The Washington Informer - May 15, 2025 by The Washington Informer

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REPORTERS

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Sam P.K. Collins, Political/Education Reporter

Zerline Hughes, Housing Reporter

Brenda Siler, Lifestyle Reporter

Lindiwe Vilakazi, Health Reporter

Ed Hill, Sports Reporter

Jada Ingleton, WI Content Editor

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PHOTOGRAPHERS

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INTERNS

Skylar Nelson, Howard University

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wi hot topics

STACY M. BROWN, WI SENIOR WRITER

‘Love Wins’: Community Rallies for 5-Year-Old Targeted by Hate

Outrage has turned to action in Rochester after a white woman launched a racist verbal assault on a 5-year-old Black child at a public park—an incident that has sparked national condemnation, a surge of community support, and a flood of donations aimed at helping the young victim heal.

The Rochester Branch of the NAACP said the incident, which occurred on April 30, was a deliberate and threatening act of racial hate—not a misunderstanding or isolated outburst.

According to the organization, the child, who is also reportedly on the autism spectrum, was targeted with repeated racial slurs, including the n-word. The

woman did not express remorse and doubled down when confronted by a bystander.

“This was not simply offensive behavior—it was an intentional racist, threatening, hateful, and verbal attack against a child, and it must be treated as such,” the Rochester Branch of the NAACP said in a statement. “Public parks should be safe, inclusive spaces for children and families—not sites of hate and trauma.”

A widely circulated video of the incident drew sharp backlash, as did the woman’s subsequent move to launch a fundraising campaign for herself. She identi-

Trump’s Deportation Agenda Sparks Panic in the District

Donald Trump’s deportation agenda for immigrants and American citizens alike has hit the nation’s capital and stoked fear throughout the District.

Reports of immigration enforcement across Washington, D.C., have spread rapidly through social media and immigrant advocacy groups, prompting alarm in schools, restaurants, and neighborhoods.

“I have heard those reports. I’ve been getting them all morning. I am disturbed by them,” said D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser. “It appears that ICE is at restaurants or even in neighborhoods, and it doesn’t look like they’re targeting criminals.”

She also assured that the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) is not involved.

The mayor’s comments came as concerns intensified over a wave of ICE activity throughout the city. Advocacy groups said enforcement appears to be targeting restaurants and food delivery workers—particularly Venezuelan migrants.

“Only 10% came out,” said a Venezuelan food courier who declined to be identified. “Where are the rest of them? The Uber Eats application has been ringing nonstop. We need help. We need support. We are all not bad people.”

In the Columbia Heights neighborhood, a restaurant owner reported that six employees called in sick, and one resigned out of fear of a raid. Teachers who feared ICE agents might be monitoring public transit escorted high school students to Metro stations. Parents and neighbors stood watch outside a Northwest D.C. elementary school for hours after hearing agents may be nearby.

“We kind of decided a couple of us to come out and support—to observe, watch, maybe give people ‘know-yourrights’ cards and be there and witness whatever awful thing may happen or prevent it if we could,” said Imani Cruz, a local volunteer. WI

D.C. Residents Targeted in Toll Text Scam

Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb has issued an urgent consumer alert to District residents, warning of a sophisticated and widespread scam involving fraudulent text messages posing as toll collection agencies. The messages falsely claim recipients owe money for unpaid tolls and are part of a coordinated attempt to steal personal and financial information.

“Toll enforcement agencies will never contact you via text to demand payment for an unpaid toll,” Schwalb said. “These messages are part of a widespread, sophisticated scam designed to steal District resident’s personal information and hard-earned money. Residents should ignore these texts and immediately file a complaint with the FTC—if you have already responded, follow our suggested steps to protect yourself.”

According to the FBI’s 2024 Internet Crime Report, more than 59,000 complaints about these toll-related text scams have been filed nationwide. Law enforcement officials believe the scam campaign is being driven by transnational Chinese cybercrime groups that have sent out mil-

lions of texts across the country, including many to residents in Washington, D.C.

The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) reviewed over 50 examples of scams targeting district residents. The texts typically contain alarming language, such as:

• “You must settle the balance within the next 12 hours to avoid severe penalties.”

• “Pay now to avoid irreversible consequences.”

• “Failure to pay will result in immediate fines, suspension of your vehicle registration, and aggressive legal actions.”

These messages often include links that appear to lead to legitimate tolling websites.

“These fake sites are nearly indistinguishable from the real thing at first glance,” Schwalb’s office said, noting that one spoofed Maryland site used an image from a Florida highway, misspelled “toll,” and demanded payment before sharing further information—something no official agency would do.

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In Memoriam Dr. Calvin W. Rolark, Sr. Wilhelmina J. Rolark

AROUND THE REGION

D.C. Set to Celebrate Malcolm X at 100

By James Wright WI Staff Writer

As District organizations and leaders get ready to celebrate the 100th birthday of the late human rights leader Malcolm X on May 19, Northwest, D.C. resident A. Peter Bailey, a noted journalist, author and lecturer, is in a reflective mood about his friend and mentor.

“When I think about May 19, that is a day that honors him,” Bailey, 87, told The Informer. “No birthday party. We, as a people, need to honor him because he literally gave us life fighting for us. We should be thanking him for that.”

Bailey was a member of the Organization of Afro-American Unity, a group founded by Malcolm X after he split with the Nation of Islam in 1964. He served as the editor of the organization’s newsletter, the “Blacklash” and was a pallbearer at the Muslim leader’s funeral after his assassination in 1965.

After the human rights leader’s death, Bailey became an associate editor at Ebony Magazine, co-authored “Seventh Child, a Memoir of Malcolm X” with Rodnell Collins, nephew of the book’s namesake, and authored “Witnessing Brother Malcolm X: The Master Teacher.”

Working to keep his memory alive to this day, Bailey has attended Sankofa Video Books and Café’s nightly forums on Malcolm X since speaking there on May 7, often sitting in the back of the Georgia Avenue NW location listening intently to the speakers.

While Bailey is happy that many District residents will partake in cele-

fied herself as Shiloh Hendrix and claimed she needed financial help to relocate in the aftermath.

In less than 24 hours, her campaign raised nearly $150,000. As of this week, it has surpassed $600,000, with many of her supporters openly defending her use of racial slurs and demonizing the child.

In response, the Rochester Branch of the NAACP acted quickly, launching a GoFundMe campaign to support the young victim and his family. That campaign has since raised $341,484 in just two days, thanks to an outpouring of support from across the country and around the world.

brating Malcolm X’s legacy, he is not sure that the Muslim leader would be so enthused about the state of Black America.

“He would be upset that we are still not united,” said Bailey. “We are not organized. We are not unified in education, economics, politics, culture and communications. The [white power structure] don’t pay any attention to us because we are not working together.”

MALCOLM X 100 EVENTS IN THE DISTRICT

Sankofa will feature Bailey as a speaker again on May 17 for a film screening and discussion on Malcolm X and his impact on Pan-Africanism. Dr. James Pope and Ethiopian filmmaker Haile Gerima, co-owner of Sankofa, will also participate in the event.

The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, in concert with The Shabazz Center—a facility in New York City that studies the life and work of Malcolm X— is scheduled to hold a reception and an opening of an exhibit on Malcolm X on May 16 starting from 6 p.m.-9:30 p.m. The next day, the two institutions will team up again with “Community Storytime: Malcolm Little: The Boy Who Grew up to Become Malcolm X” at the museum, with the program starting at 11 a.m. and ending at 1:30 p.m.

Additionally on May 17, the National Reparations Network, with the

The NAACP has since closed the fundraiser at the family’s request.

“From the beginning, this campaign was rooted in a powerful truth: no child should ever be dehumanized, and love must always be louder than hate,” the NAACP said.

According to the organization, 100% of the funds raised—minus standard platform fees—will be placed in a trust account solely managed by the child’s parents.

“No member of the Rochester Branch of the NAACP has received—or will receive—funds from these donations,” the organization clarified.

AROUND THE REGION

TRAVEL

black facts

JANET JACKSON (LEFT)

JOHN CONYERS (BELOW LEFT)

GRACE JONES (BELOW RIGHT)

SAMMY DAVIS JR. ( RIGHT)

MAY 15

MAY 15 - 21, 2025

1820 – The U.S. Congress declares the foreign slave trade an act of piracy punishable by death.

MAY 16

1927 – William Harry Barnes becomes the first African American board-certified medical specialist.

1929 – Longtime Congressman John Conyers (D-Mich.) is born in Highland Park, Michigan.

1966 – Famed singer and actress Janet Jackson is born in Gary, Indiana.

1979 – A. Philip Randolph, a leader in the civil rights movement, the American labor movement, and socialist political parties, dies in New York City at 90.

1990 – Iconic entertainer Sammy Davis Jr. dies in Beverly Hills, California, of throat cancer at 64.

MAY 17

1875 – African American jockey Oliver Lewis wins the first Kentucky Derby.

1954 – In the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case, the U.S. Supreme Court rules that public school segregation is illegal.

1956 – Boxing great Sugar Ray Leonard is born in Wilmington, North Carolina.

MAY 18

1896 – The United States Supreme Court issues its infamous ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson. The decision declared the doctrine of “separate but equal” was constitutional. By doing so it, in effect, approved all Jim Crow or segregationist laws designed to degrade Blacks or keep them separate from whites. The ruling

would stand until the Brown v. Board of Education decision of 1954.

MAY 19

1925 – Black revolutionary Malcolm X is born Malcolm Little in Omaha, Nebraska.

1930 – Lorraine Hansberry, famed African American playwright best known for “A Raisin in the Sun,” is born in Chicago.

1952 – Eccentric model and singer Grace Jones is born in Spanish Town, Jamaica.

MAY 20

1743 – Touissant L’Ouverture, the father Haitian independence, is born.

MAY 21

1862 – Mary Patterson becomes the first Black woman in U.S. history to be awarded a master’s degree. She earned it from Oberlin College in Ohio.

1969 – Police and National Guardsmen open fire on student demonstrators at predominantly Black North Carolina A&T University, leaving one student dead. Five policemen were injured.

2009 – A Black man — James Young — is elected mayor of Philadelphia, Mississippi — a town that, during the 1960s, had the nation’s most racist reputation. Ku Klux Klan members dominated the town and it was known for the mistreatment and unpunished killings of Blacks. One of the most brutal events in the city was the 1964 murder of three civil rights workers. In his 2009 election victory, Young captured 30 percent of the white vote.

AROUND THE REGION

view

P INT

BY SARAFINA WRIGHT

A jury found three former Memphis, Tenn., police officers not guilty of all charges in the death of Tyre Nichols, including second-degree murder in the 2023 beating death of Tyre Nichols, which was captured on camera.

KEVON BATTERSBY / WASHINGTON, D.C.

PATTY D / PHILADELPHIA, PENN.

This is ludicrous. Even with video? That’s just not right. It’s gonna come back on them.

We have to stop seeking redress through their corrupt system.

SHARMER JONES / OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLA.

EVELYN ESSEX / CHARLESTON, W. VA.

This is bull. They beat that kid to death.

It’s clearly not just the white officers that they let go free.

ANITA BEVERLY / NEW YORK, N.Y.

I hope these officers are proud of themselves. How they can lie their head to pillow and sleep soundly is amazing…how they can congratulate each other and pat each other on the back as if job well done is unbelievable. Taking a life unnecessarily should not be something that comes so easily. Prayers for the Nichols family that God claims victory for them so that they may have peace in the wake of this injustice.

From Survival to Service: Gregory Baldwin Leads Mother’s Day Tribute to Victims of Gun Violence in D.C.

Baldwin’s Helping Hands, Inc’ Offers Healing, Hope, Advocacy for Mothers Who’s Lost Children to Gun Violence

By D.R Barnes WI Staff Writer

Gregory Baldwin has a powerful testimony about faith, survival, and second chances. Like so many Black boys growing up in Washington, D.C., Baldwin, 60, faced the harsh realities of gangs and gun violence that nearly ended his life before adulthood.

By the age of 25, Baldwin had been shot 10 times and stabbed eight times. It wasn’t until he lay on an operating table, staring at the possibility of imminent death, that he realized he had to choose between change and tragedy.

“I was pronounced dead to my family at the Washington Hospital Center. I know what it’s like for a mother to receive a message that she has lost a child. I’m that child. I was lost and now found,” Baldwin explained. “But God kept me, and now he’s using me.”

Turning Pain into Purpose, A Day of Reflection and Healing

Baldwin’s path of redemption became a mission.

He witnessed too many friends and neighbors lost to the streets, but it was the cries of grieving mothers that impacted him most.

“These mothers need to know someone cares about them,” Baldwin said. “We need to give them their flowers, especially on Mother’s Day, and help put a smile on their faces.”

To that end, Baldwin founded Helping Hands, Inc., an organization dedicated to addressing the devastating impact of gun violence and poverty in the D.C. region.

On Saturday, the group hosted its 13th Annual Mother’s Day Brunch at Matthews Memorial Baptist Church in Southeast, Washington.

Dozens of mothers from across the

region, dressed in their finest, gathered for an elegant lunch served by Baldwin’s masonic brothers, who volunteer each year for this heartfelt cause. The room was filled with conversation, laughter, and moments of profound remembrance.

A letter from D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser praised Baldwin and Helping Hands Inc. for his 13-year effort in supporting grieving mothers.

Dr. Charlene Monk, host of a radio talk-show on WYCB-FM, delivered a keynote address, urging mothers to join forces and fight against gun violence.

Several mothers bravely stood to share the heartbreaking stories of children lost to gun violence—many cases still unsolved. Others lost children to the fentanyl epidemic in D.C.

Juanita Agnew, mother of 13 yearold Jayz Agnew, who was fatally shot while raking leaves in the front yard of

his home in Prince George’s County, has turned her grief into activism.

She has dedicated her home to serving seniors and established a youth prevention program to help stop gun violence before it starts.

“I’m doing this in honor of Jayz,” she told the Informer.

A CALL TO ACTION FROM GRIEVING MOTHERS

Tyrece McAlister, whose daughter Ayanna was killed at 18, offered a raw and urgent message to the crowd.

