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Don't Miss This Month's WI Bridge Center Section Vol. 56, No. 2 • October 29 - November 4, 2020
Early Voting Continues in Maryland
Long Lines on First Day in Prince George’s
people voted – the highest mark in state history which also broke the day one turnout of 123,623 in the presidential election four years ago. On the same day, the Prince For Maryland voters who still havGeorge’s County Board of Elections en’t cast their ballots, early voting continues through Monday, Nov. 2 with a reported an unofficial voter turnout of chance to break more voting records. 24,707, compared to 22,683 on the On the first day of early voting Monday, Oct. 26, more than 161,000 ELECTIONS Page 34 By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill
5 Members of Boy Scout Troop 209 of Silver Spring set up a pumpkin photo patch on the front of a church for passersby to capture images. (Roy Lewis/The Washington Informer)
Yearwood Determined to Retire Historic Building’s Mortgage
Has City Forgotten Proud Legacy of Thurgood Marshall Center? FIRST OF A TWO-PART SERIES By D. Kevin McNeir WI Editor @dkevinmcneir While buildings, as the creations and inspirations of architects and engineers, represent projects made of bricks, concrete and steel – some edifices have infrequently been afforded such honor and respect within local folklore that they’ve become almost human.
Perhaps that explains why one adage, used to imagine how history took shape in buildings through human ingenuity as trailblazers of the past paved the way for brighter tomorrows, continues to be uttered: “If these walls could talk.” Many of these once-proud landmarks have since disappeared – victimized by human abuse and greed, eroded by wind, rain and scorching sun or razed and removed to make way for growth in the name of gentrification. However, within the 68 square miles which collectively form
the city of Washington, D.C., a few oft-forgotten treasures still stand – even fewer owned and operated by Blacks. Consider the five-storied Thurgood Marshall Center for Service and Heritage, over a century old, nestled within a community mainly comprised of residential dwellings along 12th Street in Northwest. Decades ago, the community served as a major artery for the comings and goings of Blacks visiting, living or
MARSHALL Page 26
5 Prince George’s County voters stood in long lines to cast early ballots on the first day of early voting in the County. (Roy Lewis/The Washington Informer)
District Residents Have Their Say with Early Voting
Civic Duty Primary Reason Cited for Casting Ballots By James Wright WI Staff Writer @JamesDCWrighter Amina McWhirter knew she wanted to vote in the general election because of her concern about the country’s direction but she felt uneasy about mailing in her ballot
or putting it in one of the 55 drop boxes throughout the District. McWhirter, a resident of the Fairlawn neighborhood in Ward 8, decided she would go to one of the early voting centers in the ward and on Oct. 27, she showed up at
EARLY VOTING Page 5
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Features law enforcement. they threat,” District’s Wilton Gregory asShe saidRally she said. NBA Stars had come together to bring a Among programs Marlow PopulartheRapper First Black Cardinal U.S. in theand sense in of uniformity way wants to see implemented are
By Tia Carol Jones WI Staff Writer
When L.Y. Marlow's 23-year- domestic violence victims and stricter restraining order policies, The Hustlers Guild 2019, Wilton Gregory shatold daughter told her theInfather survivors are treated. moresecond rights for victim's families hosted their teredher a glass ceiling of her daughter threatened “She'smaintained using her own personal to intervene on behalf of a vicvirtual HBCU voter for centuries within Cathlife, and the life of their child, story, her the own personal pain to tim, a domestic violence assessawareness pep rally on olic Church, becoming both she knew something had to be push forward,” Davis-Nickens ment unit coupled with further Oct. 19 with NBA the nation’s and the District’s done. Out of her frustration said about Marlow. training for law enforcement All-Star Chris Paul, first African-American arch- said anyone with law enforcement's handling Davis-Nickens agencies, a Child's Life Protecfuture of mandatory counselbishop. of the situation, she decided to who reads Marlow's book will NBA tionHall Act and Famer and sports anahe she “puts the ing for batterers. start the Saving Promise And cam-on Sunday, “get it.”Oct. She25, said lyst Vince Carter, NBA paign. achieved another casemilestone in such when a way, the average “If we are ever going to eradiBarnes “It seems toduring be a vicious Pope Francis, remarkscycle made from St. Peter's Square person can get it.” She saidchampion at the Matt cate domestic violence, we must andwillrapper that won'tCity, turn my family in Vatican appointed Gregory, 72, endto become of the Amerday, the book look Chika. at both sides of the coin. motivaloose,” said. Gregory Marlowcounted helpamong people13 begin a dia- their ica's firstMarlow Black cardinal. whoto haveSharing We need to address both the victions for tim voting shared storytowith theataudilogue ceremony about domestic andand the batterer,” Marlow will beher elevated the rank an installation slat- violence. howwas they have ence at this theyear District Also present at the event said.become ed later on Nov. Heights 28. civically-engaged citi-would also like to see Domestic Violence Informer Symposium the exMarlow The Washington spoke at Mildred length withMuhammad, Gregory onshortly May 7after at the Heights wife zens, the featured guests designed to raise of John Allen programs his District historic appointment as archbishop in an Muhammad, Municipal Center. sympo-of Washington engaged with students among children in who was sentenced awareness office located at the The Archdiocese in Hyatts- to six consecsium was sponsored by the Historically utive lifehttps://www. terms without across parole 40 public and private schools. She ville, Maryland. (For the complete interview go to: Family and Youth Services by a Maryland jury for hisBlack role inCollege Universities feelsand children needtopics to beincluding: educat- creating washingtoninformer.com/archbishop-gregory-continues-task-of-reCenter of the city of District the Beltway Sniper attacks in ed about domestic violence. voting plans, early voting, absentee voting and commustoring-trust/) Prior to 2019, he had led the Archdiocese of Heights and the National Hook2002. Mildred Muhammad is “We have to stop being pasnity strategies that increase voting awareness. One high Atlanta – a position to which he was first appointed in Up of Black Women. the founder of After the Trauma, sive-aggressive with poor chilschool student, senior Kaila Peterson, won $1,000 in the 2005. In the District, Gregory replaced Cardinal Donald Marlow has written a book, organization the Tikdren about domestic violence,” Guild’s Tok Challenge for her voter awareness social Wuerl who resigned in Oct. 2018 afteranyielding to surgingthat helps “Color Me Butterfly,” which is a survivors of domestic violence said. over 20,000 comments. media postMarlow that garnered public anger which could not be abated given his role in the story about four generations of and their children. Marlow has worked to words: break “UnderPaul encouraged youth with these Church’s sexual abuse crisis. domestic violence. The book is “I lived in fear for six years. Sixthe importance the cycle of abuse in her family, stand of your voice. Challenge your A cardinal’s responsibility remains to elect a new inspired by herprimary own experiences, years in fear is a long time. It is Challenge and is confident the(topolicies she homies. your friends vote) . . . We have to pope, should down or die, according to the United and those of he herstep grandmother, not an easy thing to come out isthings pushing for will start that keep doing like this.” States Conference of Catholic Bishops. However, eligibilher mother and her daughter. of,” she said. process. In September, The Hustlers Guild joined Barnes to ity for the former pope’s successor She saidcardinals every who timecan sheelect reads Mildred Muhammadeducate said 250,000 “I plan to take these to the votstudents across thepolicies U.S. about requires being under the age of 80. Nine of the 13 new carexcerpts from her book, she still people who want to help a Congress and implore them to ing process, hoping to increase voting in communities dinals, Gregory, under that age. can not including believe the wordsarecame domestic violence victimthat must change our Marlow said. have historically lowlaws,” voter turnout. According to Vatican News, the official news agency of the from her. “Color Me Butterfly” be careful of how they go into “I will not stop until these poli“In just a few weeks, people in our communities will Holythe See, cardinals wear the distinctive vestment to indicate won 2007 National “Best red the victim's life, and understand cies are passed.” have a chance to make their voices heard. We their willingness the point shedding Books” Award. to sacrifice themselves tothat sheofmay be in “survival Tia Carol Jones can be reached want to make sure that they have created a voting “their own blood in the servicewhen of the Successor of Peter.” “I was just 16-years-old mode”. at tiacaroljones@sbcglobal.net and are out there encouraging others. Making inmy eye first blackened and my “Before you get to 'I'mplan going formed lips bled,” Marlow said. to kill you,' it started as a verbal decisions WI is extremely crucial,” said Yasmin Salina, Guild co-founder and executive director. Elaine Davis-Nickens, presiFor more, visit @thehustlersguild (Instagram), @husdent of the National Hook-Up tlersguild (Twitter) or on Facebook, thehustlersguild.org. of Black Women, said there is no consistency in the way domestic violence issues are dealt with by
“
National Council on Aging Shares Tips to Keep Elderly Voters Safe We have to stop being
As the nation enters the home stretch towards Election Day, the Arlington-based National Council on Aging [NCOA] has provided tips on how older adults can vote safety including resources to assist them. NCOA produced a trailer in which you can visit: https://youtu.be/ mAkFFzopC68. Older Americans have been lifelong voters and they’re an important voting bloc in many elections. However, they and their caregivers have been among the most vulnerable in this health pandemic. Challenges include: safely getting to the polls, understanding mail-in options, securing assistance in filling out their ballot or language assistance and where to register to vote. For recommendations on how to overcome any or all of these challenges, visit NCOA’s website, www.ncoa.org/ vote or www.healthvoting.org/ncoa. Also on NCOA's website is an Election Toolkit that features information aimed at better educating all voters. The page includes: tips for healthy voting and information on how older adults can avoid voter ID scams, as well as details about the issues on the table that affect older Americans, such as Medicare, Medicaid, retirement, investing in aging services and COVID-19.
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.
“
SOMETHING NEW EVERYDAY
Women the Cycle of wi hotBreak topics Domestic Violence Voter Awareness Pep Pope Francis Appoints
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COVID-19 Avoidance Introduces Variety into Voting By James Wright WI Staff Writer @JamesDCWrighter With the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in the District, how can residents who vote be confident that they will be around to see the results next year? That’s the compelling question in 2020. The ongoing presence of COVID-19 became the main reason the D.C. Board of Elections voted in the summer to send each registered voter in the District a mail-in ballot for the Nov. 3 general election. With that option, elections officials say voters can either mail it in, drop it in or go to the polls. Frank Wilds, a longtime Ward 5 political activist, said he will go to the polls on election day. He acknowledged that seniors like him are more vulnerable than others to COVID-19 but said that won’t steer him away from the polls. “I will walk to my polling station at Bertie Backus [Junior High School] and stand in line to vote,” Wilds said. “And yes, I will wear my mask while standing in line and voting. I did receive a mail-in ballot from the board of elections but I am going to go ahead and go to the polls anyway. I do have those conditions that trigger the coro-
EARLY VOTING from Page 1 the Entertainment & Sports Arena (ESA), at 6:25 a.m. to be sure she could vote and then leave as soon as possible. However, when McWhirter arrived at the facility, she expressed shock at her position in line. “I decided to get up real early this morning to vote because this is a very important election for our city and our country,” she said. “I didn’t expect to be first in line, though.” Many residents like McWhirter took advantage of the 32 early voting centers throughout the District to cast ballots for contests ranging from U.S. president to advisory neighborhood commissioners as well as Initiative 81 which makes possession of illegal magic mushrooms a lower law enforcement priority. The D.C. Board of Elections could not provide hard numbers
navirus because I do suffer from high blood pressure and have had triple bypass surgery but I want to vote at the polls.” Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt, the District’s health department director, said she recognizes the civic duty of residents to cast a ballot. However, she counsels residents to do so safely if they decide to go to an early voting or election day center. “If you are sick, do not go to a voting center,” Nesbitt said at an Oct. 26 news conference. “You must protect your fellow voters and poll workers from getting sick. When you are in line at the polls and in the center, wear a mask. Be sure to have a mask that you will be comfortable wearing for a long period of time. Also, practice social distancing by standing six feet from the voter in front of you and make sure you practice good hygiene by washing your hands before you go to vote. It’s a good idea to bring hand sanitizer with you to vote, too.” Nesbitt said safer methods such as voting by mail and utilizing drop boxes can still take place even though the 32 early voting centers started on Oct. 27 and the 95 election day centers will operate on Nov. 3. The national buzz on social media about possible violence and voter intimidation during the election season hasn’t gone unnoticed by District officials. on who voted on Oct. 27 by Informer press time but Nick Jacobs, the agency’s public information officer, said a high turnout occurred in the morning and slowed down by afternoon. The centers operate from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. until Nov. 2. On Nov. 3—election day—there will be 95 voting centers that will operate from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voters can vote at any center regardless of where they live. McWhirter said she could have gone to a closer center, such as the one located at Anacostia High School, but opted for the ESA. “I came here because of COVID-19 and I wanted to avoid catching that,” she said. “This is a larger facility and I think I am better protected here.” Before it opened, the line to get into the ESA almost reached Alabama Avenue, S.E. in accordance
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said at the news conference the Metropolitan Police Department, the D.C. National Guard and the D.C. Homeland Security Department are prepared “to keep D.C. voters safe.” Karl Racine, the District’s attorney general, has set up an email and a phone number for voters to call if they are intimidated while trying to vote. Raul Marcias, counsel in the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, said there are laws against voter intimidation at the federal and state levels and poll workers have undergone training to stop the practice. “We are in a time when there is talk in the media about elections being stolen and that has created an environment of suspicion,” he said. “Voters should not go to the polls in fear,” he said. But if they encounter problems “they should contact polling officials and civil rights organizations for assistance.” “If there are incidents of voter intimidation, voters should tell a poll worker immediately,” he said. WI
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5 People are practicing social distancing at a District voting center. (Anthony Tilghman/ The Washington Informer)
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black facts
SOURCE: BLACK AMERICA WEB
OCT 19 - NOV 4, 2020
OCT. 29
1945 – Tony Award-winning actress and singer Melba Moore is born in New York City. 1949 – Alonzo G. Moron is inaugurated as the first Black president of Hampton Institute, later known as Hampton University. 1969 – The Supreme Court orders the immediate end of school segregation. 1981 – William O. Walker, publisher of the Cleveland Call Post, dies in Cleveland at age 85. Earl Lloyd becomes the first African Amer1974 – Muhammad Ali regains the world heavy- ican to play in an NBA weight championship by knocking out George Foreman game. in the eighth round of the "The Rumble in the Jungle." 1991 – BET Holdings, Inc. the parent company of Black Entertainment Television, sells 4.2 million shares NOV. 1 1945 – John H. of stock in an initial public offering on the New York Johnson publishes the Stock Exchange, becoming the first African American first issue of Ebony company listed on the exchange. magazine. 1946 – Charles S. OCT. 31 Johnson becomes the 1896 – Early 20th-century actress and singer Eth- first Black president of Fisk University. el Waters (right), the first African American woman 1951 – Jet magazine publishes its first issue. to be nominated 1991 – Clarence Thomas is sworn in as the 106th associfor an Emmy ate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Award, is born in Chester, Pennsylvania. NOV. 2 1930 – Haile Selassie is coronated as emperor of Ethiopia. 1950 – 1983 – President Reagan signs a law designating the third Monday in January as Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
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1868 – John Willis Menard of Louisiana becomes the first Black man ever elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, though a challenge of the electoral results by his defeated foe prevents him from taking office. 1896 – J.H. Hunter, an African American inventor, patents the portable weighing scale. 1992 – Carol Moseley Braun of Illinois becomes the first African American woman to be elected to the United States Senate.
