The Washington Informer - May 4 2017 by The Washington Informer

VOL. 52, NO. 29 • MAY 4 - 10, 2017

DCTAG Has Money for College. Apply by June 30th!

Black Life in America Page 38

Prince George's Holds Municipal Elections

State of Black America Scrutinized at Town Hall Meeting

Thousands Registered, But Only Hundreds Vote

By Lauren Poteat WI Contributing Writer

In an attempt to provide skilled insight and dialogue about the concerns of African-Americans, TV One and the National Urban League recently paired to hold a definitive town hall-style meeting titled "The State of Black America." Numerous high-profile social activists, journalists and political commentators from both sides of the aisle convened at the Howard Theatre for the Tuesday, May 2 event, which was driven by the National Urban League's semian-

BLACK AMERICA Page 11

By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill

Students from Vermont College and Green Mountain College participate in the People’s Climate March on the National Mall, Saturday, April 29. According to event organizers, over 150,000 people participated in the march, drawing attention to the need for clean sources of energy and raising awareness around “climate, jobs, and justice.” /Photo by Joseph Young

Bananas, Nooses Greet AU’s First Black Student President By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

5Bananas were found in nooses at three locations on campus. /Photo courtesy of NBC4

The first day in office as the first female African-American Student Government president at American University for Taylor Dumpson proved to be a memorable one. For all the wrong reasons. Officials at the university, located in Northwest, confirmed they’re investigating a racist incident in which bananas were discovered hanging from strings in the shape of nooses in at least three separate locations on campus. Inscribed on the bananas were “Harambe,” and “AKA,” a reference to Alpha Kappa Alpha, a sorority who’s membership at the school counts as mostly African-American. “These racist, hateful messages have no place in our community,” Interim Vice President of Campus Life Fan-

UNIVERSITY Page 24

Donnell Allen meticulously colored a forest with green and brown markers at the first annual Community School Art Showcase inside the Fairmount Heights Municipal Building. The 12-year-old sixth-grader at Robert Gray Elementary lives a town of nearly 1,500 in Prince George's County along the District's Northeast border lined with 20th century homes, home to the Maryland 1A high school boys basketball team and member of the Historic Black Towns and Settlements Alliance. The town also has a reputation of being labeled "The Heights," a streetwise term for living in the 'hood, or ghetto community. Colorful election signs sprinkled on a few front lawns throughout the town highlighted a contested mayoral race between incumbent Patricia M. Waiters and Lillie Thompson-Martin. The town joined 10 other municipalities in the county to hold local elections Monday, May 1. "Before Ms. Waiters became mayor, she was always doing things in the community," said Donnell's aunt, Tonya Malone, 34, born and raised in Fairmount Heights. "We are the best little small community that's built together and standing strong for a large town. She's a part of making that happen."

ELECTIONS Page 46

Celebrating 52 Years of Service / Serving More Than 50,000 African American Readers Throughout The Metropolitan Area

Now Published by Dr. Charles Vincent

Her Legacy Continues.

In memory of Mickey Thompson Vincent, Founder and Publisher.

Dr. Charles & “Mickey” Vincent

44TH EASTERN AREA LINKS, INC. PART 2

The Newly elected and re-elected Eastern Area Regional Officers with Natalie Fant, (Eastern Area Director)

Link National President Glenda Newell-Harris with her husband Robert L. Harris, Esq. and Congressman Bobby Scott (3rd Dist. of Va.) Civic AWARD WINNERS: National Trends and Services Award: Dr. Ronald A. Crutcher (President, University of Richmond), Congressman Bobby Scott (3rd Dist. of Va.), Rita Denise McClenny (Richmond Chap and Presenter), The Arts Award: Tim Reid (Director and Producer), St. Sen. Rosalyn Dance, The International Trends and Services Award: Dr. Lerla G. Joseph (Haiti Outreach Ministries), The Services to Youth Award: Dr. Billy K. Cannaday, Jr. (Pres., Va. Bd of Education), Marilyn West (Richmond Chap and Presenter)

he Eastern Area Division of the Links, Inc. Held their biennial conference in Richmond, Virginia under the leadership of Eastern Area Director, Natalie Fant. National Link president, Dr. Glenda Newell-Harris gave a rousing State of the Organization Address. The conference highlighted the service aspect of this organization of highly accomplished professional women. From their work on encouraging the arts among young people, their disaster relief work in Haiti, to their adoption and support of schools in poor countries around the world, this service organization “gives back” to the world in hundreds of ways every day. For further information and to contribute: www.linksinc.org

Social Sightings - THE MAGAZINE Subscribe www.SocialSightings.com Kendra Handy/Editor Dr. Charles Vincent/Photographer Brian Young/Graphic Designer l

Social Sightings-The Column is published in the Hill Rag, DC Mid-City, East of the River Journals, The Washington Informer Newspaper and in the Fairfax, Alexandria, Arlingnton, Loudoun Woman Magazines 2003 © SOCIAL SIGHTINGS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED — DUPLICATION IN ANY FORM REQUIRES WRITTEN PERMISSION | E-mail SocialSightings@aol.com

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W I HBreak O T the T OCycle P I C of S Women Domestic Violence

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law enforcement.Money She said they she said. Violence Prince George’s to Distribute for threat,” Domestic had come together to bring a Among the programs Marlow

By Tia Carol Jones

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senseGeorge’s of uniformity the until way wants to see implemented are Nonprofit organizations in Prince Countyinhave When L.Y. Marlow's 23-year- domestic violence victims and stricter restraining order policies, May 10 to apply for a portion of $500,000 to combat domestic old daughter told her the father survivors are treated. The grant application organizations can choose more rights for victim's families ofviolence. her daughter threatened her shows “She's using her own personal to intervene on behalf of a vicfromand onetheoflife four counseling, housing life, of categories: their child,advocacy, story, her own personal painand to tim, a domestic violence assessprevention. According money will be provided she knew something hadtotothebeguidelines, push forward,” Davis-Nickens ment unit coupled with further for groups comprehensive toward domestic violence training for law enforcement done. Out with of her frustration programs said about Marlow. and they can submit more than one application. with law enforcement's handling Davis-Nickens The saidMaryland anyone agencies, a Child's Life ProtecAgainstshe Domestic in a recent ofNetwork the situation, decided Violence to whodocuments reads Marlow's bookreport will tion Act and mandatory counselstart the Saving Promise that Prince George’s had 32camdomestic-related fatalities in fiscal “get it.” She said she “putsyears the ing for batterers. paign. such a we way,have the seen average “If we are ever going to eradi2015 and 2016, the most in the case state.in“While re“It seems to be in a vicious cycle getcategory, it.” She said at the cate domestic violence, we must cord reductions crime in nearlyperson every can other domestic that won't turn my family of the day,at the violence continues to occur in ourend communities verybook high will lev- look at both sides of the coin. loose,” Marlow said. Marlow help people to have a diaels,” County Councilman Mel Franklin said begin in a statement. For We need to address both the vicshared her story withcallthe301-952-3919 audi- logueorabout violence. tim and the batterer,” Marlow more information, go todomestic http://pgccouncil. ence at the District Heights Also present at the event was said. us/DVGP. 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 juryMayor for his role in Bowser feels children need to be educatMuriel and Congresswoman Eleanor Center of the city of District the Beltway Sniper attacks in ed about domestic violence. Holmes Norton will be keynote speakers at the Power in Heights and the National Hook- 2002. Mildred Muhammad is have to beingMay pas- 6 at Unity Advocacy event,“We scheduled forstop Saturday, Up of Black Women. the founder of After the Trauma, sive-aggressive with poor chilTrinity University [125 Michigan Avenue] in Northeast. Marlow has written a book, an organization that helps the dren about domestic violence,” The all-day event will focus on activating women inspired “Color Me Butterfly,” which is a survivors of domestic violence Marlow said. by the recent Women’s March on providing story about four generations of and their children. Marlow has Washington, worked to break them with concrete action items as they build on the energy domestic violence. The book is “I lived in fear for six years. Six the cycle of abuse in her family, by the inspired by her own experiences, years in fear is agenerated long time. It ismarch. and is confident the policies she the Women’s Marchfor National and those of her grandmother, not an easy thingMembers to comeofout is pushing will Committee start that will her mother and her daughter. of,” she said. spearhead an afternoon of 10 panel discussion featuring notprocess. She said every time she reads Mildred Muhammad saidwill discuss “I plan to takeactions these policies ed activists who issue-area aroundto which excerpts from her book, she still people who want to help advocates a Congress and implore to D.C. grassroots can mobilize. Topicsthem will include: can not believe the words came domestic violence victim must agents; change our laws,” Marlow women as change ending violence againstsaid. women; from her. “Color Me Butterfly” be careful of how they go into healthcare “I will not untiland these poliproviding accessible forstop women many more. won the 2007 National “Best the victim's life, and understand cies are passed.” Books” Award. that she may be in “survival Tia Carol Jones can be reached “I was just 16-years-old when mode”. at tiacaroljones@sbcglobal.net my eye first blackened and my “Before you get to 'I'm going lips As bled,” Marlow historic said. Howard Theatre to kill you,' it started as adollars verbal in tax WI the District’s faces over a million debts, also struggling to pay its rent, Elaine Davis-Nickens, presithe landmark theater says it will sever ties with the venue’s operator. Myla Moss, chairwoman of Howard Theatre dent of the National Hook-Up has hired attorneys ofRestoration, Black Women, said there is noto terminate a 20-year contract with Howard Theatre Entertainment which runs the theater. consistency in the way domestic The decision could violence issues are dealtforce withthebytheater to shut its doors, at least temporarily, while it seeks a new operator. The District is one of several financiers for the beleaguered theater, providing a contribution of $12 million. Moss said she plans to keep the venue up and operating. However, without the benefit of headline acts, and with money problems, something that’s been going on for at least the past five years, she and the Restoration committee face an uphill battle. “We tried to work with this operator . . . and have given them ample opportunity to retool their strategy to make it a successful venue and we have not seen a positive result. We can’t possibly sustain this current formula for 20 or more years,” Moss said, adding that she has not received rent payments for several months. The theatre deteriorated after the 1968 riots despite an impressive past into a fenced-up abandoned building. It reopened five years ago with a slick new look and big names. New York-based Blue Note Entertainment formed a business partnership with local developer Roy “Chip” Ellis, naming it Howard Theatre Entertainment, to operate the venue. Its president, Steven Bensusan has said he had no knowledge of Moss’s plan to terminate the contract, noting that with millions committed to the Howard Theatre, his company is not interested in leaving. “Our plan is to be here for the remainder of the term of our lease,” he said in a previously published emailed statement.

Bowser, Norton to Share Views at Women’s Advocacy Event

Wilhelmina J. Rolark In Memoriam Dr. Calvin W. Rolark, Sr. Wilhelmina J. Rolark THE WASHINGTON INFORMER PUBLISHER NEWSPAPER (ISSN#0741-9414) is NEWSPAPER (ISSN#0741-9414) is published THE WASHINGTON INFORMER Denise Rolark Barnes published on each Thursday.postage weeklyweekly on Thursday. Periodicals paid at Washington, D.C. and additional Periodicals Washingmailing postage offices. paid Newsat and advertising deadline is Monday prior to publication. ton,Announcements D.C. and additional mailing of- twoSTAFF must be received weeks prior to event. Copyright 2000 by The fices.Washington News andInformer. advertising All deadline rights reserved. POST McNeir, MASTER:Editor Send change of addressD. Kevin is Monday to publication. Anes to Theprior Washington Informer, 3117 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E. Washington, Ron Burke, Advertising/ Marketing D.C. 20032. Nobe partreceived of this publication may be reproduced without writtenDirector permisnouncements must two Shevry Lassiter, Photo Editor the return of sionprior fromto the publisher. The2016 Informer Newspaper cannot guarantee weeks event. Copyright Subscription rates All are $30Lafayette per year, two years $45. willPhoto be received by photographs. The Washington Informer. Barnes, IV, Papers Assistant Editor notreserved. more than a week after publication. Make checks payable to: rights POSTMASTER: Send John E. De Freitas, Sports Photo Editor change of addresses to The WashDorothyINFORMER Rowley, Online Editor THE WASHINGTON ington Informer, 3117 Martin Luther 3117 Luther King, Ave., S.E. • Washington, D.C.&20032 King, Jr. Ave., S.E.Martin Washington, D.C. Jr. ZebraDesigns.net, Design Layout Phone: 202 • Fax: 202 574-3785 20032. No part of this publication may561-4100 Mable Neville, Bookkeeper E-mail: news@washingtoninformer.com be reproduced without written permisDr. Charles Vincent, Social Sightings columnist www.washingtoninformer.com sion from the publisher. The Informer Tatiana Moten, Social Media Specialist Newspaper cannot guarantee the return of photographs. Subscription rates are Angie PUBLISHERJohnson, Circulation $45 per year, two years $60. Papers will Denise Rolark Barnes be received not more than a week after REPORTERS STAFF REPORTERS publication. Make checks payable to: Brooke N. Garner Managing Editor Tia C. Jones, Ed Laiscell,Will Ford Stacy Brown (Senior Writer), Carla Peay Assistant Managing Editor Odell B. Ruffin, Larry Saxton, THE WASHINGTON INFORMER (Prince George’s County Ron Burke Advertising and Marketing Mary Wells, JosephWriter), Young 3117Mable Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E Bookkeeper Whittaker Hamil Harris, Tatyana Hopkins, Jade JamesWashington, D.C. 20032 LaNita Wrenn Administration PHOTOGRAPHERS Gist, D. Kevin McNeir, Lauren Poteat, Phone: 202De561-4100 John E. Freitas Sports Editor Lafayette Barnes, IV, Dorothy Rowley, Sarafina Wright Fitzgerald, (General Fax:Victor 202 Holt 574-3785 Photo Editor John E. De Freitas, Maurice news@washingtoninformer.com Zebra Designs, Inc. Layout & Graphic Design Joanne Jackson, Roy Lewis, Robert Assignment Writer) Ken Harris /www.scsworks.com Webmaster www.washingtoninformer.com Ridley, Victor Holt

Howard Theatre’s Debt Could Force Landmark Venue to Close

“

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. United Medical Center Must Overcome Shortfall to Survive

“

In Memoriam The Washington Informer Dr. CalvinNewspaper W. Rolark, Sr.

L.Y. Marlow United Medical Center, the sole hospital in Southeast, has faced challenges for decades to provide quality care for the District’s poorest citizens. Now it needs a financial bailout, presumably at taxpayers’ expense, after it was reJohn E. DeFreitas, Shevry Lassiter, cently reported that significant errors in Medicare billing have been made. The errors could require United Medical Roy Lewis, Demetrious McKinney, Mark Center to make extensive repayments to the federal government, even as Mayor Muriel Bowser works on a strategy Mahonny, Lateef Mangum, Travis Riddick to partner the hospital with a private developer to shore up the facility. City officials say they are not sure of the extent overbilling or how long it occurred. However, District officials 4 / May 15 - 21, 2008 The Washington Informer / www.washingtoninformer.com have recently indicated that they do not plan to provide another subsidy for the hospital’s operating budget. Still, the Bowser Administration said it remains confident that the hospital will continue to improve, closing the fiscal year at break even or with positive operating revenue, despite the recent setbacks. PHOTOGRAPHERS CIRCULATION Paul Trantham

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Residents Bid Assistant Chief Diane Grooms a Warm Farewell Many Still Concerned About the Void Her Departure Will Leave By DR Barnes WI Staff Writer

5 Phil Pannell, of the Anacostia Coordinating Council and Ron Moten, of the Jack Kemp Foundation, present

a clock to former MPD Assistant Chief Diane Grooms for her “compassionate” service to residents, particularly in Wards 7 and 8. /Courtesy photo

KAYA SURVIVED! She was born 4 months early and spent more than 5 months in the hospital.

Sign up at marchforbabies.org Washington, DC March for Babies Saturday, May 6, 2017 Nationals Stadium, Washington, DC 8:00 a.m. Registration; 9:00 a.m. Walk Starts marchforbabies.org/event/dc © 2016 March of Dimes Foundation

It’s a rare occasion to see ex-felons, former youth gang members and grassroots community activists come together to shower a police officer with praises, hugs and gifts. It’s even more rare when those who are giving the praises are Black and the recipient is a white 30-year Metropolitan Police Department veteran who also happens to be a woman. Some affectionately call her “Blondie” because of her signature flowing blonde hair, but professionally she is Assistant Chief Diane Grooms, who recently announced her retirement from MPD effective April 30. She spent her last day on the job in the gymnasium at Ballou SHS in Ward 8 where more than 100 residents came to honor her for what was frequently described as her “compassionate service to the community.” Minister Roger Lovett, associate pastor at First Rock Baptist Church in Ward 7, said he met Chief Grooms in the 1990s, but he got to know her better when she was assigned to the Sixth District. She often accompanied the Men’s Ministry on neighborhood walk-thru’s following a shooting or auto thefts that besieged the community in Benning Heights, formerly known as Simple City. “She was always there to make sure everything went smoothly and sometimes it was late at night,” Lovett said. “But she also helped us at back to school events, and neighborhood barbecues. She is a people person who bonded with the neighborhood; she is just a down to earth person.” Jackie Ward, a Ward 8 resident, said when she worked in the Ward 8 council office for the late Marion S. Barry, she got to know Chief Grooms well. “She was available day or night,” she said. “I knew she worked an 8-hour shift and one day, late at night, there was a shooting in Woodland Terrace. Guess who was there, in full uni-

form, making sure the residents were being treated with respect? Chief Grooms!” Al Malik Farrakhan, founder and executive director of Cease Fire Don’t Smoke the Brothers and Sisters, attended the event despite his battle with walking pneumonia. “When I heard they were honoring Chief Grooms, I had to come and help honor the chief on her retirement. We go back to 1995 and she was constantly in the community in Ward 4,” he said. “There are others on the force who are good,” Farrakhan said, “but she is unique. She’s got love all over this city. She has bailed out a lot of kids, and because of her there are some folks who are still alive and not locked up. I’m a black militant, and she’s a blond-haired woman. If I’m here, that speaks volumes.” When it was Grooms chance to speak, she said for the first time she was speechless. “I believe God puts you in places for a reason,” she said as she recalled coming to D.C. from Pittsburgh at age 23. With earlier aspirations of becoming a high school math teacher, Grooms said she ended up majoring in criminology and accepting a job as a dispatcher with the Fairfax County Police Department. The low salary required her to also wait tables until she applied for a position with MPD. Once hired, she said, she was assigned to the Fourth District and her first day on the job was the same day a Salvadoran man was shot by a police officer, which led to the Mt. Pleasant riots. “I was scared half to death,” she remembered. “What am I going to do, what am I going to say to people?” But looking back, Grooms believes her early career assigned to a foot patrol beat “was a blessing.” “I had to walk from the 6000 block to the 2900 block of Georgia Avenue in Northwest

For more information, call (571)257-2305.

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MAY 4 - 10, 2017 5

AROUND THE REGION

WEEK OF MAY 4 - 10, 2017 MAY 4

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 5

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 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.

MAY 9

1800 – Abolitionist John Brown, who led the slave revolt at Harper's Ferry in 1859, is born in Torrington, Connecticut. 1899 – Inventor John Albert Burr patents one of the first rotary-blade lawn mowers. 2010 – Famed singer, dancer, actress, and civil rights activist Lena Horne dies in New York City of congestive heart failure at 92.

MAY 10

1837 – P.B.S. Pinchback, the first African American to become governor of a U.S. state, is born in Macon, Georgia. 1950 – Baseball great Jackie Robinson becomes the first African-American to be featured on the cover of Life magazine. 1994 – Nelson Mandela is inaugurated as South Africa's first black president. WI

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MAY 6

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 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 The Office of Nigel M. Atwell approve theLaw establishment of the National Museum of Special Education Lawyer African American History and Culture. •Does your child have a learning or other disability?

MAY• 7

Is your child failing in school, especially in reading?

1878 – Inventor Joseph Winters receives a patent •Has the school repeatedly suspended or sent your child home early? for a wagon-mounted fire escape ladder. it feel your child’s IEP is not working? 1943•Does – The SSlike George Washington Carver launches at the Richmond Shipyard No. 1 in California. Is your child’s school ignoring your questions or concerns? Contact The Law Office of Nigel M. Atwell for a free consultation. We serve LENA HORNE children in traditional public schools and public charter schools. We specialize in serving low and moderate income families. Call us at 202.627.6926. See us at www.lawofficeofnigelmatwell.com.

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By Sarafina Wright

What do you think of the Trump administration's cancelling of former first lady Michelle Obama's signature school lunch program and her girls' education program? CHARLES DAVIS /

DETROIT, MICHIGAN

This is very, very sad. Who does that? Only people who hate those who are different, and are of a better nature than their own. That is a high order of hate. Why hate her with all that she's done for the health of young children? Why, because of the shade of her skin? May God have mercy on that man's soul.

MARY HORTON /

WASHINGTON, D.C.

I am a former lunchroom manager, and I have watched the children waste good food. Many children and their parents don't understand nutrition or the importance of good food. Parents owe it to their children to feed them well so when they go to school, they will experience foods that they are familiar with. It is easy to throw someone under the bus because of political affiliations, but children need a daily diet of nutrients, and not just sweet and greasy food. Mrs. Obama has offered her knowledge for the good of future citizens.

CHANA SUMLER /

DETROIT, MICHIGAN

Anything to do with President Obama, Trump and the Republicans are going to try and wipe away [from] our story of history. America hasn't changed, it just rewrites the script. We have to #getwoke and #stayup. While we mentally sleep, they conspire. I refuse to be victimized. Together we stand, divided we fall.

LAURA FRANZ /

WASHINGTON, D.C.