“I had no expectation that my 18-year-old college freshman would die on the streets of D.C.,” she said. “So I want to say to you mothers: if you are not working in the fight to end gun violence, we need you. If you don’t want to start an organization, join one.”

McAlister particularly emphasized the importance of African American representation in the fight to end gun violence.

“We need people who look like us, because white folks are going to save their kids—we have to save ours.”

The Washington

5Giselle Morch holds a locket with a photo of her son, Jaycee Webster, who died as a result of gun violence. She now leads efforts to combat gun violence in Prince George’s County. (D.R. Barnes/

Informer)

AROUND THE REGION

CAPTURE THE MOMENt

Anew Inspired Change partnered with Wellpoint Maryland to present the 15th Annual Mother’s Day Luncheon, under the theme “She Rocks a New Seed!” Volunteers take a group shot before opening doors for the luncheon, held at Prince George’s County Ballroom in Landover, Maryland, where they served more than 200 mothers who are homeless or facing hardships. The mothers were pampered and received massage, manicures, pedicures, and hair styling. (Shevry Lassiter/The Washington Informer)

“Without

D.C. hip-hop artist Pinky KillaCorn reads the latest news in The Washington Informer. (Ja’Mon Jackson/ The Washington Informer)

– Mary McLeod Bethune

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY

Prince George’s County Local Updates

By Richard Elliott WI Contributing Reporter

FAIRMONT HEIGHTS ONE STEP CLOSER TO BECOMING FILM STUDIO

Fairmont Heights High School’s original site has taken one more step towards becoming a film studio, after the Prince George’s County Council declared the site “surplus property.”

The former high school building was transferred to the Redevelopment Authority, alongside 22 other properties, following a resolution introduced by County Councilmembers Calvin Hawkins (D) and Wanika Fisher (D- District 2). A film studio is prepared to purchase the property from the Redevelopment Authority.

State Senator Joanne C. Benson (D- District 24) spoke before the Council in support of the bill, particularly for what it means for the

Fairmont Heights community.

“I’ve been around for over 50 years, I’ve watched the history of the Fairmont Heights community.

3A propane explosion caused a fire during Laurel’s Main Street Festival Parade on May 10, resulting in one person’s hospitalization and the cancellation of the parade, though the festival continued with one street blocked off.

(Courtesy Photo)

“That is a good thing because it was a school, and it still is a school, even though it’s going to be transformed. But it’s still going to be an educational facility, and that’s the thing that we like about it. It’s going to be an educational facility as well as a filmmaking studio,” he continued. WI

PROPANE EXPLOSION LEADS TO CANCELLATION OF LAUREL PARADE

We are concerned,” said Benson. “I am a staunch supporter of the Fairmount Heights Alumni Association, which has over 13,000 members.”

She recalled the moment school officials and other leaders learned the school would be closing.

“Almost everyone in the room began to cry. We care so much about the historical legacy of the school. The school has been sitting, and the FHAA has been working for nearly seven years to ensure that we have something that will make the community proud,” Benson continued. “I am proud to support this resolution.”

While some residents, including former Del. Faye Martin Howell, wanted the site to become a vocational training center, other residents applaud the decision and see it as an investment in the community and the youth.

“It’s not just going to be a company that is producing films, but it’s going to allow people to learn all of the various aspects of what it takes to make a film,” said Fred Smith of the Fairmount Heights Alumni Association (FHAA). “It’s also going to be an opportunity for even the students to learn the new items that one needs to be successful if you want to work in the film industry.”

Smith and other members of the FHAA believe this conversion will serve the community well.

A propane explosion led to one person’s hospitalization and the cancellation of Laurel’s Main Street Festival Parade.

According to officials, the explosion occurred at the intersection of 4th and Main Streets during vendor setup.

The parade was cancelled but the festival was still held, with one street blocked off for safety.

Both fire investigators and Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE) crews were called to the scene of the fire and Laurel police closed Main Street to traffic.

“As the Congressman representing Laurel, my thoughts are with everyone affected by this morning’s propane tank explosion in Downtown Laurel. One individual was hospitalized with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, and the fire has been contained,” said U.S. Rep. Glenn Ivey (DMd.) on May 10.

He also expressed thanks to emergency responders and city officials for acting quickly and ensured residents that safety is a top priority.

“We will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as more details become available,” said Ivey. “Our community’s safety remains our top priority.”

Despite the explosion, one social media user wrote on a festival Instagram post: “Awesome turnout and festivities today.”

Maryland Political Updates

By Richard Elliott WI Contributing Reporter

VAN HOLLEN,

ALSOBROOKS

CALL TO TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS ACCOUNTABLE, DECRY TRUMP CRYPTO SCAM

Maryland Democratic Sens. Angela Alsobrooks and Chris Van Hollen have been working to hold Trump administration officials accountable.

During a recent rally, Alsobrooks called for the resignation of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr.

“As of this Monday, I will be filing a Senate resolution and I am calling on Secretary Kennedy to resign,” said Alsobrooks, who previously called for the resignation of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, following multiple incidents of classified information being shared via a group messaging app. “He must go. He ought to be fired.”

During his confirmation hearing, Kennedy Jr. made several statements that justify medical racism and cast doubts on the effectiveness and safety of vaccines. He has supported efforts by the Trump administration to lay off tens of thousands of HHS workers, and the proposed 2026 budget also reduces the agency funding by $33 billion.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen (DMd.) highlighted that the late President John F. Kennedy sought to expand vaccines while his nephew, the current HHS secretary, is hypocritically destroying that goal.

“I just want to start by thanking all of you who care about public health, who care about the future of people in our country, for being here now to raise the alarm about how RFK Jr., if he ever got close to being the Secretary of HHS, would put the American public at risk. And as you’ve heard, and as

you know, people will die,” said Van Hollen before Kennedy Jr.’s appointment. WI

STATE LEGISLATORS WARN ABOUT TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S IMPACT ON ECONOMY, LABOR

Following a turbulent first 100 days of the second Trump Administration, Maryland legislators continue to sound the alarm regarding the local ramifications of President Donald Trump’s policies and his proposed budget– particularly around health care.

Senate President Bill Ferguson (D- District 46) warned in a recent interview that Maryland’s financial future and health care infrastructure are further at risk following the proposed 2026 federal budget.

“I would say the health care system cuts are the ones that are the most concerning,” said Ferguson. “The $430 million will be very painful, but we can weather that storm in the short term, and that doesn’t necessarily push us immediately into a special session.”

While Ferguson doesn’t expect a special legislative session this fall, it is a possibility to address state budget gaps worsened by the federal budget.

“I would say what happens to get to the bigger health care cuts is where that’s going to be the big lever—the decision point for us to come back— because it will have such a disruptive impact on our entire health care system,” he continued.

Congressman Glenn Ivey (DMd.) and members of the Congressional Labor Caucus pointed out the inconsistencies in Trump’s campaign rhetoric, compared to the results that working Americans are currently seeing.

“President Trump said he would support working people. Instead, he’s spent 100 days finding new ways to lower wages and make workplaces less safe,” said Ivey, who represents District 4, which has one of the largest concentrations of federal workers

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY

of any congressional district in the nation.

The congressman emphasized the urgency of ensuring holding the president and his administration accountable for mandates that have affected their overall well-beings.

“He’s slashed worker safety protections, stripped collective bargaining rights, and crippled the National Labor Relations Board,” Ivey said. “Workers deserve better and that’s why my colleagues in the Labor Caucus and I are fighting back.”

“As of this Monday, I will be filing a Senate resolution and I am calling on Secretary Kennedy to resign,” said Alsobrooks 5

What If You Could... Launch Your Vision?

By Alexander Austin, President & CEO, Prince George’s Chamber of Commerce

That idea simmering within you, the one that keeps you up at night – what if you could finally bring it to life? What if your community became the launchpad for your groundbreaking business, the fertile ground where your innovative technology takes

Imagine transforming your passion into a thriving enterprise, creating jobs and shaping the future right here at home. Picture your unique solution, your cutting-edge creation, making a real impact on our community and beyond.

What if we fostered an environment where your entrepreneurial spirit is not just encouraged, but actively supported? What if access to resources, mentorship, and a collaborative network empowered you to overcome every hurdle?

What if our communities became synonymous with bold startups and technological leaps?

The power to build something extraordinary lies within us all. It’s time to ask: What if you could take that leap?

What if you could turn your vision into a tangible reality, contributing to a dynamic and prosperous future. In our grasp is the opportunity to cultivate a landscape where our “what if” becomes our shared success story.

Maryland Democratic Sens. Angela Alsobrooks and Chris Van Hollen have been working to hold Trump administration officials accountable. (WI File Photo/Robert R. Roberts)

Bridge District Opens in Ward 8: Marks Largest Private Investment

By James Wright WI Staff Writer

The Bridge District, Ward 8’s newest neighborhood, opened on May 5 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by city officials, stakeholders and residents.

“Opening the first phase of the Bridge District is the culmination of more than 10 years of working with the city, our neighbors, capital partners, and other stakeholders,” said Thomas Skinner, managing partner with Redbrick LMD, the developer of the project. “With its serene and connected location, Bridge District is attracting residents, retailers and employers, while adding a major contributor to the economic growth of the city.”

Located a block west of the Anacostia Metro Station in Southeast, the development represents a $400 million investment — the largest private-sector project in Ward 8’s

history, according to Skinner.

He noted that future additions will include a hotel and a full-service grocery store.

D.C. Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie (I-At-large), who chairs the Committee on Business and Economic Development, praised the new project.

“What this means is more housing, more jobs and more opportunities for District residents,” McDuffie said. “This is laying a solid foundation for a more dynamic District of Columbia.”

The Bridge District, adjacent to the waterfront Anacostia National Park, sits within walking distance of Nationals Park and The Yards. The development offers water views, open spaces, recreational facilities, bike trails and Metro access, along with neighborhood shops and

velopment aimed at residents, businesses and visitors.

The first phase includes 757 apartment units across three buildings: Stratos and Alula managed by Bozzuto Management Company, and Barsala oversees the furnished corporate housing units at Poplar House.

The project emphasizes sustainability, with Stratos, Poplar House and Alula seeking LEED Platinum Certification. Developers say the complex encompasses the largest multi-family structure worldwide pursuing International Living Future Institute Zero Carbon certification.

New retail establishments will open by year’s end, including Atlas Brew Works — a solar-powered brewery — and a restaurant owned by Ethiopian-born Chef Elias Taddesse.

Additional attractions include DC Fray, featuring outdoor sports and events through FrayLife Rec at Bridge District. Members and residents can participate in seasonal sports leagues starting this year. The space includes ping pong, cornhole

Though Mayor Muriel Bowser did not attend the ceremony, she issued a statement supporting the project.

“We are thrilled to open the Bridge District and deliver housing,

the potential this project holds — to be not only a world-class, sustainable residential neighborhood, but to serve as a mixed-use waterfront destination.”

WI @JamesWrightJr10

5Nina Albert, deputy mayor for Planning and Economic Development; D.C. Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie; and Redbrick LMD’s William Passmore, Louis Dubin, Tom Skinner; Sohael Chowfla, Trisha Miller and Paul P. Elias officially open Ward 8’s newest neighborhood, The Bridge District with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. (Courtesy Photo/Damian Rintelmann)

NATIONAL

Trump Administration Weighs Suspension of Habeas Corpus: A Threat to Black Freedom and Constitutional Protections

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

In a chilling echo of America’s darkest periods, senior White House adviser Stephen Miller said the Trump administration is “actively looking at” suspending the writ of habeas corpus — the constitutional guarantee that protects individuals from unlawful detention.

Though framed as a measure targeting undocumented immigrants, the suspension of this right would have sweeping implications, particularly for Black Americans.

Miller’s comments, delivered to White House reporters, referenced the constitutional allowance for suspension “in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion.” He suggested that undocu-

mented immigration qualifies as such an invasion, a justification that many legal scholars argue is not only flimsy but dangerously broad.

“So, I would say that’s an option we’re actively looking at,” Miller asserted.

But Black Americans know all too well what the suspension of habeas corpus has meant in the past — and what it could mean now.

From the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850, to the mass incarceration era, legal mechanisms that stripped individuals of the ability to challenge their detention have disproportionately targeted African Americans.

As documented in the Chicago-Kent Law Review, the Fugitive Slave Law empowered federal commissioners to detain alleged fugitives

without jury trials, barred testimony from the accused, and denied habeas petitions. It turned free states into hunting grounds for slave catchers and erased legal safeguards for both escaped slaves and free Black people.

“We’ve been here before,” said civil rights historian Dr. Jessica Parr, writing for the African American Intellectual History Society. “Black mobility and personhood have long been policed through laws that criminalized movement and stripped individuals

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS –FACILITATOR SERVICES, DCHFA-0048

The District of Columbia Housing Finance Agency is seeking the services of a contractor to provide facilitator services.

The detailed RFP can be found at www.DCHFA.org/business-opportunities. The deadline for submission of proposals is June 9, 2025, at 2:00 p.m.

The District of Columbia Housing Finance Agency (DCHFA or Agency) is seeking the services of a contractor to provide Landscaping Maintenance and services to include periodic Landscaping Maintenance Services (mowing, mulching, leaf removal,) and additional Landscaping Services to the Agency located at 815 Florida Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001. A mandatory site visit will be held on May 21, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. at 815 Florida Avenue, N.W.

Preferences are given to the District’s Certified Business Enterprise companies. The detailed IFB can be found at www.DCHFA.org/business-opportunities or send email to procurement@dchfa.org.

Deadline for submission of proposals is May 30, 2025, at 2:00 p.m.

timidation to subvert Black freedom.

Today, with the same legal mechanism under review — not to protect Black lives, but to expand the government’s power to detain — civil liberties groups and legal scholars warn that the consequences could be dire.

“It was never just about the undocumented,” said a legal advocate who reviewed Miller’s remarks. “When you remove due process protections, you create a legal vacuum — and historically, Black people get swallowed by that vacuum.”

