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Confederate Symbols Removed Page 16 Vol. 56, No. 20 • March 3 - 10, 2021
Surviving the Pandemic a Year After the Unthinkable Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer
5 A few students at Tyler Elementary in Southeast have returned to in-person learning and there is a demand for additional slots while classroom sizes are capped at 11 students. (Roy Lewis/The Washington Informer)
One year ago, the COVID-19 pandemic caught many Americans off-guard, forcing changes that no one could have anticipated. With more than 500,000 in the U.S. dead, and about 28.5 million infected, most remain skittish despite medical science advances that now include three government-approved coronavirus vaccines. Whether directly affected or not, many agree that pre-pandemic norms are probably forever lost. A multitude won’t soon, if ever, forget the toll exacted by the coronavirus.
A DOCTOR IN TRAINING, UNDER PRESSURE
“At the time COVID hit, I was a second-year medical student at University of Medicine and Health Science in St. Kitts. I was trying to schedule my board exams and living with my uncle and grandmother in South Florida,” stated Eboni Peoples, an American Medical Student Association Reproductive Justice Scholarship winner. “One day early in the pandemic, my grandmother’s blood pressure shot up to over 200. As a med student, my family was looking to me
COVID Page 20
Civil Rights Icon Vernon Jordan, Jr. Dies at 85
Third Vaccine on the way but Few Doses Coming to Region
Vernon Jordan, Jr., the former National Urban League president and civil rights leader, has died at 85. His daughter, Vickee Jordan Adams, confirmed his death on Tuesday. “My father passed away last night at around 10 p.m. surrounded by loved ones, his wife and daughter, by his side,” Adams noted in a statement. A lawyer and Washington power broker, Jordan was born in Atlanta on August 15, 1935. He attended the DePauw University in Greencastle, Ind., where he was the only African-American student in his class. According to his biography posted by The HistoryMakers, Jordan participated in the student senate at DePauw and won
D. Kevin McNeir WI Editor
CDC Says Virginia to Receive 13th Highest Among States; Maryland Further Behind
Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer
5 Vernon Jordan, Jr.
JORDAN Page 35 (Shevry Lassiter/The Washington Informer)
Trucks from production plants in Kentucky and Tennessee carrying Johnson & Johnson’s [J&J] COVID-19 vaccine rolled out Monday, March 1 headed across the U.S. by road and air after the Food and Drug Administration approved the medication on Feb. 27 which only requires a single dose instead of two shots. However, based on data released by the Centers for Disease Control, the Greater Washington region lags
far behind other states in the U.S. in terms of the total number of doses they’ll receive. The DMV region will receive 125,300 doses with Virginia expected to receive 69,700 doses – the 13th highest distribution across states. Maryland will be given 49,600 doses while D.C. anticipates receiving 6,000 shots. Just two states and U.S. territories will receive fewer doses than the District. The U.S. Food and Drug Admin-
ROLLOUT Page 38
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Women the Cycle of wi hotBreak topics Domestic Seven Years Later, Violence Search Former CDC Director
COMPILED BY D. KEVIN MCNEIR, WI EDITOR AND WILLIAM J. FORD AND JAMES HARRIS, WI STAFF WRITERS
tosaid. Maryland in Continues for Relisha RuddShe said theyComes law enforcement. threat,” she had come together to bring aFight Among the programs Marlow Against COVID-19 As the first days of sense of uniformity in the way
By Tia Carol Jones WI Staff Writer
wants to see implemented are March came and went, When L.Y. Marlow's 23-year- domestic violence victims and The stricter restraining former director order of thepolicies, Centers for Disresidents oldDistrict daughter told hermarked the father survivors are treated. rights forPrevention victim's families ease more Control and will help lead Marchthreatened 1 as Rel- her ofMonday, her daughter “She's using her own personalMaryland to intervene behalf of a vicin its on fight against COVID-19. isha Rudd Day. life, and the Awareness life of their child, story, her own personal pain toRobert tim,Redfield, a domestic assesswhoviolence served in that capacity childsomething disappeared sheThe knew hadsevto be push forward,” Davis-Nickensfromment withformer furtherPresident 2018unit to coupled 2021 under en years the frustration age of done. Outago of ather said about Marlow. training forwill lawserve enforcement Donald Trump, in a voluntary caeight. 1, 2014,handling was with lawMarch enforcement's Davis-Nickens said anyonepacity agencies, a Child's as a senior advisorLife to ProtecGov. Larry Hotime Relisha, who to who reads Marlow's book will tion Act and mandatory counselofthe thelast situation, she decided gan’s senior advisor. His duties will include would be 14, was seen alive. She seen at ashe motel start thenow Saving Promise cam“getwas it.”last She said “puts theassessing ing for thebatterers. state’s vaccine roll out and how in Northeast with Kahlil Tatum, case a janitor whoa way, worked paign. in such theataverageto safely “Ifreopen we arethe everstate going eradi- of contaandtospread “It seems to be a vicious the D.C. General Shelter cycle where Relisha personand canher get family it.” Shewere said at thegiouscate domestic violence, we must coronavirus variants. that won't turn myandfamily staying. D.C. police others gathered end of totheremember day, theRelibook will look at both sides of the coin. Under Trump, the CDC received harsh critloose,” sha onMarlow Monday. said. Marlow help people begin to have a dia- We need to address both the vicicism for its inconsistent nationwide vaccine shared her story with the audiTatum committed suicide shortly after the domestic child wasviolence. relogue about tim and the batterer,” Marlow ence at missing. the District Heights Also present at Relisha, the event wasroll out. ported And while police believe he killed said. did putwould science said Domestic Mildred and Muhammad, the ex- “WeMarlow alsofirst,” like toRedfield see her bodyViolence has never Symposium been found. Authorities family memstanding near Hogan in Annapolis on Tuesday, onbers Mayhave 7 atconducted the Districtnumerous Heights searches wife ofover Johnthe Allen programs designed to raise yearsMuhammad, since March 2. “If anything, I’m disappointed about Municipal Center. The sympo-partswho wasDistrict sentenced her disappearance in different of the buttotosixnoconsec- awareness among children in during my time at CDC was the inconsistency sium sponsored bytothe lifeofterms avail.was The FBI continues offer autive reward up to without $25,000 parole public and private schools. She of messaging. It’s terribly Family and Youth Services by a Maryland jury for his role in feels children need to important be educat- in public for information leading to the location and return of Relisha. youdomestic [Marylanders] are so fortunate Center of the city of District the Beltway Sniper attacks inhealth ed and about violence. with Gov. Hogan to have that Heights and the National Hook- 2002. Mildred Muhammad is “We have to stop being public pas- health message echoed by civic leaders.” Up of Black Women. the founder of After the Trauma, sive-aggressive with poor chilannounced Marlow has written a book, an organization that helps the Meanwhile, dren aboutHogan domestic violence,”the state open three “Color Me Butterfly,” which is a survivors of domestic violencewill Marlow said. more vaccination sites in story about four generations of and their children. CharlesMarlow Countyhas on March worked4,toWicomico break Youth domestic violence. The book is Center Salisbury March 18 and “I lived in fear for six years. Six& Civic the cycle of in abuse in heronfamily, inspired by her own experiences, years in fear is a long time. It isthe Hagerstown Premium Outletssheat the end and is confident the policies said Tuesday willtohave and President those of Joe her Biden grandmother, notthat an the easyU.S. thing come outof the doses are anticipated to is mouth. pushingVaccine for will start that vaccine adult in of,” the country herenough mother and for herevery daughter. she said.by the end of process. double at the sites in Prince George’s County May. announcement March 2 Muhammad on the heels said She saidBiden everymade timetheshe reads Mildred “I plan to take these policies to excerpts from her book, she still Production of green-lighting the Defense Act want to be to usedhelp a Congress and implore them to people who can believe words came domestic to not assist Merckthewith manufacturing Johnson & Johnson's that about threeour weeks agoMarlow and were able to say violence victim must change laws,” said. from her. “Color Me Butterfly” be careful of how they go that COVID-19 vaccine. into we'll enough supply “I have will not stop vaccine until these poli-for adults won He thealso 2007 National “Best the victim's and understand announced an initiative to get schoolslife, reopened by by the end ciesofareJuly.” passed.” Books” Award. thatteachers she may be in “survival Tia Carol Jones can be reached prioritizing the vaccination of K-12 and staff using “I'm pleased to announce today as a conse“I was justpharmacy 16-years-old whenduring mode”. the federal program a brief speech from the quence at of tiacaroljones@sbcglobal.net the stepped-up process that I've ormyWhite eye first blackened andRoom. my “Before you get to 'I'm going House's Roosevelt dered and just outlined, this country will have lips bled,” said. kill you,' it started as WI supply, I'll say it again, for every “WhenMarlow we came into office thetoprior administration hada verbal enough vaccine Elaine Davis-Nickens, contracted for not nearlypresienough vaccine to cover adults in adult in America by the end of May. That's progdent of the he National Hook-Up America,” said pointing a finger at Trump. “We rectified ress,” the president added. of Black Women, said there is no consistency in the way domestic violence issues are dealt with by
President Joe Biden: 'U.S. will have enough vaccine for every adult by the end of May'
THE WASHINGTON INFORMER PUBLISHER NEWSPAPER (ISSN#0741-9414) is pubDenise Rolark Barnes lished weekly on each Thursday. Periodicals postage paid at Washington, D.C. and additional mailing offices. News and adSTAFF vertising deadline is Monday prior to pubD. Kevin McNeir, Editor lication. Announcements must be receivedIn Memoriam Burke, two weeks prior to event. CopyrightDr. 2016 Calvin Ron W. Rolark, Sr.Advertising/ Marketing Director Shevry Lassiter, Photo Editor by The Washington Informer. All rights Wilhelmina J. Rolark reserved. POSTMASTER: Send change Lafayette Barnes, IV, Assistant Photo Editor of addresses to The Washington Inform- NEWSPAPER (ISSN#0741-9414) is published THE WASHINGTON INFORMER Dorothy Rowley, Online Editor er, 3117 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E. weekly on Thursday. Periodicals postageZebraDesigns.net, paid at Washington, Design D.C. and additional & Layout Washington, D.C. 20032. No part of this mailing News and without advertising Mable deadlineNeville, is Monday prior to publication. publication mayoffices. be reproduced Bookkeeper be received to event. Copyright 2000 by The writtenAnnouncements permission frommust the publisher. Thetwo weeks Ronprior Taylor, Copy Editor Washington Informer. All rights the reserved. POST MASTER: Send change of addressInformer Newspaper cannot guarantee Tatiana Moten, Social Media Specialist return esoftophotographs. Subscription rates The Washington Informer, 3117 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E. Washington, Angie Johnson, Circulation are $45D.C. per year, two years $60. Papers will 20032. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permisbe received not more than a week after pubsion from the payable publisher. Newspaper cannot guarantee the return of lication. Make checks to: The Informer REPORTERS
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“
haveChoice to stop being Henderson Wants to ConsiderWe Ranked Voting in D.C.
The process lets voters rank candidates, usually no passive-aggressive with poor more than five, for an office in order of their preference. If a candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote children about in the first round, they aredomestic the winner. If no majority winner emerges during the first round, the race will be by an instant Ranked choice voting is violence.decided I plan to runoff. take these how voters in New York City, San Francisco, Minneapolis and nearly three dozen other municipalities choose policies to Congress and elected officials. It is also used in Maine and Alaska. A ranked choice voting bill was considered by the council implorein 2019 them our and hadto fourchange co-introducers, but it never made it past the Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety. tuned for a forthcoming laws.how“Stay I youwill not stopintroduction until date and can help us get this important bill through the council,” she said. these policies are passed.
D.C. Councilmember Christina Henderson will serve as the main sponsor of a bill that installs ranked choice voting as the primary election mode in the District. “During my run for office, it was clear to me that our current system for selecting elected officials is challenged when you have 24 candidates running for two seats,” Henderson, an at-large independent member elected in 2020, said in her February 2021 newsletter. “Ranked choice voting is a better way to ensure that voters’ choices are truly heard in selecting winners from large pools of candidates and that winning candidates have in fact earned a broad base of support.”
“
In Memoriam Dr. Calvin W. Rolark, Sr. Wilhelmina J. Rolark
THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM
L.Y. Marlow
AROUND THE REGION Bowser’s Program to Fight Gun Violence Met with Mixed Reviews Building Blocks DC Feted as Innovative but Criticized as Lacking James Wright and Hamil Harris WI Staff Writer, WI Contributing Writer
PART TWO IN A SERIES Mayor Muriel Bowser’s new program aimed at addressing the District’s recently issued state of emergency regarding crime and violence in D.C., while praised as innovative by supporters, has been met with pointed criticism by others long engaged in efforts to make communities safer. On Feb. 17, the mayor, with members of her Cabinet, D.C. Police Chief Robert Contee III, Director of Gun Violence Prevention Linda Harllee Harper and Councilmembers Trayon White (D-Ward 8) and Charles Allen (D-Ward 6), introduced the $15 million Building Blocks DC program. The initiative includes a gun violence prevention emergency operations center that will be housed in the Anacostia neighborhood of Ward 8 and uses city government workers to address ways to engage people and places most atrisk for gun violence. “This is the first of its kind in the country using the public health approach,” Harper said. “We are focusing on people, places and process. We know that hurt people hurt people and communities. We plan to do this with a data-driven approach.” The program focuses on 151 District blocks which represent about two percent of the city’s blocks but 41 percent of violence offenses where guns have been fired. The targeted blocks will be scoured to zero in on areas known for extensive gun violence in efforts to reduce the disturbing rise in homicides. Those identified as at-risk for being either a victim or a perpetrator of gun violence will be engaged by the Building Blocks DC staff for programs dealing in trauma, violence prevention, job training and procurement, housing and neighborhood infrastructure. Two advisory groups will be created – one dealing with science led by Mannone Butler and the Rev. Dr. Roger Mitchell, Jr., the other focusing on the community shepherded by activist Tony Lewis and the Rev. Donald Isaac. Program supporters believe it will lead to more positive outcomes those
who are confronted with incidents involving the use of guns by providing government resources to help them overcome financial and emotional challenges they face.
JURY OUT ON IMPACT OF BUILDING BLOCKS DC
White voiced his endorsement for the program, labeling it as a start, while Allen expressed excitement. “This is a big deal and an incredibly important step for our city. This can absolutely save lives,” Allen said. Contee, who has voiced his support of Harper, said, “this is what many people in the city have cried for.” Ronald Hampton, a retired police officer who works as a criminal justice and security consultant and serves on the District’s Police Reform Commission, said Building Blocks DC “is an interesting concept.” “This will be a good program if Harper has what she needs to make it work,” Hampton said. “The emergency center could be a good thing as a single place where people impacted by gun violence can go for resources whether they have been the victims of crime or perpetrators.” Alternatively, some activists remain unconvinced that the new initiative will prove effective. The Rev. Steven Young of The House of Praise in Northeast has become known throughout the city for putting the funeral programs of people who have died from gun violence on the walls of his church. He believes incarcerating youth involved in gun violence may be the best way to deal with the problem. “Even those who used to be on the front lines are afraid of the youngsters,” he said. “There are a whole lot of parents who are afraid of their children. The only way a lot of these children can be disciplined is if you lock them up.” One longtime Ward 8 violence prevention activist, the Rev. Anthony Motley, said often the government exacerbates the problem. “The government has to get out of the way,” Motley said. “Officials think they know so much but they’ve failed to realize that if they are going to do this thing, the government is not the
player. It is a team effort with the faith community. My old professor used to say ‘teamwork makes the dream work.’” Roach Brown, a prison reform advocate who regularly interacts with atrisk youth, identifies “jobs, jobs, jobs” as the solution to gun violence in the District. “Jobs reduce crime; jobs also improve public safety,” Brown said. “We need jobs. This is an all-hands-on-deck issue. Folks have to drop their attitudes and egos. We have to come together. This is about saving our race.” Some citizens say they’re dissatisfied with how the mayor has approached
GUNS Page 43
5 Roach Brown and his wife, Mertine, believe providing jobs for youth will help quell gun violence in the District. (Photo courtesy Roach Brown)
Ward 8
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MARCH 4 - 10, 2021 5
AROUND THE REGION
black facts
SOURCE: BLACK AMERICA WEB
MAR 4 - 10, 2021
MARCH 4
1877 – Black inventor Garrett Morgan is born in Paris, Kentucky. 1954 – J. Ernest Wilkins Jr. is appointed assistant secretary of labor by President Eisenhower, becoming the first African American to hold a sub-Cabinet position in the federal government.
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MARCH 5
1770 – Crispus Attucks, widely considered to be the first American casualty in the American Revolutionary War, is killed in the Boston Massacre. 1939 – Acclaimed playwright Charles Fuller (right), best known for his Pulitzer-winning play "A Soldier's Play," is born in Philadelphia. 1985 – The U.S. Postal Service issues the eighth stamp in its Black Heritage series, honoring Mary McLeod Bethune.
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1857 – The U.S. Supreme Court issues a decision in the Dred Scott case, affirming the right of slave owners to take their slaves into the Western territories.
MARCH 7
1539 – Estevanico, one of the first native Africans to reach the present-day continental United States, sets out to explore what is
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now the southwestern part of the U.S. 1927 – In the U.S. Supreme Court case Nixon v. Herndon, the court strikes down a Texas law forbidding Blacks from voting in the state Democratic Party primary. 1942 – The first class of African American pilots at Tuskegee Army Air Field completes advanced pilot training. 1965 – The Selma to Montgomery marches, held to champion voting rights for African Americans and in protest of segregation, begin in Selma, Alabama.
MARCH 8
1825 – Alexander Thomas Augusta, the first Black professor of medicine in the United States and the Army's first African American physician, is born in Norfolk, Virginia. 1876 – PBS Pinchback, the nation's first Black governor, is denied by Congress a U.S. Senate seat he won four years earlier. 1993 – Famed jazz singer Billy Eckstine dies in Pittsburgh at 78 from complications following a heart attack.
MARCH 9
1841 – The U.S. Supreme Court rules that the African slaves who seized control of the Amistad slave ship had been illegally forced into slavery, and thus are free under American law. 1966 – Andrew F. Brimmer is sworn in as the first Black governor of the Federal Reserve Board. 1997 – Famed rapper The Notorious B.I.G. (top) is shot and killed in Los Angeles at age 24.
MARCH 10
MARY MCLEOD BETHUNE
6 MARCH 4 - 10, 2021
1849 – Hallie Quinn Brown, an African American educator, writer and activist, is born in Pittsburgh. 1913 – Iconic abolitionist and escaped Harriet Tubman dies of pneumonia in Auburn, New York. 1969 – James Earl Ray pleads guilty to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. and is sentenced to 99 years in prison. WI
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In his new podcast with Bruce Springsteen, former President Barack Obama said he always supported reparations for Black Americans, but he feared white backlash and resistance if he was vocal about such during his presidency. What are your thoughts?
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I understand his position, but white resistance, resentment and disrespect was already out in the open. He must have already known that white, Southern Democrats would not have voted on his side.
KIM TURNER / WASHINGTON, D.C.
I really hate he had to pander to white supremacy, but, as we've seen, his life could have been on the line as well. I can't like, love or be angry at this one.
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I'm not rockin' with Obama on this one, but I'm not going to act like "fear of white resistance and resentment" didn't stop things from being done while he was in office.
PRECIOUS BLUE / NEW YORK CITY
Not impressed. The real question is, is he going to put pressure on the Biden/Harris administration to pass reparations and other tangibles that is long overdue for Black Americans?
SHARON ALIVE / ORLANDO, FLORIDA
His point is well-taken by those of us who understood what he stated. Thank you for the My Brother's Keeper program. We still have one in Orlando that was and is run by awesome people. He made a path for health insurance for all. I could go on and on about what he has accomplished.
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The World According to Dominic I Used to Be Jealous When Champions Gave Their Mothers a Shout – Now I Understand Why
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March is Women’s History Month and as always, we can expect to hear unending conversations about or analyses of the lives of women who have made a difference in our homes, communities and the world. Some of these women bear names that are well known, even to children in elementary school who find themselves searching for a woman who inspires them and about whom they can write in that obligatory essay. It’s easy to call the roll: Mae Jemison, Shirley Chisholm, Marian Anderson, Rosa Parks, Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, Coretta Scott King, Oprah Winfrey, Althea Gibson, Phillis Wheatley and Michelle Obama. In fact, it’s safe to say that teachers will grow red-eyed and weary after reading version upon version of first-time compositions about the accomplishments these women achieved in their lives despite the odds they faced being Black women in America. But most of the women who have really mattered in our lives – or at least in my life – have rarely made the evening news with Walter Cronkite or Peter Jennings. Few, if any of the women integral to our development and instrumental in our own successes have been showcased on the front page of The New York Times. Even the local newspapers in the cities where these “phenomenal
women” made their mark, or in some cases continue to make a difference, have given these women their just due. Yet, the older I become, the more I understand that stardom and praise was never the motivation for why the special women in my life did the things they did. In fact, with the death of my own mother almost two years ago, which coincided with an unprecedented health pandemic and a surge in domestic violence and heated partisan politics that still threaten to topple our republic, I am amazed at how the ordinary women in my life did such extraordinary things. While I could easily compile a list of the “sheroes” in my life, I find it more prudent to talk about the things they did, the difficult roads they traveled and the little miracles they accomplished. In this way, I believe that they serve as reflections of the kinds of women that others may remember from their own journeys as well. Turning back the clock 50 years ago when I was little Black boy often teased by other children because I was a bookworm, intellectually astute and preferred reading books or playing piano over shooting hoops or tossing footballs, I could always count on my mother’s encouragement. She would say they’re simply jealous. They wish they had the gifts that God has given you. They don’t want you to be the “you” that you’re meant to be. It isn’t easy to go against the grain or to refuse to yield to the normative boxes in which society seeks to place little boys and girls. In my case, however, my mother helped me find my own voice, secure my own path and develop my own sense of self. I learned to love who I was. This is what phenomenal mothers – phenomenal women – have done for ages. Some of the women in my life experienced pain, disappointment and anguish that I cannot fathom. Several of my aunts and adopted mothers were victims of domestic violence in an age when those things simply weren’t dis-
cussed – particularly among children. I say them carry the scars. And yet, they always loved the children in their midst fiercely and without reservation. Others would survive multiple miscarriages – desperately attempting to make their husbands proud by becoming fathers but unable to bring a child to term. And their men would seek companionship elsewhere – deflated or discouraged – as if their wives wanted to lose their children. I didn’t understand. Some would face frequent abuse and discouragement by the men in their world who believed that women were second-class citizens, there to serve their needs and desires. And I wondered, didn’t those women have needs and desires – dreams – of their own? And yet, these women, the women who sheltered me from the storms, who wiped my tears when mental or physical pain was at its highest and who walked with me when I felt most alone, seemed to do so almost instinctively. Somehow, my mother, my grandmothers, my mother-in-law, my aunts and older cousins, my adopted sister – even my longtime babysitter and my favorite piano teacher – all knew what I was feeling in my soul. And they poured out their love to help me make it, one day at a time. I’m sure most of us have watched achievement programs like the Grammy Awards or sports championships like the Super Bowl and heard entertainers and athletes, one after another, thank God and then thank their mothers. Sometimes, they haven’t even mentioned God. But Mom was certainly saluted. I must admit, for a long time every time someone would give a shout out to their mother, I would experience a tinge of jealousy. Why didn’t they thank their fathers, or uncles, or brothers, or grandfathers? Why were the women of their lives always given such thanks, love, praise and gratitude for all the world to see and hear? Now I understand the many reasons why. WI
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Deanwood Residents Fight Opening of New Firehouse in Northeast James Wright WI Staff Writer
Higashi hasn’t granted the TRO so far and on Feb. 24, the residents appeared before D.C. Associate Superior Court Judge Todd E. Edelman for a motions hearing. The next court date will be March 11, Zara said. Deborah Brown, who lives on the same block as Douglas, has become frustrated with the ongoing litigation in court and the District government’s inattentiveness to her neighbors’ concerns. “To me this is underhanded,” Brown said. “The firehouse is too close to the houses here and it is located close to railroad tracks whose trains sometimes carry hazardous materials. We have received information there are contaminants in the ground there and some of our residents suffer from
asthma. There is also the problem of parking. People who visit or work at the firehouse site park in front of our houses and we have no place to put our cars. “Plus, we have not been informed about this whole process by the D.C. government or the developer. Why didn’t they rebuild Engine Company 27 where it is now on Minnesota Avenue and move the Exxon station there for its expansion? The reason is the District government and Valor feel they can do whatever they want to our neighborhood and we can’t do anything about it.” Lauren King, a housing attorney, also lives on Douglas’s block. King, who happens to be white, agrees with her neighbors that the process of building the new firehouse has been unfair. “We are newcomers to the neighborhood,” King said. “My husband and I moved here in August 2019. As new Ward 7 residents, we see how Wards 7 and 8 are treated differently from every other ward in the city. The neighborhood should have been consulted about the new firehouse. Mayor Bowser should come talk to the citizens about this.” WI @JamesDCWrighter
The ongoing conflict between the District government and a developer versus a group of Deanwood residents who oppose a new firehouse being built within yards of their residential community continues even as the facility prepares for opening later this month. A newly built Engine Company 27, located at 4409 Minnesota Avenue., N.E., tentatively will open in the middle of March, a spokesman for the D.C. Department of Fire and Emergency Management Services, told the Informer. The spokesman said the new facility has been built with the consultation of the nearby neighborhood. “We have had extensive community outreach and we are providing a firehouse the community deserves,” the spokesman said. However, Dorothy Douglas, who serves as the advisory neighborhood commissioner for district 7D03, opposes the firehouse saying that through the years, the District government hasn’t been forthcoming to the community about what it wants to do with the property. “We were told years ago by the development company, Valor, that the property would be used to build townhomes and we in the community supported that,” Douglas said. “However, several years ago, Valor changed direction and decided to build the firehouse. Our problem is that Valor and the District government hasn’t approached the neighborhood about this. The 7D The Industrial Bank branch known as F Street, located at advisory neighborhood commis1317 F Street N.W. Washington D.C. 20004 will close at 5pm sion wasn’t consulted about the change in usage, as it is supposed on March 31, 2021. All accounts currently maintained at this to be under the law. In addition, branch will be automatically transferred to our U Street Branch, the proper environmental studies located at 2000 Eleventh Street N.W. Washington D.C. 20001. haven’t been conducted by the city to determine whether the materials No action by you is necessary. Thank you for your continued that the firehouse and its adjoining support. facilities that will house fire trucks Any person wishing to comment on this proposed branch are free from contamination.” The Deanwood residents are closing may file comments with the FDIC located at 350 Fifth represented by attorney Jane Zara. Avenue, Suite 1200 New York, N.Y. 10018. Comments should be The residents have sought a temreceived by the proposed closing date. porary restraining order (TRO) to halt the opening of the facility and If you have any questions, please contact us at has appeared before D.C. Associ202.722.2000 ate Superior Court Judge Kelly A. Higashi to have it granted. WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER
The spokesman said the new facility has been built with the consultation of the nearby neighborhood.
