VOL. 54, NO. 29 • MAY 2 - 8, 2019
Honor and Protect our Elders During Older Americans Month
Diverse, Spry Centenarians Hailed at Annual Luncheon
AFSCME Campaign Engage Young People of Color Ahead of 2020 Election
By James Wright WI Staff Writer
‘I AM – Be the Change’ Builds on Legacy of MLK, Memphis Sanitation Workers
of more than $3,000 — an amount they said cuts into their profits. The Gerimas have since taken their fight to city hall, where D.C. council members have mulled a bill to alleviate their financial burden. “Sometimes, I feel like I work for the city,” said Shirikiana Aina Gerima, co-owner of Sankofa Video & Books, named after her and husband’s critically acclaimed 1993 film about the return to one’s African identity. “[To make ends meet], we rent
In the not-too-distant past, if someone reached the age of 100, society considered that person to be ancient and functionally useless. Today, those who reach 100 are not considered to be outliers but a standard of living that should be aspired to. That message came through clearly at the 33rd annual Salute to Centenarians at the Kellogg Conference & Hotel Center on the Northeast campus of Gallaudet University on April 29. “Today, we recognize the extraordinary D.C. seniors who got us to where we are today and continue to help move us forward,” Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) said to the 61 honored guests and their family and friends. “My administration is committed to making the investments that keep D.C. an age-friendly city where we grow together, age together and, like we did today, celebrate together.” The Social Security Administration says there are 300 centenarians living in the District. In 2014, a report for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 72,197 Americans were 100 or older, and that number has likely increased because studies over the past three decades have shown that people are living longer and the death rate has fallen in recent years.
SANKOFA Page 34
CENTENNIALS Page 17
By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer @StacyBrownMedia A District-headquartered employees’ union has launched an interactive campaign to engage young people of color ahead of
CHANGE Page 38
Capture the Moment Page 36
5 The DC Department of Aging and Community Living celebrates over 200 D.C. residents who are over 100 years of age. Vanilla Beane, a popular milliner who continues to work in her shop every day was one of those honored at the luncheon held at the Kellogg Conference & Hotel in Northeast on Monday, April 29. (Shevry Lassiter/The Washington Informer)
Sankofa Bookstore Fights for Property Tax Relief By Sam P.K. Collins WI Contributing Writer @SamPKCollins
5 Sankofa Video and Books store is hoping that a bill being introduced to the D.C. Council Committee on Business and Economic Development will offer equitable relief to help keep its doors open. (Shevry Lassiter/The Washington Informer)
As Haile and Shirikiana Aina Gerima have come to learn, operating a bookstore on what’s now one of the District’s fastest-growing corridors comes at a cost. In recent years, the husbandand-wife duo had to expand and diversify their offerings to pay their ever-rising property taxes. But not even that strategy could soften the blow of an assessment that deemed them responsible for a monthly tax
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On May 3, 1933 music legend James Brown, the “Godfather of Soul,” is born in Barnwell, South Carolina.
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SOMETHING NEW EVERYDAY
Women the Cycle of wi hotBreak topics Domestic Violence COMPILED BY D. KEVIN MCNEIR WI EDITOR
Damon Keith (Courtesy photo)
By Tia Carol Jones
law enforcement. She said they threat,” she said. had come together to bring a Among the programs Marlow sense of uniformity in the way wants to see implemented are When L.Y. Marlow's 23-year- domestic violence victims and stricter restraining order policies, Visit our updated Web site old daughter told her the father survivors are treated. more rights for victim's families and give us your comments of her daughter threatened her “She's using her own personal to intervene on behalf of a vicfor a chance to win a gift from life, and the life of their child, story, her own personal pain to tim, a domestic violence assessThe Washington Informer she knew something had to be push forward,” Davis-Nickens ment unit coupled with further done. Out of her frustration said about Marlow. training for law enforcement with law enforcement's handling Davis-Nickens said anyone agencies, a Child's Life ProtecEmail comments to: of the situation, she decided to who reads Marlow's book will tion Act and mandatory counselrburke@ start the Saving Promise cam- “get it.” She said she “puts the ing for batterers. paign. case in such a way, the average “If we are ever going to eradiwashingtoninformer.com “It seems to be a vicious cycle person can get it.” She said at the cate domestic violence, we must that won't turn my family end of the day, the book will look at both sides of the coin. loose,” Marlow said. Marlow help people begin to have a dia- We need to address both the vicshared her story with the audi- logue about domestic violence. tim and the batterer,” Marlow ence at the District Heights Also present at the event was said. Domestic Violence Symposium Mildred Muhammad, the exMarlow would also like to see on May 7 at the District Heights wife of John Allen Muhammad, programs designed to raise Municipal Center. The sympo- who was sentenced to six consec- awareness among children in sium was sponsored by the utive life terms without parole public and private schools. She Family and Youth Services by a Maryland jury for his role in feels children need to be educatCenter of the city of District the Beltway Sniper attacks in ed about domestic violence. Heights and the National Hook- 2002. Mildred Muhammad is “We have to stop being pasUp of Black Women. the founder of After the Trauma, sive-aggressive with poor chilMarlow has written a book, an organization that helps the dren about domestic violence,” WI Staff Public Schools.’’ country, “Color Me Report Butterfly,” which is a survivors of domestic violence Marlow said.Michigan is grateful and Clay children. said funeral arrangements Marlow better for the governor story about four generations of and their hasit,” worked to breaksaid. Damon J. Keith, the federal will be announced shortly. “We should honor Judge Keith’s domestic violence. The book is “I lived in fear for six years. Six the cycle of abuse in her family, judge whose rulings in a string of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said legacy by working together inspired by her own experiences, years in fear is a long time. It is and is confident the policies she to high-profile over three de- notshe order all U.S. a Michigan wherethat everyand those of cases her grandmother, anplans easy to thing to come outand is build pushing for will start cades catapulted himdaughter. to the sta- of,” Michigan body, no matter who they are or her mother and her she said. flags within the State process. tus said of national civil she rights icon, Capitol and on all they She every time reads MildredComplex Muhammad saidstate “Iwhere plan to takecome these from, policiescan to get In Memoriam died April at book, the agesheofstill 96 at people buildings be lowered to halfahead.”and implore them to excerpts from28her whotowant to help a Congress Dr. Calvin W. Rolark, Sr. his not Detroit home. staff on violence the day of Keith’s inter- change Michigan of State can believe the words came domestic victim must our laws,”Secretary Marlow said. Wilhelmina J. Rolark the grandson of slaves bement. Jocelyn Benson, who clerked fromKeith, her. “Color Me Butterfly” careful of how they go into “I will not stop until these poliThe Washington Informer Newspaper won 2007humble National “Best the victim's rose the from beginnings Keith’s oldest daughter, Cecile ciesfor said the judge was her life, and understand areKeith, passed.” THE WASHINGTON INFORMER InPUBLISHER Memoriam Books” Award. in Detroit to become an inter- that Keith offered the follow- Tia mentor. sheBrown, may be in “survival Carol Jones can be reached NEWSPAPER (ISSN#0741-9414) is Dr. Calvin W. Rolark, “I was just 16-years-old when mode”. Denise RolarkSr. Barnes nationally-revered champion ing statement on behalf of all at tiacaroljones@sbcglobal.net “Our country has lost a legal published weekly on each Thursday. Wilhelmina J. Rolark my first and blackened and myfa- three Periodicals postage paid at Washing“Before you getincluding to 'I'm going foreye justice a much-loved children daugh- titan who spent more than half ton, THE D.C.WASHINGTON and additional mailing ofINFORMER NEWSPAPER (ISSN#0741-9414) is published lips bled,” Marlow said. kill you,' it started as a Keith: verbal WI ther-figure who launched count- toters, Debbie and Gilda a century as a crusader for civil STAFF fices.weekly News on andThursday. advertising deadline postage paid at Washington, D.C. and additional Periodicals Elaine Davis-Nickens, presiless legal careers. “He was a friend, mentor, lovrights,” Benson said. “His deciis Monday to News publication. AnD. Kevin Editor mailing prior offices. and advertising deadlineMcNeir, is Monday prior to publication. dent of the National Hook-Up nouncements must be received two Lawyers and legal scholars ing father and counselor and a sions from the bench prevented Announcements must be received twoRon weeks prior to event. Copyright 2000 by The Burke, Advertising/ Marketing Director offrom Blackall Women, said there weeks prior to event. Copyright 2016reserved. POST MASTER: Send change of addressWashington Informer. All rights over the nationis no were devoted husband. We are sincere- the federal government from inLassiter, Photo Editor by es The Washington Informer. consistency way domestic to The Washington Informer,All3117Shevry Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E. Washington, drawn to in histhe Detroit chambers, ly grateful for his 96 years of life fringing on individual liberties rightsD.C. reserved. 20032.POSTMASTER: No part of thisSend publication may be reproduced without written Lafayette Barnes, IV, Assistant PhotopermisEditor violence issues are dealt with by of and service. He will be missed.” a place adorned with photos and helped to battle systemic change of addresses to The Washsion from the publisher. The Informer Newspaper cannot guarantee the return of John E. De Freitas, Sports Photo Editor ington Informer, 3117 Martin Luther the many famous people whose The longest-serving black racism in corporations, municiphotographs. Subscription rates are $30 per year, two years $45. Papers will be received King,notJr.more Ave.,than S.E.a Washington, D.C. Dorothy Rowley, Online week after publication. Make checks payable to: Editor lives he touched, including Rosa judge in the nation, Keith was palities and schools.” 20032. No part of this publication may ZebraDesigns.net, Design & Layout Parks, Nelson Mandela and Pres- a leading citizen of Detroit — a Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan be reproduced without written permisTHE WASHINGTON INFORMER sion from the3117 publisher. The Informer ident Barack Obama. confidant of elected officials, civin a statement said the city “lost a Mable Neville, Bookkeeper Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E. • Washington, D.C. 20032 Newspaper cannot guarantee the return U.S. Six Circuit Court of ic leaders and those who fight for dear friend this morning with the Phone: 202 561-4100 • Fax: 202 574-3785 Dr. Charles Vincent, Social Sightings columnist of photographs. Subscription rates are E-mail: news@washingtoninformer.com Appeals Judge Eric L. Clay in social justice. passing of Judge Damon Keith, Tatiana Moten, Social Media Specialist $45 per year, two years $60. Papers will www.washingtoninformer.com a statement said Keith died at His impact on Detroit and his and America lost a national treabe received not more than a week after Angie Johnson, Circulation publication. Make checks payable to: about 6:40 a.m. at home, sur- fight for equality under the law sure,” PUBLISHER rounded by family. Keith was a is visible from the Keith Center “Judge Keith left as indelible a THE WASHINGTON INFORMER Denise Rolark Barnes REPORTERS senior judge on the U.S. Sixth for Civil Rights at Wayne State mark on this nation and our city 3117 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E STAFF REPORTERS Stacy Brown (Senior Writer), Sam P.K. Collins, Washington, D.C. 20032 Circuit Court of Appeals. University to his chambers in as any jurist in history,” Duggan Brooke N. Garner Managing Editor Tia C. Jones, Ed Laiscell, Phone: 202 561-4100 Timothy Cox, Will Ford (Prince George’s “Judge Keith was one of the the federal building on Lafayette said. “During his more than 50 Carla Peay Assistant Managing Editor Odell B. Ruffin, Larry Saxton, Fax: 202 574-3785 Ron Burke Advertising and Marketing Mary Wells, Joseph Young County Writer), Jacqueline Fuller, Hamil most influential Federal jurists Boulevard to the Wright Muse- years on the federal bench, he news@washingtoninformer.com Mable Whittaker Bookkeeper of the 20th and 21st centuries,” um of African American History, handed down rulings that have Harris, D. Kevin McNeir, Dorothy Rowley, www.washingtoninformer.com LaNita Wrenn Administration PHOTOGRAPHERS Clay said. “... his rulings in over which Keith rescued from clo- safeguarded some of our most John E. De Freitas Sports Brenda Editor Siler, Sarafina Wright, James Wright Lafayette Barnes, IV, Victor Holt Photo Editor John E. De Freitas, Maurice Fitzgerald, 52 years on the bench had a sure several years ago. important and cherished civil Zebra Designs, Inc. Layout & Graphic PHOTOGRAPHERS Design Joanne Jackson, Roy Lewis, Robert profound impact on American Whitmer in her statement liberties, stopping illegal governKen Harris /www.scsworks.com Webmaster Ridley, Victor Holt Lassiter, John E. DeFreitas, Shevry life. His decisions ranged from said Keith “stood up for what ment wiretaps and secret deporL.Y. Marlow Roy Lewis,CIRCULATION Jr., Mark Mahonny prohibiting the Nixon Adminis- was right, even if it meant facing tation hearings, as well as ending Paul Trantham tration from warrantless wiretap- attacks and threats from others.” the racial segregation of Pontiac ping in national security cases, to “Because of his strength, his schools.” the integration of the Detroit Po- determination, and his commitKEITH Page 28 lice Department and the Pontiac ment to ending racism in our 4 / May 15 - 21, 2008 The Washington Informer / www.washingtoninformer.com
www.washingtoninformer.com
WI Staff Writer
Federal Judge, Civil Rights Icon Damon Keith Dead at 96
“
We have to stop being passive-aggressive with poor children about domestic violence. I plan to take these policies to Congress and implore them to change our laws. I will not stop until these policies are passed.
“
4 MAY 2 - 8, 2019
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AROUND THE REGION
Prince George’s Boys Participate in Overnight Program By James Wright WI Staff Writer While Prince George’s County has the reputation of being the wealthiest Black jurisdiction in the country, it also has issues with hostile police encounters, bullying and volatile family situations, affecting its young men and boys of colors. Many youth activists and social workers have programs to deal with these ills, but a unique program recently took place at the Oakcrest Community Center in Capitol Heights on Friday, April 26. That night, about 50 students primarily in elementary school participated in a program called “Insomnia Battle Royale,” designed to be a character-building program. “We have a program for girls here at Oakcrest every other year known as the ‘Pajama Jam,’ where the girls have activities overnight similar to a pajama party,” said Carlotta Wade, a Recreation Specialist III for the Central Area of the Prince George’s Department of Parks and Recreation. “The girls would activities such as a fashion show and things like that. Then someone suggested ‘what about the boys?’ And then we created the Insomnia Battle Royale.” The program encompasses workshops such as “Beyond Boundaries,” “Engaging in Effective Communication,” “What a Girl Wants” and “Entrepreneurship.” Activities that kept the boys awake included chess, cooking demonstrations, boxing, robotics and basketball. In the gymnasium, the boys listened to several speakers, one of whom happened to be in their age group. James Collier, a student at Longfields Elementary School in Forestville, talked for seven minutes about being a bullying victim. James told his peers that the types of bullying in school are physical, verbal, social and cyber. He said he has been the victim of all types of bullying except cyber and has made a commitment to fight it. “You shouldn’t have to go to school and be bullied,” he said, encouraging his peers to sign anti-bullying pledge cards that sat on a nearby table. Trevin Shepard, who works as a corporal for the Maryland-National Capital Park Police in the community services unit, addressed the participants during a segment on interactions with law enforcement officers, in which he instructed the boys how to deal with his colleagues.
“Simply follow the instructions of the officer, even if you don’t agree,” Shepard said. “Notify your parents afterward. Many people think that the police are a buddy-buddy system but it is not.” Shepard told the boys they should file a complaint against an officer if they feel they have been wronged. “We have a division of the police called Internal Affairs that investigates police misconduct,” he said. Shepard said that police officers work at their jobs because they care about the communities they serve. “I don’t know of any officer that wakes up in the morning and says, ‘I’m going to shoot somebody’,” he said. “We do this job because we care about the community. Every police officer is not your enemy.” The Kappa Epsilon Lambda chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha and the Hyattsville/Landover chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi chaperoned the event. Jason Giambrone, an Alpha, talked to the boys about self-esteem and self-confidence. “I feel good about myself and you should too,” Giambrone said. “There are people in this country that tell Black and brown people how ignorant, dumb and ugly we are, but don’t listen to that. I don’t need to get my self-esteem and selfworth from somebody else.” Franklyn Malone, the president and CEO of 100 Fathers, Inc., led a workshop titled “Not My Son,” which had a parental focus. He told a moving story of “Johnny,” a boy who developed behavioral problems in school and society because of his parents’ divorce, his father’s abandoning him for a short time, his confusion about his father’s new girlfriend and the nasty things his mother would say about his father. The story highlighted how many Black boys fall apart psychologically because no father exists in their life. “Children need love and connection,” Malone said. “We need to figure how to put young men back together again.” He said 79 percent of the men incarcerated in prison or jail never had a father in their lives. Malone encouraged the parents to ignore the myths about men that they should never cry and cannot be good parents. Throughout the night and early morning, the boys had nearly unlimited access to snacks and drinks and received constant encouragement and reinforcement from the program participants. WI
5 Corporal Trevin Shepard instructs young men on how to interact with the police during an overnight program called Insomnia Battle Royale held at Oakcrest Community Center in Capitol Heights on Friday, April 26 hosted by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. (Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer)
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black facts MAY 2
1762 – James Durham, also known as James Derham, the first African American to formally practice medicine in the United States, is born in Philadelphia. 1844 – Elijah McCoy, an inventor and engineer best known for his 57 U.S. patents, most having to do with the lubrication of steam engines, is born in Ontario, Canada. 1920 – The Negro National League, the first financially successful all-Black baseball league, holds its first game.
MAY 3
1921 – Hall of Fame boxer Sugar Ray Robinson is born in Detroit. 1933 – Music legend James Brown, the “Godfather of Soul,” is born in Barnwell, South Carolina. 1948 – In the landmark Shelley vs. Kraemer case, the Supreme Court rules that courts cannot enforce racial covenants on real estate.
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1884 – Civil rights pioneer Ida B. Wells refuses to give up her seat on a Tennessee train, sparking her fight for equal rights. 1961 – The Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) stages its first “freedom ride” to challenge racial segregation throughout the Deep South.
MAY 2 - 8,2019 SOURCE: BLACK AMERICA WEB
School, is born in Charles Town, Virginia, which is present-day Charles Town, West Virginia. 1931 – Hall of Fame baseball player Willie Mays is born in Westfield, Alabama. 1960 – President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs the Civil Rights Act of 1960, establishing federal inspection of local voter registration polls and penalties for obstructing voter registration. 1991 – The Smithsonian board of regents unanimously approves the establishment of the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
MAY 7
1878 – Inventor Joseph Winters receives a patent for a wagon-mounted fire escape ladder. 1943 – The SS George Washington Carver launches at the Richmond Shipyard No. 1 in California.
MAY 8
1911 – Legendary blues guitarist and singer-songwriter Robert Johnson is born in Hazlehurst, Mississippi. 1915 – Henry McNeal Turner, the first Black chaplain in the United States Colored Troops, dies in Windsor, Ontario, at 81. WI
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1865 – Community activist, author and pastor Adam Clayton Powell Sr. is born in Franklin County, Virginia. 1905 – Robert S. Abbott begins publishing The Chicago Defender, the city’s first Black newspaper. 1988 – Eugene Marino is installed as Archbishop of Atlanta, becoming the first African-American archbishop in American history.
MAY 6 Buying Vinyl Records from 1950 to 1986, Jazz, Rock-n-Roll, R&B, Disco, Soul, Reggae, Blues, Gospel, and record format 33 1/3, 45s, and some of the older 78s. Prefer larger collections of at least 100.
CALL JOHN @ 301-596-6201 6 MAY 2 - 8, 2019
1787 – Prince Hall founds the first Black Masonic lodge, African Lodge No. 459 of Boston. 1812 – Physician, writer and Black nationalist Martin Delany, one of the first three Black people admitted to Harvard Medical
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view P INT
BY SARAFINA WRIGHT
Former Vice President Joe Biden has announced his 2020 bid for presidency, but some believe his mishandling of the Anita Hill hearing almost 30 years ago will come back to haunt him. What are your thoughts? DWAYNE MOORE /
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Just remember that “Creepy” Joe Biden is one of the Democrats that pushed for the Clinton crime bill that locked so many Black people up!
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AROUND THE REGION The World According to Dominic BY D. KEVIN MCNEIR / WI EDITOR / @DKEVINMCNEIR
Look for complete coverage of the Ronald Dellums’ interment and memorial tribute in next week’s edition and on our website.