As a teacher, I see so much food thrown away every single day. Students are required to take a certain amount of fruits and vegetables. Many times, a lot of that food is just thrown away. They are told they must get the items because that's federal guidelines. Why not instead we teach kids healthy eating habits and give them options? But the requirement piece is a very hard pill to swallow, especially the cost. WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

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Howard University Commencement will Honor Groundbreaking Women By Autumn Dalton Howard University News Service

Howard University, one of the nation's premier institutions of higher learning, will honor four groundbreaking women during its annual commencement, including an award-winning journalist, the first African-American woman Episcopal priest, an acclaimed scholar and critic and the first African-American U.S. senator from California. Journalist Maureen Bunyan, the Rev. Anna (Pauli) Pauline Murray, scholar Eleanor W. Traylor and Sen. Kamala Harris will each receive honorary doctorate degrees May 13 at the university's 149th commencement. "These remarkable honorees embody the spirit and aspiration that guides Howard's mission of excellence in truth and service," said Howard University President Dr. Wayne A. I. Frederick. "We are pleased to honor for the first time a distinguished panel comprised of all women. We also embrace and recognize the sterling contributions of women all over the world and certainly here at Howard University. These women dedicated Denise Rolark Barnes their talents and lives to improving Independent Beauty Consultant the world and all lives." www.marykay/drolark-barnes.com Harris, who is also the com202-236-8831 mencement speaker, will along with Bunyan and Traylor receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters, while Murray will be posthumously awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws. Howard University celebrates its 150th anniversary this year. A private, research university that is composed of 13 schools and colleges. Howard also produces more on-campus African-American doc(301) 864-6070 torate recipients than any other university in the United States. Its students pursue studies in more than 120 areas leading to undergraduate, graduate and proMCCOLLUM & ASSOCIATES, LLC fessional degrees. Over the past ADA, Age Discrimination, Benefits, Civil Rights, 20 years, the university has proCOBRA, Contracts, Deaf Law, Defamation, Disability Law, duced four Rhodes Scholars, nine Discipline, Discrimination, FMLA, FLSA, FOIA, Truman Scholars, two Marshall Scholars, over 60 Fulbright recipiFamily Responsibility, Harassment, HIPPA, OSHA, ents, 22 Pickering Fellows and one National Origin Discrimination, Non-Compete, Schwarzman Scholar. Race Discrimination, Rehabilitation Act, Retaliation, Harris, who received her bachSeverance Agreements, Sexual Harassment, Torts, elor's degree from Howard Unin upper and lowercase, flush left as indicated on artwork at these point sizes: Consultant name in 11-point Helvetica Neue Bold; Independent versity in 1986, was the first AfriWhistleblowing, Wage-and-Hour, Wrongful Discharge n 9-point Helvetica Neue Light; Web site or e-mail address in 9-point Helvetica Neue Light; phone number in 9-point Helvetica Neue Light. may be utilized. t Beauty Consultant: Only Company-approved Web sites obtained through the Mary Kay® Personal Web Site program can-American and first woman to SERVING MARYLAND, DC, & NORTH CAROLINA serve as attorney general of Califorwww.jmlaw.net (301) 864-6070 jmccollum@jmlaw.net nia and the second African-Amer-

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5 Sen. Kamala Harris, will serve as the commecement speaker and

will receive an honorary doctorate degree May 13 at Howard University's 149th commencement. /Courtesy photo ican woman to be elected to the U.S. Senate. As attorney general, she helped secure the National Mortgage Settlement against five banks that gave $12 billion of debt reduction for the state's homeowners and $26 billion overall. Other parts of the funding would go to state housing counseling services and legal help for struggling homeowners and forgiving the debt of over 23,000 homeowners. During her two terms as district attorney of San Francisco, Harris started a program that gives firsttime drug dealers the chance to earn a high-school diploma and find employment. In 2009, she wrote "Smart on Crime: A Career Prosecutor's Plan to Make Us Safer." She was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2016. Bunyan is an award-winning journalist who spent more than 40 years as a news anchor for Washington television stations WJLA and WUSA. She is a founder and board member of the International Women's Media Foundation, and a founder of the National Association of Black Journalists. She was named "Washingtonian of the Year" in 1992 and has been inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Washington Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, "The Silver Circle" of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Broadcast Pioneers Club of Washington. Bunyan also attended Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and Harvard University Graduate School of Education, where she earned a master's degree. Traylor is a graduate professor of

English at Howard and acclaimed scholar and critic in African-American literature and criticism. Her work has appeared in the form of chapter essays, biographies, articles, and papers on such writers as Larry Neal, Henry Dumas, Toni Cade Bambara, Margaret Walker, James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, and Richard Wright. She is the author of "Broad Sympathy: The Howard University Oral Traditions Reader, The Humanities and Afro-American Literary Tradition" and cultural scripts for the Smithsonian Institution's Program in Black American Culture. She received a Bachelor's degree from Spelman College, a Master's degree from Atlanta University and a doctorate from Catholic University, where she pursued her interests in African-American literature and mythology. She later received a Merrill Scholarship to the Stuttgarter Hochschule in West Germany and a research fellowship to study at the Institute of African Studies in Ghana and Nigeria. Murray, an American civil rights activist, women's rights activist, lawyer, Episcopal priest and author, was ordained as an Episcopal priest in 1977. She was a quiet force behind some of the most iconic civil rights and social justice events of the 20th century. Thurgood Marshall regarded her book, "States' Laws on Race and Color," as the "bible" in crafting his arguments for famous Brown vs. Board of Education Supreme Court case that ended legal segregation in public schools.

WOMEN Page 25

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AROUND THE REGION Public Charter Schools Provide the Opportunities Our Students Deserve By D. Kevin McNeir / WI Editor @dkevinmcneir

The World According to Dominic “Athletes Who Abuse Women Don’t Deserve a ‘Pass’” I remember using Arsenio Hall’s trademark phrase, “Things that make you go, Hmmm,” after seeing the video of Super Bowl champion Ray Rice punching his then-fiancée, now his wife, in an Atlanta City elevator, rendering her unconscious, back in February 2014. As the heinous act went viral, the former Baltimore Ravens star found himself out of a job, suspended indefinitely from the NFL and wondering how he would ever put both his life and his career back together again. Several years later and with what I suspect were many hours of therapy and counseling, he has become a public speaker for youth and college athletes on bad decision-making and domestic violence. Looking back on that time in his life, he says, “I was in a dark place . . . I’m thankful for the help I received . . . [and] everyone that helped me get out of that dark, dark, dark cloud.” I’m glad he’s overcome his demons and that he and wife have been able to move on, now the parents of two young children. But I still have several concerns as Rice, rather than the exception, seems to be the rule in American society. Several recent reports in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine say one-in-five men admit hitting their wives or girlfriends. Researchers believe the number [19 percent] of physical abusers would be even higher if men could enter their responses privately. And the beat and more cases of abuse go on. With the recent NFL draft completed where college superstars have instantly become multimillionaires, several young men face abuse, rape or misdemeanor battery charges – poised to don the stripes of prison inmates instead of professional football team uniforms. LSU

guard La’el Collins found himself in this dilemma two years ago. Today, Ohio State cornerback Gareon Conley, Caleb Brantley, picked up by the Cleveland Browns and Joe Mixon, chosen by the Cincinnati Bengals, are in the hot seat – Black men barely 21 years old who, like Rice, have long been coddled because of their athletic abilities. Even during my matriculation at the University of Michigan, I heard about young men who were abusive, abrasive and confident that they could do whatever they wanted whenever they wanted. No one deserves to be abused, not only because it’s a violation of the law, but because it’s just plain wrong. When will college presidents and pro team owners have the guts to put their foot down, refuse to accept such behavior and tear up scholarship offers and contracts, showing those who commit such acts to the door – instead of the Hall of Fame. WI

With the recent NFL draft completed where college superstars have instantly become multimillionaires, several young men face abuse, rape or misdemeanor battery charges.

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By Darren Woodruff, Ph.D The growth of public charter schools in the District has had a profound impact on students – and none more so than the African American children who represent a majority of the students in DC’s classrooms. As the nation celebrates National Charter Schools Week, it’s a good time to acknowledge how these public schools of choice are opening new opportunities for students. Public charter schools are tuition-free and open to all. That may surprise some people who associate educational excellence with private schools. The only reason someone can be turned down from a public charter school is because the school has run out of space. There are now 118 public charter schools operated by 65 nonprofit operators. Some have a special focus to their curriculum, such as STEM, Montessori, public policy, or language immersion. All make a core commitment to maintain high academic standards and prepare students for a successful future. DC public charter schools serve about 40,000 students at all grade levels, including preschoolers. For example, Kendell and Khloe Williams entered Early Childhood Academy Public Charter School at age 3. Though they are twins, the girls had different personalities. Kendell was talkative and outgoing, often speaking on behalf of her quieter sister, who preferred to communicate through trying to write. Kendell and Khloe spent two years together in the classroom, developing new friendships and leaning on each other for support. By the time they reached Kindergarten, both sisters were ready to branch out on their own, in separate classrooms. And thanks to Early Childhood Academy’s strong focus on writing, they’ve both become prolific writers – an essential skill for lifelong success. It’s not just early learners who benefit from public charter schools. The high school graduation rate for African American students who attend public charters is higher than the city average. And proficiency rates for public charter school students have increased steadily over the last ten years – consistently exceeding city averages across virtually all groups of students. This isn’t a knock on DC Public Schools, which have also improved. Rather, it’s an acknowledgment that public charter schools are spurring innovative instruction and pointing the way toward better outcomes for our students. Parents deserve these choices, and students deserve these opportunities. One of the reasons public charter schools thrive is because they have strong oversight from the DC Public Charter School Board, which I chair. We insist that potential charter school leaders explain clearly how they will benefit the city’s students. And when our schools don’t meet expectations, they’re held accountable. Our leadership has helped to drive steady improvement in school quality and other areas that matter to parents, including reducing suspensions and expulsions. We also publish annual School Quality Reports, so that parents know how their child’s school is performing in comparison to other schools. And this year more students than ever are attending public charter schools that receive the highest quality rating – Tier 1. In conclusion, African American students are big beneficiaries of the growth of public charter schools. Public charter schools serve nearly half of DC’s public school students, and a higher percentage of African American students than the city’s traditional public schools. Since students from any ward can enroll, parents get to choose the school that is the best fit for their child, not just the school that’s closest to them. As a result, roughly half of public charter school students attend a school outside their Ward. We know we still have work to do in all of our public schools. Achievement rates have been climbing and graduation rates are up, but DC hasn’t reached the national average. Too many students still leave high school without heading to college or learning a good skill for work. But the last decade has brought extraordinary progress. The schools DC children attend today are, by and large, much better than the schools their parents attended. Public charter schools have helped to fuel that progress, laying the groundwork for even more improvement in the years ahead. We are proud to celebrate their success during National Charter Schools Week. Darren Woodruff is Chairman of the DC Public Charter School Board. The Board’s goal is to ensure students and families in Washington DC have access to a quality public charter school education.

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MAY 4 - 10, 2017 9

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“I like to laugh. I like to have a great time. But I also have the right to my anger and I don’t want anybody telling me I shouldn’t be, that it’s not nice to be and that something is wrong with me because I get angry.” – Maxine Waters, 1989

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AROUND THE REGION BLACK AMERICA from Page 1 nual edition of the State of Black America, an equality index that measures the economic and social status of black Americans in comparison to their white counterparts. Marc Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League, passionately weighed in on the importance of the event. "Today's discussion is really about bringing the state of black America to life and giving the community a chance to discuss the issues," Morial said. "In addition, I hope that since we are taping the television program, that this will guarantee the beginning of elevating the data, the information, and the commentary surrounding the state of black America, to bring about more challenging discussions around the topic." Roland Martin, "News One Now" host and event moderator, asked guest panelists including author and Georgetown University professor Michael Eric Dyson, culture critic and journalist Touré and political commentator Angela Rye to weigh in on black education, economics, the war on drugs and the prison system. "There should be no juvenile prisons," said Touré, who also encouraged companies to be given an employment incentive to ensure the hiring of people recently released from prison. In terms of black economics, Rye said, "If you do not have a bank account in a black-owned bank, I encourage you to do this today." Another topic highlighted during the panel discussion was black Republicans' place in the current administration and whether they are willing challenge their own political party and say to them that its current

and forthcoming policies are hurting black America. Under the Obama administration, black America experienced a drop in unemployment, an increase in high school graduation rates and access to over 15 million new jobs. Now, under the new Trump administration, societal benchmarks such as these risk extinction. GOP commentator and Trump surrogate Paris Dennard, who is black, responded. "By the end of this forum, I hope that attendees understand that we have to be focused on advocacy and action," Dennard said. "There is a train of thought that says we should not engage with the Trump administration. There is a train of thought that says that he may not be in line with what black America needs or understands. "However, I believe that you have to have a seat at the table," he said. "You have to engage actively and early so that our issues are on the table, because if they are not, we stand to lose. We saw what happened with the state of black America economically and educationally under Democrat control. Lord have mercy if we do not advocate and push under Republican control. We have to be vigilant and engaged but also willing to work with people that don't look like us or share the same political party." Dyson encouraged citizens to begin to think critically. "Today's discussion is tremendously important," he said. "We have to think critically about these issues. We have to get involved as a community with assessing where we are through an analysis based upon fact, not fiction, not fake news, not what somebody said, not what some-

5 American writer, music journalist, cultural critic and television personality, Touré with TV One host Roland Martin. /Photo by Mark Mahoney body invented or what some president hurled forth as an alternative universe of reality. "We have to deal with what is on the ground and black people have to talk about education, economic disparities and how are kids are kicked out of school earlier and earlier, and why we are disproportionately concentrated on when it comes to that kind of expulsion and how we are continually fighting a law enforcement across this country that seems to be hyped up on its own implicit bigotry," Dyson said. "Those are the things that we have to talk about and that is why it is important to have this meeting tonight." Though many pressing topics were addressed during the panel, one Howard University student

in attendance voiced a bigger concern that millennials take home these messages too. "Tonight's event is so important for millennials just because it is going to give you a lot of information about the state of black America so that you can make a lot of informed decisions regard-

ing items like politics, education and economics and just how to move forward consciously," Kyra Azore said. At the end of the discussion, Martin left the audience with the thought-provoking question: "What are you prepared to do?" WI

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MAY 4 - 10, 2017 11

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY Metro Union Rails Against Sick-Leave Requirement By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill Tension between Metro and its largest union has ratcheted up since negotiations to renew a contract expired in June. A recently revised implemented absenteeism policy, with requires workers to provide a 72-hour notice for pre-approved sick leave, has members with the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689 at a boiling point with Metro officials and General Manager Paul Wiedefeld. "All I can see looming ahead of

us is a fight and chaos," said Local 689 President Jackie Jeter last week at the union's headquarters in Forestville. Dozens of union workers marched in front of Metro's headquarters in Northwest with a message on the back of their T-shirts: "Bargain in good faith." Some held signs that read, "WMATA: Fund it. Fix it. Make it fair" and “We are proud members of ATU Local 689. We make it work!" During a board of directors' meeting Thursday, April 27, about 100 union members dressed in black filled the meeting room.

5 A Metro worker shares his views. /Courtesy photo

Longtime Metro bus operator Jampsea Campbell stood at the podium and led a chant, "Who moves this city? We move this city." The chant continued for nearly a minute as the members slowly walked out the room. Union members continued its protest the following day, but also had a doctor to help make its case. Richard Binder, professor at the school medicine for Virginia Commonwealth University at the INOVA campus in Fairfax and Georgetown University, stood during

a news conference outside the union shop in Northwest to represent the medical community. He called Metro's policy for workers to give advanced notification on being sick "ludicrous." "If everybody knew they were going to be sick 72 hours before they got sick, then we could close all the emergency rooms around the country," he said. "We're threatening both the health of the membership of the union and the health of the riding population." Metro workers in attendance,

Five Metro Stations to Close for One Month By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill

Metro released information on its last two SafeTrack phases, or surges, including the closure of five Orange Line stations for at least 30 days. The maintenance projects for surges 15 and 16 had been previously scheduled for continuous single-tracking. Starting May 16 through June 15, these stations east of Stadium Armory in Southeast will be closed: New Carrollton, Landover, Cheverly, Deanwood and Minnesota Ave. Shuttle buses will be used to transport for commuters between those stations for about a month. The last surge on the Red Line between Shady Grove and Twinbrooks stations in Montgomery County will start afterward, but the agency said specific dates and details will be provided in the next few weeks. In a statement issued Friday, April 28, the agency said the surge changes were made "in order to minimize the customer

12 MAY 4 - 10, 2017

impact elsewhere on the system and to maximize productivity." Some of the time changes and parking recommendations from Metro: • Orange Line trains anticipate running every six to eight minutes during rush hour; • Silver Line trains between Stadium Armory and Wiehle-Reston East in Northern Virginia anticipates doubling to every 12 minutes during rush hour; • Blue Line trains will remain the same and operate every 12 minutes; and • Commuters who regularly park at New Carrollton or Landover should consider parking at Greenbelt or Largo Town Center. At the completion of SafeTrack, Metro officials plan to integrate a new maintenance program which will follow federal and transportation guidelines. In addition, the new station hours will be implemented in July and last for about two years. Metrorail stations currently close at midnight for SafeTrack.

The new hours will be from 5 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 5 a.m.-1 a.m. Fridays; 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. Saturdays; and 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sundays. The agency said SafeTrack has allowed workers to replace nearly 35,000 crossties, more than 21,000 fasteners and at least 41,000 linear feet of rail to combine three years of work into one year. Meanwhile, Metro plans to beef up the staff at the Rail Operations Control Center in Landover and hire between two to five superintendents in the department to ensure managerial coverage 24 hours a day. Also, track workers will receive "Safety Stand Down" training beginning May 8 so they will have up-to-date information on safety protocols and communication. The initiatives were spurred by an April 24 letter the Federal Transit Administration sent to Metro with directives to correct significant deficiencies along the rail system or face having 25 percent of federal funding with-

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held. The letter from FTA Associate Administrator Thomas Littleton called for Metro to: require a worker to keep trains from coming into a work area; clarify communications between rail operators, rail controllers and roadway workers; and reduce distractions among rail controllers. Littleton said Metro had at least four instances this year when it violated roadway protection orders by having unauthorized workers along the tracks as trains sped past. In addition, the transit agency hasn't properly addressed previous safety directives the FTA administered two years ago. Littleton stated in the letter Metro had five business days to respond with a plan of action. "I share the FTA's concerns and we are working diligently to improve roadway worker protections throughout the Metrorail system," Metro General Manager Paul Wiedfeld said in the letter sent Friday to the FTA. WI

including Jerr Dantzler of Silver Spring, covered their faces with hospital masks, which they said they would need to wear to protect themselves and riders. "You never know when you are going to be sick," said Dantzler of Silver Spring. "You have to make allowances for these types of things. That's why it's called sick leave." Metro officials have a different view. The agency implemented a revised absenteeism policy March 1 to reduce the number of employees taking off. In February, an internal review showed more than 100 employees had extended leave beyond the time limits and another 100 employees were reviewed to determine proper disposition of their employee status. One of the union's main contentions with the policy is that employees are now required to provide a 72hour notice to receive "pre-approved sick leave." Wiedefeld said Thursday workers can still call on the same day to inform a supervisor if they become ill. However, a planned absence such as a doctor's appointment now requires workers to provide notification 72 hours in advance. "It was a management decision," Wiedefeld said during a briefing with reporters. "It is straightforward. The goal here is to make sure that we are providing a service. If someone calls in and if we don't have someone to back fill, then we don't provide the service." As for the ongoing contract negotiations, he declined to comment on the specifics of those talks. "Anytime you are in a contract negotiation, it can be tough," he said. "Unfortunately, we have had some issues here … that I feel need to be addressed. I intend to be very civil in our reaction and professional in everything that we do." WI

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PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY

PGCPS BRIEFS

Compiled by Dorothy Rowley WI Staff Writer

SCHOLARS OF THE WEEK

Dana Freeman, from Central High School in Capitol Heights, and Lauren Knights from Parkdale High School in Riverdale Park, are PGCPS's Scholars of the Week. Dana, who has a 3.53 grade point average, participates in the International Baccalaureate program. She excels in studies that include chemistry II, geography II, World Literature, and Math 1/Pre-Calculus. A member of the National Honor Society and Rho Kappa Social Studies Honor Society, Dana also participates in the Student Government Association and Yoga Club. Dana has been accepted to Lincoln, North Carolina Central and Norfolk State universities with plans to major in political science and minor in African-American Studies. Lauren has a 4.0 grade point average and has a course loads that includes History of American Foreign Policy, African History, History of Latin America and the Caribbean, and Introduction to International Politics. As a dual enrollment student at Prince George's Community College, Lauren has earned more than 28 college credits. Lauren has worked as an intern for the U.S Court of Appeals and serves as an active lobbyist for the Prince George's Regional Association of Student Governments. In her spare time, the National Society of High School Scholars and National Honor Society member, helps organize forums for students and community-oriented police officers. After college, Lauren plans to work in the United States intelligence community.

NEW SCHOOL CALENDAR

PGCPS will begin the 2017-18 school year Sept. 6, and end on June 13. In August, Maryland Gov. Hogan issued an executive order mandating local education agencies to develop a school calendar that starts

after Labor Day and ends no later than June 15. "Under the governor's mandate, local boards of education can no longer implement a school calendar that reflects the unique needs of their school districts," said Segun Eubanks, Board of Education chair. "I strongly believe a pre-Labor Day school calendar is best for Prince George's County."

SCHOOL CEO KEVIN MAXWELL ADDED:

"As chief executive officer of the second-largest school district in the state, I am concerned about summer learning loss and our ability to schedule professional development and planning opportunities for teachers. More importantly, I am concerned about the basic needs that many families struggle to meet, such as regular nutritious meals and child care. We do not believe this mandate prioritizes children and families."

SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS NEEDED

PGCPS hiring officials are looking for school bus drivers. Hiring takes place Wednesday, May 17 from 1 p.m to 5 p.m., at the Green Valley administrative offices in Temple Hills. PGCPS bus drivers, who get paid training, provide the safe transportation of students and school personnel. Interested candidates who must be at least 21 years old, have to meet requirements including a high school diploma/GED, no more than 3 points in a 10-year driving history and at least five years driving experience. Applicants must also be able to obtain a Commercial Drivers License (CDL), Class A or B with passenger endorsement or Class B Learners Permit with passenger (P) and school bus (S) endorsements. PGCPS offers bus drivers a starting salary of $18.41 per hour, with advancement opportunity up to $35.17 per hour. Employees receive a comprehensive package of benefits, including health, dental and vision insurance, as well as retirement plans.

HIRING SCHOOL NURSES

A Registered School Nurse Job Fair will also be held Thursday, May 18 at the Green Valley administrative offices. Prospective applicants will receive an email invitation, which will include the time of interview and a list of necessary documents to be submitted. Preregistration forms can be obtained at www. pgcps.org

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5 A Registered School Nurse Job Fair will be held May 18 at the Green Valley Administrative Offices in Temple Hills. (Courtesy of PGCPS)

PGCPS SUMMER PROGRAMS

PGCPS Summer Programs offer students opportunities for acceleration, enrichment, credit recovery, or original credit. Program availability will depend on enrollment, so students are urged to apply early. For more details, contact the Summer Programs Office at 301‐808‐1124.

