 3rd Sundays) Communion - 10 a.m. 4th Sunday Sunday School - 9:15 a.m. (4th Sunday 8:15 a.m.)

Prayer Meeting & Bible Study - Wednesday 7:00 p.m.

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

what mother encouraged us to do.

We’d had lots of success in the mass media, publicizing several major events such as a major festival that attracted more than 100,000 people and two presidential inaugural committees, Republican and Democratic. We worked for two D.C. mayors and three city council members. I was even appointment as project director to erect the Spirit of Freedom Memorial, a new national African American Civil War memorial located in D.C. After learning how to publicize an issue on a massive scale, there was no way I could see the devastation caused in the life of my mother by Type 2 diabetes, fully understand this disease, and do nothing to share this with others. As Hosea 4:6 says, “My people are destroyed for the lack of knowledge.”

We didn’t understand! Could we have done something differently? We didn’t know how an improved diet with extremely limited amounts of sugar with major reductions in eating carbohydrates and getting regular physical exercise could have made a difference in her life. Now that I’ve learned from her doctor, from research, from the National Institute of Health, from Johns Hopkins and American Diabetes Association and others, I must share this good news with you! Proverbs 4:5 says, “Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words

of my mouth.”

What exactly is Type 2 diabetes?

Diabetes mellitus is a group of diseases characterized by high levels of blood glucose. It results from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both, and too much inflammation is in your body. For those of you who refuse to follow the rules, Type 2 diabetes can be associated with serious complications such as losing toes, a foot, legs and more. Plus it brings on premature death, as in the case of my mom.

On the other hand, people with Type 2 diabetes can turn this thing around. How? by taking measures to reduce the likelihood of such.

According to recent studies by the National Institute of Health (NIH), some researchers believe that African Americans, and some others, inherited a “thrifty gene” from their African ancestors. Discovered years ago, this gene enabled Africans, during “feast and famine” cycles, to use food energy more efficiently when food was scarce.

Today, the strenuous exercise is now much of a reality for most who still eat the same, which now causes Type 2 diabetes. Today, most of us eat too much, not aware of the “thrifty gene.”

This thrifty gene protects us when we have a food shortage, which means we can consume less and last longer, yet we eat more and exercise less.

WI

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Mount Olivet Lutheran Church

John F. Johnson Reverend Dr. 1306 Vermont Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20005 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

www.mtzbcdc.org

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JUNE 6 - 12, 2019 47

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

Service and Times Sunday Worship Times : 7:30 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

Pilgrim Baptist Church Rev. Louis B. Jones II Pastor 700 I Street, N.E. Washington, D.C. 20002 (202) 547-8849 Service and Times Worship Sundays: 7:30 & 11:00 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

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

Rev. Dr. Alton W. Jordan Pastor

Reverend Dr. Calvin L. Matthews Senior Pastor

Harold Andrew Assistant Pastor

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

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

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

Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 8:00am and 11:00 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”

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

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

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

St. Stephen Baptist Church

Third Street Church of God

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

Rev. Dr. Alice Greene Interim 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

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

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

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 6 - 12, 2019

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

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: Prayer/Praise/Bible Study-7:30 PM Baptism & Communion Service: 4th Sunday – 10:30 AM “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

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

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

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

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

RELIGION Shabbath Commandment Church

All Nations Baptist Church

King Emmanuel Baptist Church

Bishop Adrian A. Taylor, Sr. Pastor

Rev. Dr. James Coleman Pastor

Rev. Daryl F. Bell Pastor

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

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

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

Service and Times Sabbath School 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 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 Sunday Worship Service: 10:15 AM Sunday School: 9:00 AM Monday: Noon Bible School Wednesday: Noon & 7 PM Pastor’s Bible Study Ordinance of Baptism 2nd Holy Communion 4th Sunday Mission Zion Baptist Church Shall; Enlist Sinners, Educate Students, Empower the Suffering, Encourage the Saints, and Exalt Our Savior. (Acts 2:41-47) www.zionbaptistchurchdc.org

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

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

Dr. Earl D. Trent Senior Pastor

Rev. Dr. George C. Gilbert Senior Pastor

2409 Ainger Pl.,SE – WDC 20020 (202) 678-0884 – Office • (202) 678-0885 – Fax “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