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Ronald Dellums (left) and Dr. Benjamin Chavis at a recent Congressional Black Caucus Prayer Breakfast. (Ron Burke/ The Washington Informer)
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Ward 8’s Holtz to Lead Rochester Students By James Wright WI Staff Writer
One of Ward 8’s politically minded young people has been elected president of the student body at a prominent New York university. On April 14, Jamal Holtz was chosen to lead the student association at the University of Rochester, along with his vice presidential candidate, Anne Marie Cortes. Holtz, took the oath of office days later, becoming the first Black president of the student government association in two decades. “Public service has been my passion,” he said. “I want to serve the students effectively as their president and be a strong advocate on their behalf.” Rochester, which has 5,600 undergraduates and 4,600 graduate students, has received international recognition for its Eastman School of Music, considered among the finest in the world. The university also is known for being a leader in the field of optics. Data USA says that 4.76 percent of students are African American. Holtz, who will be a senior in the fall, said Rochester allows students to create their own majors and he studies social justice and public policy. He came to Rochester with the assistance of the Posse Foundation, a national New York Citybased nonprofit in that identifies, recruits and trains student leaders from high schools to attend leading universities that are Ivy League or close to that distinction to pursue excellence on their campuses. Holtz graduated from the Friendship Public Charter School-Collegiate Academy. As his campus’s leader, he said has ambitious plans for his one-year term. “I want to increase student engagement and do that with initiatives that are student-driven,” he said. “I will work to see that we have a more inclusive campus that champions diversity, equity and justice. I would also like to improve the campus culture so that every student feels comfortable getting involved.” At many colleges and universities, the president of the student body gets benefits such as free tuition, books, fees and housing,
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SU_Press AssoAD_SAU_2015_Layout 1 8/20/15 11:24 AM Page 1
5 Jamal Holtz will be the second Black to be president of the University of Rochester’s Student Association. (Courtesy photo)
but that’s not the case at Rochester. “I realize that I get no financial aid being the president,” Holtz said even though he acknowledges that he gets an office account. “I am a public servant with a deep passion to serve.” Holtz said his passion to serve came from his involvement with the Marion Barry Youth Leadership Institute. He got involved with the program at 16 years old. “When I was 16, I wanted to be a FBI agent,” he said. “I wanted to know how to get into that realm and someone recommended the leadership institute to me.” The Barry institute, founded in 1979, has trained scores of young people on leadership and how to get involved in the political process. Prominent alumni include political activist Kemry Hughes, D.C. Council member
Kenyan McDuffie (D-Ward 5), advisory neighborhood commissioner Tyrell Holcomb and D.C. State Board of Education member Markus Batchelor. Holtz said the institute staff has “guided me through high school and have helped me connect the dots” as far as school and career planning. He said he keeps in constant contact with Batchelor and follows his advice on school and life issues. Batchelor, Hughes and Phillip Walker, mentors of Holtz since his time in the Barry institute, traveled to Rochester to observe his April 21 swearing-in ceremony. Holtz, who has interned with the Mayor’s Office of Community Relations and Services, said he will return to the District after graduation and “pursue something in public service as a career.” WI
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5 Members of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia cut grass and wash tomb stones at one of the city’s most historic and neglected cemeteries in Northeast Washington where more than 36,000 people are buried and head stones have been displaced. The cemetery, which opened in the late 1800’s, is the burial site for U.S. Senator Blanche K Bruce, who represented the state of Mississippi during reconstruction as well as other icons. (Hamil Harris/The Washington Informer)
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AROUND THE REGION Authur Capper Senior Group Rebuilds After Devastating Fire Sam P.K. Collins WI Contributing Writer @SamPKCollins The fast-moving blaze that ravaged the Arthur Capper Senior Apartments in Southeast last year left nearly 160 elders without a stable home. These days, they’re scattered across the District in new dwellings, without the camaraderie of their neighbors and comfort of their most prized possessions. For Trinette Chase and other members of Seniors Offering Unconditional Love (S.O.U.L.), such an outcome reveals the need, now more than ever, for the movement they built within the Arthur Capper Senior Center in the years leading up the fire that destroyed their community and displaced their neighbors. “We met in the community center the day the fire started. We had positive affirmations on the wall and did an [activity] where people talked about their best memories,” said Chase, a onetime resident of Arthur Capper Senior Apartments in Southeast, as she recounted the events of September 19. That day, a fire in the attic spread throughout the entire building. forcing an evacuation and transition to hotels, and eventually new apartments. On the Monday following the blaze, crews discovered a man still living in the building unharmed. Five months later, the building had been demolished. Standing at a second-floor window of the nearby Arthur Capper Senior Center, where she hosts a sewing class, Chase looked outside at the now-cordoned-off plot of land on which her former residence once stood. She pointed to the large patch of gravel marking the meeting space she and more than a dozen neighbors gathered the afternoon of the fire.
As she recounted the events of the blaze, Chase revealed that neither she nor her neighbors heard fire alarms. She later reflected on what she described as the traumatizing experience of not being able to reenter the Arthur Capper Senior Apartments to gather her materials. Some key belongings included original African painting and sculptures, awards, and an uncle’s DNA sample with which she wanted to trace her ancestry. Chase said similar situations have taken a drastic toll on her former neighbors. “[Since the fire], some seniors have died,” said Chase, who now lives in Southwest. “They chalk it up to old age, but it’s being traumatized and losing all of your possessions. Yes, people survived, but what else? They never let us go back to identify what we wanted. It was very disrespectful.” Members of S.O.U.L., a group formed as part of the Love More Movement after the murder of an Arthur Capper resident’s family member, have provided opportunities for residents of the Arthur Capper Senior Apartments to grieve without recourse and speak about other traumatizing life events that have wreaked havoc on their psyche. For three years, S.O.U.L., with the help of the Community Services Foundation, hosted weekly events that featured guest speakers and allowed seniors to reflect on parts of their lives that brought them peace. The seniors who’ve entered this program have started a process to become life coaches through the Love More Movement’s TLC Academy. As S.O.U.L. key organizers regroup, they revealed a desire to host mobile sessions for former Arthur Capper residents living in Southeast, Southwest, and even as far as west of Rock Creek Park in Northwest. “The city spent a lot of resources immediately after the fire and pro-
vided the seniors with engagement activities, health services, emergency response services and relocation counselors” said Dr. Bruce Purnell, psychologist and founding member of S.O.U.L. “This was like a shot of Novocain because it helped them engage in life events rather than focus on the trauma and loss. “The bigger problem is that when they got placed in their new locations these phenomenal services would
also end causing them to reflect back on the trauma, this time without the Novocain,” he said. For Purnell, the blaze and displacement exacerbated the unaddressed damage of the Middle Passage, enslavement, Jim Crow and the war on drugs. “Now they go back to the baseline with the people around them,” he said. “They’re already in the most vulnerable conditions, just being se-
niors in public housing and having to rekindle the hope of that their ancestors had of the potential of this country is not an easy journey. “Many of the seniors didn’t realize how much of a family routine had been created at Arthur Cappers until they didn’t have it anymore,” Purnell said. “It is S.O.U.L’s purpose to facilitate the healing and creating of everything that they are missing and more.” WI
5 Trinette Chase, a former resident of the Arthur Capper Senior Apartments and Bruce Purnell, a psychologist and founder of Seniors Offering Unconditional Love (S.O.U.L.) look at the demolished apartments which were destroyed last year. (Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer)
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MAY 2 - 8, 2019 11
PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY Collaboration, Funding Key to Helping Victims of Domestic Violence By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill Rep. Steny Hoyer heard two words over and over during a recent discussion on helping victims of violence: money and collaboration. During the April 25 event at the Maryland Crime Victims’ Resource Center in Upper Marlboro, service providers emphasized the need for funding to train and pay staff as they help Marylanders deal with domestic violence, sexual assaults and
other violent and nonviolent disputes. They also called for better collaborative efforts not only among themselves but with lawmakers to update and streamline regulations that are sometimes repetitive and antiquated. “We need regulations, we need rules, but we need to simplify the process,” Hoyer said. “We, unfortunately, underpay people in the public sector. We can always do better.” The longtime Maryland Democrat led a discussion three weeks after the House voted April 4 to
5 Rep. Steny Hoyer (center) leads a discussion April 25 in Upper Marlboro with service providers on ways to help victims in domestic violence and other situations as part of the House’s approval to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act. (William J. Ford/The Washington Informer)
reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), which expired in February. Domestic violence and other shelters can still use money issued from previous grants, but future money remains uncertain, since the GOP-controlled Senate has yet to approve the reauthorization. One major sticking point for GOP lawmakers has been the prohibition of those who have been charged with misdemeanor offenses such as stalking from
purchasing firearms, which the National Rifle Association has publicly condemned that part of the law as too extreme. The gun-rights organization held its legislative leadership conference over the weekend in Indianapolis, which was attended by President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence. “Under this president and this administration, the right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed!” Pence tweeted. Trump’s proposed budget pro-
vides a slight increase of $750 billion, or 5%, toward defense, but about a $60 billion, or 10%, decrease in domestic spending. In Upper Marlboro on Thursday, Hoyer shied away from politics and sought opinions from service workers throughout Maryland what can be improved through the Violence Against Women Act to help victims, local government agencies and nonprofit organizations.
WOMEN Page 44
Metro Reaches Deal on Two Sites in Maryland and Virginia By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill Metro plans to purchase sites for two new offices in Maryland and Virginia, which officials said will save the transit agency an estimated $130 million over 20 years. The Prince George’s County site in Maryland would be near the
New Carrollton Metro station and the D.C. region’s largest transportation hub that includes Amtrak and MARC train services, Greyhound and other bus services and the future Purple Line light rail. Metro’s office in Alexandria, Virginia, would sit near the Eisenhower Avenue Metro station and the Hoffman Town Center currently under redevelopment.
5 A parking lot across from the New Carrollton Metro station will be home to the future site of a new Metro office slated to begin construction next year. (William J. Ford/ The Washington Informer)
12 MAY 2 - 8, 2019
“Metro’s office consolidation plan is a smart investment in our future that will improve conditions for our workforce while benefiting the region,” Metro General Manager Paul Wiedefeld said in a statement Thursday, April 25. “Our three new office sites in D.C., New Carrollton and Alexandria will save Metro — and taxpayers — significant money in the long term, while spurring additional private development and job creation in the surrounding communities.” Metro already reached a deal last year to move from its current space at the Jackson Graham Building in northwest D.C. into a new headquarters in southwest D.C. next to its L’Enfant Plaza station. The Graham building, which has been Metro’s headquarters since 1974, would be vacated by December 2022 and leased for mixed-use development across from Capital One Arena. Agency officials and government leaders have sought to utilize property near Metrorail stations for transit-oriented development. Officials highlight the New Carrollton location as a prime ex-
ample with $1 billion in development with the state Department of Housing and Urban Development, an education technology company 2U and luxury apartments called The Remy developed by Berman Enterprises. The site also received a visit from Gov. Larry Hogan and County Executive Angela Alsobrooks to celebrate the April 4 grand opening of Kaiser Permanente Mid-Atlantic States, which expects to bring 850 jobs to the region. “New Carrollton has unmatched transportation options bringing customers, clients and residents from around the region to Prince George’s County,” Alsobrooks said in a statement. “[Metro’s] decision to place its Maryland headquarters in New Carrollton is the spark that will make that location a dynamic 24-hour community.” Hours before the announcement of the new offices, Metro’s board of directors approved to offer free parking at Franconia-Springfield, Huntington and Van Dorn Street in Northern Virginia for commuters this summer affected by platform construction work. Metro es-
timates a $2 million loss in parking revenue. Those stations and three others in Virginia on the Blue and Yellow lines south of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport will be closed from May 25 to Sept. 8. Metro and Northern Virginia jurisdictions will offer Metrobus, the Virginia Railway Express, bus shuttles and other transportation options during the closure. D.C. Councilman Jack Evans, who chairs the agency’s board of directors, said such closures are unavoidable, similar to Metro’s SafeTrack project, which shut down numerous stations for weeks at a time as the entire system was overhauled. “We need to repair these stations, we need to repair the tracks,” Evans said. “The only way to do it is to close them down for the summer. Our sympathies are with everyone. Could communication be better? It can always be better. So we will strive … to make sure our riders, the elected officials and the jurisdictions are aware of what our plans are and hopefully we can get through this.” WI
THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY
Largo Students with a Business Mindset By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill
While STEM continues to be pushed as a future career path youth, some Largo High School students structure business within its nucleus of success. Thanks to her family living on a farm in Clinton, Aleeyah Hawkins, 18, wants to own an agribusiness, or the business of agriculture, because of her love for animals. Jada Battle understands science and technology are major fields, but said she took and enjoyed an accounting class. “You can venture into any company when doing business,” said the 17-year-old senior, who plans to attend Mary Washington University in Fredericksburg, Virginia, in the fall and study finance. These are just two of the student members of Largo High’s Future Business Leaders of America who received a statewide award last month for Career and Technology Education. The school received a glass plaque at an awards reception and ceremony April 23 in Baltimore.
PGCPS BRIEFS Compiled by Dorothy Rowley WI Staff Writer
PARENT INVOLVEMENT SURVEY
Parents or guardians of children receiving special education and related services received the Maryland Special Education Parent Involvement Survey from the State Department of Education. Parents are asked to complete the survey and return it in the postage-paid envelope by May 17. The survey may also be completed online.
PLANNING AHEAD
The current school year is in its final stretch and now is the time to plan ahead for the summer months and next school year. Here are five resources to help students and their families get ready: 1. Request a student transfer by
According to a description of the Maryland Department of Education’s Division of Career and College Readiness, high school students, teachers, post-secondary schools and educators sponsor “internships, mentoring students as they complete real-world projects and creating Maryland’s high-skilled future workforce.” The careers include computer science, manufacturing and other fields. A state representative didn’t respond to request for comment on how award winners received recognition, but Largo students explained Monday, April 29 some of the activities this school year such as schoolwide fundraisers, participation in regional and statewide competitions and community service. The FBLA chapter raised more than $600, largely due to Hawkins and fellow senior Trinity Irvin, 18, who sold their canvas artwork of butterflies and flowers. A community service arm called “FBLA Angels” adopted two children through the Salvation Army to purchase toys during the Christmas holidays. Wynter Parker, 17, and India Lolin, 16, and both juniors, helped
the school earn fifth place in March at the statewide FBLA Conference in Hunt Valley, Maryland, attended by 1,400 students. Largo was recognized for a public-speaking presentation that featured a short cartoon to explain positive and negative soft skills, or character traits, in the workforce. The majority of the Largo’s FBLA students either completed an internship, will enroll in one this summer, or conducted a job-shadow at Deloitte, an accounting firm in Northwest. Next month, the students plan to visit Wall Street, an annual pilgrimage to New York City taken for more than 10 years to learn about the stock market and how it affects all aspects of life. For students and adults who need skills in Microsoft, business teacher and “fundraising queen” Donitta McMillan is a Microsoft certified testing administrator. Besides the students showing respect to McMillan and learning about the field of business, Nolan Baysmore said he’s glad he participated in his first year as a member of FBLA.
the May 14 deadline. 2. Register for pre-K or kindergarten. 3. Explore Department of Parks and Recreation summer camps. 4. View 2019 PGCPS Summer Programs. 5. Discover the resources of Prince George’s County Memorial Library System with your child’s PGCPS student ID.
ROOSEVELT ENSEMBLES TO PERFORM
MOSAIC RESTORATION PROJECT
School leaders and community partners recently joined forces to give the beloved window art piece that depicts a tiger mascot at the Benjamin Tasker Middle School a much-needed refresh while celebrating the culmination of a yearlong effort to restore the important piece of school history. Led by volunteer Bob Rapczynski, members of the Bowie Senior Center and the Prince George’s Community College S.A.G.E. (Seasoned Adults Growing Educationally) restoration of the decades-old window, included removing, cataloging and cleaning each piece, then attaching all pieces to a new sheet of glass. Former PGCPS art teacher Nino Enkiri, who taught at Tasker for 31 years, spearheaded the initial tiger mosaic in the early 1980s.
The Eleanor Roosevelt High School chamber ensembles will perform later this year at the renowned Midwest Clinic International Band, Orchestra and Music Conference. The conference, which has been held for more than 70 years, offers guests interested in music education an array of clinics and exhibits, as well as access to music and teaching icons. Roosevelt is the fifth Maryland high school band selected to perform at the competitive event and the first from PGCPS in nearly 50 years.
WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER
5 Wynter Parker (left) briefly explains a PowerPoint presentation she and classmate India Lolin presented in March during the statewide Future Business Leaders of America conference in Hunt Valley, Maryland, on April 29. The students finished in fifth place for public speaking. (William J. Ford/The Washington Informer)
“I learned about how to manage and budget money like for a phone bill,” said the 17-year-old junior. “I even learned public speaking.” Nataly Ankomaa, a 17-year-old junior, plans to attend college and major in law with a minor in mar-
keting. She wants to open her own law firm and help those in her mother’s native Ghana. Her father is half-Ghanaian. “I’m going to do it,” she said. “I want to help the people of Ghana.” WI
5 The Eleanor Roosevelt High School chamber ensembles will perform later this year at the renowned Midwest Clinic International Band, Orchestra and Music Conference. (Courtesy photo)
EMPLOYEES CELEBRATED
At PGCPS’ recent 36th annual Employer-Employee Appreciation Luncheon, students and local businesses celebrated the role of partnerships in offering students apprenticeships to enhance career and technical
education. “We are deeply thankful to our business partners for learning opportunities that facilitate career and personal development,” said Board of Education Chair Alvin Thornton. “This program [has been] important in building a bridge to excellence.” WI
MAY 2 - 8, 2019 13
BUSINESS Georgetown Law School Honors Alum Norton By James Wright WI Staff Writer
When D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton comes to mind for District residents, most think about her long tenure in the U.S. Congress. However, some don’t know that before Norton won the 1990 general election to serve as the District’s delegate to the U.S. House of Representative, she had
a substantial legal career that included being on the faculty of one of the nation’s most prestigious law schools. Norton’s legal achievements, coupled with her congressional service, earned her a rare distinction on April 23: a dedicated outside space at the Georgetown University Law Center in her name. The Norton installation stands as one of the few such honors at a
5 An artist rendering of a dedicated space in honor of D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton on the Georgetown University Law Center’s campus is shown here. (Courtesy of The Georgetown University Law Center Media Office)
predominantly White law school for a Black scholar. “Eleanor Holmes Norton has been an extraordinary lawyer, teacher and advocate,” Georgetown President John J. DeGioia told a crowd of 100 in the area where the Norton installation will be built. “She has demon-
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strated what it means to live a life of service.” Norton joined the faculty of the law center in 1982, teaching courses on such subjects as labor law, employment law and negotiation for lawyers. She taught classes part-time at the law school since becoming a member of the Congress, but retired last year. Norton, a District native, graduated from Yale Law School in 1964, after receiving a master’s in American history from Yale University in 1963 and a bachelor’s degree from Antioch College in 1960. She worked for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee during the civil rights movement in the 1960s and was hired as the assistant legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in 1965. Norton turned heads while at the ACLU when she argued and won before the Supreme Court the First Amendment rights case of the National States Rights Party, a White supremacist group. She also established herself as one of the country’s foremost feminists with her successful lawsuit against Newsweek magazine over its policy of not hiring female reporters before the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The Newsweek victory was bought to the TV screen recently in the Amazon series “Good Girls Revolt,” with actress Joy Bryant portraying Norton. In 1970, then-New York City Mayor John Lindsay appointed Norton as head of the New York City Human Rights Commission, where she used that platform to discuss sexual discrimination in the workplace and other areas. In 1977, President Jimmy Carter appointed her as the first woman to lead the EEOC, where she
wrote guidelines in employment that addressed sexual harassment and tried to significantly decrease a backlog of cases that had been around for years. In November 1984, while teaching at Georgetown, Norton, TransAfrica’s Randall Robinson, scholar Mary Frances Berry and then-D.C. Del. Walter Fauntroy demonstrated against apartheid at the South African embassy and received international attention. Historians have credited this move as launching the successful movement for universities and university systems, pension funds, cities and states to divest funds from companies that do business with South Africa. These actions, historians say, led to the release of political prisoner Nelson Mandela and his election as the first Black president of South Africa in 1994. Meanwhile, Norton gained tenure at Georgetown, uncommon at the time for a scholar of color at a predominantly White law school. She also served on Fortune 500 boards of directors. Norton expressed delight of being honored at GULC and confessed to being positively “stuck.” “Stuck because [Georgetown] has already not only awarded me an honorary degree but given me the honor of delivering the commencement address just last year,” she said. “Stuck because Georgetown has already recognized me when I was awarded tenure, a prize without equal. As I often told my students, it was harder to get tenure than it was to get elected to Congress.” Norton expressed her gratitude for the “deep thoughtfulness” that went into the design of the installation, adding that she is “grateful that my association with the law school and the law will not be forgotten.” WI
THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM
BUSINESS Parents and Teachers Question Bowser’s Budget Proposal By Sam P.K. Collins WI Contributing Writer @SamPKCollins D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s proposed fiscal year 2020 budget places millions of dollars into technology, early child care, school modernization and other projects school leaders said will accentuate District families’ academic experience. For some parents, teachers and education advocates however, a reduction in the base budget for neighborhood schools serving students in Wards 7 and 8 has overshadowed those investments, further calling into question the D.C. Public School’s commitment to its most under-resourced young people. The public outcry recently reached the steps of the John A. Wilson Building in Northwest, where the D.C. Council Committee on Education will mark up the budget at the end of this week. In the weeks leading up the D.C. Council’s final deliberation on the matter, affected
parties said they will continue to mobilize on behalf of disillusioned parents. “They keep cutting the budget because enrollment is going down, but it’s going down because of disinvestment from the city,” said Ward 7 parent Shawn Jegede, one of several protestors who converged on the Wilson Building on April 25 in response to funding cuts for nearly two dozen schools, the majority of which serve student east of the Anacostia River. Earlier this month, Jegede and a colleague launched an online petition to change the mayor’s proposed budget. As of Tuesday, it garnered nearly 400 signatures. On April 25, the mother of two charter school students testified before the D.C. Council in an effort to attract amenities such as language courses and services for special needs students to public K-12 institutions within proximity of her home. That infusion of funds, she said, would increase the quality
of education in her community so that she and other parents wouldn’t have to send their children several miles — and many bus rides — away for specialized instruction. “My son is on the autism spectrum and I haven’t been able to find schools in my ward that satisfy his needs,” Jegede said. “The only school for high-functioning autistic students are all the way across the city. I requested that the mayor’s budget puts back in the funds taken out, and adds even more money for an intervention plan that puts competitive programs in those schools.” The proposed 2020 budget reflects an annual process that kicked off last fall and involved DCPS’ central office, principals, and an advisory board comprised of parents and other members of the community. Using enrollment data from the three previous school years, the central office projected the student population of every school, and calculated the base budget with those figures. It
5 D.C. teachers and supporters rally at Freedom Plaza and on the steps of the Wilson Building in Northweston Thurs., April 25 to protest funding cuts to the budget for D.C. Public Schools most of which are in Southeast. (Shevry Lassiter/ The Washington Informer)
also allowed principals of each school to appeal the budget projection and request additional staff and resources. The dozen-plus schools based in Wards 7 and 8 affected by budget cuts had relatively low enrollment projections. DCPS officials said additional investments not reflected in the base figures tackle institutional bar-
riers that have long prevented children in those communities from academically advancing. The Pathways to Opportunity program, for instance, pours $5 million into eight comprehensive schools and launches two early college programs. Another $7.6 millon expands
BUDGET Page 44
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NATIONAL Many African Americans Not Financially Ready to Retire By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer @StacyBrownMedia AARP regularly publishes a retirement calculator, which the advocacy group for those 50 and older said can provide a personalized snapshot of what an individual’s financial future might look like.