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1844 – Cathay Williams, the only known female Buffalo Soldier, is born in Independence, Missouri. 1879 – Inventor Thomas Elkins patents an improved refrigerator design. 1954 – Hulan Jack is elected borough president of Manhattan in New York City, becoming the highest-ranking African American municipal official at the time. 1969 – Entertainment and business mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs is born in Harlem, New York. 2008 – Barack Obama defeats John McCain to become the first Black president of the United States. WI
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Though I'm no longer of the faith, I was lucky enough to have met and worked with Wilton Gregory when I was in high school. He is a wonderful man, and I'm so pleased he has continued to lead by example in the church.
ARIELLE FRI / FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA
I really like the pope and I'm not Catholic! It stinks that it took this long!
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Congratulations. I won't say it was due to racism that it took much longer to happen. It's just the number of Blacks who represent the Catholic community in America.
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DENITRA LETRICE / WASHINGTON, D.C.
Why are we applauding "first" in 2020? Shouldn't there be some shame that this was long overdue? Shouldn't the church have set an example by doing this, say, way back in the 1960s?
IRENE SHAW / WASHINGTON, D.C.
I am not Catholic, but I love this pope. He truly embodies the religion faith.
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AROUND THE REGION election coverage 2020
Obama Blasts Trump in Drive-in Rallies Supporting Biden’s Run for the White House Makes Stops in Philly and N. Miami with Election Day Less Than One Week Away By D. Kevin McNeir WI Editor @dkevinmcneir
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8 - OCTOBER 29 - NOVEMBER 4, 2020
After energizing voters at a drive-in rally in Philadelphia on Oct. 21, former President Barack Obama continued along the campaign trail for his former vice president on Oct. 24 – this time in the battleground state of Florida. “Now listen, you delivered twice for me, Florida, and now I am asking you to deliver for Joe and deliver for Kamala,” Obama opined at Florida International University’s [FIU] Biscayne Bay campus in North Miami. Amidst concerns over public safety as the coronavirus maintains its deadly, nationwide assault on Americans, Obama, until last week, had limited his activism to virtual fundraisers or carefully targeted media blitzes. However, during his two recent public appearances, the Democrats’ most popular figure has not only supported his legacy which included contributions made by then vice president Biden but he’s gone on the offensive in his views about Donald Trump. With an estimated 60 million Americans having already voted and with Biden making significant inroads with suburban women (predominantly white) and seniors, Obama has sought to engage youth, African Americans and Latinos – voting blocs with whom the former vice president has been less effective in securing support.
Both Pennsylvania and Florida, considered by many political analysts as states essential to victory in the 2020 presidential election, each gave Obama the nod in his two successful campaigns. In Pennsylvania, Obama won with ease at 61.94 percent and 50.01 percent during the 2008 and 2012 elections, respectively – also capturing the majority of the popular in both campaigns. He did the same in Florida in 2008 and 2012, again twice garnering the popular vote while winning at clips of 54.47 percent and 51.97, respectively. Thus, it seemed reasonable that given his popularity among voters in the two states, he would travel to Pennsylvania and Florida, going on the offensive with pointed statements which impugned Trump’s ineffectiveness while providing evidence for voters who still remain uncommitted. Obama spoke on the FIU campus for about 45 minutes from a stage built in the university’s parking lot to a crowd who elicited cheers by honking car horns. About 400 people attended in 228 cars at the “invite-only” rally with those invited comprised mainly of “volunteers and supporters,” according to the Biden campaign. Obama spoke about the COVID-19 health pandemic, the Affordable Care Act [ACA], the economy and, of course, Donald Trump, while emphasizing, “this is the most important election of our lifetime.” “This pandemic would have been tough for any president because we have not seen something like this in 100 years, but the idea that somehow this White House has done anything but completely screw this thing up is nonsense,” he said. He noted that he and Biden left the White House a “pandemic playbook” which he explained instructed the new administration how to best respond should a virus strike the U.S. Then, he continued with jocularity: “It must be lost, along with the Republican Health Care Plan. We can’t find it” – a statement which elicited further “car-horn applause.” On healthcare, he said Biden counts as the best candidate to both improve
(Courtesy photo)
and care for the health of Americans. “Miami Dade has the highest enrollment (in the ACA) of any county in Florida. Florida has the highest enrollment [of any state in the country]. Nobody has a bigger stake in making sure those protections stay in place than right here in Florida,” he said. Meanwhile, Trump greeted supporters in Columbus, Ohio on Oct. 24 with comments which derided the differences among the number of attendees at the two Saturday events. Trump predicted he would see “tens of thousands of people,” comparing his rallies to those of his opponent while specifically alluding to the drive-in rally Obama held in North Miami on Saturday. Ironically, Trump’s criticism occurred on a day when both Ohio and the U.S. set record highs for new coronavirus cases including several top aides to Vice President Mike Pence who tested positive. During the current election cycle, rallies in support of Biden have been held as drive-in gatherings following social distancing protocol due to the coronavirus pandemic in comparison to Trump’s rallies, held outdoors and without social distancing enforced. “I looked at the crowd that was – that President Obama had. Not too big. Not too big. I don’t know if that’s an indication of anything but there’s nobody there,” Trump said. WI
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election coverage 2020
Poll Watchers Scrutinize Election Process for D.C. Area Campaigns
By James Wright WI Staff Writer @JamesDCWrighter
Throughout her life, Anita Shelton has served in several capacities as a political activist. She has served on the D.C. Democratic State Committee representing Ward 1, worked on campaigns and presently serves as the president of DC Women in Politics, an organization with the mission of promoting females as elected officials in the District. However, being a poll watcher for campaigns has been a role she relishes, saying it remains one of the most rewarding experiences she has had. “I have served as a poll watcher for many years, going back to the Marion Barry campaigns and most recently with Dionne Bussey-Reeder’s bid for the D.C. Council at-large seat in 2018,” she said. “It has been an experience I have found to be enriching and exciting.” In the District, the law allows a campaign to petition the D.C. Board of Elections for a certain number of poll watchers in each polling place. District law mandates poll watchers must be approved by the board and the leader of the poll place in order to conduct their activities. Poll watchers are presently active in the District as the early voting centers process ballots for the Nov. 3 general election. They can be seen at various centers throughout the District representing their candidates interests by seeing that the election laws, rules and
EARLY VOTING from Page 5 to social distancing. However, when D.C. Board of Election officials opened the doors to ESA’s entrance the line moved swiftly. Marcellus Walker, a resident of Ward 4, decided to vote at the ESA “because it is close to my job.” “I think it is a good idea to open up the voting centers for anyone who lives anywhere in the city,” Walker said. “This is more convenient for me rather than waiting in line at the Emery Heights Community Center and then have to hurry to get to work on time.” Later in the morning, Lisa Tay-
regulations are being followed by the opposition. Poll watchers become the “eyes and ears” of the candidate they volunteer or work for, Shelton said, and can provide valuable information on voting trends to the campaign. “Poll watchers make sure certain activities such as the taking down of signs doesn’t happen and monitoring who has come to the polls to vote,” she said. “It is the poll watchers who set the tone for the campaign on the ground. For example, it is the poll watcher who will tell campaign leaders if more signs or literature at a precinct are needed.” Charles Wilson, the chair of the D.C. Democratic State Committee, said his party recognizes the importance of poll watchers. “As a party, we want to make sure voters are protected when they go to the polls and we want to support Democratic candidates,” Wilson said. “We don’t recruit poll watchers but we send out information to party activists and to others who are interested doing that by giving them the contacts for the campaigns.” Both Shelton and Wilson know about poll watching activities over the years in jurisdictions outside of the District, particularly in the South. They said they are aware poll watchers for mainly Republican campaigns have been hired to intimidate voters, especially those of color, from voting as well as President Trump encouraging his followers to monitor election activity in Democratic strongholds. However, D.C. Attorney General
lor came to the ESA she said because she got tired of waiting in the “long line” at the Malcolm X Community Center. “They are moving too slow for me,” she said. “I need to vote and get it over with.” The Malcolm X Community Center’s line reached around the basketball court with voters practicing social distancing. Cali Artis, a Ward 7 resident, came to Malcolm X to vote and didn’t seemed discouraged by the slow-moving line. “The long line is okay with me,” she said. “It’s moving. I want to vote and get it over with so I will stay here.”
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5 Charles Wilson, the chair of the D.C. Democratic State Committee. (Coustesy photo)
Karl Racine said recently intimidating poll watching has no place in the District. “It is unlawful to threaten, intimidate or coerce District residents who choose to vote by mail, or in-person,” the attorney general said in a statement. “Now more than ever, we urge District residents to be vigilant and report any type of unauthorized poll monitoring or voter intimidation.” Shelton said voter intimidation tactics like those in the South and other places doesn’t occur in the District but says there can be tension among campaigns that can become racial. “If there is a close race between a Black candidate and a white candidate it can become adversarial,” she said. “People may lose their tempers and they may have to be reported to the board of elections for their conduct.” WI In Artis’ home ward, Shoa Samad expressed excitement after voting for the first time. The Benning neighborhood resident said coming to cast a ballot at Deanwood Community Center meant a lot to her. “Voting means that I have a voice in my community, and I can make a difference,” she said. “I decided to come in person to vote instead of mailing in a ballot. When I was younger, I would come with my Dad to the polls to vote and I wanted to be involved in the whole experience of doing that.” Deanwood neighborhood res-
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OCTOBER 29 - NOVEMBER 4, 2020 9
AROUND THE REGION CAPTURE THE MOMENT IN AMERICA, HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN? The public art project, “In America, How Could This Happen?” – created by local artist Suzanne Brennan Firstenberg – opened Oct. 23. The art exhibit honors and symbolizes the lives lost to COVID-19 with white flags. Community members are invited to plant flags and personalize them with the names of lost loved ones through Friday, Nov 6. Yulette Pringle (inset) places a flag for one of her family members. (Robert R. Roberts/ The Washington Informer)
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“I heard a loud noise in the heavens and the Spirit instantly appeared to me and said the Serpent was loosened and Christ had laid down the yoke he had borne for the sins of men and that I should take it on and fight against the Serpent for the time was first approaching when the first should be last and the last should be first.”
– Nat Turner in “Confessions of Nat Turner,” who led a slave rebellion and was captured Oct. 30, 1831 in Virginia, sentenced to death and hung Nov. 11.