BRANCH CLOSING
5 Dorothy Douglas serves as an advisory neighborhood commissioner in Deanwood. (Courtesy Photo/Google)
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The Prince George’s County Change Makers celebrated Black History Month with a motorcade through Prince George's County on Saturday, February 27 where participants outfitted their automobiles with signs naming some of the trailblazers who paved the way for African Americans. (Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer)
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WORDS TO LIVE BY “Black people have done wonderful things for this country (saved its soul, in fact), and we have been an example to the world in the process. This should never be forgotten, even as we continue to press ahead, in our many and varied ways, toward our future. If we did so much when we had so little, think of what we can do now that we have so much more.”
– Vernon Jordan
“Vernon Can Read” [2001]
10 MARCH 4 - 10, 2021
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Texas Power Debacle Shouldn’t Happen in D.C., Utility Company Officials Say James Wright WI Staff Writer The power outage that occurred in Texas last month that left millions of people days without electricity has some residents concerned that situation could happen in the District, but utility company officials say they are prepared for extreme weather events. Dorothea Daniels, a District resident, was surprised and worried about the welfare of relatives who live the Dallas-Fort Worth area. A winter storm left most of the state without power for almost a week due to the overload of the independent state electric grid as a result of the unprecedented demand for power. Daniels, like many District residents, wonder if such a catastrophe could happen in the nation’s capital but power company officials say not likely. Ben Armstrong works as the director of operations communications at Pepco, the utility which largely supplies the District its power. Armstrong said Pepco con-
stantly stays up-to-date regarding its grid. “At Pepco, we analyze and evaluate the local energy grid on an ongoing basis and work is constantly being performed to further enhance reliability and harden the local energy grid,” he said. “From inspecting and upgrading equipment, installing advanced equipment and using innovative energy technologies, to continuously reviewing equipment and system standards related to variations in weather and climate, our constant focus is on providing safe, reliable, affordable and sustainable energy service for our customers and communities.” Armstrong said the consistent maintenance of the power grid in the District, as well as in Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties, has produced “the lowest frequency of electric outages ever in 2020.” “Over the past ten years the frequency of electric outages has been reduced by 68 percent for Pepco customers and communities,” he said. “While we are achieving re-
cord reliable performance for our customers, our work to make the local energy grid smarter, stronger and resilient never stops.” Unlike the Texas grid that operates autonomously, Pepco is an element of the PJM Interconnection system, the nation’s largest electric grid serving 65 million people in 13 states and the District. On its website in February, PJM said it and its member companies are prepared for the severe weather “that continues to impact the majority of the country this week.” “PJM and its members have maintained reliable operation of the bulk power system during the recent extreme storms while exporting record amounts of electricity to neighboring systems,” the website said. “It involves 24/7 system monitoring and dispatch by trained operators, coordination with other operating entities and industry sectors in real time, markets that support reliability and resource adequacy over the long term, and extensive regional transmission planning to ensure the grid is equipped to serve future
5 Utility poles supply power to District residents. (Courtesy Photo/Google)
needs.” The website said PJM plans for the winter and its member companies have winterized their systems. It conducts drills to prepare employees and procures resources to meet the anticipated demands of extreme weather, the website said. Manu Asthana, president and CEO of PJM, said “reliability will always be our priority.” “It takes the joint effort of our employees and our member companies to deliver on that respon-
sibility, and we are grateful for their dedication and coordination in keeping the power flowing,” Asthana said in a statement. “We especially want to acknowledge the hard work of front-line workers including the operators at the plants, the lineman and the control operators and others whose jobs are further complicated by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.” WI @JamesDCWrighter
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PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY Police Reform Tops Maryland Senate Agenda Potentially Increasing Public Review
Senate President Bill Ferguson Warns Detractors: ‘Leave Our Families Alone’ William J. Ford WI Staff Writer Before the Maryland Senate began to debate eight police reform
bills on Tuesday’s agenda, Senate President Bill Ferguson, a Democrat from Baltimore City, relayed an email which she and House Speaker Adrienne Jones received
5 Maryland Senate convened March 2 with eight police reform bills on the agenda. (William J. Ford/The Washington Informer)
this week. Ferguson said the email came from a person outside their districts about recommendations on proposed legislation. He read the email on the Senate floor. “I sent you an email about key
Prince George’s School Budget Headed to Alsobrooks for Approval
William J. Ford WI Staff Writer
Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks plans to present a proposed budget to County Council by March 15 in which the majority will be focused on the public schools.
However, before Alsobrooks assesses the entire county’s spending plan, the school board recently approved seven budget amendments during a special meeting on March 1 as part of a $2.3 billion fiscal year 2022 budget. One of the budgeted items at $57 million would come from a federal
5 Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks (Courtesy photo)
12 MARCH 4 - 10, 2021
grant Elementary and Secondary School Relief Fund designated for school systems affected by the coronavirus pandemic. If received, the money provides for an option for schools in Prince George’s to open two weeks early next school year. The other budget amendments come from recommendations from the school board’s operation, budget and fiscal affairs committee at https://bit.ly/3sSJST1. The budget items totaling nearly $83 million include: • $10 million toward English tutoring for students in kindergarten through third grade. • $10 million to create a Bridge to Excellence schools for special education and limited English proficiency or “chronically low performing” students. • $3 million in grants for nonprofit groups to mentor and tutor disadvantaged students; • $2.1 million workforce development program for high school students. • $500,000 creation of an annual summer Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics
thoughts and recommendations on issues that are being addressed in this legislation session and never so much as got an acknowledgement of or thanks for my input,” the email said. “Since you did not answer me, I guess I will just share [STEAM] for 100 high school students. • $100,000 audit on the school system’s special education programs. “This money is to help make sure Prince George’s County public schools achieve . . . in the 21st century. Every one of these items are so important,” said school board member Belinda Queen, one of eight board members who approved the budget. “I don’t feel like these items are useless because they are for our kids to make sure they have everything they need to succeed,” she said. In December, CEO Monica Goldson presented a proposed school budget with a possible $110 million deficit due to declining revenues amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. One option to close the deficit focuses on a freeze in overtime and hiring (except school-based positions) and directing school leaders to reduce discretionary spending such as conferences and field trips. School officials project a $58 million savings this school year to be transferred into next year’s budget. Another option would be $16 million in cuts in the school system’s central office.
BUDGET Page 44
my recommendations and concerns with some of your family members in hopes they can relay that message to you.” Ferguson said different groups protested outside the homes of legislators. “We can disagree but the fundamental principle of democracy is that we disagree in an agreeable way,” he said. “We don’t threaten and intimidate members’ families. This is a red line.” He continued: “We know that we’re going to get some tough criticism. We’re going to get yelled at sometimes. That’s part of the job description. But our families don’t sign up for that. Family is off limits.” After that message, the senators held a spirited debate for more than 90 minutes on a bill sought to restructure the state’s public information act for people to review police records. The legislation has been dubbed “Anton’s Law” in honor of Anton Black, 19, who died while in police custody in September 2018 on the Eastern Shore. Sen. Jill Carter (D-Baltimore City) who sponsored the legislation, said it would provide transparency to assess how law enforcement agencies can adequately police itself. In addition, it would ascertain if police officers who receive complaints about misconduct can be dismissed without any forms of discipline. In the case of Black, his family has struggled to receive informa-
POLICE Page 44
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PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY
Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine Coming to Maryland Residents
William J. Ford WI Staff Writer
After Johnson & Johnson received approval Saturday from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to distribute a third COVID-19 vaccinate nationwide, about 49,600 will come to Maryland this week. Acting Health Secretary Dennis Schrader said about 55 percent, or 27,280, will go to two mass vaccinations sites at M&T Bank stadium in Baltimore and Southern Maryland Blue Crabs ball park in Charles County. Another 10,000 doses will go to local health departments and the rest to hospitals and federally qualified health centers. Once again, state senators on a vaccine work group asked Schrader on Monday, March 1 about the inequity of distributions among minority populations. As of Sunday, Prince George’s County continues to report the highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the state with
73,431. However, the county accounts for the lowest percentage at 11.4 of first and second doses administered in the state. Although about 25 percent of Baltimore City residents received the vaccine, Sen. Mary Washington said only 6 percent of Black residents have been vaccinated. The Black population accounts for 60,000 of the city’s population. “We have gone through week after week when we have questioned the roll out and shown the inconsistencies. Shown the unwillingness to responsibility, yet you blame others. You blame hesitancy,” Washington said to Schrader. “It’s basic community public health 101.” Sen. Clarence Lam, a physician and a Democrat who represents parts of Baltimore and Howard counties, said the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine could ensure more minority communities. “I would urge you to consider and target them . . . it may be easier to target hard-to-reach populations if there’s risk they may not
show up for their second dose,” Lam said. “I urge you to think about a little bit further.” Schrader said officials with the White House and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention asked states to spread out the doses throughout the state. “They don’t want us targeting specific populations, so we are honoring that request and spreading the dose across the various channels that we have established,” he said. However, the state plans to include Prince George’s among its focus. Schrader said 20,000 of the 25,000 doses administered at the Six Flags America site in Upper Marlboro came from residents from Anne Arundel, Howard and Montgomery counties. Prince George’s residents accounted for the remaining 5,000. There’s no residency requirement at those sites and any state-managed places such as pharmacies. The state tested a text-messaging system in Prince George’s and
5 Drivers inside vehicles stretched about a half-mile long on Central Avenue on Feb. 19 wait to receive COVID-19 vaccines at Six Flags America in Upper Marlboro. (William J. Ford/The Washington Informer)
scheduled 370 appointments over the weekend at Six Flags. A state vaccine equity task force will work with Prince George’s health officials to reach at least 500 residents per week through texting, especially for those with limited computer technology. “We have to ensure the county and the state work together [and] are intentional about getting those appointments scheduled,” said Brigadier General Janeen Birck-
head, Maryland National Guard who’s a member of the state’s task force. “We had some challenges upfront when I first started with the Prince George’s County list and residents responding. I don’t believe that it was an issue of hesitancy. I believe it’s an issue of technology [and] meeting the citizens where they are.” The state also plans to launch
MD COVID Page 44
Bankruptcy Program ‘Project Bounce Back’ to Assist Financially Strapped Residents
County’s Community Legal Services Partners with Latino Economic Development Center D. Kevin McNeir WI Editor Community Legal Services of Prince George’s County, Inc. [CLS] and the Latino Economic Development Center [LED] recently announced the launch of “Project Bounce Back” which kicks off on March 23. The program will focus on Prince George’s county residents who are facing or have recently filed a Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy for financial relief. Applications are now being accepted and can be found at the two agencies’ websites. During the six-month financial and legal education course, participants will receive practical tips and advice on understanding their finances. Program benefits include: • One-on-one credit counseling • Free legal advice and referrals
• Budgeting tips and tools CLS’s mission is to provide education, advice and/or representation to low-income litigants in civil legal matters in Prince George’s County. Their goal remains to promote equal access to justice by providing access to free legal services through their legal advice clinics, mobile legal services and pro bono referral program. LEDC’s goal is to drive the economic and social advancement of low to moderate income Latinos and other underserved residents in the District, Maryland and Northern Virginia by equipping them with the skills and tools to achieve financial independence and become leaders in their communities. CLS will coordinate the project and provide legal advice and LEDC will serve as consultants for the project providing financial coaching person-
nel and education for participants. Funds for this inaugural program come from the American College of Bankruptcy Foundation. The Foundation promotes the ends of justice through educational and charitable activities and focuses on bankruptcy and insolvency. They award grants to legal services organizations whose mission and activities are consistent with their mission of fostering the institution and maintenance of legal aid facilities for the indigent. Here’s more information about the services provided by CLS: CLS Website: https://www.clspgc.org/
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to qualified clients. Clients are screened for income eligibility and the facts of the case are reviewed. Assistance is provided in cases involving: divorce, custody, child support, visitation, domestic violence, guardianship, foreclosure prevention, wills, landlord/tenant, unpaid wages, tort defense, bankruptcy, and other non-fee generating civil legal matters. An application fee (currently $25) will be charged for processing of the application to be referred to a volunteer lawyer. Staff members speak English and Spanish. 240-391-6370 • MD Relay 800735-2258; Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday – 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. FORECLOSURE PREVENTION PROGRAM Our Foreclosure Prevention
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BUSINESS Morgan State Dropout Donates $20 Million for College Scholarships Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer He attended Morgan State College nearly 40 years ago and had to drop out because he could not afford it. (In 1975, Morgan State was designated a university by the Maryland legislature). Calvin E. Tyler Jr. and his wife, Tina, Feb. 22 presented the historically Black university with a $20 million commitment, increasing an endowed scholarship fund previously established in the Tyler name. According to a news release, the gift is the largest private donation from an alumnus in university history and is bigger than any HBCU alum donation. “Morgan is so proud to call this son and daughter of the great City of Baltimore our own, and through their historic giving, the doors of
higher education will most certainly be kept open for generations of aspiring leaders whose financial shortfalls may have kept them from realizing their academic dreams,” David K. Wilson, president of Morgan State University, stated in the release. “For public institutions, like Morgan, our charitable alumni are testaments to the legacy we collectively uphold, and the Tylers’ generosity over the years, culminating with this transformative commitment, is a remarkable example of altruism with great purpose. We are forever indebted to the Tylers,” Wilson noted. Calvin Tyler’s story is remarkable. He enrolled at Morgan State College in 1961 to study and earn a degree in business administration. Tyler, first in his family to make it to college, was forced to drop out two years after enrollment because he lacked funds for tuition.
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Instead, he went to work at, United Parcel Service, one of the first 10 UPS drivers in Baltimore. At UPS, he steadily climbed the corporate ladder, working his way to senior vice president of operations before his retirement in 1998. Tyler then joined UPS’s board of directors. Still, Morgan State officials said, Tyler “never lost sight of his humble beginnings, committing with his wife Tina to support those who, like him, encountered hardships and financial insecurities while pursuing their college degree.” In 2002, the couple started the Calvin and Tina Tyler Endowed Scholarship Fund to provide full-tuition scholarships for select needbased students residing in Baltimore – the Tyler’s hometown. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Tylers expanded their giving, making the endowed scholarship available nationally. According to the release, the endowed fund has supported 222 Morgan students through 46 full-tuition and 176 partial scholarships, with the promise of benefiting more “Tyler Scholars” with the increased multimillion-dollar pledge and an expanded scope. “My wife and I have become keenly aware of the effect that the pandemic has had on a number of young people trying to get an education [and] we have the resources to help a lot of young people,” Tyler shared in a statement. “This is why we are increasing our commitment at Morgan; we want to have more full-tuition scholarships offered to young people so that they
5 Calvin and Tina Tyler continue to pay it forward. (Courtesy Morgan State
can graduate from college and enter the next stage of their life debt-free.” Five years ago, Calvin and Tina committed $5 million to Morgan, a contribution that stood as the largest in the university’s history. “Endowed scholarships and other gifts have far-reaching implications for any institution, but for a public, urban university like Morgan, with students from a broad spectrum of academic, social, and economic
backgrounds, the need is especially great,” stated Donna Howard, vice president for institutional advancement at Morgan. “We are forever grateful to the Tylers for their unrelenting charity to alma mater. The impact of their generosity will have a prevailing effect fostering Morgan-made leaders for generations.” wi @StacyBrownMedia
According to a news release, the gift is the largest private donation from an alumnus in university history and is bigger than any HBCU alum donation.
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BUSINESS
I Hear Ya! Entertainment Keeps the Go-Go Groove Going with ‘She Ready’
Sirius Company, featuring Ms Kim and Scooby, Celebrates Achievements of Black Women D. Kevin McNeir WI Editor On Friday, Feb. 26, just in time for Women’s History Month, I Hear Ya! Entertainment, LLC, founded and directed by D.C.’s legendary promoter and record executive Darryll Brooks, released “She Ready,” written and performed by the popular go-go group Sirius Company featuring Ms Kim and Scooby. Sirius Company’s front man, guitarist and vocalist Frank “Scooby” Sirius, who earned his stripes performing with legendary go-go groups like the Chuck Brown Band and Team Familiar, said the motivation for the song came from the talented Ms. Kim. As go-go fans know, Ms. Kim serves as the group’s talented female lead vocalist and on their latest release she, as always, delivers the goods in her own
special way. “This release serves as another step toward our goal of packaging and delivering go-go in an image and sound that can be embraced on a national level,” Frank said. “As the title of the song indicates, women are achieving some amazing and unprecedented heights including America electing its first Black woman as vice president. But Black women are doing well in many other aspects of society as well. Our own Ms Kim Michelle has a strong personality both on and off stage and we wanted to translate her prowess in being a strong woman in this song. I think we’ve accomplished that goal,” he said. Brooks shared his excitement over the new release. “This is the first release for I Hear Ya! Entertainment, LLC for this year (2021) but we’ve been around since
1987 with Go-Go Live when we featured Rare Essence, Chuck Brown and other D.C.-based groups,” he said. “We’re just picking up where we left off. We have some super talent and Sirius Company simply confirms that. The image of our record label remains what it’s been from the beginning: bringing positive energy to audiences on a global stage,” Brooks added. For more information on I Hear Ya! Entertainment, including label roster and events, contact Darryll Brooks at darryllbrooks@aol.com or dbrooks@ ihearyaent.com. WI
5 The logo for Darryll Brooks’ I Hear Ya! Entertainment, LLC. (Courtesy Darryll Brooks)
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MARCH 4 - 10, 2021 15
NATIONAL Scores of Confederate Symbols Removed in 2020
More Than 2,100 Remain Across the U.S. Sarafina Wright WI Contributing Writer According to the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) 168 Confederate symbols were either banned or removed from public spaces across the United States in 2020. The SPLC released its 2020 year-end update to its Whose Heritage? report data and map last week which tracks public symbols of the Confederacy around the nation. Ninety-four of those symbols taken down last year were Confederate monuments compared to the 58 Confederate monuments that were
removed between 2015 and 2019. The SPLC says at least 167 of those symbols were removed after the death of George Floyd who was killed on May 25 by Minnesota police officers. By the end of 2020, Virginia remained the leader in removing Confederate symbols with 71, followed by North Carolina with 24 and Alabama and Texas tied for third place with 12. “We must recognize states like Virginia who not only had the courage to discontinue its preservation law, but also led by example after removing 71 Confederate symbols from their public spaces in 2020,” SPLC
Chief of Staff Lecia Brooks said. 2020 a Transformative Year, According to the SPLC “Name changes are pending for 31 public schools across the country in 2021, ensuring that students will no longer be forced to learn in schools bearing racist namesakes,” she said. While a total of 312 Confederate symbols have been removed or relocated from public spaces following the Charleston, S.C. church shooting in 2015, under the South Carolina Heritage Act of 2000, no symbols were removed in South Carolina last year despite efforts led by grassroots groups, says the SPLC. “2020 was a transformative year for the Confederate symbols movement. Over the course of seven months, more symbols of hate were removed from public property than in the preceding four years combined,” Brooks said. She continued that despite this progress, communities have informed the SPLC about more than 300 Confederate symbols that remain across the U.S. Many are in the south, specifically Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee, where preservation laws prohibit communities from removing them. “These dehumanizing symbols
Howard University President Reflects on Life of Vernon Jordan, Jr. (excerpt) It is with a heavy heart that I share the passing of a Howard and American giant, Vernon E. Jordan Jr., Esq. A proud graduate of the Howard University School of Law, Mr. Jordan served on the Board of Trustees from 1993 to 2014. He blessed us through his annual sermon at Rankin Chapel, sharing lessons gleaned from the richness of his life and the remarkable role he played in movements to win civil and human rights at home and abroad. In his final appearance in April 2019, he reminisced about “four old men” who shaped his life and told a story of the changes he both witnessed and participated in through the years. To illustrate how slavery and Jim Crow had constrained the sense of possibility among so many, he recounted a 1947 conversation with his grandfather, Jim Griggs,
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who shared his life’s highest aspiration was to “be able to go to the bathroom indoors in a warm place once before I die.” To prove his belief that our common humanity can transcend even the sharpest differences, he recalled his interaction with former Alabama Governor George Wallace. Wallace was the first to send well wishes after the 1980 assassination attempt that almost took Jordan’s life. When they met at an event years later, Governor Wallace said, “Mr. Jordan: will you do something for me? Vernon Jordan, will you reach down and hug me?” In this time of deep polarization, Mr. Jordan remained convinced that “the road may be long, but we can bring about change in this country in our laws and in the hearts of others.”