One simply has to answer a few questions about household status, salary and retirement savings, such as an IRA or 401(k), and participants can include information about supplemental retirement income (such as a pension or Social Security), consider how long they intend to work and think about their expected lifestyle as a retiree.
5 (Courtesy of The Amsterdam News)
The tool is designed to help potential retirees determine the amount of money they’ll need to retire “when — and how — they want.” But for many African Americans, retirement has fast become a pie-in-the-sky dream.
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One report published this month demonstrated how African Americans, Latinos and other minorities will have a more difficult time calling it quits than white Americans. The report, published on financial website The Motley Fool, found that the troubling disparity in retirement readiness between white Americans and minorities can be explained largely by income and wealth disparities that persist throughout our lives. “Caucasians didn’t lose as much wealth during the Great Recession and have recovered more of it, so white households now hold close to six times the wealth of African American or Hispanic households,” the authors of the report wrote. Median earnings for white households recovered from the recession by 2016, but earning levels for both black and Hispanic households remained below
2007 levels. Caucasians now earn close to twice as much as minority households do, according to The Motley Fool. Additionally, the most recent MassMutual State of the American Family Study found that there are differences in retirement planning among different cultural groups. African Americans fall short in executing life-changing measures such as accumulating wealth, being better prepared for retirement and building up savings. According to the American Family Study, 84% of African Americans believe the American dream means financial security, 78% say it’s not living paycheck to paycheck, and 77% say it’s owning a home. However, based on the study, many African Americans don’t
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CENTENNIALS from Page 1 The centenarians who attended the luncheon did not fit the stereotype of wrinkled, half-dead people afflicted with ailments, failing eyesight and hearing. During the luncheon, they sang along as the band played music, bobbing their heads and swinging hips. Inez Robertson, 102, even got on the floor and danced to “When the Saints Go Marching In” by the band Bruther’s Plus One. Vanilla P. Beane, an internationally recognized milliner, received special attention because of her well-known nickname as “The Hat Lady.” Beane opened up her hat shop on 3rd Street NW in 1978 and it still operates under her watchful eye. Beane’s hats are displayed in the Black Fashion Museum in New York City’s Harlem neighborhood, and the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in the District acquired five of her hats for permanent display. She designed many hats for Dr. Dorothy Height, the iconic former president and chair of the National Council of Negro Women. Marilee Asher, born in 1912, was recognized as the oldest of the 61 present, while Viola R. Harrison, 102, received a lot of attention because of her family of long-livers and her career success. Harrison’s grandmother died at the age of 109 in 1955 and her grandfather died in 1947 aged 114. Harrison also had three cousins who have lived past 100, one of whom lived to be 108. In addition, she worked for the same
RETIRE from Page 16 have tangible assets needed to make those goals happen now. The study showed a disconnect between African Americans’ financial situations and their hope toward the future, according to Black Enterprise magazine. Some key findings from the survey: • Outside of retirement accounts, only 37% of African Americans own wealth-building products such as stocks and mutual funds. • Only 35% believe they are doing a good job of preparing for retirement. • 33% have less than one month of funds saved for a crisis and less than 25% have amassed more than six months’ worth of emergency savings.
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5 Thelma Ferbish, 70, stirs coffee for her mother Viola Harrison, 102, who was one of the centenarians honored at the D.C. Department of Aging and Community Living luncheon at the Kellogg Conference & Hotel in Northeast on Monday, April 29. (Shevry Lassiter/The Washington Informer)
New York bank location for 60 years and presently owns two apartment buildings, one home in Kingston, N.Y., and one in the District. Harrison has a simple philosophy for living long and well. “Treat people right, live right and you will live a long time,” said her daughter, Thelma Ferbish, quoting her mother. Ferbish manages her mother’s properties but Harrison remains the owner and keeps abreast of developments. A documentary about her mother, Ferbish said, is in the works. The centenarians consisted of published authors (Cora Satcher Parker), a former Senior Olympics swimmer (John Tatum) and
a graduate of West Point Military Academy (Peter Russell). Laura Newland, the director of the District Department of Aging and Community Living, personally congratulated each centenarian while the master of ceremonies, Carroll “Mr. C” Hynson Jr. of WHUR-FM (96.3), read shortened versions of their biographies. Newland, who distributed medals and certificates to the participants, said she enjoyed the luncheon and understood its importance. “This event helps us as a community to grow closer,” she said. “No matter how long one has lived or lived in the District, we have to recognize everything they have done for us.” wi
• 58% are actively involved in educating their children on finances versus 48% of Caucasians. About 40% rely on family members for information. “The study shows African Americans want to improve their financial situations and are hopeful about the future,” Evan Taylor, African American market director for MassMutual, told Black Enterprise. “At the same time, it sheds
light on the financial struggles and inequities that the African American community continues to battle. “Those contradictions indicate a need for greater financial education and discipline for the whole family to achieve economic success. In fact, the biggest financial regret expressed by respondents was that they wished they had started saving and investing sooner,” he said. wi
Outside of retirement accounts, only 37% of African Americans own wealth-building products such as stocks and mutual funds.
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South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said Freedom Day was the most momentous and significant day in the history of South Africa. The president led national Freedom Day celebrations Saturday by delivering the keynote address at a commemoration event in Makhanda, formerly Grahamstown, in the Eastern Cape. “We are gathered here to celebrate the day we won our freedom,” he said, the Johannesburg-based City Press reported. April 27 marked 25 years of democracy following decades of apartheid rule and segregation in which the majority of the country’s citizens were marginalized. Ramaphosa began his address by asking the crowd at Miki Yili Stadium to rise and observe a minute’s silence in honor of those who perished in last week’s floods that lashed Port St. Johns in the Eastern Cape and areas around Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, and of those killed in the recent cyclone that hit South Africa’s neighboring countries. He said this year’s celebrations were about recalling the battles, setbacks and great victories achieved along the march to freedom and democracy. “It was here [Makhanda] on this soil that the so-called Frontier Wars with European settlers were fought in the 19th century by our people, who were determined to remain independent and free in the land of their forebears,” Ramaphosa said. “It was here, 200 years ago, that the mighty rebellion against the greatest occupation took place — here, in the battle of Grahamstown.” He paid tribute to Makhanda ka Nxele, the warrior who led the attack on the British in the battle of Grahamstown. He also used the event to pay tribute to some of the country’s most decorated struggle icons. “We have inherited this freedom from the hero, Mangaliso Sobukwe, a son of this province who founded the Pan Africanist Congress to push for self-determination for the country’s majority based on the principle of African nationalism, he said. “We have also inherited this freedom that we are celebrating today from our Sarah Baartman, who is buried not far from here. … We have also inherited this freedom from the hero Steve Biko, a young activist from King William’s Town whose ideas of black consciousness continue to influence generations long after his passing.” Ramaphosa paid homage to many other South African icons such as Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, Albertina Sisulu, Oliver Tambo, Walter Sisulu, Chris Hani, Charlotte Maxeke and the founding president of South Africa’s democracy, Nelson Mandela. “It is their legacy that inspired many of our people to continue the struggle to attain the freedom that we are celebrating today,” he said.
caribbean now Bahamas Deputy PM Defends Immigration Amendment Bill Bahamas Deputy Prime Minister K. Peter Turnquest is defending the newly passed Immigration Amendment Bill 2019, surmising there is a “misunderstanding” of the bill’s intentions and insisting that it does not provide for the free movement of people or labor. The deputy, speaking Friday to reporters on the sidelines of a ribbon-cutting ceremony, said the bill makes it “convenient and efficient” for high-level investors and executives to visit their institutions that are operating in the Bahamas, The Tribune reported. Turnquest, who is also the Minister of Finance, maintained the country has the right to admit or reject anyone. He also insisted that there was consultation, and while he could not provide specifics, he noted the Minnis administration “didn’t dream this up overnight.” His comments came one day after the Bahamas Bar Association rejected one of two amendments to the Immigration Act that provides for work visa exemptions to visitors for a myriad of professional and commercial purposes. Such persons would be allowed to enter the country in 14-day intervals to participate in conferences or seminars (excluding event organizers), attend trade shows or summits (again, excluding organizers) or working as a non-executive director of a business being carried out in The Bahamas, among other things.
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Providence Health System Transformation: Health Beyond Healthcare for D.C.’s Older Adults Since it opened its doors more than 150 years ago, Providence has been a beacon of hope and has remained committed to serving the healthcare needs of District residents. That legacy lives on as Providence reimagines the delivery of care to meet the changing needs of the community. At the center of this transformation is Providence’s focus on people who are in most need of healthcare and wellness services, especially D.C.’s aging and elderly population. While the District has seen an influx of young residents
over the past decade, the city is also home to a growing community of older adults. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, people 65 and older represent more than 12 percent of the city’s overall population. We know that as we age, our healthcare needs change, and as D.C.’s baby boomer generation continues to retire, the city must grow its capacity to meet demand for specific services. Consider that of the older adults in D.C., 34 percent live with a disability. What’s more, a 2017 community needs assessment found alarmingly
high rates of depression and feelings of social isolation among this population. All people deserve to age gracefully, happily and with the support of the communities they helped build. That’s why increasing access to high-quality geriatric care is at the forefront of the Providence transformation. The system will invest upwards of $30 million to create a “healthy village” – a community of healthcare and non-healthcare partners that support the whole ADVERTORIAL
person and every facet of their well-being. The healthy village will help D.C.’s elderly population access the physical and mental health services they need – all in one place – while providing an opportunity for social, emotional and spiritual growth. For its part, Providence plans to offer coordinated primary care, memory care, independent living, hospice care, and skilled nursing care through its successful facility at Carroll Manor, as well as urgent care services. Providence is hopeful to find like-minded organizations that share our passions and vision to
partner with to improve the health and wellness of District residents. This work is all part of our promise to redefine “health beyond healthcare” by providing the holistic resources that support mind, body and spirit and help people live their best lives. Perhaps no other population stands to benefit most from this transformation than the older adults who have long resided in and helped create the vibrant, thriving city we love today. For more information on Providence’s transformation, please visit ProvidenceHealthyVillage.org.
A new approach to caring for our community Providence is transforming healthcare in D.C. Providence Health System is dedicated to finding innovative ways to care for you. One of those innovations is bringing the kind of care you want closer to your neighborhood. We no longer offer hospital and emergency care services but will soon be opening an urgent care center accessible seven days a week. We know you have lots of other needs, so we’ll still be right here with services, including: • Primary care • Geriatrics • Skilled nursing care through Carroll Manor • Outpatient behavioral health
• Care coordination for Medicaid beneficiaries • A pharmacy and access to free medications to those in need • Care for police officers and firefighters
Visit ProvidenceHealthyVillage.org for more information.
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MAY 2 - 8, 2019 19
HEALTH Mental Health and the ‘Strong Black Woman’ By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer @StacyBrownMedia Screening methods for depression that take context and culture into consideration could be more effective in uncovering clinical depression in African American mothers, according to a study led by a Rutgers University-Camden nursing professor. The study comes as the nation observes National Mental Health Awareness Month where officials at the Arlington, Va., based National Alliance on Mental Illness — NAMI, notes that one in five people will be affected by mental illness in their lifetime. NAMI helps to fight stigma, provide support, educate the public and advocate for policies that support people with mental illness and their families. Although anyone can develop a mental health problem, African Americans sometimes experience more severe forms of mental health conditions due to unmet needs and other barriers, NAMI officials said. According to the Health and
20 MAY 2 - 8, 2019
Human Services Office of Minority Health, African Americans are 20 percent more likely to experience serious mental health problems than the general population. Common mental health disorders among African Americans include: • Major depression. • Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). • Suicide, among young African American men. • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) because African Americans are more likely to be victims of violent crime. Further, African Americans are more likely to experience certain factors that increase the risk for developing a mental health condition: • Homelessness. People experiencing homelessness are at a greater risk of developing a mental health condition. African Americans make up 40 percent of the homeless population. • Exposure to violence increases the risk of developing a mental health condition such as depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.
5 Rahshida Atkins (Courtesy of Rutgers-Camden News Now)
• African American children are more likely to be exposed to violence than other children. Black women are also susceptible to mental health challenges.
Screening methods for depression that take context and culture into consideration could be more effective in uncovering clinical depression in African American mothers...
In the Rutgers study, referencing well-known theories about the “strong woman complex” in Black women and its relation to depression, “they may not admit when they have certain feelings,” said Rahshida Atkins, an assistant professor at the Rutgers School of Nursing-Camden. “Face to face, they may not answer ‘yes’ to depression screening questions that ask, ‘Are you depressed?’ or ‘Do you feel sad?’” Atkins said in the study published by Rutgers-Camden News Now. In these situations, the medical professional may not detect that the patient is depressed and the patient may not receive the treatment that they need. Health care providers are required to ask all adults these ques-
tions during health visits. The Rutgers University-Camden researcher has found that Black single mothers experience depressed mood because of stressors created by issues including poverty, unstable relationships and housing, parenting and family stressors, and lack of access to high-quality health care for themselves and their families. “Growing up with a depressed mom is also an adverse childhood experience,” Atkins said. “The emotional, cognitive, and social development of children can be hindered when their mothers are depressed and do not receive treatment,” she said. Atkins, who studies mental health, health equity, and behavioral health, said much of the research on depressive symptoms shows that African American women and other minority populations often report bodily pain symptoms such as stomachaches, headaches, tiredness or interpersonal difficulties when they are depressed. She said she believes the women surveyed were more comfortable expressing their depressed mood symptoms because they were putting responses on paper, and they were assured anonymity and confidentiality. “This isn’t something they often display in front of others or others of their culture, or even in front of me,” said Atkins, who frequently interacts with Black single mothers when conducting community engagement studies. Since the women did not have to put their name on the forms, “nobody would know what they were writing, so they’re able to be honest about how they truly feel,” Atkins said. WI
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HEALTH
Fashion Show Fundraiser Shines Light on the Disabled By Hamil R. Harris WI Contributing Writer
There was plenty of glamour and fashion on and off the runway in Silver Spring Saturday night, as Stephanie White transformed the pain of losing her sister into a movement to raise money for those suffering from traumatic brain injuries. The “A Night to Remember” fundraiser gala and fashion show on April 27 was planned to benefit Kennedy Krieger Institute’s Brain Injury Program in honor of White’s late sister, Brittany N. White. It was a red-carpet affair, as sharply dressed guests took photographs and sipped wine while enjoying an evening of fashion and music. “It’s a lot of hard work for a great cause,” said White of the event, a culmination of weeks of planning and hours of practice with fashion models. “My sister Brittany was a brain injury patient at Kennedy Krieger Institute from 1987-1988. Brittany
passed away in 2001 and I put this event on every few years in honor of her memory.” But what began as one big sister’s effort has turned into a fashion revival that matched medical professionals from the Kennedy Kreiger, which is located in Baltimore, with models and fashion designers who showcased clothing for people who want to look good despite their walk in life. The event featured 13-year-old fashion designer Ms. Leah Howard, who showcased her Adaptive Style line for people with disabilities that was worn by several models from the Ms. Wheelchair Maryland pageant. “People with disabilities are a huge part of the community and Kennedy Kreiger has made a mark with all of us,” said model Shannon Minnick, 48, who is part of Ms. Wheelchair Maryland. Even though she is paralyzed from the waist down, Minnick said she lives a full life. “I am mother of two children and I work 40 hours a week,” said
Minnick, whose sentiments were echoed by 30-year-old model Patrice Franklin, who also is paraplegic. “This shows what you can do when you put your mind to it,” Franklin said. There was no shortage of head-turning outfits for men and women, largely due to celebrity stylist and designer Desmond Handon, who launched the EthniCITY Brand in D.C. and The Tuxedo House in Timonium, Md. Christine Diamond, who coordinated the event, said, “This is an amazing fashion show and I am thankful to Stephanie, who is my mentor as an event planner.” Renee Allen, host of the “Renee Allen & Friends radio show in D.C., hosted a silent auction that included items from the Baltimore Ravens, Smyth Jewelers, Bradford Portraits and Phenomenal Photo Booth Rentals. There was even an autographed photo of Whitney Houston. Seated in the audience with her 16-year-old son was Pamela Da-
5 A fundraiser for the Kennedy Krieger Institute that focuses on pediatric developmental disabilities and disorders of the brain, spinal cord and musculoskeletal system was held at the Sheraton Hotel in Silver Spring on Saturday, April 27, featuring wheelchair models. (Courtesy photo/KG Digital Studio)
vis Gavami, whose husband died of hydrocephalus, a brain disease, in 2015 after three surgical procedures. She said attending the event was part of the healing process after losing her husband. “My son is in a fashion show next week to support suicide
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prevention and mental health,” Gavami said. “I was lucky that I had Medicare, but there are so many people who don’t have health insurance and it is important for people to know that there are people here who do care for them.” WI
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MAY 2 - 8, 2019 21
Bus Accident Inspires Nigerian Native to Pursue a Nursing Career in the U.S.
By: Jade Ricks
Like any major city, commuting in Lagos, Nigeria comes with hectic street ways and pedestrian-filled sidewalks. Many rely on public transportation which includes the popular yellow commercial buses known as a “Danfo”. An eager student skipping to the bus stop, five year old Abimbola “Elisa” Emmanuel was suddenly thrust into her first memorable health care experience. “At the bus stop, the rule is to keep moving,” says Elisa. It is common for the bus conductors to hang outside the door and use one hand to lift a running passenger onto a moving Danfo. While attempting to board the bus, Elisa was thrown to the ground causing her to hit her head on the pavement. Elisa’s memory of the accident is vague, her mother, however, will never forget the gut-wrenching feeling she experienced when informed that her child was unconscious. Having only spent a few days in the hospital, Elisa made a full recovery. Today, Elisa says, “I will never forget the invaluable comfort and
encouragement my nurse extended during an otherwise traumatizing experience”. From that day forward, Elisa knew she wanted to be a nurse and has made it her life’s mission to repay the kindness shown to her and her family. Elisa’s family moved to the United States wanting to provide the best opportunity for her to pursue her dream. She received her first job as a certified nursing assistant while still in high school. After graduating, she pursued a bachelor’s degree and went on to receive her master’s in Clinical Nurse Leadership at the University of Maryland. Elisa has worked in several different settings as a Registered Nurse including clinics and hospitals. She now serves as the Vice President of Clinical Services and Performance Improvement for HSC Home Care, LLC. HSC Home Care is a pediatric home care agency serving children with complex health care needs in Washington, DC. HSC Home Care’s clients require the highest level of services and support due to the intensity of care required to provide optimal outcomes. According to
the Children’s Hospital Association, children with medical complexities account for one-third of all pediatric health care costs, and 80 percent of that is spent on hospitalization. Having spent time in a hospital at a young age, Elisa advocates for the importance of providing medical in-home care and the impact it not only has on decreasing the length of hospital stay but also alleviating the strain on families. “Nobody wants to be in an institution forever” Elisa affirms. She believes there is a “hidden magic” in allowing a child to heal in a familiar environment surrounded by family; a quality of home care that can’t be quantified. Demand for homecare nurses has grown exponentially over the last decade and children five and under account for the largest area of growth (Children’s Hospital Association. “The landscape of medical care for children with medical complexity” 2013. https://www. childrenshospitals.org/issues-and-advocacy/children-with-medical-complexity/issue-briefs-and-reports/ the-landscape-of-medical-care-for-children-with-medical-complexity. Elisa,
5 Abimbola “Elisa” Emmanuel serves as the Vice President of Clinical Services and Performance Improvement for HSC Home Care, LLC.
recipient of Health Care Council of the National Capital Area’s 2018 Employee of the Year Award, has led her clinical team in implementing processes to meet the growing demands. HSC Home Care’s family-centered strategy reinforces specialty training among staff such as infusion therapy and ventilation practices as well as care team integration to empower clients, their families, and their caregivers the ability to carry out their care plans at home. Elisa recalls the mother of a 13-year old client with cancer who struggled with administering infusion therapy. With patience, understanding, compassion, and expertise Elisa coached
the mom until she felt confident enough to care for her child at home. Years later, that child’s mother contacted Elisa to thank her for the care she provided that aided the child’s road to recovery and share that their encounter inspired the mother to enroll in nursing school. Elisa feels grateful to have discovered her passion for nursing at the age of five and is fulfilled knowing she has inspired others to do the same. For more information, please visit hschealthcare.org/nurseweek. Jade Ricks is a Program Assistant in the External Affairs Department of The HSC Health Care System
Nurses are the heartbeat of healthcare. Happy
#NationalNurseWeek from HSC Home Care
hschealthcare.org/nurseweek 22 MAY 2 - 8, 2019
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EDUCATION Summer Camp Fosters Female Camaraderie and Unity Sam P.K. Collins WI Contributing Writer @SamPKCollins For the eighth consecutive summer, a group of elders will channel the spirit of Nannie Helen Burroughs, Anna Julia Cooper and other Black female education pioneers as they equip young ladies with the skills needed to navigate adolescence and womanhood. This process will unfold throughout June and July during the iThings 2 Collard Greens Summer Camp for Girls. For six weeks, more than a dozen young women will keep their smartphones out of reach as they receive lessons in knowledge of self, ancestral reverence and conflict resolution — all intended to prime them for a lifetime of service. “This camp is showing our girls how to be of service to their higher selves and community. There’s no technology. They have to turn
DCPS
BRIEFS Compiled by Dorothy Rowley WI Staff Writer
CHARTER SCHOOLS APPLICATIONS
The application cycle for new public charter schools in D.C. is open, with 11 groups having submitted the proper forms. Each application is evaluated through a rigorous review process that includes capacity interviews and public hearings. This review process is based on the D.C. Public Charter Schools’ Standard for Approval, which requires the application demonstrate five criteria: a demonstrated need
on their inner technology,” said Kathy English Holt, founder of the iThings 2 Collard Greens Summer Camp for Girls. Holt started the iThings 2 Collard Greens Summer Camp for Girls in 2001 while battling a serious illness. During her bout, she read about Burroughs and Cooper and learned about a local all-girls boarding school that Burroughs founded in the early 20th century. That story inspired Holt’s foray into youth enrichment, which manifested in the launch of the iThings 2 Collard Greens Summer Camp for Girls at the Davis Center in Northwest. That year and every year since, participants in the program learned about altar work, dance, sewing, yoga and nutrition under the auspices of Beatrice Davis Williams, Frances Coles, Bernadine Watson, Joyce Pegues, Free Benjamin, Princess Thompson and others. for the school; sufficient progress in developing the plan; consistency of the mission and philosophy; inclusiveness; and founding group ability. The 11 proposals plan to educate students ranging from pre-K age to adults. If approved, the public charter schools could open in the 20202021 school year.