MAY 5: STUDENT TRANSFER DEADLINE

Parents/guardians who wish to transfer their child from their neighborhood school to another PGCPS school have until Friday, May 5 to submit a transfer request. Transfer requests may be submitted outside of the transfer season for the following reasons only: • The student's family moved to Prince George's County after the

transfer season ended; • A student has health issues or another documented, compelling reason for changing schools that must be verified by PGCPS, an attending physician or health professional; or • A family has moved to a new neighborhood and their children want to remain in their current school until the program or school year ends. WI

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MAY 4 - 10, 2017 13

BUSINESS CBC, Others Blast Trump's Tax Plan By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer Congressional Black Caucus Chairman Cedric Richmond joined a chorus decrying President Donald Trump's tax proposal, which would slash individual and business taxes and erase a surtax that funds the Affordable Care Act. Richmond (D-Louisiana) and others noted that Trump's plan would amount to a multitrillion-dollar shift from federal coffers to America's richest families and their heirs. It sets up a politically fraught battle over how best to use the government's already-strained resources, the New York Times reported. The outline offered by Trump counts less a tax overhaul plan than a list of costly cuts with no price tags attached, the newspaper noted. It calls for tax reductions for individuals of every income level as well as for businesses large and small. However, the vast majority of benefits would accrue to the highest earners and largest holders of

wealth, according to economists and analysts, accounting for a lopsided portion of the proposal's costs. "President Trump's tax proposal gives tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans at a time of historic wage and wealth inequality, and it leaves far more questions than answers," Richmond said. "First, how will the tax cuts he proposes help vulnerable Americans struggling to make ends meet, particularly when President Trump and Congressional Republicans plan to strip them of health care coverage and slash funding for government programs and services they depend on?" Richmond said. "More importantly, how will President Trump benefit from the tax cuts he proposes? We would know the answer to the latter question if President Trump had released his tax returns as all other presidents in modern history have done — including President Nixon." The health care proposal would hurt minorities and the

"President Trump's tax proposal gives tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans at a time of historic wage and wealth inequality, and it leaves far more questions than answers" CEDRIC RICHMOND / CBC Chairman

14 MAY 4 - 10, 2017

5 CBC Chair Cedric Richmond speaks out against Trump's tax plan. /Courtesy photo

poor, he said, adding that Trump and Republicans plan counts as a $600 billion tax cut for insurance company executives that would take coverage away from millions of Americans. "In addition, the proposal would eliminate essential benefits for Americans like prescription drugs, maternity care, and protections for people with pre-existing conditions," Richmond said. "This bill would be even more devastating for the health of African-Americans and other vulnerable communities than the last failed Republican health care bill." To understand how deep the effects of Trump's tax proposal run would be to realize that repealing the estate tax — which stands as part of the plan — would affect just 5,300 or so fortunes a year. For 2017, couples can shield up to $11 million of their estates from any taxation, leaving only the largest inheritances subject to taxation. Repealing the estate tax alone would cost an estimated $174.2 billion over a decade, the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center noted. Reducing the rate on capital gains, noncorporate business taxes and those in the highest bracket, as well as repealing the alternative minimum tax, would also ease the burden on wealthier Americans. So would the repeal of the Affordable Care Act's 3.8 percent surtax on the investment income

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of high earners, put in place to subsidize health coverage for low-income Americans. "Although Trump has billed his tax plan as cutting taxes for everyone, it could actually raise taxes for millions of working and middle class Americans," said Rebecca Kysar, a professor of Law at Brooklyn Law School who has penned articles for the Cornell Law Review, the Iowa Law Review, the Notre Dame Law Review, the University of Pennsylvania Law Review, the Washington University Law Review, and the Yale Journal of International Law. If the administration eliminates the personal exemption and head of household filing status, as was proposed in the campaign, the hardest hit would be single-parent families," Kysar said. "The majority of the proposed tax cuts would end up in the pockets of the extremely wealthy primarily due to reforms on the business side, estate tax and AMT repeal, cutting the top rate, and the elimination of the Obamacare investment tax." In an earlier editorial, Kysar wrote that "it is not realistic to expect the tax code to be set in stone. But the pillars of tax reform should be stable enough to form the basis of long-term investment and growth. Radical, partisan tax reform will prove short-lived and ineffective." "Reform that gives the lion's share of its benefits to the wealthy and adds trillions to the

debt runs the risk of exacerbating inequality within and between generations, perhaps alienating Trump voters who elevated him to the White House based on his populist rhetoric," said Kysar, who teaches and researches in the areas of federal income and international tax, as well as the federal budget and tax legislative processes. Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pennsylvania) said Trump's proposal would hamper those in his state who are most in need of help. "This scheme is a massive tax giveaway to millionaires, billionaires and big corporations at the expense of middle-class families in Pennsylvania," Casey said. "This tax plan may help the wealthiest and the biggest corporations avoid paying their fair share, but it won't create jobs, increase middle-class incomes or grow our economy. "At the same time, President Trump and far-right Congressional Republicans are planning to cut taxes for those at the very top, they are pushing a budget plan that cuts funding for our schools and money for community economic development while endangering programs like Meals on Wheels which serves 100,000 seniors across our state," he said. "Instead of going along with the extreme agenda of Congressional Republicans, President Trump should work on a bipartisan plan that helps middle-class families." WI

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by William Reed According to News One broadcasts, black women are aggravated by the SheaMoisture people seeking to expand across color lines. Millions of blacks can see themselves as the base of SheaMoisture marketplace. But there's nothing wrong with a black company doing "crossover" marketing. Blacks need to be "educated consumers" guided by racial identity and loyalty. The black hair care industry is a $761 million market, with ethnic beauty being is a major factor. The multicultural beauty-products market is outpacing the growth of the overall cosmetics and toiletries market. Some blacks on social media have declared a boycott of the SheaMoisture brand, but company CEO Richelieu Dennis urges those consumers to reconsider. "We already have few black businesses in beauty," he said. "I think that it is a mistake to abandon a brand that has served and continues to serve because of a Facebook post. Look at our track record, look at what we've done, we are a business trying to grow and we need support." Dennis is founder of Sundial Brands, which includes SheaMoisture. He based his original shea butter products on his grandmother's recipes. Sundial pulled in an estimated $200 million in revenue in 2015. The company's growth caught the attention of Bain Capital, is a Boston-based company with assets of $75 billion, which acquired a minority stake in Sun-

dial Brands. The Liberian-born Dennis espouses inclusivity, once writing that his 25-year-old natural beauty company Sundial was more of "a mission with a business, rather than a business with a mission." Dennis' family began making natural beauty products in their Queens, New York, apartment. The brand has come a long way since then, when Dennis was hawking shea butter shampoos by the pound on Harlem's streets. At the time, Dennis was displaced in the United States as civil war broke out in his native Liberia. The family home in Liberia was destroyed. Dennis, his mother and a close friend from college turned to the family business, which his grandmother started by crafting soaps and lotions from local plants. Blacks should do all they can to support blacks in business, and Dennis' company deserves allegiance. Reciprocity should be the rule of Blacks' consumerism. Improving consumers' loyalty to brands allows firms to secure a comfortable long-term position in the market-place. The issue of brand loyalty is larger than just repetitive discrete transactions between consumers and brands. Black women, in particular, spend an estimated $7.5 billion annually on beauty products, shelling out 80 percent more on cosmetics and twice as much on skin care as their nonblack counterparts. Blacks should stay with Sundial Brands and help increase its image and distribution among other African-Americans. Since its founding, Sundial Brands

have supported charitable and nonprofit community organizations. Dennis' company has Community Commerce–labeled products. Ten percent of gross sales of these items are channeled back into Community Commerce initiatives. The company's Community Commerce team works with suppliers to identify local needs. Blacks can help Sundial by forming local support and distribution networks. With the investment money from Bain, Sundial's distribution footprint is expected to grow from 25,000 stores to 45,000 by next year. Sundial is working with retail partners, such as Target, to move its products off specialty shelves. If all goes according to plan, SheaMoisture will be going head to head with the likes of Procter & Gamble and L'Oreal on store shelves. WI

The black hair care industry is a $761 million market, with ethnic beauty being is a major factor. The multicultural beauty-products market is outpacing the growth of the overall cosmetics and toiletries market.

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NATIONAL Cosby Supporters, Detractors Continue to Make Their Cases By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer The arguments go back and forth. Detractors of comedian Bill Cosby say he made his bed and should suffer the consequences. Supporters argue that greed, extortion and a campaign to distort his legacy by alleged racists have destroyed Cosby's career. At the center of the greed are the women who sued Cosby for defamation after his legal team denied their claims â€” and courts have recently sided with Cosby in many of those cases, supporters say. Extortion, they said, comes courtesy of attorney Gloria Allred, who in 2014 called on Cosby to put $100 million in a fund for the

alleged victims and to let a panel of retired judges determine the truth about their claims, many of which allegedly happened in the 1960s and 1970s. And claims of racism have mostly been directed at Hollywood and its tolerance for individuals such as Roman Polanski and Woody Allen and Judd Apatow, who has been vocal in his condemnation of Cosby, even calling the "I Spy" star "one of the most awful people you've ever heard of." A recent promo for Apatow's HBO show depicts a scantily clad black woman serving Apatow breakfast and asking, "Tell me what you like." "Look at Apatow and what he portrays," said Terri Fletcher, a retired nurse who lives in Pennsyl-

5 Comedian Bill Cosby has his share of both supporters and detractors. /Courtesy photo

vania where Cosby will stand trial on sexual assault charges in June. "He is the spokesperson for the anti-Cosby crowd, but he's shown himself in my eyes to be a misogynistic racist." Tanisha Jones, a New York fashion designer who works in the entertainment industry, called the allegations against Cosby "an absolute intentional murder of his legacy." "I'm a woman who feels for any woman who has been raped, assaulted or demeaned in any way," said Jones, 28. "But, realistically, we have not seen evidence that any of this is true, yet we can't watch his shows which all have been groundbreaking and a boost and

an encouragement to black people. Yet, what we do see are other comedians going against Cosby with venom and attorneys like Ms. Allred asking Mr. Cosby for $100 million in what I think is nothing more than a shakedown." Allred has denied those claims and told NBC she thinks Cosby's recent NNPA interview was an attempt to influence the jury pool. "I expect Mr. Cosby and members of his family to continue to speak out in an attempt to portray him as a victim rather than as an alleged sexual predator," Allred said. Carolyn M. Byerly, a professor and chair of the department of communications, culture and

Judge Rules Cosby Jury Can Hear About Quaaludes By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Contributor Jurors at Bill Cosby's sex assault trial can hear his explosive deposition testimony about quaaludes but not his references to the supposed aphrodisiac Spanish fly, a judge ruled Friday. The 79-year-old Cosby is accused of drugging and molesting Temple University employee Andrea Constand at his suburban Philadelphia home in 2004. He calls the encounter consensual. In the decade-old deposition, Cosby said he got seven prescriptions for quaaludes in the 1970s, intending not to take them himself but to give them to women he was pursuing for sex, according to an NBC News report. The powerful sedatives were banned in 1983, and Cosby said he no longer had them when he met Constand 20 years later, NBC News reported. Defense lawyers

16 MAY 4 - 10, 2017

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had pushed to exclude his testimony about quaaludes from the trial. Montgomery County Judge Steven O'Neill also ruled Friday to exclude from Cosby's trial references to Constand's lawsuit or the settlement. Jury selection is set to start May 22, and opening arguments are set for June 5. Cosby settled Constand's lawsuit for an undisclosed sum after giving four days of deposition testimony. He has pleaded not guilty in the criminal case, which prosecutors reopened in 2015 after key parts of the deposition were unsealed. Prosecutors had sought to include Cosby's comedic riffs about Cantharidin, or Spanish fly, to show a familiarity with date-rape drugs. The defense called the references, in his 1991 book "Childhood" and a Larry King interview that same year, nothing more than

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media studies at Howard University's School of Communications, offered her perspective. Cosby's early work clearly broke ground and should, of course, continue to be recognized, she said. However, the "deeply significant events of what appears to be his later life behavior, cannot be dismissed or trivialized," Byerly said. "We do not know where things went wrong for Bill Cosby, but we have to listen to women who have broken silence, often with great emotional difficulty," she said. "The charges are like other celebrity males who have similarly been charged with violating women sexually â€” of note are Roger Ailes and Bill O'Reilly from Fox News." Whether or not a jury finds Cosby guilty doesn't matter because he's admitted in a deposition to sexual activity and the use of drugs, said Robert C. Smith, professor of political science at San Francisco State University. "Although it's unfortunate Cosby's co-stars have lost income because no one will air his shows, his punishment is fitting because it sends an unmistakable message that the sexual abuse of women will not be tolerated, no matter the man's status, legacy or otherwise praiseworthy endeavors," Smith said. After Cosby and his daughter Evin spoke out, others voiced support for the superstar. "It's a sad day in America when one has been proclaimed guilty long before the start of a trial," said Rev. Kenneth James Flowers, the pastor of the Greater New Mt. Moriah Missionary Baptist Church in Detroit. "But African-Americans have always been treated unfairly and disproportionately been treated as guilty.

FOLLOW UP Page 17

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NATIONAL

Panelists Dismayed by L.A. Riots Documentary By Lauren Poteat WI Contributing Writer A pair of Oscar-winning directors have revisited the 1992 Los Angeles riots in a new documentary, but not all are thrilled with what they say is the silencing of the black community. During a panel discussion at Howard University's School of Communications on April 28, several panelists voiced their concern about the production of "LA 92" by directors Dan Lindsay and TJ Martin, which attempted to encapsulate the destruction of the riots 25 years later. "One major problem that I had with the film is that there was no black narrative — or any narrative, at that," said journalist and riot witness Ronald Harris. "I was living in L.A. during the riots in one of the poorest areas where the police were very oppressive. I even had one officer just walk up to me outside one day and point a gun to my head. So I understand why those people during the riots were pissed. I lived there and I saw how [black people] were treated." Lindsay and Martin, in partnership with the National Geographic Documentary Films, explored the riots following the Rodney King verdicts, which was categorized as the one of the most destructive disturbances in U.S. history with more than 58 deaths, 11,000 arrests and over $1 billion in damages. The film debuted on Friday, April 21 at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York and aired on the

FOLLOW UP from Page 16 Flowers, who also serves on AIPAC, a bipartisan organization of U.S. citizens committed to strengthening, protecting and promoting the U.S.-Israel relationship, said if Cosby is found guilty, "he must suffer whatever ramifications and punishment due him." "But, until then, let his shows continue to run and bring laughter to the world," he said. Fletcher, 55, also lamented the absence of "The Cosby Show" and other Cosby-related productions. "They air movies by Polanski and he was convicted and fled the country," Fletcher said. "And no one says anything about Woody Allen, who is celebrated even though he had an affair with and married his daughter." About the 20-plus-year relationship Allen has had with Soon

National Geographic Channel on Sunday, April 30. Harris said the film's lack of context showed "why it's important to get all-around perspectives." "I can't tell you how many times as a journalist while I was living in L.A. that I covered shootings or knife fights where I would speak to people in the neighborhood who would say that that hadn't even happened or that important details were left out," he said. "With the riots being on video, I thought, 'wow, now it will be a slam dunk' — and the story still wasn't told properly." Lisa A. Crooms-Robinson, associate dean of academic affairs at Howard's School of Law, weighed in on the 1992 verdict that acquitted four white police officers in the brutal videotaped beating of black motorist Rodney King, reflecting on how the same problems still continue today. "It seems that in order for a white cop to go to jail for shooting a black citizen, there must be some kind of video with a white cop deliberately saying, 'I am shooting you because you are black and I do not like you because you are black in order to prevail in a civil court case," she said. Greg Carr, HU professor and chairman of Afro-American studies, also shared his perspective. "This fascination with the overall spectacle undermines any opportunity to resolve the problem," the outspoken Carr said. "I mean Ice Cube says it all in his old song, 'Black Korea.'" WI Yi Preven, his formerly adopted daughter, the filmmaker told NPR in 2015 that it's worked because of their previous parent-child relationship. "I'm 35 years older, and somehow, through no fault of mine or hers, the dynamic worked," Allen said. "I was paternal. She responded to someone who was paternal." Cosby's supporters said that's proof of a double standard. "I have 500 channels and I can't tell our young about 'The Cosby Show' and how important it was for African-Americans, but Woody Allen can do his movies and Polanski his and Bill O'Reilly can get $25 million from Fox after a sex abuse scandal," Fletcher said. "They won't let me show my grandchildren why Cosby has made such a great impact on black people." WI

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5 A scene from the 1992 Los Angeles riots. /Courtesy photo

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NATIONAL

Jesse Jackson Joins Fight Against D.C. Housing Displacement By Tatyana Hopkins WI Staff Writer Rev. Jesse Jackson has joined the fight for affordable housing in the District, particularly for residents east of the Anacostia River who fear that development in the area will push them out of their homes. In a discussion Monday afternoon at the Anacostia Arts Center in Ward 8, Jacks on spoke with community leaders, affordable housing activists and advocates and concerned residents about the need to prevent development in the city from pushing Ward 8 residents out of their homes. The question-and-answer styled forum was moderated by Aaron Holmes, a candidate for the Ward 8 council seat in the last election. "On Friday, he hears about the affordable housing situation, and

he shows up here on Monday," Holmes said of the famed civil rights leader. Jackson led the audience in a call and response. "We intend to save Ward 8 from gentrification," he said. "This ward is our ward. We live, build and fight to protect the integrity of fair housing in Ward 8." The group acknowledged the many factors that contribute to residents being pushed out of the District through redevelopment, including soaring property values and taxes and discriminatory housing practices. A real estate agent in the area, Pho Palmer highlighted skyrocketing property values in the Congress Heights neighborhood based on reports from a listing services. The reports showed that the median sale price of a home in Congress Heights was

5 Jesse Jackson /Courtesy photo

$80,000 in December 2010 and moved to $272,000 by the end of 2016. As of March, the median sale price in the area was $300,000. Jackson said the key to tackling gentrification in the District would be building an experienced team. "There are people across this country who have fought this fight and would be happy to help you," he said. Jackson said the formation of a commission on the issue could

"We are in a state of emergency," said activist and We Act Radio co-owner Kymone Freeman. "This is the last phase of gentrification. After this is the [Anacostia] River. "I'm a little disappointed that I haven't heard any concrete policy changes," Freeman said. Jackson offered to have his nonprofit organization Rainbow PUSH Coalition to assist neighborhood activists to fight displacement and said he would return to help. WI

N.Y. Appeals Court Judge Found Dead in Hudson River

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5Sheila Abdus-Salaam was a judge on New York's highest court. / Courtesy of patheos.com 18 MAY 4 - 10, 2017

help organize a major plan of action with a few clear objectives. "There are more people in this room than ever came together to figure out voting rights in Selma," he told the crowd of nearly 40 people. "The answers are in the room." Some were disappointed that Jackson did not have a more comprehensive plan and urged him to use his celebrity to help organize the community and come up with more specific points.

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Sheila Abdus-Salaam, a D.C. native who was an associate judge on New York state's highest court and the first African-American woman to serve on that bench, was found dead April 12 in the Hudson River, a day after she was reported missing. The New York Police Department's Harbor Unit was said to have responded about 1:45 p.m. after receiving a report of a person floating by the shore near West 132nd Street in Upper Manhattan. Abdus-Salaam, 65, was then collected and taken to a pier on the Hudson River and pronounced dead by paramedics a little after 2:00 p.m. Police officials and Abdus-Salaam's husband are asking the public to help try and track the movements of the judge right before she was found. Authorities are investigating the

death as a homicide. Police are unsure how she ended up in the river, stating that body had no signs of trauma and that she was fully clothed. An autopsy was inconclusive. "I now join with the NYPD in asking anyone in the neighborhood to step forward with any information that might help us determine what may have happened during those hours before her death," her husband, Gregory A. Jacobs, an Episcopal priest, said in a statement. Since 2013, Abdus-Salaam had been one of seven judges on the State Court of Appeals. Before that, she served for four years as an associate justice on the First Appellate Division of the State Supreme Court, and for 15 years as a State Supreme Court justice in Manhattan. Abdus-Salaam, who attended Columbia Law School, Barnard College and Columbia University, is survived by her husband. WI

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INTERNATIONAL Compiled by Lauren Poteat / WI Contributing Writer

South African President Zuma Booed During May Day Rally South African President Jacob Zuma, dogged for over a decade by allegations of corruption, was recently booed offstage by workers demanding his resignation. The May 1 chaos that erupted between Jacob Zuma supporters and opponents resulted in the cancellation of all speeches during the national May Day event, which pays homage to the working class. Though Zuma's allies say that he will remain in office until his term ends in 2019, a live broadcast showed Zuma hastily leaving the podium and being whisked away in a motorcade from the rally in Bloemfontein city, with sections of the crowd singing (loosely translated), "Have you heard the good news? Zuma is going," South Africa's privately owned News24 site reported. Zuma attended the rally despite powerful affiliates of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) vehemently opposing his presence. Cosatu leader Sdumo Dlamini said the rally had been marred by "chaos," forcing its cancellation.

5 Pressure on South African President Ja-

cob Zuma to resign has been mounting since he fired Pravin Gordhan as finance minister in March. /Courtesy of ewn.co.za

Tensions Between Ghana and China Brew As Ministers Crackdown on Illegal Mining

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5 Ghanaian officials look to end illegal mining practices. /Courtesy of modernghana.como

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In an attempt to end illegal gold mining in Ghana, varied government ministers have singled out China — the country's biggest trading partner — for its role in utilizing unethical mining operations thought to be damaging to protected forests, cocoa farms and rivers. In many cases, the mines are owned by fellow Ghanaians, but are run by Chinese businessmen who are reportedly violating mining regulations in their attempt to extract gold quickly, the Financial Times reported. "It's alarming. Before, the locals were not using sophisticated tools but now they have heavy equipment," Kwabena Frimpong Boateng, the environment minister, told Financial Times. As he spoke he flipped through photos of floating machinery atop muddy brown waters and pointed to Chinese characters printed on one piece of equipment, citing it as evidence of the problem. Last month in Accra, an "ultimatum" was released with a call to illegal miners to halt unethical mining practices or face the force of law. The result was the arrest of some Chinese miners and their Ghanaian counterparts. Some Chinese nationals were also charged with violating immigration laws.

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National Law Firm Adds Ex-African Bank Official as Partner

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Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, one of the nation's leading law firms, recently announced the hire of Kalidou Gadio, former general counsel of the African Development Bank, as its new D.C. partner and co-chair of its Africa and Middle East/North Africa (MENA) practice. Gadio's practice is expected to advise companies and entrepreneurs on entering and navigating emerging markets, identifying opportunities and mitigating risks. He is also expected to counsel foreign governments and development institutions on initiatives such as legislative reforms, financial policies and institutional strengthening. "Kalidou has a very unique background, combining practical project finance and corporate experience with a sophisticated understanding of international law," said William T. Quicksilver, Manatt's chief executive officer and managing partner. "Having worked with government leaders and executives in Africa and from around the globe, he is finely attuned to opportunities in cross-border finance and investment. His credentials will resonate with clients doing business internationally, especially in Africa and the Middle East, and he is a significant addition to the firm."