The final “old man” he described in his sermon was himself. His declaration to current and future generations was that, in an age of immediacy, we must remember that the work of justice takes time, and
of pain and oppression continue to serve as backdrops to important government buildings, halls of justice, public parks, and U.S. military properties, including ten bases named after Confederate leaders across the South,” Brooks said. The Whose Heritage? report was created in response to the shooting deaths by a white supremacist of nine Black people during Bible study at Mother Emanuel A.M.E. Church in Charleston, S.C. in 2015 gunman. The SPLC began to catalogue all the Confederate symbols in public spaces across the country and inform communities about how to remove them. While hundreds have been removed, the report finds that more than 2,100 Confederate symbols are still publicly present in the U.S., 704 of them monuments. This encompasses government buildings, Confederate monuments and statues, plaques, markers, schools, parks, counties, cities, military property and streets and highways named after anyone associated with the Confederacy. “As witnessed on Jan. 6 when an insurrectionist brazenly carried a Confederate flag through the halls of the U.S. Capitol, Confederate symbols are a form of systemic racism used to intimidate, instill fear,
it is important to find your “your rock” – a consistent source of inspiration to weather the moments of doubt and difficulty that will surely come. I was not deserving of his kindness or his love. I will forever remain in gratitude that he was more father than mentor. He never told me what to do or how to do it, but rather he answered my queries with stories of his lived experiences that guided me ever so
(Photo courtesy of Unsplash)
and remind Black people that they have no place in American society,” Brooks said. “The SPLC firmly believes that all symbols of white supremacy should be removed from public spaces and will continue to support community efforts to remove, rename and relocate them.” WI
gently but purposefully. His legacy as a civil rights activist and influential advocate for social justice will live on through the lives of the numerous students he mentored. Throughout the mountains and valleys of my presidency, Mr. Jordan has been a consistent support, offering both sage advice and constant encouragement. His love for this institution and our community are difficult to overstate. I have ordered flags across the Hilltop to be flown at half-mast in honor of this great man, who was also a father figure to me. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of this fallen Bison hero. Wayne A. I. Frederick, M.D., MBA Charles R. Drew Professor of Surgery President WI
5 Vernon Jordan, Jr. (Courtesy photo/HUNS)
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NATIONAL
Baltimore Vaccine Distribution Sparks Old Racial Concerns Hamil Harris WI Contributing Writer Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott have been exchanging political punches over the state's COVID-19 vaccine distribution program. The political drama began last week when Scott asked the governor to reserve doses at the two state-run mass sites in Baltimore for city residents. But the facilities are being used by residents from across the state. Hogan said in a Feb. 26 tweet that 1,226,447 total doses of COVID-19 vaccines had been administered and that was 89 percent of all first doses received from the federal government. He went on to say that it was about “30,000 vaccines a day.” Thousands of residents have been pouring into M&T Stadium to get shots, but according to Scott, many of the people in line are not city residents. But only 11.1 percent of those living in Baltimore have received a preliminary immunization, while about 6.4 percent have received both doses required to protect against severe illness. Prince George’s County, like Baltimore’s population, is predominantly Black. But statewide, white residents have received roughly four times as many vaccine doses as Black people. “Week after week, the governor has refused to share where the state is allocating doses in Baltimore City,” Scott said in a statement. “The governor has refused to set up an equitable model for statewide vaccinations registrations.” Dr. Joshua M. Sharfstein, vice dean in the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, called Hogan’s statement “baffling” considering that “there’s a gap in city residents getting vaccinated.” Sharfstein said the state might need to reconsider how it keeps its doses. While some say the racial disparity in getting vaccines is due to fear by some African Americans
5 Fred Gray (Courtesy photo)
that they may be used as human guinea pigs, famed civil rights lawyer Fred Gray said comparing the COVID-19 drama to the Tuskegee experiment in which Black male syphilis carriers were maltreated is really comparing “apples and oranges.” Gray spoke during a taped Black History month program at the Central Church of Christ in Baltimore and it came up after Maria Lindsey asked him, “Based on your involvement in the Tuskegee syphilis study do you think that the Black community is justified in their apprehension about getting the COVID vaccine?” “I have been asked that question about 10 or 12 different times,” said Gray, a resident of Tuskegee. “They are different situations all together. You know what the virus is doing. The virus has killed hundreds of thousands of people all over the world there is no question about that. The vaccine, if you take it, will prevent you from getting this deadly viral disease. The Tuskegee syphilis study was all together different. It was study of untreated syphilis in the Negro male.” Perin Tinsley, a Baltimore resident and member of Central Church of Christ, said “I have a ways to go to get the vaccine. People in the 80’s and above have received their vaccine but for most of us it is a waiting game.”
Girls’ nights IN are gonna take COVID-19 OUT. We don’t get enough laughs these days. But, wherever they are, our friends are as close as a click. Vaccines are coming. But until enough of us are vaccinated, we still need to slow the spread. We can watch our distance, and not let COVID-19 keep us apart. Learn more about vaccines and slowing the spread at cdc.gov/coronavirus Brought to you by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
“I believe that Fred Gray was on point when he said that racism exists in many forms,” Tinsley said. “In terms of syphilis experiments black men were victims of govern-
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ment, and today, people distrust in terms of equity.” “I am still concerned about the long-term effects of the vaccinations. What is going to happen
10 years from now?” said Kelly Thomas, another resident of Baltimore who is taking a wait and see attitude. WI
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NDC Youth Organiser Says Judiciary Should Focus on Public Mistrust Not Media Censorship National Youth Organizer for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) George Opare Addo has taken a swipe at the Judges sitting on the 2020 election petition and the Judicial Service over their attempts to gag the people of Ghana on matters concerning justice in the country, GhanaWeb reported on Sunday, Feb. 28. According to Addo, the Judiciary is being unfair and if not checked will come back to haunt the country in future. He noted that since the Judiciary released its statement, it has been met with contempt, an indication that the people of Ghana do not welcome their attempts to look superior and above reproach. “We must be very concerned if this is the level of mistrust the people have towards the justice system,” Addo said. Addo said the issue should not be made partisan, but should be addressed because the country will be treading on a dangerous path and the earlier the chief justice realizes this and apologizes, the better. “The way Ghanaians are speaking up in the aftermath of the unpopular statement by the judicial service speaks volumes of what they think of our judiciary,” he said. “We must be very concerned if this is the level of mistrust the people have towards the justice system.” He added: “The statement certainly doesn’t score right with Ghanaians and as a matter of urgency, the chief justice must take a second look at the statement. At the very least, he must try and win Ghanaians to their side by withdrawing it. This development is not healthy for the country and I foresee a much bigger problem in the future if this is not addressed with dispatch. Let’s not make this about the NDC or NPP. We are treading a very dangerous path.” WI
caribbean now CaFA Fair Starts March 10, Takes Virtual Format The show must go on! The organizers of the Caribbean Fine Art Fair (CaFA Fair) are ensuring the current pandemic does not bring the annual arts showcase to a halt, Barbados Today reported on Feb. 27. From March 10 to 24, the work of over 70 prolific visual artists from the Caribbean and the Diaspora will be on display in a virtual gallery at caribbean. global, for the first time ever. During the same period, seven emerging Barbadian artists will take centerstage at the Central Bank of Barbados’ Exchange Interactive Centre in an exhibit titled “Non-Traditional.” Members of the public can view by appointment the works of John Alleyne, Brandon K. Best, Alex Gibson, Housing Area, Sydney McConney, Chris Rocket
and Akilah Watts. The art in this exhibit will also be highlighted on the caribbean.global website. Simultaneously, the New York-based Calabar Gallery, Ebony Art Gallery and nine individual diaspora artists will be showcased in “Diaspora Dialogue VIII”, an exhibit featuring artists from Brazil, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, the USA and Zambia. The countries represented by participants in the 11th Annual CaFA Fair include Barbados, The Bahamas, Dominica, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago and the U.S. Virgin Islands. “This year, patrons will have full online access to artwork in a range of media. We will engage everyone with video content and enhance the exhibitions with virtual panels and presentations,” says Anderson Pilgrim, executive director of the CaFA Fair. The events kick off on March 12 at 8 p.m. with the digital launch of the “non-traditional” exhibit, which is curated by Zoe Osbourne of Mahogany Culture. This will be followed by live discussions on March 13 and 14 at 2 p.m. with Osbourne and the participating artists. WI
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How Vaccines Work Submitted by AmeriHealth Caritas District of Columbia When making decisions about our health, it’s important to get the facts. But it can be hard to know what’s true in the sea of information available today. We know that diseases such as measles and mumps, and even influenza (the flu) can be dangerous. We know that vaccines (shots) are designed to prevent such diseases. But how do vaccines work?
BOOSTING IMMUNITY
Vaccines work with the body’s own defenses to fight sickness. Our immune system is one way our bodies work to defend us against germs. Usually, this system does the job pretty well. When we are born, though, our immune system hasn’t finished developing. This means that, as babies, we have more risk for getting sick. Vaccines reduce this risk by helping us safely build our immunity to disease. As kids, we receive
vaccine shots to help protect us from measles, mumps, and other diseases.1 As adults, our immune systems can protect us better. But we still need the help of vaccines against some infections, like the flu.1
TEACHING THE BODY TO FIGHT GERMS
According to the CDC, conventional vaccines use parts of germs, called antigens, to teach our bodies to fight diseases. Antigens trigger our immune systems to protect us. Conventional vaccines give us far fewer antigens than we would get if we were to become sick with the illness. A vaccine still helps our bodies fight the illness, but more safely than if we became sick with the illness.1 We may have side effects from a vaccine. These are usually mild, like a sore arm. Without a vaccine, we may instead become sick from a virus and suffer all its effects. Some illnesses, like measles and the flu, can cause death.1 By getting vaccines to help protect ourselves against the flu and other illnesses, we help protect those we
love. We help protect everyone in our community. Contact your health care provider to see if you are due for any vaccines. The information in this article is to help you learn more about this topic. It is not to take the place of your health care provider. If you have questions, talk with your health care provider. If you think you need to see your health care provider because of something you have read in this information, please contact your health care provider. Never stop or wait to get medical attention because of something you have read in this material. Source: 1. “Making the Vaccine Decision: Addressing Common Concerns,” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), https://www.cdc.gov/ vaccines/parents/why-vaccinate/vaccine-decision.html. All images are used under license for illustrative purposes only. Any individual depicted is a model
One D.C. Doctor’s Story about Volunteering for a Coronavirus Vaccine Trial “I enrolled in a COVID-19 vaccine trial to show other Black people how much I believe in science and the importance of vaccines and that I trust the vaccine research process.” This comes from Dr. Lisa Fitzpatrick, a D.C. infectious diseases doctor. Hearing from many of her fellow Black Americans about their vaccine concerns, she volunteered to take
#BestMe part in a trial for a COVID-19 vaccine. She then wrote about her experience, so that others may learn about it. Dr. Fitzpatrick also joined the Black Coalition Against Covid, a group working to improve understanding about coronavirus in the Black community. For details about the coalition, visit www.blackcoalitionagainstcovid.org. You can read Dr. Fitzpatrick’s article at www.businessinsider. com/moderna-covid-vaccinetrial-why-doctor-joined-side-effects-2020-10.
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MARCH 4 - 10, 2021 19
HEALTH COVID-19 UPDATE
Despite Federal Moratoriums, Evictions Continue Across U.S. Majority of Filings Against Black, Latin Women Sarafina Wright WI Contributing Writer Federal housing moratoriums have been extended to the summer to prevent mass homelessness as the nation continues to fight the COVID-19 public health emergency, yet advocacy groups say eviction filings are continuing across the country. The Eviction Lab at Princeton University, a team of researchers focusing on eviction data in the U.S., says one of the reasons is local housing courts have interpreted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] order differently across the country. In October, the CDC issued
COVID from Page 1 for answers, and the danger of the situation really hit me,” Peoples related. “I was really worried about her risk of a stroke and wanted her to get treatment but didn’t want to scare my uncle or grandmother. Fortunately, we were able to schedule a telehealth appointment, and she was OK, but the experience taught me how we really need to look out for our elderly population.” Sonya Schwartz, the founder of Her Norm, said that she’s still paranoid and exercises extreme caution. She has also learned to prioritize her health. “I have been very busy with work pre-pandemic and wasn’t concerned about my health. Now, I make sure to live healthily,” Schwartz stated. “I am still working, but I ensure to include an exercise routine in my daily schedule, even if for
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non-binding guidance that landlords could file to evict tenants, as long as other stages of the eviction process [for example issuing a writ of eviction at the end of the case] are halted. As a result of the guidance, the Eviction Lab says they’ve seen various courts implement the CDC order differently. Some states, like Texas, require landlords to include a blank copy of the CDC moratorium declaration form when they give a tenant a notice to quit. Elsewhere, judges have questioned the validity of CDC declaration forms provided by renters. “Preventing the final execution of an eviction order is important. Howa short time only. Also, because of the pandemic, I became more prepared. I anticipate everything making me always prepare for a plan B.” The entrepreneur also offered that she appreciates the value of money and has developed a habit of practical spending. “These things have helped improve me as a person, so I realized that the pandemic did not bring only negative things, but it also made us realize the importance of the things we often neglect,” Schwartz noted. On March 11, 2020, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the World Health Organization director-general, announced that he was alarmed over the virus’s spread and declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Two days later and following more than two months of denials and misinformation, then-President Donald Trump declared a national emergency and announced a travel ban on non-U.S. citizens
ever, allowing the full eviction court process to play out during the eviction moratorium will cause avoidable harm to tenants,” said authors of the Eviction Lab update. “Many tenants may move out before the eviction case concludes, even if they would qualify for protection under the eviction moratorium. Data from before the pandemic show that many tenants leave without the case going to court, perhaps aware that the vast majority of cases end with decisions in the landlord’s favor.” “At the same time, just the presence of a filing on a tenant’s record can prevent that tenant from accessing safe and healthy rental housing in the future.” The Eviction Lab asserts that specific language must be added to federal moratoriums that would in turn prevent all stages of eviction, prevent landlords from refusing to renew leases — another form of eviction and provide financial assistance that helps both landlords and renters. The people most affected by the eviction crisis are those who are already hit hard by unemployment, health care and housing costs, most of them people of color. Black and Latin mothers bear the brunt of pandemic induced evictions exacerbating existing inequalities, according to the data. “In previous work, we have demonstrated that landlords file for eviction against Black and Latinx renters — esjourneying from Europe. Businesses, places of worship, and professional and collegiate sports leagues ground to a halt. Like most of the world, the U.S. faced chaos. One year later, the pandemic remains, and the damage – both direct and collateral – is palpable.
WORKING FROM HOME DESPITE BREATHING PROBLEMS
“At the start of COVID, I enjoyed being a loner, spending a lot of time alone and doing things by myself. I took family time for granted because my family has always been easily accessible,” related Sheri Scott, Pillow Talk Uplift and Restore CEO. “Time with friends was taken for granted as well, and through forced isolation, I realized how wrong I was,” Scott determined.
(Photo courtesy of Unsplash.)
pecially Black and Latinx women — at higher rates than against their white and male counterparts,” said authors of the Eviction Lab update. “The share of Black tenants receiving eviction filings is often far larger than their share of the renter population.” “Between 2012 and 2016, nearly one in every four Black renters lived in a county in which the Black eviction rate was more than double the white eviction rate. Black and Latinx women were also evicted in much higher numbers than Black and Latinx men.” In Jacksonville, Fla., Memphis, and across the state of Wisconsin, the share of filings against Black people has in-
creased during the pandemic, according to the Eviction Lab. Normally, 35.4 percent of filings in Wisconsin are against Black people; since last March, that share is up to 37.2 percent . Black people make up only 12 percent of all renters in the state. The increase in the share of filings against Latinx renters during the pandemic has been driven by both cities with significant Latinx renters [e.g., Houston and Fort Worth, Texas] and those with much smaller Latinx populations [e.g., Philadelphia and Columbus, Ohio].
“I live alone, and the only constant contact with others was going to work every day. Because of COVID, we now work from home with a day or two a week spent in the office as a general rule, but I have breathing issues, so I am on a 100 percent workfrom-home schedule. “Having this schedule forced me to look at my views and to reevaluate how I view myself. I am an introvert with extrovert tendencies, which worked for me until I was forced to become a full-time introvert. “It has caused a bit of depression. I now realize that being alone all of the time is not as great as I originally thought, and the interactions with co-workers were enough to keep me from total isolation. I learned I need people much more than I knew.” Isolation, Depression Jordan Robinson of the Better Body Blog recognizes the long road still ahead. Robinson pro-
posed that he is encouraged by how many have banded together during the crisis. “In lieu of official government response or effective countermeasures, I am seeing a growing trend of individuals forming neighborhood and community groups to help each other cope with the many challenges of our environment,” Robinson submitted. “As with so many others, my life was dramatically altered when I became ill with COVID symptoms. While many of these symptoms have subsided over the last year, I still experience fatigue daily, and, like most others in the surviving population, I am living almost my entire life indoors,” Robinson added. “If we do not come together in our local communities to support and take care of each other, no one else will.” WI @StacyBrownMedia
EVICTIONS Page 34
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March is Nutrition Month: A Time to Reflect on Nutrition Security • In Maryland, making the healthy choice the easy choice by providing menu recommendations, based on AHA’s food and beverage guidelines, that were adopted by the Food Truck Healthy Options Certification Program in Prince George’s County. Participating vendors are now providing residents with healthy food options as part of their menu. • Propelling Prince George’s County, MD as a national leader in promoting an equitable culture of health through the unanimous vote to pass the Healthy Kids Meals Bill (CB-071). The first in the nation to pass a kids
Erica McIntyre, Community Impact Director, American Heart Association, Greater Washington Region Imagine a Greater Washington Region, where all families have opportunities to access affordable food, including fruits and vegetables, allowing eating healthy to be the norm in every neighborhood across the community. One in ten people in America are not getting enough food each day -- or getting the nutrients they need. That's called nutrition insecurity. Lack of nutrition security can lead to a diet high in fat, sodium and sugar, while not providing the nutrition people need. COVID-19 has amplified this need by making it harder to afford or access healthy foods. As these statistics indicate, not everyone has access to healthy food. This makes eating healthy extremely inconvenient, if not impossible. If organizations do not address this issue, people in historically disadvantaged communities run the risk of living a shorter life expectancy and may suffer from complex health problems. • 10.87% of adults (100,482 people) have a low income and low food access in the Greater Washington Region. In some counties, like Prince George’s County, as many as one in seven people is food insecure. The American Heart Association has an ongoing responsibility to ensure people reach their full potential for a long and healthy life. We are responding with the full organizational strength of the American Heart Association, and we are asking for your support. The American Heart Association hard at work across the Greater Washington Region by:
• Working at the federal level, all 50 states, and in local communities to achieve policy, systems, and environmental change leading to improved nutrition security, reaching over 6 million people in the past year. • Ensuring all three major Federal COVID-19 legislative packages (Families First, CARES, and Heroes) inlcuded strong nutiriton security provisions. • Strengthening the “Family Lifestyle Program” a group convened by the American Heart Association that is a clinical community initiative helping to connect Washington, DC families to nutrition, physical activity, and community resources to support and maintain their health and wellbeing. The program consists of clinical training, a multi-disciplinary program and community resource guide. • Working with Howard University to ensure campus cafeterias provide healthier food offerings, including AHA’s hearthealthy recipes. We are also partnering to advance the university’s tobacco free school zone policy and conducting an advocacy training for students in March 2021. • In Virginia, facilitating a partnership between ACTs Prince William Food Rescue and the Mother of Mercy Free Medical Clinic which resulted in connecting 800 food insecure patients and their families with food that otherwise would have been wasted.
meals policy like this, covering both beverages and food. Making water, milk, and 100% fruit juice default beverage options for all kids’ meals and also ensuring options in kids’ meals that will limit calories, sugar, salt, and fat. • Forming a new parternship Prince Georges Community College (PGCC) to create the Heart Health Hub to help increase awareness of healthy choices to forge a healthier and more equitable food environment and reduce food insecurity. PGCC will implement a culinary education course utilizing the AHA’s Simple Cooking with Heart® curriculum guide. We celebrated the
launch this past October with a food distribution that fed over 1,000 families. To continue to drive impact and save lives it will take even more partnerships with individuals, organizations and policymakers. There are many ways to support by learning more about your health, sharing resources, volunteering, having your company sponsor, donating and taking part in our campaigns and digital experiences like the upcoming Greater Washington Region Heart Ball on March 25. Learn more at www.heart.org/ dc.
The American Heart Association cordially invites you to the
THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 2021 7:00 PM ET
Here in the Greater Washington Region, 1 in 10 residents is nutrition insecure, lacking reliable access to healthy food. Our digital Heart Ball will bring together our supporters and partners to raise funds to support the mission of the AHA and our work to ensure all our neighbors have the same access to healthy, affordable food. Visit dcheartball.heart.org to learn more. Sponsorship inquiries: Jordan.Silverman@heart.org
Thank You to Our Local Sponsors: The Bender Foundation | Linda Gooden & Laird Lott | Patti & Rob Franklin Barbara & David Humpton | Sheehy Auto Stores
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MARCH 4 - 10, 2021 21
EDUCATION OSSE Yields to Pressure; Opts to Cancel PARCC this Spring Limited Instructional Time Cited as One of Several Reasons
Sam P.K. Collins WI Contributing Writer To the relief of some parents and teachers, the Office of the State Superintendent of Education [OSSE] recently opted to cancel a highly-anticipated and polarizing assessment that students were scheduled to take within a matter of weeks. In a letter to public school and public charter school officials, interim State Superintendent Shana
Young said the decision to suspend the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers [PARCC] followed discussions about OSSE’s ability to equally distribute assessments, teacher and administrator bandwidth and the limited instructional time throughout the pandemic. “We do believe in the power of statewide summative assessments and remain committed to understanding where students are,” Young said in a statement
on February 25. “Therefore, we plan on requiring [schools] to submit information to OSSE about student progress based on school-level assessments and invest in city-wide research to understand the state of unfinished learning across the state.” The official cancellation of the PARCC, along with Multistate Alternate Assessments, ACCESS for English Language Learners 2.0 and Alternate ACCESS, would require OSSE’s submission of a waiver request to the U.S. Department of Education. If successful, this change would follow those made earlier in the academic year, including the termination of the DC Science Assessment and the exclusion of the STAR Rating framework. In the weeks leading up to OSSE’s decision, parents and teachers organized around the cancellation of the PARCC. By the morning of February 25, a petition demanding the cancellation of PARCC, circulated by the Ward 6 Public Schools Parents Organization, attracted more than 1,200 signatures from people across the city. One week prior, parents and teachers spoke before the D.C. State Board of Education in support of this cause.
PARCC, annually administered to District students between the third and eighth grades and those taking 9th and 10th grade English and math courses, employs a five-point scale to measure the degree to which students are prepared for college and career opportunities. Four out of five points demonstrates college readiness. Results for the 2019 PARCC exam – the last time District students took the assessment –
It’s Official: Most Prince George’s Students to Learn at Home William J. Ford WI Staff Writer When Prince George’s County Public Schools CEO Monica Goldson announced students can return to the classroom starting April 8, Janna Parker didn’t want her boyfriend’s two
daughters to show up at the school. After family discussions, the oldest child, 14, will remain home and continue virtual learning. The youngest, age 12, will go back. Both students attend Imagine Foundations at Morningside, a public charter school, in the eighth and seventh grades, respectively.
5 Prince George’s County public schools will reopen its door starting April 8. (William J. Ford/The Washington Informer)
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“She didn’t like the support she got from distance learning. That is literally the only reason she is going back,” Parker said. A parental survey highlights the majority of Prince George’s students will remain at home and continue virtual learning. As of Thursday, Feb. 25, about 70 percent of the more than 120,000 parents and guardians who responded chose to keep their children at home. The remaining 30 percent of parents will allow their children back in the classrooms for two days a week for the remainder of the school year, scheduled to end June 15. If students have trouble adjusting to the two-day hybrid schedule, the school system allows them to return home and continue virtual instruction. During the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, parental flexibility also allows children in the same household to participate in in-person classes or stay home.