STUDENT DISCIPLINE GUIDE
The Office of the Student Advocate recently release its District of Columbia Student Discipline Guide, a helpful resource created for students, families and school staff that explains new rules. under the Student Fair Access to School Amendment Act of 2018. Developed in partnership with the “Every Student, Every Day Coalition” and the Office of the Ombudsman for Public Education, the guide helps students and families understand their rights and provides a roadmap for how to challenge a disciplinary decision at school. The District of Columbia Student Discipline Guide can be
Veteran educator Cheryl Shoemaker will continue to serve as camp director as young ladies between the ages of 5 and 13 converging on the Kingsbury Center in Northwest study the 14th Amendment and explore the historical and current impact of Black women in U.S. politics. “What I found is that when children don’t have anything to do, they get into a lot of mess and fall behind on their school work,” Holt said. “They cannot afford to be idle. Young people trying to babysit young people is also extremely dangerous. Summer should be a time to focus. The youth need to do altar work and spend time [learning about] themselves.” On May 19, the iThings 2 Collard Greens Summer Camp for Girls will host a benefit concert at Peoples Congregational United Church of Christ in Northwest. Jazz bassist and Holt’s son Corcoran Holt, along with his band The Mecca, will headline this event to raise funds for the summer camp. The iThings 2 Collard Greens Summer Camp for Girls rolls out amid what many consider treacherous times for Black women and girls. Within the past few years, more than 75,000 Black women and girls across the country have gone missing in cases that haven’t been heavily publicized. Research from the African American Policy Forum also shows that Black girls often receive harsher treatment from school personnel and law enforcement of-
5 (Photo courtesy/Sam P.K. Collins)
ficials than their counterparts. In response what Holt described as the harsh language and demeaning decorum she recalled witnessing on public transportation, she molded the iThings 2 Collard Greens Summer Camp for Girls so that enrollees could connect with older women and eventually return the favor as camp counselors. For Masai Oakes, a former camper and current camp counselor, such a model proved enriching, especially since she had all male siblings in her household. Years after attending a weeklong retreat with her cohort in a rural South Carolina community. Oakes
said she continues to embrace the love for drawing she fostered while in the iThings 2 Collard Greens Summer Camp for Girls. “This was a camp to go to and feel empowered. Beforehand, I didn’t know or care that much about the importance of being a Black woman,” said Oakes, an 18-year-old college sophomore who lives in Northwest. “Going to this camp [helped me] see a lot of people like me and what we were capable of. “It’s very important,” she said. “If someone wants a sense of community, the iThings 2 Collard Greens Summer Camp for Girls would be a great place for them.” WI
accessed online and will soon be available in print.
SUMMER CAMPS
The D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation has partnered with DCPS to offer new camp opportunities at school sites across the city. Registration has already begun, and the camps will remain open until full capacity is reached. Once at capacity, each summer camp will offer a waitlist for prospective families who are interested in sites that have high demand. Reduced rates are available for qualifying families and before and after care is also available at most locations.
ATTENDANCE COUNTS
Every Day Counts — a citywide effort initiated by Mayor Muriel Bowser to ensure every student attends school every day — will bring together the entire community to support students and families through a public awareness campaign, a Taskforce coordinating public agencies and stakeholders, and investments in data-driven
WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER
5 The Bard High School Early College leadership team: Dr. Brian Gloor (left), dean of studies; Vanessa Anderson (center), principal; and Jeffery Moss, dean of students. (DCPS photo)
strategies to increase attendance. Missing just 10 percent of the school year in early grades can leave many students struggling throughout elementary school, city officials say. By sixth grade, missing 18 days a year is strongly linked to dropping out of high school, and chronic absence affects every grade level and can set preschoolers back substantially. For example, missing just two days a month can put students at risk of academic failure.
INVESTMENTS EXPANSION
In academic year 2019-20, DCPS will expand its investments in early college access through the opening of two new early college programs, including Bard DC at Bard High School Early College in Southeast. Bard DC is a four-year public high school that allows students to take two years of a tuition-free college course of study in the liberal arts. WI
MAY 2 - 8, 2019 23
Parenting: Nine Ways to Keep Your Cool
Submitted by AmeriHealth Caritas District of Columbia
When things get frantic and frenzied with our children, we have the power to bring calm or chaos to the situation. Learning to keep things peaceful takes practice, and is easier with effective tools. The best way to teach coping strategies to our children is to practice them together until they become lifelong habits. • Turn down the volume. Keep a low and soft tone. Even yelling for kids to come to dinner or to clean up brings the volume up. Kids have to work to listen when you speak quietly. Try whispering; it’s hard to sound angry when you whisper. • Be calm yourself. When things get tense, manage your emotions first. Take a break and just breathe. Notice when you’re about to lose it so you can step away and take a time-out for yourself if you can. • Listen and show empathy. Notice what your child is feeling, and say it out loud without judgment (“You didn’t want to share your toy.”). This helps your child feel heard and understood. Empathy can also help kids find words for
their emotions. You can model this by expressing your own emotions when you feel upset. • Help your child find a mantra. “I’ll be OK,” “I can do this!” or “Stay cool” are positive words a child can say to stay calm. Your child might want to write the mantra down and put it on the fridge or their bedroom wall. Kids learn by example, so try saying things like, “Take it easy,” and “This is not an emergency” out loud during your own stressful moments. • Practice taking deep breaths together when things get rushed and busy. Or try breathing along with your kids for three minutes, twice a day. Breathing deeply gets oxygen to the brain for an instant relaxation response. • Teach bear hugs. Coach children through soothing moves like wrapping their arms around their body to give themselves a hug, or tensing and releasing muscles. Or try visualization, and help them imagine floating on a cloud or through the air like a butterfly. • Take your time. Kids have a way of making us feel rushed, whether getting out the door to a fun outing or needing a snack right away. Remind yourself that you don’t have to meet
their demands on the spot, and take the time you need to stay centered. Speak and move slowly when things feel hurried. • Try a free app. Kid-friendly apps such as Stop, Breathe, and Think; Smiling Mind; My First Yoga; and Sleep Meditations for Kids help children catch their breath and slow down. • Take care of you. Eat well and get enough sleep. This will help you keep your cool longer when things get tough. Sources: Nemours Foundation, “Helping Kids Cope with Stress,” www.kidshealth.org/ en/parents/stress-coping.html?WT.ac=ctg#catfeelings, and “Taming Tempers, www.kidshealth.org/en/parents/temper. html#catfeelings. National Institutes of Health, “Talking with Your Doctor,” www. newsinhealth.nih.gov/special-issues/seniors/talking-your-doctor All images are used under license for illustrative purposes only. Any individual depicted is a model
#BestMe Corner How to Talk to Your Doctor About Sensitive Topics
Even when health concerns might seem embarrassing, your primary care provider (PCP) understands those issues and is used to talking about all kinds of personal matters, including sex and memory problems. It’s important to be honest so you get the best care. If you feel awkward talking about sensitive topics, try these tips: • Write down any questions, concerns, and symptoms. Showing your notes to your PCP or other members of your care team can make it easier to start the conversation. • Let your PCP know you want to talk about a sensitive issue, so they can make sure the environment is private. • Call or email your PCP with your concerns. Not being face-to-face might make you feel more relaxed about sensitive issues. • Ask a friend or partner to come with you for support or to speak on your behalf.
Find us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/AmeriHealthDC • Find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/AmeriHealthCaritasDC • Find us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/AmeriHealthCaritasDC
I got a gift card for getting my postpartum checkup. You can too. You can get a $25 gift card if you: • Are an AmeriHealth Caritas District of Columbia member
Rewards Program
• See a midwife or OB/GYN within three to eight weeks (21 – 56 days) after giving birth
After your exam, you can sign up for a gift card to one of these retailers: • Walmart • Chipotle • H&M
• Downtown Locker Room (DTLR)
Visit www.amerihealthcaritasdc.com/giftcard to learn more. Note: Member cannot get more than $50 in incentives each year. ACDC-17124963
www.amerihealthcaritasdc.com
All images are used under license for illustrative purposes only. Any individual depicted is a model.
AmeriHealth Caritas District of Columbia complies with applicable federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. English: ATTENTION: If you speak English, language assistance services, at no cost, are available to you. Call 1-800-408-7511 (TTY/TDD: 202-216-9885 or 1-800-570-1190). Spanish: ATENCIÓN: si habla español, tiene a su disposición servicios gratuitos de asistencia lingüística. Llame al 1-800-408-7511 (TTY/TDD: 202-216-9885 o 1-800-570-1190). Amharic: ማሳሰቢያ፡ አማርኛ መናገር የሚችሉ ከሆነ፣ ከከፍያ ነጻ የሆነ የቋንቋ ድጋፍ አገልግሎት ይቀርብልዎታል፡፡ በስልክ ቁጥር 1-800-408-7511 (TTY/TDD: 202-216-9885 ወይም 1-800-570-1190) ይደውሉ. 1-800-408-7511 اﺗﺼﻞ ﺑﺮﻗﻢ.ﺎن ﻓﺈن ﺧﺪﻣﺎت اﳌﺴﺎﻋﺪة اﻟﻠﻐﻮﻳﺔ ﺗﺘﻮاﻓﺮ ﻟﻚ ﺑﺎ، إذا ﻛﻨﺖ ﺗﺘﺤﺪث اﻟﻠﻐﺔ اﻟﻌﺮﺑﻴﺔ: ﻣﻠﺤﻮﻇﺔ: Arabic .(1-800-570-1190 أوTTY/TDD: 202-216-9885 )رﻗﻢ ﻫﺎﺗﻒ اﻟﺼﻢ واﻟﺒﻜﻢ
24 MAY 2 - 8, 2019
THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM
OPINIONS/EDITORIALS
EDITORIAL
Change is Inevitable but Will All Washingtonians Truly Benefit?
You’d have to be deaf, dumb and blind not to notice the revitalization that’s taking place in the District – from swanky restaurants and luxury housing to added bike lanes, bicycles for rent, solar-paneled homes and modernized schools. In fact, per Washingtonians who have been around long enough for the days when D.C. was accurately referred to as “Chocolate City,” the city has taken on an entirely new look. It’s a place that’s far more diverse with newer residents who are solid, middle- or upper-class citizens – anxious to spend their money and enjoy the ever-increasing hot spots and newly-built local attractions geared towards those who have an excess of disposable income. Like so many other urban settings in the U.S. that have fallen from grace over the past several decades due to a severe decline in jobs, safe neighborhoods, adequate public schools and businesses essential to communities, including banks, grocery stores, hospitals and post offices, many portions of the District have suffered.
TO THE EDITOR Expanding Horizons
If this isn’t too much to ask, I would like The Informer to report more on Black people in South America. The only international places you cover is a few countries in Africa, and places in the Caribbean, but what about my folks in Panama, for example? Panama is a Black country with Black customs, culture and traditions straight from Africa. The mainstream media will never show this about Panama, so Washington Informer, I charge you to cover Black life there, too. Jimmy Costa Washington, D.C.
WI Bridging Generations
The WI Bridge has to have won some awards by now. Every month, I am blown away by the photography, the stories and the people they feature. I always learn something new and it keeps me to hip to younger audiences and how they’re impacting the city. I also loved the homage to Nipsey Hussle. Excellent work. Paris Johnson Washington, D.C.
Mayor Has Teachers’ Backs
I’ve seen firsthand that the quality of our schools depends on the quality of the educators in them. As an elementary school teacher at the Wheatley Education Campus, the strength of my relationship with students affects the impact I can have in the classroom. I’m like an uncle or a parent to many of my students. They depend on me around the clock. I already spend long days at school. I often don’t get home until after 9 p.m., because my commute takes more than one hour. I’ve always wanted to buy a home in Washington, but for the last several years, living outside of the District has been my only affordable option. I’d like to be closer to my school and students. The mayor’s 2020 budget proposal sets aside $20 million to help people like me — teachers and others who play a critical role in our city — so that we can afford to live close to where we work. Many D.C.-area residents are cost-burdened, meaning we pay more than 30% of our income on housing. Faced with high incomes and mortgages, we have to make tough tradeoffs, like paying for medical care versus saving for retirement. The Workforce Housing Fund would ease some of that burden by setting up an initiative to subsidize housing for middle-income families like mine. I love being a teacher and being there for my students. The Workforce Housing Fund would help me be more present in my community, and ultimately make me a better teacher for my students. If you can influence a thought, you can change a mind. If you can change a mind, you can change a world.
The good news is we’re on the way back, rebounding rapidly in ways many could have never imagined. However, a great many longtime residents, most notably Blacks, are finding themselves outpriced, pushed out, ignored and forced to look for affordable places to live outside of the District. For all the good intentions that politicians and business owners may have, gentrification has exerted its onerous reach in almost every ward, resulting in life-altering changes and challenges for the poor and many of the middle class. During the Great Migrations of the 20th century, Blacks left the South and farm lands for northern cities that offered better jobs, better schools, better homes – a better way of life. Now, the grandchildren or great-grandchildren of those former Southern folks find themselves unable to remain in neighborhoods, which for generations, have been home – from the District, Chicago or Detroit, to Cleveland, Milwaukee and St. Louis. Change is something that cannot be avoided and it can be promising and positive. But here in the District, there’s a growing number of residents who lament the change. What will their future hold? And do those who can make a difference for them truly care? WI
The Storied Road to Black Liberation
Small businesses across the U.S will be hailed in May that is declared Small Business Month. The U.S. Small Business Administration will host a week-long salute to small businesses May 5-12. Today, there are reportedly 30.2 million small businesses in the U.S. that hire an estimated 58.9 million employees representing 47.5 percent of all U.S. employees. The good news is that the number of Black-owned businesses is also growing by leaps and bounds, demonstrating the fact that entrepreneurship today is as strong as it was 150 years ago as is the belief held by Blacks for decades that economic independence is synonymous with Black liberation. Award-winning documentary filmmaker Stanley Nelson, Jr., along with Julieanna Richardson of The HistoryMakers, recently co-produced Boss: The Black Experience in Business which aired last month on PBS. Please take time to visit https://www.pbs.org/wnet/boss/ to see this compelling story about the sacrifice, success and even loss of Black-owned businesses that began on the slave-owning plantations by those who successfully purchased freedom for themselves and others. Boss reminds us that Blacks fought and gave their lives to open the doors to freedom, equality and independence and they used business ownership as the key. Beginning with the first Black business person –the Black farmer – who equated owning land with freedom to the publisher of Ebony and Jet magazines –the late John H. Johnson – who told the stories of Black success as a means of inspiring others, the trajectory of Black-owned business has been long and nothing less than remarkable. As Black-owned business grew, so did the communities that supported them, the churches and schools they supported and the freedom-fighting organizations that also relied on their support to tear down barriers. The legendary Black Wall Street, also featured in the film, is an example of how Black business people built communities and how racism and white supremacy quickly destroyed it all. “People aren’t lining up to tell this story,” Nelson said in an interview about the film. “If we hadn’t told this story, it would not have been told. It is two-hours of telling the struggle to start a business and the struggles they had to overcome to stay in business.” That story continues today as urban cities across the U.S. are experiencing an economic boom, including Washington, DC, where a new chapter is being written about gentrification and the destruction of small Black-owned businesses. The fact that they survived the best and worst of times means little to those who seek to build new communities in their own image. If there was ever a time in which small Black-owned businesses needed our patronage and support, it is now. Celebrate Small Business Month and shop Black! WI
Gary Hamilton WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER
MAY 2 - 8, 2019 25
OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnist
By Julianne Malveaux
James Byrd’s Killer Didn’t Deserve the Death Penalty
Killing is wrong. Killing Black people because they are Black is even more wrong. Lynching Black people is exponentially wrong. So why was I opposed to the state-imposed killing of John William King, the despicable murderer of James Byrd Jr.? I happen to think that there are worse things that can happen to you than death. King, 44, who was executed April 24, could have gotten a sentence of
life in prison and lived miserably there for the rest of his life. In some ways, death is salvation for him. Imagine being relatively healthy with nothing to look forward to? Just sitting there in jail, surrounded by the Black people your white supremacists purportedly hate. That might be torture worse than death. James Byrd Jr. was dragged from a moving vehicle for almost three miles near Jasper, Texas, in 1998. King and two other men (one whose death penalty sentence was carried out in 2011, another who was sentenced to life in prison) were found guilty one of the most horrific hate crimes in modern U.S. history (Black men were also burned alive in
the heyday of lynching). Mr. Byrd’s family was present at the execution in Huntsville, Texas. Byrd’s sister, Clara Taylor, noted that the murderer, who maintained his innocence, showed no remorse when he was convicted, and showed none when he was executed. He never acknowledged, and never looked at Byrd’s family. Does a man whose body sported disgusting tattoos — including, according to one news source, “one of a black man with a noose around his neck hanging from a tree” — deserve the death penalty? I say no. Keep that filth alive and keep him miserable. His execution creates a martyr for white supremacists. Had
Guest Columnist
he lived, he would have evolved into nothing more than pitiful irrelevance. The death penalty has been abolished in 20 states, with moratoriums on executions in other states, most recently in California, thanks to Gov. Gavin Newsome. It ought to be abolished nationally. According to the Death Penalty Information Center (https:// deathpenaltyinfo.org/documents/ FactSheet.pdf) nearly 1,500 people had their death sentences carried out between 1976 and now. Despite the fact that African Americans are just 13 percent of the nation’s population, we were more than a third of those executed after receiving a
death sentence. People who killed white people were far more likely to get the death penalty than people who kill Black people. There are racial biases replete in the application of the death penalty, with numerous studies supporting the many ways the death penalty is unfairly awarded. According to the Death Penalty Information, as an example, Washington state jurors were “three times as likely to recommend a death sentence for a Black defendant than a white one.” In Louisiana, someone who killed a white person was nearly twice as likely to get the death penalty as one who killed a Black person. The death penalty is applied
MALVEAUX Page 45
By Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr.
Making Wall Street Pay for Foreclosure Crisis
Last week, as Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) convened a House Financial Services Committee hearing, featuring the CEOs of Wall Street’s biggest banks, the financial watchdog group Better Markets released a stunning report on the banks’ criminal records: Wall Street’s Six Biggest Bailed-Out Banks: Their RAP Sheets and Their Ongoing Crime Spree. The report profiled the records
of Bank of America, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley and Wells Fargo. Detailing the staggering $8.2 trillion that was committed to bail out these banks when their excesses blew up the economy in 2008, the report laid out what it called their RAP sheets — the record of illegal activity for which they have been fined a cumulative total of $181 billion in over 350 major legal actions. The report concludes that these big banks “have engaged in — and continue to engage in — a crime spree that spans the violation of almost every law and rule imaginable.