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5Kalidou Gadio has joined the

D.C. office of a prestigious law firm. /Courtesy of Vimeo

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Peace of Mind: The Truth About Mental Health Submitted by AmeriHealth Caritas District of Columbia Talking about our mental health can be difficult. Sometimes it is hard to admit that we are hurt or sick. Many people are afraid of being judged and keep problems to themselves, even when they need help. For many people, seeking help for a behavioral problem is hard. They may feel embarrassed or ashamed admitting to being sad or anxious. This often comes from stigmas, myths, and misunderstandings of mental health. For example: • Rumor: People with mental health issues are weak or lazy. Their problems are not real. Fact: Mental health issues are real medical issues and require treatment like other illnesses. They can have a number of causes, but are not the result of weakness or laziness. • Rumor: Mental health issues are rare. Fact: Mental health problems affect many people. About 1 in 5 adults in the United States will experience a mental health issue in their lifetime. • Rumor: Other people will judge me for having mental health issues. Fact: A majority of U.S. adults care about mental health issues and want to help.

Not knowing the truth about mental health can make people feel alone. It can also keep them from seeking help. But help is available. Learn the real story about these conditions and know that you are not alone.

ANXIETY DISORDERS

Everyone feels anxious from time to time. Anxiety is a normal reaction to certain situations in life. But for some people, those feelings of fear and stress may not go away and can get stronger over time. Long-term anxiety can be a sign of an anxiety disorder such as: • Generalized anxiety disorder: Constant feelings of stress and worry that can last for months • Panic disorder: Sudden and uncontrolled panic attacks • Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): Repeated thoughts or actions outside of a person’s control • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): Feelings of fear that can occur after experiencing a scary or stressful event There are several treatment options for anxiety. Therapy helps many people understand and confront their fears. Stress-management techniques help some sufferers to remain calm when they experience anxiety. Medicines are also available that can relieve the symptoms of anxiety. Ask your health care provider about the options available for you.

MOOD DISORDERS

Mood disorders are mental health issues that affect your feelings. These conditions can cause strong emotions, such as sadness, anger, mania, or thoughts of death or suicide. Some of the most common mood disorders are: • Depression (clinical or major depression): Strong feelings of sadness or emptiness that can last for weeks, months, or years • Bipolar disorder (manic depression): Mood swings of extended periods of intense joy to intense sadness • Seasonal affective disorder: A form of depression that comes during winter Feelings of joy and sadness are normal, but for people with mood disorders, the feelings may not go away over time. One way to help control these disorders is to stay active. Being alone can make the symptoms worse, so spend time with people doing things you enjoy. Your provider also can suggest treatments or medicines that may help.

EATING DISORDERS

People who have unhealthy relationships with food or body weight may suffer from eating disorders. The most common eating disorders include: • Anorexia (an-oh-rex-e-ah): A person’s belief that he or she is overweight even if he or she is not

help you to create good eating habits and manage your condition.

EASE YOUR MIND • Bulimia (bu-lee-me-ah): Regular forced vomiting or the use of laxatives after eating to avoid gaining weight • Binge eating: Eating much more food than is necessary or healthy in a single sitting, including eating while not hungry or eating until it causes pain Eating disorders are not a choice. They are real and serious illnesses that require treatment. These disorders can cause other health issues for the body. An anorexic person may not eat enough food and can die of starvation. Someone who binge eats can suffer from obesity, which can lead to high blood pressure and diabetes. Treating an eating disorder means controlling the behavior. Eating healthy amounts of food and stopping harmful actions is important. Your provider can

Mental health issues are serious, but help is available. With the right treatment plan, you can be happier and healthier. • If you or someone you know is suicidal, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. • If you are having a crisis, call 911 right away. • If you are an AmeriHealth Caritas District of Columbia member and want to be paired with a Care Coach, call Member Services at 1-800-408-7511. Sources: National Institute of Mental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. All images are used under license for illustrative purposes only. Any individual depicted is a model.

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MAY 4 - 10, 2017 21

HEALTH Sustainable DC Shares Progress With Fourth-Year Report By Sarafina Wright WI Staff Writer The D.C. Department of Energy and Environment aims to make Washington the healthiest, greenest and most livable city in the nation by 2032. The 2017 Sustainable DC Progress Report gives a detailedÂ explanation of the progress on all 143

22 MAY 4 - 10, 2017

5 City improvements include new bicycle lanes.

/Photo courtesy of Street Mixology

actions in the Sustainable DC Plan. "Four years into implementation of Sustainable DC, we're seeing some impressive progress: the District's greenhouse gas emissions are down 24 percent since 2006 despite a growing population and economy, 65 percent of District neighborhoods are walkable, 82 percent of residents are food secure and 58 percent of commuter trips are made by

bike, walking or transit," said Tommy Wells, director of the Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE). "But in such a rapidly changing city, we know a citywide plan needs to adapt with it." The DOEE asserts that sustainability means growing the District's economy and ensuring that all residents have access to jobs; socially, it means ensuring fairness and pro-

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viding equal opportunities for the entire population. Four years ago Sustainable DC came into fruition through hundreds of community members and their ideas. Today with over 20 ambassadors and 176 volunteers the initiative boasts 72 percent of its actions underway and 25 percent complete. At the eighth annual District Sustainability Awards, Sustainable DC honored seven local champions doing their part to make the city green. Atlas Brew Works, Compost Cab, Grid Alternatives, Historic Congressional Cemetery and Eco Caters/SuperFD were acknowledged for their leadership. The inaugural People's Choice Award went to American University for purchasing 100 percent renewable electricity, building all new construction to LEED Gold standards, and aggressively pursuing their zero-waste goal. "If there is one constant in the District of Columbia, it is change," said Mayor Muriel Bowser. "This past year has certainly seen more change than most. In this uncertain political landscape, it has become remarkably clear that it will be cities that lead the way in creating a more sustainable and resilient world." In the face of higher temperatures, rising tides and more frequent severe storms, the District took action as outlined in the progress report to combat climate change while increasing the city's resilience against the environment. "In November, I joined Mayor Hidalgo of Paris and dozens of mayors in Mexico City for an international conversation on how cities can advance climate action," Bowser said. "This fall, I also released Climate Ready DC, the District's climate adaptation plan." The plan outlines 77 actions the

"Four years into implementation of Sustainable DC, we're seeing some impressive progress." TOMMY WELLS / DOEE District will take to build a stronger D.C. against climate change. "I am committed to climate change, but I am also working hard to make the District a more equitable and livable place for all residents," Bowser said. "That is why this past year I fought to include a walkability preference for District public charter schools, allowing more children to walk to school." The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) also installed miles of bike lanes, for a total of 80 miles across the city. The mayor's office and the DDOE encourages residents to get involved by preventing food waste and becoming a sustainability champion. "We've now launched the community engagement process that will result in a major update to the plan, ensuring it reflects the priorities and needs of all communities in the District," Wells said. "I strongly encourage everyone to visit www. sustainabledc.org to provide feedback on what's important to you and your neighbors and to get involved." WI

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Lupus Sufferers Seek Unlikely Alternative for Mysterious Illness By Jade James-Gist WI Staff Writer

Lupus is known as "the great imitator" for its knack of masquerading as a number of other illnesses. It remains elusive, cloaked behind whatever body system it decides to target. Joint pain, migraines, rashes, extreme fatigue, renal failure and fertility issues regularly plague lupus sufferers, of which 90 percent are women and three times as many are of African-American, Latino or Asian descent. Like all autoimmune diseases, lupus misdirects the immune system to attack the organs and tissues it was meant to protect. However, lupus spares no body system. As a result, patients are prone to seek out a range of specialists for their ailments but can be misdiagnosed with fibromyalgia, arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome or, dismissively, old age. For countless other women, lupus can slip under the radar altogether. This was the case for Nika Ward, an African-American government publication editor in her mid-30s. It wasn't until she and her husband tried to start a family that the more severe symptoms of the chronic autoimmune disease surfaced. Over several years, Ward miscarried 3 times. Her fourth baby, initially deemed healthy, was tragically lost to spontaneous placental eruption. In hindsight, the persistent hip and elbow pain and occasional dizziness that she initially wrote off as signs of aging were actually symptoms of lupus attacking her joints. "I always felt like I needed to be oiled in the morning," Ward said. "But my doctor later said that shouldn't be happening until at least my 50s." After a positive anticoagulant marker result indicated lupus anticoagulant syndrome, she was told that her "thick blood" was responsible for not supporting her pregnancies. It was only after consulting a fertility specialist, rheumatologist, hematologist and her primary care doctor that she finally received an explanation. "Lupus takes a while to diagnose," said Akilah Hill, health education associate at the DMV Lupus

Foundation. "Each case is a snowflake." For one patient, lupus may look like arthritis, while for another it may seem like a prolonged flu. While no doctor or specialist truly understands what causes lupus, or any autoimmune disease for that matter, there is a chance for remission. Benlysta, an immunosuppressant and steroid, is the first drug in 50 years developed to specifically treat lupus. However, many patients, including Ward, are unsatisfied with the idea of relying on medication for their entire lives, especially considering the harsh side effects of frequently prescribed immunosuppressants and chemotherapy. After just two weeks of drugs and gastrointestinal side effects, Ward reached out to other patients through the Lupus Foundation Facebook page who were also curious about alternative methods for remission. Encouraged, she quickly began a plant based diet and exercise routine â€” a major departure from her usual consumption of soda, sweet tea and soul food. "It hasn't been easy," Ward said. "I cut everything out from the start â€” nothing processed, nothing sugar, nothing white carb-based. I stayed on the edges of the supermarket." The first two weeks went by slowly. Overwhelmed by what she calls withdrawals, she craved more food just an hour after eating a full, nutritious meal. But after a while, Ward started to see food in a new light. "Food really can be medicine," she said. In addition to her new organic, farm-raised diet, she went gluten-free. Her energy picked up, her hip pain reduced to soreness, and her digestive issues disappeared altogether. "The organic, real food is smaller and goes bad fast, but I realized this is what I should be eating," she said. A new but promising line of field research based on the gut microbiome seemingly affirmed her results. The gut, which makes up over 70 percent of the immune system, holds abundant potential for "natural" and accessible treatment for all types of ailments using a simple resource: food. "When I changed my diet, I

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HEALTH started taking probiotics, drinking more water, and I started to crave fresher things," she said. The intestines are the gateway to the immune system, so her gut instinct was right: food really can be medicine. Her doctor confirmed her success as well. "My doctor last told me, 'I don't know what you're doing but keep doing it. Your ANA antibodies are not where we want them yet, but they're coming down,'" she said. Ward's has been a journey from loss to restoration and growth. Her OVARIA N CANCER STOMA CH CANCER

new routine has had a positive effect throughout her life, from influencing healthier habits in her family members to successfully convincing her boss to convert a closet to a popular meditation room to decrease stress and increase productivity. Stress is a major trigger for lupus flareups. Although she lives life on a deadline from her line of work in publication, she feels calmer and more energetic than ever before. "A little of this is a blessing in disguise," Ward said. "I still grieve the loss of my babies, but I would have

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never gone to the fertility specialist before them. Now, the next baby will be a lot better and healthier because of it." May 10 is World Lupus Day, during which participants wear purple to raise awareness about the illness affecting one in 537 African-American women. The 2017 DC Walk to End Lupus Now will take place Saturday, May 20 in the District at the Lincoln Memorial. Register at http:// www.lupus.org/dmv/events/entry/2017-dc-walk-to-end-lupusnow. WI

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UNIVERSITY from Page 1 ta Aw wrote in a note to students and faculty. “The safety of our students is paramount,” Aw said. The bananas were found at a shuttle bus stop at Letts-Anderson Halls, in front of Mary Graydon Center, and near the East Quad Building, university officials said. Dumpson, herself a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, has encouraged the university to enforce the identity-motivated bias sanctions of a newly updated Student Code of Conduct. “As the first black woman AUSG president, I implore all of us to unite in solidarity with those impacted by this situation and we must remember that. ‘if there is no struggle, there is no progress,’” she said, quoting Frederick Douglass. “We must use this time to reflect on what we value as a community and we must show those in the community that bigotry, hate, and racism cannot and will not be tolerated,” Dumpson said. It’s not the first time that such racial hate has been displayed at American University. Protests erupted on campus after bananas were discovered last year and, an African-American female student complained of having a banana tossed at her while in her dorm room. Another black female student reported that a rotten banana was left on her doorstep along with obscene drawings on a whiteboard. Reportedly, the school identified and disciplined the students responsible for last year’s incident.

“While this incident targeted AU’s chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, and occurred after the first black woman and AKA member was sworn in as the Student Government president, our entire university community has been adversely affected by this cowardly, despicable act,” university President Neil Kerwin said in a statement. “Campus police and D.C. police are investigating these crude and racially insensitive act of bigotry,” Kerwin said. Meanwhile, several students have spoken out to voice their displeasure. “As a Hispanic student here on campus, it is incredibly uncomfortable to know that things like this are still happening,” sophomore Jocelyn Nieto told WTOP. Student Kennan Thomas said it’s a shame the university is going through a situation like this again. “I really do appreciate the school and what they’re doing to resolve issues, but we still need to make larger strides,” Thomas said. Tyler Sanders said he has served as an ambassador and tour guide on campus for prospective students, and says he gets questions from visitors about diversity. “It’s difficult to say affirmatively that we have a diverse campus or student body when we deal with these racial issues,” Sanders said. The university has asked that anyone with information on the incidents call the campus police at 202-885-2527. WI

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5 Taylor Dumpson became the first female African-American Student Government president at AU. /Courtesy Photo

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WOMEN from Page 8 Along with Betty Friedan and 30 others, Murray was a founding member of the National Organization for Women. She graduated first in her class, but she was denied the chance to do postgraduate work at Harvard University because of her gender. She was the only female in her Howard University Law School class in 1944 and graduated first in her class. She earned a master's degree in law at University of California, Berkeley, and in 1965 she became the first African-American to receive a Doctor of Juridical Science degree from Yale Law School. She died in 1985. WI

COSBY from Page 16 fanciful stories about adolescence. Spanish fly reportedly is made from a green beetle of the same name, in the family of blister beetles, and has been sold as an aphrodisiac. In the book, Cosby says he and his adolescent friends needed the potion to get girls interested in them. "They're never in the mood for us," Cosby wrote. "They need chemicals." In an exclusive statement given to BlackPressUSA.com this week, Cosby's daughter, Evin, said her dad is innocent. "He is not abusive, violent or a rapist," she said. "Sure, like many celebrities tempted by opportunity, he had his affairs, but that was between him and my mother. They have worked through it and moved on, and I am glad they did for them and for our family. "The harsh and hurtful accusations of things that supposedly happened 40 or 50 years ago, before I was born, in another lifetime, and that have been carelessly repeated as truth without allowing my dad to defend himself and without requiring proof, has punished not just my dad but every one of us," she said. Cosby, also in an exclusive interview with BlackPressUSA.com, alluded to those who have concluded that he's guilty but have yet to learn all of the facts. "The history about African-Americans is a history of the United States — but the true histories, not the propaganda that is standard in our nation's history books," Cosby said. "The great writer, James Baldwin, said, 'If you lie about me, then you lie about yourself.' The revolution is in the home. There is something about someone saying, 'I didn't know that,' that could cause a change in that person's thinking." WI

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EDUCATION Local Teacher Recognized as PBS Digital Innovator HBCU Alum Takes Art in Classroom to New Level By Sarafina Wright WI Staff Writer A local art teacher who once cried every single day during her first year now has the prestigious title of a PBS Digital Innovator. Among 52 educators from across the U.S., Carmen Jenkins Frazier of School Without Walls High School in Northwest received recognition for her skillful approach to education and integrating digital media in the classroom in a way that sparks the in-

terest of her students. "I originally went to Hampton University to be a graphic designer," Frazier said. "But after an internship at NASA I realized I didn't want to be behind a desk all day. I always liked being around people, and I enjoyed school so, I said hey I'll be an art teacher." After studying electronic studio art at Howard University for her masters, Frazier entered the D.C. Public Schools system in October 2001. "That first year as a teacher was

the most miserable year of my life. I think I cried every day," she said. "I say that, but you learn that things aren't always going to go smoothly." Growing up in Chicago, Frazier grew up in an urban environment attending public school, so she thought that she would be able to relate to the students. "I thought, 'this shouldn't be hard. I can relate,'" she said. "But I could not, and it was especially challenging with no supplies. I remember being told digital art was too advanced for our students, but I didn't accept that." By year five, Frazier felt she had a grasp on the functions of her workplace and began to push for supplies such as desktop computers to introduce her students to digital art. Her innovative use of stop-motion animation â€” a technique that physically manipulates an object so that it appears to move on its own â€” in the classroom earned her national recognition. "I had students use stop-motion animation to create a video that would tell a story that taught a lesson," Frazier said. "In that process, the students learned so much. "I also taught my 8th-grade students how to create a biographical portrait," she said. "They had to research Americans they admired. Some students did a portrait of Michael Jackson, taking gloves, microphones and Grammys using

5 Carmen Jenkins Frazier, art teacher at School Without Walls in Northwest and newly recognized 2017 PBS Digital Innovator. /Photo courtesy of Carmen Jenkins Frazier. photoshop to create a biographi- Digital Innovators are a passionate cal portrait." group of educators who are comThe 52 PBS Digital Innovators mitted to changing the way students from around the country get to par- learn through technology and digital ticipate in ongoing professional de- media." velopment; share their ideas on PBS As part of her prize, Frazier looks platforms; have access to resources forward to attending the Internafrom PBS LearningMedia; receive tional Society for Technology in Eda free PBS Teacherline professional ucation (ISTE) conference in June. development course; and are invited "I think I was selected because to special events, including the 2017 I'm passionate about what I do," PBS Digital Summit. she said. "It's an honor to be selected "We were struck by the creativity and acknowledged. I don't do the and passion of this year's applicants," work for recognition. I do it because said Sara Schapiro, PBS vice presi- I know art and the arts helps student of education. "The 2017 PBS dents share themselves." WI

HBCU Presidents Press Congress for Funding By Sarafina Wright WI Staff Writer Concerned alumni, students, friends and presidents of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) urged Congress to do three key things that would keep the institutions from collapsing. The HBCU National Day of Action, organized by the HBCU Collective, kicked off Thursday, April 27 with dozens of advocates on Capitol Hill stating plainly what black colleges need to survive. "None of us are here today to ask for pity, we are here to talk about partnerships," said Paul Quinn College President Michael Sorrell. "We need year-round pell grants. If our students can go to school year-round they will complete faster, graduate faster and they will become tax payers at a higher level than they are today." Sorrell said in order for progress to happen, Congress must change the way it considers students at black institutions. "There has to be a change in how you view us and how you view the communities we represent," he

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said. "We represent the students from the inner cities of our country to the rural areas of our states." Secondly, Sorrell and colleagues are advocating for reform to student loan interest rates that often cripple students after graduation. "We need to tie the student loan rates to the interest rates of the federal reserve," he said. "What that means is that our banking institutions can no longer charge us a higher rate than the federal reserve charges us, which can save hundreds of thousands in interest payments." David Wilson, president of Morgan State University in Baltimore, said Congress should make Pell Grants year-round, as well as increase the amount. "At Morgan, 56 percent of my students qualify for Pell and 36 percent for the maximum," Wilson said. "I rarely have a bad day, but I have two every year and those bad days occur when we have to tell 300-400 students who are making meaningful academic progress that they have to go home. That should not happen in America." Wilson said that his school is severely underfunded in comparison

to its white counterparts, a sentiment echoed by Sorrell. "We need more equitable access to research dollars," Sorrell said. "If the University of Texas gets billions of dollars in research funds, Texas Southern gets millions and that trend continues decade after decade, year after year, what would happen to the possibilities of the students at Texas Southern, Prairie View or at my own institution, Paul Quinn College, when we are shut out from those research dollars?" With nine HBCUs currently celebrating their sesquicentennial anniversary of 150 years, Wilson believes the time is now to invest in campuses that are integral to the history of America. "We've been around for a long time and many of the structures on those campuses have been designated as historic sites, but when you go to some of those campuses, the buildings are falling apart," he said. "We're saying invest in that in which you have said as a nation is a national trust for America. Invest in the infrastructure and buildings to have a world class educational climate."

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5North Carolina A&T alumni Robert Stevens speaks during a rally seeking

expanded support from Congress for Historically Black Colleges and University on Capitol on Thursday, April 27. /Photo by Roy Lewis Wilson hammered the point that black institutions have been given crumbs for over a century and have succeeded anyway, but the time is now to receive long overdue resources. "It is not an overstatement to say HBCUs brought into existence in America the black middle class," he said. "And we are sustaining the middle class and we are doing

it with just a fraction of the investments we see going into other institutions. "Let it be known that Morgan State stands with our other 104 plus HBCUs in speaking very loudly and clearly to this administration and elected officials that we want equitable investment in our institutions," he said. WI

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DCPS

BRIEFS Compiled by Dorothy Rowley WI Staff Writer

BRINGING BLACK HISTORY TO LIFE

Students at Washington Global Public Charter School in Southwest recently held a school-wide showcase to celebrate black history. During the showcase that included field trips to Brazilian Embassy and the National Museum of African American History and Culture, students read poems, shared raps, performed dance routines, reenacted historic speeches and participated in a step show. The full student body also voted on performances they felt were the most impactful, with winning students receiving special recognition.

UN CONFERENCE REPRESENTATIVES

Shining Stars Montessori Academy Public Charter School students Kadar Muir and Donovan Simpson recently represented their school community at the 2017 Montessori Model United Nations Conference in New York City. Playing roles as ambassadors from their chosen countries of Antigua and Barbados, the student delegates studied issues, gave a speech, prepared draft resolutions, negotiated with allies and adversaries, resolved conflicts, and navigated the Model UN Conference rules of procedure. They also had fun making new friends and visiting New York City.

EDUCATORS OF THE YEAR

The Office of the State Superintendent of Education will celebrate D.C.'s best teachers and school leaders Friday, May 5 at the third annual DC Educators of the Year Award ceremony. Held from 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. at the Washington Marriott Wardman Park, the ceremony will include a formal reception that honors the 2017 DC Teacher of the Year, 2016 DC History Teacher of the Year, finalists for the 2014-15 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, and the finalists for the 2016 Presidential Awards for Ex-

EDUCATION cellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. WUSA-TV (Channel 9) news anchor Andrea Roane will emcee the event, which will include a welcome from State Superintendent of Education Hanseul Kang, as well as presentations by student performers from both public and public charter schools in D.C.

'H.E.R. STORY' AT PHELPS

The group known as "H.E.R. Story," at Phelps Architecture, Construction and Engineering High School in Northeast, serves as an after-school club where more than a dozen girls meet once a week to discuss their feelings as well as how they're performing academically and how things are going at home. They also sometimes study together, plan community service events, and share snacks and juice. Shayla Stafford, an instructional coach at Phelps, said she launched started H.E.R. Story — "Helping Empower Regalness" — about four years ago, after realizing "the need for a space for girls to come together, talk freely and support one another."