A POLITICAL MANEUVER TARGETING VULNERABLE POPULATIONS

In an era where Black protestors, immigrants, and political dissenters are routinely surveilled and criminalized, suspending habeas corpus could mean unchecked state power to detain without trial.

of due process. Habeas corpus was often the last line of defense.”

In the late 18th century, writs of habeas corpus were used by Black parents to rescue their children from enslavement, as seen in the 1786 case of Cato and his daughter Betsey in Pennsylvania. The state Supreme Court issued writs to challenge their unlawful detainment — a precedent-setting moment in the fight for Black freedom.

Suspending this right today, even if initiated under the pretense of immigration control, risks opening the door to broad and unchecked detentions.

Amanda Tyler, a legal historian writing in the Harvard Law Review, warned that “the consistent political and legal understanding of the Suspension Clause was that it prohibited the government from detaining persons… outside the criminal process… even in wartime, except under the auspices of a valid suspension.”

The founding generation viewed such a suspension as a power of last resort, strictly limited to true national emergencies.

History also shows that once habeas corpus is suspended, Black communities often suffer first and worst.

During Reconstruction, President Ulysses S. Grant had to suspend habeas corpus to crush the Ku Klux Klan’s terrorist campaign against newly freed Black citizens. Congress passed the Ku Klux Klan Act in 1871, giving Grant authority to suspend the writ, but only after extensive investigations revealed how the Klan used violence and in-

President Abraham Lincoln’s controversial suspension of habeas corpus during the Civil War — under the grounds of rebellion — still drew intense backlash.

The Gilder Lehrman Institute notes that Lincoln himself faced accusations of violating the Constitution, even while arguing that desperate times require desperate measures.

Yet even then, protections eventually returned.

What’s being proposed now is not a response to national rebellion — it is a political maneuver targeting vulnerable populations and potentially all dissenting voices.

“The Constitution is just a scrap of paper to me,” one Roosevelt-era official infamously said when defending the internment of Japanese Americans. That mentality — ignoring constitutional restraints to satisfy political expediency — now seems alive and well in the Trump administration.

As the nation watches whether the White House will move forward with suspending one of the Constitution’s most sacred protections, many Black Americans are watching not with surprise — but with historical clarity. Many have asked what protection, then, would remain if habeas corpus is swept away? For a growing number, the answer is clear: none.

“The right to challenge detention saved lives during slavery,” Tyler wrote in the Harvard Law Review. “When you suspend habeas corpus, you don’t just risk injustice. You invite it.” WI

5 People marching to end mass incarceration in April 2024. From the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850, to the height of the mass incarceration era, legal mechanisms such as habeas corpus, which White House adviser Stephen Miller says could be suspended, have disproportionately targeted African Americans. (WI File Photo/Robert R. Roberts)

Trump Removes Trailblazing Librarian of Congress Dr. Carla Hayden

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

President Donald Trump has fired Dr. Carla Hayden, the first woman and the first African American to serve as Librarian of Congress, igniting swift condemnation from lawmakers, scholars, and advocates across the country.

The firing, which occurred via a brief email sent from the White House, marks another controversial removal of a public servant under Trump’s second term.

“Carla, on behalf of President Donald J. Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position as the Librarian of Congress is terminated effective immediately. Thank you for your service,” read the terse message sent by Deputy Director of Presidential Personnel Trent Morse.

Dr. Hayden, a widely respected librarian and former CEO of the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, was nominated by President

Barack Obama and confirmed by the Senate in 2016 with a bipartisan 74–18 vote. Her 10-year term was scheduled to expire next year.

Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries called the dismissal “a disgrace.”

“Donald Trump’s unjust decision to fire Dr. Hayden in an email sent by a random political hack is the latest in his ongoing effort to ban books, whitewash American history and turn back the clock.”

Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland said Trump’s “outrageous, politically motivated move to fire her is despicable,” noting that Dr. Hayden had served “with honor and distinction, bringing our prized institution to new heights.”

The Library of Congress confirmed it had been notified of Dr. Hayden’s termination by the White House.

The Associated Press reported that the American Accountability Foundation, a conservative group closely aligned with Trump’s po-

litical allies, had recently criticized Hayden and other library officials for promoting what it called “radical” themes in children’s books.

The termination of Hayden adds to growing concern over Trump’s efforts to politicize historically nonpartisan institutions.

Lauren Burke, a journalist with Black Press USA and Black Virginia News, reported that fears are mounting that the Trump administration may also target Smithsonian Institution Secretary Lonnie Bunch, another high-profile Black leader in federal service.

Senator Martin Heinrich of New Mexico said Hayden “brought the Library of Congress to the people, with initiatives that reached into rural communities and made the Library accessible to all Americans.”

“While President Trump wants to ban books and tell Americans what to read – or not to read at all,” Heinrich continued, “Dr. Hayden has devoted her career to making

reading and the pursuit of knowledge available to everyone. Be like Dr. Hayden.”

House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro said the move “undermines the foundational principles of our democracy and erodes public trust in our institutions.”

She described Hayden as “a fighter of freedom and a guardian of our nation’s truth and intellectual legacy,” and called the dismissal a “direct attack on the independence of one of our most revered institutions.”

Senator Alex Padilla of California called the decision “deeply troubling” and “just the latest example of Trump’s assault on the legislative branch of government.”

“The Library of Congress is the People’s Library,” DeLauro added. “There will be accountability for this unprecedented assault on the American way of life sooner rather than later.”

5 Lawmakers, scholars and advocates are condemning President Donald Trump after firing Dr. Carla Hayden, the first woman and the first African American to serve as Librarian of Congress. (WI File Photo)

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Gang Rule, Political Instability Threaten Haiti’s National Survival

hands of organized criminal group activity

By Mya Trujillo WI Contributing Writer

Amid increased violence and human rights abuses comes a troubling revelation: an estimated 85% of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, is controlled by gangs.

From killing 1,086 people between February and March to causing a ban on U.S. flights to the capital until September 2025, rising gang activity has proven to be detrimental to the nation’s future, and humanitarian leaders are voicing concerns for what’s next.

“We’ve lost the war against gangs,” Ralph Chevry, a board member of the Haitian Police Force, told The Informer. “If something isn’t done quickly, Port-au-Prince might fall [and] if they fall, Haiti falls.”

International actors like the Kenyan-led Multinational Security Support Mission (MSSM) have been in Haiti working toward de-escalating the situation and restoring an efficient democracy, but its personnel of 1,000 are quickly being overpowered by the country’s estimated 300 active criminal groups.

Haitian-American and retired U.S. Army Colonel Dr. Joseph Baptiste believes the armed forces in Haiti must be better trained and equipped to confront the rising violence.

“The police force is not trained to provide security. They are trained to… help the population,” Baptiste told The Informer. “I believe the gangs are able to do whatever they’re doing because they have nobody in front of them.”

To expand their territorial control in Port-au-Prince, the gangs attacked the city’s residential communes of Carrefour and Kenscoff from Jan. 27 to March 27, resulting in 115 civilian deaths, the sexual assault of at least seven women and young girls, and the displacement of more than 3,000 residents.

Further, on March 31, criminal groups charged a prison in Mirebalais, freeing 500 inmates.

“The scale and duration of this violence overwhelmed the Haitian National Police despite support from

and further harboring distrust from citizens.

“We need to realize that what was designed has failed, but it can be changed. It can be modified,” Chevry said. “There should be more of a proactive effort to get Haiti back on the track to democracy.”

A CALL FOR INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT

Haiti is in dire need of international assistance to effectively restore its political, economic and social stability.

According to the UN’s 2025 Humanitarian and Needs Response Plan, $908.2 million is needed to provide protection and aid to the country’s vulnerable populations, but only $58.7 million has been funded since February.

the Armed Forces of Haiti and the MSSM, further obstructing stabilization,” said the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Haiti, María Isabel Salvador, during the most recent UN Security Council briefing on the nation’s situation.

While these groups have been present in the Caribbean country since the 1950s, the increased frequency of their brutality was catalyzed by the political instability following the assassination of former President Jovenel Moïse in 2021.

Ariel Henry was appointed Haiti’s interim Prime Minister after Moïse’s death. He was replaced with the Transitional Presidential Council (TPC) in April 2024, tasked with facilitating successful presidential elections by early 2026. The council, currently led by Fritz Jean, consists of seven voting and two non-voting members, with its president rotating every five months.

The TPC seemed like a step toward stabilizing the country’s political climate—until three members were accused of bribing the director of Haiti’s National Bank of Credit in a corruption case in October 2024. The accused—Smith Augustin, Emmanuel Vertilaire and Louis Gérald Giles—are still voting members of the council, making Haiti even more vulnerable

As the world’s first Black republic, Haiti has been a significant symbol of liberation since it gained independence as the second independent nation in the Western Hemisphere in 1804.

The country went on to help other countries gain independence, especially through its support of Simón Bolívar, who led Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Peru and Venezuela to liberation from the Spanish Empire.

Even before the Haitian Revolution, the nation helped the U.S. in breaking away from British rule during the American Revolutionary War. The French wealth obtained from Haitian plantations aided the colonists’ efforts, and, in the 1779 Siege of Savannah 500 Haitian soldiers supported American and French forces in battle against the British.

Because of these circumstances, Eric Walcott, the director of strategic partnership and corporate development for the Institute of Caribbean Studies, believes the international community is indebted to Haiti and must prioritize assisting the effort against the gang violence plaguing the country.

WI Read more on washingtoninformer.com

5 Members of the Multinational Security Support Mission train to improve their medical skills, should they need to stabilize casualties during combat. The gang violence resulted in at least 5,600 deaths in 2024. (Courtesy photo/ MSSSM Haiti via “X”)

HEALTH

mates that 5.1 million more Americans would go uninsured due to the GOP’s refusal to extend ACA tax credits and its pursuit of the so-called Marketplace Integrity Rule.

In total, CBO projects 13.7 million more Americans could become uninsured under Trump and Republican leadership.

“This is not trimming the fat from around the edges; it’s cutting to the bone,” Pallone said. “Nowhere in the bill are they cutting ‘waste, fraud, and abuse’—they’re cutting people’s health care and using that money to give tax breaks to billionaires.”

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

House Republicans have released a long-awaited health care proposal that Democrats warn will strip millions of Americans of coverage, while funneling massive tax breaks to billionaires and corporate interests.

Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.), the top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said the bill confirms months of warnings that the GOP and President Donald Trump are targeting Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act despite claiming otherwise.

“Republicans finally released the bill they’ve been drafting behind closed doors for months to make catastrophic cuts to Americans’ health care, all so they can give tax breaks to billionaires and corporate interests,” Pallone em-

phasized. “Let’s be clear, Republican leadership released this bill under cover of night because they don’t want people to know their true intentions.”

The bill, a section of a larger budget reconciliation package Republicans aims to push through by Memorial Day, includes sweeping Medicaid changes. These include work requirements for some recipients, a freeze on state provider taxes, and eliminating a 5% federal funding boost many states have relied on since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Additionally, the legislation blocks federal funding for Medicaid recipients who cannot prove citizenship.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects that the legislation’s health care provisions would result in at least $715 billion in cuts, causing 8.6 million more people to lose insurance. The CBO also esti-

MEDICAID SLASHES COULD HURT

DISTRICT RESIDENTS, ‘REVERSE YEARS OF PROGRESS’

In the District of Columbia, where total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment was 260,218 as of June 2024, the stakes are high.

According to KFF, the federal government currently pays 78.2% of D.C.’s Medicaid costs. Since the end of the pandemic-era continuous enrollment provision in March 2023, more

than 67,000 residents have already been disenrolled.

Medicaid and CHIP enrollment remains 7.7% higher than before the pandemic. Nearly half of all births in the District in 2022 were financed through Medicaid.

D.C. has taken steps to protect its residents, including adopting the Medicaid 12-month postpartum coverage extension and enacting paid family and sick leave laws. Yet 17,500 people in the District were uninsured in 2023—just 2.7% of the population,

90-Year-Old D.C. Native Stays Active by Swimming Four Days a Week

By Demarco Rush WI Contributing Writer

Emory Givens, a 90-year-old D.C. native, has been active his entire life, and he’s not letting his age stop that any time soon.

Givens grew up in a time where

well below the national rate of 8.0%.

“This bill would reverse years of progress,” said Andrea Ducas, vice president of Health Policy at the Center for American Progress. “Rather than working to improve the Medicaid program, congressional Republicans are continuing a 15-year-old fight to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Each of their proposals would kick millions of the most vulnerable Americans off their health care, all to pay for tax giveaways for the president’s billionaire donors.” WI

physical activity was necessary to get around the nation’s capital.

“During segregation [my walk] was about five miles just to go to school at Shaw Junior High,” he told The Informer.

Despite having to navigate racism, a young Givens found a way to have fun and stay active even beyond his required walks to and from school.

“I’ve been swimming all of my life,” said Givens, who will be 91 in July. “I went to Banneker Pool when I was a kid. That was the first Black pool.”

For Givens swimming was a way of merriment, networking and gaining experiences.

“It was a way to meet other people and I was part of a swim team so we would travel to compete with others,” he said, “but sometimes we would just swim against each other to have fun.”

3Emory Givens, 90-year-old D.C. native. (Demarco Rush/The Washington Informer)

Today, Givens, who enlisted in the Army at 17 and retired in 1998 from the National Archives as a genealogist, continues to swim as a form of rehabilitation after a knee replacement in 2004.

“They were sending me to a pool up in Bowie, and I found out with the therapy— even though I went for two or three years— all I needed to do was to swim,” Givens said. “I kept thinking, why pay them $18,000 for six months when I can go here for about $250 for the year?”

Now living in Cameron Grove, a retirement community in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, Givens drives to Theresa Banks Memorial Aquatics Center in Glenarden to execute his own physical therapy.

“My doctor has given me a slip that says I need at least 35-40 minutes, four days a week, swimming,” he explained. “I have to use the frog kick, because I can’t bend my knee to go up and down like when you do the crawl.”