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AROUND THE REGION
election coverage 2020
Northern Virginia Voters Engulfed in Polarizing Contests
By Sam P.K. Collins WI Contributing Writer @SamPKCollins
In the weeks since early voting started in Virginia, legions of voters have braved long lines, the threat of COVID-19, and in some cases the menacing taunts of raucous right-wing bikers, to cast their vote for president, their congressional representative and other candidates appearing on the ballot for state and county-level seats. This has all happened as the Virginia Courts quietly acquiesced to demands to extend the voter registration deadline after the state’s online portal shut down for several hours earlier this month on what Virginia Department of Election officials designated as the last day of voter registration. Amid such circumstances, some Black people like Lou Neely said they’re constantly reminded about what’s at stake this election season. “We’ve seen the decay in race relations over time in this country, but it’s gotten 500 times worse with the Trump regime. They have stoked the flames of racial hate and division,” said Neely, a Fairfax County resident of more than 25 years. On Saturday, Neely and his wife casted their vote at the Fairfax County Government Center, reflecting on the events of the last four years, and lessons learned about the necessity of credible congressional leadership. “The Republicans in the Senate are not doing their job,” Neely said. “They are going to sleep and [there are not] the correct checks and balances.” Neely, a septuagenarian with recollections of the Civil Rights era, later bemoaned what he called the gradual loss of voter protections. “During our lifetime, there was a time when we couldn’t vote, but now they’re trying to take away the vote. I don’t understand the suppression. If they feel that confident in their policies then let the voters speak,” he told The Informer.
THE HEAT TURNS UP IN VIRGINIA
Weeks before the Neelys performed their civic duty, the Brothers in Christ Motorcycle Ministry and the co-chair of the Republican National Committee, among several other people, brought their “Trump Train'' caravan to the Fairfax County Government
Building where they spent more than an hour revving their engines, blowing their horns, and waving their Trump flags. The group eventually gathered in a nearby parking lot for a spontaneous rally. Their chanting and heckling of voters concerned poll workers who, despite the health risks of gathering in closed spaces during a pandemic, opened an additional room in the government building to provide voters a refuge while they waited to cast ballots. In the days following that incident, Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring outlined guidance for poll workers and reiterated institutionalized protections against voter intimidation. In Virginia, two Democrats are fighting to keep their congressional seats, while one Republican in a pro-Trump district struggles to maintain a decisive lead over a Democratic contender. On Monday, the Virginia Department of Elections reported that nearly two million people voted early, and more than two million Virginia residents requested absentee ballots. That’s considered a record by election officials. Despite what pundits have described as President Donald Trump’s dismissal of Virginia as a battleground state, Democrats within the increasingly blue state said they believe Vice President Joe Biden will get the state’s 13 electoral college votes. Standing in their way however, are groups of Trump supporters that, even on the quietest of days, continue to mobilize at polling stations with red “Make America Great Again” hats, campaign paraphernalia and an intense abhorrence for progressive values. “Racism is in every country, not just here [and] it’s not systemic,” said Christine L., a Trump supporter who spent much of Saturday afternoon near the entrance of the Fairfax County Government Center at a table where conservatives openly discussed their apprehensions about a Biden presidency. “I don’t believe that Republicans are portrayed as racist,” said Christine, who identifies as Asian. “I see more violence from leftists rioting and breaking into stores than I do Trump supporters,” she continued. “Trump made promises and he kept promises. He wasn’t a regular politician. He wanted to build a wall. That’s a great idea to keep out illegal immigrants.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE
With early voting scheduled to wrap up on Oct. 31, local candidates are making a last-minute attempt to engage voters at the polls. In Arlington County, Symone Walker, a contender for an Arlington School Board seat, counted among those who posted up along Clarendon Boulevard outside a polling site. A key part of Walker’s platform centers on equity and curriculum development. While she agreed that the presidential race stands as one of the most consequential of this season, she maintained a position that local races carry just as much weight.
In her appeal to voters, Walker has focused on local and state-level problems resonating with community members. “People tend to focus on the presidential race, and maybe more people are focused on the Senate [this time] but voters need to educate themselves about the local issues, like county ordinances, zoning, and school board issues that impact voters directly on a daily basis,” Walker told The Informer. “The reason why President Obama couldn’t accomplish what he wanted is because people didn’t come out for the congressional races,” she added. “He was a lame duck unable to pass
5 Lou Neely and his wife Monica speak to Washington Informer reporter Sam P.K. Collins after voting at the Fairfax County Courthouse on Oct. 24. (Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer)
legislation and nominate people to the Supreme Court. Voters need to get out of the mindset that the most important race is presidential.” WI
VOTE #2 On The Ballot Nov. 3, 2020
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OCTOBER 29 - NOVEMBER 4, 2020 11
PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY Prince George’s $1.2B Public School Construction Project Approved by Council By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill With final negotiations set to transpire on a $1.2 billion public-private partnership (P3) project, some residents and education advocates offered some recommendations for Prince George’s County officials to incorporate into the contract. A few of the proposed measures sent to County Council and public school officials include: preference given to contractors who hire returning citizens,
or those formerly incarcerated; a minimum penalty of 15 percent of total cost of the project for missing set dates for completion; and a minimum of 40 percent of all total contracted workforce must be Prince George’s county residents. “If those things are not in the contract, then Prince George’s County are raked over the coals and no one has any excuse for that,” Janna Parker, an education advocate of Temple Hills, said Saturday, Oct. 24. Parker and others with the Keep PGCPS Public Coalition are part
of a group that expressed concerns P3 project funding, specific project details and what the conditions will be when children return to school, especially amid a global pandemic. But the school board still nearly voted unanimously on Oct. 21 to build six schools using the P3 model. The majority Black jurisdiction will be the site of the first effort in the nation to use a public private partnership to build public schools. “I am so proud to be at this point where we’re going to be stepping out in front of the crowd and being looked upon as trend setters on building new schools quicker,” said Sonya Williams (District 9), one of 11 school board members to approve the plan. “This is not the end of this issue. This is the beginning.” Before any dirt gets shoveled and bricks laid down, final contract negotiations will take place for the private companies to maintain each school for a 30-year period. Because up to three months of negotiations are scheduled with some discussions held closed doors, that’s one of several reasons board member Raaheela Ahmed (District 5) voted against the project. “That’s kind of concerning for me,”
The Prince George’s County Department of Housing Community Development Announces its Emergency Rental Assistance Relaunch
she said. “With a deal this big and understanding the risks, this is what’s important to me and I think that’s where some controversy lies.” Board member David Murray (District 1) abstained. The board already chose Fengate Capital Management, headquartered in Toronto, Canada, and Gilbane Development Co., based in Providence, R.I., to lead and manage the
project. Stantec, an architecture firm with offices in northwest D.C. and Laurel, Md., is chief architect, and Honeywell of Charlotte, N.C. is services provider. Five of the six buildings are not only middle schools, but are sited inside the Beltway. About 8,000 students are slated to
SCHOOL Page 14
Prince George’s Chamber Holds Awards Gala
By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill
Prince George’s Chamber hosted its annual awards gala virtually Friday, Oct. 23. Among the guest speakers was James Brown, legendary broadcaster, host of “The NFL Today” on CBS and a former DeMatha High School basketball standout. The chamber awards went to “those who have assisted with the maintenance and restoration of our county during this pandemic,” the chamber said. FSC First and Industrial Bank was singled out with the Financial Relief of the Year award. The Small Business of the Year award went to Portera Rehabilitation. “Hero of the Year” to Doctors Community Health System; “Lifetime Achievement Educator of the Year” went to Charlene Dukes, former president of Prince George’s Community College; and “Chamber Hall of Fame” was awarded to County Executive Angela Alsobrooks. WI
Landlords must complete an on-line application and submit the following documents on behalf of all eligible delinquent tenants: Application
Rental Assistance Agreement
IRS Form W-9
Owner Losses Report
Rent Ledger
Property Deed
Rental Lease (1st and signature page) Agent or Management Agreement
The Prince George’s County Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) is now offering relief to landlords on behalf of renters experiencing financial difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic through its second Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) Program. Landlords submit your application by 11:59 p.m. EST on Nov. 10, 2020! Funds are limited, so apply now. Funds will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis. Landlords/Owners of multi-family, single-family, condominium and cooperative properties with a valid County rental license are eligible to apply.
(between the Owner and the Agent) PGC Electronic Funds Transfer Form Tenant Self-Certification of Eligibility and Annual Income Form Client Information Authorization Rental License (issued by the County for the property)
Tenants must meet the following requirements: Have a valid lease agreement in their name. Income eligible families whose annual income does not exceed 80% of the area median income, as determined by HUD, and adjusted for household size. The household has COVID-19 triggering event.
Program opens Tuesday, October 27, 2020 For detailed information about the Emergency Rental Assistance Program, visit the DHCD website:
https://www.princegeorgescountymd.gov/908/Housing-Community-Development
12 - OCTOBER 29 - NOVEMBER 4, 2020
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PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY
Police Abuse, Misconduct by School Resource Officers to be Focus of Hearings By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill Two police reform hearings are scheduled for the same day Thursday, Oct. 29. The first one scheduled at 4 p.m. is to review virtual testimony from advocates and the family of William Green, who reached a $20 million settlement agreement with Prince George’s County after a police officer killed him Jan. 27. The session is part of the police reform work group established by County Executive Angela Alsobrooks. “There is not a stadium big enough in Maryland to put all the young Black men in that has been assaulted by PGPD,” said Dawn Dalton of Upper Marlboro, whose son was a victim of an assault by Prince George’s police about 10 years ago. “We keep testifying and keep testifying in front of this person and that person. “It is an insult to our intelligence
to continue to have us do the same thing,” she said. “It is dismissive. It is disrespectful to have people retraumatize themselves. It’s ridiculous.” Dalton is likely to participate in a 6 p.m. that symposium same day on police reform. It is to be a virtual discussion hosted by The Maryland Coalition for Justice and Police Accountability and Baltimore Afro author and journalist Sean Yoes at the event labeled to discuss “what real police reform looks like for Maryland.” In Prince George’s, some advocates say change should start at the top with a focus on interim Police Chief Hector Velez. Kema Hutchinson-Harris of Clinton said Velez remains part of the wrongdoing documented in a lawsuit filed in December 2018 by Black and Latino officers alleging racial and retaliatory practices within the police department. A nearly 100-page document written by Michael E. Graham, a 33-year veteran of the Los Angeles County
Sheriff's Department, comes as a part the suit that highlights more than 6,800 use-of-force incidents occurred in the department between 2016 and 2019. About 86 percent happened against Black civilians and 8 percent against Latinos, according to the report. As a co-founder of Community Justice, Hutchinson-Harris endured a two-year legal battle when police charged her son for attempted murder and other charges. A jury acquitted him in May 2019. “He’s a part of the abuse,” she said about Velez. “To allow 6,800 use-offorce complaints to happen and do nothing? That’s a smack in our face.” Meanwhile, the work group created by Alsobrooks isn’t going to discuss or assess any pending lawsuits. However, it will review police department policies and procedures to provide recommendations for any changes to Alsobrooks by Dec. 4. The panel also considered the issue of the continued use of county police
5 A Prince George’s County police reform task force continues to review polices and procedures in the police department. (FILE: William J. Ford/The Washington Informer)
officers as school resource officers, (SRO) during a three- hour meeting Oct. 22. Barry Stanton, chief operation officer with the county public school system, summarized four distinct roles of school resource officers based on state training: educator, emergency manager, informal counselor and law enforcement. “Hopefully they’re creating relationships with our students…to ensure that the students know that they’re not just there to be police officers and the role of law enforcement officers.” The issue is to be an extension
of consideration of the 33 Prince George’s, Bowie, Greenbelt and Hyattsville department police officers assigned to high schools. Aarti Sidhu and Megan Berger, attorneys who help chair the Maryland Coalition to Reform School Discipline, have represented students suspended and expelled from schools. “Discipline becomes outsourced to law enforcement and it really shouldn’t be. Discipline should remain in the school with teachers and administrators and educators,” she said. “We shouldn’t be criminalizing age-appropriate behavior.” WI
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Vote in-person at a vote center near you.
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Find an early vote center, Election Day vote center, or official election drop box near you:
ELECTIONS.MARYLAND.GOV/2020 If you are voting by mail, return your completed ballot to a drop box by 8pm on November 3 or postmark by November 3.
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OCTOBER 29 - NOVEMBER 4, 2020 13
BUSINESS Maryland Seeks $250M Relief Fund Needed to Help Small Businesses By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill
Michael and Tyra Harris aren’t from New Orleans, but they enjoy the city and its culture so much they’ve traveled to the “Big Easy” once or twice a year. Also because of Tyra Harris’ taste for coffee, the Bowie couple decided to open PJ’s Coffee House of New Orleans about two months ago that’s five miles from their home. The shop is the national chain’s only outlet in Prince George’s County.