“The one thing I am grateful for is that parents have the opportunity to make choices,” Goldson said during a nearly 16-minute interview Thursday. “They really do have to spend time thinking through what their child can handle.” In terms of employee COVID-19 vaccinations, about 7,200 employees received the first dose through Sunday, Feb. 28. The school system has about 122,000 employees. Some parents, such as Shalia Ferguson, said vaccinations should be mandatory before schools reopen. Goldson said that wasn’t required from the Maryland Department of Education. In addition, the federal government hasn’t mandated vaccines for the general population. When school buildings reopen, she said children in elementary school will receive a socially-distanced recess. Games such as hopscotch “are the types of games students will be able to
SCHOOL Page 43
showed a citywide growth of 12.3 percent in English and 8.4 percent in math, with steady improvement among students with disabilities, nonwhite students and English-language learners. City officials highlighted this milestone as the fourth consecutive year of growth. Even so, there have been questions of whether the PARCC hinders the progress of students of color and those from low-income communities. Critics said the pandemic, and the manner in which the test would need to be conducted, could further place affected populations at a further disadvantage. That’s why Alexandra Simbana, a member of the Ward 1 Education Council, extolled OSSE’s announcement, citing the opportunity to further amplify the voices of students, parents and teachers through other avenues. “I’ve seen directly how much time and effort teachers are putting in during this unprecedented time of the pandemic,” said Simbana, the mother of a third grader who attends Cleveland Elementary School in Northwest. “This choice of waiving PARCC honors the work that the teachers and students are putting in to keep their learning going under circumstances that no one has experienced in over a century. It’s the greatest opportunity to help learning continue and bridge any gaps for those who need it the most,” she said. WI @SamPKCollins
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LGBT Numbers Rise in the U.S., Especially Within Gen Z Adults
More Americans Identify as Something Other Than Heterosexual Sarafina Wright WI Contributing Writer The share of Americans who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender [LGBT] has risen to an estimated 5.6 percent, up from 4.5 percent in 2017, according to a new Gallup survey. The latest results are based on more than 15,000 interviews conducted throughout 2020 with Americans 18 and older. Most LGBT Americans identify as bisexual; and one in six Generation Z adults consider themselves LGBT, the highest ever recorded according to reports. “One of the main reasons LGBT identification has been increasing over time is that younger generations are far more likely to consider themselves to be something other than heterosexual,” the report concluded. “The vast majority of Gen Z adults who identify as LGBT—72 percent—say they are bisexual.” “Thus, 11.5 percent of all Gen Z adults in the U.S. say they are bisexual, with about two percent each identifying as gay, lesbian or transgender.” The report also found that about half of millennials, those ages 24 to 39 who identify as LGBT, say they are bisexual. LGBT identification is lower in each older generation says Gallup, including an identification with LGBT for two percent or less of Americans born before 1965. Women are also more likely than men to identify as LGBT with 6.4 percent vs. 4.9 percent, respectively. Gallup says the pronounced generational differences raise questions about whether higher LGBT identification in younger than older Americans reflects a true shift in sexual orientation, or if it merely reflects a greater willingness of younger people to identify as LGBT. The Human Rights Campaign, the largest LGBT advocacy group and political lobbying organization in the U.S., believes Americans have grown increasingly supportive of equal rights for the LGBT community and a growing percentage of Americans identify themselves as LGBT. Adding it signifies that public ac-
ceptance is critical for LGBT individuals to feel safe identifying as their true selves. “This poll confirms what we have long known--that the LGBTQ community is powerful and a growing force in the United States, and around the world,” Human Rights Campaign President Alphonso David said. “Young adults, in particular, feel empowered to publicly claim their identities — a compelling finding and validation for the past generations of LGBTQ advocates who have long fought for full equality. “As a growing percentage of the population comes out as LGBTQ, it only amplifies the need for the Equality Act to be passed through Congress swiftly and with bipartisan support in order to secure consistent and explicit anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people across all areas of life,” he said. On Feb. 25, a day after Gallup released its survey results, the House
passed the Equality Act, which would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing, public accommodations, public education, federal funding, credit, and the jury system. The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and other civil rights organizations applauded the move and urged the Senate to follow the House. “By passing the Equality Act, the U.S. House of Representatives just sent a clear and unwavering message that discrimination against LGBTQ people has no place in public life,” Wade Henderson, interim president and CEO of The Leadership Conference said. “This crucially important legislation would strengthen existing civil rights protections while providing consistent and explicit nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people across key areas.
EDUCATION
“LGBTQ people deserve to be able to go to work, live their lives, and raise their families free from discrimination, and we urge the Senate to take swift action and pass this legislation,” hie said. The Equality Act is opposed by the Family Research Council and other conservative advocacy organizations. “The Equality Act is a grave and treasonous threat to our nation's core values contained in our First Amendment. The fact that no Republicans have co-sponsored it, even those who
co-sponsored in the previous Congress, underscores the Democrats' lurch to the left,” Tony Perkins, Family Research Council president, said. “This is a radical bill that uses the government to control, through coercion, how every American thinks, speaks, and acts on issues of human sexuality.” “It may be named the Equality Act, but as the details make quite clear, the only equal thing about it is how much damage it does to many facets of American life.” WI
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Request for Proposal Solicitation GAGA-2021-R-0050 Implementation and Evaluation of the RISE.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PUBLIC SCHOOLS SCHOOL FINANCE DIVISION The District of Columbia Office of Contracting and Procurement, on behalf of Office of School Improvement and Supports (OSIS) (District) is seeking a contractor (an External Evaluator/Technical Services Provider) to support DCPS in the successful implementation and evaluation of the Rigorous Instruction Supports Equity (RISE) a Teacher and School Leader (TSL) Incentive Program grant that uses educator effectiveness performance results to inform key school- and district-level human capital management decisions and performance based compensation systems with a focus on schools that are impacted by significant equity issues, low performance, and substantial opportunity gaps among student subgroups Contractor shall provide a programmatic evaluation based on federally required GPRA Measures, and a technical assistance to execute the grant and maintain compliance with federal guidelines and regulations. Solicitations will be available Tuesday March 04, 2021. This solicitation can be downloaded from the OCA website delineating all the details of the solicitation at http://dcps.dc.gov/DCPS/About+DCPS/Doing+Business+with+DCPS/ Procurement. Proposals will be accepted at DCPS/OCA on Wednesday, March 24, 2021, no later than 2:00 p.m. at. dcpsoca.inquiries@k12.dc.gov.
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OPINIONS/EDITORIALS
EDITORIAL
Political Affiliation is the Wrong Way to Guarantee the Right to Vote
In all but six states, the 2021 legislative sessions have begun. And already state lawmakers have introduced hundreds of bills aimed at election procedures and voter access – far greater than the number of voting bills introduced by this time last year. But many believe this rash of bills to be more about partisanship than streamlining the process of equal access to the right to vote as guaranteed by the Constitution. In a backlash to historic voter turnout in the 2020 general election and based on a plethora of foundationless and racist allegations of voter fraud and election irregularities, legislators have introduced three times the number of bills to restrict voting access as compared to this time last year. Twenty-eight states have introduced, pre-filed or carried over 106 restrictive bills this year, compared to 35 such bills in 15 states on Feb. 3, 2020). American electoral politics has been dominated by two major political parties since shortly after the founding of the republic. Since the 1850s, they have been the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. Since the last major party realignment in the mid-20th century, the Democratic Party has been the center-left and liberal party while the Republican Party has been the center-right and conservative party. Since the 1990s, both the Republican and Democratic parties have shifted further apart. However, this two-party system is based on laws, party rules and custom, not specifically outlined in the U.S. Constitution. Several third parties also operate in the U.S., and from time to time elect someone to local office. The largest third party since the 1980s has been the Libertarian Party. Besides the Constitution, Green, and Libertarian parties, there are many other political parties that receive only minimal support and only appear on the ballot in one or a few states. But it should be noted that the need to win popular support in a republic led to the American invention of voter-based political parties in the 1790s. Party realignments have recurred periodically in response to social and cultural movements and economic development. Ironically, the United States Constitution is silent on the subject of political parties. The Founding Fathers did not originally intend for American politics to be partisan. In Federalist Papers No. 9 and No. 10, Alexander Hamilton and James Madison, respectively, wrote specifically about the dangers of domestic political factions. In addition, the first President of the United States, George Washington, was not a member of any political party at the time of his election or throughout his tenure as president. He hoped that political parties would not be formed, fearing conflict and stagnation, as outlined in his Farewell Address. But following the 2020 elections in which we saw an unprecedented numbers of voters casting their ballots by mail, legislators across the U.S. have shown particular interest in absentee voting reform, with most bills aimed at altering absentee voting procedures in some way. Other bills would seek to modify how presidential electors are allocated or seek to adopt the national popular vote compact. In reviewing the more restrictive bills, 28 states seek to: limit mail voting access; impose stricter voter ID requirements; limit successful pro-voter registration policies; and enable more aggressive voter roll purges. These bills are an unmistakable response to the unfounded and dangerous lies about fraud that followed the 2020 election. Americans should not yield to partisanship or follow the tide of baseless allegations. Voting should be made easier for citizens – all citizens – not made more difficult. WI
Celebrate Women in March for Life-Time Achievements March is Women’s History Month, which places the spotlight on women and celebrates their achievements. It is a time to recognize women breaking glass ceilings, beating down doors and pushing away barriers to progress. It is the month to raise awareness that women are growing in their determination not to let anything hold them back. This month marks 30 years since Congress passed the law authorizing the establishment of Women’s History Week. It was not until 1987 that Congress voted to designate March as Women’s History Month and approved the president’s decision to proclaim it. Women did not need a designation or approval to make a difference in the U.S. or around the world. And 2020 proved to be an outstanding year of progress. Women assumed leadership roles in every sector previously denied them. Many did so despite additional barriers, including nationality, ethnicity, gender pref-
TO THE EDITOR Pandemic's Lost Ones Not Forgotten Rest in peace to the over 500,000 people in the U.S. who died from COVID-19 and the countless people around the world. I always wonder if this pandemic could've been prevented if we had competent leadership a year ago. May we learn from the mistakes that were made.
Take It to the Bridge I love the cover of last month's issue of the WI Bridge. Whoever the artist is, shout to them. It was just genius to have Marvin Gaye with the Howard Theatre as the backdrop. Shout out to all the creatives and artists. Brittany Logan Washington, D.C.
Constance Taylor Washington, D.C.
erence, age, disability, language, faith, or whatever issues others may have put in their way. Some of these women are familiar, while others are not well known. Still, we celebrate them and name a few of them, including Kamala Harris, the first woman U.S. vice president. Sarah McBride, the first openly-transgender woman elected to Congress. Jennifer King, first Black woman Washington Football Team NFL coach. Cori Bush, first Black woman representative to U.S. Congress from Missouri. Bianca Smith, the first Black woman pro baseball coach. Dr. Namandjé Bumpus, the first Black woman department chair at Johns Hopkins Medical School. NASA Astronaut Jeanette Epps, the first Black woman to join an International Space Station Crew. Nia DaCosta, the first Black woman to direct a Marvel Universe film. Tamara
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Moore, the first Black woman to serve as head coach of a men’s college basketball team. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the first woman and first African director-general of the World Trade Organization. Rashida Jones, the first Black woman to run a major cable news network, namely MSNBC. Where women are not pursuing positions for themselves but decide to organize on behalf of others, they win. Ask President Joe Biden. With women leading, policies impacting women are expected to change, as well. It is partly the reason for them being there. Just as Black people don’t believe a blind eye should be given to public policy impacting Black people, women expect a gender-sensitive approach to public policies that affect women. That’s why Women’s History Month matters. WI
MARCH 4 - 10, 2021 25
OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnist
Julianne Malveaux
Black Women's Organizations Matter
March is Women's History Month, and this month is the perfect time to lift the Black women's organizations that make such an essential difference in our lives. Last year, both the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) and the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women (NANBPW) celebrated their 85th anniversary. Thanks to COVID-19, neither organization had the opportunity to celebrate in the way they planned; now
they are celebrating by Zoom. The differently scaled celebration does not diminish the importance that these organizations have. When I think of NCNW, I think of the late Dr. Dorothy Irene Height, who used to say, "If I tap you with my finger, you may or may not feel it, but if I combine these five fingers into a fist, you will definitely feel it." Dr. Height was not a pugilistic woman, but she was a fervent believer in the power of the collective. And NCNW, an "organization of organizations," certainly fits that bill. Too many times, in modern history, NCNW, the collective, has been
Guest Columnist
present. Many of us, for example, attended Labor Secretary Alexis Herman's confirmation hearings, many wearing the crimson and cream colors of Delta Sigma Theta sorority, Ms. Herman's sorority (and also mine). Deltas were not the only people in the house. Other Divine Nine sisters joined us, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Zeta Phi Beta and Sigma Gamma Rho. We made an impression, and those senators prepared to grill Herman had to think twice because we were there. Black women had a tremendous impact on this current election. I think of LaTosha Brown, a Black
Votes Matter leader, and the tireless work she did to get voters out. I think of Melanie Campbell and the sisters of the Black Women's Roundtable. There are so many more Black women and Black women's organizations that made a difference in this election. President Biden has acknowledged the Black community and Black women in particular. It is crucial, though, that our coalition continues to stay active and connected. One Black woman, Kristen Clarke, has been nominated to serve as assistant attorney general for civil rights. Already, the right wing is going after her with their usual smear
campaign tactics, taking comments out of context and blowing them up. The same coalition that worked to get the vote out now must work to support this exceptional woman. Similarly, two other women of color are being smeared. Vanita Gupta, President of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, has been attacked by rabid right-wingers. Another woman of color, Neera Tanden, who leads the Center for American Progress, has been attacked for her tweets. Really? Her tweets, some say, are vicious. When have tweets
MALVEAUX Page 45
Hazel Trice Edney
On Rare Disease Day, Black Families Use Their Stories to Empower Others
It was about 10 a.m. about six months ago, Aug. 18. Jamie and Tonya Nash and their two sons were in class and at work inside their house in Newnan, Ga., a suburb of Atlanta. It was a scene being played out in millions of homes across the nation as the days of the coronavirus pandemic wore on. But, as if the international quarantine wasn't enough, the life of
the Nash family was about to take on a whole new dimension. Their older son, Daniel, 13, was at his computer in the dining room and their youngest son, Nicholas, 7, was at a desk in the kitchen. Nicholas, a good-natured, warm and jovial son who loves to sing and record himself playing with toys, was playing around as Mrs. Nash chided him, encouraging him to focus on a worksheet. "All of a sudden his head dropped down and I thought to myself, I know this boy ain't going to sleep. So, I pulled
Guest Columnist
his head up and I said, 'Boy you better wake up. What are you doing? And then when I pulled his head up, I could see his eyes. They were rolling around and moving fast.'" Mrs. Nash, who has a master's degree in public health, recognized immediately what was happening. "I knew it was a seizure. But the mama in me was like, 'This is not happening. What is going on?'" She grabbed Nicholas with one hand and her phone with the other and was trying to dial 911, but she couldn't
get the number right as she struggled to balance. So, she cried out for her husband, Jamie, who was in the bedroom teaching an online JROTC class. The Nash family story is harrowing and emotional even as she recounts it. But they are telling their story anyway as Sunday, Feb. 28, the last day of Black History Month, has been designated as Rare Diseases Day by the National Organization of Rare Diseases (NORD). Though their situation is more unusual than most, they are hoping to impart awareness to other Black families who
may have to deal with rare conditions like epilepsy. Both of their sons began showing signs of autism when they were 2 years old. But the Nashes had learned to manage two autistic children. Medical science sometimes connects autism and epilepsy — both being neurological disorders — but, given the advanced ages of their sons, there was no reason to believe either would be diagnosed with epilepsy. So, the Nash family had
anxiety on to him? The murder of George Floyd shone a global spotlight on the issue of race in America. But our collective pain began four centuries ago, when the first Africans were enslaved and transported across the Atlantic to a life of unimaginable cruelty. Abolition did not bring healing. Instead, the trauma of freed slaves and their descendants has continued to be compounded to this day, as every subsequent generation has faced ongoing racism, injustice, and police brutality.
Dr. Joy DeGruy has given this historical racial trauma a name: Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome. She points out that it is deeply embedded, community wide and multi-generational. As a result, countless Black Americans suffer symptoms similar to those of PTSD — which can include anger issues, sleep problems, stress, and anxiety — often without being aware of the root cause and at great cost to themselves, their families, and society.
EDNEY Page 45
Keith Magee
Ending the Cycle of Racial Trauma
When the managers at Donald Trump's Senate impeachment trial showed video footage of the Capitol riot some of our lawmakers must have relived the visceral panic they experienced that day. Millions of citizens watching at home will have been overwhelmed once more by fear and disgust. It must have been especially hard for Jewish people, reminded of the thug in his
26 MARCH 4 - 10, 2021
"Camp Auschwitz" T-shirt, and for Native Americans, for whom marauding white men brandishing firearms conjure up ancestral horrors. Black Americans were shuddering — for us, noose-bearing mobs bring to mind brown bodies hanging from trees. Almost 60 years ago, when my mother, Rev. Dr. Barbara Reynolds, was 19, she went to Tennessee to help register folks to vote. Having unwittingly entered a whites-only inn, she and her friends were threatened and hounded out of town by members of the KKK.
The events of Jan. 6 took her back to the terror of that chase; for days after the storming of the Capitol she felt in fear for her life again. Tragically, for most non-white Americans, trauma and its consequences are part of everyday life and the triggers come thick and fast. Just walking past a Confederate general's statue in my native Louisiana is enough to make my blood run cold. My heart always pounds in my chest if I notice a police car behind me when I'm driving with my little boy. Then I feel guilty — am I passing my
MAGEE Page 45
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OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnist
Charlene Crowell
Advocates Demand Racial Equity as Key PPP Changes Begin
Over the past year, COVID-19 and its variants have plagued the globe taking lives and interrupting normal activities in virtually all areas of life. For Black America, already plagued with steep health, income and wealth disparities, coping with the pandemic has been even more painful. With less income, higher unemployment, and less access to financial resources, both businesses and consumers alike strive to hold on for much-need
relief. In many cases, modest financial resources are either gone or near their end, and the patience to cope has worn thin. In response, an unparalleled coalition of more than 100 national, state and local advocates are pressing Congress and the Biden administration for substantive changes to deliver equitable relief to underserved communities. Foremost in the coalition’s concern was getting Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds to deserving but largely left-out businesses from earlier funding rounds. “The design of PPP strongly disfavored businesses owned by people
Guest Columnist
of color, who generally do not have established banking and face greater obstacles in capital access,” the coalition wrote. “Moreover, the incentive for lenders to fund large loans, which yielded larger fees, has proved to be a barrier to entry for the vast majority of businesses of color.” Fortunately, it was announced Feb. 22 that new PPP approvals will be restricted to businesses with 20 or fewer employees for two weeks in order to target smaller businesses with relief. The SBA will also implement new rules in the coming days that will lessen barriers for small businesses in several areas. These key changes will provide better
access and equitable assistance, using gross income instead of net profit as an eligibility measure, improved practices collecting demographic data and eliminating student debt defaults/delinquency from borrower applicants. Despite these changes, however, more must be done to aid businesses that were already underserved by PPP. “Many Black, Latino, Asian and immigrant business owners are sole proprietors and independent contractors — vital to their communities,” said Ashley Harrington, director of federal advocacy with the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL). “Congress should make increased loan amount
eligibility for sole proprietors and independent contractors retroactive, as they did when the rule changed for small farmers and ranchers. We must ensure all vulnerable businesses have equitable access to the relief they need to weather this crisis.” Well-known national organizations such as the NAACP, National Action Network and the National Fair Housing Alliance, are partnering with Black business organizations like U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. and the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, along with local partners including the
CROWELL Page 46
Ben Jealous
Biden's Win Means a Civil Rights Lawyer Will Lead Civil Rights Enforcement
Black voters who turned out to elect President Joe Biden were hoping for some real change. We're getting it. Kristen Clarke is one of the country's most effective civil rights lawyers. She has tackled issues like police accountability, fair housing, educational and economic opportunity, and the school-to-prison pipeline. And Biden has nominated her to lead civil rights enforcement for the federal govern-
ment. That is a big change. Clarke is president of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, a historic and important civil rights group. She has worked at the U.S. Justice Department and headed the civil rights bureau in the New York attorney general's office. She helped expose Trump's sham Election Integrity Commission, which was designed to create justifications for voter suppression. And she resisted the Trump administration's efforts to corrupt the 2020 census.
Askia-At-Large
Clarke says she is inspired by Thurgood Marshall, the first Black justice on the U.S. Supreme Court, and Constance Baker Motley, the first Black woman to argue a case at the Supreme Court and the first to serve as a federal judge. Clarke will be the first Black woman to lead the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. At times in our history, that division has played a powerful role in protecting the constitutional principle of equal justice under law. Under former President Donald Trump, the division became a shell of its former self.
That is changing. When Biden announced the nomination of Clarke and other senior Justice Department officials, he called the Civil Rights Division "the moral center of the Justice Department." In her remarks accepting the nomination, Clarke pledged her commitment to the core constitutional principle of equal justice. "The clarion call of equal justice under law is what binds us together as a nation," she said. "Now, it's my honor to return to work alongside the dedicated career professionals who give
of themselves every day to make that principle real in the lives of families like mine, in my son's life, and in the lives of all of our sons and daughters." As an experienced civil rights advocate, Clarke knows the forces that she is up against and she is not afraid to challenge them. In January, she announced that the Lawyers' Committee was suing the violent, extremist Proud Boys and their members for the racist attack on the historic Metropolitan AME Church
ting him invited once to a briefing and photo session with the president. But then, sometime during George H.W. Bush’s term, my past, my reputation began to catch up with me. The renewal of my credential was not routine as it had been. I investigated and insisted that I met the written requirements: accreditation with one of the Congressional Press/Radio-TV/ Periodical Galleries; and ability to pass a Secret Service background check. That sufficed for a time. When Bill Clinton took office, I
felt like I was being targeted, targeted because of my religious identity. My patron Louis Martin was off the scene, but I had won reliable friends. Sharon Farmer, the Chief White House Photographer, a personal buddy who even took a photo of me and Clinton in the East Room one day, and made sure I got a copy of it; Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.), destined to become chair of the House Judiciary Committee, and Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.), all
JEALOUS Page 46
Askia Muhammad
White House Anti-Black Muslim Press Bias
For 28 years I made my journalistic rounds in Washington with a coveted White House “hard pass.” Basically, that credential permitted card-holders virtually unlimited access to the White House Press Office from 6 a.m. until 10 p.m., seven days a week. For the first 16 of those years—from 1977 until 1993—my tenure was mostly trouble free. I first represented
the Chicago Daily Defender newspaper group. Access was aided by the fact that Louis E. Martin, my editor, was on good terms with official Washington, particularly with Democratic President Jimmy Carter. Once, I asked Carter an embarrassing question at a nationally televised press conference, about how could he presume to challenge Leonid Brezhnev, the president of the Soviet Union about “human rights” at an upcoming summit meeting, while the Rev. Ben Chavis and the Wilmington 10—innocent
U.S. citizens—languished in prison on trumped up political charges. Again, during the Iran hostage crisis, after the failed attempt to rescue U.S. diplomats held by Iranian Revolutionary Guards at the U.S. embassy in Tehran, I asked Carter why didn’t he pursue peaceful negotiations, rather than a belligerent military attack? Later, I transitioned to the National Scene News Bureau through the presidency of Ronald Reagan, and even upped to profile the National Scene magazine publisher L.H. Stanton, get-
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LIFESTYLE women's history month
Remembering Daisy Bates Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer Daisy Bates, a largely forgotten heroine of the civil rights movement, spearheaded the 1957 desegregation of the all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Ark. Resilient, courageous and displaying much resolve in her fight for freedom, justice, and equality, Bates was born in Huttig, Ark., in 1914. After three white men murdered her mother, Bates grew up in foster care. At 15, she began traveling
throughout the South with L.C. Bates, a journalist who sold insurance because of the scarcity of journalism jobs. Eventually, the two were married, and they started the Arkansas Weekly, a Black-owned newspaper dedicated to the fight for civil rights. Bates wrote extensively about criminal justice, educating Black people and exposing white supremacists and the Ku Klux Klan. While African Americans were delighted by the Arkansas Weekly, many White people were angered, causing advertisers to back away
5 Daisy Bates remains mostly forgotten. (Photo courtesy Arkansas.com)
from the newspaper. “No man or woman who tries to pursue an ideal in his or her own way is without enemies,” Bates famously wrote. Bates would increase her activism, working with then-Attorney Thurgood Marshall to craft education reform and seeking to desegregate schools. After the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education ruling, where Bates
Anise Jenkins: Warrior for D.C. Statehood By James Wright WI Staff Writer The desire to see the District become the 51st state in the Union has been a passion for Anise Jenkins, a native of the city who has worked quietly to see her fellow residents become full American citizens. “D.C. residents pay federal taxes and are obligated to serve in the military when called to do so and yet we don’t have a full vote in the U.S. House
of Representatives and no representation in the U.S. Senate and that’s not fair,” Jenkins, who serves as the executive director of Stand Up! For Democracy in DC, a pro-statehood organization. “We want to be able to run our city without the interference of the Congress in our local budget and local laws. I will not tolerate D.C. being a congressional plantation and the residents of this city as political slaves.” While D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton has been noted for her efforts
5 Anise Jenkins is the executive director of Stand Up! For Democracy in DC, a pro-statehood organization. (Courtesy Photo/Google).