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

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

“Where Jesus is the King”

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

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

Dr. Lucius M. Dalton Senior Pastor

Damion M. Briggs 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

Rev. Dr. Maxwell M. Washington 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 Service: 10:15 AM Sunday School: 9:00 AM Holy Communion: 3rd Sunday Morning Prayer Meeting / Bible Study: Tuesday at 7 PM Theme: “The Kingdom Focused Church with an Emphasis on “Evangelism and Discipleship”

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: pastorstmbc@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

Rev. Stephen E. Tucker Senior Pastor

“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

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

“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

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

“The Loving Church of the living lord “

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

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

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. Reginald M. Green Interim Pastor

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

St. Matthews Baptist Church

Service and Times Sunday School: 9:30 AM Sunday Worship Service: 11:00 AM Baptismal Service: 1st Sunday – 9:30 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sunday – 11:00 AM Prayer Meeting & Bible Study: Wednesday -7:30 PM

Emmanuel Baptist Church

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

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

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

JUNE 6 - 12, 2019 49

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

Administration No. 2019 ADM 256

Administration No. 2019 ADM 476

James C. Perry Decedent

Edward B. Harrison, Jr. Decedent

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

Jeffrey K. Gordon, Esq. 5335 Wisconsin Avenue, NW Suite 700 Washington, DC 20015 Attorney

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

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

Cynthia B. Tucker, whose address is 12113 Elmwood Drive, Brandywine, MD 20613, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of James C. Perry who died on August 11, 2004 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 11/23/2019. 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 11/23/2019, 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.

Anthony Q. Harrison, whose address is 9403 Miller Court, Clinton, Maryland 20735, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Edward B. Harrison, Jr. who died on January 28, 2018 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 11/23/2019. 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 11/23/2019, 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: 5/23/2019

Date of first publication: 5/23/2019

Cynthia B. Tucker Personal Representative

Anthony Q. Harrison Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

TRUE TEST COPY

Anne Meister Register of Wills

Anne Meister Register of Wills

Anne Meister Register of Wills

Anne Meister Register of Wills

Washington Informer

Washington Informer

Washington Informer

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

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

Administration No. 2019 ADM 000509

Administration No. 2019 ADM 478

Administration No. 2019 ADM 517

Foreign No. 2019 FEP 000046

Administration No. 2019 ADM 475

Reginald B. Elliott aka Reginald Brandon Elliott Decedent

Phyllis W. McCormick Decedent

Christine Childs Morgan Decedent

3/1/2016 Date of Death

Helen T. Owens Decedent

Matthew F. Shannon, Esquire 1420 N Street, NW #102 Washington, DC 20005 Attorney

Clark J. Hymes, Esq. 1032 15th Street, NW #1050 Washington, DC 20005 Attorney

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

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

Matthew F. Shannon, whose address is 1420 N Street, NW #102, Washington, DC 20005, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Reginald B. Elliott aka Reginald Brandon Elliott who died on April 12, 2019 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 11/30/2019. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigne`d with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 11/30/2019, 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.

Joseph P. McCormick, II and Roberta Reed, whose addresses are 6011 Third Street, NE, Washington, DC 20011 and 3336 Baker St., NE, Washington, DC 20019, were appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of Phyllis W. McCormick who died on December 31, 2016 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 11/30/2019. 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 11/30/2019, 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: 5/30/2019

Date of first publication: 5/30/2019

Matthew F. Shannon Personal Representative

Joseph P. McCormick, II Roberta Reed Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

TRUE TEST COPY

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

Administration No. 2018 ADM 001467

Administration No. 2019 ADM 461

Andrew M. Thomas, Sr. Decedent

Dinesh K. Gupta Decedent

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

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

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Foreign No. 2019 FEP 000041 December 19, 2004 Date of Death Gerald C. Thomas Name of Decedent

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

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Jennifer C. Concino, Esq., whose address is 5335 Wisconsin Ave., NW, #700, Washington, DC 20015, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Andrew M. Thomas Sr. who died on December 6, 2000 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 (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 11/23/2019. 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 11/23/2019, 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.

