Center Section Vol. 57, No. 6 • November 25 - December 1, 2021
November 2021. Volume 7. Issue 11.
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The Village Cafe + Hanifa Fashion Show Debut
WINNER OF THREE SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS D.C. AWARDS
Bowser’s Reversal of Mask Mandate Met with Mixed Reviews
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!
D.C. Council Members Among Those Describing Decision as ‘Premature’ Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer
Delegate Darryl Barnes, president of Men Aiming Higher, held his annual turkey giveaway at Mount Ephraim Baptist Church on Nov. 20. Volunteers including former Prince George's County council member Monique Anderson-Walker and Peter Franchot, candidate for Maryland governor, handed out turkeys. (Robert R. Roberts/The Washington Informer)
Dr. Christina Grant Nomination Highlights Misgivings about Standardized Testing Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer Since her appointment by D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D), Acting State Superintendent Dr. Christina Grant has repeatedly asserted that District public and public charter school students, after years without being tested, must receive assessments to determine the gravity of pandemic-related learning loss.
But her viewpoint doesn’t bode well with District teachers, many of whom converged on a recent D.C. Council hearing which addressed whether Grant will permanently run the Office of the State Superintendent for Education [OSSE]. Many of those teachers, represented by local education organization EmpowerEd, sub-
GRANTS Page 32
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s recent announcement about the end of the District’s indoor mask mandate sparked concern among other elected officials and city residents who believe D.C.’s still not out of the throes of a pandemic that has infected and killed thousands of people. On a recent edition of “The Politics Hour with Kojo Nnamdi,” Bowser addressed their apprehension while expressing her willingness to remain covered, even without a mandate that binds people to this specific layer of protection. “I will likely continue to wear a
mask inside because it has kept me safe [during] the last 20 months. I responded to COVID-19 and came home to my child who’s not eligible for vaccination,” Bowser told Nnamdi and Tom Sherwood on November 19. “The responses to the pandemic have been stressful but our businesses are looking for flexibility. People want to come into offices but they don't want to wear masks all day. We’re at a phase with high levels of vaccination and growing. We’re shifting the guidance,” she said. On Nov. 16, Bowser, with DC Department of Health Director LaQuandra Nesbitt by her side, announced
MASK Page 28
Travel and Shopping Expected to Peak During Black Friday Economy Predicted to Surge over Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend
Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer
5 Travel and shopping are expected to rise to near pre-pandemic levels during Black Friday 2021, Nov. 26. (Photo courtesy wikimediacommons)
While retailers like Walmart, Target, Amazon and Best Buy have unveiled their Black Friday (Nov. 26) deals that should galvanize sales on the biggest shopping day of the year, the travel industry might enjoy the most significant boost. As vaccine rates increase and wearing masks remain mandated at airports and on Amtrak, holiday travel
should realize pre-pandemic norms as many seek in-person visits with loved ones. The American Automobile Association [AAA] predicts this Thanksgiving will see travel volume rise as much as 80 percent over 2020 and come to within 5 percent of pre-pandemic 2019 levels. A spokesperson for AAA said they anticipate about 53.4 million people
BLACK FRIDAY Page 34
Celebrating 57 Years of Service / Serving More Than 50,000 Readers Throughout The Metropolitan Area