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to push a D.C. statehood bill through the U.S. Congress, grassroots leaders such as Jenkins has spent years educating people and political leaders about D.C. statehood. Jenkins, a graduate of Western High School and Howard University, said she got involved in the movement for D.C. statehood due to the imposition of the District of Columbia Financial Responsibility and Management Assistance Authority, known colloquially as the control board, by the U.S. Congress in 1995 because of the District government’s huge deficits. The control board had the authority to overrule the mayor and the D.C. Council in its decision-making and by 1997, Jenkins had enough. “I met with a group of people who were ministers, activists, Howard University and UDC students to protest non-District elected people taking over D.C.,” she said. “We first met in the basement of the Rainbow/Push Coalition offices and later at the headquarters of the National Council of Negro Women. Dr. Dorothy Height, the chair and president emerita of the NCNW, supported us fully.” Jenkins said she has been arrested
and the NAACP prevailed over the Little Rock School Board, students were recruited to enter Central High School bravely. In 1957, Arkansas Gov. Orval Faubus called in the National Guard to stop the Black students – known as The Little Rock Nine – from entering the school. President Dwight Eisenhower stepped in and sent federal troops to escort the students into the on behalf of statehood nine times. “I did that to protest our rights as American citizens,” she said. In addition, Jenkins contributed to the effort to oust Sen. Lauch Faircloth (R-N.C.), who orchestrated the effort to create the control board and publicly “acted as D.C.’s overseer”, she said. “Many Black people in D.C. have relatives in North Carolina,” she said. “In 1998, we needed to get him out of office so some of us in the movement went down to North Carolina and educated people on what he was doing in D.C. We were glad when he was defeated that year for re-election.” Since the defeat of Faircloth, Jenkins has participated in and led many demonstrations and teach-ins on statehood. She and her allies have lobbied members and staffers of Congress on statehood. With the statehood bill set for hearings in the House and strong consideration in the Senate, Jenkins said she will continue the fight until her hometown becomes a whole part of the union. “We have to fight for our liberation,” she said. “We will keep fighting nonviolently until we achieve statehood.” WI @JamesDCWrighter
school, and on Sept. 25, 1957, The Little Rock Nine finally entered Central High School. “What is happening at Little Rock transcends segregation and integration; this is a question of right against wrong,” Bates wrote. Law enforcement officials later ordered Bates’ arrest on charges that she failed to disclose information about her NAACP membership and the organization’s finances as required by a local ordinance. In 1960, Bates published “The Long Shadow of Little Rock,” detailing the fight to integrate schools. She later moved to Washington, D.C., and worked in President Lyndon B. Johnson’s administration and the Democratic National Committee. Later, Bates returned to Little Rock, where she hosted numerous community programs and continued fighting for civil rights. In 1984, four years after her husband died, Bates restarted the Arkansas Weekly but finally retired the newspaper in 1988. “Daisy Lee Bates is remembered as a formidable force in one of the biggest battles of school integration in the United States,” National Park Service historians wrote, also noting that she had received numerous awards for her social activism. Her recognition included an honorary degree from the University of Arkansas. Daisy Bates died on Nov. 4, 1999, in Little Rock. WI @StacyBrownMedia
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women's history month
Anita Shelton: Supporting Women in Politics James Wright WI Staff Writer
Women in the District have made great strides in recent years winning political offices at each level of government and they have political activists like Anita Shelton, the president of DC Women in Politics, to thank. “Women bring a special quality to politics that I think benefits everyone,” Shelton said. “Women politicians tend to work well with others, even those whom they disagree with and women tend to understand the plight and needs of those who are underprivileged and disadvantaged.” Shelton has worked for many years publicly but often behind the scenes to help females win elected office primarily through DCWIP. The organization played a pivotal role in elected Christina Henderson to the D.C. Council at-large seat in 2020 as an independent,
despite the support pro-business candidate Vincent Orange and progressive hopeful Ed Lazere had throughout the city. “We advised Christina to stay out of the spat between Orange and Lazere and we told her to go out and talk to the people,” Shelton said. “She listened to us and that’s why she won.” Shelton holds a bachelor’s degree and master’s in social work from Howard University. She said as a social worker, she developed an understanding that reforms needed to aid indigent District residents could come from women politicians rather than men. “When I started getting active in politics years ago, there were not enough women in the higher offices in the city,” she said. “That’s why I went to work to change that. It has been my experience that women in office want to help people more.” Shelton made it clear DCWIP
promotes the candidacies of women of all races. “We are stronger if we work tog29 ether,” she said. “Too often in this city, Blacks and whites are on two different streets but they are working on the same cause. I have noticed over the years that Black women are leaders in their community, like in their households, while white women may not be and are learning how to do that.” Shelton expressed pride in women holding leading District elective3 positions such as the delegate to the U.S. Congress, mayor and being in the majority on the D.C. Council. “I am very proud to see these women serving in these roles,” she said. “They are role models for younger women.” However, she worries that some females in these positions may not necessarily be working in the best interest of women.
LIFESTYLE
5 Anita Shelton serves as the president of the DC Women in Politics. (Courtesy Photo-Anita Shelton)
“I don’t see some working hard enough to end discrimination against women,” Shelton said. “They don’t seem to be aggressive enough in doing that. You can
have a woman in place to change things but I don’t see them making change.” WI @JamesDCWrighter
DC MAP (Mortgage Assistance Program) COVID-19
is available to provide emergency mortgage support to District homeowners experiencing unanticipated financial hardship due to sudden decrease or loss of income. Take the survey to see if you qualify for mortgage Call the hotline at 1-833-429-0537 assistance through DC MAP COVID-19 at or email DCMAP@dchfa.org www.dchfa.org/homeownership/
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in review Lindiwe Vilakazi WI Staff Writer Last Friday’s show wrapped up the historic Black History Month, as Washington Informer Publisher Denise Rolark Barnes showcased a multitude of guests speaking about a variety of local community efforts, advocacy, and legislation. Following a brief news recap, Rolark Barnes opened the floor to Beth Goldberg, of Safeway and Austin Hicks with the D.C. Capital Area Food Bank speaking on the Kick Hunger campaign, and efforts to relieve food disparities and hunger across the District of Columbia. Currently, Safeway is partnering with multiple organizations
in helping local food banks provide food to those families across the District who are suffering and starving at greater rates now exacerbated by the COVID-19 health pandemic. “We had raised over $460,000 last year which was wonderful,” said Goldberg. “Over the last three years we’ve raised I believe, over 1.1 million dollars through the Kick Hunger campaign, and this year we are certainly hoping to raise even more to support the Capital Area Food Bank here in D.C.” The Washington Informer will be one of several groups partnering with Safeway in the campaign, along with the Washington Football Team, ABC 7 News, El Tiempo Newspapers, and five local Entercom radio stations.
The campaign aims to develop mutual aid partnerships, while providing grants to local organizations and agencies working to provide food to demographics in need. Next, Hilary O. Shelton, director of the NAACP’s Washington Bureau, and Senior Vice President for Advocacy and Policy sat in to address proposed legislation to provide descendants of U.S. slavery with reparations and the proposed bill calling to abolish the death penalty in the state of Virginia. “We are more likely to be assigned to the greater end if that penalty is utilized. If you look at that data along those lines, we are disproportionately more likely to be executed,” said Shelter. “If we look at who is on death row right now, both in
the very states across the country and the federal government, you’ll see that African Americans and Federally, Native Americans are disproportionately represented because of how our federal government works.” The last WIN-TV episode of the month concluded with guests Dr. Stephanie Myers, author of The Invisible Queen, the story of Charlotte Sophia, a smart Black girl who was recruited to marry George III, King of England, Absalom Jordan, talking about the Black United Front and Commissioner ANC of Ward 8, Salim Adofo. Adolfo detailed his multiple initiatives to aid large community service projects, and mobilize greater safety measures throughout the East of The River, Ward 8 community. Win-TV closed with another Bridge news segment hosted by
5 Absalom Jordan (Courtesy photo)
The Media Prince, followed by, “Sounds of the DMV,” this week showcasing Washington, D.C., rapper, “Arckitech”. Remember to subscribe, and become a member of the Washington Informer family on our digital portal www. washingtoninformer.com! WI
A Parent Leader’s Response to Biden’s Mandate for Standardized Tests On Monday, the U.S. Department of Education issued guidance to states on standardized testing in 2021. Essentially, it made clear that every state was required to administer standardized tests to assess student learning. I am the Black parent of three middle school children, a veteran and a co-chair for “We The Parents” in New York. As a parent leader, I want to thank the Biden administration for putting children at the center of the national education discussion. It is imperative that we as parents and communities have a clear understanding of the depth of the educational impact of the pandemic. We cannot address the issues around the massive learning loss until we have a clear picture of where our children are academically. It is rare that politicians at any level, especially the highest level, stand firm on promises they make during the campaign. So, bravo President Biden. The educational effects of this pandemic will be felt for the next decade,
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especially since Black children in urban school districts are more likely to be in schools that decided to stay fully remote in September of 2020. This is in stark comparison to suburban and private schools that were much more likely to open fully in person or in a hybrid model. The most important lesson to take from this statement is that parents need to stay encouraged when speaking up for the children in their communities. Parent leaders from across the country have expressed their concern with the drastic learning loss over the past year. Often met with “we can’t do assessments,” or “it’s not that big of learning loss,” parents have seen the difference in the quality of education and the pace of their child’s learning. The statement from the Biden administration validates what parents have been vocalizing for months. Parents have a voice and parents have power. We just need to do better at using them both. Duncan Kirkwood WI
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LIFESTYLE Local Gospel Legend Horace Thompson Hitting the Road Again Hamil R. Harris WI Contributing Writer
For more than sixty years, Horace Thompson has traveled the country singing and playing the bass guitar for Sensational Nightingales that was part of a gospel caravan serenading weary souls across the South. The Mighty Clouds of Joy, the Gospel Keynote, the Canton Spirituals, Lee Williams and the QC’s and other groups like Slim and the Supreme Angels were all part of a musical brotherhood that navigated segregated roads across Dixie. Thompson also sang with the legendary singing preacher, Rev. Julius Cheeks. Thompson didn’t have to worry about his wife complaining about his absence because every week, she would go from styling hair in one of the beauty shops she owned to managing and booking her husband and the other groups in concert venues. But on Dec. 22, 2019, Rosetta Thompson, 80, died, and quartet singers came off the road to offer one final tribute to the glamorous gospel lady. Two months later, COVID-19 spread like wildfire across the country and Thompson has not yet returned to the gospel. “Normally we would be in the New York or New Jersey area but we haven’t gone anywhere in more than a year, ” said Thompson, who came back to Maryland from staying with his daughter in Memphis. “I am ready to sing because people are hungry for gospel music.” On Dec. 30, Rosetta Thompson was eulogized at Calvary Baptist Church in Lanham, Md., where she held numerous concerts. The choir stand and much of the church was filled with gospel performers, including Harvey Watkins, lead singer of the Canton Spirituals and Darrell Luster, an executive for Malaco Records. For many years, Horace Thompson averaged two weeks on the road for every week at home. For most of his career, he and the other Nightingales traveled in a Fleetwood Cadillac kept by JoJo Wallace, the group’s legendary lead guitarist, who lives in Durham, N.C. It takes about five hours to assemble the group members, who live in Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina. But despite her husband’s life on the road, Thompson never complained.
“I understood what he was all about,” she said in 1995. “I loved it.” Thompson, with a high school diploma and her hairdressing skills, saved enough money to open a salon in Prince George’s County in 1976. Two years later, she opened a second Maryland store, and five years ago, she opened Hair Essence, an 18-booth shop in northeast Washington. Horace Thompson exchanged the Michellville home he shared with Rosetta for a retirement community in Bowie. Despite the loss of his wife and his musical lively he remains optimistic. “I am fine, ” said Thompson who spends time between various medical appointments and savoring special memories. “When I was a child my father picked cotton in the early 1940’s. He got $3 for 100 pounds and that was a lot of money back then. He took cotton and made me a palate. He said you sit there and don’t get up.” Thompson had other memories of a musical career. “Everybody in my family could sing. I sang with Edna Gallmon Cooke, she was a special lady who had her own style, she was last and she applied the word of God to her songs.” “ I joined the Flying Clouds of Washington DC, and then in1962 I joined the Sensational Nightingales . I got to sing in Carnegie Hall, Madison Square Garden and the Apollo Theater as well as 44 of the 48 States at that time. When I was singing Alaska and Hawaii were states.” Viola Bradford moved back home to Montgomery in January of 2018. But Bradford joined the Montgomery chapter of Gospel Music Workshop of America that rekindles memories. “Mother Shirley Berkley directed the mass choir when we met in St. Louis, ” said Bradford who remembers singing as Cleveland played piano after she had dinner with Berkley and Cleveland at her house. Bradford recorded with the late great Donald Vails. Now Bradford said today she has been hired as chaplain at the Julia Tutweiler for Women where she teaches music, writing and biblical studies. Bradford, who contracted COVID, said “God told me that my sickness was not unto death.” There was a traveling nurse who cared for me at home and I came through.” Long before joining radio station WHUR on Sunday, Winston Chaney
was the morning man on 1340 AM WYCB. Playing quartet music and hosting their concerts was his passion. “COVID has not only had an impact on quartet singers but announcers, ” Chaney said. “People are not going to concerts, they are not buying records, they are not getting air play.” Chaney said working at WHUR has been a blessing because many people enjoy gospel quartet music. Thompson, who has had both vaccines, said he is eager to return to the road. But, he cautioned,“only the strongest will survive. I am looking forward to getting back on the road because singing for the Lord has been in my life.” WI
5 Horace Thompson has been singing and playing the bass for the Sensational Nightingales for more than 60 years. (Courtesy photo)
All throughout the year, we celebrate Black Joy. Its beauty. Its brilliance. Its variety. Its tenacity. Its resilience. Its ability to thrive despite everything.
The power of Black Joy truly knows no bounds... it’s a Joy Supreme. Celebrate a Joy Supreme with us at aarp.org/blackcommunity.
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Is Racism Slowing U.S. Senate Confirmations of Biden Nominees? Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer The thought that white supremacy would ground to a much slower pace after Donald Trump left office may have been overstated. But, after the Trump-inspired deadly Capitol insurrection that also endangered the lives of Congress members and the Senate, many believed that lawmakers would work more closely toward racial tolerance. That belief also was overstated. With words like “radical” and “extremist” to describe individuals of color nominated to serve in President Joe Biden’s administration, confirmation has not come for many of those chosen. And, the reason is quite apparent, the Good Ole Boys still have their way – on both sides of the aisle. “Jeff Sessions was so openly racist that even Reagan couldn’t appoint him,” Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) wrote in a tweet this week to express her frustration about the Senate’s refusal to confirm Neera Tan-
den, an Asian-American, as budget director. The congresswoman noted that, as attorney general, Sessions presided over the family separation policy at the U.S and Mexican border. “Yet the first Native woman to be Cabinet Sec is where Manchin finds unease?” she posted. The latter referenced West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin, who opposes Tanden and other Biden nominees. With the Senate evenly split 50-50 and all Republicans opposing the nominations, Democrats can’t afford one defection. However, Manchin has sounded more Republican than Democrat lately, opposing nominations and parts of Biden’s $1.9 trillion stimulus legislation. Ocasio-Cortez also noted that Manchin voted to confirm Sessions as Trump’s attorney general despite Sessions’ alleged racism. Vanita Gupta, an Indian American and Biden’s associate attorney general nomination, also faces a Senate reluctant to confirm her. An advertisement launched to
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5 Lloyd Austin (confirmed), Neera Tanden (withdrawn), Kristin Clarke, Alejandro Mayorkas (confirmed), Vanita Gupta, Xavier Becerra, Linda Thomas-Greenfield (confirmed)
oppose her painted Gupta as “dangerous.” The ad continues with images of burning businesses, rioting, and a voice-over blaming Black Lives Matter. Xavier Becerra, whose father was an immigrant from Mexico, has also found opposition. The first Latino attorney general
of California, some senators claim that Becerra is not qualified to fill the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services’ post. Some senators argue that Becerra is not a physician, ignoring that his predecessor, Alex Azar, appointed by Trump, also wasn’t a doctor. Kristen Clarke, an African
American nominated for assistant attorney general for civil rights, counts among the individuals of color also facing a contentious Senate confirmation. Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah called Clarke “absolutely crazy.” “The principle here is – is this fair play? Or is this just racial hazing?” questioned National Urban League President Marc Morial. The Senate has confirmed Gen. Lloyd Austin, an African American, to lead the Department of Defense, and Linda Thomas-Greenfield, a Black woman, as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. Alejandro Mayorkas, a Latino, also won confirmation as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. “The outcome will make it clear whether or not those individuals who are women or people of color are receiving a different level of scrutiny,” NAACP President Derrick Johnson stated. “I hope we will course-correct, quickly, and not allow that to be a legacy of the Senate.” WI @StacyBrownMedia
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March is Nutrition Month:Gas A Time to Reflect Washington Safety – Mindon theNutrition Marks Security Submitted Erica McIntyre, by Washington Community Gas Impact Director, American The leading cause ofGreater gas damage emergencies in the country are due to Heart Association, individuals and contractors performing excavation work without a Miss Washington Region Utility ticket. Miss Utility is the organization that coordinates the markingImagine of utility lines to prevent them from being damaged by excavation a Greater Washingor work. Excavation tondemolition Region, where all familiesincludes digging, boring and directional drilling. Homeowners notaf-be aware that they need to call 811 each have opportunities to may access and every time they dig. Even if you’re adding a rosebush or mailbox, call fordable food, including fruits before you install! and vegetables, allowing eating Whentoitbe comes to preventing healthy the norm in every damage to underground utility lines, the area must beacross marked neighborhood theproperly, com- and those marks must be respected so critical munity.infrastructure is protected. The Call Before You Dig program is an important toolpeople to stopinconstruction crews and excavators from striking One in ten Amerilines and disrupting service. ca are not getting enough food “Weday ask--fororthe publicthe to help each getting nu- us protect our infrastructure and avoid any disruption in your neighborhoods by calling 811 andfederal telling level, your trients they need. That's called • Working at the neighbors friends toLack do theofsameallevery time you have a digging projnutrition and insecurity. 50 states, and in local commuect,” said Blue Jenkins,can president Gas. policy, systems, nutrition security lead of Washington nities to achieve is Washington enablingand saferenvironmental digging? to How a diet high in fat,Gas sodium change leading Wesugar, have developed EnhancedtoPositive Response (EPR) program and while notanprovidimproved nutrition security, that goesnutrition above andpeople beyondneed. locatingreaching and marking utilities ing the over underground 6 million people in for the customer. It provides the customer-detailed information, includCOVID-19 has amplified this the past year. ing their project each time anFed811 needphotographs by makingandit mapping, harder tospecific• toEnsuring all three major call is made. afford or access healthy foods. eral COVID-19 legislative packThe EPR can be accessed via a hyper when you receive your 811 As these statistics indicate, ageslink (Families First, CARES, and locate confirmation In addition to the inlcuded advanced strong EPR tool, Washnot everyone hasemail. access to Heroes) nutiriton ington also This uses amakes computer-generated as well as a process healthyGas food. eat- securityalgorithm, provisions. to rank the risk of each locate and mark request so we prioritize our ing healthy extremely incon• Strengtheningcanthe “Family efforts, which all help us maintain a leadership role in damage prevenvenient, if not impossible. If Lifestyle Program” a group contion. organizations do not address vened by the American Heart AsThe markings consist of paint which is temporary, this issue, people in historicalsociation that is solvent, a clinicalbiodegradcommuable and is either chalk or water based. markings do not indicate ly disadvantaged communities nityWhile initiative helping to connect exactly theliving crewsawill be digging, it lets the DC crewsfamilies know where all run thewhere risk of shorter Washington, to nuutilities are located underground. When excavating, it should be done life expectancy and may suffer trition, physical activity, and comwithin two feethealth on either side of the stakedresources or markedtolocation an from complex problems. munity supportofand underground utility line. • 10.87% of adults (100,482 maintain their health and wellbepeople) have a low income and ing. The program consists of clinlow food access in the Greater ical training, a multi-disciplinary DO: Washington Region. program and community resource • Call 811 at leastIn48some hours before a planned dig counties, like Prince George’s guide. County, • Working with Howard UniDON’Tas many as one in seven people is food insecure. versity • Assume the depth of a utility line to ensure campus cafeterias The Heart someone Associ- else’s provide • American Excavate under ticket healthier food offerings, ation has an ongoing responincluding AHA’s heart-healthy rec • Remove an abandoned utility line without receiving sibility to ensure people reach ipes. We are also partnering to ad proper authorization their full potential for a long vance the university’s tobacco free and healthy life. We are re- school zone policy and conducting sponding with the full organi- an advocacy training for students zational strength of the Ameri- in March 2021. can Heart Association, and we • In Virginia, facilitating a partare asking for your support. nership between ACTs Prince WilThe American Heart Asso- liam Food Rescue and the Mothciation hard at work across the er of Mercy Free Medical Clinic Greater Washington Region which resulted in connecting 800 by: food insecure patients and their
families with food that otherwise would have been wasted. • In Maryland, making the healthy choice the easy choice by providing menu recommendations, based on AHA’s food and beverage guidelines, that were adopted by the Food Truck Healthy Options Certification Program in Prince George’s County. Participating vendors are now providing residents with healthy food options as part of their menu. • Propelling Prince George’s County, MD as a national leader in promoting an equitable culture of health through the unanimous vote to pass the Healthy Kids Meals Bill (CB-071). The first
in the nation to pass a kids meals policy like this, covering both beverages and food. Making water, milk, and 100% fruit juice default beverage options for all kids’ meals and also ensuring options in kids’ meals that will limit calories, sugar, salt, and fat. • Forming a new parternship Prince Georges Community College (PGCC) to create the Heart Health Hub to help increase awareness of healthy choices to forge a healthier and more equitable food environment and reduce food insecurity. PGCC will implement a culinary education course utilizing the AHA’s Simple Cooking with Heart® curriculum guide.
We celebrated the launch this past October with a food distribution that fed over 1,000 families. To continue to drive impact and save lives it will take even more partnerships with individuals, organizations and policymakers. There are many ways to support by learning more about your health, sharing resources, volunteering, having your company sponsor, donating and taking part in our campaigns and digital experiences like the upcoming Greater Washington Region Heart Ball on March 25. Learn more at www.heart.org/dc.
WASHINGTON GAS CONSTRUCTION NOTICE: PIPELINE REPLACEMENT WORK ON MORRIS ROAD, SE Washington Gas is committed to the safe and reliable delivery of energy to its customers. As part of that commitment, we have been modernizing our infrastructure by replacing aging pipeline in the District of Columbia through PROJECTpipes. This accelerated pipeline replacement program with the DC Public Service Commission is designed to improve our system across DC.
YOU MAY SEE US WORKING IN YOUR AREA Work that started on Morris Road, SE from West Street, SE to Hunter Place, SE, on February 8, 2021 is expected to be completed in November 2021. Construction work will entail the installation and abandonment of main pipes as well as the replacement of individual residential services between 9:00 am – 4:00 pm, Monday - Friday, weather and construction conditions permitting. Washington Gas also wants to reassure residents that we will continue to partner closely day-to-day with our experienced contractor, Miller Pipeline, to minimize any disruption and any impact to customers in the area. If you have questions regarding any of our construction processes, please call the PROJECTpipes Hotline at 202-624-6400, email Project_Pipes@washgas.com or visit washingtongas.com/projectpipes.