… That was the case not just before the 2008 crash, but also during and after the crash and their lifesaving bailouts. … In fact, the number of cases against the banks has actually increased relative to the pre-crash era.” The scope of the illegal activity is breathtaking — overcharging soldiers on their mortgages, conspiring to fix the price of credit card fees, massive improper foreclosure practices, billing customers for services never provided, rigging interest rates, violating sanctions against countries like Iran, and more. The large fines are, for these
Guest Columnist
mega-banks, merely a cost of doing business. And so the crime wave continues. The banks particularly prey on the vulnerable, regularly pleading guilty of discriminating against African Americans and Latinos. Long after the bailout, for example, JPMorgan Chase paid $53 million to settle charges that it had discriminated against minority borrowers by charging them more for a mortgage than white customers. The banks were at the center of the housing bubble and its collapse. About 10 million people were displaced from over 4 million homes
across the country. Minority neighborhoods were hit the hardest. For decades, the banks red-lined minority areas, depriving residents of access to mortgages or loans for small business development. Then, when the banks inflated the housing bubble, they targeted minority neighborhoods, peddling predatory mortgages to customers who they knew could not afford them. As one former Wells Fargo mortgage broker explained in a sworn affidavit, “The company put ‘bounties’ on minority borrowers. By this I
JACKSON Page 45
By A. Peter Bailey
Guidance from Wise, Courageous Ancestral Warriors It was in 1619, 400 years ago, that the first African captives were brought to what is now Virginia. Since that time, many of our courageous ancestral warriors, men and women, have fought against the physical and psychological terrorism inflicted by the proponents of white supremacy/racism. If we, as people of African descent, had paid more attention to and agreed upon the guidance and advice from our
26 MAY 2 - 8, 2019
ancestors, we would most definitely be further ahead in the war for equal rights, equal justice and equal opportunity. Their directives include the following: David Walker: “I pray that the Lord undeceive my ignorant brethren, and permit them to throw away pretensions, and seek after the substance of learning. I would crawl on my hands and knees through mud and mire, to the feet of a learned man, where I would sit and humbly supplicate him to instill into me that which neither devils nor tyrants
could remove, only with my life — for colored people to acquire learning in this country makes tyrants quake and tremble on their sandy foundations.” Mary McLeod Bethune: “If our people are to fight their way out of bondage, we must arm them with the sword and the shield and the buckler of pride — belief in themselves and their possibilities, based upon sure knowledge of the achievements of the past. That knowledge and that pride we must give them if it breaks every back in the kingdom!”
Benjamin E. Mays: “I hope we will make it clear to ourselves and our children — that whether we believe in integration, separatism or nationalism, there is no substitute for a trained mind. For the future belongs — always has and always will belong — to the man who knows, and the man who has skills.” Martin Luther King Jr.: “Education without social action is a one-sided value because it has no true power potential. Social action without education is a weak expression of pure energy. Deeds uninformed
by educated thought can take false directions. When we go into action and confront our adversaries, we must be as armed with knowledge as they are. Our policies should have the strength of deep analysis beneath them to be able to challenge the clever sophistries of our opponents.” Malcolm X: “Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today. … Just because you have colleges and universities
BAILEY Page 45
THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM
OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnist
By Charlene Crowell
Nation’s Racial Wealth Divide Worsens with Federal Tax Cuts
If you’re like me, every time you hear a news reporter or anchor talk about how great the nation’s economy is, you wonder what world they are living in. Certainly, these journalists are not referring to the ongoing struggle to make ends meet that so much of Black America faces. For every daily report of Wall
Street trading, or rising corporate profits, you’re reminded that somebody else is doing just fine financially. To put it another way: Will I ever get past my payday being an exchange day, and when I can finally have the chance to keep a portion of what I earn in my own name and see how much it can grow? When new research speaks to those who are forgotten on most nightly news shows, I feel obliged to share that news — especially
when conclusions find systemic faults suppress our collective ability to strengthen assets enough to make that key transition from paying bills to building wealth. “Ten Solutions to Close the Racial Wealth Divide” is jointly authored by the Institute for Policy Studies, Ohio State University’s Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity, and the National Community Reinvestment Coalition. This insightful and scholarly work opens with updates on the nation’s nagging and
Guest Columnist
widening racial wealth divide. It then characterizes solutions offered as one of three approaches: programs, power, and process. According to the authors, programs refer to new government programs that could have a major impact on improving the financial prospects of low-wealth families. Power refers to changes to the federal tax code that could bring a much-needed balance to the tax burden now borne by middle and low-income workers. Process refers to changes to the
government operates in regard to race and wealth. “For far too long we have tolerated the injustice of a violent, extractive and racially exploitive history that generated a wealth divide where the typical black family has only a dime for every dollar held by a typical white family,” said Darrick Hamilton, report co-author and executive director of the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnic-
CROWELL Page 46
By Marian Wright Edelman
Out of Sight, Out of Mind
Baby dolls, tiny trucks, toy food and dress-up capes. Scattered about the ballroom of a motel in northeast Washington, D.C., and captured in a Washington Post column by Petula Dvorak, these hallmarks of child’s play are not merely a sign of productive imaginations — they’re evidence of a larger child and family poverty crisis that must end in our affluent nation. Twenty minutes outside the city’s downtown, a stretch of budget motels along a major high-
way serve as overflow shelters for homeless families in the nation’s capital. They have strict rules about where children are seen and heard. Signs dotting the hallways announce “No Playing on the Hotel Premises” and children are forbidden from gathering in common spaces. The Homeless Children’s Playtime Project, a local nonprofit, reserves event spaces to carve out areas where children can be children. However, the lack of space and high cost of reserving ballrooms and conference halls means pop-up playtimes are much too limited. Away from the hustle and bustle of Capitol Hill where big
Guest Columnist
deals are made and bills become laws, the motels — and the 1,000 homeless children within them — are largely out of sight and out of mind. Other shelters are similarly isolated. Until it closed in October 2018, the city’s largest family shelter was D.C. General, an abandoned public hospital whose neighboring buildings included a jail and a morgue. Out of direct view and tucked into the nooks and crannies of a dense, bustling city, it is too easy to overlook out-of-sight homeless children. Until tragedy strikes. Eight-year-old Relisha Rudd was abducted from the D.C.
General homeless shelter in March 2014. Relisha loved art and baby dolls and would exuberantly spell V-I-C-T-O-R-Y on her school’s cheer team. For months, Relisha’s disappearance dominated the news cycle and brought the glare of national attention to D.C. General. City officials, pundits, locals and anonymous online commenters heaped blame on Relisha’s family, her teachers and her social workers. But assigning blame did nothing to bring Relisha home. Five years have passed and Relisha is still missing. Why do we fail to see our poor children until their faces stare at
us from a Missing Child poster? Why do we blame parents rather than blame our broken, unjust system that fails to provide affordable housing for families? Thousands of Relishas live everywhere among us, without safe places to live and grow up. They are homeless because housing is too expensive and their parents’ jobs pay too little, unaccounted for because affordable quality child care is out of reach, finding pockets of playtime in motel ballrooms because play is otherwise forbidden, hurting because poverty hurts.
EDELMAN Page 46
By E. Faye Williams
Isn’t it Time? Black women in Houston and across the nation began preparing to use our political power during a recent event held at Texas Southern University. Presidential hopefuls attended to begin a conversation with Black women regarding what’s important to us and what we’re looking for from candidates in 2020. Isn’t it time for us to begin using our economic power, too? A few months ago, the Black Leadership Alliance, Clear the Airwaves and the National Congress of Black
Women began a campaign called RESPECT US to urge corporations that spend millions of dollars in advertising on radio programs that play hateful music which disrespects our communities, particularly Black women and girls. We’ve made every effort to get the attention of the guilty parties, but it’s as if they don’t care and relish making it possible for stations to play the degrading, hateful music that worships murder, illegal drugs, shooting up neighborhoods and misogyny. We recognize there are Black franchisees of McDonald’s and
Subway restaurants, but that’s not a good reason for accepting the disrespect of our people. Franchise owners should be the first in line influencing their corporate offices to spend their advertising dollars on programs that uplift us. Franchise owners don’t get a pass just because they want to earn a dollar off the very community they should be uplifting. Some franchise owners make modest donations to certain community activities. That’s all the more reason they should want to clean up the filth their corporate owners are paying for. We’ve made every effort to com-
WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER
municate with McDonald’s and Subway corporate offices, but have been ignored. We’ve taken the same step with other heads of corporations that disrespect our community, but the time has come for us to move to action. Juneteenth has some meaning to us, so we’re asking you to join us on the weekend of June 21-23 to join with brothers and sisters in Atlanta, D.C., Philadelphia, New York City and Chicago to support our effort on this Juneteenth Economic Withdrawal Weekend. Don’t shop at McDonald’s and Subway because when you do,
you are supporting these offenders and disrespecting the communities some try so hard to clean up and protect. It’s the duty of all of us to support events and projects that are in our best interest. We oppose vulgar hateful rhetoric that encourages the killing of Black people and the abuse and degrading of Black women and girls in particular. Below are actual lyrics from current rappers: “Wet your mama’s house, wet your grandmama’s house/
WILLIAMS Page 46 MAY 2 - 8, 2019 27
LIFESTYLE John Singleton Dies at 51 after suffering stroke WI Staff Report Director John Singleton, who, at 24, became the youngest director nominee in Oscar history with his screen debut “Boyz N the Hood” died April 29 at Los Angeles hospital at the age of 51. Singleton’s family said Monday that he died after being taken off life support, about two weeks after the director suffered a major stroke. Singleton was in his early 20s, just out of the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts, when he wrote, directed and produced “Boyz N the Hood.” Based on Singleton’s upbringing and shot in his old neighborhood, the low-budget production starred Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Ice Cube and centered on three friends in South Central Los Angeles, where college aspirations competed with the pressures of gang life. “Boyz N the Hood” was a critical and
KEITH from Page 4 Chief U.S. District Judge Denise Page Hood of the Eastern District of Michigan called Keith a legal giant and said his death is “a great loss to our nation and the Constitution.” “He dedicated his legal life to protecting the rights guaranteed under our Constitution and de-
28 MAY 2 - 8, 2019
commercial hit, given a 20-minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival and praised as a groundbreaking extension of rap to the big screen, a realistic and compassionate take on race, class, peer pressure and family. Singleton would later call it a “rap album on film.” For many, the 1991 release captured the explosive mood in Los Angeles in the months following the videotaped police beating of Rodney King. “Boyz N the Hood” also came out at a time when, thanks to the efforts to Spike Lee and others, black films were starting to get made by Hollywood after a long absence. Singleton became the first Black director to receive an Academy Award nomination, an honor he would say was compensation for the academy’s snubbing Lee and “Do the Right Thing” two years earlier, and was nominated for best screenplay. (“The Silence of the Lambs” won in both categories). cided some of the pressing issues of our time,” Page Hood said. Keith Brown, who’s a physical therapist in suburban Chicago, said her father often peppered them with inspirational phrases as they were growing up on Detroit’s west side. “Dad used to say things like, ‘Learn to listen and listen to learn. You can disagree without
5 John Singleton (Courtesy photo)
“I think I was living this film before I ever thought about making it,” Singleton told Vice in 2016. “As I started to think about what I wanted to do with my life, and cinema became an option, it was just natural that this was probably gonna be my first film. In fact, when I applied to USC Film School they had a thing that asked you to write three ideas for films. And one of them was called Summer of ‘84, which was about growing up in South Central LA.” In 2002, “Boyz N the Hood’ was added to the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress, which called it “an innovative look at life and the tough choices present for kids growing up in South Central Los Angeles.”
None of Singleton’s subsequent movies received the acclaim of “Boyz N the Hood” and he was criticized at times for turning characters into mouthpieces for political and social messages. But he attracted talent ranging from Tupac Shakur to Don Cheadle and explored themes of creative expression (“Poetic Justice”), identity (“Higher Learning”) and the country’s racist past, notably in “Rosewood,” based on a murderous white rampage against a black community in Florida in 1923. He also made the coming-ofage story “Baby Boy,” a remake of the action film “Shaft” and an installment in the “Fast and Furious” franchise, “2 Fast 2 Furious.” Other recent projects included the FX crime drama “Snowfall,” which
he helped create. Starring Damson Idris, “Snowfall” returned Singleton to the Los Angeles of his youth and the destructive effects of the rise of crack cocaine. “Drugs devastated a generation. It gave me something to write about, but I had to survive it first,” Singleton told the Guardian in 2017. “It made me a very angry young man. I didn’t understand why I was so angry, but I wasn’t someone who took my anger and applied it inward. I turned it into being a storyteller. I was on a kamikaze mission to really tell stories from my perspective — an authentic black perspective.” Singleton was married twice and had five children. WI
being disagreeable. And, “Show me a batter who hasn’t struck out and I’ll show who a batter who has never been to bat.’ “These are some the inspirational quotes he used to repeat that stuck me through the years and gave me inspiration as I faced challenges,” said Keith Brown. The Rev. Charles Christian Adams, co-pastor of Hartford Memorial Baptist Church, where Keith was a longtime member, said the congregation had a moment of silence in his honor during Sunday’s service. “As great as he was and as well-respected as he was he never lost the common touch,” Adams said. “When he worshiped at Hartford, if you didn’t know who he was you wouldn’t think he was anybody special. He was never ostentatious or braggadocios. He was just a person who loved God, a person who loved people and a person who tried to make his world a better place.” Editor’s Note: Judge Keith was a neighborhood favorite during my childhood in Detroit. His
family and mine lived just a few blocks from one another and his youngest daughter, Gilda, and I were in the same classrooms at Louis Pasteur Elementary School. His accomplishments as a jurist are well-documented as
are his many contributions to the city of Detroit. But I will always remember him being the kind of Black man that made little Black boys seek to emulate. Rest in Peace Judge Keith. WI
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LIFESTYLE ‘Junk’ at Arena Stage Mixes Tale of Greed, Evil with Humor By Eve M. Ferguson WI Contributing Writer It is said that we all have a shadow side, whether we choose to acknowledge it or not, let alone act on it. But Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Ayad Akhtar’s “Junk’ satisfies that shadier side of the psyche without any real action needed. The play is a throwback to some of the financial scandals of previous decades, letting the audience indulge in a tale of greed and evil, with a healthy dose of humor. The two-hour play, which runs without intermission, is loosely based on the high-yield bond scandal of the 1980s, where financier Michael Robert Milken made millions on bad debt, or “junk bonds,” but eventually landed in jail. “I am so thrilled that ‘Junk’ will be playing at Arena, in the nation’s capital—where we have all witnessed the result of money’s increasing predominance in our national, political life,” Ayad said. “I do believe the central story of our time is not identity, but money. And it seems to me the central thread of that American tale takes us right through the events of the mid-’80s, and the rise of debt as a tool for empowerment, both individual and corporate.” The tale is a peek into the life of fictional financier Robert Merkin (Thomas Keegan), a Jewish trader who found a formula to make billions off the debt of companies, staging several hostile takeovers of struggling compa-
nies once he drove their debt up to untenable levels. The narrator is Judy Chen (Nancy Sun), a shrewd Asian-American journalist who has embarked on writing a book about the fast-paced, high-stakes financial world when she gets wind of Merkin’s schemes and becomes intrigued. In a rapidly changing, brightly lit set made of moveable tables and chairs, the stark design by Misha Kachman helps to keep the attention on the plot, with all of its twists and turns swiftly unfolding in the dialogue between Merkin, his partners-in-crime Israel Peterman (Jonathan David Martin), the businessman who snatches up the companies at low prices, Boris Pronsky (Elan Zafir), his frontman, and even his wife Amy (Amanda Forstrom), who all have skin in the game. When Merkin homes in on a failing family business, all facets go into action to corner the prey, Thomas Everson Jr. (Edward Gero), whose family-owned business ran into a cash flow crisis. With an originally well-intentioned investor courted by Merkin, Leo Tressler (David Andrew Macdonald), the die is cast, resulting in the loss of Everson’s steel mill, along with other offshoot companies created by his father. In this intricate and intriguing take on American society and what drives it, director Jackie Maxwell takes audiences on a roller-coaster ride in which no one comes out unscathed and all the characters ultimately cave for the love of money.
That is, except for Kevin Walsh (played by homegrown actor JaBen Early), the intrepid FBI agent who sets up the players to reveal their schemes while he records their phone conversations to lead to a culminating indictment of Merkin and his associates. Working with an elected official, Giuseppe Addesso (Nicholas Baroudi), Walsh notes he is just doing his job as his cohort, Addesso, accepts payola in order to secure his upcoming election. “This is not meant to be a historical tale, not a bio-drama,” said Macdonald, whose character is the only other that addresses any degree of moral culpability. “It’s about the time. It is an origin myth for the state of greed in America and the tentacles it has around the world. And if he could get a good laugh out of it, then yeah!” “Junk” plays at the Fichlander Stage of Arena Stage through May 5. For showtimes and ticket prices, go to arenastage.org. WI
5 (L to R) Thomas Keegan (Robert Merkin) and Perry Young (Raul Rivera) in Junk running April 5 through May 5, 2019 at Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater. (Photo C. Stanley Photography)
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5 (L to R) Michael Glenn (Mark O’Hare), Elan Zafir (Boris Pronsky) and JaBen Early (Kevin Walsh/Curt) in Junk running April 5 through May 5, 2019 at Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater. (Photo C. Stanley Photography)
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LIFESTYLE Rahsaan Patterson Looks to the Heavens for New Album By Eunice Moseley Special to The Informer
“’A beautiful love song that was inspired,” said singer Rahsaan Pat-
terson about his new single “Sent From Heaven” from his upcoming Shanachie Entertainment project, “Heroes and Gods,” set for a May 17 release. “It’s a return to joy …
coming whole again after … heartbreak.” The onetime BET J Award winner for Underground Artist of the Year hasn’t released a project
since 2011’s “Bleuphoria.” “Heroes and Gods” will be released on the Shanachie imprint, home of such other iconic artists as jazz pianist Keiko Matsui, Will Downing, Kim Waters and Norman Brown. “That song was … all songs are from the Creator … absolutely a gift that’s from the universe,” said Patterson about the concept for “Sent From Heaven.” “I’ve grown and learned to stay self-aware. The future is absolutely promised once you internally do the work. Because of the pain of life and relationships you come away aware of consequences of choices. We create the future.” Patterson said he learned to keep his focus on the positive aspects of life and relationships. Life is too short to focus on anything but that, said the Los Angeles-based singer, who is celebrating 35 years in the
entertainment business. I remind him each time we talk that I interviewed him, Fergie, Shanice and Mario Lopez during their time on the 1980s television show “Kids Incorporated” and have been interviewing them all throughout their careers since then. After “Kids Incorporated,” Patterson signed a deal with MCA Records and, as they say, the rest is history. Patterson, who has mastered R&B, jazz, funk and gospel vocal genres, has collaborated with such iconic artists as Faith, Ledisi, Rachelle Ferrell and Lalah Hathaway. “It takes the experience of life,” he pointed out near the end of our interview. “The hard times, trauma, the working through the hurt to understand that you can make it through … a heartbreak.” WI
5 Rahsaan Patterson (Courtesy photo)
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LIFESTYLE
Baltimore Times Publisher Joy Bramble Immortalized in Wax By Eunice Moseley Special to The Informer Joy Bramble, publisher of The Baltimore Times, was recently immortalized in wax for her 30plus years of providing a Black media outlet. Bramble was honored with a proclamation from the Maryland House and Senate before the unveiling of a wax figure in her name at the National Great Blacks in Wax Museum in Baltimore. “I was surprised and honored,” Bramble said of the proclamation and unveiling. “The reason is what we’ve been able to accomplish with The Baltimore Times.” As their first employee in 1986, I was a witness and full participant in those accomplishments. Bramble started The Baltimore Times with the blessing and help from her husband Rev. Peter Bramble, an Episcopal priest. I was straight out of college as a telecommunications major working at WEBB Radio as a paid intern when I was hired by Joy Bramble. The Baltimore Times, when it changed from a monthly publication to a weekly, became the largest-circulated Black-owned newspaper in Maryland. It grew to have three sister publications — The Annapolis Times, The Prince George’s County Times and The Baltimore County Times. It was the first company to offer community events in Baltimore that provided free services with its Housing Expo (onsite pre-approvals), Health Expo (free health care screenings), Men’s Expo (free health care screenings) and Women’s Expo (free seminars). “My whole life has been like magic,” said Bramble, a native of Montserrat. “I’ve never been afraid to try things. If that doesn’t work you move on. Set an example and keep trying.” But Bramble didn’t start off in the states as a newspaper publisher. She began as an educator in the Baltimore City school system and even owned a lucrative corner store before deciding she wanted to saturate the city with “positive stories about positive people,” the motto for her newspaper. “Someone broke into the store and I was afraid and decided to close it,” she said about her corner store venture. As far as her role as a teach-
5 Joy Bramble (Courtesy photo)
er, she said, “I feel if I am not making a difference I have to do something else. I found out how hard it was teaching in Baltimore schools. I knew that I wasn’t fulfilling my potential and that was not for me.” Bringing “positive stories about positive people” and providing free community services to Baltimore city residents to help save lives and people’s homes was where she was able to fulfill her potential. “Taking chances and learning,” Bramble told me of how she grew her newspaper. “And the people I’ve come in contact with. I made a difference in their lives, set an example. Look at you! You are a prime example.”