THE OVERALL BENEFITS OF SWIMMING

Since he’s started swimming regu-

5Democrats warn a new bill proposed by House Republicans will strip millions of Americans of health care coverage. (WI File Photo/Robert R. Roberts)

District Helps Lead Fight Against Trump’s HHS Overhaul

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

District of Columbia and New York

Attorneys General Brian Schwalb and Letitia James are among a coalition of at least 20 attorneys general filing a federal lawsuit to stop the Trump administration’s sweeping dismantling of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

The suit charges that the administration, under HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., has illegally gutted the federal health agency—firing tens of thousands of workers, shutting down critical programs, and threatening the health and safety of millions.

The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island, seeks to halt the socalled “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) directive, which the attorneys general argue violates the Administrative Procedure Act, the Appropriations Clause, and the constitutional separation of powers.

“This administration is not streamlining the federal government; they are sabotaging it and all of us,” said Attorney General James. “When you fire the scientists who research infectious diseases, silence the doctors who care for pregnant patients, and shut down the programs that help firefighters and miners breathe, or children thrive, you are not making America healthy – you are putting countless lives at risk.”

On March 27, Kennedy announced the MAHA directive under the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative. In a single move, 28 HHS divisions collapsed into 15, more than 10,000 workers were terminated overnight, and half of HHS’s

SWIMMER from Page 20

larly, the aquatic activity has not only helped Givens’ knee, but contributed to his overall wellness.

“It keeps my weight down, because I used to weigh 250 [pounds] and I’ve got down to 185,” Givens told The Informer.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that swimming is helpful for seniors and can be incredibly beneficial for all.

“Water-based exercise can benefit

workforce at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) was dismissed, its regional offices closed, and the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline team drastically reduced. HIV/AIDS programs were cut, and tobacco enforcement has all but ended with the elimination of federal oversight.

Entire maternal health teams at the CDC were fired, ending efforts to track and combat maternal mortality. The only federal lab that certifies N95 masks has shut down. Infectious disease surveillance has been severely weakened after key labs monitoring

illnesses like measles were closed. The World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program, which serves more than 137,000 9/11 survivors and first responders, faces the loss of key personnel needed to certify cancer diagnoses.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta said the administration’s actions are beyond the scope of presidential power.

“The Trump administration does not have the power to incapacitate a department that Congress created, nor can it decline to spend funds that were appropriated by Congress for that department,” Bonta stated. “That’s why

my fellow attorneys general and I are taking the Trump administration to court—HHS is under attack, and we won’t stand for it.”

Kennedy reportedly admitted he rejected a more deliberate review process for the terminations, saying it could slow “political momentum.”

“The disastrous cuts to the WTC Health Program are placing in peril the lives of every first responder and survivor that relies on this health care program to stay alive,” stated Gary Smiley, a 9/11 first responder and union official.

10 regional offices were shut down. By April 1, thousands of federal health employees had been locked out of their computers, emails, and office buildings—many learning of their ter mination only after their badges failed to work.

Programs for low-income families and children, including Head Start, have stalled as regional offices closed and grant funding was frozen. Staff responsible for determining food and housing assistance eligibility, Medic aid, and TANF were fired. The team that runs the Low-Income Home En ergy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) was also eliminated, leaving millions at risk amid rising energy costs.

The firings crippled mental health and substance use programs. Half the

older adults by improving their quality of life and decreasing disability,” according to the CDC.

Amid National Physical Fitness Month and Older Americans Month, both celebrated in May, Givens emphasized the benefits of swimming “regardless of your age.”

“I think swimming is a great exercise for anyone,” he said, “because, if nothing else, it keeps the muscles and the blood circulating, and it’s easier on the bones.”

5A coalition of attorneys general, including D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb, is filing a federal lawsuit to stop the Trump administration’s sweeping dismantling of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (WI File Photo/Robert R. Roberts)

EDUCATION

UDC Graduates Persevere to Receive Degrees

By James Wright WI Staff Writer

The pursuit of a bachelor’s degree on the collegiate level is not, nor is it supposed to be an easy endeavor, but three University of the District of Columbia graduates had to overcome trying adversities to walk across the stage on May 10 at the Walter E. Washington Con-

vention Center in Northwest.

“I had to take care of school to take care of a relative of mine, Viola Carroll-Burrow who was seriously ill and in hospice,” Brian Simpkins, 29, told The Informer. “My grade point average had dropped to a little above 1.0 and I had to deal with that when I came back to school. I did, posting a 3.5 grade point average every semester

since I came back, and I participated in the men’s lacrosse team.”

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Simpkins’ tale of dropping out to take care of Carroll-Burrow, and then proceeding to recover academically to get his degree in digital media, was among the many stories of the 770 graduates of the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) in the community college, undergraduate, graduate and the David A. Clarke School of Law.

Two classmates in his degree field, Asha Moore-Smith and Jordan Davis, faced challenges. Moore-Smith changed her focus from music due to a condition that adversely affected her voice, and Davis had to navigate the difficulties of living in the expensive District while fighting for financial aid to finish school.

“I will be singing with the chorale group today,” said MooreSmith. “I had to go through a lot in order to get this digital media degree and I made it through with the support of my family. My mother is a teacher and my dad is Damu Smith, an environmental advocate.”

Davis also talked about overcoming trials to get to graduation day.

“It was tough going through all the things I went through to get this degree, but I did it,” said Davis, 26. “I just kept going until I got it done.”

THE NEW FIREBIRDS GET THEIR WINGS

UDC President Maurice Eding-

ton presided over the ceremony that had an audience of hundreds of friends and family of the graduates.

“Buildings don’t make a university great, people do,” said Edington. “We celebrate not only your graduation but your transformation.”

The university conferred three honorary degrees on noted individuals.

C. Brian Williams, the commencement speaker and the founder of District-based dance company Step Afrika, received a Doctor of Arts degree.

Wil Haygood, a former Washington Post staff writer who has written seven nonfiction books including the widely acclaimed “Showdown: Thurgood Marshall and the Supreme Court Nomination That Changed America” got the Doctor of Humane Letters degree.

Gina Ferguson Adams, the executive vice president, general counsel and secretary for FedEx Corporation, received the Doctor of Laws degree.

Adams announced the establishment of a $100,000 scholarship at the university in the name of a niece who is an alumnus of the institution and died in 2024.

“The purpose of this scholarship is to support deserving students,” she said.

Williams, a graduate of Howard University who founded Step

5C. Brian Williams, founder of Step Afrika, delivers the keynote address at the 2025 commencement for the University of the District of Columbia on May 10. (Robert R. Roberts/The Washington Informer)

EDUCATION from Page 22

Afrika in 1994, expressed pride in being a member of the latest class of Firebirds.

“This is a room filled with absolutely incredible people,” said Williams.

He credited the District for his success in building Step Afrika.

“D.C. has been good for me,” Williams said.“I took a tiny nonprofit in 1994 and made it one of the largest African American owned dance companies in the world.”

CELEBRATING THE GRADUATES, OFFERING A CALL-TO-ACTION

Williams praised his fellow graduates for their perseverance while seeking to pursue their degrees.

“You have worked hard to overcome obstacles,” he said. “You have had to balance your jobs, your studies, your family and meet deadlines for school.”

Williams encouraged the graduates to try to be the best at whatever they seek to do throughout their lives.

“I want you to pursue excel-

lence,” he said. “Not money, not connections, not power, just excellence. Excellence is what speaks for you. Excellence can be your best defense. It is a continuous journey of growth.”

He said they will have to prove their degree worth “everyday” and urged them to pursue excellence in areas of their lives outside of work.

“I encourage you to travel, and mentor, and change lives and lead,” Williams said with a bit of emotion, gripping the podium. He beseeched the graduates to get involved in their community.

“It needs you,” he said. “It needs your voice. It needs your perspective. Firebirds, it needs your fire.”

The speaking portion of the program was wrapped up by Michelle Mitchell, the student speaker. Mitchell talked about the obstacles she faced getting through UDC and still managing to lead the women’s lacrosse team and join Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

She told her fellow graduates to keep working toward success in their lives.

“By graduating today, we have broken through that first door,” she said. “Don’t let this be your finish line, let it be your foundation.” WI

@JamesWrightJr10

EDUCATION

The Business of Motherhood – A Balancing Act

By DC Black MBA

Motherhood brings a unique perspective to leadership—one rooted in nurturing, resilience, and community. For Dr. Carletta S. Hurt and Nicole Murphy, these qualities a part of their family lives as well as the foundation of their business success and community leadership. Dr. Carletta S. Hurt wears many hats: President of the DC Chapter of the National Black MBA Association, film and video producer, educator, and proud mom. Her work in community impact extends beyond her titles; it is her passion. Leading initiatives like the Coaching Connections, a program birthed during her doctoral journey to support girls in the areas of leadership and entrepreneurship, Dr. Hurt is committed to shaping the next generation of Black business leaders.

“Motherhood pushed my multitasking skills while helping me realize that time – focused and intentional – is what really matters. However, leadership taught me how to prioritize impact,” said Dr. Hurt. “While getting things done is important; it’s about making sure what you do matters.” Through strategic partnerships and community outreach with the DC Black MBA Association, she has spearheaded programs that provide mentorship, economic empowerment, and career advancement opportunities. A partnership with Barter Black created avenues for members looking to expand their services and reach.

Nicole Murphy is the founder of Barter Black, a groundbreaking platform designed to create opportunities for Black entrepreneurs by connecting them to barter services and grow their businesses without traditional cash transactions. Her journey from motherhood to business ownership is a testament to resilience and innovation. “As a mother and business owner, I’m constantly reminded that community isn’t just where you live—it’s what you build,” Murphy shared. “Barter Black was created to remove barriers for Black entrepreneurs, and as a mother, I wanted my children to see that you can build something impactful, even if you start with nothing.” Murphy’s work with Barter Black has transformed how Black business owners navigate growth and sustainability, and her partnership with the DC Chapter of the National Black MBA Association aligned with her goals of expanding local business networks.

For both Dr. Hurt and Murphy, balancing motherhood with business and community commitments requires discipline, sacrifice, and a strong support network. “I’ve learned that self-care is just as important as community care,” Dr. Hurt noted. “Rest is more than sleep, it’s taking time to enjoy peace, laugh, and love.” Murphy agreed, adding, “Time management and clear priorities are my best friends. My children know that I’m building for them, and that’s what keeps me going.” Their ability to prioritize and manage their responsibilities while driving an impactful change in the community speaks to the power of intentional leadership.

Dr. Hurt and Murphy are living examples of what it means to lead with intention and build with purpose. “We are mothers, innovators, and change-makers,” Dr. Hurt concluded. “Our work with our businesses is just beginning of our commitment and passion for our communities.” Their stories are a testament to the power of motherhood, leadership, and community.

5After overcoming adversities, Jordan Davis, Asha Moore-Smith, and Brian Simpkins are now 2025 graduates of the University of the District of Columbia. (Robert R. Roberts/The Washington Informer)

5Nicole with her children

5Carletta with her son

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U.S. Prioritizes Arrival of White South Africans, While Blocking Others

On the afternoon of May 12, the first group of white South Africans–known as Afrikaners— arrived at Dulles Airport and were welcomed by several U.S. officials.

Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau told reporters that the 59 individuals aboard the chartered plane, who underwent expedited reviews that took less than three months—not years, as in the case of others— had faced “egregious discrimination.”

Meanwhile, refugee admission considerations have been shut down from other countries, including Afghanistan and Sudan.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, however, stated that the departures were due to opposition to policies aimed at addressing racial inequality that has persisted since the end of apartheid, or white minority rule, more than 30 years ago.

“We think the American government has got the wrong end of the stick, but we’ll continue talking to them,” he stated.

Apartheid in South Africa, enforced by the white Afrikaner minority from 1948 to the early 1990s, was a brutal system of racial segregation and oppression that dehumanized the Black majority.

Under apartheid, Black South Africans were forcibly removed from their homes, denied fundamental human rights, and subjected to extreme poverty, poor education, and systemic violence.

Entire communities were displaced to remote, underdeveloped areas known as “homelands.” At the same time, some Black, Colored, and Indian South Africans were forced to live in urban communities known as “townships,” while white citizens enjoyed wealth, security, and privilege.

Furthermore, peaceful resistance faced harsh crackdowns, including police brutality, imprisonment without trial, and massacres such as the one in Sharpeville in 1960. The apartheid regime institutionalized racism, creating a legacy of trauma, inequality, and division that still resonates in South African society today.

President Donald Trump’s stance on welcoming Afrikaners, while blocking people from other countries, is rooted in racism and influenced by a white South African: Elon Musk, director of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Imagine if Trump had been

president during the white minority rule in South Africa. Would he have broadly welcomed Black South Africans as refugees? Or would he have even publicly or privately questioned the unfairness and racism of apartheid?

Stepping back into real life, did Trump or anyone in Musk’s family ever call for the release of former prisoner-turned-president Nelson Mandela?

Americans must confront Trump’s racism in all its forms—overt, systemic, and rhetorical—to uphold the values of equality and justice. History has proven that racism can have a domino effect, with one decision leading to rampant discriminatory practices and systems.

Racism in the Oval Office needs to be confronted aggressively. Today it’s offering privileges to Afrikaaners, tomorrow it could be denying the rights of others right here in the United States– a move the president has shown he’s not above, particularly when it comes to reproductive and LGBTQIA rights.

America is a true melting pot, a country founded by immigrants and built on the backs of enslaved Africans, and we should truly remember. WI

It’s Older Americans Month: A Time to Honor and Celebrate Our Seniors and the Contributions they Make to Our World

May is Older Americans Month: 31 days dedicated to celebrating seniors and the many ways they contribute to our nation and the world.

While some may consider “old folks” to be a hindrance, in the way, and still taking up good jobs, those who see the bigger picture realize how important they are in our lives.

In the early 70s, Bill Withers touched our hearts with a song entitled, “Grandma’s Hands.”

He reminded us that grandma’s hands served a myriad of purposes: clapping or playing a tambourine on Sunday morning; soothing an unwed mother; handing a child a piece of candy or picking them up when they fell.