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Recording Academy, Amazon Music are Reaching Out to HBCU Students Black Music Collective Reckons with Lack of Diversity and Inclusion in Multi-Million Dollar Industry head of the Recording Academy. “This is a collaborative industry, and we’re incredibly grateful to our The Recording Academy’s Black partners at Amazon Music for being Music Collective [BMC] has an- equally committed to cultivating a nounced a new multi-year mentorship more equitable and inclusive music and scholarship program in partner- community.” The Black Music Collective will ship with Amazon Music for students at historically black colleges and uni- select three students enrolled at an HBCU for $10,000 scholarships each versities [HBCU]. Select students will receive scholar- for the 2021-2022 school year. Appliships from Amazon Music and get the cations will be available beginning in opportunity to network with mentors the summer of 2021. Winners will also participate in a to learn all facets of the music industry. Made possible by BMC, a group two-week program to rotate with Amof prominent Black music creators azon Music department heads. Additionally, Amazon Music says and professionals within the academy, the goal is to help amplify Black it will provide a $20,000 donation for voices while helping students live their musical equipment to two HBCU music programs. dream, says the group. “We've teamed up with the Black “We are proud that the newly-established Black Music Collec- Music Collective to build this protive is already making an impact in gram, and ensure we're taking the developing the next generation of steps toward creating an inclusive enBlack talent in music and creating vironment where Black creators can a direct pipeline to career oppor- realize their career objectives,” said tunities,” said Harvey Mason Jr., Ryan Redington, VP of Music IndusSarafina Wright WI Contributing Writer
z odrigue Ashlie R 7 C B A Side On Your
rk Gary Clagton Washin Team Football
(Courtesy photo)
try at Amazon Music. “We couldn’t have asked for better partners to develop a multi-year commitment with, that will utilize our resources to give students more opportunities to reach their own goals while ushering in a new generation of Black leaders.” The partnership with the Black Music Collective and Amazon Music is the latest effort by the academy as
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part of its ongoing diversity and inclusion initiatives. The program was developed to counter criticism that Black performers are not recognized in the Grammy award process and was amplified when Beyonce’s groundbreaking album ‘Lemonade’ was snubbed in the Album of the Year category at the 2017 Grammy Awards, according to fans and music professionals. In March 2018, the Academy said it sought out to address public concerns by establishing a task force to examine issues of diversity and inclusion within and the broader music community. One of the things the task force discovered immediately is what was termed gender disparity within nomination review committees, who play a specific role with respect to the selection of Grammy Award nominees including the “Big Four” awards for Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist. “However, despite the indisputable importance of these committees, they have historically not included members that reflect the demographics of society at large,” the Task Force report concluded. “For example, between 2015 and 2018, 71 percent of the national governance committee members were men, while only 29 percent were female; and between 2015 and 2017 the members of the nomination review committees in the aggregate were 74 percent male, 26 percent female.” “As a result of this work, the demographic disparities were addressed almost immediately. In the aggregate, the individuals appointed as members of the nomination review committees for the 61st Grammy Awards were
51 percent female—a significant improvement over the 26 percent number in prior years referenced above.” Along with many structural and policy changes the task force recommended the academy find a diversity and inclusion officer as well as launch broader initiatives like the Black Music Collective. “We aspire to be a leader in creating a diverse and inclusive culture at the Recording Academy, across our affiliates and in the music industry and recognize that equity requires a deep commitment to action and a longterm plan to drive systemic change,” Valeisha Butterfield Jones, chief diversity and inclusion officer said. “We’re committed to the work ahead.” WI
EVICTIONS from Page 20 For example, only 6.4 percent of all renters in Cleveland are Latinx. The Eviction Lab adds that understanding the demographics of those currently facing eviction filings is critical in a complete analysis of the broad social harms of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Our analyses suggest that eviction filings over the last eight months have, by and large, targeted the same communities and individuals who were at risk of eviction prior to the pandemic” the Lab said. “While fewer cases than normal have been filed over this period, the populations at risk of eviction have not substantially changed.” “Rather, the threat of eviction is concentrated among those for whom displacement was an all-too-common risk before the pandemic began.” WI
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LIFESTYLE
Winter’s Over! Plans Unveiled for 2021 Cherry Blossom Festival Delicate Petals’ Emergence to be Celebrated in All Eight Wards of the District
Hamil R. Harris WI Contributing Writer As cold, dank winter weather yields to spring, Washingtonians can look forward to the emergence of the soft, delicate petals of the Japanese cherry tree, a local tradition that dates back to 1912 when Japan gave the U.S. hundreds of the beautiful trees with fragile flowers as a gesture of friendship. The flowering cherry tree, or sakura, has rich meaning in Japanese culture. The trees can be seen throughout the city but for more than a century the Tidal Basin has been the epicenter of celebration of the flowering Cherry Blossoms. Monday afternoon Diana Mayhew, executive director of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, unveiled plans for the events for 2021 that will take place from March 20 to April 11. “In keeping with the festival tradition we will unite the city
and the region, engaging local businesses and restaurants,” said Mayhew during a virtual press conference. “And we will be in bloom with pink lighting and blossom decor including neighborhood portraits this year.” Mayhew said while the community will miss the tradition of the parade, a striking and celebratory procession down Constitution Avenue, this year there are plans to present the 2021 festival in innovative and fun ways. D.C. Deputy Mayor John Falcicchio said he is most excited that the festival will take place “in all eight wards,” of the District despite winter dominated by COVID-19. The bloom of the cherry blossom is connected to temperature and this year that time is estimated to be between April 2 and April 5. The ceremonial start of the Cherry Blossom festival will be on March 20 with performers from Japan and the District of
5 Vernon Jordan, Jr. speaking at a conference for the U.S. Department of Education in 2015. (Shevry Lassiter/The Washington Informer)
5 (L-R) Matt Long, Car Art; John Falcicchio, Deputy Mayor for the District of Columbia; Greg O’Dell, President, Events DC; Diana Mayhew, President, 2021 National Cherry Blossom Festival; and, Jeff Reinbold, Superintendent, National Park Service, in front of the Cherry Blossom Festival Car on March 1 in Northwest. (Roy Lewis/The Washington Informer)
Columbia and the co-host will be Kristine Tsuya Yamaguchi (born July 12, 1971) an American former figure skater who was the 1992 Olympic champion and a two-time world champion. Japanese Ambassador Tomita Koji, who appeared by video, characterized the blossoms as
“the symbol of the unshakable friendship between Japan and the United States” and hailed District officials for “keeping the spirit (of the festival) alive despite the pandemic.” A key feature of the festival is kite flying. March 15 there will be classes on how to make
kites and on March 27 and 28 kite-flying is encouraged by festival organizers. On April 10 and 11 there is to be in all eight wards, a “Petal Procession” cruise. For more events check out: https://nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/event/parade/ WI
JORDAN from Page 1
president and CEO of the National Urban League, spearheading the organization’s growth. On May 29, 1980, a white supremacist attempted to kill Jordan. After a successful recovery, in 1981, Jordan resigned from the National Urban League to work as legal counsel with the Washington, D.C. office of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer, and Feld. His active practice includes corporate, legislative, and international clients, researchers at the HistoryMakers noted. Jordan’s close friend has long been former President Bill Clinton and during Clinton’s presidency, Jordan became one of Washington’s most influential power brokers, the researchers noted. He also served as a partner in the investment firm of Lazard Frere & Company in New York. In 2001, Jordan published his autobiography, “Vernon Can Read!” and authored a weekly newspaper column syndicated to more than 300 newspapers while
also serving as a frequent television guest and commentator. “Mourning the passage of my friend, the extraordinary Vernon Jordan,” Stacey Abrams posted on Twitter. “He battled the demons of voter suppression and racial degradation, winning more than he lost. He brought others with him. And left a map so more could find their way. Love to his family. Travel on with God’s grace.” @StacyBrownMedia
statewide honors in speaking competitions. He played basketball and graduated in 1957. In 1960, he earned a J.D. from the Howard University School of Law. Jordan returned to Atlanta, starting his legal career working with the civil rights movement. “In 1961, he helped organize the integration of the University of Georgia and personally escorted student Charlayne Hunter through a hostile white crowd,” The HistoryMakers noted. They continued: “Over the next 10 years, Jordan held various positions as a civil rights advocate. He served as the Georgia field secretary for the NAACP, director of the Voter Education Project for the Southern Regional Council, head of the United Negro College Fund and as a delegate to President Lyndon B. Johnson’s White House Conference on Civil Rights.” In 1971, Jordan was appointed
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Editor’s Note: In December, we posted a feature story on Vernon Jordan, Jr. which chronicled his life as shared in a documentary, “Vernon Jordan,Jr.: Make It Plain,” and illustrated his rise from poverty, his commitment to justice and his unflinching focus on achieving his goals. We recommend this story, written by WI Contributing Writer Brenda Siler, for your review. https://www.washingtoninformer. com/vernon-jordans-purpose-inlife-shared-in-a-new-tell-all-documentary/ WI
MARCH 4 - 10, 2021 35
LIFESTYLE
wi book review "Come Fly the World: The Jet-Age Story of the Women of Pan Am" By Julia Cooke c.2021, HMH Books $28.00 / higher in Canada 288 pages
By Terri Schlichenmeyer WI Contributing Writer Table trays in the upright position. You aren't getting off the tarmac until that happens. Also, pay attention: there are lights down the aisle along the floor, and exits above each wing. Masks will drop down, in case of loss of oxygen; put your mask on before assisting others. In "Come Fly the World" by Julia Cooke, you're in for a trip back in time. Lynne Totten had a biology degree, but she saw the future and it wasn't good. It was the mid-1960s and women with a degree like hers might work as an assistant or a teacher, but never as someone in charge of a laboratory. As a voracious newspaper reader, though, Lynne eventually realized that there was "a whole world out there" that she could explore and get paid for it. She set aside biology and became a stewardess. Karen Walker was an experienced traveler when she signed up to work at Pan Am at the advanced age of twenty-six, which was at the top of the age-limit for stewardesses; they also had height limits and regular weigh-ins, regulation hair styles, and mandatory attendance at make-up classes in stewardess school in Miami. Foremost, stewardesses at Pan Am and most other airlines then were required to be unmarried. Hazel Bowie of Mankato, Minn., took advantage of new airline rules: as a Black woman, Pan Am's reach for diversity fit her career goals. Clare Christiansen had volunteered for duty on a shuttle service to and from Vietnam that Pan Am offered through the U.S. government; such assignments were another step on a carefully planned career ladder. Torild "Tori" Werner, who grew up in Oslo, Norway, likewise set her sights on management but first, she also volunteered for similar shuttle duty for U.S. soldiers arriving and departing from Vietnam. And in the spring of 1975, three of these women went to Vietnam for one final time... If you separate "Come Fly the World" into two different camps – which may be difficult, since the book as a whole is pretty excellent – you'll see that there really are two parts to it: the story of five women at Pan Am, and the story of women in the 1960s. On one hand, author Julia Cooke tells the tales of Lynne, Karen, Clare, Tori, and Hazel, why they decided to become stewardesses (a word that fits the timeframe) and what their experiences were on the job. In addition to those anecdotes, most of Cooke's subjects seized adventure and cheap off-duty travel, which also gives this book a hint of travelogue but with less romance and more practicality. Then there's the trip back to the years 1965 to 1975, the crazy music; the wild clothes; and the lawsuits brought to give women the right to get a credit card, hold a job while married and to work while pregnant. Be aware that there's no Coffee, Tea, or Me? in this book; instead, it's Mad Men meets a glass ceiling, and destroys it. So, grab "Come Fly the World" and buckle in. WI
36 MARCH 4 - 10, 2021
horoscopes
MAR 4 - 10, 2021
ARIES Compared to the rest of the week, Monday through Wednesday are going to be the days you want to remember. Maybe not days for the history books, but you're certainly solid-gold happy with the abundance of energy and creativity you sense around you. Or maybe you're embroiled in professional sports. Anyway, you're grinning from ear to ear until Thursday — a day of obligations and details. Lucky Numbers: 16, 37, 58 TAURUS Romance (and caressing in particular) figures into your life on Thursday. And Friday, companionship and attraction remain key themes. The routine of your weekend — especially following such a jam-packed week — seems more fun and stimulating than usual. Lucky Numbers: 11, 31, 34 GEMINI You surround yourself with like-minded people, and this week, your crowd is feeling especially cerebral. The conversation shoots into abstract directions and even disagreements, in these settings, are entertaining. A light debate on Tuesday or Wednesday puts you on your toes, and keeps you on your toes for the next few days. Lucky Numbers: 20, 21, 25 CANCER Why settle for anything less than the biggest and the best? That's your opinion on Monday. And Tuesday and Wednesday. All big days in the spending department. Make sure you can afford whatever doodad it is you have your heart set on, and then enjoy your indulgence. Lucky Numbers: 18, 29, 36 LEO It may not be sweltering outside, but you're burning up. With excitement. About everything. Share this incredible warmth of yours with your friends and hug them tight. How you ever got to feeling this goofy is beyond you, but you're happy to enjoy it. Lucky Numbers: 28, 31, 42 VIRGO The underdog has captured your imagination on Monday. You were a fan of someone else, but recent information has led you to change your mind. You have the capacity to be flexible, which is a good quality right now. The only drawback to the flurry of excitement at the beginning of the week is that it will leave you exhausted by Wednesday afternoon. Lucky Numbers: 5, 7, 27 LIBRA For some reason, when there's a question at the beginning of the week, all heads look to you for the answer. You are tapped into the bigger picture right now, and friends, as well as perfect strangers, can sense it. Tuesday and Wednesday are great days too. The details? Don't worry about them — you're operating on a higher plane. Lucky Numbers: 10, 22, 57 SCORPIO A challenge can be invigorating, but on Monday and Tuesday, the challenge you face stresses you out. You almost feel like demonstrating how stressed you are, but that would be flamboyant of you — and flamboyance is not the way to go right now. Watch yourself on Wednesday as well. Lucky Numbers: 30, 34, 42 SAGITTARIUS Cheerfulness abounds the first half of the week, which is why Thursday — when a run-in with an authority figure or older family member rattles your cage — will come as such a shock. Friday won't be a banner day either. But this weekend? This weekend, luck is on your side again. Lucky Numbers: 11, 12, 23 CAPRICORN By Wednesday, you will likely feel the opposite of relaxed as flighty people zip all around you. Anyone who makes you nervous doesn't deserve a lot of attention, so be short and sweet on Thursday. Cut to the chase on Friday as well. This weekend, you'll be able to dote on one special person, and nothing makes you happier on Sunday than giving someone else a back rub. Lucky Numbers: 6, 26, 38 AQUARIUS A strange contradiction presents itself on Monday; pursue it, and you may stumble upon a discovery. Experiments and extraordinary strides figure into Tuesday and Wednesday as well — you feel a bit like a mad scientist making a series of breakthroughs — but by Thursday you're more careful, taking care and covering the details. Lucky Numbers: 16, 23, 30 PISCES As long as you mind your own business at the beginning of the week, you'll be spared any unnecessary drama. Not that you mind drama. But you have enough things going on in your own life right now to let yourself be distracted. Keep your mind from wandering, especially on Wednesday. Lucky Numbers: 3, 5, 8
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SPORTS Washington Wizards Score Signature Wins and Slowly Make Climb in Standings Daniel Kucin, Jr. WI Sports Writer Washington looks like a completely different team in the latter portion of the NBA regular season as the Wizards have gone on a tear, winning seven of the last nine contests during a stretch beginning on Valentine's Day. During a five-game winning streak, the Wizards took down the
reigning NBA Champions (Los Angeles Lakers) 127-124 in an impressive and gutsy performance highlighted by strong play from Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook. Beal poured in a game-high 33 points while Westbrook nearly scored a triple-double with 32 points, 14 rebounds, and nine assists. Washington dominated in the painted area, scoring 66 points
SPORTS HEADLINES
down low and cleaned the glass with 49 rebounds due to aggressive play. "I think it was big," Washington Wizards Head Coach Scott Brooks said about the win. "When we were down, I think 17, it felt like 40, and I was just saying 'We gotta just chip away guys, keep it at a respectable number at halftime. We gotta just play,’ and I thought we did." It was the first time since 2018 that Washington went on a fivegame win streak until they fell to the Los Angeles Clippers, 135-116, in the next match. Despite that setback, Washington continued its resilient run rattling off two consecutive victories against the Denver Nuggets with a tight two-point decision and welcomed home the dismal Minnesota Timberwolves, blowing them out by 16 points. Washington enjoyed a pure team effort win against the Nuggets on Feb. 17, where five players scored in double-figures. Beal led the Wizards in scoring (33 points), Westbrook notched a triple-double (16 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists) and
Hot off the Press
DANIEL KUCIN, JR. / WI CONTRIBUTING WRITER / @DANIELKUCIN88
Singled out as one of the greatest golfers of a generation, Tiger Woods took our breath away on the links with stellar play during an illustrious career. However, on Feb. 22, America took an inauspicious gasp of breath after hearing the five-time Masters champion was in a gruesome car crash in California where he suffered multiple leg injuries. On Feb. 26, Woods was transported to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for follow-up procedures. "The procedures were successful, and he is now recovering and in good spirits," said a Twitter statement on Woods' account. "Tiger and his family want to thank you all for the wonderful support and messages they have received over the past few days."
5 Th
5 PGA Tour Golfer Tiger Woods suffers multiple leg injuries in horrific car crash on Feb. 22. (Courtesy photo)
Nationals Draw in Spring Training Season Opener in Season Opener The Washington Nationals are back in action on the diamond but couldn't score a victory in their first action of 2021. The final in the opener was a rare 4-4 tie against the St. Louis Cardinals on Feb. 28. The Cardinals jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead after Washington Nationals pitcher Erick Fedde threw a wild pitch allowing St. Louis infielder Tommy Edman to score. Fedde was one of nine pitchers to take the hill, throwing 28 pitches (12 for strikes), surrendering one hit, one run and two walks, and notching a strikeout in one inning of work. Despite the outcome, Nationals outfielder Victor Robles looked good at the plate, accounting for an RBI single on a line drive in the second to cap a Washington three-run inning. Washington could only muster one more run in the top of the seventh when Nationals infielder Drew Mendoza drilled a fly ball to center field for an RBI double. St. Louis was able to tack on two more runs in the ninth to split the score.
5 Washington Wizards guard Russell Westbrook does a little bit of everything during the Wizards run of winning seven of nine games since Valentine's Day. (Courtesy photo/Washington Wizards)
even second-year forward Rui Hachimura got in on the action scoring 20 points. Denver scored 23 fast break points and was on fire, but Washington retook the lead late in the
Loeffler Out in Atlanta Former Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) sold her ownership share of the WNBA franchise, Atlanta Dream, on Feb. 26. The investment group comprises three members: real estate investor Larry Gottesdiener, former Dream player Renee Montgomery and Suzanne Abair, president of Northland Investment group. With the announcement, Montgomery made history, becoming the first former player to become an owner and executive of a WNBA team. Loeffler was under fire for penning an open letter to the WNBA this past summer denouncing the Black Lives Matter movement. "I adamantly oppose the Black Lives Matter
fourth quarter, going on a 4-0 run, and held on to a two-point lead for more than a minute to close out the game defensively.
SPORTS Page 43
political movement, which has advocated for the defunding of police, called for the removal of Jesus from churches and the disruption of the nuclear family structure, harbored anti-Semitic views, and promoted violence and destruction across the country," Loeffler wrote. "I believe it is totally misaligned with the values and goals of the WNBA and the Atlanta Dream, where we support tolerance and inclusion." Since that statement was released, many Dream players called for an ownership change, and now Montgomery, a two-time WNBA champion, will lead the charge as a co-owner. "My dream has come true," Montgomery said. "Breaking barriers for minorities and women by being the first former WNBA player to have both a stake in ownership and a leadership role with the team is an opportunity that I take very seriously."
Howard Football Falls to Delaware State in Season Opener quarter to go up 10-3. Howard University couldn't get anything going against Delaware State in the season opener on Feb. 27 and fell to the Hornets, 17-10. After giving up points on a safety early on, the Bison bounced back and went into halftime with a 3-2 lead by way of a 38-yard field goal made by Faraji Joseph. The Hornets scored 10 unanswered points to kick off the second half when Hornets quarterback Jared Lewis plowed into the end zone on a two-yard scamper to take the lead in the fourth
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Then, Delaware State defensive back Esaias Guthrie picked off an errant pass made by Howard quarterback Quinton Williams (177 passing yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) and took it to the house on a 41-yard touchdown return. Howard (0-1) only found the end zone once when Williams hit running back Jarett Hunter (75 all-purpose yards) on a 47-yard touchdown late inside the two-minute mark. The Bison will look to rebound Saturday at home against South Carolina State at 1 p.m.
MARCH 4 - 10, 2021 37
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38 MARCH 4 - 10, 2021
ROLLOUT from Page 1 istration on Saturday authorized use of the J&J vaccine. The drug company has produced nearly four million doses for initial shipment. The Biden Administration said it expects about 20 million doses to be delivered by the end of March. Health officials in Maryland said lead distribution efforts and allocate the vaccine to mass vaccination sites, hospitals, local health departments and community health centers. “We continue to follow the science and make vaccinating older Marylanders one of our highest priorities as we work to ensure equitable access to vaccines,” Governor Larry Hogan said. “This will continue to be a long process but we anticipate more supply coming that will help us increase this pace even further.” On Sunday, the Virginia Department of Health said based on past distribution, northern Virginia should receive about 25 percent of the initial shipment with mass vaccination clinics as the priority. The District has not announced how its doses will be distributed. However, both Virginia and Maryland health officials said an additional shipment of J&J vaccines are expected to be sent to pharmacies participating in the federal retail pharmacy partnership.
EVALUATION OF THE J&J VACCINE
The FDA said J&J’s vaccine offers strong protection against serious illness, hospitalizations and death. In a study that encompassed three continents, one dose proved 85 percent protective against the most severe COVID-19 illness, even in countries like South Africa where variants of most concern continue to spread. However, the J&J rate (72 percent) stands lower than the 95 percent efficacy shown by vaccines produced by Pfizer and Moderna. Health officials expressed concern that this variance could lead Americans to try to “vaccine shop.” Meanwhile, it remains difficult to make direct comparisons between the vaccines because clinical trials were conducted in different locations at different times. For example, the vaccines produced by Pfizer and Moderna were tested prior to the emergence of troubling new variants in Britain and South Africa. and elsewhere. “Getting vaccinated with the first vaccine available to you can help protect you from COVID-19,” the CDC reported, while Dr. Anthony
(Courtesy photo)
Fauci, chief medical advisor to the president, said, “whatever COVID vaccine is available, take it.” On Sunday, CDC Director Rochelle P. Walensky called the new vaccine “another milestone toward an end to the pandemic” Infectious disease specialist Dr. Linda Nabha pointed to the most important achievement of the J&J single-shot vaccine: zero deaths in a three-continent trial with 45,000 participants. “One shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine protects you from death, 100 percent of the time,” Nabha said. “And, it protects you from severe disease, 100 percent of the time 49 days after the shot. In my mind, that is extremely effective.” Health officials note that having two vaccines is good but three’s better and could make a major difference in getting the pandemic under control. “It could be a total game changer," said Dr. Muriel Jean-Jacques, an assistant professor of medicine at Northwestern University. “We've never had to vaccinate our whole population at
“One shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine protects you from death, 100 percent of the time.”
the same time before – not to mention the rest of the world – so having more vaccines will make that easier.”