Bramble is talking about all the achievements I have made with her blessing and because of her urging. I came to The Baltimore Times because I love writing, but she saw that I could make a great salesperson. So we made a deal: she would let me write for the newspaper if I sold ads for her. She was right — I became the highest-paid salesperson at the newspaper. My love for writing resulted in a position as entertainment editor at the newspaper. I am now a syndicated entertainment columnist with over 1/4 million readers a week nationwide. At one point as her business manager, she urged me in the strongest way to be her promotions director and because of it, I helped spearhead The Baltimore Times community event projects. The events garnered the newspaper recognitions from the city for serving the community with events held annually. Each of the four events raked up thousands of dollars in extra venue for the newspaper. Bramble allowed me to learn all these skills on the job by not limiting me and by urging me. I was able to open up my own business, a public relations/ business service company. She did not mind me moonlighting after work as long as I did my job at the newspaper. I founded “Uplifting Minds,” a free entertainment conference event for the newspaper, in 1999 to reach young readers — the fifth event. In 2000, Bramble granted my request for ownership of the
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event and as “Uplifting Minds II” I took the free entertainment conference annually to communities in Baltimore, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Houston. I am only one of many employees Joy Bramble has helped in this way. “Life is a challenge — I like
challenges,” she said. “Someone tells me I can’t do something — I find a way. The statue will be unveiled at the State House. I’m getting a proclamation from the Senate and the House and the statue will be unveiled afterward at The Great Blacks in Wax.” WI
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LIFESTYLE
Millennial Soul Man, Vocalist Zacardi Cortez Delivers WI Staff Report
Over the last decade, Zacardi Cortez’s muscularly dynamic vocals have established him as one of soul music’s new leaders. The gruffvoiced tenor has scored No. 1 hits such as “1 on 1” and “Oh, How I Love You” which recently spent a dozen weeks atop the Billboard Gospel Airplay chart. Now, he’s recorded his most heart-felt musical statement yet with “You Don’t Know” (Black Smoke Music Worldwide). It opens softly with Cortez singing, “you don’t know what I’ve been through, let me share my story with you.” He reminisces on some of his real-life challenges. Then, against a flurry of crashing symbols, he belts out a raspy testimonial of God’s faithfulness: http://smarturl.it/ZacardiYouDontKnow. “I’ve had writing credit on a couple of songs in the past but this is the first time I really focused and wrote a song,” says Cortez who collaborated with Grammy-Award nominated singer/songwriter, James
Fortune, on the tune which will appear on his highly-anticipated sophomore album, “Soul of A Man” (Black Smoke Music Worldwide) which is tentatively scheduled for a fall 2019 release. “I’ve been through a lot of things that tortured my soul, but God has brought me through it all,” Cortez said. “I’m now at a place where I’m letting my experience come through my music.” The Houston native has appeared on recordings with the likes of Kirk Franklin and Lalah Hathaway, among others. “Zacardi is the best singer in America today,” said Black Smoke Music Worldwide CEO Kerry Douglas. “I’ve been working with him for over a decade now and have witnessed incredible maturity. I’m very proud of his growth as a young man and as a seasoned vocalist. Despite all his big hits, I think his current work is the best yet. I can’t wait for the world to hear Zacardi’s `Soul of a Man’ album we’re preparing.” WI
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LIFESTYLE Fighting Prostate Cancer, One Man at a Time By Hamil R. Harris WI Contributing Writer
Clinton Burnside, coordinator of the prostate awareness program at the Howard University Cancer Center, was also at West Potomac Park on April 13, along with Quincy Gant, Grand Master of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of DC, and nearly 100 others. The masons have been pushing African-American men to get checked. Dr. Jackson Davis, a retired Howard University Hospital urologist who also took part in the walk, said technology has greatly improved so there is no reason why men should not get treated.
One of the latest innovations is the cyber knife, which eschews cutting in favor of using a guided radiation beam on a specific area, Davis said. Scientists say this eliminates some of the side effects in radiating tissue. Burnside said there is lot of genetic research looking into why so many African-American men get prostate, but there is no clear answer. “We want men to come and get screened because of the risk factors: being an African American, being overweight, a lack of exercise and our diet,” Burnside said. WI
Stephen Jefferson arrived at West Potomac Park at 5:30 a.m., and even though it was still dark, he was working hard to register people for the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia’s annual 5K Prostate Walk this month. “I am fighting this cause because I don’t want the brothers to go through what I had to go through,” said Jefferson, 52, who in June 2009 was diagnosed with stage 4 Hodgkin’s lymphoma and underwent surgery at Howard University after the cancer spread to his stomach. He said in terms of prostate cancer, African-American men are the leading group getting the disease and dying from the diseases. The American Cancer Society estimates that 300 people will be diagnosed with the disease this year and 70 will die. “Prostate cancer is still killing far too many Black men because of the stigma,” Jefferson said during the April 13 event. “We don’t want to get the digital recital exam and get checked for a disease that is preventable.” Howard University President Wayne A.I. Frederick, a leader in cancer research for nearly two decades, was the surgeon who operated on Jefferson, who said he is now cancer-free after years of diet, exercise and lifestyle change. Jefferson has since gone from patient to educator when it comes to prostate cancer. “For Blacks suffering with cancer, our mortality rate is higher and part of this is because we have to travel so far for treatment,” he said. 5 Annual checkups are essential. (Courtesy photo)
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LIFESTYLE SANKOFA from Page 1 out the office space, the conference room and the front space to families and community groups,” she said . On June 3, the D.C. Council Committee on Business and Eco-
nomic Development will hear testimony about the “The Mypheduh Films DBA Sankofa Video and Books Real Property Tax Exemption Act,” introduced by Council member Brianne Nadeau (D-Ward 1) in January.
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If passed, this bill would protect Sankofa from taxation and provide the bookstore with what’s described as equitable relief. Shirikiana Aina Gerima, an African-American filmmaker hailing from Detroit, said the D.C. Council has a responsibility to help residents and business owners who stayed in the District and accentuated the local culture during its toughest times. “In the history of development, the development came at the cost of families and businesses,” she said. “In rough times, their commitment holds the city together. They pay their taxes, despite what they have to face. Then when the city makes good, they get pushed out.” The Gerimas initially opened Sankofa Video & Books, located across the street from Howard University, in the late 1990s as a means of distributing their seminal work. The large, spacious storefront has since served as a hub for those seeking material that raises their Pan-African consciousness. In Sankofa’s later years, a instore cafe arrived as a complement to the thousands of books, media, clothing and other various types of Pan-African paraphernalia available to patrons. Additionally, authors, poets, academics and other intellectuals continue to present their work before live audiences. During
standing-room-only events, many of them have reflected on gentrification’s impact, exploring it in the context of the forced migration of Africans in the United States and across the world. That reality has unfolded outside of Sankofa, and along Georgia Avenue for more than decade. Rising property values, and the accompanying tax burden, forced the closure of several neighborhood establishments, including Labamba Sub Shop on the corner of Georgia Avenue and Euclid, and Children
Aina Gerima since the beginning of her tenure compelled her sponsorship of the legislation named for Sankofa. She recounted hearing similar concerns about economic development from constituents old and new who cite fears of cultural erasure. “The character of our neighborhoods depends on sustaining the small and local businesses that we know and love,” Nadeau said in an email. Her gesture to Sankofa counts among efforts to represent local business owners, the most recent being a written letter to the T-Mobile corporation in support of the go-go music playing outside of the MetroPCS store on 7th Street and Florida Avenue in Northwest. Nadeau has also attempted to connect business owners to economic opportunities. “Through my work on the council, I also funded and established the Lower Georgia Avenue Main Street organization, which works to support small businesses in the corridor,” she said. “I also expanded the boundaries of the Great Streets program on Georgia Avenue and worked with businesses to help them access Great Streets funding to renovate their storefronts and attract more customers.” Before the council’s Committee of the Whole deliberates and votes on the bill, it has to be make it through the council’s Committee on Business and Economic Development and Committee on Finance and Revenue. Since last week’s announcement of the upcoming council hearings, the Gerimas have rallied support for the legislation, encouraging patrons and members of the community to testify in May. It’s time, Shirikiana Aina Gerima emphasized, to put to use the knowledge conveyed in the readings that line the walls of the bookstore. “Our job is to make sure there’s enough pressure to make politicians respond,” she said. “Sankofa has to be in place; its job is to provide materials that allow people to grow, think, and address the immediate concerns that chip away at the pillar of this city. Politicians’ jobs aren’t designed for them to save people, but we have to make sure politicians respond to what we say.” WI
“The character of our
neighborhoods depends on
sustaining the small and local businesses that we know and
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love.” –Nadeau
of the Sun, among other small businesses. The disappearance of those stores hint at a greater exodus of African Americans from the Shaw area and other parts of D.C. Since the turn of the century, the District’s Black population has shrank by more than 30 percentage points. Nadeau, in office since 2015, said conversations with Shirikiana
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in Hollywood. Standing with her Black man, they stood up for Black female comedians and more. In her own words, what she actually said about Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle and Amy Schumer. Also, concerning the issue they shared details about Whoopie Goldberg, Tyler Perry Lee Daniels and Steve Harvey. Go to blackonblackunity.com THEN CLICK Radio Information Show date February 2, 2019.
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34 MAY 2 - 8, 2019
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LIFESTYLE
wi book review “We Speak for Ourselves: A Word from Forgotten Black America” by D. Watkins c.2019, Atria $26 ($35 Canada) 208 pages
By Terri Schlichenmeyer WI Contributing Writer You could be rich someday. That’s what they say: you could have a great job, a nice car, and a crib on the beach, if you want them. They say it could happen, if you seize opportunities that come your way. They say it’s possible to be successful if you just pull yourself up by some imaginary bootstraps. And according to D. Watkins in his new book “We Speak for Ourselves,” they are lying. Oprah, Jay-Z, Beyonce, Kanye. Of course, you know who they are, but did you ever notice that they aren’t like most Black people? That’s something D. Watkins sees in the books he reads on race, in the TV he watches, and events he attends: there are “different types of Black people” and when it comes to news and “maybe even in society…. People from the street are absent…” In Watkins’ world — “Down Bottom” in Baltimore — gunfire is a common background noise. It’s also common for multiple generations of Black men to die by bullets, for girls to get pregnant early, and for boys to sling drugs. What else do they know, except what they see? Kids on the street are not “dumb,” he says, but a “street hustler mentality” is given to them as a sort of heritage because there aren’t a lot of choices, opportunities are few, and the need for money is powerful. It doesn’t help that education for Black students is often underfunded, proper nourishment is sometimes lacking, housing may be sub-par, “open-air drug markets are real,” cops can be “more crooked than the crooks,” and “Black Taxes” exist. And yet, Watkins is proof that success is possible, but it’ll take action. Promote literacy. Teach a child something. Get to know people who are different than you. “Be the person you needed growing up.” Speak up, but remember that your voice won’t mean a thing “if action is not added to those words.” Sometimes it happens: your eyes are open but you can’t see. When author D. Watkins writes, though, you’re smacked with the very thing you’re missing. Watkins, who starts “We Speak for Ourselves” with a cocktail party attended by elite Blacks, turns his attention quickly to the majority of Black people he knows, none of whom are rich or famous. This tour, if you will, takes readers into his neighborhood through a voice that quietly hammers home the realities of privilege, inequality, poverty and feelings of helplessness, but Watkins doesn’t let us linger there. Observant readers will find simple actions for change-making and reminders that we always hold the power to act. There’s quiet advice for keeping a cool head when wrongs are presented, and a gently urgent plea that differently-backgrounded people spend time together. There’s also one hilariously subtle thread of humor, so look for it. No matter which part of the sidewalk you occupy, this short, quick book is a must-read if you worry about our future. “We Speak for Ourselves” offers the beginnings of a map forward, and in thought-provoking ideas, it’s rich. WI
horoscopes
MAY 2 - 8, 2019
ARIES Although retrogrades are often seen as frustrating, they provide a necessary opportunity to review your goals and career plans. Prudent Saturn is in its retrograde phase in your sector of responsibility from now until Sept. 18, which can be a call to do some restructuring in this area. If something really isn’t working, it might be time to admit it and move on. Lucky Numbers: 29, 32, 46 TAURUS Saturn’s retrograde phase can be seen as a process of dismantling whatever no longer works for you. As it’s also regressing in your sector of travel and study from April 29 to September 18, the coming months could see you reviewing a trip, a possible course of study, or even a lawsuit and wondering if you’re doing the right thing. Events over the coming weeks and months will help you make wise decisions. Lucky Numbers: 2, 30, 45 GEMINI If you’ve found yourself in an impossible situation recently, things can begin to ease over the coming weeks. Potent Pluto reversed in an intense zone last week, and prudent Saturn goes retrograde in the same sector this week. The focus could shift inward, encouraging you to find the root cause of any difficulties. Lucky Numbers: 5, 35, 39 CANCER Last week, volcanic Pluto entered its retrograde phase, and prudent Saturn follows suit this week. With both in your sector of relating, you may find that relationship difficulties ease and that you’re able to relax a little. The coming months can be an opportunity to take an honest look at your part in this situation and consider what you might do about it. Lucky Numbers: 21, 22, 26 LEO If being a responsible person has taken its toll, you may find that the many months of busyness that you’ve endured begin to ease up a bit. With potent Pluto rewinding last week and cautious Saturn going into reverse this week, the pace could slacken. You might want to use this opportunity to delegate some of your work and restructure your routines so that they aren’t too demanding. Lucky Numbers: 17, 20, 51 VIRGO With fiery Mars in Gemini and the topmost sector of your chart, you could be firing on all cylinders and eager to get your best-laid plans off the ground. And if you’re willing to put in the effort and nurture those valuable connections, you could do very well. Lucky Numbers: 6, 8, 44 LIBRA Your partnerships seem zesty and buzzing with energy as luscious Venus and chatty Mercury continue their path through your sector of relating. The people in your life may have a lot to say over the coming days, and some of it might be helpful and some more opinionated. Whatever occurs, try not to take it too personally. Lucky Numbers: 1, 33, 42 SCORPIO Over the coming months, exploration and inner reflection can help you spotlight those areas that are holding you back. Once you truly understand, positive change can begin to happen almost by itself. There seems be a lot of activity in your lifestyle sector over the coming days, with plenty of discussions at work and opportunities to share your views. Lucky Numbers: 2, 3, 13 SAGITTARIUS Money matters may have been rather intense over recent months for one reason or another. There could be a bit of a respite here, though, as cautious Saturn turns retrograde alongside potent Pluto (which went into reverse last week). Saturn will rewind until September 18, and this can be an opportunity to restructure your finances from the ground up. If this is something that needs doing, starting now can be a big relief. Lucky Numbers: 15, 18, 37 CAPRICORN From this week, both sobering Saturn and radical Pluto will be retrograde in your sign. Saturn enters its rewind phase on Monday (until September 18), which means that certain plans may stall over the coming months. It doesn’t mean that you should abandon them; it’s more that they may need reviewing and reorganizing. And while you might decide to jettison some, this can pave the way for better and perhaps more lucrative opportunities in the future. Lucky Numbers: 13, 17, 49 AQUARIUS As sobering Saturn joins passionate Pluto in its retrograde cycle this week, certain situations in your life could seem to ease up. You may feel drawn to go on an inner journey that enables you to understand yourself in more depth. Lucky Numbers: 6, 34, 38 PISCES You may have been busy with many social obligations over the past months. However, with potent Pluto rewinding last week and karmic Saturn entering its retrograde phase on Monday, you could experience change in this area. You may find yourself withdrawing from certain groups or activities or that your help isn’t needed as much as it was. If so, this can give you the space to do your own thing and even relax at home. It might be the breather you need. Lucky Numbers: 2, 4, 41
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MAY 2 - 8, 2019 35
CAPTURE th e mo me n t
(Far left) Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., known as Lil Wayne, performs during 2019 Broccoli festival held at Fedex Field in Landover, Md. on Sat., April 27. (Shevry Lassiter/The Washington Informer) 5 Donald Glover, performing as Childish Gambino at the 2019 Broccoli Festival held at Fedex Field in Landover, Md. on Sat., April 27. (Shevry Lassiter/The Washington Informer) 3 Sergio Giavanni Kitchens, known as Gunna (left), with Dominque Jones, known as Lil Baby, waiting to perform at the 2019 Broccoli Festival at Fedex Field in Landover, Md. on Sat., April 27. (Shevry Lassiter/The Washington Informer)
3 Johnathan Young poses as character Kratos at Awesome Con 2019 held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Northwest on Sat., April 27. (Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer) 6 Sci-fi, fantasy, gaming and superhero costumed fans show up for the 2019 Awesome Con held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on Sat., April 27. (Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer)
36 MAY 2 - 8, 2019
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SPORTS For more photos go to washingtoninformer.com
Renegades Top Divas in WFA Action 5 Boston Renegades defensive back Carolyn Da Cunha pursues D.C. Divas wide receiver Kentrina Wilson during Boston’s 37-32 win at the St. James Sports Complex in Springfield, Virginia, on Saturday, April 27. (John E. De Freitas/ The Washington Informer) 3 Boston Renegades defensive back Briannah Gallo tackles D.C. Divas running back Curtina Pope during Boston’s 37-32 win at St. James Sports Complex in Springfield, Virginia, on Saturday, April 27. (John E. De Freitas/The Washington Informer) 4 D.C. Divas wide receiver Lexie Floor attempts to shed a tackle by Boston Renegades defensive back Samantha Bloom during Boston’s 37-32 win at St. James Sports Complex in Springfield, Virginia, on Saturday, April 27. (John E. De Freitas/The Washington Informer)
Kennesaw State Blows Past HU
5 Howard defender Bernadette Nwoye drives past Kennesaw attacker Anna Giulitto during Kennesaw State’s 25-3 win at Greene Stadium in D.C. on Sunday, April 28. (John E. De Freitas/The Washington Informer) 3 Howard defender Marquia Walker drives past Kennesaw State attacker Emily Napierala during Kennesaw State’s 25-3 win at Greene Stadium in D.C. on Sunday, April 28. (John E. De Freitas/The Washington Informer)
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MAY 2 - 8, 2019 37
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the 2020 election. The initiative of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees [AFSCME] called, “I AM – Be the Change,” seeks to build on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Officials at the union said it’s aimed at keeping young people of color engaged by highlighting issues such as excessive student loan debt, lack of affordable housing and a lack of good paying jobs. The “I AM – Be the Change” initiative counts as a bold effort to engage young African Americans and Latinos to answer the call of the late civil rights champion and the 1,300 Memphis sanitation workers to be the change in their communities and fight for social and economic justice. “‘I AM – Be the Change’ is meant to inspire young people of color to take action online and offline to drive change in their communities,” AFSCME President Lee Saunders said in a news release. “We intend to create a yearround organizing presence in disenfranchised communities that are too often ignored after Election Day and to inspire Black and Latino youth to reclaim Dr. King’s and the sanitation workers’ fight for civil rights and workers’ rights as their own,” Saunders added. “I AM – Be the Change” builds on the groundswell of activism fueled by the “I AM” 2018 program, which led thousands of Americans in honoring the 50th anniversary
5 The 1968 Memphis Sanitation workers strike changed the course of history. (Photo courtesy AFSCME)
of the historic 1968 Memphis Sanitation Worker Strike and the assassination of King. Through a national moment of silence, youth town halls, activist trainings and a march on Memphis uniting thousands of civic, faith and labor leaders and advocates, communities across the country committed to voting in the midterm elections and continuing King’s and the sanitation workers’ struggle for equal treatment, fair wages and a voice on the job, AFSCME officials said. “[The campaign] seeks to ex-
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pand on the successes of 2018 when voters elected a pro-worker majority in the House of Representatives, seven pro-worker governors and more pro-worker state legislators than at any time in almost a decade,” Saunders said. Motivated to reverse the declining voter participation rates among Black and Latino voters, AFSME officials said the program primarily seeks to spearhead the effort in 2020 and beyond and to continually engage and mobilize people of color. To open a conversation on the issues affecting the next generation, the “I AM” campaign will use Instagram, Facebook and Twitter to “empower young people with the resources they need to stay politically engaged past Election Day,” officials said. Additionally, AFSCME officials said they will build an online hub for civic and economic empowerment where community members can learn about the challenges facing working people, how to mobilize their neighbors and how to hold elected officials accountable – ensuring that organizing at the local level is led by those who know their communities the best. “The initiative will keep young people engaged by highlighting issues such as excessive student loan debt, lack of affordable housing and lack of good-paying jobs,” Saunders said. WI
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RELIGION the religion corner WITH LYNDIA GRANT
The Sun is Always Shining Above the Clouds!