Although the couple already has loyal customers, no turnover of their 16 part-time employees and is the county’s first source of PJ’s beignets, the couple still needs financial help during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. “We constantly need to buy masks, gloves. Had to purchase hand sanitizer stations,” said Michael Harris outside PJ’s Coffee on Friday, Oct. 23. “We were set to open in February, but construction stopped due to the contractor getting COVID. We had our share of highs and lows.” The couple for a portion of $250 mil-
lion in economic relief from the state’s economic recovery initiative to help business affected by the coronavirus. Gov. Larry Hogan said about $100 million will come from the state’s rainy day fund as an “emergency rapid response fund,” or money designated for unforeseen circumstances. Businesses to receive the remaining $150 million remains undetermined, while others could be out of reach. For instance, part of the program has $5 million designated for low-interest loans to small and minority-owned businesses. According to part of the COVID-19 guidelines at https://bit. ly/3mmkIsj, a business must be in good standing, owners with a credit score of at least 550 and principal place of business in the state. Another eligibility requirement that could affect PJ’s Coffee: a business must have opened prior to Jan. 1, 2019. “How can we show what we’ve done when we just opened?” Michael Harris said. “We have to go through the same COVID regulations as any other business.” The state allocated $50 million for qualifying restaurants to use money for a variety of options such as technology to support carryout and delivery, purchase of personal protective equipment
5 Michael and Tyra Harris pose outside their PJ’s Coffee of New Orleans business in Bowie. (Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer)
and heaters and tents for outdoor dining. The Harris’ said they could use additional plexiglass, a second register and intercom system to alert customers who wait on orders outside. Of course, disinfectant and other cleaning supplies to constantly keep the business clean. The rest of the state money to be dispersed by Dec. 31 include: • About $50 million toward small business grants of up to $10,000 as part of an earlier program that could allow eligible applicants who requested money to now receive. • About $20 million for a layoff aversion and another $20 million for the state’s 33 Main Street organizations and eight Baltimore City Main Street communities. • $3 million for nonprofit and arts organizations and $2 million
for the state’s tourism program. Back in Bowie with the smell of gourmet coffee and espresso and New Orleans jazz playing through the speakers, Tyra Harris said “everybody’s learning” through the first two months. She said those hired came with no barista experience, but they showcased strong customer-oriented skills and character. One of those employees, Anjola Oludayo, 17, recalled when she visited PJ’s for the job interview, “Mr. Mike [Harris] was dancing in the background. I knew this place was going to be so funny,” said the high school senior who attends Eleanor Roosevelt in Greenbelt and obtained her first job at PJ’s. “I was laughing so hard during the interview. I was part of the staff that opened, so that was a really good experience. I love it here.” WI
SCHOOL from Page 12
from money designated in the school’s capital budget. According to a summary agreement, about 30 percent of the contract is earmarked for minority-owned business and a minimum of 20 percent toward those located in Prince George’s. In addition, the effort is designed to help address an $8.5 billion backlog in school construction, build the new schools at a faster rate in about three years and save about $174 million in deferred maintenance and construction costs. Officials said the traditional route of school construction takes between seven to 13 years. The most passionate comments came from Elsie Jacobs, who not only worked at Drew Freeman for seven years but also resides in Suitland. “It’s [about] time that somebody does something for these kids over here in this community,” she said. WI
occupy these schools: Walker Mill, Drew Freeman, Kenmoor, Hyattsville and Adelphi middle schools. A new southern area school would be built for students in kindergarten through eighth grade. According to a summary of the alternative construction financing document, about 40 percent of the county schools are at least 60 years. About eight hours before last week’s vote, PGCPS CEO Monica Goldson and County Executive Angela Alsobrooks voiced support for the project at a news conference at Drew Freeman Middle School in Suitland. The 60 year-old building originally housed La Raine High School, an allgirls Catholic school next to Suitland High School. A major point made by school and county officials is this project won’t increase taxes because it would come
14 - OCTOBER 29 - NOVEMBER 4, 2020
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BUSINESS
Black Interest in Gun Ownership Rises in Greater Washington Area
African American Females Fuel the Purchasing Surge By James Wright WI Staff Writer @JamesDCWrighter A body of evidence is emerging that African Americans in the Washington, D.C. area are increasingly becoming gun owners for reasons ranging from racially polarizing rhetoric to concerns about crime and public safety. Kelly Latimer, a co-founder and co-owner of the Barnes 1st Step Firearm Training LLC based in Southeast, said she has seen a surge in interest in her academy’s offerings recently. “We have had an increase in students at our school for several months,” Latimer said. “The majority of our new students are female and African American. In the pistol fundamentals course, 60 percent of our students are female and in the class on concealed carries, it is about 50 percent female, 50 percent male. Many of our students have told me about wanting to be prepared in case they have to defend themselves.” Latimer’s observations are echoed by
the National Shooting Sports Foundation, trade association for the gun industry. It said 58 percent of the first time buyers since January are Black. A June survey of gun shop owners found that 40 percent of those who purchased firearms are first-time buyers, 40 percent of them women. And Blacks made up a major share of those firearm purchases, the largest uptick of any racial group. Small Arms Analytics & Forecasting, a research firms specializing in the economics of firearms, calculates national gun purchases based on the FBI background check system. It estimated 15 million guns have been sold this year so far, exceeding 2019’s total. In addition, FBI statistics reveal the District had its largest jump in gun sales in August measured by the number of background checks performed on residents, nearly doubling the previous high of July’s 898, WTOP reported. Latimer speculates the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, the death of unarmed Blacks by police officers and
the racially divisive rhetoric by political leaders has contributed to the interest in guns by Blacks. “I recently spoke with a Black woman who was interested in taking classes at our school,” she said. “She was 60 years old and told me this was the first time she considered purchasing a gun. She reflects what many of our students are saying. They want to be safe and protect themselves during these troubled times. There’s a lot of tension in D.C. these days.” However, Allan E. Lucas, the owner of Lucas Security Services in Northeast, said the threat of possible post-election political violence and police killings aren’t the reasons he hears on why more Blacks are purchasing guns. “The number one reason Blacks are purchasing guns, from what I have been told, is the fear of high crime in the city,” according to Lucas, a former D.C. police officer, ex-Marine, corrections officer and deputy U.S. Marshal. Lucas said few people have cited to him “Trump and his reactionaries” as
5 African American woman shoots a firearm at a gun range. (Courtesy Photo)
the reason for obtaining weapons. While Lucas stresses high crime as the primary reason for gun purchases by Blacks, Galen Muhammad, a resident of Prince George’s County, said Trump’s racial discourse and a recommendation from a friend fueled his desire to go through the gun purchasing process in Maryland. In May, Muhammad helped found Onyx Sharp Shooters, based in Forestville and an affiliate of the National African American Gun Association. Despite experience as Maryland Army National Guard officer and a special
police officer with a defunct security firm, he has never owned a firearm. Muhammad said Onyx Sharp Shooters has 150 members, all recruited through word of mouth and social media. The group’s mission is built around responsible gun ownership, he said. “We want to teach Blacks about gun ownership,” he said. “We also want to teach about gun safety. A gun is not a toy, but a tool. We want to make sure Blacks are well-educated about guns before they make a purchase.” WI
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NATIONAL election coverage 2020
Voter Suppression Tactics and Long Lines Fail to Stop Black Voters ‘Trump Facing Most Resounding Defeat of an Incumbent in at Least 40 Years’ By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer @StacyBrownMedia The lines are long, but Americans – particularly African Americans – have demonstrated a will to vote. On Oct. 22, the U.S. hit 100 percent of the total of 2016 early voting, and more than 47.1 million people have voted with just under a week before the general election. Experts predict as many as 165 million votes in the 2020 election, including a massive African American turnout. “If we get 154 million votes, then President Donald Trump will be looking at the most resounding defeat of an incumbent president in at least 40 years,” wrote Jonathan V. Last, the editor of the political website, “The Bulwark.”
EARLY VOTING from Page 9 ident Shamika Bacchus said voting has become a family tradition, noting her maternal grandfather served as a president of the Memphis NAACP and her mother was heavily involved in helping people to register to vote. Bacchus complimented the elections board staff for “the cleanliness of the facility and efficiency in which people could come in, vote and leave within 15 minutes.” While few voters revealed whom they casted their ballots for, Walker said he voted for Janeese Lewis George for Ward 4 D.C. Councilmember “because she beat [D.C. Councilmember] Brandon Todd” and Bacchus said she marked her ballot in the D.C. councilmember at-large races for incumbent Robert White (D) and candidate Jeanne Lewis. However,
“The only open question is the magnitude of Trump’s coming loss. But one thing is not in doubt: When America wakes up on Nov. 4, Joe Biden will have earned more votes than any man who’s ever run for president.” Axios found that younger people are turning out in larger numbers this year, with the youth vote potentially the highest since 2008 for the election of Barack Obama. Still, the wave of voters in places like Texas, Georgia, Virginia, North Carolina and Indiana show African Americans’ resiliency and resolve. They have gone to great lengths to overcome voter suppression, discouragement, misinformation, gerrymandering, and so many other obstacles to participate in America’s elections. Gloria Starks, a Congress Heights resident who voted at the ESA, made it clear why she voted early. “I feel strongly about voting and I want to get Trump out of there,” she said. WI
Bacchus complimented the elections board staff for “the cleanliness of the facility and efficiency in which people could come in, vote and leave within 15 minutes.”
16 - OCTOBER 29 - NOVEMBER 4, 2020
5 People line up to vote on Election Day in Fairburn, Georgia, near Atlanta. (Brian Cahn/ZUMA)
In Fort Bend County, Texas, a checkin machine glitch shut down at least four precincts, and a court ruling that significantly limited ballot locations didn’t stop many African Americans from traveling long distances and overcoming even longer wait times to vote. In Georgia, NPR reported that the clogged polling locations in metro Atlanta reflected an underlying pattern: the number of places to vote has shrunk statewide, with little recourse. “Although the reduction in polling places has taken place across racial lines, it has primarily caused long lines in nonwhite neighborhoods where voter registration has surged, and more residents cast ballots in person on Election Day. The pruning of polling places started long before the pandemic, which has discouraged people from voting in person,” the report noted. In Virginia, a glitch shut down polls and forced officials to push back deadlines to cast early votes. Also, General Registrar Donna Patterson told reporters that the long lines in Virginia Beach had been like that each day since early voting began about one month ago. Add to 55,000 mail-in ballots the registrar received to that point, Patterson noted that the state might have the highest voter turnout ever. About 163,000 votes were cast in person across the state on the most recent Saturday in North Carolina. The 828,456 people who’ve participated in early voting in North Carolina is more than double the number who went to the polls at this time during the 2016 election. Meanwhile, “Texas has been under siege confronting voter suppression from multiple fronts from our Governor Greg Abbott to the state higher courts,” noted Sonny Messiah Jiles, the publisher and CEO of The Houston Defender Media Group.