MORE ABOUT THE J&J VACCINE AND SIDE EFFECTS
The single-dose vaccine manufactured by a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary called Janssen Biotech does not require ultra-cold storage conditions, as do the vaccines made by Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech. Instead, it can be kept in regular refrigerators. This should ease some distribution challenges, particularly in rural communities. In addition, the vaccine requires only a single dose, unlike the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, which require two shots three to four weeks apart. A single-dose vaccine could help boost the country's rate of vaccination, and increasing the number of people vaccinated each week will be critical for containing new outbreaks, especially as more contagious variants of the coronavirus become more widespread. Side effects that have been reported with the J&J vaccine include injection site reactions: pain, redness of the skin and swelling; and general side effects: headache, feeling very tired, muscle aches, nausea and fever. A remote chance remains that the J&J vaccine could cause a severe allergic reaction – usually occurring within a few minutes to one hour after getting the single dose. For this reason, your health provider may ask you to stay at the place where you received your vaccine for monitoring after vaccination. Signs of a severe allergic reaction may include: difficulty breathing; swelling of the face and throat; a rapid heartbeat; a bad rash all over one’s body; and dizziness and weakness. Other side effects remain possible with the J&J vaccine still being studied in clinical trials. WI @mcneirdk
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RELIGION the religion corner WITH LYNDIA GRANT
Women's History Month Celebrates ALL Black Women
The Lord lifts up the humble and downtrodden; He casts the wicked down to the ground. — Psalm 147:6 African American women are often portrayed by media as pregnant, promiscuous, poverty-stricken, welfare cases, overweight or as prostitutes. There are some shown as successful, but the negative images far outweigh the positive ones. How do we continue to erase some of these hurtful and inaccurate stereotypes to reclaim a connection with their true selves? How many of us know we are queens? That our strength, courage, persistence and faith has propelled generations of our foremothers into our own world where we have created families based on love, Christian faith, wisdom passed down through the generations, and all virtues that empower us to raise strong families and to have productive careers? We have had to sacrifice our love life, vacations, etc., because we had to stay focused and do those things which make us better, like taking weekend college courses to get degrees that will give us more opportunities for growth at work. There is a book, "Daughters of Dignity" by LaVerne McCain Gill, you need to read. This book seeks to identify our virtues and trace our roots while presenting biblical and theological foundations to validate the experiences of the African
American woman. Gill shares how figures such as historical and contemporary role models such as Sojourner Truth and Rosa Parks embody these virtues. Finally, she gives suggestions for self-evaluation and narratives on contemporary programs to successfully reestablish an ethic of Black womanhood in the community. How many of you, like me, change the channel when you see television programs or movies that show us in such a negative connotation? Or do you live in communities where you rarely, if ever, see an African American? If so, how can you know our experiences, good or bad? How many of our men are in prison here in America and shouldn't be? It is a modern-day Jim Crow era. This leaves so many millions of Black women without spouses. Allow me to share how I felt the day I sat on stage at the Lorton Reformatory, a former prison complex in Virginia, as Les Brown delivered his riveting message to our beautiful Black men. It was back in the mid-'90s while Les Brown was an on-air personality here in Washington, hosting "The Les Brown Morning Show" on Radio One. Les was my mentor, as I trained with other speakers-in-training. One day Mr. Brown invited me to co-host his morning show (yep, even before I got my own show, I served as co-host with Les Brown several times). When his partner George Wallace quit, it was obvious he could see me as a radio personality in the future. Great experience! After the show ended, Mr. Brown had a speaking engagement at Lorton. As his Town Car came to pick us up, he invited me to
Mt. Zion Baptist Church
come along. I was excited to ride in the limo with someone as famous as Mr. Brown, one of the world's top motivational speakers, as we were driven to his speaking engagement. What stood out most for me was when we went inside to the stage, management took me along with Mr. Brown. As l looked out into the audience, l remember seeing wonderful, good-looking African American men. They reminded me of my brothers, my uncles and my father. It was that very moment that I thought to myself, "So this is where all the Black men are!" No wonder 70 percent of African American women are without spouses. According to a 2017 article in the Huffington Post, "The Black Male Incarceration Problem Is Real and It's Catastrophic": "To give a lens for viewing this data India is a country of 1.2 Billion people, the country in total only has around 380,000 prisoners. In fact, there are more African American men incarcerated in the U.S. than the total prison populations in India, Argentina, Canada, Lebanon, Japan, Germany, Finland, Israel and England combined." Police can lock up our men and throw away the key, yet Black women continue to find ways to care for our children who mostly are from single-headed households as a result. We find these women working two or more jobs, trying to make ends meet. Yet poor African American women are portrayed in such negative light! Wonder what would be said if the TV producers could walk a mile in our shoes! WI
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Service and Times Divine Worship, Sunday 10:00 a.m. Communion 1st and 3rd Sunday “Friendliest Church in the City” Website: mountolivetdc.org Email: mtolivedc@gmail.com
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MARCH 4 - 10, 2021 39
RELIGION The Miracle Center of Faith Missionary Baptist Church
Pilgrim Baptist Church
Bishop Michael C. Turner, Sr. Senior Pastor
Rev. Louis B. Jones II Pastor
9161 Hampton Overlook Capitol Heights, MD 20743 Phone: 301-350-2200 / Fax: 301-499-8724
700 I Street, N.E. Washington, D.C. 20002 (202) 547-8849
Service and Times Sunday Worship Times : 7:30 AM 7 10:00 AM Communion: 1st Sunday Sunday School: 9:00 AM Bible Study: Wednesday, 12 Noon Bible Study in homes: Tuesday 7:00 PM Website: www.themiraclecenterFMBC.com Email: Miraclecenterfmbs@gmail.com Motto: “We Walk by Faith, Not by Sight”
Blessed Word of Life Church
Service and Times Worship Sundays: 7:30 & 11:00 AM 5th Sundays: 9:30 AM 3rd Sundays: Baptism & Holy Communion Prayer & Praise: Wednesdays @ Noon & 6:30 PM www.pilgrimbaptistdc.org
Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ
Church of Living Waters
Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church
Rev. Paul Carrette Senior Pastor Harold Andrew Assistant Pastor 4915 Wheeler Road Oxon Hill, MD 20745 301-894-6464 Service and Times Sunday Service: 8:30am& 11:00 AM Bible Study: Wednesday 7:30 PM Communion Service: First Sunday www.livingwatersmd.org
St. Stephen Baptist Church
Rev. Dr. Michael E. Bell, Sr., / Pastor 2498 Alabama Ave., SE - Washington D.C. 20020 Office: (202) 889-7296 / Fax: (202) 889-2198 - www.acamec.org Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 8:00am and 11:00 AM Sunday Church School - 9:15am & Sunday Adult Forum Bible Study - 10:30 AM 2nd & 4th Monday Women’s Bible Study: 6:30 PM Tuesday Jr./Sr. Bible Study: 10:00 AM Tuesday Topical Bible Study: 6:30 PM Tuesday New Beginnings Bible Study: 6:30 PM Wednesday Pastoral Bible Study: 6:30 PM Wednesday Children’s Bible Study: 6:30 PM Thursday Men’s Bible Study: 6:30 PM Friday before 1st Sunday Praise & Worship Service: 6:30 PM Saturday Adult Bible Study: 10:00 AM “The Amazing, Awesome, Audacious Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church”
Third Street Church of God
Dr. Dekontee L. & Dr. Ayele A. Johnson Pastors
Reverend William Young IV Pastor
Bishop Lanier C. Twyman, Sr. Senior Pastor
Rev. Cheryl J. Sanders, Th.D. Senior Pastor
4001 14th Street, NW Washington, DC 20011 (202) 265-6147 Office 1-800 576-1047 Voicemail/Fax
3845 South Capitol Street Washington, DC 20032 (202) 562-5576 (Office) / (202) 562-4219 (Fax)
5757 Temple Hill Road, Temple Hills, MD 20748 Office 301-899-8885 – fax 301-899-2555 Services and Times Sunday Early Morning Worship: 7:45 AM Church School: 9:30 AM Sunday Morning Worship: 10:45 AM Tuesday: 7:00pm/Kingdom Building Bible Institute Wednesday , 12:30 PM Mid-Day Bible Study Wednesday: Prayer/Praise/Bible Study-7:30 PM Baptism & Communion Service: 4th Sunday – 10:30 AM
1204 Third Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 202-347-5889 office / 202-638-1803 fax
Service and Times Sunday School: 9:30 AM Sunday Morning Worship Service: 11:00 AM Communion Service: First Sunday Prayer Service/Bible Study: Tuesday, 6:30 PM www.blessedwordoflifechurch.org E-mail: church@blessedwordoflifechurch.org
Campbell AME Church Rev. Dr. Henry Y. White 2562 MLK Jr. Ave., SE - Washington, DC 20020 Adm. Office 202-678-2263 Email: Campbell@mycame.org Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 10:00 AM Sunday Church School: 8:45 AM Bible Study Wednesday: 12:00 Noon Wednesday: 7:00 PM Thursday: 7:00 PM “Reaching Up To Reach Out” Mailing Address : Campbell AME Church 2502 Stanton Road SE - Washington, DC 20020
Turning Hearts Church Virgil K. Thomas, Sr. Senior Pastor/ Teacher 421 Alabama Ave. SE Washington, DC 20032 Phone: 202-746-0113 Fax: 301-843-2445 Service and Times Sunday School: 10:15 AM Sunday Worship Service: 11;15 AM Children’s Church: 11:15 AM Tuesday Bible Study: 6:30 PM Motto : “A Great Commitment to the Great Commandment” Website: www.turningheartschurchdc.org Email: gr8luv4u2@gmail.com
40 MARCH 4 - 10, 2021
Services and Times Sundays: 10:00am Worship Services Bible Study: Wonderful Wednesdays in Worship and the Word Bible Study Wednesdays 12:00 Noon; 6:30 PM (dinner @ 5:30 PM) Sunday School: 9:00 AM – Hour of Power “An inclusive ministry where all are welcomed and affirmed.” www.covenantdc.org
“We are one in the Spirit” www.ssbc5757.org / E-mail: ssbc5757@verizon.net
Services and Times Sunday School: 9:30 AM Sunday Worship: 11:00 AM Sunday Community Worship Service: 8:30 AM “Ambassadors for Christ to the Nation’s Capital” www.thirdstreet.org Live Stream Sunday Worship Service begins @ 12:00 noon www.thirdstreet.org
Crusader Baptist Church Rev. Dr. Alton W. Jordan Pastor 800 I Street, NE - Washington, DC 20002 202-548-0707 - Fax No. 202-548-0703 Service and Times Sunday Morning Worship: 11:00 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sunday Sunday School: 9:45 AM Men’s Monday Bible Study: 7:00 PM Wednesday Night Bible Study: 7:00 PM Women’s Ministry Bible Study: 3rd Friday -7:00 PM Computer Classes: Announced Family and Marital Counseling by appointment E-mail: Crusadersbaptistchurch@verizon.net www.CrusadersBaptistChurch.org / “God is Love”
Greater Mt. Calvary Holy Church Bishop Alfred A. Owens, Jr.; Senior Bishop & Evangelist Susie C. Owens – Co-Pastor 610 Rhode Island Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002 (202) 529-4547 office • (202) 529-4495 fax
Sunday Worship Service: 8:00 AM and 10:45 AM Sunday Youth Worship Services: 1st & 4th 10:45 AM; 804 R.I. Ave., NE 5th 8 AM & 10:45 AM; Main Church Prayer Services Tuesday – Noon, Wednesday 6:00 AM & 6:30 PM Calvary Bible Institute: Year-Round Contact Church / Communion Every 3rd Sunday The Church in The Hood that will do you Good! www.gmchc.org / emailus@gmchc.org
Isle of Patmos Baptist Church Reverend Dr. Calvin L. Matthews Senior Pastor 1200 Isle of Patmos Plaza, Northeast Washington, DC 20018 Office: (202) 529-6767 - Fax: (202) 526-1661 Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 7:30 AM and 10:30 AM Holy Communion: 2nd Sunday at 7:30 AM and 10:30 AM Sunday Church School: 9:20 AM Seniors Bible Study: Tuesdays at 10:30 AM Noon Day Prayer Service: Tuesdays at Noon Bible Study: Tuesdays at 7 PM Motto: “A Ministry of Reconciliation Where Everybody is Somebody!” Website: http://isleofpatmosbc.org Church Email: ipbcsecretary@verizon.net
St Marks Baptist Come Worship with us... Dr. Raymond T. Matthews Pastor and First Lady Marcia Matthews St. Mark's Baptist Church 624 Underwood Street, NW Washington, dc 20011 Services and Times Sunday School: 9:00 AM Worship Service: 10:00 AM Wed. Noon Day prayer service Thur. Prayer service: 6:45 PM Thur. Bible Study: 7:15 PM
Twelfth Street Christian Church Reverend Dr. Paul H. Saddler Senior Pastor (Disciples of Christ) 1812 12th Street, NW - Washington, DC 20009 Phone: 202-265-4494 Fax: 202 265 4340 Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 11:00 AM Communion every Sunday: 11:00 AM Sunday School: 10:00 AM Bible Study Tuesday: 12 Noon Pastor’s Bible Study Tuesday: 6:30 PM Motto: “Discover Something Wonderful” Website: 12thscc.org / Email: Twelfthstcc@aol.com
Mount Carmel Baptist Church Reverend Dr. Paris L Smith, Sr. Senior Pastor 901 Third Street N.W. Washington, DC. 20001 Phone (202) 842-3411 Fax (202) 682-9423 Service and Times Sunday Church School : 9:00 AM Sunday Morning Worship: 10:10 AM Bible Study Tuesday: 6: 00 PM Prayer Service Tuesday: 7:00 PM Holy Communion: 3rd Sunday 10:10 AM themcbc.org
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RELIGION Shabbath Commandment Church Bishop Adrian A. Taylor, Sr. Pastor 7801 Livingston Road Oxon Hill, MD 20745 301-534-5471 Service and Times Sabbath School 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 AM Service 11:00 AM Praise & Worship Preaching 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM Motto: “A Church Keeping It Real for Real.” Website: Shabbathcommandmentchruch.org Email: Praisebetoyhwh@gmail.com
Zion Baptist Church Rev. Keith W. Byrd, Sr. Pastor 4850 Blagdon Ave, NW - Washington D.C 20011 Phone (202) 722-4940 - Fax (202) 291-3773 Service and Times 9:00 a.m. – Sunday School 10:15 a.m. – Worship Service Wed. Noon: Dea. Robert Owens Bible Study 7 PM Pastor’s Bible Study Ordinance of Baptism 2nd Sunday, Holy Communion 4th Sunday Mission: Zion shall: Enlist Sinners, Educate Students, Empower the Suffering, Encourage the Saints, And Exalt our Savior. (Acts 2: 41-47) www.zionbaptistchurchdc.org
St. Luke Baptist Church Rev. Aubrey C. Lewis Pastor 1415 Gallatin Street, NW Washington, DC 20011-3851 P: (202) 726-5940 Service and Times Sunday Worship: 11:00 AM Sunday School: 9:15 AM Holy Communion: 11:00 a.m., 3rd Sun. Bible Institute: Wednesday - 1:30 PM Prayer Meeting: Wednesday - 12:00 Noon
All Nations Baptist Church Rev. Dr. James Coleman Pastor 2001 North Capitol St, N.E. - Washington, DC 20002 Phone (202) 832-9591 Service and Times Sunday Church School – 9:30 AM Sunday Worship Service – 11:00 AM Holy Communion – 1st Sunday at 11:00 AM Prayer – Wednesdays, 6:00 PM Bible Study – Wednesdays, 7:00 PM Christian Education / School of Biblical Knowledge Saturdays, 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM, Call for Registration Website: www.allnationsbaptistchurch.com All Nations Baptist Church – A Church of Standards
Israel Baptist Church
Rev. Daryl F. Bell Pastor 2324 Ontario Road, NW Washington, DC 20009 (202) 232-1730 Service and Times Sunday School: 9:30 AM Sunday Worship Service: 11:00 AM Baptismal Service: 1st Sunday – 9:30 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sunday – 11:00 AM Prayer Meeting & Bible Study: Wednesday -7:30 PM “Where Jesus is the King”
Dr. Earl D. Trent Senior Pastor
2409 Ainger Pl.,SE – WDC 20020 (202) 678-0884 – Office / (202) 678-0885 – Fax “Moving Faith Forward” 0% Perfect . . . 100% Forgiven!
623 Florida Ave.. NW - WDC. 20001 Church (202) 667-3409 / Study (202) 265-0836 Home Study (301) 464-8211 / Fax (202) 483-4009
Service and Times Sunday Worship: 8:00 AM & 10:45 AM Baptism/Holy Communion: 3rd Sunday Family Bible Study Tuesdays – 6:30 PM Prayer Service: Tuesdays – 8:00 PM www.emmanuelbaptistchurchdc.org
Sermon On The Mount Temple Of Joy Apostolic Faith
Lincoln Park United Methodist Church Rev. Richard B. Black Pastor
Elder Herman L. Simms Pastor
1251 Saratoga Ave., NE Washington, DC 20018 (202) 269-0288
1301 North Carolina Ave. N E Washington, D C 20002 202 543 1318 - lincolnpark@lpumcdc.org www.lpumcdc.org
5606 Marlboro Pike District Heights, MD 20747 301-735-6005
Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 10:45 AM Sunday School: 9:15 AM Holy Communion1st Sunday: 10:45 AM Prayer Service: Wednesday at 6:30 PM Bible Study: Wednesday at 7:00 PM Bible Study: Tuesday at 10:30 AM
Mount Moriah Baptist Church Dr. Lucius M. Dalton Senior Pastor
Service and Times Sunday Worship: 10:00 AM Holy Communion: First Sunday 10:00 AM Sunday School: 9:00 AM Bible Study: Wednesday @ 12 noon and 6:30 PM Motto: "Faith On The Hill"
Service and Times Sunday Apostolic Worship Services 11:00 A.M and 5:00 PM Communion and Feet Wash 4th Sunday at 5:00 PM Prayer/Seeking: Wednesday at 8:00 PM Apostolic in Doctrine, Pentecostal in Experience, Holiness in Living, Uncompromised and Unchanged. The Apostolic Faith is still alive –Acts 2:42
New Commandment Baptist Church
Eastern Community Baptist Church Damion M. Briggs Pastor
Rev. Stephen E. Tucker Senior Pastor
1636 East Capitol Street, NE Washington, DC 20003 Telephone: 202-544-5588 - Fax: 202-544-2964
8213 Manson Street Landover, MD 20785 Tel: (301) 322-9787 Fax: (301) 322-9240
13701 Old Jericho Park Road Bowie, MD. 20720 (301) 262-0560
Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 7:45 AM and 10:45 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sundays at 7:45 AM & 10:45 AM Sunday School: 9:30 AM Prayer & Praise Service: Tuesdays at 12 noon & 6:30 PM Bible Study: Tuesdays at 1 pm and 7 PM Youth Bible Study: Fridays at 7 PM
Service and Times Early Morning Message: 7:30 AM Sunday Morning Worship Service: 10:00 AM Sunday Church School: 9:00 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sunday 7:30 AM & 10:00 AM Prayer, Praise and Testimony: Wednesday 7:00 PM Bible Study: Wednesday 7:30 PM
Service and Times Sunday Worship: 11 AM Sunday School: 10 AM Wednesday Mid-Week Worship, Prayer & Bible Study: Wed. 7 PM
Rehoboth Baptist Church
Reverend Peter R. Blue Sr. Pastor
Rev. Curtis l. Staley Pastor
2001 Brooks Drive District Heights MD. 20744 240.838.7074
621 Alabama Ave., S.E.- Washington, D.C. 20032 P: (202) 561-1111 - F: (202) 561-1112
Service and Times Sunday Worship Experience: 10:15am Sunday School: 9:00am Holy Communion: 3rd Sunday Morning Noontime Bible Study: Tuesday @ 12:00pm Prayer Meeting/Bible Study: Tuesday @7:00pm Theme: "Building On A Firm Foundation"
Service and Times Sunday Service: 10:00 AM Sunday School for all ages: 8:30 AM 1st Sunday Baptism: 10:00 AM 2nd Sunday Holy Communion:10:00 AM Tuesday: Bible Study: 6:30 PM Prayer Meeting: 7:45 PM
Email: revprbstmbc@gmail.com Website: www.stmatthewsbaptist.org
Motto: “Where God is First and Where Friendly People Worship”
“Real Worship for Real People” Website: www.easterncommunity.org Email: ecc@easterncommunity.org
“A Church Where Love Is Essential and Praise is Intentional”
Foggy Bottom - Founded in 1867 728 23rd Street, NW - Washington, DC 20037 Church office: 202-333-3985 - Fax : 202-338-4958
Shiloh Baptist Church
Matthews Memorial Baptist Church Dr. Joseph D. Turner / Senior Pastor 2616 MLK Ave., SE - Washington, DC 20020 Office 202-889-3709 - Fax 202-678-3304 Service and Times Early Worship Service: 8:00 AM Worship Service: 11:00 AM New Member’s Class: 9:45 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sunday, 11:00 AM Church School: 9:45 AM Wednesday 12:00pm Bible Study Prayer, Praise and Bible Study: 7:00 PM Saturday Bible Study: 11:00 AM Baptism 4th Sunday: 11:00 AM “Empowered to love and Challenged to Lead a Multitude of Souls to Christ”
Peace Baptist Church Rev. Dr. Michael T. Bell 712 18th Street, NE Washington, DC 20002 Phone 202-399-3450/ Fax 202-398-8836 Service and Times Sunday Early Morning Prayer & Bible Study Class: 8:00 AM Sunday School: 9:00 AM Sunday Morning Worship Service: 10:00 AM Wednesday Service: 12:00 PM “The Loving Church of the living lord “
4504 Gault Place, N.E. / Washington, D.C 20019 202-397-7775 – 7184 Service and Times Sunday Church School: 9:30 AM Sunday Worship Service : 11:00 AM The Lord’s Supper 1st Sunday Prayer & Praise Services: Wednesday 7:00 PM Bible Study: 7:30 PM Saturday before 4th Sunday Men, Women, Youth Discipleship Ministries: 10:30 AM A Christ Centered Church htubc@comcast.net
Christ Embassy DC
Kelechi Ajieren Coordinator 6839 Eastern Avenue, R1 Takoma Park, MD 20912 (202) 556-7065 Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 10:00 AM Wednesday Bible Study: 7:00 PM Friday Evening Service: 7:00 PM ; Last Friday “…Giving Your Life a Meaning” www.Christembassydc.org Christ.embassy.dc@hotmail.com
Pennsylvania Ave. Baptist Church Rev. Dr. Kendrick E. Curry Pastor 3000 Pennsylvania Ave.. S.E Washington, DC 20020 202 581-1500 Service and Times Sunday Church School: 9:30 AM Sunday Worship Service: 11:00 AM Monday Adult Bible Study: 7:00 PM Wednesday Youth & Adult Activities: 6:30 PM Prayer Service Bible Study
First Rising Mt. Zion Baptist Church
Mt. Horeb Baptist Church
Rev. Dr. Wallace Charles Smith Pastor
Rev. Oran W. Young Pastor
Rev. Dr. H. B. Sampson, III Pastor
9th & P Street, N.W. - W. D.C. 20001 (202) 232-4288
602 N Street NW - Washington, D.C. 20001 Office:(202) 289-4480 Fax: (202) 289-4595
2914 Bladensburg Road, NE Wash., DC 20018 Office: (202) 529-3180 - Fax: (202) 529-7738 Service and Times Worship Service: 7:30 AM Sunday School: 9:00 AM Worship Service: 10:30 AM Holy Communion: 4th Sunday 7:30AM & 10:30 AM Prayer Services:Tuesday 7:30 PM. Wednesday 12 Noon
www.stmarysfoggybottom.org Email: stmarysoffice@stmarysfoggybottom.org
Service and Times First Sunday Worship Service (one service): 10:00 AM Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Sunday Worship service: 7:45 AM and 10:55 AM Sunday Church School/Bible Study: 9:30 AM Thursday Prayer Service: 6:30 PM
All are welcome to St. Mary’s to Learn, Worship, and Grow.
Email: sbc@shilohbaptist.org Website: shilohbaptist.org
Service and Times Sundays: 10 a.m. Holy Eucharist with Music and Hymns Wednesdays: 12:10 p.m. - Holy Eucharist
Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 10:00 AM Sunday Church School: 8:45 – 9:45 AM Holy Communion: Every First Sunday Intercessory Prayer: Monday – 7:00-8:00 PM Pastor’s Bible Study: Wednesday –7:45 PM Midweek Prayer: Wednesday – 7:00 PM Noonday Prayer Every Thursday
Rev. Dr. George C. Gilbert Senior Pastor
Email Address: admin@pbc712.org
Historic St. Mary’s Episcopal Church The Rev. E. Bernard Anderson Priest
Holy Trinity United Baptist Church
Florida Avenue Baptist Church
Reverend Christopher L. Nichols Pastor
Rev. Dr. Jerryl V. Moody Pastor-Elect
Web: www.mountmoriahchurch.org Email: mtmoriah@mountmoriahchurch.org
St. Matthews Baptist Church
Emmanuel Baptist Church
King Emmanuel Baptist Church
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.