How many of you remember the movie “Annie” with the wonderful song “Tomorrow”? The song says, “The sun will come out tomorrow, bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow there’ll be sun. Just thinkin’ about tomorrow, clears away the cobwebs and the sorrow ‘til there’s none. When I’m stuck with a day that’s grey and lonely, I just stick up my chin and grin and say, oh, the sun will come out tomorrow. So you gotta hang on ‘til tomorrow, come what may! Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya, tomorrow. You’re always a day away!” As beautiful as those lyrics are, I am here to remind you, that the sun is always shining. You do not have to wait ‘til tomorrow for the sun to come out. It may be raining or cloudy down here where we are, but take a plane ride, and watch what happens when the plane flies up into the skies, 30,000 feet or more, high above the clouds. You will see clear skies and a bright sun. And if it’s nighttime, you might even see the moon and stars, depending on your location. God made this universe, in the beginning of the world. In Genesis, he tells us how he created the heavens and the earth: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was Mt. Zion Baptist Church Reverend John W. Davis Pastor 5101 14th Street, NW Washington, DC 20011 Phone: 202-726-2220 Fax: 202-726-9089 Service and Times Sunday Worship Service - 8:00 a.m. & 11:00 a.m. Children’s Church - 11:00 a.m. (1st & 3rd Sundays) Communion - 10 a.m. 4th Sunday Sunday School - 9:15 a.m. (4th Sunday 8:15 a.m.) Prayer Meeting & Bible Study - Wednesday 7:00 p.m. “A Church with a past to remember – and a future to mold”
formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light ‘day,’ and the darkness he called ‘night.’ And there was evening, and there was morning — the first day.” This column is written to encourage those of you who are going through some hard times right now. You could be someone who has recently been diagnosed with a deadly disease. But just because your doctor has given you such a diagnosis doesn’t mean it’s the final word — God has the last word, my friends! It could be a child that is ill, or you may have recently lost a
When these tough times come along, increase your faith, as the word says, “Pray without ceasing!” Next thing you know, those hard times will have passed over, just like the storms of life.
loved one, or lost that good-paying job through no fault of your own. Now you are unsure about what’s next, how to pay your bills, etc., but now is when you must go to work, trusting God every step of the way. The sun is always shining — know that! Stop the negative thinking, meditate, pray and think about the blue skies and the bright sun, shining above the storm. Take your thoughts to a higher place, a place where you can allow God and His Holy Spirit to come into your heart. He will surely give you peace, even in the midst of a storm. I once saw a Facebook post by former D.C. Councilman Harry Thomas Jr. that showed a bird sitting on the ledge during a severe storm. The bird is bundled up and has his head bowed. The message says “Sometimes, you just have to bow your head, say a prayer and weather the storm!” When these tough times come along, increase your faith, as the word says, “Pray without ceasing!” Next thing you know, those hard times will have passed over, just like the storms of life. My personal example is when I prayed for my youngest son daily, asking God to please remove my son from the hands of Satan. God did just that! We have not, because we have not asked. Give God specifics — He will bring sunshine into your life! WI
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Mount Olivet Lutheran Church
John F. Johnson Reverend Dr. 1306 Vermont Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20005 Service and Times Divine Worship, Sunday 10:00 a.m. Communion 1st and 3rd Sunday “Friendliest Church in the City” Website: mountolivetdc.org Email: mtolivedc@gmail.com
www.mtzbcdc.org
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MAY 2 - 8, 2019 39
RELIGION The Miracle Center of Faith Missionary Baptist Church Bishop Michael C. Turner, Sr. Senior Pastor 9161 Hampton Overlook Capitol Heights, MD 20743 Phone: 301-350-2200 Fax: 301-499-8724
Service and Times Sunday Worship Times : 7:30 AM 7 10:00 AM Communion: 1st Sunday Sunday School: 9:00 AM Bible Study: Wednesday, 12 Noon Bible Study in homes: Tuesday 7:00 PM Website: www.themiraclecenterFMBC.com Email: Miraclecenterfmbs@gmail.com Motto: “We Walk by Faith, Not by Sight”
Blessed Word of Life Church
Pilgrim Baptist Church Rev. Louis B. Jones II Pastor 700 I Street, N.E. Washington, D.C. 20002 (202) 547-8849 Service and Times Worship Sundays: 7:30 & 11:00 AM 5th Sundays: 9:30 AM 3rd Sundays: Baptism & Holy Communion Prayer & Praise: Wednesdays @ Noon & 6:30 PM www.pilgrimbaptistdc.org
Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ
Church of Living Waters
Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church
Rev. Paul Carrette Senior Pastor
Rev. Dr. Michael E. Bell, Sr., Pastor
Rev. Dr. Alton W. Jordan Pastor
Reverend Dr. Calvin L. Matthews Senior Pastor
Harold Andrew Assistant Pastor
2498 Alabama Ave., SE - Washington D.C. 20020 Office: (202) 889-7296 Fax: (202) 889-2198 - www.acamec.org
800 I Street, NE - Washington, DC 20002 202-548-0707 - Fax No. 202-548-0703
4915 Wheeler Road Oxon Hill, MD 20745 301-894-6464
Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 8:00am and 11:00 AM Sunday Church School - 9:15am & Sunday Adult Forum Bible Study 10:30 AM 2nd & 4th Monday Women’s Bible Study: 6:30 PM Tuesday Jr./Sr. Bible Study: 10:00 AM Tuesday Topical Bible Study: 6:30 PM Tuesday New Beginnings Bible Study: 6:30 PM Wednesday Pastoral Bible Study: 6:30 PM Wednesday Children’s Bible Study: 6:30 PM Thursday Men’s Bible Study: 6:30 PM Friday before 1st Sunday Praise & Worship Service: 6:30 PM Saturday Adult Bible Study: 10:00 AM “The Amazing, Awesome, Audacious Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church”
Service and Times Sunday Morning Worship: 11:00 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sunday Sunday School: 9:45 AM Men’s Monday Bible Study: 7:00 PM Wednesday Night Bible Study: 7:00 PM Women’s Ministry Bible Study: 3rd Friday -7:00 PM Computer Classes: Announced Family and Marital Counseling by appointment
1200 Isle of Patmos Plaza, Northeast Washington, DC 20018 Office: (202) 529-6767 - Fax: (202) 526-1661
Service and Times Sunday Service: 8:30am& 11:00 AM Bible Study: Wednesday 7:30 PM Communion Service: First Sunday www.livingwatersmd.org
St. Stephen Baptist Church
Third Street Church of God
Dr. Dekontee L. & Dr. Ayele A. Johnson Pastors
Rev. Dr. Alice Greene Interim Pastor
Bishop Lanier C. Twyman, Sr. Senior Pastor
Rev. Cheryl J. Sanders, Th.D. Senior Pastor
4001 14th Street, NW Washington, DC 20011 (202) 265-6147 Office 1-800 576-1047 Voicemail/Fax
3845 South Capitol Street Washington, DC 20032 (202) 562-5576 (Office) (202) 562-4219 (Fax)
5757 Temple Hill Road, Temple Hills, MD 20748 Office 301-899-8885 – fax 301-899-2555
1204 Third Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 202-347-5889 office 202-638-1803 fax
Service and Times Sunday School: 9:30 AM Sunday Morning Worship Service: 11:00 AM Communion Service: First Sunday Prayer Service/Bible Study: Tuesday, 6:30 PM
Services and Times Sundays: 10:00am Worship Services Bible Study: Wonderful Wednesdays in Worship and the Word Bible Study Wednesdays 12:00 Noon; 6:30 PM (dinner @ 5:30 PM) Sunday School: 9:00 AM – Hour of Power
www.blessedwordoflifechurch.org E-mail: church@blessedwordoflifechurch.org
Campbell AME Church Rev. Dr. Henry Y. White 2562 MLK Jr. Ave., SE - Washington, DC 20020 Adm. Office 202-678-2263 Email: Campbell@mycame.org Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 10:00 AM Sunday Church School: 8:45 AM Bible Study Wednesday: 12:00 Noon Wednesday: 7:00 PM Thursday: 7:00 PM “Reaching Up To Reach Out” Mailing Address Campbell AME Church 2502 Stanton Road SE - Washington, DC 20020
Turning Hearts Church Virgil K. Thomas, Sr. Senior Pastor/ Teacher 421 Alabama Ave. SE Washington, DC 20032 Phone: 202-746-0113 Fax: 301-843-2445 Service and Times Sunday School: 10:15 AM Sunday Worship Service: 11;15 AM Children’s Church: 11:15 AM Tuesday Bible Study: 6:30 PM Motto : “A Great Commitment to the Great Commandment” Website: www.turningheartschurchdc.org Email: gr8luv4u2@gmail.com
40 MAY 2 - 8, 2019
“An inclusive ministry where all are welcomed and affirmed.” www.covenantdc.org
Services and Times Sunday Early Morning Worship: 7:45 AM Church School: 9:30 AM Sunday Morning Worship: 10:45 AM Tuesday: 7:00pm/Kingdom Building Bible Institute Wednesday: Prayer/Praise/Bible Study-7:30 PM Baptism & Communion Service: 4th Sunday – 10:30 AM “We are one in the Spirit” www.ssbc5757.org E-mail: ssbc5757@verizon.net
Services and Times Sunday School: 9:30 AM Sunday Worship: 11:00 AM Sunday Community Worship Service: 8:30 AM “Ambassadors for Christ to the Nation’s Capital” www.thirdstreet.org Live Stream Sunday Worship Service begins @ 12:00 noon www.thirdstreet.org
Crusader Baptist Church
E-mail: Crusadersbaptistchurch@verizon.net www.CrusadersBaptistChurch.org “God is Love”
Greater Mt. Calvary Holy Church Bishop Alfred A. Owens, Jr.; Senior Bishop & Evangelist Susie C. Owens – Co-Pastor 610 Rhode Island Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002 (202) 529-4547 office • (202) 529-4495 fax
Sunday Worship Service: 8:00 AM and 10:45 AM Sunday Youth Worship Services: 1st & 4th 10:45 AM; 804 R.I. Ave., NE 5th 8 AM & 10:45 AM; Main Church Prayer Services Tuesday – Noon, Wednesday 6:00 AM & 6:30 PM Calvary Bible Institute: Year-Round Contact Church Communion Every 3rd Sunday The Church in The Hood that will do you Good! www.gmchc.org emailus@gmchc.org
Isle of Patmos Baptist Church
Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 7:30 AM and 10:30 AM Holy Communion: 2nd Sunday at 7:30 AM and 10:30 AM Sunday Church School: 9:20 AM Seniors Bible Study: Tuesdays at 10:30 AM Noon Day Prayer Service: Tuesdays at Noon Bible Study: Tuesdays at 7 PM Motto: “A Ministry of Reconciliation Where Everybody is Somebody!” Website: http://isleofpatmosbc.org Church Email: ipbcsecretary@verizon.net
St Marks Baptist Come Worship with us... Dr. Raymond T. Matthews Pastor and First Lady Marcia Matthews St. Mark's Baptist Church 624 Underwood Street, NW Washington, dc 20011 Services and Times Sunday School: 9:00 AM Worship Service: 10:00 AM Wed. Noon Day prayer service Thur. Prayer service: 6:45 PM Thur. Bible Study: 7:15 PM
Twelfth Street Christian Church Reverend Dr. Paul H. Saddler Senior Pastor (Disciples of Christ) 1812 12th Street, NW - Washington, DC 20009 Phone: 202-265-4494 Fax: 202 265 4340 Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 11:00 AM Communion every Sunday: 11:00 AM Sunday School: 10:00 AM Bible Study Tuesday: 12 Noon Pastor’s Bible Study Tuesday: 6:30 PM Motto: “Discover Something Wonderful” Website: 12thscc.org Email: Twelfthstcc@aol.com
Mount Carmel Baptist Church
901 Third Street N.W. Washington, DC. 20001 Phone (202) 842-3411 Fax (202) 682-9423 Service and Times Sunday Church School : 9:00 AM Sunday Morning Worship: 10:10 AM Bible Study Tuesday: 6: 00 PM Prayer Service Tuesday: 7:00 PM Holy Communion: 3rd Sunday 10:10 AM themcbc.org
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RELIGION Shabbath Commandment Church
All Nations Baptist Church
King Emmanuel Baptist Church
Bishop Adrian A. Taylor, Sr. Pastor
Rev. Dr. James Coleman Pastor
Rev. Daryl F. Bell Pastor
7801 Livingston Road Oxon Hill, MD 20745 301-534-5471
2001 North Capitol St, N.E. - Washington, DC 20002 Phone (202) 832-9591
2324 Ontario Road, NW Washington, DC 20009 (202) 232-1730
Service and Times Sabbath School 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 AM Service 11:00 AM Praise & Worship Preaching 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM Motto: “A Church Keeping It Real for Real.” Website: Shabbathcommandmentchruch.org Email: Praisebetoyhwh@gmail.com
Zion Baptist Church Rev. Keith W. Byrd, Sr. Pastor 4850 Blagdon Ave, NW - Washington D.C 20011 Phone (202) 722-4940 - Fax (202) 291-3773 Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 10:15 AM Sunday School: 9:00 AM Monday: Noon Bible School Wednesday: Noon & 7 PM Pastor’s Bible Study Ordinance of Baptism 2nd Holy Communion 4th Sunday Mission Zion Baptist Church Shall; Enlist Sinners, Educate Students, Empower the Suffering, Encourage the Saints, and Exalt Our Savior. (Acts 2:41-47) www.zionbaptistchurchdc.org
St. Luke Baptist Church Rev. Aubrey C. Lewis Pastor 1415 Gallatin Street, NW Washington, DC 20011-3851 P: (202) 726-5940 Service and Times Sunday Worship: 11:00 AM Sunday School: 9:15 AM Holy Communion: 11:00 a.m., 3rd Sun. Bible Institute: Wednesday - 1:30 PM Prayer Meeting: Wednesday - 12:00 Noon
Service and Times Sunday Church School – 9:30 AM Sunday Worship Service – 11:00 AM Holy Communion – 1st Sunday at 11:00 AM Prayer – Wednesdays, 6:00 PM Bible Study – Wednesdays, 7:00 PM Christian Education School of Biblical Knowledge Saturdays, 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM, Call for Registration Website: www.allnationsbaptistchurch.com All Nations Baptist Church – A Church of Standards
Israel Baptist Church
Dr. Earl D. Trent Senior Pastor
Rev. Dr. George C. Gilbert Senior Pastor
2409 Ainger Pl.,SE – WDC 20020 (202) 678-0884 – Office • (202) 678-0885 – Fax “Moving Faith Forward” 0% Perfect . . . 100% Forgiven!
623 Florida Ave.. NW - WDC. 20001 Church (202) 667-3409 Study (202) 265-0836 Home Study (301) 464-8211 Fax (202) 483-4009
4504 Gault Place, N.E. Washington, D.C 20019 202-397-7775 – 7184
Service and Times Sunday Worship: 8:00 AM & 10:45 AM Baptism/Holy Communion: 3rd Sunday Family Bible Study Tuesdays – 6:30 PM Prayer Service: Tuesdays – 8:00 PM www.emmanuelbaptistchurchdc.org
“Where Jesus is the King”
Sermon On The Mount Temple Of Joy Apostolic Faith
Lincoln Park United Methodist Church Rev. Richard B. Black Pastor
Elder Herman L. Simms Pastor
1251 Saratoga Ave., NE Washington, DC 20018 (202) 269-0288
1301 North Carolina Ave. N E Washington, D C 20002 202 543 1318 - lincolnpark@lpumcdc.org www.lpumcdc.org
5606 Marlboro Pike District Heights, MD 20747 301-735-6005
Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 10:45 AM Sunday School: 9:15 AM Holy Communion1st Sunday: 10:45 AM Prayer Service: Wednesday at 6:30 PM Bible Study: Wednesday at 7:00 PM Bible Study: Tuesday at 10:30 AM
Mount Moriah Baptist Church
Service and Times Sunday Worship: 10:00 AM Holy Communion: First Sunday 10:00 AM Sunday School: 9:00 AM Bible Study: Wednesday @ 12 noon and 6:30 PM Motto: "Faith On The Hill"
Service and Times Sunday Apostolic Worship Services 11:00 A.M and 5:00 PM Communion and Feet Wash 4th Sunday at 5:00 PM Prayer/Seeking: Wednesday at 8:00 PM Apostolic in Doctrine, Pentecostal in Experience, Holiness in Living, Uncompromised and Unchanged. The Apostolic Faith is still alive –Acts 2:42
New Commandment Baptist Church
Eastern Community Baptist Church
Dr. Lucius M. Dalton Senior Pastor
Damion M. Briggs Pastor
1636 East Capitol Street, NE Washington, DC 20003 Telephone: 202-544-5588 - Fax: 202-544-2964
8213 Manson Street Landover, MD 20785 Tel: (301) 322-9787 Fax: (301) 322-9240
13701 Old Jericho Park Road Bowie, MD. 20720 (301) 262-0560
Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 7:45 AM and 10:45 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sundays at 7:45 AM & 10:45 AM Sunday School: 9:30 AM Prayer & Praise Service: Tuesdays at 12 noon & 6:30 PM Bible Study: Tuesdays at 1 pm and 7 PM Youth Bible Study: Fridays at 7 PM
Service and Times Early Morning Message: 7:30 AM Sunday Morning Worship Service: 10:00 AM Sunday Church School: 9:00 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sunday 7:30 AM & 10:00 AM Prayer, Praise and Testimony: Wednesday 7:00 PM Bible Study: Wednesday 7:30 PM
Service and Times Sunday Worship: 11 AM Sunday School: 10 AM Wednesday Mid-Week Worship, Prayer & Bible Study: Wed. 7 PM
Rehoboth Baptist Church
Rev. Dr. Maxwell M. Washington Pastor
Rev. Curtis l. Staley Pastor
2001 Brooks Drive District Heights, MD 20744 (240) 838-7074
621 Alabama Ave., S.E.- Washington, D.C. 20032 P: (202) 561-1111 - F: (202) 561-1112
Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 10:15 AM Sunday School: 9:00 AM Holy Communion: 3rd Sunday Morning Prayer Meeting / Bible Study: Tuesday at 7 PM Theme: “The Kingdom Focused Church with an Emphasis on “Evangelism and Discipleship”
Service and Times Sunday Service: 10:00 AM Sunday School for all ages: 8:30 AM 1st Sunday Baptism: 10:00 AM 2nd Sunday Holy Communion:10:00 AM Tuesday: Bible Study: 6:30 PM Prayer Meeting: 7:45 PM
Email: pastorstmbc@gmail.com Website: www.stmatthewsbaptist.org
Motto: “Where God is First and Where Friendly People Worship”
“Real Worship for Real People” Website: www.easterncommunity.org Email: ecc@easterncommunity.org
Rev. Stephen E. Tucker Senior Pastor
“A Church Where Love Is Essential and Praise is Intentional”
Foggy Bottom - Founded in 1867 728 23rd Street, NW - Washington, DC 20037 Church office: 202-333-3985 - Fax : 202-338-4958
Shiloh Baptist Church
Matthews Memorial Baptist Church Dr. Joseph D. Turner Senior Pastor 2616 MLK Ave., SE - Washington, DC 20020 Office 202-889-3709 - Fax 202-678-3304 Service and Times Early Worship Service: 8:00 AM Worship Service: 11:00 AM New Member’s Class: 9:45 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sunday, 11:00 AM Church School: 9:45 AM Wednesday 12:00pm Bible Study Prayer, Praise and Bible Study: 7:00 PM Saturday Bible Study: 11:00 AM Baptism 4th Sunday: 11:00 AM
Christ Embassy DC
Kelechi Ajieren Coordinator 6839 Eastern Avenue, R1 Takoma Park, MD 20912 (202) 556-7065 Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 10:00 AM Wednesday Bible Study: 7:00 PM Friday Evening Service: 7:00 PM ; Last Friday “…Giving Your Life a Meaning” www.Christembassydc.org Christ.embassy.dc@hotmail.com
“Empowered to love and Challenged to Lead a Multitude of Souls to Christ”
Peace Baptist Church Rev. Dr. Michael T. Bell 712 18th Street, NE Washington, DC 20002 Phone 202-399-3450/ Fax 202-398-8836 Service and Times Sunday Early Morning Prayer & Bible Study Class: 8:00 AM Sunday School: 9:00 AM Sunday Morning Worship Service: 10:00 AM Wednesday Service: 12:00 PM
Pennsylvania Ave. Baptist Church Rev. Dr. Kendrick E. Curry Pastor 3000 Pennsylvania Ave.. S.E Washington, DC 20020 202 581-1500 Service and Times Sunday Church School: 9:30 AM Sunday Worship Service: 11:00 AM Monday Adult Bible Study: 7:00 PM Wednesday Youth & Adult Activities: 6:30 PM Prayer Service Bible Study
“The Loving Church of the living lord “
First Rising Mt. Zion Baptist Church
Mt. Horeb Baptist Church
Rev. Dr. Wallace Charles Smith Pastor
Rev. Oran W. Young Pastor
Rev. Dr. H. B. Sampson, III Pastor
9th & P Street, N.W. - W. D.C. 20001 (202) 232-4288
602 N Street NW - Washington, D.C. 20001 Office:(202) 289-4480 Fax: (202) 289-4595
2914 Bladensburg Road, NE Wash., DC 20018 Office: (202) 529-3180 - Fax: (202) 529-7738 Service and Times Worship Service: 7:30 AM Sunday School: 9:00 AM Worship Service: 10:30 AM Holy Communion: 4th Sunday 7:30AM & 10:30 AM Prayer Services:Tuesday 7:30 PM. Wednesday 12 Noon
www.stmarysfoggybottom.org Email: stmarysoffice@stmarysfoggybottom.org
Service and Times First Sunday Worship Service (one service): 10:00 AM Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Sunday Worship service: 7:45 AM and 10:55 AM Sunday Church School/Bible Study: 9:30 AM Thursday Prayer Service: 6:30 PM
All are welcome to St. Mary’s to Learn, Worship, and Grow.
Email: sbc@shilohbaptist.org Website: shilohbaptist.org
Service and Times Sundays: 10 a.m. Holy Eucharist with Music and Hymns Wednesdays: 12:10 p.m. - Holy Eucharist
Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 10:00 AM Sunday Church School: 8:45 – 9:45 AM Holy Communion: Every First Sunday Intercessory Prayer: Monday – 7:00-8:00 PM Pastor’s Bible Study: Wednesday –7:45 PM Midweek Prayer: Wednesday – 7:00 PM Noonday Prayer Every Thursday
Service and Times Sunday Church School: 9:30 AM Sunday Worship Service : 11:00 AM The Lord’s Supper 1st Sunday Prayer & Praise Services: Wednesday 7:00 PM Bible Study: 7:30 PM Saturday before 4th Sunday Men, Women, Youth Discipleship Ministries: 10:30 AM A Christ Centered Church htubc@comcast.net
Email Address: admin@pbc712.org
Historic St. Mary’s Episcopal Church The Rev. E. Bernard Anderson Priest
Holy Trinity United Baptist Church
Florida Avenue Baptist Church
Reverend Christopher L. Nichols Pastor
Rev. Reginald M. Green Interim Pastor
Web: www.mountmoriahchurch.org Email: mtmoriah@mountmoriahchurch.org
St. Matthews Baptist Church
Service and Times Sunday School: 9:30 AM Sunday Worship Service: 11:00 AM Baptismal Service: 1st Sunday – 9:30 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sunday – 11:00 AM Prayer Meeting & Bible Study: Wednesday -7:30 PM
Emmanuel Baptist Church
WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER
Service and Times Sunday School for All Ages: 8:00 AM Sunday Worship Services: 9:30 AM Midday Prayer & Bible Study: Wednesday 11:30AM Evening Prayer & Bible Study: Wednesday 7:00 PM Laymen's League: Thursday 7:00 PM Email: Froffice@firstrising.org Website: www.firstrising.org “Changing Lives On Purpose “
Email:mthoreb@mthoreb.org Website:www.mthoreb.org For further information, please contact me at (202) 529-3180.