“It is unbelievable or ridiculous for a county with 2.4 million registered voters to have one location to drop off mail-in ballots,” Jiles remarked. “Despite their efforts, the Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins, a smart young millennial, has been strategic and innovative with drive-thru voting, doubling the early voting locations and the historical move of 24-hour voting. But aside from voting access, we need to beware not to be bamboozled listening to the polls and go and vote as our life depends on it because it does.” Numerous voter suppression tactics have been used in Texas and throughout the nation, added Patrick Washington, CEO, and co-publisher of The Dallas Weekly. “Like the late-night ruling, from a 5th Circuit Court via a three-judge panel, all of whom appointed by President Trump to uphold Governor Abbot’s mandate to limit one ballot drop box for millions of voters in Dallas county,” Washington observed. However, he continued: “Despite this deliberate, detrimental move, the night before early voting in Texas, I am pleased to see that the very voters that may have been affected in Dallas counties came to the polls big. “I witnessed many volunteers at the Martin Luther King Center, assisting the elderly with remaining comfortable with chairs and water during the long wait and assisting first-time voters by explaining the sample ballots. To know that ballot records are being broken in counties all over Texas doesn’t shock me. Unfortunately, many tragic events due to racism and police brutality have occurred during Trump’s time in office. “People are tired. People can’t see family and friends like they used to. In some cases, people are unemployed, angry, scared or maybe all of the above. So, in any case, people have the time
to exercise their civic duty and vote.” Even in states like Indiana, voter suppression efforts haven’t stopped Black people from lining up at the polls. “Indiana has some incredibly restrictive voter laws, and currently we only have one early voting site in all of Indianapolis,” stated Robert Shegog, CEO at the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper and Indiana Minority Business Magazine “A few more will open Oct. 24, but significantly more are needed given the size of the city. However, it is very refreshing to see so many people voting early. This has been a trend in Indianapolis for over ten years now, and the numbers keep increasing,” Shegog noted. The Indianapolis Recorder reported that there were 13,206 votes cast through the first nine days of early voting – or nearly 10,000 more in the same period in 2008 and 5,000 more than in 2016. Early voting in Marion county started on Oct. 6 and continues through Nov. 2. In 2016, 33 percent of the 362,372 voters in Marion County voted early – a record-breaking number. This year, Indiana voters expect to break the record again. “When one considers the pandemic and the physical and mental effects it had on so many Hoosiers, the tough voting laws, only one early voting site in a city that is nearly 400 square miles,” Shegog said. “Even the immense pressure that Blacks experience daily; the fact that so many people are voting early demonstrates their desire to have their voices heard and their votes counted. “I am incredibly proud of the numbers, and local experts are optimistic that they will continue to increase through Nov. 3.” WI
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Grace Bustill Douglass Co-Founded Female Anti-Slavery Society in Philadelphia By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer @StacyBrownMedia In 1831, the founders of the American Anti-Slavery Society barred women from joining the organization. In response, a group led by Black suffragists, including Charlotte Forten, Sarah Purvis and Grace Bustill Douglass, formed the Female Anti-Slavery Society in Philadelphia. Douglass, a well-known Quaker and an elite Black woman, later spearheaded efforts to gain all women’s fundamental rights. She counted among those who would sign the Declaration of Sentiments which called for women to have a right to receive an education, own property, divorce their husbands, maintain custody of children and pursue careers. Born in 1782 in Burlington, New Jersey, Douglass, and her family distinguished themselves as activists. Her father, Cyrus Bustill, the son of a slave, worked as a baker including serving for George Washington during the American Revolution while her mother, Elizabeth, a Native American, traced her roots to Delaware. Already active in free Black communities in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, Grace married the Rev. Robert Douglass and settled in Philadelphia. According to BlackPast.org, she and her only daughter, Sarah Mapps Douglass, embraced the Society of Friends and regularly attended Arch Street meetings in Philadelphia where Blacks and whites sat in separate sections – a policy which failed to deter the activism of the Douglass women. Sarah Mapps Douglass followed closely in her mother’s footsteps, helping to establish the Female Literary Society which among its goals encouraged self-improvement. Mapps Douglass heavily advocated women’s rights and, in 1831, she raised money in support of “The Liberator” – a newspaper founded by abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison. Although white Quakers had long ago denounced slavery and had been active abolitionists, many held to segregationist customs. Grace Bustill Douglass eventually became a member of the Anti-Slavery Convention of American Women and
supported women’s suffrage movement. She also counted as a prosperous entrepreneur, running a successful millinery where she hired apprentices and provided young women opportunities to learn skills and care for themselves. And like her father, she founded a school which her daughter attended. “We owe everything to our forefathers and mothers. I greatly appreciate their courage, bravery and persistent pursuit for equal rights for all,” said Deborah Pretty, the president of the informational web-based business, PYTalkBiz.com. “The adage is true if we don’t know our history, we will repeat it. And that knowledge and knowing is power. To know that people that walk, talk and look like us inspires us to keep moving.” Dana Rubin, of Speaking While Female, a website that features more than 1,600 examples of forgotten, overlooked and hard-to-find speeches and testimony by women, said she’s always been impressed with women like Douglass, Sojourner Truth, Ida B. Wells and others because of how hard they fought for women’s rights. “In particular, I’ve become fascinated by the overlooked history of African-American women in the suffrage moment,” Rubin noted. “Black wom-
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en did speak out proudly and persuasively for the vote, and their words, arguments, and voices deserve to be included in the history books.” Douglass, whose devotion to education, activism and reform remains legendary, died March 9, 1842. This feature is part of an ongoing Washington Informer series about the Women’s Suffrage Movement initiated by Washington Informer Publisher Denise Rolark Barnes. It lives in the institutional home of The Washington Informer Charities. WI
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African Union Chair Ramaphosa Welcomes Libya Ceasefire PRETORIA - African Union (AU) chairperson and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday, Oct. 25, welcomed the signing of a complete, country-wide and permanent ceasefire agreement between rival forces in Libya. The agreement was signed in Geneva in Switzerland on Friday, Oct. 23. “We congratulate all signatories for agreeing to this groundbreaking permanent ceasefire agreement," Ramaphosa said in a statement on Sunday. "The signing of this agreement is an important step towards silencing the guns in Africa. We further support the appeal by the United Nations Secretary General António Guterres for all stakeholders, regional and international actors, to respect the provisions of the ceasefire agreement and ensure its implementation without delay in order to bring an end to this conflict. This includes ensuring the full and unconditional respect of the UN Security Council [UNSC] arms embargo,” Ramaphosa said. The ceasefire agreement, its enforcement, and observation marked a critical first step in creating conditions conducive for lasting peace in Libya. It paved the way for the resumption of the intra-Libyan dialogue, which was the only legitimate platform that could produce a durable, Libyan-backed political solution. Ramaphosa stressed the need for external parties to respect the UNSC arms embargo and called on them to refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of Libya. He also emphasized the importance of AU/UN collaboration in supporting the Libyan parties in the search for a political solution. “Guided by the spirit of fraternity and the principles of solidarity and cooperation, the AU stands ready to accompany the Libyan people on this journey towards peace, national reconciliation, and unity,” he said. SOURCE: African News Agency (ANA) WI
caribbean now Pandiani Vows to Continue Working With Barbados With Argentine Ambassador H.E. Gustavo Martinez Pandiani reluctantly counting down the days until his tenure in Barbados comes to an end, his diplomatic work there has not and very likely will not cease. Having collaborated heavily with Barbados on several sporting and cultural initiatives just shy of three years, Ambassador Pandiani has vowed to keep the diplomatic ties between the two countries alive and well even though he will no longer be stationed here, the Barbados Advocate reported on Oct. 25. He was speaking during a farewell art exhibit to celebrate his contribution to the development of Barbadian art at the embassy on Thursday evening. The event, which was hosted in association with Artists Alliance Barbados, capped his time in Barbados during which he presided over the unveiling of the work of 75 local artists. Drawing reference to Bridgetown, the capital, Pandiani reminded those on hand that it was easy to overlook the name’s meaning, noting that providing a bridge between differing views is at the heart of the peace efforts between nations. Minister for Culture John King stated that the partnership between Argentina and Barbados is organic and genuine. “The main thing is that politicians will come and go but if you get people-to-people connections, then we would have done something that will last for a lifetime. I think we have accomplished that in some aspects,” he said. WI
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OCTOBER 29 - NOVEMBER 4, 2020 19
HEALTH COVID-19 UPDATE
Public-Private Coalition Launches Campaign to Educate Black Community on Importance of Flu Shot By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer @StacyBrownMedia Reverend Dr. Terris King, the pastor of Liberty Grace Church of God and CEO of King Enterprise Group, believes the coronavirus pandemic makes the coming flu season all the deadlier. It’s why he’s helping to lead a coalition of pastors, health advocates, and city leaders to raise awareness
for a flu vaccination as Baltimore prepares for what’s predicted as a brutal flu season. The coalition also includes Bishop J. L. Carter of Ark Church, the Minister’s Conference of Baltimore and Vicinity; Rev. Alvin C. Hathaway Sr. of Union Baptist Church; Bishop Donté L. Hickman Sr., of the Southern Baptist Church; Pastor Michael Phillips Senior, Pastor of Kingdom Life Church; and Rev. Pamula D. Yer-
by-Hammack, City of Abraham Church and Ministries. “I don’t want our people to suffer from the duality of both COVID and the flu,” said King, who joined other Baltimore leaders and the nonprofit research and education organization, The National Minority Quality Forum, (NMQF) in developing a pilot program to raise awareness for the flu vaccine. King noted that the Black communities in Baltimore and Prince Georges County have a lower rate of flu vaccination than the rest of Maryland. The coalition seeks to educate the community about the benefits of a flu vaccine, and where to get the shot this fall. “I got involved simply because I’m the area of Baltimore, the 21215-area code, that’s the hardest hit. My congregation has been hit really hard,” King said. “Even though we have services on Zoom, I’ve had people on Zoom in hospital beds with COVID. I don’t want people to get the sniffles because we are susceptible to COVID by going to the emergency room with the flu and encountering those who have the virus.”
For the flu vaccine program, the NMQF’s Center for Sustainable Health Care Quality and Equity (SHC) has joined with the Baltimore City Health Department, Coppin State University’s Helene Fuld School of Nursing and the International Vaccine Access Center at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. They will offer flu vaccine clinics adjacent to two Baltimore City churches in the coming weeks as a coalition. Officials said the rate of COVID-19 illness and death is high in the Black community, which is even more reason for these communities to protect against the flu. Bringing the clinics to the churches in a safe outdoor location can provide parishioners with a further sense of comfort during a trying time, coalition officials said. “What the flu season does to us as a community is to allow us to emphasize self-help and prioritize your body while helping others,” King stated. “I want folks to watch their diets and everything else they are supposed to do to be holistically healthy and to build that immune system. I want them to be healthy
You’re Invited! Open House Event
5 Participant receiving the flu shot in Prince George’s County. (Courtesy photo)
because we are experiencing a second wave of the coronavirus. For more information, visit https://health.baltimorecity.gov/ flu to see a map of places offering flu shots in Baltimore City or visit https://nmqf-shc.org/flu-vaccination/ to learn more about closing disparity gaps in vaccinating communities of color. WI
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CAPTURE C the moment
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Fall in the DMV: A Cornucopia of Captivating Colors
5 The walkway of a home at Stoney Brook Estates in Silver Spring. (Robert R. Roberts/The Washington Informer)
“Where failure is not an option”
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5 George Washington Forestry Park in Strasberg. (Robert R. Roberts/The Washington Informer)
NONDISCRIMINATION POLICY
5 A Halloween display in Georgetown. (Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer) 3 The changing of the leaves signals the transition to a new season. (Robert R. Roberts/The Washington Informer) 4 Antlered deer can be found at Mathew Henson State Park in Silver Spring. (Robert R. Roberts/The Washington Informer)
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Wells Fargo: Improving Lives and Strengthening Communities the opportunity to work with Wells Fargo so that we can provide access to education, resources and tools so that all have an opportunity to achieve financial stability and long-term asset building and prosperity.”
Monica Mitchell, Community Relations Senior Consultant, Wells Fargo Where We Live (WWL) is a fiveyear, $1.6 billion lending and philanthropic investment in Washington, D.C. neighborhoods. Launched by Wells Fargo in 2018, its purpose is to improve lives, strengthen communities and increase economic opportunity by concentrating on four areas of need, identified by community leaders: • Housing affordability • Workforce development • Financial health • Small business growth Part of WWL includes $16 million in strategic philanthropy. Through collaborating with nearly 100 community-based organizations, more than $12.8 million in has been contributed D.C. neighborhoods thus far.
EXPANDING SMALL BUSINESS GROWTH
(DCCK), DCCK Café empowers young adults with high barriers to employment through culinary training, life skills and work experiences. Wells Fargo has donated more than $425,000 to DCCK to support their mission of expanding employment opportunities and advancing the workforce. “When I first started the program, it was a lot to take it, but DCCK broke me out of my shell and pushed me forward to be in a career like this.” Marshall Wynn, DCCK graduate.
EXPANDING ACCESS TO HOUSING EXPANDING ACCESS TO AFFORDABILITY Access to safe, healthy and afford- FINANCIAL HEALTH able housing is fundamental to a family’s ability to thrive. Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH) is one of many organizations addressing this need. Through $400,000 in WWL grants, POAH will provide pathways for economic mobility through its resident-centered programs at Barry Farms and Garfield Hills. “Wells Fargo's support has helped our residents make significant strides in many areas of their lives including housing, employment, education and health. As a result, residents are empowered to achieve greater economic mobility and security,” said Aaron Gornstein, president and CEO of POAH. A WWL contribution will also help MANNA Inc. hire two additional housing counselors who will help D.C. residents struggling to maintain their housing or who are ready to make the dream of home ownership a reality.
Wells Fargo believes in expanding access to tools and coaching that empower people to save money, reduce debt and build financial stability. Through Wells Fargo’s support of Capital Area Assets Builders’ D.C. Opportunity Accounts Program, residents take control of their finances, increase their savings and build better financial futures. “Thanks to the key support and contributions from Wells Fargo, we have been able to advance CAAB’s mission and financially empower over 250 Black and Brown low- and moderate-income families over the past year.” said, Joseph Leitmann-Santa Cruz, CEO and Executive Director of Capital Area Asset Builders. “CAAB proudly focuses on intentionally addressing and minimizing the racial wealth gap in the Washington, DC metropolitan region. We appreciate
Small businesses are the cornerstone of communities. To drive growth and opportunity, business owners need support. WWL has created local jobs by providing access to capital and technical assistance to underrepresented entrepreneurs "Thanks to Wells Fargo deepening its investments in D.C., it has become a major philanthropic and business partner in affordable housing and small business development,” said Steve Glaude, CEO of Coalition for Nonprofit Housing and Economic
Development (CNHED) “While its increased investments are noteworthy, Wells Fargo doesn’t just give, it is a thought-partner with us in the process of thinking through market challenges and the design of innovative strategies and new initiatives.” In response to the financial crisis facing small businesses this spring, Wells Fargo quickly donated over $1 million to Community Development Financial Institutions in D.C. Through this support, the Washington Area Community Investment Fund, Latino Economic Development Center and City First Enterprises provided lifelines to small businesses in the way of capital and technical support. Additional donations in the Greater Washington Urban League, Life Assets and 1863 Ventures followed, placing particular emphasis on assisting businesses owned by people of color.
BETTER TOGETHER
“Where We Live began by listening to community leaders who serve this great city every day.” said Anna Bard, Wells Fargo Community Relations Manager. “We chose to focus on big, systemic issues for which there are no easy solutions. What we do know is that in order to chip away at these problems and make a real impact, we have to trust one another and work together. As I look back over our long history of supporting DC - and the past three years of WWL - I’m encouraged by the lives I’ve seen impacted, relationships we’ve formed and all that we will continue to do together.” To our partners, community leaders and D.C. residents – thank you. We’re creating better together.