5 Kadar Muir (left) and Donovan Simpson represented their school at the 2017 Montessori Model United Nations Conference in New York City. /Courtesy of Shining Stars Montessori Academy PCS

STANDOUT SCHOOLS

School Without Walls, Woodrow Wilson High School, Benjamin Banneker Academic High School, Duke Ellington School of the Arts and McKinley Technology High School were named by U.S. News as the "5 Best DC High Schools," while School Without Walls ranked #84 nationally.

'MIGHTY GREENS' SALE AT EASTERN

The "Mighty Greens" program will sponsor a popup sale Saturday May 6 at Eastern Senior High School (1700 E Capitol Street NE) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Through the "Mighty Greens" program, food that Eastern, Cardozo High School and the University of the District of Columbia students grow and sell at local farmers' markets, comes from their school gardens and greenhouses. As a youth-led, garden-based, entrepreneurship program, Mighty Greens engages teenage students in caring for edible and native plants while growing their business. Among the vegetables and spices students grow in the yearround program are kale (both Dinosaur and Red Russian), collards, tomatoes (Cherry, Defiant), lettuce, cilantro and chives. WI

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Rebirth of a Nation racism. Exploitation. Corruption. DJ Spooky remixes the infamously racist 1915 silent film in a powerful multimedia event that examines how “exploitation and political corruption still haunt the world to this day, but in radically different forms.”

Paul D. Miller aka DJ Spooky with Sound Impact May 23 at 8 p.m. Eisenhower theater tICKEtS ON SALE NOW! KENNEdy-CENtEr.Org | (202) 467-4600 Tickets also available at the Box Office. Groups call (202) 416-8400. For all other ticket-related customer service inquiries, call the Advance Sales Box Office at (202) 416-8540.

Support for JFKC: A Centennial Celebration of John F. Kennedy is provided by Ambassador Elizabeth Frawley Bagley, Chevron, The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, and Target.

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OPINIONS/EDITORIALS

EDITORIAL MLB Must Strike Out Racism in Baseball

There is a deplorable reality that just won’t go away. Due to the disdain others have for the color of one’s skin, racism consistently raises its ugly head and the victims are persistently people of color. We would have believed, with all the efforts of Major League Baseball to address the issue of diversity in America’s favorite sport, or the lack thereof, that incidents like what happened this week to Baltimore Orioles outfielder Adam Jones would no longer occur. But at a recent Boston Red Sox game at Fenley Park, Jones was viciously taunted by a few Red Sox fans who shouted racial slurs, including the N-word, and threw peanuts at him during a game. The Red Sox management issued an apology and MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred quickly responded in a statement released to the media: “The racist words and actions directed at Adam Jones at Fenway Park are completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated at any of our ballparks. Any individual who behaves in such offensive fashion will be immediately removed from the ballpark and subject to further action.” Adams quickly reminds us that the incident in Boston is not an isolated one adding that many of MLB’s 62 African-American players are accustomed to similar, if not worse, behavior in ballparks across the country. We admire Adams’ love for the game and his willingness, at the very least, to endure what Curt Roberts, Ernie Banks, Bob Trice, Jackie Robinson and many others went through as they broke the color line in Major League Baseball more than 50 years ago. It’s what keeps them going knowing that they were not the first to reach the home plate of America’s racism and yet achieve great feats against such horrific odds. We can only imagine the stories National’s manager Dusty Baker, a former player, will write in his memoirs about his experiences on the field and in the board rooms of MLB. Mr. Manfred and other team owners not only must work harder for greater diversity on the field and in the stands, but they must do more to strike racism out of the game. WI

School Children Deserve Nutritious Meals – At Least They Once Did New York University Nutrition Professor Marion Nestle says, “It’s pretty depressing to watch what’s happening to the gains in food and nutrition policy,” referring to the latest move by our current president to destroy anything related to the former president, Barack Obama. But this time the attack is aimed squarely at the former president’s wife, Michelle Obama, who made it her mission to address both children’s nutrition in the U.S. and girls’ education around the world. Trump’s Agriculture Secretary, Sonny Perdue, in his very first official act, has derailed Mrs. Obama’s program on nutrition which, we assume, came at the behest of President Trump. Perdue calls the loosening of restrictions on federally funded school lunch programs as “regulatory flexibility.” We call it what it is: ridiculous. During Obama’s presidency, the first lady led an initiative that resulted in public schools being required to serve more whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables to millions of children while limiting salt and fat. Our nation’s schools complied with those rules so that they could secure federal reimbursements for free and reduced-price meals for low-income students. Consider that according to the USDA’s latest statistics, more than 31.6 million children receive lunch each day through the National School Lunch Program – an initiative that has served over 224 billion lunches since its founding in 1946. Meanwhile, Purdue contends that the recent change in policy is intended to allow schools to plan menus and to give them greater flexibility in choosing lunches that are “[more] appealing to students.” We’re not sure why this matters particularly since most parents know that their children will almost always choose foods like burgers, fries, pizza, soda and candy over fruits and vegetables. So, who should be in charge when it comes to determining the meals prepared and served to our children: delightful little boys and girls or adults armed with more knowledge related to the long-term effects of allowing youth to eat junk food on a regular basis. WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

TO THE EDITOR 'Raisin' Play Does Justice to Original

Informer a Much-Need Source of Info

I just had the privilege of seeing "A Raisin in the Sun" by renowned black playwright, the late Lorraine Hansberry, at Arena Stage. For years, I enjoyed reruns of the movie version of this dynamic play, starring Sydney Poitier, Ruby Dee, Claudia McNeil and others. I could not have imagined any other cast besides them in the roles Hansberry created. But then I saw this current version of the play, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that the new actors and actresses did an outstanding job of bringing Hansberry's play to life. This literary piece is a timeless story of an African-American family trying to make its dreams a reality in the face of racial discrimination and a new African heritage pride movement, characterized excellently by the role of daughter Beneatha. From the stage set to the passionate acting, this play is a winner! I would have no hesitation in seeing it again. If Hansberry had lived longer, I know she would have given us even more literary excellence than this. I urge all who can to see this production.

One of the great pleasures of living in the Washington, D.C., area is having the opportunity to read The Washington Informer on a regular basis. Your paper provides its readers with informative articles that you would not find anywhere else. Take for instance your article, "#BankBlack Challenge Gains Momentum," by D. Kevin McNeir in the April 27 edition of The Informer. What other media outlet would provide us with this information? This is what I am talking about, something of this magnitude, of importance to the black community being given to the community in The Informer. And this is only one example of the type of information you continually provide on a weekly basis. Keep up the great work. We need it! Tony Wilkins Washington, D.C.

Carolyn Hastings Washington, D.C.

It’s difficult to discern why the Trump Administration had made this decision. But clearly, it’s not based on simple logic or the recommendations from nutrition experts. From our vantage seat, this is simply another attempt to destroy the legacy of Barack and Michelle Obama – even if those initiatives

made sense, benefited most Americans and helped those families and their children who face poverty, community food deserts and must often chose between healthy meals and paying rent. We can only hope that the current Administration will reconsider for the sake of millions of children

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now in school as well as those who will soon become public school students. Our children deserve more – or at least a fair shot given a playing field that, for the poor and minorities, has long been uneven. It shouldn’t matter who’s occupying the White House. WI

MAY 4 - 10, 2017 29

OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnist

By Johnny C. Taylor Jr.

Flat Funding for HBCUs Is a Win

My job is to promote the interests of America's historically black colleges and universities. So naturally I was concerned when I heard earlier this year that the new Trump administration was planning to propose increasing defense spending by $54 billion and slashing nonmilitary spending by an equal amount. That's when the HBCU presidents, chancellors, and I

decided to roll up our sleeves and get to work engaging the Trump administration and the Republican-controlled 115th Congress to fight and protect our interests. It paid off: In late February, after weeks of meetings and phone calls with administration officials, more than 70 HBCU leaders and I attended a listening session with top administration officials, and a dozen returned the next day for a signing ceremony event at the White House, where President Trump signed an executive order recognizing the impor-

Guest Columnist

tance of our institutions. A few weeks later, the administration released its budget blueprint, which called for maintaining federal HBCU spending at current levels. Let me be clear: flat spending for HBCUs in a president's budget that calls for a 13 percent funding decrease to the Department of Education is a win! It's clear that this administration understands the value of HBCUs, which educate nearly 300,000 students a year, award three-quarters of all doctorates earned by African-Americans

and provided the undergraduate degrees of 80 percent of black federal judges. Not everyone is happy though — some are critical of President Trump because they believe he should have significantly increased the budget for HBCUs. Such notions are naïve in the current political environment in Washington, now run by Republicans who've vowed to reduce the size of government. There are some other important things to remember as well: First, the president makes a "budget request" while the Con-

gress has to ultimately authorize and appropriate the funding for the actual budget. The HBCU community is working hard to ensure the President's final budget request scheduled to be released in May protects HBCU funding. At the same time, we are engaging the Congress to not only protect the HBCU funding, but to also increase programs that are critical to our mission. This is the beginning of the process, not the end.

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By Armstrong Williams

What Next 100 Days of Trump Administration Should Look Like

A few days ago the Trump administration passed the 100 day milestone, and I can't help but think, "So what?" Yes, there are many symbolic interpretations to be taken from this time-honored tradition. But I challenge you: does it really matter? Is our republic so weak as to rely, so heavily on what a man can do in an arbitrary set of days? Our founders never envisioned this in the role of the Executive Branch. Their expectations for

government more broadly were never so ambitious. They were going for progression, not perfection. And for that reason, I'm hopeful for our nation. So the better question the president, his allies and the Congress should be asking is: What does Day 101 look like? There are many challenges. The president must continue to shift and show the country that he is a leader who came to Washington to govern, and be president for all. That means taking care of the business of the nation — passing laws, paying bills, diplomacy abroad; these are the pillars of

Guest Columnist

the republic, and ones we should be focusing on. I think Day 101 and the weeks beyond should be spent on three critical areas. If Trump can show progress there, he will send a strong message to the nation and the world that his is an administration that means business. When it comes to economic growth, there are so many directions this mandate can take, but it begins with shoring up our ability as a nation to meet and pay our debts, restrain spending, and keep our debt-to-growth ratio in check. Items such as a continuing resolution, raising the debt ceil-

ing, etc., may not be attractive in the eyes of the masses, but they are necessary for a nation where one federal department's budget is greater than the GDP of 100 foreign countries. And here the president can certainly lead. And more importantly, the summation of these successes leads to a major goal for Trump — fundamental tax reform. He should use the bully pulpit to make that a hallmark of his first four years. Think long game. Don't pledge another bumbled blitzkrieg to jam through a measure of that magnitude. Take your time; involve bipartisan partners;

negotiate a deal and then well, write a book about it. Every major tax bill has needed support from broad constituencies. This will be no different. Trump has the mind for this sort of maneuver. He should employ it. The Trump administration must show wisdom abroad. The next few months are critical for the United States on the world stage. A North Korean threat should be taken seriously. Desperate men do desperate things. Additionally, the Middle East is never stable, Syria needs more

WILLIAMS Page 53

By Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr.

Jeff Sessions Is Rolling Back Basic Rights As Donald Trump marks his first 100 days, media commentary focuses primarily on how little he has achieved in comparison to other presidents. It's a mistake, however, to discount the threat that the Trump administration poses to our fundamental rights. His attorney general, former Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, is a case in point. Sessions has set out with a vengeance to transform the Department of Justice into a Department

30 MAY 4 - 10, 2017

of Injustice. He's been hindered by the incompetence that characterizes this administration. He's home alone in his department, with no nominations offered for the heads of top DOJ units — the civil rights, criminal or national security divisions. His deputies — Nos. 2 and 3 in the DOJ — have been nominated but not confirmed. That has slowed but not stopped Sessions' efforts to rollback basic rights. He's reversed the Justice Department's position of challenging voter identification laws; he deems the Voting Rights

Act too "intrusive." Now the DOJ will intervene in favor of states that pass discriminatory measures to restrict access to the ballot. The right to vote — the fundamental right of a democracy — will now depend on the willingness of judges to stand up for the truth, as U.S. District Court Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos did in ignoring the DOJ intervention and ruling that the Texas ID law was "passed, at least in part, with a discriminatory purpose." Sessions has issued orders to revive the old, failed war on drugs. The promising bipartisan efforts

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to reform sentencing provisions to end the mass incarceration of nonviolent drug offenders are to be abandoned. Sessions wants to revive private prisons and insure them a steady stream of prisoners. People of color, particularly young African-American men, will be the greatest victims of this injustice. Sessions has called for a "review" of all the reform agreements that Obama's Civil Rights Division has reached with police forces. His DOJ sought to delay implementation of a consent decree reached in Baltimore in the

wake of the Freddy Gray killing. Sessions scorns these agreements as "political expediency" that will "handcuff the police." In Baltimore, the judge ignored the DOJ's efforts to impede reform. But despite the outcry at the killings of young black men and women, Sessions is clearly telling police they can act with impunity once more. And Sessions has been point on the administration's efforts to ramp up deportation, terrorize immigrants and defend the pres-

JACKSON Page 53

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OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnist

By Rep. Karen Bass

Famine in Africa: Will Trump Act? sue head on.

As you read this, our world stands at a crossroads. As you read this, 20 million people stand at risk of starvation at the hands of what has the potential to become the worst humanitarian crisis since World War II; famine in South Sudan and impending famine in northeast Nigeria, Somalia and Yemen. Our country has a moral responsibility to address this is-

For famine to be declared, two children younger than five years old in every 10,000 people have to die due to malnutrition and one in five families have to have insufficient food to sustain themselves. Waiting for famine to be declared to act means you're already too late. Famine has already been declared in South Sudan, where hunger is expected to spread to 40 percent of the country's population in the absence of

Guest Columnist

humanitarian aid. The country's man-made famine is a result of violent conflict in vast swaths of the country. Despite promises of access for relief efforts to these areas by the South Sudanese government, humanitarian organizations remain unable to gain access to provide urgent vital assistance in the form of food, water and shelter in many locations. Somalia, Nigeria and Yemen are all on the brink of having famine declared. More than half of Somalia's total popula-

tion of 12.3 million are experiencing acute food insecurity and are on the brink of death from starvation as a result of drought. Due to conflict with Al-Shabaab terrorists, humanitarian access remains an obstacle in providing the country's 6.2 million people experiencing acute food insecurity with the aid that they desperately need. In northeast Nigeria, terrorism by Boko Haram has resulted in widespread displacement and a growing humanitarian

crisis. Over 50,000 people in the region are at risk of famine. In addition, counter-insurgency operations against Boko Haram by the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in Adamawa, Yobe and Borno states have led to population displacement, limited access for relief efforts and have prevented farmers from accessing their fields, leading to significantly below-average harvests. In Yemen, agriculture pro-

BASS Page 54

By Dr. Ramona Edelin

Environmental Justice Must Be a National Priority

This week is National Charter Schools Week — someone should remind the District of Columbia of charter schools contribution to public education in the nation's capital. Recently, District mayor Muriel Bowser proposed only a 1.5 percent increase in the Uniform Per Student Funding Formula, which finances school operation costs for students enrolled in D.C. Public Schools, the tra-

ditional public school system, and the District's public charter schools. Charters, which are free to determine their own educational program and school culture while being held accountable for student performance by their authorizer, D.C.'s Public Charter School Board, educate 46 percent of all D.C. public school children. The mayor's proposed 1.5 percent increase is an odd statement of priorities, given that the city budget is set to expand by 4.3 percent; the expected rate of inflation, current-

Askia-At-Large

ly running at 2.7 percent, also is higher, so in real terms this is a cut. Part of what is driving the city's record revenues is the influx of new residents and retention of existing ones, who in former years and decades would shun the District partly because of its poor public school offering. Some 1,000 additional net residents arrive each month, according to the U.S. Census, as more families move to D.C. and decide to raise their children here. A key part of their decisions are the improvements that

D.C. public charter schools and the reform of DCPS bring. Driven by demand for charter schools, overall enrollment in District public schools is up for the eighth consecutive year after decades of decline. While charters enroll over 40,000 students, there are more than 10,000 individual names of students on waitlists who want to attend them, but cannot currently be accommodated — one-fifth of the total who wish to do so. Charters' autonomy has enabled increasingly enriched curricula and groundbreaking teaching

techniques to be offered and tested. Once a byword for failure, with around half of public high school students dropping out before graduating as recently as the mid-1990s, today the ontime (within four years) high school graduation rate is 69 percent for DCPS, and 73 percent for charters. And student performance on the new more rigorous standardized tests for college and career-readiness continue to rise, as they did for eight straight

EDLIN Page 54

By Askia Muhammad

Trump's Unintentional Gift to Black People It's probably unintended, but President Donald J. Trump has done something for black people which no other president could have done: he has driven us closer together, and that is a good thing. After all, 95 percent of the problems black people are confronting in the 21st century can be solved with our unity. So, as more and more folks recognize the depth of the evil intentions this president has for black people, the more they see the value

in unity. "We have unfinished business in civil rights and anti-poverty," Ben Jealous, former president of the NAACP, told a panel discussion on a "report card" on President Trump's first 100 days in office convened by Dr. Ron Daniels and the Institute of the Black World 21st Century. The value of a Black United Front translates to victory, even if Trump and racist Trumpism is not defeated. In unity, solidarity, means that black people cannot lose, regardless of the outcomes. "We have to put out into this at-

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mosphere, not only thoughts, not only spirits, not only the requirements of fighting for justice, but we have to be present in a different way. To me it is imperative that we really look at that administration," Barbara Arnwine, founder of the Transformative Justice Coalition and Former Executive Director of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law, told the forum. White people have and are making themselves very clear. They are in favor of the prosperity of white people. That's what Trump, Theresa May in Britain and Marine

Le Pen in France represent: white people taking back what they feel is theirs by rights. "I think it's important that we are clear that the occupant in the White House was leading a movement that is rooted in what they call in Europe 'revanchism,' a movement that is focused on revenge, and of getting back what people allege has been taken from them," author Bill Fletcher, former president of Trans Africa Forum, told the panel. "This is a movement that believes that the greatest mistake in U.S. history was the election of a

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black president in 2008," he said. "This is where the issue of race cannot be avoided." More and more black people are waking up to this reality. Dr. Gerald Horne, Moores Chair of History and African American Studies at the University of Houston, told me in an interview: "As I look at those Trump supporters — those Euro-American Trump supporters — where his measures on health care would really harm their interests, his measures in many different spheres, in

ASKIA Page 54 MAY 4 - 10, 2017 31

LIFESTYLE Debbie Allen Joins CityDance in Gala Performance

Proceeds to Benefit District’s Dream Program

By D. Kevin McNeir WI Editor @dkevinmcneir Thousands of District youth have benefited from dance instruction provided by the highly-respected CityDance DREAM program, helping them leap forward in their quest to achieve their dreams as professional dancers, choreographers and teachers of various dance genres. And to mark the fifth anniversary of CityDance’s DREAMscape, Emmy Award-winning dance icon and Howard University alum Debbie Allen will serve as this year’s host for their annual gala performance on Saturday, May 8 at the Lincoln Theatre.

Proceeds will go to the Dream program – a free afterschool initiative that provides dance classes, mentoring, performance opportunities, tutoring and college counseling to students from underserved communities across the District. Allen said she continues to be impressed by the program and its commitment to youth. “It’s important to give real value to dance and it’s a real tragedy that our country’s current Administration doesn’t see the benefits of providing ongoing financial support to the arts,” she said. “The ongoing mission of programs like this is to use the art of dance to uplift the lives of our

5 The beauty of dance. /Photo courtesy of Sekou Luke

youth – it can open the doors to incredible opportunities and a whole new world. I’d say we need these kinds of programs now more than ever. While some want to push our children toward mathematics, science and technology only, we must remember that the arts and sciences are inseparable. Together they help children learn how to think outside of the box – making for more creative ways to reflect, to live and to see their environment,” said Allen, a Houston native who has long fought against racism in the dance arena.

5 Misty Copeland has dancers like Debbie Allen to thank for her sucesses. /Courtesy photo

32 MAY 4 - 10, 2017

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“I knew I wanted to dance when I was 3 but I was continually told that my body was unsuited for ballet,” she said. “But that never deterred me. Then, during my matriculation at Howard, I considered giving up on dance. I was really down on myself after being rejected so many times. But while attending a party on Howard’s campus, I met Mike Malone. He saw me on the dance floor, showed me a dance magazine with his face on the cover, and told me that he’d be my instructor. He pulled me out of my funk and helped me regain my confidence. I never looked back.” Allen, a celebrated choreographer, dancer and director, would go on to such memorable projects as “Fame” for which she won three Emmy Awards for choreography, make her mark in a starring role in the Broadway revival of “West Side Story” and later return to the stage in the classic “Sweet Charity.” She opened the Debbie Allen Dance Academy in Los Angeles in 2001 and most recently began to direct episodes of the hit television show “Gray’s Anatomy,” often showcasing her acting abilities as well. But she will probably always be remembered most for stepping behind the camera to direct “The Cosby Show” spinoff, “A Different World.” “If you want to know what it’s like to attend an HBCU and to understand the difference they continue to make in the lives of Black students, just watch ‘A Different World,’” she said with a laugh.

5 Debbie Allen /WI File Photo by Travis Riddick

“Dance is my life. And art serves as reflection of how artists see the world. Whenever I work on a piece, I’m using dance to help others see my interpretation of reality,” she added. Allen premiered her “FreezeFrame” choreographed piece at the Kennedy Center in 2016 – an interpretive reflection on the impact of gun violence in America. It received rave reviews, so much so that she’s been inspired to take the show on the road. “I’m working on securing funding so that we can present it in at least five cities across the country,” she said. “I’m always working on a project. ‘FreezeFrame’ was my attempt to use film, dance, spoken word and anything else I could find to tell a story that I believed really mattered and had to be told while also hopefully touching people’s hearts and minds,” she said. “I stay immersed, I suppose, and I am admittedly a woman of many hats. I wouldn’t have it any other way.” WI

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Georgetown University Offers Repentance for Slave Trade

LIFESTYLE TAKE METROBUS AND METRORAIL TO THE...