Robbie E. Gupta, whose address is 3133 Connecticut Avenue, NW, #1020, Washington, DC 20008, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Dinesh K. Gupta who died on December 1, 2018 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 11/23/2019. 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 11/23/2019, 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: 5/23/2019

Date of first publication: 5/23/2019

Ivy Thomas whose address is 4801 Iroquois Street, College Park, MD 20740 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Gerald C. Thomas, deceased, by the Orphans Court for Anne Arundel County, State of Maryland, on March 21, 2019.

Service of process may be made upon Deborah D. Glover, 1341 Barnaby Terr. SE, Washington, DC 20032, whose designation as District of Columbia agent has been filed with the Register of Wills, D.C. The decedent owned the following District of Columbia real estate.

5830 Eastern Avenue, NE, Washington, DC 20011 Claims against the decedent may be presented to the undersigned and filed with the Register of Wills of the District of Columbia, 515 5th Street, NW, Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001 within 6 months from the date of first publication of this notice.

Jennifer C. Concino, Esq. Personal Representative

Robbie E. Gupta Personal Representative

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

TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer

TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer

50 JUNE 6 - 12, 2019

TRUE TEST COPY

Date of first publication: 5/30/2019 Ivy Thomas Personal Representative

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Dennis William Morgan, whose address is 8811 Lottsford Road, Apt 237, Upper Marlboro, MD 20774, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Christine Childs Morgan who died on February 8, 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., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 11/30/2019. 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 11/30/2019, 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: 5/30/2019 Dennis William Morgan Personal Representative

Anne Meister Register of Wills

Albert Nelson Jenkins Name of Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Taunya L. Jenkins, whose address is 13219 Hampton Farm Lane, Brandywine, Md 20613, was appointed personal representative of the estate of Albert Nelson Jenkins, deceased, by the Orphans (Register of Wills) Court for Prince Georges County, State of Maryland, on 4/26/2019.

Service of process may be made upon Matthew J. Marshall, 4430 20th Street, NE, Washington, DC 20018 whose designation as District of Columbia agent has been filed with the Register of Wills, D.C. The decedent owned the following District of Columbia real estate.

3713 Massachusetts Ave., SE, Washington, DC 20019 Claims against the decedent may be presented to the undersigned and filed with the Register of Wills of the District of Columbia, 515 5th Street, NW, Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001 within 6 months from the date of first publication of this notice.

Date of first publication: 5/30/2019 Taunya L. Jenkins Personal Representative Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Cornelius Owens, whose address is 5500 Holmes Run Pkwy, #418, Alexandria, VA 22304, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Helen T. Owens who died on February 25, 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., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 11/30/2019.

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 11/30/2019, 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: 5/30/2019 Cornelius Owens Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer

Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

LEGAL NOTICES SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2019 ADM 474 Catherine H. Barnes Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Christopher Barnes, whose address is 105 56th Street, SE, Washington, DC 20019, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Catherine H. Barnes who died on October 13, 2018 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 11/30/2019. 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 11/30/2019, 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: 5/30/2019 Christopher Barnes Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2019 ADM 000504 Myrtle Jackson Decedent Ethel Mitchell, Esq. 8403 Colesville Road #1100 Silver Spring, MD 20910 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS David Desbordes, whose address is 3551 Kilpatrick Lane, Snellville, GA 30039, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Myrtle Jackson who died on September 29, 2018 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 12/6/2019. 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 12/6/2019, 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: 6/6/2019 David Desbordes Personal Representative

Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer

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EXFELON from Page 1

5 Rep

JUBILEE from Page 26 achieve success in their performance of the Fisk Jubilee Singers’ songbook but we are invited to learn the names and stories of those youth who comprised the 13 original members of the “Jub” as they called themselves.

Not only did the “Jub” save their financially-strapped university from being shutdown – they also saved the Negro spirituals from being lost forever.

Hymns and spirituals rendered during the show include “Wade in the Water,” “Ain’t That Good News,” “Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen” and “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” – songs once heard only by Africans stolen from their native land or their progeny – songs sung in the

fields while they labored or behind closed doors and away from the purview of their captors.