Where We Live is a five-year, $1.6 billion lending and philanthropic investment in Washington, D.C. neighborhoods.
EXPANDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR WORK
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The State of the Black Millennial 2020 October 2020. Volume 6. Issue 10
millennials: a voting bloc with problems pg. 4
at-large candidates round-up pg. 5
the covid-era great black migration pg. 7
district residents tap holistic health options pg. 9
is content creation the wave more millennials pg. 10
The Bridge presents discussions with movers and shakers about the social-political climate in DC. What issues are we most concerned about? What are some solutions to those issues? Tune in at wibridgedc.com/media.
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THE STATE OF THE BLACK MILLENNIAL 2020
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editor-in-chief & creative director :
Lafayette Barnes IV Claudia M. Watts copy Editor : Sam P.K. Collins Photography Editor : Lafayette Barnes IV Layout Design : Lafayette Barnes IV Art & Photography : Demont Pinder @demontpinder (Cover Art) Contributing Writers : Claudia M. Watts, Marcus K. Dowling, Erica Johnson, Saskia Kercy, Lindiwe Vilakazi managing Editor :
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THE STATE OF THE BLACK MILLENNIAL 2020
OCTOBER 2020
Words Erica Johnson | @the.original.femme.fatal
MILLENNIALS: A VOTING BLOC WITH PROBLEMS For Millennials fortunate enough to have retirement savings, the pandemic has halted contributions to retirement accounts by 15 percent. With the U.S. budget deficit set to reach $3.3. trillion this year, and Social Security and Medicare programs facing insolvency in the next 11 years, the future couldn’t be more uncertain for Millennials. Taking ownership of finances couldn’t be more of an imperative. Millennials have often been painted as complainers, whining about the opportunities that they didn’t get. However, research shows that they really do have it rougher, compared to previous generations. With rising housing costs and insurmountable student loan debt, Millennials haven’t been able to achieve milestones, like owning a home and starting a family, that are considered rites of passage into adulthood. Whether or not this coming election brings major change, it’s critical for Millennials’ long-term financial wealth. According to a study by the Pew Research Center, Millennials born between 1981 and 1996 are more diverse than previous generations with 44 percent being people of color. This suggests complexity in economic disparities that previous generations did not face. These differences have been laid bare in the current global pandemic. A recent study by the Morning Consult revealed that nearly 2 in 5 Millennials say the coronavirus pandemic has had a major impact on their financial situation. In fact, the pandemic is considered to be yet another setback in their progression and development. In early April, 60 percent of millennial-registered voters told pollsters at Quinnipiac University that the pandemic has them concerned about being unable to afford food, rent or mortgage, or medical expenses. For Millennials, this situation is all too familiar having just experienced the Great Recession in 2008. Since the financial crisis, Millennials’ earnings have been the slowest to recover. Though Millennials are more educated than previous generations, they tend to work in sectors like professional services (consulting, administrative, and IT roles); healthcare, and social services; and finally leisure and hospitality that are often hit hardest during a crisis. In 2019, 58.5 percent of accommodation and food service workers were between the ages of 20 and 44, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Since the pandemic was officially announced in March, the hospitality and leisure industry alone has lost 459,000 jobs. Not only are Millennials in some of the most vulnerable jobs in a crisis but they are also suffering from high student loan debt, an amount that’s topped $1.6 trillion in the U.S. Given the diversity of the Millennial generation, these wage gaps and high student loan debt is making advancement for Millennials of color even more difficult during the pandemic. People of color, especially women, who tend to work as a Certified Nursing Assistant or nurse, are considered essential workers. This means that, in addition to being underpaid in those positions, they are also more likely to risk their lives than white men. In Income inequality extends far beyond student loan debt. Disparities in wages are exacerbated even more during the pandemic, as Millennials of color who are unemployed or furloughed receive less in unemployment benefits on average than their white counterparts. The cost of education has risen. This also means that the current pandemic devalued the cost of education for Millennials of color. A study by New America’s Wesley Whistle found that in 2016, 84 percent of Black college-goers had taken out student loans, compared to 67 percent of white students. Black Millennials are paying more in student loan debt than the expected rate of return on investment in education than they will receive in wages over time. These stressors for people of color lead to more financial stress for Millennials as a whole. The compounding of the Great Recession with the current coronavirus pandemic created a perfect storm, that is driving the Millennial generation, now the largest voting bloc, to make a change. Millennials understand how policy impacts their progression and the best way for them to make a difference is to vote.
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THE STATE OF THE BLACK MILLENNIAL 2020
OCTOBER 2020
at-large candidates round-up Political History: Current Ward 8 representative on the State Board of Education; Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner; Founder of the DC Statehood Student Association; Youth Mayor of the District of Columbia.
Claudia Barragan (I) Joe Bishop-Henchman (Libertarian) Mario Cristaldo (I) Franklin Garcia (I) Chander Jayaraman (I) Will Merrifield (I) Vincent Orange (I) Alex Padro (I) Mónica Palacio (I) Marya Pickering (R) Eric Rogers (I) Michangelo “DoctorMic” Scruggs (I) Ann Wilcox (Statehood Green)
Top Priorities: Equitable economic recovery, access to education, ending homelessness, affordable housing. Marcus Goodwin (I) Age: 30 Political History: Worked for D.C. Council and Mayor's Office; Former President of DC Young Democrats; Second run for elected office in D.C.
Words
Additional candidates:
Saskia Kercy | @saskiakercy
Markus Batchelor (I) Age: 27
Top Priorities: Public health, economy, affordable housing, education, vocational training. Christina Henderson (I) Age: 33 Political History: Legislative assistant to Sen. Chuck Schumer; D.C. Council staffer for Councilmember David Grosso; First run for elected office in D.C. Top Priorities: Child care, wealth tax, police reform, affordable housing. Ed Lazere (I) Age: 56 Political History: Founding Executive Director of D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute; Second run for elected office in D.C.; DC Primary Care Association, Board Member; Member, DC Tax Revision Commission. Top Priorities: Ending homelessness, strengthening rent control, education, child care, redirecting police funding Jeanné Lewis (I) Age: 40 Political History: Vice-president of the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy Top priorities: Affordable housing, access to education, economic development, inclusionary zoning laws, expanding rent control, small businesses, reducing MPD budget Robert White (D) Age: 38 Political History: Current At-large Member of the Council of the District of Columbia; Legislative Counsel in the Office of Eleanor Holmes Norton Top priorities: Criminal justice, expanding rental assistance, small businesses, education, affordable housing, employment, wealth tax, police reform
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OCTOBER 2020
the covid-era great black migration
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THE STATE OF THE BLACK MILLENNIAL 2020
the covid-era great black migration
OCTOBER 2020
Words Marcus K. Dowling | @marcuskdowling
The ever-rampaging specter of COVID-19 is 2020’s most significant issue of concern. The least-discussed side effect is the unexpected diasporic spread of the African-American millennial creative class. It’s a topic worthy of deep thought mainly because, if aware of the Great Migration that took place between 1916 and 1970, one would know that the movement of young Black creatives across the nation happened once before, significantly changing the American cultural landscape. Thus, it is essential to contemplate how this new predicament -- led by an aspirational Black millennial creative class -- looks. During the Great Migration, six million African Americans moved out of the south and into the north and west. Fast forward to 2020 and USPS data shows that 15.9 million people nationwide -- nearly 100,000 of whom count as Black millennials -- have moved to another city during the first six months of the coronavirus pandemic. This means that two percent of a six-decade evolution occurred in less than nine months in an era where social media radically impacts the speed of drastic societal change. During an election year and pandemic where racial and socioeconomic unrest is ripe in America’s streets, this is fascinating. The Great Migration of the 20th century spurred the movement of Black people from rural to urban areas. In big cities, they created their own communities while developing artistic movements and increasing political activism. Comparatively, the “COVID Migration” has seen Black millennials moving from urban to rural or from urban to hyper-urban communities. The political activation and artistic movements that are forthcoming will have an unquestionable impact that’s different than generations prior. For now, wage loss and drastic population shifts continue to take place. “Because of displacement, there’s no longer a creative arts infrastructure in the Bay Area for anyone, especially Black people,” says Taylor Crumpton, an Oakland-based journalist with roots in Dallas, Texas. “You can lose your source of income in the blink of an eye. It’s very disheartening. Some of our best minds now live in cities like New York, LA, Atlanta, and Houston because of income inequalities.” Though initially hostile, the eventual re-establishment of sociopolitical and sociocultural scenes has massive potential. Using the history of D.C.’s native exports in other marketplaces as an example, there’s existing evidence of the possibility that evolves from the vibes of different cities intersecting with a more significant crossover of others’ vibes and passions. “Before the pandemic, when I was out in LA, I definitely experienced [this],” says veteran, D.C.-based DJ Alizay. The turntablist and selector also toured Africa in 2019, adding a global perspective to this conversation. “Wherever I go as a resident DJ in other cities, when I add D.C. go-go music to the conversation, it moves people,” he notes. I had a residency at Los Globos in Los Angeles. After a few months of being in a crowd of people who were fans of my style, the D.C. transplants who knew me started showing up. Once they were all there, songs like UCB’s ‘Sexy Lady’ and Rare Essence’s ‘Overnight Scenario’ became popular. From there, in under a year, I was able to bring out bands like TCB, from D.C. to LA, to my parties.” Even deeper, Alizay notes stories of traveling worldwide. While touring and having conversations, he’ll mention that he’s from D.C. As part of their positive response, he says that people identify rappers with D.C. roots like Wale, Goldlink, Logic, Rico Nasty, and others. However, Alizay notes that those he speaks to also mention these artists as part of the larger conversation, not just about D.C. as a new incubator of superstar talent, but the global consumption of Afrobeats music and American female millennial-driven culture. As Black millennials from various locales culturally intersect, the combination of social cultures could intriguingly create a more diverse and profoundly robust Black culture in the generations that follow. Big-city culture mixing with small-town nuance is obvious. However, the potential is enormous for cities like D.C. with lightly-regarded pop footprints. Under the bright lights of more renowned cities, the possibilities are endless. For many, America’s future is filled with a plethora of unknown variables. The number of who, what, when, where, why, and how questions that occupy our daily lives is crippling in a multitude of fashions. However, for Black America’s millennial creative population, the potential to quickly reformat and evolve the meaning of community and what it creates lessens these questions’ impact in this era. For non-Blacks moving at-present, the effective engagement of so many people from so many places, enmeshing, is occurring while in a once-in-a-lifetime flux. For Black people, it’s the modern evolution -- with wild potential -- of a familiar, defining history.
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District Residents Tap Into Holistic Health Options Amid COVID-19
THE STATE OF THE BLACK MILLENNIAL 2020
OCTOBER 2020
District Residents Tap Into Holistic Health Options Amid COVID-19 Health and wellness are a hot topic among Americans today, as areas similar to Washington, D.C. gear up to face a second round of the coronavirus. With the potential threat to our immune system during this vulnerable time, many people within the D.C. metropolitan area are adopting holistic practices to combat illnesses. The Black American community has statistically shown to be hardest hit during the pandemic, ranking highest in diagnoses of diabetes, heart disease, and numerous other underlying issues that make one most susceptible to viral infections. Skepticism toward potential COVID vaccines are seemingly pushing people toward providers of self-reliant agents, such as local food co-ops and markets that have since witnessed the onset of residents searching for healing herbs and power foods. “L “Lately people tend to pick up a lot more ginger, and are looking for turmeric. Honestly before I started working here, I didn’t know as much about natural food nutrition, but am learning how those agents contribute to aiding digestion, the immune system, and other benefits,” said Jalen Ferguson, a Good Food Market staff member. “I’ve also been social distancing and making sure to wash my hands frequently in between handling cash as well.” Similar to the healthy food option market, natural herbalist mainstays like The Glut in Mount Rainier, Maryland have a plethora of natural power foods for residents aware about and awakened to the power of holistic cooking, eating, and overall wellness. Distributors and herbalists alike provide an assortment of natural products, vegan foods, herbs, and skincare. Members of the neighborhood co-op are witnessing the spikes in product sales, and customer curiosity as well.
“It’s become very apparent that people are concerned about their cardiovascular systems. They may not be saying it per se, but they are buying the things that increase heat and produce a higher blood flow,” said Christopher Johnson, herbalist and independent wellness advocate. The herbal distributor speaks to the increased demand of body healing herbs in congruence with price changes. The price of ginger for example has risen from $2.35 to $6.80 per pound, essentially a more than 200 percent increase during a pandemic. Other health agents have grown in popularity and price point, including garlic and hibiscus -- heating herbs that increase blood flood and aid in digestion. Mea Meanwhile, local herbal shops are hustling to keep up with periodic back orders of goods, Mullein, an expectorant expelling mucus from the respiratory system, has become a highly requested herb during the pandemic. Vitamin C also continues to serve as a highly prized element, providing a key source of energy for the body that helps metabolize and convert food into energy. One may assume that the uptick of sales in herbs and holistic foods may be an indication of a subconscious shift in the average American consumer who’s becoming more aware of their health and wellness. However, District residents seem to fall on both sides of the coin, with some who have an affinity for the research on one side and those merely hoping to find the right trends to stay safe during the health crisis on another. “There are those who are doing the work. I do believe that in its own way COVID has made our environment more sanitary, and the people are beginning to be more health conscious about their decisions,” said Johnson. “But I’m also seeing how as a product of our culture and our lack of understanding with medicine and how we practice it, people are a bit detached about how it is that they learn what they are using and why.”