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DC JAZZFESTIVAL JUNE 9 – 18, 2017

5 Georgetown University's president and others have formally apologized for the school's role in the participation in slave trade. /Courtesy photo

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer Noting that the sin of slavery was intolerable and the complicity of Christians unforgivable, the Jesuit order — one of the Catholic Church's most powerful group of priests — admitted its guilt for its role in owning and selling slaves. One of those sales, in 1838, of 272 slaves, was made on behalf of Georgetown University, which saved the fledgling school but ruined hundreds of lives, tearing families asunder, condemning men, women and children to lives of cruel bondage. This month, the Jesuits and Georgetown repented. In a "Liturgy of Remembrance, Contrition and Hope," hosted at Georgetown, the university's president and Jesuit leaders issued emotional mea culpas 179 years in the making, CNN reported. "We express our solemn contrition for our participation in slavery, and the benefit our institution received," said Georgetown President John DeGioia. "We cannot hide from this truth, bury this truth, ignore this truth. Slavery remains the original evil in our republic, an evil that our university was complicit in." More than 100 descendants of slaves sold by the Maryland Jesuits attended the April 18

service, many wearing green ribbons to symbolize hope and new life. They processed in Healy Hall to the strains of "Amazing Grace," sung by a gospel choir. Some wiped away tears during the readings and prayers, and stood to applaud when Mary D. Williams-Wagner, a slave descendant, read Frederick Douglass's remarks about Christian slave-holders. "Their pain was unparalleled," Sanda Green Thomas, another slave descendant, said of her ancestors. "Their pain is still here. It burns in the soul of every person of African descent in the United States." Georgetown isn't the only American college with ties to the slave trade, CNN reported. All Ivy League schools, except for Cornell University, were also complicit in some way, historians said. Many those schools were also founded by religious groups. But some American Jesuits in the United States said their slaveholding past is particularly painful, especially as they see racism's lingering stains on modern society. "This isn't just a Maryland issue," said the Rev. Timothy Kesicki, president of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States, the society's top official in North America. "In a sense, all Jesuits in the United States are descendants of those Jesuits who made the decisions

GEORGETOWN Page 43

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LIFESTYLE

Maryland Mom Honors Late Son with Scholarships By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer It's a busy time for Patricia Daniels. Last week, she hit the road, headed toward the Southeastern Institute of Manufacturing and Technology in Florence, South Carolina, to host a tea in her late son's name. When Daniels returns, she'll continue the preparation for the ninth annual Evening of Jazz & Scholarship Dinner Benefit, also in honor of her son, Ryan Mance. The June 15 event will be held at Camelot by Martin on Central Avenue in Upper Marlboro. "It's really busy, I can't even talk right now," Daniels said. But it's a good busy because it involves the work she's done to keep Ryan's memory alive and his legacy going. Daniels remembers all too well coming home on a cold November night in 1999 to find her son dead just inside the front door of the family's home in Laurel. He had been murdered. The house ransacked, but the only thing of value missing was Ryan's beloved saxophone. In 2008, Daniels founded the Ryan Odelle Mance Memorial Scholarship Foundation with a mission of award-

4 The

Ryan Odelle Mance Memorial Scholarship Foundation awards money to local African-Americans for college. /Courtesy photo

ing scholarships to area African-American students. She decided that Ryan's saxophone would be featured as the official insignia of her charitable organization. It wasn't until after his death that Daniels learned that her son was offered a music scholarship from Bowie State University. "Ryan loved people, he loved life, music and he loved blowing his saxophone," Daniels said. "He had no idea that his brother, Rod, would eventually design the logo and tagline of the saxophone player in a silhouette to help brand an organization that would be created in his memory." During the search for Ryan's killer, Daniels, established a reward fund, offering $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrator. An anonymous donor contributed another $5,000, and after spending each anniversary of Ryan's death placing fliers on police cars in Laurel, Dan-

iels closed the reward fund and began seeking other ways to use the money in her son's memory. That's when she decided on the scholarship fund. To date, dozens of scholarships have been awarded to qualified students in Ryan's memory, and Daniels said many more will result from the efforts of the foundation, which raises money by hosting various events around the community. "My education has meant the world to me, and it has opened a lot of doors," Rod Mance said in an earlier interview. "I really want to share that." Daniels said that while she misses the bright smile and enthusiasm of her son, there's joy in being able to do something positive in his name. She said her goals include the foundation becoming the leading nonprofit organization in creating and providing sufficient economic opportunity to empower black youths who

MANCE Page 38

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Charlamagne Tha God Book Tour Hits the District By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer Charlamagne Tha God, the self-proclaimed "Prince of Pissing People Off," co-host of Power 105.1's "The Breakfast Club" and "hip-hop's Howard Stern," opens up to share his unlikely success story as well as how he says embracing one's truths is a fundamental key to success and happiness. In his new book, "Black Privilege: Opportunity Comes to Those Who Create It," Charlamagne presents his comical, often controversial and always brutally honest insights on how living an authentic life is the quickest path to success, according to a spokesperson at the publishing house Simon & Schuster. He's scheduled to appear 7 p.m. May 4 at The Event Space in Northwest where he'll sign books and join a conversation with attorney and political strategist Angela Rye. Beginning with his journey from the small town of Moncks Corner, South Carolina, to his headline-grabbing interviews with celebrities such as Justin Bieber, Jay Z, Nicki Minaj, Kanye West

and Hillary Clinton, Charlamagne writes how he turned his troubled early life around by owning his many mistakes and refusing to give up on his dreams, even after his controversial opinions got him fired from several on-air jobs. Combining his own story with bold advice and his signature commitment to honesty at all costs, Charlamagne said he hopes this book will give others the confidence to live their own truths. "Throughout the 'hood, everybody would come to me with their problems," Charlamagne told The New York Times. "Self-help is something that I've always been into. I thought I was going to be a psychiatrist." Now, the popular personality fills that role. The book serves as a real-talk, self-help guide and outlet to empower others, especially in the black community, he said. Readers can achieve their life goals through eight principles that the South Carolina native

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MAY 4 - 10, 2017 35

LIFESTYLE " Young people were coming 50

to 100 deep, and 99.9 [percent of the] times people came to the Go-Go’s just to have fun, just to dance and look at the ladies and have a good time.” DIANE GROOMS /

GROOMS from Page 5

5 MPD Assistant Chief Diane Grooms has retired from MPD after 30 years of

service. /Courtesy photo

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and along the way, I got to see, meet, talk to and hang out with everybody,” she said. “To this day, you put your arms around me and just brought me right in.” Everyone seemed to recall the days when Grooms took on a part-time security job at a popular Go-Go club on Georgia Avenue called the Black Hole. “I learned about every neighborhood working there,” she said. “Young people were coming 50 to 100 deep, and 99.9 [percent of the] times people came to the Go-Go’s just to have fun, just to dance and look at the ladies and have a good time.” Due to several violent incidents, the Black Hole was eventually closed, but Ron Moten, a community and anti-violence activist, said the club would have been shut down much earlier had it not been for Chief Grooms. “She used to work at the GoGo’s but she was one of us,” he said. “Her skin color didn’t matter. And everyone knew if she locked someone up, you de-

served to be locked up. For her to be a white woman and culturally competent, and as intelligent as she is, it says a lot.” Moten sponsored the ceremony honoring Grooms. “She understood how to relate to people; she understood we were all humans and that it was not about police solving problems, but you had to work with the community to solve the problems in the community,” he said. Moten, who gave Grooms the moniker of “Chief for Life,” believes “Just like Marion Barry,” Chief Grooms legacy will live on for years to come.” When asked about the two officers newly-appointed MPD Chief Peter Newsham hired to replace Grooms, Moten said, “I don’t think it’s the manpower; it’s what’s in her heart. That’s what he’s got to replace.” Grooms has accepted a position as Director of Security and Public Safety for Hoffman-Madison Waterfront (HMW), the developer of The Wharf in Southwest, where she will manage the security operations and activities for one of the District’s newest communities. WI

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LIFESTYLE

Directors of New Rodney King Film Talk 1992 Riots By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer Dan Lindsay and TJ Martin were both in grade school when the Los Angeles riots of 1992 erupted in the aftermath of a verdict that acquitted four white police officers in the shocking videotaped beating of black motorist Rodney King. Lindsay, 13 at the time, lived in Rockford, Illinois, and "was probably trying not to get beat up in middle school," he joked. Martin, 12 at the time, lived in Seattle. But, as history would have it, the two would come together 25 years later to direct a new movie from National Geographic Documentary Films that explores the infamous King beating and the ensuing riots a quarter-century after it gripped the nation. The film, "LA92," takes a riveting look back at the controversial trial of the officers, subsequent protests, police brutality and judicial bias through rarely seen archival footage. It debuted on Friday, April 21 at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York and is scheduled for a limited theatrical release in New York and Los Angeles on Friday, April 28. The film will then make its television broadcast debut on National Geographic on Sunday, April 30. "We worked on the film for about nine months and because it was archive-driven, we probably squeezed about two years of work into a nine-month period," said Martin, who along with Lindsay, won an Oscar for "Undefeated." The anniversary proved an impetus for the project for most involved, Lindsay said. "For TJ and I, our vision was less about the anniversary and more about an opportunity to explore a moment in history" Lindsay said. "A very relevant moment that's important today and it's one that allows you to explore America through the microcosm of this event." The goal "is to reframe the story of this tragedy for our modern audience, and we hope it will encourage reflection and debate as we wrestle with these very real conflicts that continue to plague America's cities," Martin said. Lindsay and Martin gathered numerous archived footage from news, radio, personal home vid-

eos and police reports. Some of the videos, they said, had never seen the light of day. Thus, "LA92," features a host of rarely and never-before-seen video which not only captured the violence and the protests, but the effect the burning of a Los Angeles community had on Korean merchants who fled the area after the riots. "We had a private screening, and a gentleman who grew up in Watts during the 1965 unrest there and who lived through the 1992 unrest noted how he still harbored a sense of animosity toward the Korean merchants because he felt there was a lot of exploitation," Martin said. "After watching the film, he shared with us that he never really felt emotionally what the merchants had gone through and in doing so, in viewing the film, it shed new light on how he viewed the immigrant experience." Although there are a handful of other films about the 1992 unrest that are scheduled to be released on the anniversary this month, Martin and Lindsay said they don't view those as competition. "Going into the project we realized that many of the takeaways were insufficient," Lindsay said, noting that, because of their age, there's a bit of a disconnect compared with others who may have been old enough to understand in the moment the significance of what happened. "Our disconnect from the material was primarily because of our age," Martin said. "Revisiting the footage first and thinking

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of how to make those memories and bring them to life while adding to the conversation [was the goal]." And King's now-famous "Can't we all just get along" proclamation served as a flashpoint.

"That became a pop culture statement, almost a joke at a certain point," Lindsay said. "But you take moments like that and you lead the audience to when Rodney King gets up to speak, now you are there and hopefully, you have more empathy." WI

5 Los Angeles residents react to

the verdicts in the 1992 Rodney King beating. /Courtesy of National Geographic

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MAY 4 - 10, 2017 37

LIFESTYLE

African-American Museum to Hold First Exhibition Photography Showcase Focuses on Black Life in America By Sarafina Wright WI Staff Writer The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) will unveil its first exhibition of more than 150 photographs and related objects representing the black experience in the U.S. on Friday, May 5. Complementing the museum's popular series of photography books, the "More Than a Picture" exhibit encourages visitors to explore the ways photographs reflect important moments in history and memory. "The power of photographs is not only the ability to depict events but to bring human scale to those experiences," said Lonnie G. Bunch III, the museum director. "Photography plays an important role in constructing memory. Images act not only as repositories of memory but also as stimulants and beacons for remembering." The photography showcases a visual account of key historical events, cultural touchstones, private and communal moments to illuminate African-American life. From the eras of slavery and Jim Crow to the Black Lives Matter movement of today, "More Than a

Picture" presents a range of American experiences that look beyond the surface to see the photographs' significance to history and cultural meaning, according to the museum. Iconic portraits of Frederick Douglass, W.E.B. Du Bois, Queen Latifah and Grace Jones will be seen alongside historical and recognizable images from the civil rights movement, Hurricane Katrina and the uprisings in Ferguson, Missouri, and Baltimore. The display features a selection of portraits of famous and unknown people who empowered themselves to redefine history, groups that shared bonds that defined their sense of community, and examples of personal expressions that also reflect culture and identity. The images are from the museum's large and growing photography collection, an essential part of its holdings. From 19th-century daguerreotypes to contemporary digital prints, the museum's photography collection of more than 25,000 images includes photographs as varied as studio portraits, art photography and family portraits, as well as prints by notable photojournalists. In addition to images produced by world-renowned photographers,

5 Lewis "Big June" Marshall carrying the U.S. Flag, Selma to Montgomery March on March 21, 1965.

/Courtesy of the estate of James Karales

the collection also includes photography by lesser-known image makers who documented the contributions, struggles, triumphs and everyday lives of African-Americans. This special exhibition includes works by established and emerging photographers from the 19th

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century to present-day, including Cornelius Battey, P.H. Polk, Ernest Withers, Ming Smith, Louis Draper, Wayne Miller, Sheila Pree Bright and Zun Lee. Other notable image makers include such photographers as John White, the two-time Pulit-

zer Prize-winning photojournalist, Camilo Vergara, recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship, Berlin Prize and National Humanities Medal, and Devin Allen, who recently received the inaugural fellowship from the Gordon Parks Foundation. WI

MANCE from Page 34

"What a joy," she said of Ryan. "He was so open to everyone and empathetic to his classmates, whether their needs were personal or academic. He made the positive difference every day for everyone he encountered. Ryan was a delightful, multitalented, scholarly gentleman." The Ryan Odelle Mance Foundation depends on the support of individuals to carry out its mission of assisting and increasing access to higher education for deserving, talented and qualified students, Daniels said. Contributing is essential to helping achieve the foundation's goals of minimizing financial difficulty for students and raising funds so that recipients are able to receive annual assistance while pursuing an undergraduate degree. "You have the power to help change a life," Daniels said. To contribute, visit the foundation's website at www.ryanomancefoundation.org. WI

demonstrate a reverence for academic achievement and commitment. Ryan was born on Aug. 22, 1978. Daniels remembered her son as a quiet toddler who looked up to his older brother Rod, rarely crying or demanding attention. "Even when his asthma bothered him, he would say he felt fine," she said. At Laurel High School, where he was a beloved as a student before moving on to study at the University of Maryland, Ryan's teachers remembered a brilliant and selfless person. "Having spent a delightful school year with Rod, I was thrilled years later when Ryan came into the same classroom," said Linda Kinsley, one of Ryan's teachers. "When Ryan came down the hall, visiting with everyone, smiled his wondrous smile at me, then entered our room, life began.

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LIFESTYLE

5 District leaders remain committed to finding missing girls. /Courtesy photo 5 Derricka Wilson, founder of Black and Missing Foundation, speaks during

the Congressional Causus on Black Women and Girls convening on missing women of color nationwide, April 26 at the Library on Congress. /Courtesy photo

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District Lawmakers Address Spate of Area's Missing Girls of Color By Tatyana Hopkins WI Staff Writer

Congressional leaders and activists made a call to action to reduce the number of missing women and children of color at a congressional convening. The Congressional Caucus on Black Women and Girls hosted a forum Wednesday, April 26 at the Library of Congress, where experts and activists reviewed the racial disparity in the number of missing women and girls. The event comes a month after a D.C. police social media campaign gave increased visibility to the number of missing persons in the District and sparked national outrage and rumors about black children in the city being abduct-

THE WASHINGTON CONVENTION AND SPORTS AUTHORITY BID ANNOUNCEMENT The Washington Convention and Sports Authority (t/a Events DC) is soliciting bids WATERPROOFING, LEAK REPAIRS, EXPANSION JOINT AND TRENCH DRAIN REPLACEMENT, AND GENERAL CONTRACTOR SERVICES from qualified vendors. Interested parties can view a copy of the Request for Quotation (RFQ) by accessing the Event DC’s E-procurement website at www.wcsapex.com and opening APEX BID #17-S-011-418. Key Dates 6-time winner of Site Visits: 2:00 PM EST, Tuesday, May 9, 2017 Bid Due Date: 3:00 PM, EST, Thursday, NAACP June 1,image 2017 award Notification of intent to attend must be provided via e-mail to Kiara Short, Contracts & Procurement Analyst at KShort@eventsdc.com no later than 3:00pm EST, May 8, 2017.

40 MAY 4 - 10, 2017

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ed into sex trafficking rings. City officials discounted the rumors, saying there was no evidence of trafficking and that the campaign was to get the public's help in locating the missing children, not to indicate an uptick in the number of cases. "What happened in D.C. four weeks ago did not just become an epidemic," said Derrica Wilson, founder of the Black and Missing Foundation. "This has been going on for quite some time." The Black and Missing Foundation reports that out of 647,435 people who disappeared nationwide in 2016, 242,295, or nearly 40 percent, were minorities. "In the D.C. area, we all know of Relisha Rudd and we know that situation, but that name didn't become a national household name," Wilson said. "It needs to be national because a missing person whether it's men, women or girls is not just [in D.C.], it's a national issue." Democratic House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said the number of missing Black women and girls was everyone's responsibility to address. "I feel like knocking on every door in this city, searching every basement, every attic and every garage to see where these girls are, if they are still here," Pelosi said. "How could it be? We protect our people that's the oath we take to protect and defend. And yet our women and girls especially of color are victimized in this very unjust way?" Panelist Stephanie Croney of

the Black Women's Health Imperative said children are most vulnerable to abduction in everyday spaces such as school and public transportation, as well as on social media sites. Michael Lyles of the National Bar Association said concerted efforts by agencies, both federal and local, works to identify and provide services to those who runaway or are victims of trafficking. But he said a remaining issue is laws that may criminalize victims of trafficking and policies that keep young adults just over the age of 18 from receiving much-needed services. "We need to start looking at the signs and reporting the signs," said Kisha Roberts-Tabb. "We miss so many of the young ladies being exploited because we don't see African-American girls as victims. Oftentimes, we see them as being misbehaved." She said behaviors such as truancy, multiple minor law infractions and hanging out with older people could all be signs that a child is in trouble. Caucus members pledged to advocate for more funding, housing and training to aid those on the ground responding to the issue. The Congressional Caucus on Black Women and Girls was founded by Reps. Robin Kelly, Yvette Clarke and Bonnie Watson Coleman in 2016 and consists of more than 20 lawmakers working toward solutions to challenges affecting black women and girls in the U.S. WI

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LIFESTYLE

wi book reviewA

Horoscopes

MAY 4 - 10, 2017

ARIES Your social life looks like it will be very busy at this time. Reaching out to others can encourage you to get to know certain people better in business or a budding romance. Also, make a decision regarding a creative venture. This could be the week you get started. Finally, midweek could be perfect for romance. Lucky Numbers: 18, 26, 28

"The Awkward Thoughts of W. Kamau Bell"

TAURUS A jolt of awareness enables you to come to terms with an issue that has confused you for some time. This revelation could lead to inner change and a chance to transform thoughts and feelings so that they're aligned more closely with the outcome you desire. Lucky Numbers: 7, 24, 37

by W. Kamau Bell c.2017, Dutton $28 ($37 Canada) 352 pages

GEMINI This week's good news is that your ruler Mercury pushes forward on May 3 in your sector of friendship and community. This could coincide with an unexpected opportunity that you may have turned down earlier, much to your chagrin. This would be the time to grab it. On another note, listening to your intuition or dreams could bring guidance on a career matter. Lucky Numbers: 9, 10, 17 CANCER Opening your mind to new ideas can lead to new friendships and opportunities you may never have considered before. At the same time, with Mercury pushing forward in your sector of career and ambition, you may find that the pace speeds up regarding a business venture or career plan. Even so, it would be just as well to expect the unexpected around May 3. Lucky Numbers: 2, 5, 52

The Awkward Thoughts of W. Kamau Bell

LEO Midweek can be an opportunity to make a decision about a key ambition. Events could act as a catalyst, motivating you to step outside your comfort zone. Delays can still occur for a little while after Mercury turns direct. On another note, you may have a very tender spot for a co-worker. Lucky Numbers: 11, 19, 41

By Terri Schlichenmeyer WI Contributing Writer You are a very different kind of person. You like things that others don't like, you're good at something that nobody else can do, and you laugh at the craziest jokes. You're different — and that's OK. If we were all the same, as you'll see in "The Awkward Thoughts of W. Kamau Bell" by W. Kamau Bell, life would be awfully boring. When Kamau Bell was born in late January 1973, his mother was already "a pioneer." She'd been married and divorced twice, and was unmarried and 35 years old when Bell was born. Unwilling to marry Bell's father, she defined her own life and raised her son to do the same. Bell grew up a "blerd" (a Black nerd) who loved superhero comics and TV cartoons. He especially "LOVED! LOVED! LOVED!" the Incredible Hulk and thought he could actually be Spider-Man because it was possible that Spidey was Black. Bell says he didn't, however, much care for the superheroes who seemed to have "some sort of contractual obligation to put the word ‘Black" in their Superhero name." Bell also loved Bruce Lee movies, and though there were surprisingly few authentic Lee films, the awesomeness of martial arts led Bell to take classes. He was a big "Saturday Night Live" watcher, absorbed stand-up comedy acts, and he appreciated how Muhammad Ali lived life by his own rules. All this — added to the day when someone other than his mother laughed out loud at his jokes — led to a decision: Bell gave up a scholarship to an Ivy League college, to pursue a career in comedy. It wasn't the smoothest of paths. He didn't do well at his first gig. Audiences didn't laugh, so he tried another comedy tactic by utilizing the subject of racism in his shows. He wrote, offered workshops, found a niche medium, created a podcast, met a few of his idols, was taken advantage of (often by white men), and he bounced ideas off others as he meanwhile met an independent woman, fell in love, and started a family. And his career took off … When reading a book by a comedian, one might expect to laugh, right? "The Awkward Thoughts of W. Kamau Bell" just isn't that kind of book, oddly enough. While there are some chuckles here, and an LOL or two, the heart of author W. Kamau Bell's book is more introspective than not. That could be a disappointment for readers looking for an escape, with belly-laughs. That's not to say that this book isn't enjoyable, because it is. Bell is perfectly willing to poke fun at himself while examining late-1970s pop culture, Blackness (always with a capital "B"), marriage (to a white woman), parenting, and politics. These universal topics are tackled with the wry, nudge-wink feel of a talk show, which isn't bad … but isn't always funny, either. Overall, this book is entertaining but it's not a roll on the floor. Fans will like it a lot but for others, "The Awkward Thoughts of W. Kamau Bell" is very, very … different. WI WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

VIRGO Though you know you should be careful with your money, a lively blend of energies could encourage you to spend the cash anyway. You might be attracted to a new gadget that could revolutionize your life. However, if it really is on expensive side, it likely won't hurt you to wait. Lucky Numbers: 6, 8, 23 LIBRA If a plan has seemed set in stone, things could change over the days ahead and require you to be flexible. With Mercury pushing ahead in your sector of relating, there will likely be fewer misunderstandings and more chances for constructive exchanges. Much as you may want to reach out and help others, you'll need to be firm if you need time to recharge your batteries. Lucky Numbers: 15, 21, 24 SCORPIO Be prepared for one or two disruptions this week that could actually work in your favor. An unexpected event could encourage you to get moving in order to salvage an opportunity or embrace an idea that has positive consequences for you. With Mercury pushing forward as of May 3, you may find that delays at work or concerning computing equipment gradually sort themselves out, enabling you to get on with the job. Lucky Numbers: 13, 14, 27 SAGITTARIUS A surprise invitation could encourage you to explore new leisure op-

tions, and if they include a dash of danger and some thrills and spills, you'll be even more enthused. You and another could have great chemistry, but at this stage it might be best to keep things lighthearted. Finally, comfort food could call out to you, so go easy. Lucky Numbers: 26, 27, 56