MARCH 4 - 10, 2021 41
LEGAL NOTICES
LEGAL NOTICES
LEGAL NOTICES
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
2020 ADM 000728
2020 ADM 000532
2021 ADM 000013
Julia Williams Decedent
Gwendolyn Jean Jenkins Decedent
S. Saunders aka Shirley Blackman Saunders Decedent
Deborah Cason Daniel, Esq. 503 D Street, NW, Suite 200 Washington, DC 20001 Attorney
Deborah D. Boddie ProbatelawDC 1308 Ninth Street, NW, Ste. 300 Washington, DC 20001 Attorney
Nigel L. Scott 7306 Georgia Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20012 Attorney
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Elmore Manuel Williams and Deborah Cason Daniel, whose addresses are 51 Hamilton St., NW, WDC 20011 and 503 D St., NW #200 WDC 20001, respectively, were appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of Julia Williams who died on October 25, 2011 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 9/4/2021. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 9/4/2021, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS
LEGAL NOTICES SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION 2021 NRT 000002 Mary Alice Sohngen Name of Deceased Settlor NOTICE OF EXISTENCE OF REVOCABLE TRUST Mary Alice Sohngen, whose address was 1680 Spring Creek Road, Macungle, PA 18062, created a revocable trust on September 20, 2001, which remained in existence on the date of her death on August 6, 2012, and Maura DeNoia, aka Maura Sohngen DeNoia, whose address is 4 Cedarwood Drive, Fairmouth, DE 04105, is the currently acting trustee, hereinafter the Trustee. Communications to the Trust should be mailed or directed to Edward G. Varrone, Esq. at 1825 K Street, NW, Suite 1150, Washington, DC 20006 (202) 861-3150 edv@varronelaw.com
Steven Calvert, whose address is 524 North Royal Ave., Front Royal, VA 22630, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Gwendolyn Jean Jenkins who died on November 25, 2017 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 8/18/2021. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 8/18/2021, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.
Anthony J. Thorne, whose address is 5422 13th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20011, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of S. Saunders aka Shirley Blackman Saunders who died on August 19, 2020 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 8/25/2021. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 8/25/2021, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.
Date of first publication: 2/18/2021
Date of first publication: 2/25/2021
Steven Calvert Personal Representative
Anthony J. Thorne Personal Representative
TRUE TEST COPY
TRUE TEST COPY
Nicole Stevens Register of Wills
Nicole Stevens Register of Wills
Washington Informer
Washington Informer
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
2018 ADM 001323
2020 ADM 833
Alean Yon Decedent
Bernard Burford Decedent
TRUE TEST COPY
Deborah D. Boddie, Esq. Probate Law DC 1308 Ninth Street, NW, Suite 300 Washington, DC 20001 Attorney
Tina Smith Nelson Legal Counsel for the Elderly 601 E Street NW, Washington DC 20049 Attorney
Washington Informer
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS
Pamela K. Hamilton, whose address is 5463 Nebraska Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20015, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Fedilia E. Kehayias who died on May 30, 2020 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 8/18/2021. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 8/18/2021, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.
Wanda Robinson, whose address is 849 Stonebridge Park Circle, Lithonia, Georgia 30058, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Alean Yon who died on December 19, 2007 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 8/18/2021. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 8/18/2021, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.
Lelia Ross-Jones, whose address is 1008 31st Street, SE, Washington, DC 20019, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Bernard Burford who died on 1/16/2019 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 8/25/2021. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 8/25/2021, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.
Date of first publication: 2/18/2021
Date of first publication: 2/18/2021
Date of first publication: 2/25/2021
Pamela K. Hamilton Personal Representative
Wanda Robinson Personal Representative
Lelia Ross-Jones Personal Representative
Date of first publication: 3/4/2021 Elmore Manuel Williams Deborah Cason Daniel Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2020 ADM 000635 Fedilia E. Kehayias Decedent Edward G. Varrone, Esq. 1825 K Street, NW Suite 1150 Washington, DC 20006 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS
TRUE TEST COPY
TRUE TEST COPY
TRUE TEST COPY
Nicole Stevens Register of Wills
Nicole Stevens Register of Wills
Nicole Stevens Register of Wills
Washington Informer
Washington Informer
Washington Informer
42 MARCH 4 - 10, 2021
The Trust is subject to claims of the deceased settlor’s creditors, costs of administration of the settlor’s estate, the expense of the deceased settlor’s funeral and disposal of remains, and statutory allowances to a surviving spouse and children to the extent the deceased settlor’s residuary probate estate is inadequate to satisfy those claims, costs, expenses, and allowances. Claims of the deceased settlor’s creditors are barred as against the Trustee and the trust property unless presented to the Trustee at the address provided herein on or before 8/25/2021 (6 months after the date of the first publication of this notice.) An action to contest the validity of this trust must be commenced by the earliest of (1), 8/6/2013 (One year from date of death of deceased settlor) (2), 8/25/2021 (6 months from the date of first publication of this notice) or (3) Ninety days after the Trustee sends the person a copy of the trust instrument and a notice informing the person of the trust’s existence, of the Trustee’s name and address, and of the time allowed for commencing a proceeding. The Trustee may proceed to distribute the trust property in accordance with the terms of the trust before the expiration of the time within which an action must be commenced unless the Trustee knows of a pending judicial proceeding contesting the validity of the trust or the Trustee has received notice from a potential contestant who thereafter commences a judicial proceeding within sixty days after notification. This Notice must be mailed postmarked within 15 days of its first publication to each heir and qualified beneficiary of the trust and any other person who would be an interested person within the meaning of D.C. Code 20-101(d). Date of First Publication: 2/25/2021 Maura DeNoia Signature of Trustee
Nicole Stevens Register of Wills
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In God We Trust Declaration of Nationality Notice of White Flag Surrender Notice of Reference: 0112358-13 Notice Of Special Appearance: I am that I am: Christian Stephone Chavers ", in full life, in propria persona. sui juris. in solo proprio. Haqdar by natural issue. the beneficiary and heir Of: CHAVERS, CHRISTIAN STEPHONE corp.sole Dba.: CHRISTIAN STEPHONE CHAVERS having reached the age of majority, being aboriginal to the northwestern and southwestern shores Of Africa, the Atlantic Islands, the continental Americas. being duly certified. hereby affirms to declare my tribal intention to be as my pedigree subscribe, as a: Moorish American. but not a citizen of the United States. I declare permanent. and unalienable, allegiance to The Moorish Empire. Societas Republicae Ea Al Maurikanuus Estados, The Constitution for the united States of America, Article Ill Section 2. The Lieber Code, Hague Conventions of 1899 & 1907, The Geneva Conventions, I United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples l. and all natural laws governing moors. and hereby declare and proclaim my nationality in good faith as a: Moorish American. I am that I am: Christian Stephone Chavers from this day forward, in harmony with my Nationality / Status / Jurisdiction, shall be known as: stephone amoorica bey Notice Of White Flag Surrender: as "hors de combat", pursuant to The Geneva Conventions, Article Ill, as a minister Of The Moorish Empire, and Internationally Protected Person. Notice of: LAWS AND CUSTOMS OF WAR ON LAND (HAGUE. IV). ARTICLE: 45. 46. & 47. Notice of Claim pursuant to Public Law 87-846. TITLE Il, SEC. 203. Notice of Bailment Merging of Legal Title with equitable Title : This order is to preserve legal and equitable title . and to reserve all rights. title. and interest. in the property. Re: Office of Vital Records / Bureau of Vital Statistics / New York Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, CERTIFICATE NUMBER: 13187125288, " CHAVERS, CHRISTIAN STEPHONE is as a special deposit order conveyed to Amoorica Divine Trust All property of the same issue and amount. in like kind and specie, is to be returned fully intact, as a Special Deposit order Of the Depositor / Beneficiary / Bailor / Donor / Principal / Creditor: stephone amoorica bey (Copyrights); nom deguerre: Christian Stephone Chavers (copyrights) as a special deposit order in lawful money. This special deposit is to be used exclusively for the benefit Of : “Amoorica Divine Trust” an Inter Vivos Unincorporated Divine Grantor Trust. This deposit is not to be commingled with general assets of any bank. nor depositary / trustee / agent / bailee / donee / debtor. This deposit is not limited to, but including: procurement and appropriation. as well as discharge and set off, of any and all outstanding liabilities as accord and satisfaction. Inter alia enact fuit. All Rights Reserved.
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SPORTS from Page 37 The Wizards employed a different starting five against Minnesota, consisting of Garrison Matthews and Mortiz Wagner filling the No. 4 and 5 spots. They performed admirably in the starting lineup, respectively, both scoring in double-figures with Wagner (18 points) one rebound shy of a double-double. "It's coming together as a team with the leaders that we have," Matthews said about the team's recent success. "I know my job out there is to play as hard as I can on defense in space for Brad and Russ and knock down shots when they come to me. My job didn't change when I entered the starting lineup ... now we're starting to mesh pretty well together." Beal scored 46 points against the Celtics on Feb. 28, but it wasn't enough for the Wizards to seal the deal late as Washington lost by one point, 111-110. It has been quite the improvement for Washington since the start of the year, which currently sits in the No. 12 spot in the Eastern Conference. The good news for the Wizards is that other than facing the Memphis Grizzlies on the road March 10, Washington will play at home seven out of eight upcoming games looking to gain more ground in the standings. "We still haven't done a damn thing," Beal said about the state of the team. "We won a few games, but we still have bad habits to correct, and we still got a whole season ahead of us with a lot of games and a lot of room to make up. We still have this humble approach and mentality that we have to put on our hard hats on and still get back to work." WI @danielkucin88
SCHOOL from Page 22 experience while their outside.” If weather permits, teachers can provide instruction outside. Back inside the buildings, a teacher sits at a desk providing instruction on a computer for students in class and at home. Students in class are to use an iPad provided by the school. High school students are expected to use their own laptop or other computer device. The first group of students to return are special education students of all grades along with conventional curriculum students from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade and high school seniors. Students in the seventh through 11th grades are to return April 15. Students with last names that begin with the letters A through J will be in class Monday and Tuesday. Last names that begin with K through Z will see come to school Thursday and Friday. All students will have virtual learning on Wednesdays. However, teachers must conduct instruction in front of the classroom five days a week at their respective schools. According to the reopening guide at https://bit.ly/3kaeAnu, students must wear face coverings “while inside PGCPS facilities and while being transported by PGCPS Department of Transportation. “Face coverings are required by all adults and students, worn throughout the school day and as feasible for students with disabilities or a medical reason from their physician.” The guide said the only exception is that students cannot wear face coverings when eating, drinking and “exercising outside.” The face coverings rule does not include students with a health condition, or a disability that prevents them from wearing one.
“I think that is going to be a struggle for them,” Parker said. “I don’t know how [my 12-year-old] is going to respond with wearing masks. I still don’t want her to go, but she does have a choice to come back home.” WI Twitter: @jabariwill
GUNS from Page 5 the problem of surging gun violence. Kemi Morten, the president of the Bellevue Neighborhood Civic Association, questioned why Bowser put the program in Anacostia when her neighborhood, also in Ward 8, has been plagued the most by homicides “Anacostia is a gentrifying neighborhood but we, in Bellevue, are the ones dealing with gun violence every day,” Morten said. “Plus, why didn’t the mayor come to us about this program before she made this big announcement? While this program sounds good, it won’t mean anything unless the people in the community support it.” Former Ward 8 advisory neighborhood commissioner Christopher Hawthorne dismissed the Building Blocks DC program, refusing to take it seriously. “This is just a publicity stunt by the mayor,” he said. “We need to remove guns from people’s hands and get them off the streets. Educational resources and job opportunities should be provided to the impoverished people who live here. However, I am afraid it may be too late to change things.” WI @JamesDCWrighter
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three mobile vaccination clinics to target senior citizens and minority communities. This will be coordinated with state and local health department officials established in specific areas for several days. Sen. Ron Young (D-Frederick County) said the state must provide more help and not assume that Black, Latino and Asian residents do not reside in the western part of the state. “Three mobiles aren’t going to cover the state well,” he said. “You’re making a lot of people drive all over the state. Some people can’t afford to do that.” WI @jabariwill
Due to the millions of dollars included in the budget amendments and the school system’s short-term financial outlook, board member Curtis Valentine voted against the budget for the first time in his eightyear tenure. “We are in a budget crisis,” he said. “These recommendations are done so without that in mind. There are other recommendations that’ve been put forth not founded on research or collaboration.” Board vice chair Sonya Williams also voted against the budget. Board members Pamela Boozer-Strother and Sandra Shephard abstained. Board chair Juanita Miller did not
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attend the meeting due to a previous engagement. Board member Edward Burroughs said the $3 million proposal would allow local community organizations to apply for money to work with students on mental health services, academic enrichment and alternatives to suspension. “If we don’t invest in students on the front end at the first sight of crisis and exhibiting cries for help, then they will eventually end up in the criminal justice system,” said Burroughs, who voted for the budget. “There is a lot of research on this topic. This is an area of growth that is needed for the school system.” WI @jabariwill
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records secret has not served us,” Carter said Tuesday. But some senators fear that unsubstantiated complaints revealed publicly may harm officers’ reputations and their families. Sen. Joanne C. Benson (D-District 24) of Landover said some Black state troopers with whom she’s working remain concerned that the bill could negatively affect possible promotions or “career advancements” in an agency. “This would not carry in my profession,” Benson, a retired educator, said about making unsubstantiated complaints public. “That information does not become public because it doesn’t have any merit.” Sen. Pam Beidle (D-Anne Arundel County) offered an amendment to remove unsubstantiated claims from public inspection when it’s determined “by clear and convincing evidence that the infraction did not occur.” Sen. Robert Cassilly (R-Har-
ford County) who supported the amendment, said Carter’s legislation could affect the future of law enforcement. “We are going to take this profession into the dumps,” he said. The amendment failed, but only by a 26-21 vote. Sen. Charles Sydnor who represents parts of Baltimore City and Baltimore County, asked about portions of the bill’s intent. “Does this bill open up the floodgate for everyone to see everything that’s happening in the police department?” Sydnor said to Carter. “No,” she replied. “This bill does not automatically disclose every single complaint that has been made whether sustained or [not sustained.] It’s just an individual case-by-case basis.” The Senate gave preliminary approval Tuesday night to the eight police reform bills. They could receive final approval as early as Wednesday, March 3. WI @jabariwill
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MALVEAUX from Page 26 adhered to a civility protocol? The coalition of Black women who have always made a difference must step up to support these women, too. Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, the founder of NCNW, was a firm believer in diversity and inclusion. She reached out to white women who shared our values and worked in coalition with them when she could, given the constraints of the time. She would approve supporting sisters Gupta and Tanden, women of color just like us. While we might not be on the same page as these sisters on everything, we have enough in common to be passionate in their defense.
EDNEY from Page 26 begun a mysterious journey; not knowing that an even greater shock was on the way. "When we had the EEG done, we weren't expecting results right away, but the neurologist looked at the results and she said, "'I'm going to tell you this. Your EEG results are extremely abnormal,' which blew me away because I did not expect her to say that. She said the way his EEG looks; it doesn't look like someone who just started having seizures."
MAGEE from Page 26 We're not monolithic, of course — we all experience things differently. Black people are highly resilient and many have made extraordinary contributions to their communities and to their country. But today, as we battle COVID-19 under a new administration, we must also prepare to tackle another public health emergency. For until we break the cycle of historical racial trauma and find ways to heal, the much-promised "level playing field" cannot exist. However many equal opportunities we create, however hard we fight for social justice and against extremism, it will all be to no avail if some Americans continue to struggle under the weight of inherited racial trauma while others are unencumbered. We have to do this for the mental health of individuals and for the health of our nation as a whole. The first step towards healing is to recognize the problem, individually and collectively. Then we must allow ourselves to acknowledge old wounds and to grieve. It can be tempting, when you live with trauma, to avoid triggers — to turn away, perhaps even to topple things in an attempt to erase reminders of a harrowing past. But that is a grave mistake.The act of
The smear tactics that the rabid right uses to smear these women are unacceptable. They are the same tactics that these people use against Vice President Kamala Harris. We need to make sure they don't work. I often wonder what motivated Dr. Bethune to form an organization in the middle of the Great Depression, when overall unemployment rates soared to 25% and Black unemployment was two or three times higher. In 1935, food lines snaked around city blocks and down dusty roads in rural communities. Too many Black folks were pushed to the back of the line or denied assistance altogether. The indignities were innumerable, but Bethune shrugged
them off to build a powerful organization with unprecedented access to President Roosevelt. She walked into Roosevelt's office with the collective strength of Black women in her fingers or her fist. Black women's organizations don't get the credit they are due, so these organizations must be lifted in this Women's History Month. What would our nation be without these organizations who get out the vote, raise money for scholarships, provide social and civic services, and do so much more? I don't want to know the answer. All I know is that Black women's organizations matter. We must celebrate them! WI
Ultimately, the diagnosis was confirmed. Nicholas not only has epilepsy, but he has an extremely rare kind of epilepsy, called Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. It is a form of epilepsy that usually becomes apparent during infancy or much earlier childhood, "usually before the age of 4 years," according to the National Institute of Health. Lorraine Newborn-Palmer, a member of the African American Professional Advisory Board for the Epilepsy Foundation, says the increased education about seizures in the Black community is crucial.
"As an ethnic group, conditions such as epilepsy are being discussed more often in the context of historical backgrounds and now in the face of an ongoing epidemic," says Newborn-Painter, clinical program manager for the Sandra and Malcolm Berman Brain & Spine Institute. "We, as nurses, recognize the increased importance of education about seizures and epilepsy that cannot be overlooked. Forging ahead in this ever-changing health care environment has become even more of a challenge." For the full version of this story, go to washingtoninformer.com. WI
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forgetting does not aid recovery, it makes it impossible. History must be faced and learned from so that we can take the best from it and leave the rest behind. Perhaps we need a national day of remembrance? On Juneteenth, we rightly celebrate the end of slavery. Maybe on a different day every American could pause and consider the harm done in the name of this thing called race and how we can overcome its legacy. The next step is healing. We can't reach it through anger and hurt; righteous indignation alone will get us nowhere. Instead, each of us needs to connect with others — those who look like us and those who don't. Those who pray like us and those who don't. Those who vote like us and those who don't. We can learn much from others with experience of trauma and marginalization — Holocaust survivors and their families, Native Americans, Latino, Asian and Muslim Americans, members of the LGBTQ+ community, disabled people. But we must resist apportioning blame — this is about positive allyship and moving forward. Our elected leaders have a crucial role to play. The U.S. Constitution is a living document; now is the time to make it truly viable. Politicians should revisit the 1964 Civil Rights Act Implementation
Plan, which was struck down by the Supreme Court, and turn it into a constitutional amendment. This would finally ensure that all Americans could enjoy equal rights in perpetuity. Faith leaders should help individuals and communities to understand and deal with racial trauma by using their sacred spaces to talk openly about its causes and symptoms. Prayer can be a powerful ally in healing, and our holy texts abound with insights to help us overcome every kind of trial, if guided by love. Through trauma-informed ministry, we can recognize suffering, provide comfort and refer those in need to specialist mental health support. As well as educating their students about racial trauma, teachers can ensure that every child's humanity is valued. If they are positive about diversity and encourage children to appreciate each other's ethnicity and cultural heritage, teachers can help to liberate our young people from damaging myths about race. Four hundred years is long enough to carry a burden based on hate. Change is in the air in America today — together, let's seize this moment and break the cycle of racial trauma. Like so many others, my mother and I bear its scars — I pray that my 6-year-old son and his children will not. WI
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CROWELL from Page 27 Boston Impact Initiative, Chicago Urban League, and Pacific Community Ventures. Speaking in a united voice to federal officials, this coalition of organizations and businesses called directly on Feb. 12 for race-explicit solutions to the new PPP relief. Substantiating this appeal was data that showed that these same businesses that previously missed out on PPP funding collectively provide 8.7 million jobs, $280 billion in annual payroll, and $1.3 trillion in revenue. “This targeted aid should serve as a model for a long-term revitalization program aimed at providing small businesses in these hard-hit areas with the resources to recover faster and emerge strong”, said Luke Pardue, an economist with Gusto, a national data firm specializing in small businesses and a member of the coalition. “Such a plan
JEALOUS from Page 27 after a day of pro-Trump protests in Washington, D.C., in December. She has called out members of Congress who were promoting the "false and baseless claim that there was something wrong with the 2020 election." That kind of truth-telling is not always welcomed in Washington. You will not be surprised to know that not everyone is celebrating Clarke's nomination. Not everyone wants a strong civil rights division. Some people were just fine with the Trump administration's hands-off approach to police accountability and civil rights enforce-
ASKIA from Page 27 intervened quietly in my behalf. I was safe for a while. Despite the fact that I, through my National Scene News Bureau regularly contributed content to The Washington Informer, National Public Radio (NPR), Christian Science Monitor Radio, TV’s America’s Black Forum, Howard University Television’s “Evening Exchange,” WUSA-TV’s “Capital Edition,” The Washington Post, USA Today, The Baltimore Sun, and other outlets, was “snakebit,” as an NPR official told me once: “Askia, you have certain ‘baggage.’” I understood it, but I did not want to confront its reality. You see, back when I first got to Washington, my mentor—Ofield Dukes, who had served as an aide to Vice President Hubert Humphrey—told me that I couldn’t get anywhere just calling government, or cabinet officials, unless I told them that I was calling in behalf of Louis Martin, my boss. So,
could take the form of targeted block grants that Congress provides to distressed localities, who are then able to spend the funds on small business development, job training, and support programs to improve job retention. Congress could make the Neighborhood Capital Investment program permanent with $12 billion in annual appropriation.” in its own independent PPP analysis, CRL also noted the pandemic’s profound effect on small businesses. “At the outset of the program and during the first round of funding from April 3 to April 16, 2020, it was clear that structural inequities were built in to the administration of the program, the application process, and the fee structure,” states a CRL policy brief. “These structural inequities made it extremely difficult for small businesses — and particularly businesses owned by people of color — to qualify for as-
sistance or receive it in time to save their businesses and the jobs of the employees that depend upon them.” Additionally, and according to CRL, PPP administration by the Small Business Association failed to require demographic data to determine if lenders prioritized underserved markets and businesses, and consequently failed to issue lender data about prioritizing borrowers in underserved markets as well. Just as Black businesses struggle to access capital, exclusionary housing policies have made it nearly impossible for Black families to build home equity on parity with whites and/or convert home equity into wealth needed to begin a business. In short, denied access to finance is a key reason why many Black consumers struggle as renters instead of becoming homeowners. For the full version of this column, go to washingtoninformer.com. WI
ment. And some of them are trying to smear Clarke and other women of color Biden has appointed to top Justice Department positions. It is not going to work. Some Republican senators tried to use the confirmation hearing for attorney general nominee Merrick Garland to attack Clarke. Garland wouldn't put up with it. When Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah made insinuations of anti-Semitism on the part of Clarke, Garland, who is Jewish, cut him off and defended Clarke's integrity and commitments to equal justice. Garland told senators that he needs Clarke on his leadership team.
At the ceremony announcing her nomination, which came just a day after the deadly insurrection at the Capitol, Clarke said, "We are at a crossroads. If I am fortunate enough to be confirmed, we will turn the page on hate and close the door on discrimination by enforcing our federal civil rights laws." Amen. That is a page that needs turning and a door that needs closing! Senators from both sides of the aisle should recognize that Clarke is a brilliant choice for this position. I am confident she will overcome whatever partisan objections are raised against her. And I look forward to watching her get to work. WI
that’s what I commenced to do. Then one day Martin called me. “Askia. What is your real name?” he asked. “Askia Muhammad,” I replied. “What was it before that?” he persisted. “What’s this all about?” I wanted to know. It seems, HUD Secretary Patricia Roberts Harris had called him, wanting to know, why was he having a “Black Muslim” call her office? Years later now, in the face of the reference to my “baggage,” I understood what that meant. There would have been no problem had I been a Muslim reporter from Egypt, or Turkey, or Pakistan calling the secretary’s office. She had a gripe, because I’m a “Black Muslim,” affiliated with The Honorable Elijah Muhammad, the Nation of Islam, Minister Louis Farrakhan. That bias continues until this very hour! Then came the George W. Bush White House Press Office. They told me my pass would be canceled because there were “too many” pass holders and the Secret Service wanted to limit the
size of the press pool. Bunk! Now, in the wake of the Trump White House shenanigans, accrediting many, many, never before heard of agencies that were friendly to The Donald, it’s crystal clear to me, that in particular, Black Muslims like me are unwelcome in the White House press corps. Even though I pleaded with my personal acquaintance and Bush Press Secretary Tony Snow for help maintaining my press pass, it was all for naught. He and I had often appeared on the “Evening Exchange” program together. He knew I was legit, but he just couldn’t hold back the steamroller that was out to get rid of me. In 2005, my White House press pass expired, although I occasionally gained access to the Barack Obama White House with my membership in the Monroe Trotter Group of Black columnists and commentators. At least they didn’t hold my religion against me. WI
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