Words Lindiwe Vilakazi | @lv_writes_
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THE STATE OF THE BLACK MILLENNIAL 2020
OCTOBER 2020
Is Content Creation the Wave for Black Millennials? Social networking is one of the most popular online activities. We are seeing that more than ever this year. After being on lockdown for nine months, I now have an entirely new appreciation for technology and digital media. As a Black millennial activist and entrepreneur, I know many, like me, find themselves in a state of confusion during this peculiar moment in history. We collectively feel empowered to speak out and use our personal media platforms to get our messages out, particularly as it relates to racial justice and the general advancement and wellbeing of the Black community. We are not impressed by the glacial speed of the nation's racial progress and remain uncertain about when we may be able to return to real social interactions with family and friends. In the backdrop of a contentious election, many of us turn to social media for a safe space to escape from it all. So, how is this social dilemma impacting Black millenials? “It’s a double-edged sword,” explains Brookland-based project manager Yemisi, “On one side, we use social media to make community with old friends and gain comic relief. On the other end, \our mental health is affected every time we see the normalization of a Black man or woman being killed by a police officer.” In 2018, the Public Health Post said that Black Americans were exposed to two additional poor mental health days each year due to police violence. Collectively, that is 55 million poor mental health days per year, which is similar to the mental health impact of chronic diseases like diabetes. The recent Netflix original documentary “The Social Dilemma” underlines the political polarization caused by social media and its effects on mental health, and highlights the surveillance capitalism that has made user data the most valuable product today. We are in an age where some users aimlessly interact with social media by scrolling through social networking apps and clicking on any ad of interest, while others use it to curate engaging content that allows them to turn their passions into profits.
”If you’re not paying for the product, then you’re the product.” Many Black millennials operate their social media platforms as creative marketplaces. And, what are they selling? Themselves! Content created by Black millennials is in high demand while personal branding and lifestyle content has risen to a whole new level. Despi this fluency among millennials, many Black business owners of the Baby Boomer generation have struggled to compete in the digital Despite marketing space. This knowledge is critical to be competitive in a COVID-19 environment. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser launched the Small Business Resiliency Fund, a $3 million fund to bolster brick-and-mortar businesses with $10,000 grants to enhance e-commerce and digital marketing efforts. For too long, Black culture has been commoditized to advance capitalistic economic systems without credit or fair financial reward to those who labored. Savvy entrepreneurs are using their influential platforms to combat this historic oppression. Today’s influencers and microinfluencrs alike offer masterclasses, stand up membership networks, and build learning communities in efforts to support their followers to level up. Last week, Business Insider published an article sharing that an Instagram influencer made $1,000 in a week using Instagram Live’s new tipping feature called, “badges,” which is anticipated to be especially creative for influencers without huge audiences. D.C.-based influencer Ronne Brown responded to this latest IG feature with a call to action to aspiring influencers and entrepreneurs: “Please start taking social media seriously and give your audience REAL value. I’ve been educating my audience on business (for free) for years. I also predicted that something like this would possibly happen two years ago and I told my audience to get ready for a new wave. Believe it or not, it will become a career to many. Just like there are full time you-tubers there will be full time Instagram content creators. IG TV videos are about to be monetized through ad placement too. Get your content ready. We are entering a new ERA!” This is what I love the most about Black millennial influencers, they are constantly reaching back to bring up others with them.
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Cherrelle Swain | @thecherrelleshow
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THE STATE OF THE BLACK MILLENNIAL 2020
T H E
OCTOBER 2020
W A S H I N G T O N
I N F O R M E R
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OPINIONS/EDITORIALS
EDITORIAL
Children Deserve Some Halloween Fun Even in the Midst of COVID-19 The annual observance of Halloween, or All Hallows Eve, returns this year on Saturday, Oct. 31 – a day whose origins date back to at least the eighth century rooted in an ancient Celtic festival – that has become a fixture in the U.S. The holiday features celebrations and activities during which both young children and those young-at-heart dress up in costumes – from ghosts, witches and vampires to their favorite superheroes like Batman, Wonder Woman or the Black Panther. However, unlike in year’s past, those who want to go out trick-or-treating or join others for festive gatherings – bobbing for apples and swapping accumulated candy among the young or imbibing in holiday-themed “spirits” for those of legal age to drink alcohol – Halloween 2020 will be impacted and undoubtedly changed due to the still prevalent specter of COVID-19. And while adults should be better able to handle and accept the steps that must be followed to avoid the risk of getting or spreading coronavirus, children may find it more difficult to understand. But with a little creativity, there remain alternatives that allow for youth to safely participate in Halloween and have fun along the way. Precautions include: avoid direct contact with trick-or-treaters; give out treats outdoors; set up a station with individually bagged treats for children to take; wash hands before handling treats; and wear a mask. Additionally, those who plan to dress up should make a cloth mask part of their costume mindful that a costume mask is not a safe substitute for a cloth mask. It’s also advised by the Centers for Disease Control that a costume mask should not be worn over a cloth mask which can make breathing more difficult and that masks should not be worn by children under two or anyone who has breathing problems. It’s a challenging time for all of us with other holidays soon following including Thanksgiving and Christmas which will need to be observed differently than they have traditionally. Big family dinners and visits to grandma may not be wise or safe options until a vaccine for the virus has been discovered and administered to all citizens. But there remain reasons for us to celebrate if for no other than because we are alive – able to anticipate and make the most of today and hopefully, tomorrow. And remember that suggested changes to long-held methods of celebrating fall and winter holidays, including limiting the number of attendees and forgoing travel plans, should be viewed as a means to keep families, friends and communities safe from COVID-19. If we all work together, we can survive this health pandemic. Yes, we can still dress up and swap candy on Halloween, host intimate gatherings for Thanksgiving dinners while rooting for our favorite college football teams and decorate our homes to and exchange gifts during the Christmas season – as soon as we safety as our first priority. WI
Parental Authority in Jeopardy The D.C. Council voted last week to allow 11-year-olds to consent to vaccinations without their parent’s approval. This is the same Council that, in 2018, voted against moving forward on a bill that would allow 16 and 17-year-olds the right to vote. In a vote of 12-to-1, the Council approved the bill last week, allowing it to move forward for a second and final vote before it goes to Mayor Muriel Bowser for approval. Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White cast the single vote opposing the bill, despite earlier signing on as a co-sponsor. “I have reevaluated my initial support for this legislation,” White explained, “because I believe parents have a fundamental right to direct the upbringing, education and care for their children.” We concur with the Council that it is in the District’s best interest to protect its citizens from infectious diseases, particularly amid a pandemic, and that vaccines can provide that protection. When Councilmember Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3) introduced the bill in March 2019, the CDC issued warnings about a national measles outbreak, the greatest in the U.S. since 1992, and the majority of cases were among unvaccinated people. Meanwhile, D.C. health and school officials were also engaged in efforts to address the declining rate of immunizations among school-aged children. Studies show that more Americans are concerned about the safety of vaccines, in general, and polls show that a growing number of Americans are unlikely to take the
TO THE EDITOR Knowing the Game
Get Out the Vote
Fascinating to read the story about the Black woman breaking into the gaming industry in your issue this week. I really don't know much about the gaming industry, but now my curiosity is piqued and I'm doing my research to learn more. A lot of big-money industries are taking off and we as Black people need to arm ourselves with information to get onboard, and not miss out!
I love the photo on your cover from the Women's March. The Biden/Harris flag with the United States flag is a beautiful sight to see. We women will be at the polls now through Nov. 3 because our vote matters, as does everyone's vote. Please vote, our country hangs in the balance. Victoria Lansing Washington, D.C.
Roger Bell Washington, D.C.
first round of COVID-19 vaccines until it is proven to be safe. Ward 7 Councilmember Vincent Gray acknowledged African American’s wariness against vaccines due to the infamous Tuskegee experiment but suggested the vaccines 11-year-olds will consent to are safe. The Council believes a child’s right to be vaccinated is greater than the rights of their parents to make that decision for them, and that 11 years old may be mature enough to make such decisions with the approval of a physician. We disagree and encourage the Council to reconsider its minimum age. Further, why
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would the Council deem a working, tax-paying 16 or 17-year-old lacks the reasoning and maturity to vote, but that an 11-year-old is mature enough to make their own medical decisions, albeit with a physician’s approval? Lastly, we take note of the view of D.C. health officials who suggest this bill will not fulfill its intended results. Enforcement of the requirement that no child can be admitted to school without their required immunizations is a proven and better method of ensuring children are immunized against deadly diseases. WI
OCTOBER 29 - NOVEMBER 4, 2020 23
OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnist
By Julianne Malveaux
We Know What We Have to Do — Beyond the 2020 Elections
No matter what the outcome of the 2020 election, there remains much work to do. Our economy is wrong-sided, and we have to right-side it. Our tax code rewards the wealthy and penalizes others. Our regulatory system protects corporations, not people. Almost a hundred environmental regulations from the Obama years have been reversed. Schools have fewer
protections than they once had. Workers have fewer protections, and unions are under attack. And the Supreme Court has been stacked to favor oligarchs, not everyday people. The very right to vote has been compromised with rules that marginalize too many people. It is my fervent hope that the Biden-Harris ticket will prevail in this election, but even if they win, there is still much work to do. First, the coronavirus needs to be controlled. Mark Meadows,
the 45th president's chief of staff, says the administration will do nothing to contain the virus, and their wanton disregard of essential public health tenets (hand-washing, mask-wearing, social distancing) reflects their casual approach to the virus. A President Biden would tackle this issue, but he will need to be pushed to ensure that the process is egalitarian and that those who have suffered disproportionally, like Black folks, will get more remediation than those who have not so suffered.
Guest Columnist
Economic recovery and economic expansion should be high on the agenda. Again, those who have suffered from COVID-19 and repressive economic policies need special attention. Biden-Harris must address the racial wealth gap, the relentless unemployment rate differential, and systemic poverty. Some of the employment situation can be addressed through an infrastructure improvement program. The American Society of Civil Engineers consistently grades our roads, bridges, wa-
ter quality, and public buildings with substandard grades. The appropriate investment of federal dollars would not only be good for employment but also for the economy. Our criminal justice system must be fixed, and federal initiatives to stop police brutality must be developed. Environmental issues must be vigorously addressed. Health care must be treated as a right, and it must be universal.
MALVEAUX Page 41
By Marc H. Morial
Racism Leaves America Vulnerable to Foreign Manipulation
Voters in Florida and Alaska woke up to a chilling message in their email this week: "We are in possession of all your information. You will vote for Trump on Election Day or we will come after you." The messages seemed to be coming from the far-right white supremacist group Proud Boys.
It was a terrifying reminder of America's long history of white supremacist terrorist tactics used to keep Black Americans from exercising their right to vote. Intelligence officials have determined the messages were the work of Iranian operatives and that more of this kind of interference could be in store from Russia. Russian interference in the 2016 election is well-document-
ed — and the largest part of their efforts were aimed at suppressing the Black vote. Exploitation of American racism by both Russia and Iran extends back through the decades. In the 1960s, KGB and Soviet influence operations were aimed at discrediting Martin Luther King Jr. During the Iranian hostage crisis that began in 1979, the hostage-takers declared a unified stance with "oppressed minorities" in the United States
Guest Columnist
and released all Black and woman hostages in an attempt to use American racial tensions as a wedge issue. In the 1980s, the Soviet Union stoked racial tensions ahead of the 1984 Olympics. The simple truth is American racism — which is very real — makes us vulnerable to foreign adversaries intent on weakening our democracy. The threat of violence contained in the emails sent by Iran
appears to be an empty one. And Black voters do not appear to have been singled out in this operation. But the threat of election-related violence from white supremacist terrorists is real, not an invention of Iran or Russia. In the last presidential election, Neo-Nazis and groups related to the Ku Klux Klan — threatened to send "armies" to Black pre-
Sure, there were other variables, including sexism, Russian interference, too many folks deciding not to vote, White women supporting Trump as well as Secretary Hillary Clinton running a poor campaign. But the underlying factor was racism. Let us not forget that the seed of Trump’s 2016 run was challenging President Obama’s citizenship. According to 2018 poll, fifty-one percent of Republicans believe that he was born in Kenya. Hawaii is currently represented in the Congress by four members. I continue to be amazed by those
who support the president, despite his mishandling of COVID-19. On election day, there will, conservatively, be 240,000 dead Americans, including the president of my alma mater, Saint Augustine’s University, Dr. Irving P. McPhail, 70, and the mother-in-law of a former colleague, Sabina Evangelista-Grasso, 77. Our pain from COVID-19 is real and continues with seemingly no end in sight for the foreseeable future. Lee Harvey Oswald was born in
MORIAL Page 41
By Austin Cooper
So Why Are You Still Undecided?