Musicologist and former Jubilee Singers Musical Director Horace C. Boyer shares words about the inaugural performance of the ensemble and the effect it had on both the mostly-white audience and the singers themselves.

“All of a sudden, there was no talking,” he says on the Jubilee Singers website. “They said you could hear the soft weeping . . . and I’m sure that the Jubilee Singers were joining them in tears because sometimes when you think about what you are singing, particularly if you believe it, you can’t help but be moved.”

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constitutional protections. They do not lose their civil rights. They do not lose their citizenship. Why, then, would they lose their most fundamental democratic right?”

White said his bill would affect about 6,000 residents.

In 1955, the felony disenfranchisement effort became law, by way of the federal government. The District had no voting representation in the U.S. Congress at that time and three presidentially appointed commissioners managed the city.

White made the announcement June 4 in front of the John A. Wilson Building, with fellow council members Trayon White (D-Ward 8), Charles Allen (D-Ward 6), Anita Bonds (D-At Large), Brianne Nadeau (D-Ward 1), Kenyan McDuffie (D-Ward 5), David Grosso (I-At Large) and Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3) supporting him along with leaders of returning citizens’ groups holding white posters with #restorethevotedc in purple writing on them.

White’s bill comes along as national attention on the voting rights of the incarcerated are being debated.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a Democratic presidential hopeful, has openly said convicted felons and felons serving time should have the right to vote. In Florida, an amendment allowing felons who have served their time to vote in the state passed by a 64 percent margin in November.

However, Republicans in the Florida state legislature and the state’s governor, Ron DeSantis (R) want felons to pay all of their fees and fines before they are allowed to vote and legislation has been making progress to do that. Andrew Gillum, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate in 2018, has denounced the GOP effort, saying the amendment “ is the law of the land” and “it is enshrined in the Florida Constitution.”

Gillum has also compared the Republicans’ actions as “an illegal poll tax.”

While the District and 48 states have laws prohibiting incarcerated residents from voting, White noted that Vermont and Maine have never passed laws disenfranchising incarcerated residents.

Presently, felons get their voting rights back when they are released from the criminal justice system. In Maryland, a felon loses their right to vote while incarcerated but regains it when released.

In Virginia, a felon has to get individual approval from the governor in order to vote in that commonwealth.

White also noted the District’s law took effect when the city was in the grips of Jim Crow segregation and pointed out that 90 percent of incarcerated felons are African American.

One in 13 African Americans has lost their right to vote due to felony

disenfranchisement laws, compared to 1 in 56 non-Black voters, studies have shown.

White said he understands the argument of some who say controversial criminals such as the Boston Marathon bomber should not have the right to vote, but said his bill remains the right thing to do.

Trayon White supports the bill and noted that historic figures such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Gandhi, Malcolm X and former D.C. Mayor and Council member Marion S. Barry were all once returning citizens.

“There are 70,000 returning citizens in D.C. and we as leaders should give them the same rights we have,” he said.

D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine (D) didn’t attend announcement but supports White’s efforts, saying “when people violate the law, we must hold them accountable, but we shouldn’t strip them of their rights as citizens.”

“Most countries in the world recognize that incarcerated people will eventually return to their commu-

nities and ensuring that they remain active participants with their families and community during a period of incarceration enhances the likelihood that they will not engage in wrongdoing upon release,” Racine said.

Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) hasn’t publicly taken a position on the bill but Brian Ferguson, the director of the Mayor’s Office on Returning Citizens Affairs, said Bowser “supports the voting rights of all District citizens.”

White encouraged Allen, the chairman of the council’s Committee on the Judiciary & Public Safety, to hold a hearing on the bill before the summer recess and Allen said he will work with White to move the legislation in a timely manner.

Tony Lewis, a prominent returning citizens’ activist, said voting would mean so much to the city’s felony population.

“This gives them something that they can participate in and will help them stay connected by participating in our elections,” Lewis said.

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BUDGET from Page 9

abortion and on recreational marijuana commercialization. The bill allows the city to spend its local funds after the congressional review period like all other local bills, a first.