CAPRICORN Take the time to explore your hobbies and passions. This week could encourage a new romance. And, if you're willing to make the first move, a first date could be delightful. In addition, any delays related to your home or family may now begin to ease. When it comes to staying healthy, exercise is key. Lucky Numbers: 12, 33, 47 AQUARIUS With a focus on your home and family sector, you may feel like taking a step back from life and enjoying a little self-care. This can be very good for you, as you've probably had a very busy few weeks and need this chance to unwind. At the same time, an exciting opportunity could open up for you. Lucky Numbers: 8, 24, 28 PISCES Although Mercury, the planet of talk and thought, forges ahead midweek after its retrograde phase, it might be just as well to avoid splurging and impulsive spending, particularly over the next two weeks. A lovely aspect could encourage you and another to draw closer, perhaps as a result of confiding in each other. Whether this is a friendship or romance, you could find that something special develops between you that leads to a strong and supportive bond in the future. Lucky Numbers: 25, 31, 42

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MAY 4 - 10, 2017 41

DISTRICT HAPPENINGS

5 Audrey Freeman Celebrates during the luncheon held in honor of the District's Centenarians. /Photo

by Lateef Mangum

3 Ruth Scott born in 1917 is greeted by DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, during the 31st Annual Salute to

the District's Centenarians. /Photo by Lateef Mangum

6 Ada Clark, the oldest Centenarian in attendance celebrated with Mayor Muriel Bowser at the 31st

Annual Salute to the District's Centenarians. /Photo by Lateef Mangum

5 Sandra Bears, one of the original members of the 1960's girl group the

Jewels, performed the Brother's Plus One during the 31st Annual Salute to the District's Centenarians. /Photo by Lateef Mangum

42 MAY 4 - 10, 2017

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DISTRICT HAPPENINGS

3 Oyinkansola Olatunde, a senior

at Duke Ellington School of the Arts, sings during the College day signing at George Washington University in Northwest on April 28. Olatunde will attend Berklee College of Music in Boston, Mass. /Photo by Roy Lewis 6 Walique Branch, a student at

Friendship Collegiate Academy announces that he will attend Winston Salem University in North Carolina during DC College Day Signing on Friday, April 28 in Northwest. /Photo by Roy Lewis

5 Close to 207 students wait to cross the stage at the DC College Signing Day event held at George Washington University

in Northwest. /Photo by Roy Lewis

GEORGETOWN from Page 33 to hold slaves and in this case, sell slaves. We don't look at as their sin; we look at it as our sin." Georgetown also moved to atone for its historical links to slavery by renaming buildings after African-Americans, including for one of 272 slaves sold to help fund the school. The packed dedications were the latest attempt by U.S. Catholic-run universities to make amends for ties to slavery and racism. The movement gained force in late 2015 when students at dozens of U.S. colleges protested legacies of racism on campus, according to Reuters. Harvard, Brown, Princeton, Yale and Duke are among schools that have addressed their links to slavery and racism. Following protests, Yale

University said in February it would change the name of a college dedicated to a 19th-century defender of slavery, John C. Calhoun. At Georgetown, the 18,000-student university renamed two buildings that had honored school presidents who oversaw the 1838 sale of 272 slaves from church-affiliated plantations in Maryland. One was named for Isaac Hawkins, whose name appeared at the head of the bill of sale, and a second was dedicated to Anne Marie Becraft, a black 19th-century educator. "We offer this apology for the descendants and your ancestors humbly and without expectations, and we trust ourselves to God and the Spirit and the grace He freely offers to find ways to work together and build together," DeGioia said. WI

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PRIVILEGE from Page 35 learned throughout his life. "I wrote this for the dreamers, for the optimists; this book isn't for pessimists," Charlamagne said in an earlier published interview. "This book is about embracing who and what you are regardless of race, gender, sexuality, and class. God gave you the privilege of this thing called life, so regardless of what this society tells you that you can't do and what you don't have, [it's important] to understand you lack nothing. God gave you everything you need to succeed." Growing up as Lenard McKelvey, Charlamagne said he was just another kid dreaming of a better life, yet inevitably falling prey to the allure of the streets. He stumbled upon his calling in the late '90s and within five years became one of the best-known voices in South Carolina. While on the air in Columbia, he drew attention

to the local show he hosted on Hot 103.9 (WHXT-FM) by distributing his controversial interviews and skits online. His irreverent interview style got the attention of Wendy Williams, who rebroadcasted his interviews on her popular syndicated radio show, "The Wendy Williams Experience," according to his bio. Working with Williams not only introduced Charlamagne to a new audience, it strengthened the voice that has defined his career â€” a voice he now uses to reach audiences in print, television and radio. Today, he's a personality on MTV and MTV2 and, alongside DJ Envy and Angela Yee, Charlamagne hosts "The Breakfast Club," known as "The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show." In the book, he details his first interview with Kanye West while the star was promoting his "Yeezus" album. "Kanye had been delivering long rants about how the fashion industry

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wasn't giving him a fair shot, how he was a genius but no one in power in the industry understood his vision," Charlamagne said. "How he felt like a slave to major corporations. In my eyes, instead of trying to keep up with the Kardashians and worrying about whether an editor at Vogue liked his blouses, Kanye should have just focused on what made us love him in the first place: compelling, heartfelt music." Charlamagne said he knew that as long as West connected to his audience via his music, all of his dreams and aspirations would fall into place. "In order to get him back on track, I started calling him Kanye Kardashian to poke fun at his new image," Charlamagne said, admitting that, "at the end of the day, I am a Kanye fan and want him to succeed." "Black Privilege" can be purchased at book stores everywhere, including online at Barnesandnoble. com and Amazon.com. WI

MAY 4 - 10, 2017 43

SPORTS Nats Lose to Mets at Home, 7-5 4 Washington Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman is congratulat-

ed by teammate Jose Lobaton after hitting a home run against the New York Mets during the Mets' 7-5 win at Nationals Park in Southeast on Friday, April 28. /Photo by John E. De Freitas

6 Washington Nationals catcher Matt Wieters is congratulated by

teammate Anthony Rendon after hitting a two-run homer against the New York Mets in the second inning of the Mets' 7-5 win at Nationals Park in Southeast on Friday, April 28. /Photo by John E. De Freitas

5 Washington Nationals second baseman Daniel

Murphy throws to first base to complete a double play as New York Mets left fielder Michael Conforto slides into second base in the third inning of the Mets' 7-5 win at Nationals Park in Southeast on Friday, April 28. / Photo by John E. De Freitas

3 Washington Nationals third baseman Anthony

Rendon slides back to first base ahead of a pickoff attempt as New York Mets first baseman T.J. Rivera waits for the throw during the Mets' 7-5 win at Nationals Park in Southeast on Friday, April 28. /Photo by John E. De Freitas

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SPORTS Force Upend D.C. Divas, 28-21 3 Chicago Force wide receiver Cassey Brick evades a D.C. Divas defender

during Chicago's 28-21 win at Robert E. Lee High School Stadium in Springfield, Virginia, on Saturday, April 29. /Photo by John E. De Freitas

6 Chicago Force wide receiver Jessica "J.J." Javelet dodges D.C. Divas linebacker Tia Watkins during Chicago's 28-21 win at Robert E. Lee High School Stadium in Springfield, Virginia, on Saturday, April 29. /Photo by John E. De Freitas

5 Chicago Force linebacker/running back Mary Choules attempts to tackle D.C. Divas defensive back D'Ajah Scott during Chicago's 28-21 win at Robert E. Lee High School Stadium in Springfield, Virginia, on Saturday, April 29. /Photo by John E. De Freitas

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5 D.C. Divas wide receiver Melissa Washington is tackled by Chicago Force

defensive back Elisha Okrey during Chicago's 28-21 win at Robert E. Lee High School Stadium in Virginia on Saturday, April 29. /Photo by John E. De Freitas

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

MAY 4 - 10, 2017 45

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Call 1-888-900-3149 to apply today! Free phone is provided by Access Wireless. Access Wireless is a service provider for the government-funded Lifeline Assistance program. Lifeline assistance is provided by i-wireless LLC, d/b/a Access Wireless, an eligible telecommunications carrier. Lifeline service is non-transferable. Lifeline benefits are limited to one per household. A household is defined, for the purposes of the Lifeline program, as any individual or group of individuals, who live together at the same address and share income and expenses. Violation of the one-per-household rule constitutes violation of FCC rules and will result in the customer’s de-enrollment from Lifeline. Only eligible customers may enroll in the program. Consumers who willfully make false statements in order to obtain a Lifeline benefit can be punished by fine, imprisonment, or can be barred from the program. Customers must present proper documentation proving eligibility for the Lifeline program. Your information will be validated against public records and any discrepancies could result in delays or denial of service.

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CALL 1 800 420 7783 NOW! ATTENTION MARYLANDERS WITH HOMES CONSTRUCTED BEWEEN 1989 -2009 THAT HAVE FLEXIBLE CORRUGATED STAINLESS STEEL GAS PIPE (CSST) We represent CSST homeowners in a class action to recover inspection and repair costs from the manufacturers of this product. If your home was built with CSST, you may be entitled to a free inspection, repairs or replacement. Call (202) 640-1166 or email “CSST” to info@wbmllp.com for more information. GARY E. MASON WHITFIELD BRYSON & MASON LLP 1625 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Ste. 605, Washington, DC 20036 No specific results implied

! 46 MAY 4 - 10, 2017

Irene Woodruff, 74, another lifelong Fairmount Heights resident, knows both Waiters and Thompson-Marlin. In front of Woodruff's 20th century home is a red "Thompson-Martin for mayor" sign. "She follows more of what I like," Woodruff said while sitting on her porch. Woodruff may be pleased with the unofficial election results Monday because Thompson-Martin, a retired UPS worker, received 131 votes to return as mayor. Waiters received 110 votes. The town of nearly 1,500 has more than 900 registered voters. In the meantime, one of Thompson-Martin's main agenda items will be to repair a trash truck that's sat idly for the last six weeks. The town continues to hire a contractor to collect garbage twice a week, she said. "We have the agenda from the residents from the town of Fairmount Heights and make sure they are attended to," said Thompson-Martin, who chose not to seek re-election for mayor in 2015. "We have to work to do and we will do it together." Waiters, who retired in January from Metro and now works as a substitute teacher at Imagine Lincoln Public Charter School in Temple Hills, could not be reached for comment after the town's election supervisor read the results.

HOME RULE

Some local races allow officials to retain a certain position for several years for a variety of reasons, such as uncontested races or voter apathy. Jim Peak, research director of the Maryland Municipal League in Annapolis that advocates on behalf of municipalities, said the state's "Home Rule" law passed in 1954 allows them to manage themselves. The state of Maryland and its 157 municipalities provide local services such as police and fire protection,

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

public works and code enforcement. Although counties such as Prince George's provide trash pickup, snow removal and other services for unincorporated communities such as Adelphi, Largo and Oxon Hill, municipal officials usually seek county assistance in applying for grants and police and fire protection. State law allows municipalities to hold local elections whenever they choose, even with the 27 in Prince George's. Voters in Hyattsville and University Park chose their respective candidates Tuesday, May 2, while Eagle Harbor residents will vote for their elected town officials Aug. 12. Voters in the city of College Park will take their turn Nov. 7. According to the county's list of municipal elections, none will take place during next year's primary on June 26, 2018. The home rule charter also permits for municipalities to determine an official's term in office. Those elected in Fairmount Heights run for office every two years. The city of Bowie changed its election rules in November 2015 to change terms from two to four years. The only election support provided to Prince George's municipalities from the county's Board of Electio Peak said low voter turnout depends on a particular topic going on in a town or city. "The biggest thing would be a hot issue within the municipality … which would affect voter turnout," Peak said. "In the end, home rule allows municipalities to govern themselves."

VOTER CONFIDENCE

Although municipalities have thousands of people registered to vote, the majority of them don't. The town of Cheverly had contested council races in three of its six wards Monday, including a battle for the open seat in Ward 2 between Nick D'Angelo and Julian Ivey, the 21-year-old son of former Prince

George's County State's Attorney Glenn Ivey. As of noon Monday, slightly more than 200 votes had been cast, out of more than 4,500 registered voters. Election results weren't available before The Informer went to press. However, preliminary results in Mount Rainier had Mayor Malinda Miles winning a fourth four-year term with 486 voters over Ward 1 Councilman Jesse Christopherson, who received 410 votes. Celinda Benetiz, who ran on Christopherson's ticket, will take his seat after she garnered 331 votes. Her opponent, Charnette Robinson, picked up 155 votes. The city of 8,500 has 3,900 registered voters. Voter apathy is a topic that election researchers, voter advocates and activists are still trying to understand. The National Association of Secretaries of States hosted a discussion Feb. 17 in Northwest about voter confidence in the November election. Rebecca Mark, vice president of Porter Novelli public relations firm in Northwest which assisted in a survey completed by Democracy Fund, said about 85 percent of voters in the November election "had a pleasant experience" in voting. However, Mark said about 24 percent of black voters felt intimidation when at the ballot box, or when they mailed in their vote, compared to 12 percent of whites. "As we all know, having a positive experience at a personal level is the thing that really starts to really bolster individual's feeling and confident in the process," she said. "The experience may have been the same [for black voters], but it's the perception that is different. If the perception is different, that's just one more thing that starts to nag at that sense: Democracy, the way that it works right now is not necessarily for me." WI

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RELIGION THE RELIGION CORNER

The Griffin Firm, PLLC

Thoughts Are Indeed Things! Whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things. — Philippians 4:8 This scripture is one of my favorites; in fact, God gave me this scripture for the title of my radio show. As each year goes by, I can understand this scripture more and more! This thought is biblical. I did not really see what it was really saying until I read Hill's book about 15 times or more, though Hill repeated over and over, "Thoughts Are Things." The principle is easily seen in our world today. You sure can tell who is watching what they say by carefully orchestrating their words with a positive spin! These positive people choose, with their own free will, to stay focused on those things that are right, noble, pure and lovely. They do their thinking much more on the positive side of this life rather than always thinking those dark and negative thoughts. For example, when someone makes a mistake, those negative thinkers will automatically declare that this happened on purpose rather than giving then the benefit of the doubt. There is quite possibly another reason why something happens. Pessimistic and depressed folk tend to have negative attitudes towards anybody and anything, and they're always choosing to think and dwell on the negative side, the way Jeremiah did. That's Turning Hearts Church

why they called him "Weeping Jeremiah" — always crying about something! Jesus did warn us that we would go through many trials and tribulations. He said life is full of trouble. However, there is a flip side to this coin. On the one side of the coin is the darker side of this life, but on the other side of this coin is the good, positive, and brighter side of this life. It is not all death, doom and destruction. Even in the worst case scenarios and situations, there is always a hope and a light at the end of that tunnel. However, those with constant negative thoughts think quite the opposite. The difference between these two types of people is in their thought life. The people who are always happy, upbeat and positive have chosen to look on the brighter side of things, even in some of the worst case scenarios imaginable. The negative person choses to think and dwell on all of the bad things that can happen or go wrong. No matter what good may come their way, their first thought is negative. As a result of all of this negative and morbid type of thinking in their thought process, nothing ever makes them happy or content because nothing is ever good enough for them. The Bible is very clearly telling us in the above verse that we can all choose what to think about and dwell on. We do not have to become slaves to negative and pessimistic type thinking. In other words, we can choose

The Rev. E. Bernard Anderson Priest

4275 4th Street, S.E. Washington, DC 20034 Phone: 202-746-0113 Fax: 301-843-2445

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

Motto : “A Great Commitment to the Great Commandment” Website: www.turningheartschurchdc.org Email: faithdefender@verizon.net

• • • • •

Estate planning and probate Medicaid planning Elder law Business and succession planning/ coaching Workshops and seminars on legacy creation for economic strength

Aimee D. Griffin, Esq., The Griffin Firm, PLLC 5335 Wisconsin Ave NW Suite 440 Washington DC 20015 www.thegriffinfirm-PLLC.com

202-379-4738

with Lyndia Grant to think about what we want to think about! Our thinking and thought process does not control us — we control it! Negative type thinking can be broken. Don't allow negative thinking to take a stronghold on you! You can change the way you think, and you can do it the way the Bible tells us to in Philippians 4:8. The Bible tells us that we can actually take "captive" what we think about. The verse that will give us this revelation says we have to bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Jesus. Scripture tells us: "As someone thinks within himself, so he is." (Proverbs 23:7) WI

(301) 864-6070

CHURCH LAWYERS MCCOLLUM & ASSOCIATES, LLC

Organizational Formation, Governance Issues, First Ammendment, Church Employment, Ministerial Exception, Maintenance Issues, Risk Management, Safety and Security Issues, and Real Property Law SERVING MARYLAND, DC, & NORTH CAROLINA

www.jmlaw.net

(301) 864-6070

jmccollum@jmlaw.net

Historic St. Mary’s Episcopal Church

Virgil K. Thomas, Sr. Senior Pastor/ Teacher

Service and Times Sunday School 8 – 9 AM Worship Service 9 – 11 AM Tuesday Night Bible Study 6:30 – 8:00 PM Wednesday Daytime Bible Study 11 AM – 12:30 PM

Committed to providing services and supports to increase the capacity of individuals, businesses, and communities.

Service and Times Sundays: 10 a.m. Holy Eucharist with Music and Hymns Wednesdays: 12:10 p.m. - Holy Eucharist www.stmarysfoggybottom.org Email: stmarysoffice@stmarysfoggybottom.org All are welcome to St. Mary’s to Learn, Worship, and Grow.

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MAY 4 - 10, 2017 47

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

Service and Times Sunday Worship Times : 7:30 a.m. 7 10:00 a.m. Communion: 1st Sunday Sunday School: 9:00 a.m. Bible Study: Wednesday, 12 Noon Bible Study in homes: Tuesday 7:00 p.m. Website: www.themiraclecenterFMBC.com Email: Miraclecenterfmbs@gmail.com Motto: “We Walk by Faith, Not by Sight”

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 & 11:00am 5th Sundays: 9:30am 3rd Sundays: Baptism & Holy Communion Prayer & Praise: Wednesdays @ Noon & 6:30pm www.pilgrimbaptistdc.org

Church of Living Waters

Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church

Crusader Baptist 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 11:00am Sunday Church School - 9:15am & Sunday Adult Forum Bible Study - 10:30am 2nd & 4th Monday Women’s Bible Study: 6:30pm Tuesday Jr./Sr. Bible Study: 10:00am Tuesday Topical Bible Study: 6:30pm Tuesday New Beginnings Bible Study: 6:30pm Wednesday Pastoral Bible Study: 6:30pm Wednesday Children’s Bible Study: 6:30pm Thursday Men’s Bible Study: 6:30pm Friday before 1st Sunday Praise & Worship Service: 6:30pm Saturday Adult Bible Study: 10:00am “The Amazing, Awesome, Audacious Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church”

Service and Times Sunday Morning Worship: 11:00am Holy Communion: 1st Sunday Sunday School: 9:45am Men’s Monday Bible Study: 7:00pm Wednesday Night Bible Study: 7:00pm Women’s Ministry Bible Study: 3rd Friday -7:00pm 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& 11:00am Bible Study: Wednesday 7:30pm Communion Service: First Sunday www.livingwatersmd.org

E-mail: Crusadersbaptistchurch@verizon.net www.CrusadersBaptistChurch.org “God is Love”

Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ

St. Stephen Baptist Church

Third Street Church of God

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

Drs. Dennis W. & Christine Y. Wiley Pastors

Bishop Lanier C. Twyman, Sr. Senior Pastor

Rev. Cheryl J. Sanders, Th.D. Senior Pastor

Bishop Alfred A. Owens, Jr.; Senior Bishop & Evangelist Susie C. Owens – Co-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

610 Rhode Island Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002 (202) 529-4547 office • (202) 529-4495 fax

Service and Times Sunday School: 9:30am Sunday Morning Worship Service: 11:00am Communion Service: First Sunday Prayer Service/Bible Study: Tuesday, 6:30pm

Services and Times Sundays: 10:00am Worship Services Bible Study: Wonderful Wednesdays in Worship and the Word Bible Study Wednesdays 12:00 Noon; 6:30pm (dinner @ 5:30pm) Sunday School: 9:00am – Hour of Power

Blessed Word of Life Church

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: pm “Reaching Up To Reach Out” Mailing Address Campbell AME Church 2502 Stanton Road SE - Washington, DC 20020

Mt. Zion Baptist Church

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

Services and Times Sunday Early Morning Worship: 7:45am Church School: 9:30am Sunday Morning Worship: 10:45am Tuesday: 7:00pm/Kingdom Building Bible Institute Wednesday: Prayer/Praise/Bible Study-7:30 pm Baptism & Communion Service: 4th Sunday – 10:30am

Services and Times Sunday School: 9:30am Sunday Worship: 11:00am Prayer Meeting and Bible Study: Wed. 7:30pm

“We are one in the Spirit” www.ssbc5757.org E-mail: ssbc5757@verizon.net

www.thirdstreet.org

“Ambassadors for Christ to the Nation’s Capital”

Greater Mt. Calvary Holy Church

Sunday Worship Service: 8 AM and 10:45am Sunday Youth Worship Services: 1st & 4th 10:45am; 804 R.I. Ave., NE 5th 8 AM & 10:45am; Main Church Prayer Services Tuesday – Noon, Wednesday 6am & 6:30pm Calvary Bible Institute: Year-Round Contact Church Communion Every 3rd Sunday The Church in The Hood that will do you Good! www.gmchc.org

Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 7:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Holy Communion: 2nd Sunday at 7:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Sunday Church School: 9:20 a.m. Seniors Bible Study: Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. Noon Day Prayer Service: Tuesdays at Noon Bible Study: Tuesdays at 7 p.m. 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: 9:00am Worship Service: 10:00am Wed. Noon Day prayer service Thur. Prayer service: 6:45pm Thur. Bible Study: 7:15pm

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

Rev. John W. Davis Pastor

Joseph N. Evans, Ph.D Senior Pastor

5101 14th Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20011 202-726-2220/ 202-726-9089

901 Third Street N.W. Washington, DC. 20001 Phone (202) 842-3411 Fax (202) 682-9423

Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 8:00am and 11:00am Sunday School: 9:15am Holy Communion 4th Sunday 10:00am Prayer and Bible Study Wednesday 7:00pm TV Ministry –Channel 6 Wednesday 10:00pm

Isle of Patmos Baptist Church

Service and Times Sunday Church School : 9:00am Sunday Morning Worship: 10:10am Bible Study Tuesday: 6: 00pm Prayer Service Tuesday: 7:00pm Holy Communion: 3rd Sunday 10:10am themcbc.org

gsccm.administration@verizon.net

48 MAY 4 - 10, 2017

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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 a.m. Service 11:00 a.m. Praise & Worship Preaching 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Motto: “A Church Keeping It Real for Real.” Website: Shabbathcommandmentchruch.org Email: Praisebetoyhwh@gmail.com

Zion Baptist Church

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

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 Rev. Dr. Clinton W. Austin Pastor

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 “Come Grow With Us and Establish a Blessed Family”

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: 7:30am & 10:45am Baptism/Holy Communion: 3rd Sunday Family Bible Study Tuesdays – 6:30pm Prayer Service: Tuesdays – 8:00pm

Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 10:00 a.m. Sunday Church School: 8:45 – 9:45 a.m. Holy Communion: Every First Sunday Intercessory Prayer: Monday – 7:00-8:00 p.m. Pastor’s Bible Study: Wednesday –7:45 p.m. Midweek Prayer: Wednesday – 7:00 p.m. Noonday Prayer Every Thursday

www.emmanuelbaptistchurchdc.org

“Where Jesus is the King”

Lincoln Park United Methodist Church

Sermon On The Mount Temple Of " Joy Apostolic Faith

Matthews Memorial Baptist Church Matthews

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: 10:15AM Sunday School: 9:00am Monday: Noon Bible School Wednesday: Noon & 7PM: 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

Rev. Dr. Morris L Shearin, Sr. Pastor

Rev. Dr. Diane Dixon Proctor 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 - lpumconthegrow@gmail.com www.lpumcdc.org

5606 Marlboro Pike District Heights, MD 20747 301-735-6005

Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 10:00 A.M. Sunday School: 8:30 A.M. Holy Communion1st Sunday: 10:00 A.M. Prayer Service: Wednesday at 6:30 P.M. Bible Study: Wednesday at 7:00 P.M.