Withers could have extended his three-minute tribute to an opera if

he had wanted because of the ingenuity and wisdom seniors possess and the many ways they enhance our lives by their mere presence.

From volunteer work all the way to Capitol Hill, many older Americans aren’t slowing down.

As volunteers, seniors read or tutor children, serve food at homeless shelters, and rock and cuddle babies – whether those infants are related to them or not.

Youth can benefit from securing a relationship with older adults who have life experience and who are a gold mine of institutional memories. History comes alive when we’re willing to sit at the feet of someone who has lived that history.

As fearless fighters on Capitol Hill, people such as Congresswom-

an Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), 86, and Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), 87, show that age ain’t nothing but a number when holding fellow political leaders and presidents alike to task.

Then, there are the skills honed by older Americans that may not be as widely taught today but which are still valuable. Most young people don’t know how to start a fire, can fruits and jellies, produce wood carvings or create something useful with leather. Sure, one can learn with a YouTube video. But isn’t it more fun to learn while conversing face-to-face with an older adult?

Finally, older Americans – those who have weathered the storms of life – have an abundance of knowledge and wisdom to share.

TO THE EDITOR

I really enjoyed the health, wellness, and nutrition supplement. It was an engaging, fun read. And I learned a lot, might I add. The health supplements are probably my favorite things that you guys produce. Thank you for your work!

Evelyn Williams Washington, D.C.

Sometimes, we assume that our grandparents are being bossy or that they want to give us unwanted advice – raining on our parade.

But when wisdom is shared with love, it can help younger folks avoid making the same mistakes that the elderly either committed or witnessed.

It’s Older Americans month. Let’s listen to the older adults in our lives, celebrate their contributions and wisdom and make them feel appreciated this month and beyond.

How exciting that the NFL draft is coming to Washington in 2027. For some, it may not be a big deal, but as a lifelong fan of our football team, this is a big deal! I’m looking forward to more of what the football Gods have in store for us.

Tony Lamb Washington, D.C.

Youth can benefit from securing a relationship with older adults who have life experience and who are a gold mine of institutional memories.

OPINIONS/EDITORIALS

Guest Columnist

Alexis Herman: Grace, Grit and Glue

Julianne Malveaux

May we take a moment to mourn the transition of the Honorable Alexis Margaret Herman (1946-2025), the first African American woman who served our nation as secretary of labor? Nominated by President Bill Clinton, her confirmation was no easy feat. During her hearings, members of our sorority, Delta Sigma Theta

Incorporated, crowded the Senate chambers in our unmistakable red and white. We made a point: Black women are here, and we have her back. Ultimately, the Senate succumbed to our presence, with 85 of them voting in her favor.

Alexis was a southern belle, a velvet hammer. She was full of grace, with graceful ways, but anyone who encountered her should know that grace was not to be confused with weakness. She was grace and she was grit, because who, without grit, could manage a

strike between UPS and its unionized workers. Package delivery was hobbled for 15 days, only settled when Secretary Herman moved into the same hotel that Teamsters leaders and UPS management stayed. She shuttled between conference rooms, not trying to be graceful, but simply direct. Yet she was graceful, because she carried herself that way, and a 1997 commerce-crippling strike was settled. Alexis was grace, always grace, often administered with a bit of a southern twang. “It’s not fay-ar,”

The Endless Work of Mothering

doubt to faith in Creator’s feminine spirit within.

Let some of us — you and I — begin this minute on that journey.

Mothers. Grandmothers. Women. We have so much work to do. So many mothers and infant lives to save. So many child dreams to realize and hopes to nourish and protect. Our countries and a common world to change, and such long distances to travel — from waging war to waging peace; from sickness and death to health; from

To speak for those unable to speak for themselves. To stand with those who cannot stand alone. To gather family and friends to stand with us. Let us begin today singing a new song for all our mothers and sisters and brothers and fathers and children around our world who are our own.

For mothers and for all those with a mothering spirit, there is so

Guest

The Vatican knew exactly what it was doing when Chicago-born Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was elected to replace the late Pope Francis. It gave the world a social justice warrior who would not be silent and would agitate the MAGA world.

The first American-born pontiff also knew what he was doing

when he took the name Leo XIV. Needless to say, the hypocrites within the MAGA crowd are enraged. Pope Leo XIV has already been labeled the “woke pope.”

Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon warned about Prevost’s views, claiming he would be a poor choice for the MAGA movement.

Prevost is an American, and in many ways, he is typical of many everyday Americans despite his newly elected position as pope. Like many Americans, he is a

she sometimes drawled when losing a card game. “It ain’t riiight,” she sometimes said, when losing. Win or lose, she was always gracious, always ready with the pat on the shoulder, the generous hug. She was, indeed, the perfect daughter of her mentor, Dorothy Irene Height, the longest-serving president of the National Council of Negro Women.

Alexis took her Height legacy seriously. After leaving government service, she created consulting firms that dealt with diversity

and minority hiring issues. She served on Fortune 500 boards, including Coca-Cola and Exelon. She mentored hundreds of young people and helped place them in impactful positions. And she was the glue that brought people together.

If you attended a gathering in her sprawling home in Northern Virginia, you’d not only connect with friends and colleagues, you’d eat well, connect fulfillingly, cel-

much work to do. The celebration of motherhood is often marked by encouraging mothers to “rest,” maybe beginning with that lovingly homemade card and breakfast in bed. But many mothers know well that even at those rare times when our hands are still, our creative minds and hearts are never fully at rest, whether filled at any moment with worries, dreams, plans or prayers.

I share these special prayers for all mothers and all those who are tirelessly sowing seeds of life and

hope for the future.

** A new baby is born

A new gift of life

A new gift of love

A new gift of joy

A new gift of hope

Make us good stewards of Your faith in the future.

Dear God, I thank You for the gift of this child to raise, this life to share, this mind to help mold, this body to

nurture, and this spirit to enrich.

Let me never betray this child’s trust, dampen this child’s hope, or discourage this child’s dreams. Help me dear God to help this precious child become all You mean him to be.

Let Your grace and love fall on him like gentle breezes and give him inner strength and peace and patience for the journey ahead.

sports fan and an avid fan of the Chicago White Sox. He is a registered Republican who voted in previous GOP primaries and general elections. According to his voting record, he voted in the 2024 presidential election. He is able to connect with conservative Americans because of his strong Republican background while being staunchly pro-life.

The new pope also connects with progressives on several social issues. He has used his platform within the Catholic Church to

voice his opinion on topics such as gun control, migration, climate change, love for immigrants, and the death of George Floyd. Therefore, it is no surprise that Bannon mocked Pope Leo XIV as the worst pick for MAGA Catholics and deemed him the anti-Trump pope. Being “woke” is not a threat, as some with specific agendas will make it to be. Rather, it is the goal and calling for those who believe in fairness and equality. When selecting Pope Leo XIV, the Vatican stayed true to its moral and histor-

ical roots.

Social justice, as a concept, arose in the early 19th century during the Industrial Revolution and subsequent civil revolutions throughout Europe. The rise of corruption, industrialization, greed and widespread poverty during this period fueled the need for social justice movements. It became necessary as people sought to address the exploitation of workers and the growing gap between the rich and

Page 45

David W. Marshall

Marian Wright Edelman

MALVEAUX Page 45

MARSHALL

Guest Columnist

Columnist

LIFESTYLE

Things To Do, DMV!

By Jada Ingleton WI Content Editor

With the kick off to WorldPride DC 2025 and warm temperatures abrew, the DMV is full of exciting

events to keep your spirit -- and social life -- lit.

From exploring the history behind a multi-generational family with roots in Georgetown, to celebrating Arab American culture, and checking

OVER MY HEAD, I HEAR MUSIC IN THE AIR

A Celebration of the Life and Legacy of Bernice Johnson Reagon

Fri, May 16

out the long-awaited world premiere of the first “living newspaper,” there’s something for everyone to enjoy this weekend.

To find more “things to do” visit Washington Informer Calendar.

THURSDAY, MAY 15

Tangled Roots: Families of Tudor Place

10 a.m. - 4 p.m. | $10.00 for non-members

Tudor Place, 1644 31st St NW, Washington, D.C., 20007

Explore the lives and legacies of the multi-generational Black and white families who shaped this iconic Georgetown estate, which includes six generations of Martha Washington’s descendants, and the enslaved and free people who lived and labored on the grounds.

Times vary based on preference between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

DC Mural Tour

11 a.m. - 1 p.m. | $30.00+ Union Market, 1309 5th St NE, Washington, D.C., 20002

Come explore the ever-changing street art scene in NoMa & Union Market, featuring murals from local and international artists.

The DC Mural Tour is the only one of its kind for the NoMa & Union Market area, and boasts a fivestar rating on AirBnB experiences.

Learn first-hand knowledge about the artists, their murals, and more, while exploring the many outdoor venues Union Market has to offer.

Prices vary on selection, starting at $30.00 for individual ticketing.

FRIDAY, MAY 16

IN Series Presents: Ethiopia

7:30 p.m. | $72.00+

DC Waterfront/Wharf, 340 Maple Dr SW, Washington, D.C., 20024

3Participants of Washington Informer Charities’ African American Heritage Tour learn about some of the Black history at Tudor Place in 2024. Residents can learn more about the lives and legacies of the multi-generational Black and white families who shaped the Georgetown estate with a “Tangled Roots” series on May 15. (WI File Photo/Ja’Mon Jackson)

immersion with live music, singing, dabke dancing and community engagement.

Jazz, classical, and African music blend and soar in the long-awaited world premiere of “Ethiopia,” the first “living newspaper.”

This hot-off-the-press story, written in 1937, tells of Italy’s colonialist attack on Haile Selassie’s Ethiopia to explore how America’s Black and Brown communities responded to Europe’s aggression.

Originally banned by the Roosevelt administration, the show was never performed, making this a history-making musical debut.

Give Em the Boot: Wines from the Foot of Italy

6 p.m. - 8 p.m. | $70.00+ Virtual: Zoom

Spend a fascinating evening expanding your knowledge of wine and travelling the world with sommelier Erik Segelbaum in a series of delectable wine-tasting adventures.

The immersive program includes a curated personal tasting kit to enhance the experience, particularly hitting the southern regions of Italy which produce some of the most exquisite warm-climate wines that channel the essence of the Mediterranean.

With hundreds of native grapes and plentiful international varieties, this event promises something for everyone.

The wine tasting kit as part of its registration price must be picked up from a local Washington, D.C. wine bar. More information available here.

SATURDAY, MAY 17

DC Arab American Culture Festival

4 p.m. | $35.00

The Dew Drop Inn, 2801 8th St NE, Washington, D.C., 20017

The 3rd Annual DC Arab American Culture Festival promises cultural

Alongside the soothing, as well as celebratory Arab music and performances, there will be the bustle of a bazaar right in your backyard, with enticing vendors and delicious food–savory and sweet!

Hosted by D.C. natives Quartertonez Music and Malikat Al Dabke, this festival has become a community tradition, boasting a vibrant, warm and joy-filled celebration of Arab heritage and unity.

Dog Day of May 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. | Prices vary Mount Vernon, 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Hwy, Alexandria, VA 22309

Celebrate the pups of the revolution with live demonstrations, sameday dog adoptions, and the specialty dog walking tour “All the President’s Pups.”

The same-day dog adoptions are courtesy of Lucky Dog Animal Rescue, and the live demonstrations will feature Virginian foxhounds and horses.

Come out with your four-legged friend!

SUNDAY, MAY 18

World Pride DC Celebrations Kickoff Noon - 10 p.m. | Specific times and prices vary on events Washington, D.C.

The Capital Pride Alliance is excited to host WorldPride DC 2025, a particularly momentous milestone as it marks the 50th anniversary of Pride celebrations in Washington, D.C.

Beginning May 17 through June 8, WorldPride DC 2025 will feature a vibrant and innovative slate of events and cultural programs that will highlight the best that the nation’s capital has to offer.

From music to film, and the National Mall to Embassy Row, participants will experience the world through Washington’s multifaceted and multi-cultural community. WI

tions of race, philanthropy and local media as a means of progress in her rural home state.

Now, after four years, one dissertation and several global delegations for reparations and healing, the 27-yearold Ph.D graduate saw this mission culminate as she joined more than 3,000 graduates in Howard University’s 157th commencement ceremony on May 10.

“Leaving this institution doesn’t mean that I leave behind its values; it means that I carry that with me in everything that I do,” Hayden told The Informer. “Howard has been a true blessing in a climate like this, in a social and political environment such as this. [It] was designed for us by us, and it’s important that we continue that legacy.”

Hayden was among hundreds of thousands proudly donning Howard blue gowns, cultural paraphernalia, and customized caps on Saturday, as they embarked on their final walk across ‘the Yard,’ the university’s main campus where the commencement ceremony was held for the first time since 2019.

The momentous occasion was as much of a celebration as it was a call to action, bidding a profound promise of hope and charge to propel the next class of forward-thinkers and culture shapers.

As second-year university President Ben Vinson III pointed out, the graduating class is no stranger to making history. Per the total 3,223 degrees awarded (as of May 5 findings), this year’s graduating class was the largest in the history of Howard University, with graduates ranging from 19 to 72 years old.

Meanwhile, commencement traditions such as motivational orations and the presentation of honorary degrees reaffirmed the institution’s values of excellence and service.

While honorary recipients such as the Honorable Barabara Lee (Doctor of Laws); the Honorable Lilian Seenoi Barr (Doctor of Laws); Emery Neal Brown (Doctor of Science); Natasha Trethewey (Doctor of Letters); and commencement speaker LeVar Burton (Doctorate of Humane Letters) joined the alumni ranks, Vinson touted hopes for all graduates to leave the Northwest, D.C. campus moved in a deeper understanding of purpose and identity.

“You leave here not only with your degrees, but with discernment, with character, with purpose,” Vinson said. “You are standing at the edge of a new era, and as you walk across the stage this week, remember that your presence is

5 Award-winning actor, literacy advocate and commencement orator LeVar Burton addresses a class of more than 3,000 graduates after receiving an honorary doctorate degree in Humane Letters at Howard University on May 10. (Jacques Benvoli/The Washington Informer) Generation.”

your superpower, your preparation is your armor, and your purpose is your North Star.”