The council will meet in a special session to approve the BSA in either late June or early July and then send the budget to the mayor. As has long been tradition, Bowser will sign it and then Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) will send the local budget portion to Capitol Hill for the 30-day congressional review.

If there are no objections to the budget, it takes effect on Oct. 1. WI

“I am grateful to Subcommittee Chairman Mike Quigley [D-Ill.] and full committee Chairwoman Nita Lowey [D-N.Y.] for their continued support for D.C. home rule and for writing a historic bill that would, for the first time under the Home Rule Act of 1973, allow D.C. to spend its local funds without a congressional appropriation,” she said.

Norton noted that the House version contains no anti-home rule riders and it removed prohibitions on the District’s use of its local funds on

ACTIVISIM from Page 40

change.”

During the more than two-hour session, a video showcased moments in sports history that included a 1968 Olympic Games photo of John Carlos and Tommie Smith, who raised their fists wearing black gloves at the podium to protest racial inequality.

After it happened, former TV broadcaster Brent Musburger, a sportswriter for the defunct The Chicago American newspaper, who wrote a column and called the two sprinters “black-skinned storm troopers” after Smith won a gold medal and Carlos a bronze in the 200-meter race.

“He doesn’t even exist in my mind,” Carlos said Thursday about Musburger. “He didn’t mean anything to me 51 years ago. He doesn’t mean anything to me today because he’s been proven to be wrong.”

Carlos, who turned 74 on Wednesday, June 5, explained how the current sports and activism culture of “shut up and dribble” res-

onated in the 1960s. During that time, American stood divided on the country’s decision to go into the Vietnam War and ongoing racial tensions.

“While [protest opponents] might take my life, but they can never take this demonstration away. Once it’s done, it’s done. I felt that was far more important than my life,” he said. “When I came into the games, I didn’t go to the games to make a statement for John Carlos. I meant to make that statement for my kids and their peers.”

Carlos later said, “I was born dead.

I’m fighting to live.”

DC Councilman Trayon White (D-Ward 8) said a national conversation that features prominent athletes highlight improvements in the city, particularly his district.

“It’s good to see athletes using their platform to fight for a just cause,” he said. “Our young people are going to gravitate toward that. We’re happy to have students from all over Ward 8 to participate and learn and grow.” WI

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MALVEAUX from Page 30

cold. What would make sense is that any fines that aren’t used to recompense the direct victims be put into a fund to rebuild the communities most injured.

Supplement that with revenues from sensible taxes on the banks — like Elizabeth Warren’s call for a simple corporate tax on the profits they report — and a multibillion-dollar fund could be created to help repair the communities most impacted by the bankers’ crimes.

Use that money not to line the pockets of the big banks again, but to seed community banks and cooperatives, to support nonprofit affordable housing development, to create postal banking services that could liberate the poor from the usurious charges of payday lenders.

That might not end Wall Street’s addiction to crime, but it would help repair the communities that they have devastated. One would think that law-and-order conservatives might support this act of simple justice. WI

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■ Media Training ■ Image Branding ■ On-Camera Coaching Doris McMillon President

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hoods, peddling predatory mortgages to customers who they knew could not afford them. As one former Wells Fargo mortgage broker explained in a sworn affidavit, “The company put ‘bounties’ on minority borrowers. By this I mean that loan officers received cash incentives to aggressively market subprime loans in minority communities.” At the height of the rapacious lending boom, nearly 50 percent of all loans given to African American families were deemed “subprime.”

The New York Times described these contracts as “a financial time bomb.”

When housing prices cratered, the bomb exploded. Mass evictions left entire neighborhoods scarred by empty houses. The banks then failed their legal duty to keep the homes up, with neighborhoods turning into waste pits. With homeowners evicted, local revenues declined.

Stores were shuttered; schools

closed; local services decimated.

Those victimized were most often those who did the right thing: working steadily, putting together the money for a down payment on a home for their children. A rising African-American middle class was eviscerated. In 2012, the National Fair Housing Alliance reported that African Americans suffered “the largest loss of wealth for these communities in modern history.” Between 2009 and 2012, African Americans lost just under $200 billion in wealth, bringing the gap between white and black wealth to a staggering 20:1 ratio.