MAY 2 - 8, 2019 41
LEGAL NOTICES
LEGAL NOTICES
LEGAL NOTICES
LEGAL NOTICES
LEGAL NOTICES
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
Administration No. 2018 ADM 000388
Administration No. 2019 ADM 372
Administration No. 2019 ADM 358
Administration No. 2018 ADM 791
Juanita N. Gonzalez aka Juanita Gonzalez Decedent
Lucy Campbell Pridgen Decedent
Joseph Eory Decedent
Denise Marie Jackson Decedent
Janet W. Blassingame, Esq. 1413 K. Street, NW Suite 1500 Washington, DC 20005 Attorney
Deborah D. Boddie, Esq. Probate Law DC 1308 Ninth Street, Suite 300 Washington, DC 20001 Attorney
A. Benjamin Horton 4111 Woodberry Street University Park, MD 20782 Attorney
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS
Ethel Mitchell, Esq. 8403 Colesville Road Suite 1100 Silver Spring, MD 20910 Attorney
Sandra Crew, whose address is 2330 Darius Lane, Reston, VA 20191, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Gwendolyn Delora Prioleau aka Gwendolyn D. Prioleau who died on November 18, 2018 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 10/18/2019. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 10/18/2019, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.
Amelia G. Govan aka Amelia G. B. Govan, whose address is 1313 Taylor Street, NW, Apt. B, Washington, DC 20011, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Juanita N. Gonzalez aka Juanita Gonzalez who died on January 7, 2018 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 10/18/2019. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 10/18/2019, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.
Steven Craig Pridgen, whose address is 777 Harvard Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Lucy Campbell Pridgen who died on January 31, 2019 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 10/18/2019. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 10/18/2019, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.
Date of first publication: 4/18/2019
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2019 ADM 000354 Gwendolyn Delora Prioleau aka Gwendolyn D. Prioleau Decedent
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS
Kisha L. Woolen, Esquire Tobin O’Connor & Ewing 5335 Wisconsin Avenue, NW #700 Washington, DC 20015 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS
Jennifer Eory, whose address is 3736 Yuma Street, NW, Washington, DC 20016, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Joseph Eory who died on November 7, 2017 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 10/18/2019. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 10/18/2019, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.
Jennifer C. Concino, whose address is 5335 Wisconsin Avenue NW, #700, Washington, DC 20015, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Denise Marie Jackson who died on May 11, 2015 without a Will, and will serve with Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 10/25/2019. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 10/25/2019, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.
Date of first publication: 4/18/2019
Date of first publication: 4/18/2019
Date of first publication: 4/25/2019
Amelia G. Govan aka Amelia G. B. Govan Personal Representative
Steven Craig Pridgen Personal Representative
Jennifer Eory Personal Representative
Jennifer C. Concino 5335 Wisconsin Ave., NW #700 Washington, DC 20015 Personal Representative
TRUE TEST COPY
TRUE TEST COPY
TRUE TEST COPY
Anne Meister Register of Wills
Anne Meister Register of Wills
Anne Meister Register of Wills
Washington Informer
Washington Informer
Washington Informer
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
2018 ADM 001246
Administration No. 2019 ADM 000375
Administration No. 2019 ADM 000383
Administration No. 2018 ADM 1287
Administration No. 2018 ADM 001171
Gerard Thomas Dews Decedent
Jeanette Y. Smith aka Jeanette Yvonne Smith Decedent
Marlene L. Johnson Decedent
William G. Bradley, Jr. aka William M. Bradley, Jr. Decedent
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS
Gemma Antoine-Belton, Esquire 1101 L Street, NW #806 Washington, DC 20005 Attorney
Colline Silvera Robinson Kirlew And Associates, PC 7731 Belle Point Dr. Greenbelt, MD 20770 Attorney
Date of first publication: 4/18/2019 Sandra Crew Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer
Ruby L. Downs Decedent Michelle Lockard 1156 15th Street, NW, Suite 510 Washington, DC 20005 Attorney
Tyler Jay King 700 12th Street, NW, Suite 700 Washington, DC 20005 Attorney
NOTICE OF AFTER DISCOVERED WILL AND NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS
Marck C. Downs & Jennifer D Creque, whose addresses are 3921 Ingomar St., NW, Washington, DC 20015 & 4949 Collingtons Bnty Dr. Bowie, MD 20720, were appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of Ruby L. Downs, who died on 10/2/2018 with a Will. 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 10/25/2019.
TRUE TEST COPY
Rodney Lamont Dews, whose address is 5231 Bass Pl., SE, Washington, DC 20019, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Gerard Thomas Dews who died on August 8, 2018 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 10/25/2019. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 10/25/2019, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.
Anne Meister Register of Wills
Date of first publication: 4/25/2019
Date of first publication: 4/25/2019 Marck C. Downs Jennifer D. Creque Personal Representative
Washington Informer
Gerard Thomas Dews Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer
42 MAY 2 - 8, 2019
Robbin Y. Hernandez, whose address is 10052 Edgewater Terrace, Fort Washington, MD 20744, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Jeanette Y. Smith aka Jeanette Yvonne Smith who died on January 27, 2016 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 10/25/2019. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 10/25/2019, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS
Date of first publication: 4/25/2019
Gemma Antione-Belton, Esquire, whose address is 1101 L Street, NW, suite 806, Washington, DC 20005, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Marlene L. Johnson who died on September 24, 2017 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., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 10/25/2019. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 10/25/2019, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.
Robbin Y. Hernandez Personal Representative
Date of first publication: 4/25/2019
TRUE TEST COPY
Gemma Antoine-Belton, Esquire Personal Representative
Anne Meister Register of Wills
TRUE TEST COPY
Washington Informer
TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer
NOTICE OF AFTER DISCOVERED WILL AND NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT William George Bradley, III, whose address is 1824 Varnum St. NE, Washington, DC 20018 was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of William G. Bradley, Jr. aka William M. Bradley, Jr., who died on July 30, 2018 with a Will. 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 11/2/2019. Date of first publication: 5/2/2019 William George Bradley, III Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills
Washington Informer
Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer
THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM
LEGAL NOTICES SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2019 ADM 402 Sheila Devon Marshall Decedent
LEGAL NOTICES SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
Administration No. 2019 ADM 411
Administration No. 2019 ADM 000357
Virgil Edward Dunn aka Virgil E. Dunn Decedent
Paul Mensah 5335 Wisconsin Ave., NW Suite 440 Washington, DC 20015 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Brenda Helena Johnson, whose address is 4592 Triumph Dr. SW, Concord NC, 28027, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Sheila Devon Marshall who died on January 19, 2019 without a Will, and will serve with Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 11/2/2019. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 11/2/2019, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 5/2/2019 Brenda Helena Johnson Personal Representative
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Jacquelyne D. Diggs, whose address is 5916 Second Street NW, Washington, DC 20011, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Virgil Edward Dunn aka Virgil E. Dunn who died on September 24, 2010 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 11/2/2019. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 11/2/2019, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 5/2/2019 Jacquelyne D. Diggs Personal Representative
TRUE TEST COPY
TRUE TEST COPY
LEGAL NOTICES
Stewart Kinard Jones Decedent Dominique S. Moore, Esq. 3225 Powhatan Avenue Baltimore, MD 21216 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Terry Jones Stanback, whose address is 5520 Kansas Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20011, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Stewart Kinard Jones who died on May 2, 2018 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 11/2/2019. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 11/2/2019, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 5/2/2019 Terry Jones Stanback Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY
Anne Meister Register of Wills
Anne Meister Register of Wills
Anne Meister Register of Wills
Washington Informer
Washington Informer
Washington Informer
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
Administration No. 1982 ADM 1050
Administration No. 2019 ADM 394
Administration No. 2019 ADM 413
Irvin Spears, Sr. Decedent
Gladys L. McNair Decedent
Deetsy Mae Cooks Decedent
Valerie J. Edwards, Esq. 1725 DeSales Street, NW Suite 600 Washington, DC 20036 Attorney
Johnnie I. Barton, Esq. 1848 Bryant Street, NE Washington, DC 20018 Attorney
Joan M. Wilbon, Esq. 1120 Connecticut Ave., NW Suite 1020 Washington, DC 20036 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Irvin Spears, Jr., whose address is 2814 Erie St. SE, Apt # C46, Washington, DC 20020, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Irvin Spears, Sr. who died on May 12, 1982 without a Will, and will serve with Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 11/2/2019. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 11/2/2019, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 5/2/2019 Irvin Spears, Jr. Personal Representative
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Doreen T. Wright, whose address is 1276 Patriot Lane, Bowie, MD 20716, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Gladys L. McNair who died on February 25, 1986 without a Will, and will serve with Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 11/2/2019. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 11/2/2019, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 5/2/2019 Doreen T. Wright Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY
TRUE TEST COPY
Anne Meister Register of Wills
Anne Meister Register of Wills
Washington Informer
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Johnnie I. Barton, whose address is 1848 Bryant Street, NE, Washington, DC 20018, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Deetsy Mae Cooks who died on March 16, 2019 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 11/2/2019. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 11/2/2019, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 5/2/2019 Johnnie I. Barton Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer
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WOMEN from Page 12
Kathleen O’Brien, CEO of Walden Sierra Inc. in St. Mary’s County, said administrative requirements for some federal and state grants should be streamlined, especially for smaller nonprofit organizations. Her group chose not to apply for particular grants because “it was going to cost us more to apply for the grants than we would get from the grants.” Denise McCain, executive director for Prince George’s County Family Crisis Center, said the center received a $20,000 VAWA grant for victims’ legal services but applied for $135,000 to add a financial literacy component. She presented a few statistics on how its clientele increased for its economic empowerment program to help survivors with child support, mortgage and other financial needs. The center assisted 45 clients so far this year, compared to 43 all of last year. In addition, McCain said women with annual salaries of $75,000 and higher have sought assistance when leaving previous relationships. “We need to look at ways in which these funds can be used more broadly,” she said. WI
BUDGET from Page 15 school-based mental health services and connects schools with local agencies to engage families and provide wraparound services. “When enrollment changes, you see the impact at the school level,” said Amy Maisterra, interim deputy chancellor of Innovations and Systems Improvement. “The mayor added these investments outside of the school budget to make sure we support the schools. We are creating significant investments in Ward 7 and 8 schools. This is [part of ] a deep planning process with students and families to make sure that we’re investing in schools that need it the most.” Even with additional funds to select schools, Washington Teachers’ Union President Elizabeth Davis said the degree to which parents have been involved in the budget process remains a top concern. She also has launched a petition in advance of the D.C. Council Committee on Education’s May 2 markup of the budget, expressing hope that parents reach out to their elected officials. Neither Council members Vincent C. Gray (D-Ward 7) nor Trayon White (D-Ward 8), both members of the council’s education committee, returned requests for comment. “In the conversation about the school budget, I want teachers and parents to realize that the council is supposed to follow our directive,” Davis said. “We want to secure 5,000 signatures and deliver them to the doorsteps of the members of the Education Committee. The schools in Wards 7 and 8 are ignored and under-resourced, and some parents don’t have the capacity for outreach.” WI
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MALVEAUX from Page 26
C. Delores Tucker: “We believe that anyone who will condone, support, produce or profit from gangsta rap is conspirator in the denigration and destruction of the black community. We will not be silent and allow our youth and our community to be murdered. We will not be silent and allow our women to be degraded and denigrated …” Steven Biko: “The most important weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed.” Fannie Lou Hamer: “For 300 years, we’ve given them time. And I’ve been tired so long, now I am sick and tired of being sick and tired. We want a change.” And though she is not an ancestor, the following advice from Dr. Atallah Shabazz, the eldest daughter of Brother Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz, is very pertinent: “Remember when you are with your grandparents, you are holding the hands of history.” WI
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doesn’t mean you have education. The colleges and universities in the American system are skillfully used to miseducate.” Carter G. Woodson: “No systematic effort toward change has been possible, for, taught the same economics, history, philosophy, literature and religion which have established the present code of morals, the Negro’s mind has been brought under the control of his oppressor. The problem of holding the Negro down, therefore, is easily solved. “When you control a man’s thinking you do not have to worry about his actions. You do not have to tell him not to stand here or go yonder. He will find his ‘proper place’ and will stay in it. You do not need to send him to the back door. He will go without being told. In fact, if there is no back door, he will cut one for his special benefit. His education
makes it necessary.” W.E.B. Du Bois: “May God write us down as asses if ever again we are found putting trust in either the Republican or Democratic parties. Frederick Douglass: “It is easier to raise a strong child than to repair a broken man.” Marcus Garvey: “Our leader will not be a white man with a black heart nor a Black man with a white heart but a Black man with a black heart.” Harold Cruse: “The Black man’s one great and present hope is to know and understand Afro-American history.” Lerone Bennett Jr.: “Given one way we were forced to live in this society, the miracle is not how so many families are broken, but that so many are still together. That so many black mothers are still raising good children, is the incredible toughness and resilience in black people that gives me hope.”
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BAILEY from Page 26
to recompense the direct victims be put into a fund to rebuild the communities most injured. Supplement that with revenues from sensible taxes on the banks — like Elizabeth Warren’s call for a simple corporate tax on the profits they report — and a multibillion-dollar fund could be created to help repair the communities most impacted by the bankers’ crimes. Use that money not to line the pockets of the big banks again, but to seed community banks and cooperatives, to support nonprofit affordable housing development, to create postal banking services that could liberate the poor from the usurious charges of payday lenders. That might not end Wall Street’s addiction to crime, but it would help repair the communities that they have devastated. One would think that law-and-order conservatives might support this act of simple justice. WI
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mean that loan officers received cash incentives to aggressively market subprime loans in minority communities.” At the height of the rapacious lending boom, nearly 50 percent of all loans given to African American families were deemed “subprime.” The New York Times described these contracts as “a financial time bomb.” When housing prices cratered, the bomb exploded. Mass evictions left entire neighborhoods scarred by empty houses. The banks then failed their legal duty to keep the homes up, with neighborhoods turning into waste pits. With homeowners evicted, local revenues declined. Stores were shuttered; schools closed; local services decimated. Those victimized were most often those who did the right thing:
working steadily, putting together the money for a down payment on a home for their children. A rising African-American middle class was eviscerated. In 2012, the National Fair Housing Alliance reported that African Americans suffered “the largest loss of wealth for these communities in modern history.” Between 2009 and 2012, African Americans lost just under $200 billion in wealth, bringing the gap between white and black wealth to a staggering 20:1 ratio. According to the Better Markets report, the six biggest banks have paid over $181 billion in fines and settlements for their criminal activity. This money generally goes back into the general fund, unless the settlement agreement provides for some relief to those injured. That too often leaves those most injured by the illegal practices out in the cold. What would make sense is that any fines that aren’t used
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JACKSON from Page 26
guilty or not. I think it is far more appropriate to let a reprobate like Byrd’s killer simmer in his repugnance. If he had lived his life in prison, with no hope, no help, no possibilities, that would have been a greater punishment than death. While I respect the Byrd family and ache with them at the gruesome murder of James Byrd Jr., I would prefer a punishment for racist murderers that is both humane and inhumane. We don’t execute them because we as a society don’t stoop to the level of committing a crime we abhor. We ignore them and exacerbate their misery be reminding them that they have no hope of release. The death penalty is inhumane. It should be abolished. WI
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through a racial lens — based on the race of the criminal and the race of the victim. From that perspective, the man who murdered James Byrd Jr. committed a crime so egregious that jurors acted contrary to the statistics, voting to apply the death penalty to an avowed racist white man who participated in the brutal murder of a Black man. But I am frequently reminded of the 1920 Tulsa, Oklahoma, lynching of Ray Belton, an 18-year-old white man who shot a taxi driver. Though Belton confessed to his crime and said it was “an accident,” he was denied the due process of a trial and conviction. After his lynching, a Black newspaper
editor opined that if a white person could be lynched, so could a Black person. A year later, the attempted lynching of the Black shoeshine “boy” Dick Rowland because of the false accusation that he assaulted the white elevator operator Sarah Page was the spark that led economically envious whites to destroy the Greenwood (Black Wall Street) section of Tulsa. This walk down history lane is extremely relevant to the present. If we could execute the white murderer of James Byrd Jr. (I try not to mention the names of devils more than is necessary), we can execute a Black person accused of something, whether they did it or not. Applying the death penalty erodes our humanity, whether the accused is
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CROWELL from Page 27
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ity at The Ohio State University. From 1983-2016, the median Black family saw their wealth drop by more than half after adjusting for inflation, compared to a 33 percent increase for the median White households. Keep in mind that these years include the Great Recession that stole nearly $1 trillion of wealth from Black and Latinx families, largely via unnecessary foreclosures and lost property values for those who managed to hold on to their homes. Fast-forward to 2018, and the report shares the fact that the median white family had 41 times more wealth than the median Black family and 22 times more wealth than the median Latinx family. Instead of the $147,000 that median white families owned last year, Black households had $3,600. When Congress passed tax cut legislation in December 2017, an already-skewed racial wealth profile became worse. “White households in the top one percent of earners received $143 a day from the tax cuts while middle-class households (earning between $40,000 and $110,000) received just $2.75 a day,” states the report. “While the media coverage of the tax package and the public statements of
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WILLIAMS from Page 27 Keep shooting til somebody die” “Spray your block down, we not really with that rah rah s---/Glock cocked now, I don’t really give no f---- bout who I hit” “Coupe got the missing roof, your boo come up missing too/Poof, I just stole your boo, now ooh, she got to eat the whole crew” “We done with her, come and pick your b---- back up.”
the bill’s backers did not explicitly state that it would directly contribute to increasing the racial wealth divide, this was the impact, intended or otherwise.” With the majority of today’s Black households renting instead of owning their homes, escalating rental prices diminish if not remove the ability for many consumers of color to save for a home down payment. As reported by CBS News, earlier this year, the national average monthly cost of fair market rent in 2018 was $1,405. Recent research by the National Low-Income Housing Coalition on housing affordability found that more than 8 million Americans spend half or more of their incomes on housing, including over 30 percent of Blacks, and 28 percent of Hispanics. Homeownership, according to the Center for Responsible Lending, remains a solid building block to gain family wealth. But with an increasing number of households paying more than a third of their income for rent, the ability to save for a home down payment is seriously weakened. CRL’s proposed remedy in March 27 testimony to the Senate Banking Committee is to strengthen affordable housing in both homeownership and rentals. To increase greater access to mortgages, CRL further advocates low-down
payment loans. “The nation’s housing finance system must ensure access to safe and affordable mortgage loans for all creditworthy borrowers, including low-to-moderate income families and communities of color,” noted Nikitra Bailey, a CRL executive vice president. “The lower down payment programs available through FHA and VA, provide an entry into homeownership and wealth-building for many average Americans. “Government-backed loans cannot be the only sources of credit for low-wealth families; they deserve access to cheaper conventional mortgages,” Bailey said. “Year after year, the annual Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data reveals how consumers of color, including upper-income Black and Latinx households, are disproportionately dependent on mortgages that come with higher costs. Our nation’s fair lending and housing finance laws require that the private mortgage market provide access for low-wealth families. We need additional resources for rental housing to address the affordability crisis that many working families face.” There’s really no point in continuing to do the same thing while expecting a different result. When the status quo just isn’t working, change must be given a chance. WI
Poverty Now” with an urgent call to action. We must make poor children’s struggles visible to our political leaders and policymakers at all levels of government and in every state and community. We must lift up child poverty
solutions that work including a higher minimum wage, housing assistance vouchers for struggling parents, transitional jobs programs and child care assistance. We must keep children front and center, invisible no longer. WI
There are many more rappers putting out this same kind of filth. In the words of the late Dr. Frances Cress Welsing: “We’re the only people on this entire planet who’ve been taught to sing and praise our demeanment (calling ourselves b-----s, hoes, dogs and n----s). … If you can train people to demean and degrade themselves, you can oppress them forever. You can even program them to kill themselves
and they won’t even understand what happened.” McDonald’s and Subway are major sponsors of these disrespectful songs. They’ve chosen instead to continue paying to sponsor this hateful rhetoric. No other group has to ask sponsors to withdraw from offensive media. Sponsors do so willingly. Respect yourself, and demand that all others RESPECT US. WI
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Councilmembers: Support DC Seniors by Funding Home & Community Services Many DC seniors rely on home and community services for meals, getting dressed, and trips to the doctor—all to live independently in their own homes and communities. But without essential funding for these programs, seniors could be forced into expensive nursing homes, costing taxpayers more. That’s why AARP DC urges Councilmembers to support seniors in the Fiscal Year 2020 budget by fully funding key initiatives, including the 10 Year Senior Strategic Plan, the LongTerm Care Services and Supports Act of 2018, and the Grandparent Caregivers Program. We also call for more investment in nutrition services for seniors, with an additional dietitian in each Ward.
Take Action: Tell your Councilmember to support DC seniors in the Fiscal Year 2020 budget. Call 1-844-254-6885 today. facebook.com/AARPDC @AARPDC aarp.org/DC
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