PROPELLING THE NEXT GENERATION THE HOWARD WAY

In a proud full-circle reflection, 64th HU Student Association President Jay Jones addressed the “resilient and remarkable class of 2025,” reminiscent of the pivotal transformations led and endured across campus over the last four years.

Among the celebrated acts of resilience: the reconstruction of the Blackburn University Center, the restoration of the university’s R1 research status, the transition of a new university president, and the barrier-breaking leadership of both Jones and former Vice President Kamala Harris, an alumni of Howard University who went to become a triple trail blazer as the first woman VP.

Jones is the first trans person to hold the highest student office of any historically Black college or university (HBCU), and Harris is the first Black American and first Asian American to occupy the office.

“When you take a step back and look at all that we survived, all that we’ve accomplished, and all who we become,” Jones said to her fellow graduates, “it is clear that this is the time that we were made for.”

Burton triumphed on his own journey in a passionate testimony to the power of manifesting and delivering one’s gift to the world. He gave a nod to the crucial moments that shaped his lived experience, from core memories of “German shepherds and firehoses” to championing literacy on “Reading Rainbow” and spearheading Black culture with profound roles in the “Roots” miniseries and “Star Trek: The Next

MOTHER’S DAY from Page 1 pre-trial detention.

Black Mamas Bailout DMV movement. Some of those women, she said, could speak to the movement’s impact and what Johnson described as the overall absurdity of pre-trial detention.

“When we first started doing this, we were bailing women out for $50 and $100 and women were languishing in jail for those dollar amounts,” Johnson told The Informer. “Because of the work that we’ve been doing on the ground working with Aisha Braveboy and the state’s attorney’s office, placing demands on them and doing our court watching work, we can honestly say that we don’t have those types of problems anymore in Prince George’s County.”

Further, after notably attributing his foundation for reading and racial awareness to his mother, a fitting touch given the ceremony took place a day ahead of Mother’s Day, the 15time Emmy award-winner candidly denounced the current state of Black America and a “country still addicted to racism.”

With African Americans suffering the brunt end of national threats against inclusive history, programs and education standards, Burton opted to remind listeners that it was the resilient hands of enslaved peoples that built the empire of America, and have since passed on a legacy to push the nation towards “its full potential.”

“Only in America could a descendant of slaves – for whom, simply knowing how to read just a few generations ago was a crime punishable by whipping or death – could grow up and become a celebrated champion for literacy and written word,” Burton said. “This is still a land of great promise and opportunity yet untold. I only wish for my country to live up to its original intention.”

Thus, Burton tasked graduates with the responsibility of seeking their own full potential to counterattack the nation’s forgotten founding proposition that “all men are created equal.”

“Remember that you are descended from some of the most resilient souls in the history of humanity…Go out there, deliver the gift that you’ve come to give, and do your utmost best to make this world a better one than the one we are handing to you,” he added, previously noting, “and whatever you do, do not allow fear to paralyze you into non-action.”

BLACK MOTHERS MARCH ON THE WHITE HOUSE

In the U.S., Black mothers, particularly those experiencing poverty, often come into contact with the legal system through child protective services. According to the National Institutes of Health, nearly 53% of Black children are investigated by a child protective service agency as victims of maltreatment before their 18th birthday. Meanwhile, their white counterparts, who experience extreme poverty at one-third the rate of Black children, only receive this designation 28% of the time.

That’s why, on Mother’s Day, Black maternal figures and allies participated in the fourth annual Black Mothers March on the White House to challenge prevailing racial disparities in child and family service agencies’ engagement with Black families.

Every year since 2022, organizers have converged on the District to educate families about their parental rights and intensify resistance to a system that regulates familial relationships.

“African children have been stolen physically, culturally, spiritually [and] economically,” family defender and activist Keshia Dorsey said to protesters on May 11. “We still thrive in these areas once we realize the power is in you, in unity. We will march… and demand that our children be returned to their birth families.” WI

WHITE ABSENT AMID TALK ABOUT PROPER GOVERNANCE

In the weeks and months leading to the May 12 candidate forum at Sycamore & Oak, dozens of civic leaders, politicos, activists, residents — and even Trayon White, Ward 8’s former representative — declared their candidacy for the Ward 8 Council seat. The special election was triggered by White’s expulsion from the D.C. Council in February in the aftermath of his federal bribery indictment.

On the night of the forum, residents heard from Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Salim Adofo, Ward 8 attorney and former United Medical Center (UMC) executive Mike Austin and Sheila Bunn, a civic leader with experience as D.C. Councilmember Vincent C. Gray’s chief of staff.

This trio counted among the last six candidates standing during a ballot petition challenge period that started during the latter part of April. They, along with White, Ward 8 so-

cial worker Khadjiah Clark and Republican candidate Doc Adams, will appear on the June 15 ballot.

Neither Adams, Clark nor White attended the May 12 forum. Adams and Clark didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

White, in an Instagram direct message, said he had better use of his time.

“It was the same 50-60 people that’s at most of the meetings,” White’s message read. “Candidates should spend their time and energy in the community touching the people. My campaign strategy is a little different. I think it was a decent exchange though.”

While candidates didn’t speak directly about White, who faces a 15-year prison for allegedly agreeing and accepting thousands of dollars in cash to steer violence interrupter contracts to a city contractor, Austin demanded better stewardship of violence interruption resources.

“I wish it wasn’t used as a slush fund. I wish we treated it the right way, as we’ve seen it work in other major cities,” Austin said in response to a question by Latarsha Kelly, a Community College Preparatory Academy Public Charter School student and co-moderator, who shared the stage with Foo. “I want to see it used as a tool to make sure that the residents and the people who are most qualified to go in certain communities that have those relationships are able to make sure that we’re curbing violence.”

Austin, a former D.C. Council legislative staffer, went on to extol D.C. Councilmember Brooke Pinto’s efforts to consolidate violence in-

terruption programming under the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement.

“It is a great model,” Austin said. “When it was introduced years ago, it had a lot of promise. We just have not done it effectively.”

EACH CANDIDATE REVEALS VISION FOR HOUSING, AND ECONOMIC AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

For two hours, Adofo, Austin, and Bunn touted their political, professional and legislative experience–and at times, even their part in the development of Sycamore & Oak— while articulating their vision for Ward 8.

Those in the sparse audience scattered throughout the spacious pavilion included: forever D.C. first lady Cora Masters Barry; D.C. Democrats Chair Charles Wilson; State Board of Education (SBOE) Representatives Jacque Patterson and LaJoy Johnson-Law; SBOE Student Representative Minister Calique Barnes; former D.C. Councilmember LaRuby May; and Denise Rolark Barnes, publisher of The Washington Informer.

Throughout the forum, Adofo, Austin and Bunn outlined their policy positions with topics running the gamut. All three candidates said they stood in favor of a budgeting process that involves residents, increased funding for adult education, increasing returning citizen access to city contracts, a stronger police presence

graduate, they can go to college or step into a career. I want to build strong relationships with our unions so that our kids can go into those apprenticeship programs and come out making money and be self-employed and self-resilient at the age of college graduation.”

Austin said his top priority as a council member centers on preventing displacement— through legislation that maintains affordability and the support of institutions that provide employment workforce readiness training.

During the May 12 forum, he touted his council experience, telling voters that he would hold the Department of Small & Local Business Development accountable to Ward 8 businesses in need of financial support.

in crime hotspots, and rent stabilization.

On other topics, some candidates set themselves apart from the pack. Austin expressed his opposition to expanding rent control while Adofo said he wouldn’t support the creation of safe injection sites for substance users. Adofo, an advisory neighborhood commissioner, also stood alone, not for pausing luxury development projects during the development of a Ward 8 homeowner strategy, but his support of term limits.

In speaking about affordable housing, Bunn said that, as council member, she plans to focus on securing funding for the Housing Production Trust Fund. She also mentioned upcoming public discussions about the District’s comprehensive plan, and how Ward 8 residents can participate in shaping the composition of housing, commerce, parks and other community amenities.

As it relates to economic development, Bunn said she wants to attract sit-down restaurants to Ward 8 by working with the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Economic Development to ensure funding for the Neighborhood Prosperity Fund. She later evoked the memory of her late father, barber and civic leader James Bunn, as she spoke about collaborating with labor unions and supporting the Office of the State Superintendent of Education in its creation of college and career-based graduation pathways.

“A lot of our young people learn by [hands-on] experience, or they just don’t want to do college,” Bunn said on May 12. “If that is the choice, we need to make sure that when they

He also mentioned displacement prevention legislation that he and then-D.C. Councilmember LaRuby May shaped, all while reflecting on experiences as a board member at Community College Preparatory Academy Public Charter School and Hope Adult Charter School that highlighted the need to fund literacy programs.

“Too many of our Ward 8 residents are reading well below grade level, and it starts as early as 3, 4, and 5 [years old],” Austin said. “Those are challenges we have to address in legislation. So expanding our early childhood education options and making sure that we’re setting aside workforce programs for our people to have those opportunities [to] close that gap and ensure that those folks who cannot read at literacy levels are prepared for the right opportunities.”

Adofo, an alumnus of University of District of Columbia who worked in the university’s workforce development and lifelong learning campus, emphasized his experience in tackling the skills gap among Ward 8 residents. During the forum, he recounted his walks along Martin Luther King, Jr Avenue SE, promoting UDC’s officers to passersby.

If elected, Adofo’s workforce development plan centers on fostering connections between UDC and D.C. Department of Corrections, all while ensuring that D.C. public and public charter schools could work with United People’s Organization, Community College Preparatory Academy, and other community organizations focused on skills building.

Teacher

Teachers Care

Teachers work hard. They also make learning fun, listen when students are having problems and sometimes even take care of scraped knees and elbows.

What does your teacher do for you and your classmates?

Board Boo-Boos

Students

2025 by Vicki Whiting, Editor Je Schinkel, Graphics Vol. 41 No. 22

review wi book

“The Afterlife of Malcolm X: An Outcast Turned Icon’s Enduring Impact

on America”

By Mark Whitaker

c.2025, Simon & Schuster

$30.99

448 pages

Terri Schlichenmeyer WI Contributing Writer

Who will remember you in 50 years’ time?

A handful of friends — at least those who are still around — might recall you. Your offspring, grandkids and greats, maybe people who stumble upon your tombstone. Think about it: who will remember you in 2075? And then read “The Afterlife of Malcolm X” by Mark Whitaker and learn about a legacy that still resonates a half-century later.

Betty Shabazz didn’t like to go to her husband’s speeches, but on that February night in 1965, he asked her to come with their daughters to the Audubon Ballroom in New York. Did Malcolm X sense that something bad would happen on that night? Surely he was fully aware of the possibility, knowing that he’d been “a marked man” for months because of his very public break with the Nation of Islam.

As the news of his murder spread around New York and around the world, his followers and admirers reacted in many ways. His friend, journalist Peter Goldman, was “hardly shocked” because he also knew that Malcolm’s life was in danger, but the arrest of three men accused of the crime didn’t add up. It ultimately became Goldman’s “obsession.”

Malcolm’s co-writer for “The Autobiography of Malcolm X,” Alex Haley, quietly finished the book he started with Malcolm, and a small upstart publishing house snatched it up. A diverse group of magazines got in line to run articles about Malcolm X’s life, finally sensing that white America “needed his voice even more than Blacks did.”

But though Malcolm X was gone, he continued to leave an impact. He didn’t live long enough to see the official founding of the Black Panther Party, but he was influential on its beginning. He never knew the first Kwanzaa or the triumphs of a convert named Muhammad Ali.

Malcolm left his mark on music. He influenced at least three major athletes. He was a “touchstone” for a president …

While it’s true that “The Afterlife of Malcolm X” is an eye-opening book, one that works as a great companion to the autobiography, it’s also a fact that it’s somewhat scattered. Is it a look at Malcolm’s life, his legacy, or is it a “murder mystery”?

Turns out, it’s all three but the timeline for it isn’t always smooth and that may take some getting used-to. Just when you’re immersed, even absorbed in this book, to the point where you forget about your surroundings, author Mark Whitaker abruptly moves to a different part of the story. It it may be jarring.

And yet, it’s a big part of this book, and it’s essential for readers to know the investigation’s outcome and what we know today. It doesn’t change Malcolm X’s legacy, but it adds another frame around it.