According to the Better Markets report, the six biggest banks have paid over $181 billion in fines and settlements for their criminal activity. This money generally goes back into the general fund, unless the settlement agreement provides for some relief to those injured.

That too often leaves those most injured by the illegal practices out in the

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JACKSON from Page 30

ral jurisdictions — than in their own communities.

Prison gerrymandering, as this practice is known, along with the fact that Black communities are undercounted and non-Hispanic white communities are more likely to be overcounted, represents a massive transfer of political power and violates the constitutional principle of one person, one vote.

We urge every community to get involved and to encourage their neighbors, family members, church members, and coworkers to participate in the census, to count everyone in the household, including babies, foster children and extended family members. It is important, safe and easy.

In addition, we urge Congress to continue to hold oversight hearings to shed light on issues the public needs to know about regarding census readiness, especially cyber security, the 2020 Census Integrated Communications Campaign and field infrastructure. WI

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federally produced statistics, such as the Consumer Price Expenditure survey, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Center for Educational Statistics and a host of others.

An inaccurate census will deprive communities of critical social, demographic and economic research conducted by think tanks, academic institutions and the private sectors.

An inaccurate census will deprive communities of billions of dollars in federal funding.

An inaccurate census will deprive communities of the just enforcement of civil rights laws and constitutional protections like fair housing and voting rights.

And, most importantly, an inaccurate census will deprive communities of fair political representation in the U.S. Congress, the Electoral College and state and local legislatures.

Over the past 60 years, census accuracy has steadily improved, but some

groups still experience higher undercounts and omissions from the census than others. These include racial and ethnic minority groups, immigrants, single-parent households, non-English speakers. Other populations that are chronically undercounted are renters, mobile young adults, people displaced by natural disasters and the formerly incarcerated.

In the 2010 census, the Black population had the highest net undercount and omission rate of any major race or ethnic group.

Overall, 9.3% of the Black population was completely missed in the census, based on the Census Bureau’s post2010 census demographic analysis.

The undercount rate for Black men age 18-49 was very high — 7.6% — meaning almost 8 percent of all African-American men in this age group were undercounted. And because Black men experience disproportionately higher rates of incarceration, they are more likely to be counted in the communities where they are imprisoned — typically ru-

You Can Say It Like A Pro!

D : Sade

MORIAL from Page 30

reasons. We can’t tout democracy and then suppress it. Wait! We always have. We did it when veterans were lynched when they came back from World War I. We did it when we treated German prisoners of war better than returning veterans after World War II. But we don’t have to cosign the hypocrisy now. If we, Black folks, believe in freedom, we must believe in foreign policy justice. And we must understand that foolish tariffs against Mexico will hurt us all.

Black voices need to be loud voices around foreign policy matters. Or we can be silent and accept the economic, moral and political consequences of our nation’s biased myopia.

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Photo

45 doesn’t get that he will hurt the consumers he vowed to protect, not the countries he is trying to punish.

Unfortunately, African-American engagement in foreign policy has been peripheral. We’ve had folks like Secretaries of State Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice take leadership on foreign policy, and folks like Mel Foote of the Constituency for Africa lead civil society organizations around foreign policy. And we can go all the way back to Frederick Douglass’ ambassadorship to Haiti in the 19th century to illustrate our concern with foreign policy, even as we struggled in the aftermath of enslavement.

Still, when African Americans are

polled, foreign policy issues are not our most important. They must and should be, and for several reasons.

First of all, we pay taxes for foreign aid. Secondly, people of color around the globe (including Mexico) are oppressed by U.S. foreign policy. Further, we fall short of our rhetoric about democracy and human rights when we offer financial support to countries that choose to marginalize some of its citizens.

African-American people are uniquely situated to lift our voices around foreign policy hypocrisy.

The late great political scientist Dr. Ron Walters talked about “foreign policy justice,” about the many ways we favored some nations, ignoring others, usually for strategic

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WRIGHT from Page 31 in the Equality Act affect women and girls’ sex-based rights and protections.