Service and Times Sunday Worship: 10: am Holy Communion: First Sunday 10: am Sunday School: 9: am Bible Study: Wednesday @ 12 noon and 6:30pm Motto: “A CHURCH ON THE GROW”.

Holy Trinity United Baptist Church

Florida Avenue Baptist Church

MemorialRev. Joan E. Buchanan

Executive Pastor

Baptist Church

2616 MLK Ave., SE - Washington, DC 20020 Office 202-889-3709 - Fax 202-678-3304

Rev. Joan E. Buchanan Service and Times Executive Early PastorWorship Service:

7:30am Worship Service: 11:00am New Member’s Class: 9:45am 1st Sunday, 11:00am ServiceHoly andCommunion: Times Church School: 9:45am Early Worship Service: 7:30am Wednesday 12:00pm Bible Study Prayer,11:00am Praise and Bible Study: 7:00pm Worship Service: Saturday Bible Study: 11:00am Apostolic in Doctrine, Pentecostal in Experience, New Member’s Class: 9:45am Baptism 4th Sunday: 11:00am Holiness in Living, Uncompromised and Unchanged. st 1 Sunday, 11:00am The Apostolic Faith is still alive –Acts 2:42Holy Communion: “Empowered to love and Challenged to Lead a Service and Times Sunday Apostolic Worship Services 11:00 A.M and 5:00 P.M Communion and Feet Wash 4th Sunday at 5:00 P.M Prayer/Seeking: Wednesday at 8:00 P.M.

Service and Times 9:30AM. Sunday Church School 11:00 Am. Sunday Worship Service The Lord’s Supper 1st Sunday Wednesday 7:00pm Prayer & Praise Services 7:30pm. Bible Study Saturday before 4th Sunday Men, Women, Youth Discipleship Ministries 10:30am A Christ Centered Church htubc@comcast.net

Christ Embassy DC

Kelechi Ajieren Coordinator 6839 Eastern Avenue, R1 Takoma Park, MD 20912 (202) 556-7065 Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 10:00 A.M. Wednesday Bible Study: 7:00 P.M. Friday Evening Service: 7:00 P.M. ; Last Friday “…Giving Your Life a Meaning” www.Christembassydc.org Christ.embassy.dc@hotmail.com

Church School: Multitude 9:45am of Souls to Christ”

Wednesday 12:00pm Bible Study

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 a.m. Sunday School: 9:15 a.m. Holy Communion: 11:00 a.m., 3rd Sun. Bible Institute: Wednesday - 1:30 pm Prayer Meeting: Wednesday - 12:00 Noon

Mount Moriah Baptist Church Dr. Lucius M. Dalton Senior Pastor

Damion M. Briggs Pastor

Rev. Stephen E. Tucker Senior Pastor

1636 East Capitol Street, NE Washington, DC 20003 Telephone: 202-544-5588 - Fax: 202-544-2964

8213 Manson Street Landover, MD 20785 Tel: (301) 322-9787 Fax: (301) 322-9240

13701 Old Jericho Park Road Bowie, MD. 20720 (301) 262-0560

Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 7:45 am and 10:45 am Holy Communion: 1st Sundays at 7:45 am & 10:45 am Sunday School: 9:30 am Prayer & Praise Service: Tuesdays at 12 noon & 6:30 pm Bible Study: Tuesdays at 1 pm and 7 pm Youth Bible Study: Fridays at 7 pm

Service and Times Early Morning Message: 7:30 AM Sunday Morning Worship Service: 10:00 AM Sunday Church School: 9:00 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sunday 7:30 AM & 10:00 AM Prayer, Praise and Testimony: Wednesday 7:00 PM Bible Study: Wednesday 7:30 PM

Service and Times Sunday Worship: 11 AM Sunday School: 10 AM Wednesday Mid-Week Worship, Prayer & Bible Study: Wed. 7 PM

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

St. Matthews Baptist Church

Eastern Community Baptist Church

New Commandment Baptist Church

Rehoboth Baptist Church

“Real Worship for Real People” Website: www.easterncommunity.org Email: ecc@easterncommunity.org

Salem Baptist Church

Prayer, Praise and Bible Study: 7:00pm Saturday Bible Study: 11:00am

Peace Baptist Church

Baptism 4th Sunday: 11:00am

“Empowered to Love and Challenged

Rev. Dr. Michael T. Bell

to Lead a Multitude of Souls to Christ”

“A Church Where Love Is Essential and Praise is Intentional”

712 18th Street, NE Washington, DC 20002 Phone 202-399-3450/ Fax 202-398-8836 Service and Times Sunday Morning Worship Service: 7:15 am & 10:50 am Sunday School: 9:30am Wednesday Prayer & Testimonies Service: 7:30pm Wednesday School of the Bible: 8:00pm Wednesday - Midweek Prayer Service: 12:00 pm - 1:00 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 A.M. Sunday Worship Service: 11:00 A.M. Monday Adult Bible Study: 7:00 P.M. Wednesday Youth & Adult Activities: 6:30 P.M. Prayer Service Bible Study

“The Loving Church of the living lord “ Email Address pbcexec@verizon.net

Shiloh Baptist Church

First Rising Mt. Zion Baptist Church

Mt. Horeb Baptist Church

Rev. Dr. Maxwell M. Washington Pastor

Rev. Curtis l. Staley Pastor

Rev. Alonzo Hart Pastor

Rev. Dr. Wallace Charles Smith Pastor

Rev. Oran W. Young Pastor

Rev. Dr. H. B. Sampson, III Pastor

Worshiping Location Knights of Columbus - 1633 Tucker Road Fort Washington, MD 20744 (240) 838-7074

621 Alabama Ave., S.E.- Washington, D.C. 20032 P: (202) 561-1111 - F: (202) 561-1112

917 N St. NW - Washington, DC 20001 (202) 232-4294

9th & P Street, N.W. - W. D.C. 20001 (202) 232-4288

Service and Times Sunday Service: 10 am Sunday School for all ages: 8:30 am 1st Sunday Baptism: 10: am 2nd Sunday Holy Communion:10 am Tuesday: Bible Study: 6:30 pm Prayer Meeting: 7:45 pm

Service and Times Sunday Morning Prayer Service: 8:00 a.m. Sunday Church School: 9:15 a.m. Sunday Morning Worship: 10:40 a.m. Third Sunday Baptismal & Holy Communion:10:30 a.m. Tuesday Church At Study Prayer & Praise: 6:30 p.m.

Service and Times First Sunday Worship Service (one service): 10:00 a.m. Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Sunday Worship service: 7:45 a.m. and 10:55 a.m. Sunday Church School/Bible Study: 9:30 a.m. Thursday Prayer Service: 6:30 p.m.

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 a.m. Sunday School: 9:00 a.m. Worship Service: 10:30 a.m. Holy Communion: 4th Sunday 7:30 a.m. & 10:30a.m. Prayer Services:Tuesday 7:30 p.m. Wednesday 12 Noon

Motto: “Where God is First and Where Friendly People Worship”

The Church Where GOD Is Working.... And We Are Working With GOD

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

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MAY 4 - 10, 2017 49

LEGAL NOTICES

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

Administration No. 2017 ADM 390

Administration No. 2017 ADM 336

Administration No. 1993 ADM 1872

Administration No. 2016 ADM 1507

Administration No. 2017 ADM 313

Ethel L. Colbert Decedent

Herbert Lee Slater Decedent

Mildred E. Austin Smith aka Mildred E. Smith Decedent

Ronald Alexander Young Decedent

Ralph Dickerson Decedent

Robert L. Bell, Esquire 245 Farragut Street, NW Washington, DC 20011 Attorney

Ronald Dixon Bynum & Jenkins 1010 Cameron Street Alexandria, VA 22314 Attorney

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

Michelle Lanchester, Esq. 601 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Suite 900 South Bld. Washington, DC 20004 Attorney

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

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Trugaye L. Colbert, whose address is 5616 62nd Avenue, Riverdale, MD 20737, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Ethel L. Colbert who died on February 28, 2017 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before October 20, 2017. 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 October 20, 2017, 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 Precious Thomas, whose address is 2557 Elvans Road, SE, #201, Washington, DC 20020, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Herbert Lee Slater who died on May 20, 2014 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before October 20, 2017. 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 October 20, 2017, 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: April 20, 2017

Trugaye L. Colbert Personal Representative

Precious Thomas Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Anne Meister Register of Wills

Washington Informer

Ronald K. Austin, whose address is 1609 Madison St., NW, Washington, DC 20011, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Mildred E. Austin Smith aka Mildred E. Smith who died on July 30, 1993 with a Will. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before October 20, 2017. 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 October 20, 2017, 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: April 20, 2017 Ronald K. Austin Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Ivy J. Young and Michelle M. Young-Keith, whose addresses are 3344 Blaine St., NE Washington, DC 20019 and 807 Pleasant Hill Ln., Bowie, MD 20716 were appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of Ronald Alexander Young who died on November 29, 2016 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (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 October 20, 2017. 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 October 20, 2017, 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: April 20, 2017 Ivy J. Young Michelle M. Young-Keith Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills

Nina Dickerson and Lisa Dickerson, whose addresses are 7918 13th St., NW, Washington, DC 20012 and 3811 South Dakota Ave., NE, Washington, DC 20018, were appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of Ralph Dickerson who died on December 20, 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., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before October 20, 2017. 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 October 20, 2017, 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: April 20, 2017 Nina Dickerson Lisa Dickerson Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer

Washington Informer

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

Administration No. 2017 ADM 349

Administration No. 2017 ADM 396

Administration No. 2014 ADM 106

Administration No. 2017 ADM 386

Administration No. 2010 ADM 001079 Clarence Robert Minor aka Clarence R. Minor, Sr. Decedent

Leroy A. Hazelock, Sr. Decedent

Anna Holmes Decedent

Ella Ryals McNeil Decedent

Gertrude Madeline Jones Decedent

Phillp B. Zipin, Esquie 8757 Georgia Avenue, Suite 400 Silver Spring, MD 20910 Attorney

Aimee D. Griffin, Esq. The Griffin Firm, PLLC 5335 Wisconsin St. NW, Suite 440 Washington, DC 20015 Attorney

Reginald Harris 1775 Eye Street, NW, Suite 1150 Washington, DC 20006 Attorney

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

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

Donna Foster, whose address is 5125 New Hampshire Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20011, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Anna Holmes who died on August 9, 2016 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before October 27, 2016. 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 October 27, 2017, 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.

Portia Smith, whose address is 908 Linwood Street, Hyattsville, MD 20783, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Ella Ryals McNeil who died on January 8, 2014 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before October 27, 2017. 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 October 27, 2017, 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.

Barbara Redd, whose address is 1448 Primrose Rose NW, Washington, DC 20012, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Gertrude Madeline Jones who died on July 29, 2016 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before October 20, 2017. 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 October 20, 2017, 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: April 27, 2017

Donna Foster Personal Representative

Portia Smith Personal Representative

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Leroy A. Hazelock, Jr., whose address is 33 A Street, Albans, WV 25177, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Leroy A. Hazelock, Sr. who died on September 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., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before October 20, 2017. 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 October 20, 2017, 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: April 20, 2017 Leroy A. Hazelock, Jr. Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

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

Barbara Redd Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY TRUE TEST COPY

TRUE TEST COPY

Anne Meister Register of Wills

Washington Informer

50 MAY 4 - 10, 2017

Date of first publication: April 20, 2017

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer

Charles Randolph Law Offices of Charles Randolph 2028 4th Street, NE Washington, DC 20002 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Charles Randolph, whose address is 2028 4th Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Clarence Robert Minor aka Clarence R. Minor, Sr. who died on May 5, 2010 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before October 27, 2017. 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 October 27, 2017, 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: April 27, 2017 Charles Randolph Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

LEGAL NOTICES

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

Administration No. 2017 ADM 408

Administration No. 2017 ADM 425

Patrick Edward Branen Decedent

Bettye D. Steve Decedent

Peter D. Antonoplos, Esq. 1725 DeSales Street, NW, Suite 600 Washington, DC 20036 Attorney

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

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Thomas Francis Branen, whose address is 33 Quincy Place, NE, Washington, DC 20002, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Patrick Edward Branen who died on December 28, 2016 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before October 27, 2017. 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 October 27, 2017, 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: April 27, 2017 Thomas Francis Branen Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills

Anthony A. Johnson, whose address is 4025 Clay Pl., NE, Washington, DC 20019, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Bettye D. Steve who died on February 20, 2017 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before November 4, 2017. 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 November 4, 2017, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: May 4, 2017 Anthony A. Johnson Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer

Washington Informer

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

Administration No. 2017 ADM 416

Administration No. 2017 ADM 335

Scholar T. Okorie Decedent

Andrew William Rowland Decedent

William H. Roberge, Jr. 15204 Omega Dr. #210 Rockville, MD 20850 Attorney

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

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Crystal Okorie, whose address is 213 Gallatin St., NW, Washington, DC 20011, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Scholar T. Okorie who died on January 11, 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., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before October 27, 2017. 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 October 27, 2017, 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: April 27, 2017 Crystal Okorie Personal Representative

Khalid Muhammad, whose address is 1000 I Street, NE, #2, Washington, DC 20002, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Andrew William Rowland who died on December 23,2016 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before October 20, 2017. 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 October 20, 2017, 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: April 20, 2017 Khalid Muhammad Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer

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ed on xenophobia and needless division." The assault on rights — for the LGBT community, for people of color, for women, for immigrants — is clear. Efforts to rollback voting rights, civil rights, police reform and sentencing reform have already begun. The resistance — from courts, from decent public officials, from activists and citizens of conscience — has been and will be fierce. Sessions' Department of Injustice is measure of the damage that Trump can do. Instead of making America a more perfect union, Americans will have to mobilize to defend their rights from the very department that is tasked with protecting them. WI

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day in, day out. That's a task that Kushner and Priebus can take on collectively and show others in the White House complex that they can work together for a common good. It all goes back to governing. The American electorate is ready for this change, and because the government permeates every facet of our lives, they will start to see the change even in their daily activities. "Make America Great Again" is more than a slogan. It's a pursuit that can and must encompass even the smallest functions of government in order to live up to the weightiness of its words. That pursuit will continue well beyond any imaginary marker. WI

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That only makes sense given so much uncertainty and fluidity around the globe. President Trump also needs to build out his team. This task seems insignificant for a new president, but the effect of its failure has reverberations felt throughout government. In his best-selling book "Good to Great," business guru Jim Collins writes that a hallmark of successful organizations and leaders starts by getting "the right people on the bus." The federal government is very large, with many executive slots that remain empty. I believe to my core that small, easy accomplishments can start occurring just by having like-minded personnel at the helm channeling Trump's agenda

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than the Obama White House, which often shortchanged our budget requests and seemed to fail to grasp the complexities of our mission. I encourage all who support HBCUs to remember this is a marathon not a sprint. In addition to the upcoming fiscal year budget request, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and our HBCU leaders have identified billions of dollars in additional needs over the next four or five years. We will get there through persistence, diplomacy and relationship-building, not by attacking those who are eager to work with us. WI

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Secondly, the administration has proposed to maintain — not to cut — the Pell Grant program. And while it is true the administration has suggested reallocating $3.9 million in Pell Grant surplus funding, we are busy working with the Congress to use the additional funding to restore year-round Pell that was eliminated under President Obama. Our recent visits to the White House reinforced my belief that we must seek an open dialogue that transcends partisan lines to

ensure access to quality higher education for all our deserving young people. That's why we've chosen a strategy of engagement, building relationships in Washington in addition to our traditional allies, such as the Congressional Black Caucus. We are working hard to reach out to key lawmakers in both parties, such as Republican Sen. Tim Scott and Rep. Mark Walker, who hosted the fly-in for HBCU leaders in February. And we have developed a strong working relationship with the administration, which has been, frankly, more accessible

WILLIAMS from Page 30 than rhetoric, and the Taliban seems anxious to make a comeback as the world's leader in terrorism given the mass soldier shooting in Iraq just days ago. The president was smart to dispatch military assets off of Japan. These times call for the proper mix of diplomacy and show of force. I also believe Trump would be wise to employ his secretaries of state and defense. Use them — especially Secretary Tillerson and Nikki Haley — to be the interlocutors on behalf of the White House. They can serve as the proper channels to convey Trump's doctrine without involving the president himself.

JACKSON from Page 30 ident's unconstitutional Muslim ban. He expressed amazement that a "judge sitting on an island in the Pacific" could overturn the president's order. That judge was a federal district court justice in the state of Hawaii, part of the union for 58 years. Sessions has issued letters to nine sanctuary cities, counties and states, including the state of California, New York City, Chicago and Cook County, threatening to deny federal grant funds — largely funds for local law enforcement — unless they commit to cooperating with the administration's sweeping assaults on immigrants. This arbitrary assertion of federal power is particularly remarkable from Sessions, who as a senator declaimed endlessly about the glories of states' rights. Luckily, Sessions wasn't at Herod's side when Mary and Joseph sought sanctuary in Egypt with the baby Jesus. The sanctuary jurisdictions have vowed to resist Sessions edicts. Speaking for Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, spokesman Matt McGrath noted: "The administration's plan to deny fed-

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aid and assistance will be provided to the four countries. At a fundamental level, President Trump's America-first budget would forego international diplomatic leadership and ignore the impending crisis. Foreign aid is an investment, and it makes our country and those overseas fighting for us, dramatically safer. With leadership comes responsibility. Providing aid is a moral imperative. Despite the lack of coverage in TV media on the issue, we are at a crossroads. Congress has the decision before them to either continue America's legacy in ending famine now, or forgo our diplomatic leadership in the area entirely. WI

and who have been here, who are stranded in an achievement gap defined by race, class, language, and disability, that is the largest in the nation? How will their educational needs be met by a funding level that fails to meet any test of adequacy? Among charter students, 76 percent are African-American and 16 percent Latino — a higher share of minority students than D.C.'s traditional public school system — and they lead the way with higher high-school graduate rates, an essential precondition for acceptance to college. You see this particularly in D.C.'s Wards 7 and 8, our most underserved communities, where pre-reform public education had been the most neglected, especially at the high school level. A key problem in District funding is the bad habit of the District government over many

years of funding DCPS but not D.C.'s charters, outside of the Uniform Per Student Funding Formula. This is designed to ensure that each District public school student is funded equally, at the same grade and level of special education as their peers. This is contrary to D.C. law and the subject of a lawsuit in which my organization is a plaintiff. An independent study found that the total amount of school operation funds paid to DCPS, but not charters, ranged from $127 million to $72 million annually. The government's proposed after-inflation cut in the UPSFF takes place in this context. Surely, at a time of record revenues, and given the significant gains achieved by the least advantaged with education reform, it is time to fund D.C.'s students adequately and equally. WI

pain, in order to get to the longterm goal of a counter-revolution. I hope that I'm wrong, but I fear that I'm not." Arnwine said "these are the imperatives of our times." "This is beyond resistance," she said. "This is the movement we have to be a part of. We have to bring the word to our people.

We've got to bring the word to this nation in a way that nobody's bringing it, because our voices are blocked." Understand this. Because it all shakes out, kinda like this, black people: In working with white people who are being stomped on by everything that President Trump has implemented, they are still holding on to the thought: "At least we corrected the mistake of 2008 and 2012, electing a black president." Black folks have to talk about the fact that these folks believe that there was that kind of mistake made by this country's voters, and that the Trump presidency is correcting that terrible mistake, and that this is presidency is about restoring "whiteness" to prominence: about "Making America White Again." WI

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duction has drastically declined due to conflict, insecurity, high costs and sporadic availability of agricultural inputs. Two years of escalating conflict have left 18.8 million Yemenis in need of some kind of humanitarian or protection support. Seven million women, children and men could risk famine in 2017. In each country, whether it's existing famine in South Sudan or the brink of famine in Somalia, Nigeria, or Yemen, the particularly disastrous characteristic is that these situations are either caused or exacerbated by manmade crisis. You wouldn't know that this

is occurring though — other than a largely lackluster statement about South Sudan on "Face the Nation" in early April by Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, the Administration has been quiet about the impending disaster in Africa and Yemen. When asked about the implications of the Administration's budget proposal, Ambassador Haley called for "smarter spending" when it comes to foreign and humanitarian aid. Smarter spending is, of course, necessary, but, in the face of the president proposing cuts of nearly 30 percent to foreign aid and diplomacy efforts, it's hard to imagine that the appropriate amount of

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years on the citywide assessment they replaced, with charters ahead of the curve. So why is public education less favored in this budget? It isn't need: Nearly half of District public school students are defined as "at risk." Nearly three-quarters live in economically disadvantaged homes — almost 80 percent in D.C.'s charters. The District has been vigorously pursuing a large influx of young families and touting improving schools for their children, to entice them to stay beyond the early childhood years. Yet, it is the very increase in enrollments that is being cited as the reason why the public schools cannot be funded adequately — a bitter irony. Yes, we welcome new students; but what about the students who are here,

ASKIA from Page 31 terms of cutting government programs, would harm their interests. "But it seems to me they have a long-term goal in mind, of a counter-revolution, against the changes of the recent decades," Horne said. "And so therefore they're willing to ignore, what they see as short-term

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