If you’ve read the autobiography, if you haven’t thought about Malcolm X in awhile, or if you think you know all there is to know, then you owe it to yourself to find “The Afterlife of Malcolm X.” For you, this is a book you won’t easily forget. WI

horoscopes

LIFESTYLE

MAY 8 - 14, 2025

ARIES Creative momentum accelerates as Mars energizes your expression sector, bringing breakthrough insights when approaching familiar challenges with experimental mindsets. Financial opportunities emerge through unexpected connections when conversations reveal mutual resource needs. Digital organization creates efficiency midweek when outdated systems are replaced with streamlined workflows. Lucky Numbers: 7, 21, 33

TAURUS Domestic transformations create emotional renewal as Venus graces your home sector, bringing harmony through intentional design choices that align spaces with values. Professional communications gain support when practical expertise combines with authentic vulnerability. Relationship dynamics deepen midweek when patient listening reveals unspoken needs. Lucky Numbers: 5, 16, 29

GEMINI Intellectual partnerships flourish as Mercury activates your collaboration sector, bringing solutions through dialogue that transforms opposing viewpoints into complementary perspectives. Transportation challenges resolve when flexible thinking converts obstacles into opportunities. Lucky Numbers: 3, 18, 35

CANCER Resource management creates unexpected abundance as Jupiter expands your financial sector, bringing prosperity through strategic allocation rather than increased income. Writing projects progress when exploratory drafts prioritize flow over premature editing. Family traditions gain renewed significance midweek when contemporary interpretations honor core values while releasing outdated expressions. Lucky Numbers: 2, 14, 27

LEO Personal reinvention accelerates as the Sun illuminates your identity sector, bringing confidence to express authentic aspects previously kept private. Collaborative projects thrive when appreciation for methodological diversity replaces preference for uniformity. Leadership breakthrough occurs midweek when listening receives equal priority to direction-giving. Lucky Numbers: 1, 11, 30

VIRGO Intuitive insights solve practical problems as Neptune harmonizes your subconscious sector, bringing solutions through meditative states when analytical approaches reach their limits. Professional advancement comes through consistent quality rather than self-promotion. Lucky Numbers: 6, 19, 38

LIBRA Social connections create professional opportunities as the waxing Moon crosses your network sector, bringing career advancement through community engagement rather than competition. Interior design choices yield psychological benefits when subtle color adjustments influence mood and productivity. Lucky Numbers: 9, 22, 36

SCORPIO Career evolutions align with authentic values as Pluto transforms your professional sector, bringing opportunities that honor your need for both meaningful impact and structural integrity. Parenting approaches yield positive shifts when consistent boundaries combine with curiosity about underlying needs. Lucky Numbers: 4, 17, 28

SAGITTARIUS Educational pursuits open unexpected doors as Jupiter activates your learning sector, bringing connections between unrelated subjects that create unique intellectual advantages. Relationship communications benefit from playful framing when serious concerns are addressed through lighthearted exchanges. Lucky Numbers: 10, 23, 31

CAPRICORN Shared resources multiply through creative management as Venus enhances your investment sector, bringing growth through unconventional approaches that recognize value in overlooked opportunities. Digital decluttering creates mental clarity when virtual spaces receive the same attention as physical environments. Lucky Numbers: 8, 20, 39

AQUARIUS Partnership dynamics deepen as Saturn stabilizes your relationship sector, bringing meaningful connections through honest communication that balances vulnerability with appropriate boundaries. Remote work arrangements yield productivity breakthroughs when environmental adjustments optimize focus during peak periods. Lucky Numbers: 12, 25, 34

PISCES Wellness routines create sustainable energy as Mars vitalizes your health sector, bringing physical resilience through balanced approaches that honor natural rhythms. Financial documentation creates unexpected peace when complex systems are simplified through intuitive organization. Creative projects gain momentum midweek when technical constraints inspire elegant simplifications. Lucky Numbers: 13, 24, 37

Howard Softball Wins MEAC Tournament Title to Advance to the NCAA Regional Round

By Ed Hill WI Contributing Writer

The Howard University softball team took the motto ‘hustle, hit, and never quit’ to new extremes after earning the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) championship title to advance to the NCAA Tournament.

“This is one of the best teams that the MEAC has had. And I say that with full confidence,” Tori Tyson, the program’s all-time winningest coach, said in a recent interview with Softball

America. Prior to last year’s loss, the soft ball team had a promising run, posting 32 wins – including a program-best win streak – and even entering the annual tournament as the fan-favorite after notably coming off a tournament title and NCAA berth in 2022.

“When you lose like that, it can be painful,” said Tyson, who was named head coach in 2019 and named this year’s MEAC Tournament Most Outstanding Coach.

With the lesson learned, How ard used the disappointment to put

3Ameenah Ballenger, the 2025 MEAC Tournament Most Outstanding Player, is a Howard University graduate student pitcher. (Courtesy Photo)

first round in 25 years. We want to shock the world.”

THE ROAD TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP

With rigorous training and a team-instilled motto of “delayed, not denied,” this year’s Bison were determined to make a comeback.

“The workouts and conditioning set

CAPTURE the moment

UDC GRADUATION

5Esteemed members of Howard University and its 157th commencement, including university President Ben Vinson III (far right), student speaker Jaylah Dorman (far left) and commencement orator and now alumni, LeVar Burton (second from right) were atop the main stage to celebrate the institution’s largest graduating class on May 10. (Jacques Benovil/ The Washington Informer)

HU GRADUATION

4Howard University’s 157th Commencement Convocation celebrated a total of 3,223 graduates across various academic levels, which includes: 2,222 bachelor’s degrees, 362 master’s degrees, 470 professional degrees, 92 doctoral degrees (Ph.D), 14 professional certificates, and 7 graduate certificates. (Jacques Benovil/The Washington Informer)

5UDC 2025 Graduates: Jashawn Threadgill, Jasmine Sanchez-Avelar, Marcellus Armstrong, Wis Bautista Diaz, Miciyah Carter, Kavon Douglas, Brandon Evans, DaNeayha Taylor, Idalia Granados and Eryn Hughes. (Robert R. Roberts/The Washington Informer)

5Michelle Mitchell, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science, delivers remarks as class speaker at UDC’s 48th Commencement Ceremony. (Robert R. Roberts/ The Washington Informer)

5The University of the District of Columbia (UDC) hosted its 48th Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, May 10 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Northwest, D.C. (Robert R. Roberts/The Washington Informer)

“The lotus flower blooms most beautifully from the deepest and thickest mud.” — Buddhist proverb

My column is written this week to encourage myself, and prayerfully, it will encourage others out there in Washington Informer readership land! Many of us have experienced severe challenges in our lives, nothing like the billionaires among us in the United States and worldwide. Even Jeffrey Epstein, who owned an island and homes worth millions, faced a fate his wealth couldn’t prevent when he killed himself to escape prison. His riches offered no protection when confronted with his demons.

In this week’s column, let’s think about how deep we find ourselves in the troubles of this world. We lose our jobs, and suddenly everything is different. Right here in the DMV, with major federal government cuts, thousands of folk were laid off or fired from their so-called “good government jobs!” Every waking moment, you’re thinking about how happy you once were, continuously praying to find that happiness again with a new job.

I remember when my husband moved our family from California’s Bay Area — Oakland, San Pablo and San Francisco — down to Los Angeles. It was truly hard for my family, my husband and three young children. After being terminated from his position as a train operator with Bay Area Rapid Transit Authority (BART) following an accident, he took a downgraded job as a security officer. Here we were without our main breadwinner, finding ways to make do until he could return to his real work.

For me, it looked like I would never get another job! Interview

WITH LYNDIA GRANT

A Lesson from the Lotus Flower the religion corner

after interview, still no callbacks; I felt stuck in the thickest of mud. At my previous job back in the Bay Area, I was a supervisor in the Nursing Administration Office of Children’s Hospital Medical Center and had great work history. They loved me there and gave me promotion after promotion, yet interview after interview yielded no job offers.

Nothing came through for me until one day, after weeks of going to the hospital chapel to pray for guidance. A word from the Lord came clearly; I was to pack up my children, put what I could in the car and move back to Washington, D.C., to make a brand-new start. I did it, and it worked very well for me.

Like the lotus flower, my inner flower began to bloom! Those of you who know my story know the success my sisters and I achieved here in Washington, D.C. What is the lotus flower? Let me tell you a bit about it so you can see why my circumstances did not destroy me. Each day, I found myself growing stronger.

The lotus is a colorful blooming flower with a life cycle unlike any other. With its roots based in mud, it submerges every night into murky river water, and undeterred by its dirty environment, it miraculously reblooms the next morning without residue on its petals.

The lotus continues to stun peo-

ple with its ability to dip into the grime and revive itself unscathed — an incredible daily cycle of life, death and a sudden immaculate rebirth that can only be described as spiritual. It is no wonder the lotus is associated with such celestial symbolism; the flower simply defies logic.

How has the flower acquired such all-encompassing spiritual significance? The lotus flower’s daily resurrection is certainly interesting and surely symbolic of revival. (It is truly a perfect gift for anyone recovering from illness.) The flower also has a fascinating will to live, a seed that can withstand thousands of years without water, then germinate centuries later — remarkable!

It blooms in the most unlikely of places; the mud of murky river water in Australia or Southern Asia becomes its sanctuary. But due to the waxy protection layer on its petals, its beauty is blithely unaffected when it reblooms each morning. It continues to resurrect itself, coming back just as beautiful as it was last seen. With such refusal to accept defeat, it’s almost impossible not to associate this flower with unwavering faith.

In conclusion, each of us grows to become our best after having experienced a muddy life. Those negative instances helped to shape you into the marvelous soul you have become today! Amen! WI

RELIGION

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

Service and Times Sundays: 10 a.m. Holy Eucharist with Music and Hymns Wednesdays: 12:10 p.m. - Holy Eucharist www.stmarysfoggybottom.org Email: stmarysoffice@stmarysfoggybottom.org

Rev Kevin A. O'Bryant

401 Van Buren St., NW, Washington D.C. 20012 Office (202)-882-8331

Service and Times Sunday Worship 10:30 am Zoom: zoom.us/;/2028828331

Bible Study: Wednesday 7:00pm Communion Every First Sunday "Serve, teach and Live by precept and example the saving grace of Jesus Christ."

Purpose “ The Rev. E.

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

Website: Theplbc.org Email: churchclerk@theplbc.org

Mt. Horeb Baptist Church

Rehoboth Baptist Church

First Rising Mt. Zion Baptist Church

Historic St. Mary’s Episcopal Church

Promised Land Baptist Church

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

PROBATE DIVISION

Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 FEP 000043

June 26, 2024

Date of Death

Cha-Kil Chung

Name of Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Yeon-Ok Chung whose address is 5314 Rosemallow Cir., Centreville, VA 20120 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Cha-Kil Chung, deceased, by the Circuit Court for Fairfax County, State of Virginia, on 9/25/2024.

Service of process may be made upon Sharon Legall 1325 G Street, NW Suite 500, Washington DC 20005 whose designation as District of Columbia agent has been filed with the Register of Wills, D.C.

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

Date of first publication: 5/8/2025

Yeon-Ok Chung Personal Representative

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

PROBATE DIVISION

Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 FEP 000041

September 29, 2023

Date of Death

Edna M. Johnson

Name of Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Evans T. Johnson whose address is 715 Crittenden Street NW, Washington, DC 20011 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Edna M. Johnson, deceased, by the Orphans Court for Montgomery County, State of Maryland, on January 22, 2024.

Service of process may be made upon Aimee D. Griffin, Esq., Life and Legacy Counselors 5335 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Suite 440, Washington, DC 20015 whose designation as District of Columbia agent has been filed with the Register of Wills, D.C. The decedent owned the following District of Columbia real property: 715 Crittenden Street NW, Washington, DC 20011. Claims against the decedent may be presented to the undersigned and filed with the Register of Wills of the District of Columbia, 515 5th Street, NW, Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001 within 6 months from the date of first publication of this notice.

Date of first publication: May 8, 2025

Evans T. Johnson

Personal Representative

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 ADM 000415

David Clark

Decedent

Aimee D. Griffin, Esq. 5335 Wisconsin Avenue, NW Suite 440 Washington, DC 20015

Attorney

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

Elizabeth Clark Harris, whose address is 3705 S Street, SE, Washington, DC 20020, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of David Clark who died on January 27, 2025 with a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 11/8/2025. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 11/8/2025, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Date of first publication: 5/8/2025

Elizabeth Clark Harris

Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2025 ADM 000361

Edward Samuel Johnson Sr. Decedent

Sharon Legall 1325 G Street, NW, Suite 500 Washington, DC 20005 Attorney

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

Tracy Johnson, whose address is 4205 Offut Drive, Suitland MD 20746, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Edward Samuel Johnson Sr. who died on June 14, 2024 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 11/8/2025. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 11/8/2025, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Date of first publication: 5/8/2025

Tracy Johnson Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 ADM 000417

David Norman April

Decedent

Gretchyn G. Meinken, Esq, 616 N Washington Street Alexandria, VA 22314

Attorney

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

Maria Carmen Trujillo Pinero, whose address is C/ Concepcion Arenal 9-4 Izsa, Gijon, Asturias 33202, Spain, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of David Norman April who died on December 10, 2023 with a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 11/8/2025. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 11/8/2025, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Date of first publication: 5/8/2025

Maria Carmen Trujillo Pinero Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

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

2025 ADM 000433

Florence Stoddard Decedent

Robert Clayton Cooper, Esq. Cooper & Crickman, PLLC 6856 Eastern Ave., NW, Suite 350 Washington, DC 20012 Attorney

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

Anthony Stoddard & Demetria Ball, whose addresses are 6030 Sargent Rd. #3201, Hyattsville MD 20782 & 1341 1st St., SW, Washington DC 20024, were appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of Florence Stoddard who died on December 26, 2024 with a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 11/8/2025. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 11/8/2025, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Date of first publication: 5/8/2025

Anthony Stoddard

Demetria Ball Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

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

2025 ADM 310

Denise Richardson Decedent

Lynee C. Murchison, Esq. Adams Law Office, LLC 4201 Northview Drive, Suite 401 Bowie, MD 20716

Attorney

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

Denora Galtney, whose address is 9506 Snaffle Court, Upper Marlboro, MD 20772, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Denise Richardson who died on December 21, 2024 with a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 11/8/2025. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 11/8/2025, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Date of first publication: 5/8/2025

Denora Galtney

Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

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

2025 ADM 000088

Fred Astaire Holmes, Jr. Decedent

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

Carolyn L. Holmes, whose address is 4207 Eastern Avenue Apt. 2, Mt. Rainier, MD 20712-1405, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Fred Astaire Holmes, Jr. who died on October 11, 2024 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 11/8/2025. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 11/8/2025, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Date of first publication: 5/8/2025

Carolyn L. Holmes Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

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

2025 ADM 000354

Paul Travers Sturm Decedent

Julie A. Simantiras, Esq. Attorney for Petitioner The Geller Law Group, LLC 4000 Legato Road, Suite 1100 Fairfax, Virginia 22033 Attorney

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

Steven Ross Sturm, whose address is Avenue des Bouleaux 56 1950 Kraainem, International Order Belgium, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Paul Travers Sturm who died on October 9, 2024 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 11/8/2025. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 11/8/2025, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Date of first publication: 5/8/2025

Steven Ross Sturm 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

2023 ADM 000583

Ineal M. Shird Decedent

Brian L. Kass, Personal Representative 4301 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 434 Washington, DC 20008 Attorney