Though a detailed analysis of these items is beyond the scope of this piece, there are some that readily come to mind. Based on their purported “gender-related identity, mannerisms, appearances or characteristics,” males will be able to enter female-only spaces such as showers, dressing rooms, locker rooms and domestic violence shelters; apply for female-only scholarships, awards, loans and grants; perform intimate services for which a woman has been specifically requested; compete against and displace women and girls in female-only individual and team sports; and participate in any female only efforts to assemble, meet, organize, socialize or conference around the unique issues inherent to being women or girls.

Thus, in an Orwellian twist, under penalty of law, the Equality Act will compel women and girls to cede their sex-based rights to men — the very group whose millennia of sex-based discrimination necessitated the creation

WILLIAMS from Page 31 tic cable) and Marie Van Brittan Brown (the Black woman who developed a patent for closed-circuit television security). He learned and taught much more!

George was so impressed with his newfound knowledge and ap-

ASKIA from Page 31

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men and women alike all across the city of their futures.

Ron offered a rare holistic, African-centered, drug-free approach to treatment that included diet, poetry and plenty of Black music which proved to be safe, effective and long-lasting. To those who landed in his care — voluntarily, by referral, or even under court supervision — he offered them a bed, meals, daily responsibilities that helped develop character and leadership, counseling and a community of caring licensed professionals and

of these protections — based upon these men’s adherence to, affinity for, or identification with the very stereotypes whose eradication form the core basis of feminism, and fundamental aspects of anti-discrimination law and policy.

Proponents of the Equality Act often charge that concerns raised about gender identity’s impact on women and girls amounts to fearmongering. But this begs the question: what is the point of having sex-separated showers, locker-rooms, services, sports, awards, etc., for women and girls if males can avail themselves of these spaces, entities and opportunities?

And it’s not just women and girls who are affected. The Equality Act also adversely affects lesbians and gay men, individuals whose rights and protections are also inextricably connected to their sex. Gender identity will allow members of the opposite sex, including heterosexuals, to participate in any effort by lesbians or gay men to assemble, meet, organize, socialize, conference, etc., around the unique issues inherent to being lesbians or gay men, avail themselves of spaces set aside for lesbians or gay

men, such as support groups and events, and apply for and access all programs and awards designated for lesbians or gay men, including scholarships, grants, loans and set-asides.

These issues must be thoroughly and methodically analyzed given the magnitude of what’s at stake, not hand-waved in a partisan bid to score political points. It is this uncritical approach, blinded by specious equality rhetoric, that has resulted in a statute being passed by the United States House of Representatives which contains the words “gender-related mannerisms.”

Gender identity must be removed from the Equality Act. In addition to being the embodiment of sexist, regressive stereotypes, it eliminates many of the hard-fought sex-based rights and protections of women, girls, lesbians and gay men. No other major rights movement in American history has sought to achieve its objectives by eradicating the protections of marginalized communities. The sex-based spaces, services and opportunities of women, girls, lesbians and gay men cannot be sacrificed at the altar of gender identity.

WI

preciation of Black people that totally discredited the stories he’d learned growing up. He now knew better than the lies about Black people that he’d been taught, and felt compelled to teach others.

That’s how his decision to form his National Association of Recovering Racists was born. Naturally,

he made his friend Dick Gregory chairman of his advisory board and Father Clements a member of the board.

White people, if you really want to learn how to deal with your racism, a good place to begin is by reading George’s book, “Confessions of a Recovering Racist.” WI

volunteers that assisted them on their road to recovery.

For nearly half a century, thousands of former addicts have enrolled in the Regional Addiction Prevention Program started by Ron Clark, who started out to be a bass violin player in the great Charles Mingus’ band, but who was needed for an even higher calling to help his brothers and sisters escape from the bondage of addiction here in the nation’s capital.

He provided many, many, many documented success stories and many, many more offered testimonials about how the

nationally recognized program RAP Inc. saved their lives or the lives of their beloved family members.

Ron leaves a dedicated wife, Angela Owens Clark, the former editorial director at WRC-TV (Channel 4), a son and several grandchildren. He was 83.

His homegoing service was in Los Angeles, not so very far from that tree-lined street where I knew him even before I met him: 52nd Place near Avalon, in South Central Los Angeles. A memorial service will be held in the District in mid-July.

Rest in peace, dear friend. WI

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