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

Brian L. Kass, whose address is 4301 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 434, Washington, DC 20008, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Ineal M. Shird who died on January 26, 2008 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 11/8/2025. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 11/8/2025, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Date of first publication: 5/8/2025

Brian L. Kass Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division

Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 ADM 000413

Jewel Joyner Decedent

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

Trina Joyner, whose address is 4123 4th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Jewel Joyner who died on 2/13/2025 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 11/8/2025. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 11/8/2025, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Date of first publication: 5/8/2025

Trina Joyner Personal Representative TRUE

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 ADM 000410

Payton Delk Decedent

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

Pauline Delk, whose address is 405 N Street NW #201, Washington, DC 20001, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Payton Delk who died on March 10, 2025 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 11/8/2025. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 11/8/2025, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Date of first publication: 5/8/2025

Pauline Delk Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 ADM 000367

Linda T. Davis aka Linda Taylor Davis Decedent

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

Mary Davis Farivari, whose address is 7000 Loch Lomond Dr., Bethesda, MD 20817, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Linda T. Davis aka Linda Taylor Davis who died on 2/14/2025 with a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 11/8/2025. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 11/8/2025, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Date of first publication: 5/8/2025

Mary Davis Farivari

Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 ADM 000426

Lonnie D. Salmond

Decedent

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

Faye Salmond, whose address is 8004 Neville Place, Fort Washington, MD 20744, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Lonnie D. Salmond who died on 10/26/2024 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 11/8/2025. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 11/8/2025, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Date of first publication: 5/8/2025

Faye Salmond

Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2025 ADM 000471

Estate of Yusuf Muhajir aka Yusuf Zinduo Muhajir

NOTICE OF STANDARD PROBATE

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

Admit to probate the will dated January 26, 2025 exhibited with the petition upon proof satisfactory to the Court of due execution by affidavit of the witnesses or otherwise appoint an unsupervised personal representative

Date of first publication: 5/8/2025

June Melinda G. Hyman 10401 Motor City Drive #423 Bethesda, MD 20817 Petitioner/Attorney:

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

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

2022 ADM 000997

Estate of Daisy M. Rhodes

NOTICE OF STANDARD PROBATE

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

Admit to probate the will dated October 8, 1983 exhibited with the petition upon proof satisfactory to the Court of due execution by affidavit of the witnesses or otherwise

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

Date of first publication: 5/8/2025

Tina Smith Nelson, Esq. Legal Counsel for the Elderly 601 E Street, NW Washington, DC 20049

Petitioner/Attorney:

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 FEP 000042

December 5, 2024

Date of Death

Penelope Jean Thornton Name of Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Tamara Andersen Hase whose address is 126 North 82nd Street, Seattle, Washington 98103 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Penelope Jean Thornton, deceased, by the Superior Court for King County, State of Washington, on 1/30/2025.

Service of process may be made upon Sharon Legall 1325 G Street, NW, Suite 500, Washington DC 20005 whose designation as District of Columbia agent has been filed with the Register of Wills, D.C.

Date of first publication: 5/8/2025

Tamara Andersen Hase Personal Representative Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

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

2025 ADM 000411

Colleen Eva Guion Decedent

Yvonne Davis Smooth, Esq. 2501 Northampton Street, NW Washington, DC 20015 Attorney

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

Lindsay M. Guion, whose address is 1204 Longfellow Street, NW, Washington, DC 20015, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Colleen Eva Guion who died on October 26, 2024 with a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 11/8/2025. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 11/8/2025, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Date of first publication: 5/8/2025

Lindsay M. Guion Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

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

2025 ADM 000378

Russell Mamone aka Russell Bruce Mamone

Decedent

William H. Henry, Esq. 216 North Adams Street

Rockville, MD 20850

Attorney

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

Angelo Mamone, whose address is 11790 Thomas Spring Road, Monrovia, MD 21770, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Russell Mamone aka Russell Bruce Mamone who died on June 15, 2023 with a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 11/8/2025. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 11/8/2025, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Date of first publication: 5/8/2025

Angelo Mamone

Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

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

2025 ADM 000422

Khadijah J. Campbell Decedent

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

Trisha Campbell, whose address is 4945 Just Street NE, Washington, DC 20019, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Khadijah J. Campbell who died on December 8, 2024 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 11/8/2025. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 11/8/2025, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Date of first publication: 5/8/2025

Trisha Campbell Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

LEGAL NOTICES LEGAL NOTICES

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 ADM 000365

Veronica Roberts Decedent

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

Clive Roberts, whose address is 5041 12th Street NE, Washington, DC 20017, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Veronica Roberts who died on March 16, 2025 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 11/8/2025. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 11/8/2025, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Date of first publication:

5/8/2025

Clive Roberts Personal Representative

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

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

2025 ADM 000364

Elizabeth C. Ross aka Elizabeth Comstock Ross Decedent

Julie A. Simantiras, Esq.

The Geller Law Group 4000 Legato Road, Suite 1100, PMB 6064 Fairfax, VA 22033 Attorney

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

Lisa Anne Finnican and Eleanor Marie Ross, whose addresses are 10907 Knights Bridge Court, Reston, VA 20190 and 10306 Cromwell Court, Ellicott City, MD 21042 were appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of Elizabeth C. Ross aka Elizabeth Comstock Ross who died on 11/5/2023 with a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 11/15/2025. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 11/15/2025, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Date of first publication: 5/15/2025

Lisa Anne Finnican

Eleanor Marie Ross

Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

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

2025 ADM 000389

Claudia Anyaso Decedent

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

Lawrence Anyaso, whose address is 5919 Lebanon Lane Elkridge, MD 21075, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Claudia Anyaso who died on 12/29/2024 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 11/8/2025. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 11/8/2025, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Date of first publication: 5/8/2025

Lawrence Anyaso Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

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

2024 ADM 001551

H. Fairfield Butt, IV aka Holt Fairfield Butt IV Decedent

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

J. Anthony Concino III, Esq., whose address is 5335 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20015, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of H. Fairfield Butt, IV aka Holt Fairfield Butt IV who died on 11/11/2023 with a Will. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 11/15/2025. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 11/15/2025, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Date of first publication: May 15, 2025

J. Anthony Concino III, Esq. Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 ADM 000362

Lutricia Ann Holt Decedent

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

Michael Alfirio Presentado and Crevante Antonio Holt, whose addresses are 6132 Brandyhall Ct., Fort Washington, MD 20744 and 403 Secluded Post Cir., Apt C, Glen Bernie, MD 21061, were appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of Lutricia Ann Holt who died on 7/4/2008 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 11/8/2025. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 11/8/2025, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Date of first publication: 5/8/2025

Michael Alfirio Presentado Crevante Antonio Holt 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 2023 ADM 1256

Junius Warren Scott Decedent

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

J. Anthony Concino III, Esq., whose address is 5335 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20015, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Junius Warren Scott who died on May 1, 2023 without a Will. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 11/15/2025. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 11/15/2025, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Date of first publication: 5/15/2025

J. Anthony Concino III, Esq. Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

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

2025 ADM 000360

Debra McDowell Decedent

Sharon Legall

1325 G Street, NW, Suite 500 Washington, DC 20005 Attorney

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

Donna McDowell, whose address is 2510 Bellefield Ct, Fort Washington, MD 20744, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Debra McDowell who died on July 24, 2024 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 11/8/2025. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 11/8/2025, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Date of first publication: 5/8/2025

Donna McDowell Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

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

2025 ADM 000450

Lillie M. Ruffin Askew Decedent

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

Marjorie R. Kornegay, whose address is 10511 Water Point Way, Mitchellville, MD 20721, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Lillie M. Ruffin Askew who died on November 10, 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., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 11/15/2025. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 11/15/2025, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Date of first publication: 5/15/2025

Marjorie R. Kornegay 10511 Water Point Way Mitchellville, MD 20721

Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

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

2025 ADM 000441

Edna Lewis Decedent

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

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

Cassandra E. Lewis-Harris, whose address is 3103 Alabama Ave., SE, Washington, DC 20020, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Edna Lewis who died on 10/27/2024 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 11/15/2025. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 11/15/2025, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Date of first publication: 5/15/2025

Cassandra E. Lewis-Harris

Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

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

2025 ADM 000170

Mary G. Brown aka Mary Gertrude Brown Decedent

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

Juanita V. Smith, whose address is 2219 16th Street, NE, Washington, DC 20018, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Mary G. Brown aka Mary Gertrude Brown who died on 12/4/2024 with a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 11/15/2025. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 11/15/2025, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 5/15/2025

Juanita V. Smith

Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

LEGAL NOTICES LEGAL NOTICES

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 ADM 000456

Ricky McClann Willis aka Ricky M. Willis Decedent

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

Rita Althea Willis-James aka Rita Willis James, whose address is 301 Anacostia Avenue NE, Washington, DC 20019-1402, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Ricky McClann Willis aka Ricky M. Willis who died on 4/13/2024 with a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 11/15/2025. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 11/15/2025, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Date of first publication: 5/15/2025

Rita Althea Willis-James aka Rita Willis James Personal Representative

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2024 ADM 000824

Wanda Anne Pumphrey Decedent

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

Kevin Judd, Esq., whose address is 601 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Suite 900-South Building, Washington, DC 20004, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Wanda Anne Pumphrey who died on 3/22/2021 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 11/15/2025. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 11/15/2025, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Date of first publication: 5/15/2025

Kevin Judd, Esq.

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 ADM 000443

Susie Bennafield aka Sue Bennafield Decedent

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

Damon K. Bennafield, whose address is 790 Highland Oaks Drive SW, Atlanta, GA 30331, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Susie Bennafield aka Sue Bennafield who died on December 9, 2024 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 11/15/2025. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 11/15/2025, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.

Date of first publication: 5/15/2025

Damon K. Bennafield 790 Highland Oaks Drive SW Atlanta, GA 30331 Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

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

2025 ADM 000453

Angela Theresa Parker Decedent

Patrick M. Klemz, Esq. 1100 Wayne Ave., Suite 825 Silver Spring, MD 20910 Attorney

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

Rhonda Derricott whose address is 13200 Bristlecone Way, Germantown MD 20874, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Angela Theresa Parker who died on May 30, 2024 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 11/15/2025. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 11/15/2025, 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: 8/15/2025

Rhonda Derricott Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

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MALVEAUX from Page 26

ebrate milestones like new books, impending births or more, but you’d also observe Alexis taking a person or two aside for a private conversation. She was glue. She brought people together. She was committed to the collective.

I never heard Secretary Herman raise her voice, but I often saw her firm. She was grace, but she didn’t play. She was kind but she didn’t roll over. She attracted a coterie of loyal friends and colleagues, because she was, indeed, loyal and graceful.

EDELMAN from Page 26

God, help me to weave a tapestry of love and not hate in my children, a spirit of tolerance and caring, and a dedication to freedom for all and not just some. God, help me to sow

MARSHALL from Page 26

poor.

The concept of “social justice ministry” primarily originates from the Catholic Church, with the term “social justice” being coined in the 19th century by Italian Jesuit priest Luigi Taparelli d’Azeglio, an adviser to the Vatican. He saw it as a moral obligation to promote societal equality and address the exploitation of marginalized groups. Scholars believe he used the term to make a case for why poor and disenfranchised people should be treated equally in society. This concept, which emphasizes the responsibility of the Church to advocate for the poor and disadvantaged, is deeply rooted in modern Catholic teaching. Taparelli d’Azeglio stressed the state’s role in protecting individual rights and the Church’s responsibility to serve the poor.

In March 2015, then-House Speaker John Boehner sent a formal letter to the Vatican inviting Pope Francis to address a joint session of Congress. With his accep-

I am among the many mourning the loss of the Honorable Alexis Margaret Herman, among the many grateful for her legacy. As labor is being attacked in the graceless shadow of this feckless administration, her voice is missed and her legacy looms large. She was committed to women’s empowerment, especially Black women’s empowerment. And she was committed to diversity, having worked to convince corporate America that Black women were more than cooks and maids. She passed the baton to Black women

seeds of peace and justice in my children’s hearts today.

leaders, who will lift her up as they do the work of advancing women in the workplace. Her loss is a national loss, but for me it is also a personal loss. I met her as an undergrad, and she welcomed me to Washington, D.C., when I moved here in 1994. She graced me with her presence when I left Bennett College in 2012. She was present during many of my milestones–gracious, kind, supportive, amazing. She will rest in grace and power, her legacy a blessing and lesson for each of us.

** Thank you, God, for Your never-ceasing love and inexhaustible well of hope through the gift of children. ** Oh God, help us to be worthy of the children You have entrusted to our care.

tance, the pope’s U.S. visit in September 2015 marked the first time a reigning pontiff had spoken before the nation’s highest legislative body. He spoke sincerely of hope and healing and peace and justice.

He told a nation and its political leaders to remember the Golden Rule. He reminded us that we are an immigrant nation: “In recent centuries, millions of people came to this land to pursue their dream of building a future in freedom. We, the people of this continent are not fearful of foreigners, because most of us were once foreigners. I say to you as the son of immigrants, knowing that so many of you are also descended from immigrants. Tragically, the rights of those who were here long before us were not always respected. ... Nevertheless, when the stranger in our midst appeals to us, we must not repeat the sins and the errors of the past.”

When Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost took the name Leo XIV, he named himself after his predecessor, Pope Leo XIII, who led the Catholic Church from 1878 to

1903. Pope Leo XIII was known as “The Pope of the Workers,” emphasizing the dignity of the poor and working classes. Many people who know Prevost are not surprised that he named himself after the one who started the outline for the modern Catholic social justice teaching. Pope Leo XIV has an understanding of the United States that no other pontiff ever possessed.

Following the legacy of Pope Leo XIII, he can become an inspiring spokesman in addressing the economic inequalities that connect with the social gospel message from the Black Church. In the legacy of Pope Francis, he has the opportunity and platform to speak truth to power concerning morals and fairness on the subject of immigration justice. Overall, the new pope has the opportunity to clarify for MAGA Catholics the true definition of being “woke” by staying true to their Catholic social justice roots in defending the oppressed; it is especially needed during this new wave of attacks against workers, people of color and the poor. WI