There is nothing that frustrates me more than listening to “undecided” voters. Less than fourteen days before the election, what is there to be undecided about? Is the question on the table, “Do you prefer Michael Jackson or Prince?” Our musical tastes are personal and have absolutely no impact on domestic or international policy. President Donald Trump or former
Vice President Joe Biden? Now, that is a serious decision that will determine the future trajectory – downward or upward – of America as we know her. Our decision will change the course of not only American history, but global as well. Trump is a proud racist. One of the most painful, damaging and potential lasting effects of the Trump presidency is the comfort with which racist White Americans, now comfortably spew their own insecurities and hatred not only at Blacks, but all minority groups, including im-
24 - OCTOBER 29 - NOVEMBER 4, 2020
migrants. Having been encouraged by the President, the FBI has labeled some of them as nothing more than domestic-born terrorists. Had America not elected President Barack Obama to the White House, Trump would have never been elected. Even the most illiterate of racist Whites would have laughed and sent him humiliated and packing back to his financially underwater, Russian debt-owed, business enterprises. He would have been encouraged to stand in a mirror and direct his trademark comment of “You’re Fired” at himself.
COOPER Page 41
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OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnist
By Rev. Rob Newells
Tell CMS: More Pills, Less Effective Treatments Aren't the Answer
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is proposing a rule change that will take us back 15 years or more in the struggle to end the HIV epidemic. If a proposed rule change currently under consideration ends up taking effect, drug companies will be disincentivized from developing new combination therapies that improve
medication adherence, viral suppression, and quality of life for people with chronic conditions. In plain English, CMS is going to make me take more pills. This proposed rule change would adopt a definition of "line extension" as almost any new formulation of a drug. Policy states that drug companies must pay a higher Medicaid rebate for "line extensions" of drugs. Here, the devil is in the details. What types of new formulations constitute real advances and have real bene-
Guest Columnist
fits for consumers, and what types of new formulations are just about profit? In the proposed CMS rule, "new formulations" include: "Extended release formulations; changes in dosage form, strength, route of administration, ingredients, pharmacodynamics, or pharmacokinetic properties; changes in indication accompanied by marketing as a separately identifiable drug (for example, a different NDC); and combination drugs, such as a drug that is
a combination of two or more drugs or a drug that is a combination of a drug and a device." It's great that CMS is trying to close loopholes and avoid abuse, but to disincentivize the development of new drug formulations — particularly combination drugs — would harm efforts to end the HIV epidemic in the U.S. Ultimately, this rule change would disproportionately harm Black communities — already overrepresented with respect to HIV, diabetes, asthma, cancer,
high blood pressure and COVID-19 — by limiting available treatment options. CMS should limit the definition of "line extension" to those formulations that are not legitimately distinct products. A combination drug saved my life. The once-daily pill I was prescribed after testing positive for HIV 15 years ago didn't agree with me, so I was switched to a three-tablet regimen. That was a lot for someone
difference between Joe Biden and him when the differences are so obvious? Joe Biden is an honorable man who can admit — and has admitted — his mistakes and worked to overcome them. It's so disappointing that Kanye West is lending his name to keeping the current president in office. I don't think he understands what he is doing in trying to take a few votes from Black men over to Trump. On the other hand, I think Ice Cube, as he calls himself, seems to be pretty bright. He knows how much Black people are suffering under Trump, who has no interest in doing
anything to help our people. We risk losing the health benefits President Barack Obama and VP Joe Biden worked to get even for people with preexisting conditions. I have no problem with his Contract for Black America, but I haven't spoken to a single Black man who was asked what he wanted and do they want it so bad they're willing to not vote and deliver the presidency to Trump. I have no problem with the contents of Ice Cube's Contract. My problem is with his timing and his approach to selling it that gives a few
NEWELLS Page 42
By E. Faye Williams
Don't Be Confused
I was ready to be forgiving of people who hadn't decided for whom to vote this late, but no longer after hearing the latest news about foreign interference in our November election — and not hearing a mumbling word from the president of the United States! This president has not shown any interest in protecting our democracy from foreign intervention in our election. He's already asked homeland terrorists to simply stand by after the
governor of Michigan and others have been threatened with kidnappings and murder. He leads chants to lock up perfectly loyal Americans. I can't imagine a sane person who chooses Donald Trump over Joe Biden to be our president. Isn't it obvious that Trump has shown no interest in helping or protecting anybody other than himself? I'm convinced he cares nothing about his family or his friends. I use the term "friends" loosely because he throws them under the bus as soon as they don't agree with his dangerous requirements. He's already threatening to fire his FBI director and has given
Askia-At-Large
warning to his attorney general while rushing him to arrest political opponents for no reason. He's called Dr. Anthony Fauci a disaster for trying to provide health advice to stop people from dying of COVID-19. We've heard more than enough of his angry, vulgar, insulting rhetoric to vote him out of the White House. No one else would be allowed over 20,000 lies and still hold such an important position. In a democracy, truth matters. Who are these people who enable him to continue holding such a powerful position without speaking out against such behavior? Who are these people who act like there's no
WILLIAMS Page 42
By Askia Muhammad
America's Chickens Coming Home to Roost
I can't say I've shed many tears at the sight of white people's homes ravaged by devastating wildfires out West. I can't say I'm saddened when I see white people in tears after a tornado has destroyed their homes, their towns in middle America. No, I don't cry when hurricanes and floods ruin the lives of white people in the Southern Gulf states, not
like I cried at the misery wrought by Hurricane Katrina. Blacks and whites' lives were ruined then. I was moved to tears when I saw Dr. Ngozi Ezike, the Illinois director of public health, break down in tears during a press briefing on the coronavirus in her state. My tears were not for the audacious Proud Boys and Boogaloo Boys and girls in that state and elsewhere who consider measures to limit the spread of the pandemic that has already killed nearly 250,000 people in this country
as "oppression" akin to slavery. I cried for the medical personnel, the low-wage sales clerks in pharmacies and grocery stores who show up at work and deal with those arrogant bullies, risking their lives because they literally have no choice and must show up at work every day, all day, who work in the superspreading nursing homes and hospitals, and who have no choice but to watch those Boogaloo mamas and Proud papas die alone because of quarantines. I don't cry for the miseries befalling
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this country because I think about my own mother, and her mother in silent grief — no headlines, no "person of the week" TV profile, no feel-good consolation — when my mother's sister was struck and killed by a white motorist, when she was walking home one night on the road from Ruleville to Indianola, Mississippi. No tears. When a gas station attendant asked the driver about his car's bloody bumper the investigation of her death discovered, the driver said he must have hit a dog or something on the
road. I never even knew my mother had a sister who was murdered like that. She shielded that pain from me, and I only learned it from relatives after my mother's death. So no, I don't cry for the pain I see Americans suffering in every corner of this land today. It feels to me like: "The chickens are coming home to roost." It took the Americans living in Oklahoma nearly 100 years to get
ASKIA Page 42
OCTOBER 29 - NOVEMBER 4, 2020 25
LIFESTYLE Historic Building in Shaw Community Treasure Trove of Black History
MARSHALL from Page 1 working in the District. Formerly heralded as the nation’s first Black YMCA, the building has since become known as the Thurgood Marshall Center, a national historic landmark. It serves as the home of the Thurgood Marshall Center Trust, Inc. [TMCT] – an organization founded in 2000 whose mission remains to educate, encourage and empower children, youth and families to pursue equality and social and economic justice. In more prosperous times, more than 41,000 people frequented the Center each year to utilize the multi-purpose facility and to engage in a diverse array of programs – conceived, created and coordinated by Thomasina W. Yearwood, president/ CEO, TMCT – a position she’s held since TMCT’s founding 20 years ago. But like many organizations severely impacted by COVID-19, Yearwood and the TMCT have suffered financial setbacks including a
monthly decline in revenue which began in March with the District’s shutdown, ordered by D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser to reduce surging coronavirus infections and deaths. For Yearwood, it’s been a year fraught with obstacles unlike any she’s ever experienced in her 30 years as a senior administrator and consultant in human and financial resource development. As the halls of the Center have long grown ominously quiet with doors that remain closed far more than they swing open, she must still contend with a $2.3 million renovation mortgage that cannot be ignored. “Storied civil rights advocate Thurgood Marshall once said that success doesn’t happen in isolation, reminding his colleagues that ‘none of us got where we are solely by pulling up our bootstraps. We got here because somebody… bent down and helped us pick up our boots,’” Yearwood said. “As our organization, named in honor of the first Black U.S. Supreme Court justice, enters anoth-
5 Cecilia Marshall, the wife of the late Justice Thurgood Marshall.
26 - OCTOBER 29 - NOVEMBER 4, 2020
er fiscal year as a community pillar, we’re appealing to individuals across the nation to assist the Board of Directors in shouldering $3 million in remaining renovation costs needed to keep our physical location, the historic YMCA building based in D.C.’s historic Shaw neighborhood, debt free.” “We are a landlord to over a dozen nonprofit organizations including the National Newspaper Publishers Association [NNPA] and a public service law firm. Our meeting rooms, gymnasium and other parts of the building have provided additional revenue through short-term rentals. But with so much still unknown about the health pandemic and when we’ll be able to safely open our doors again to the public, we cannot predict how long our tenants will be able to remain and pay rent,” Yearwood said highlighting a monthly decrease of $12,000 in rental income and recently-imposed, greatly-reduced maximum occupancy limits for the building. “We don’t want to see the building lost to developers – I won’t go down without a fight,” she said. “And our board remains equally committed to raising funds and awareness so we can pay off the mortgage and hold on until the nation has weathered this pandemic. By financially contributing to the cause, you’re acting in the spirit of Justice Thurgood Marshall. In addition, those who use our facilities day in and day out will be more than appreciative of your efforts, especially when they step into positions of leadership,” she said. Dr. Benjamin Chavis, NNPA president/CEO since 2014, said the Center must be preserved if for no other reason than the legacy it bears as a former “cultural, academic and leadership development assembly place housed in an African-American neighborhood in D.C. long known for its contributions to the growth of Black America in every conceivable aspect.” “This was one of the few places where Black scholars could come and stay while doing their research,” he said. “It was where Thurgood Marshall and his team of attorneys conducted their studies, analyses and research. It was where many of the leaders from the Harlem Renaissance came in a time that racial segregation prohibited Blacks from using almost all of the District’s hotels and restaurants.” “The NNPA has expanded its presence and with our national
3 A decades-old photograph of the former YMCA building now known as the Thurgood Marshall Center. 6 Thomasina W. Yearwood is joined by Benjamin Crump, Esq., (left) and A. Scott Bolden, Esq. (Bottom) Staff members and supporters of the Thurgood Marshall Center. (All photos courtesy TMCT)
headquarters here, we take up over half of the second floor, so we’re tenants. D.C. is increasingly becoming a multi- racial, cultural, lingual and residential population. As such, I believe there’s an even greater need for the Center, even amidst the pandemic. The Center is a treasure and it should be treasured both for its historic legacy and its contemporary utilization.” “I’m hoping that the Bowser Administration will step in and help the TMCT find a way to sustain the Center. And we cannot forget that another pandemic continues its assault in the District in addition to COVID-19 – gentrification. It would be heartbreaking to lose one of the remaining few buildings in the Shaw community that can still claim ownership by African Americans.” “I sit on the Center’s board of directors and we’ve engaged to develop a sustainability plan for the building and the surrounding community. We have our own parking lot – a rar-
ity in the District – and the future of this building has great potential. However, it’s going to take community support.” “The greater D.C. community has a long and proud history of its willingness to support nonprofit organizations like the TMCT and landmarks like the Center. Even in this unprecedented time in both our City and our nation’s history, I’m optimistic. D.C.’s strength is its diversity. And it’s going to take the ideas and contributions of our diverse community to survive the challenges ahead,” Chavis said. See part two of this series in The Washington Informer’s Nov. 5th edition – a feature that will include more from Yearwood with additional reflections from three current or past board members of the TMCT, Alfreda V. Davis, Esq., Saundra L. Lamb, Esq. and Curtis Symonds and three longtime supporters of the Center and its programs, Norris Dodson, CeLillianne Green and Thelma D. Jones. WI
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LIFESTYLE
Maryland Couple Creates Winsults, a Board Game that Features as Much Humor as Insults
By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer @StacyBrownMedia
First, there was The Dozens, a game popularized in the African American community in which two competitors square off insulting each other until the other gives up. Now, one Maryland couple is taking things up a notch with a new game called Winsults, where you win by insulting others. Lanee Higgins and Davon Ford came up with the game on Valentine’s Day in 2019. “Davon was roasting me. As he was laughing, he started saying this should be a game,” Higgins recalled. On the spot, he started coming up with rules. From that day, Winsults was born.” Higgins said the couple realized they were onto something special after hosting a play-test event. “We had just received the prototype and were ready to play. We had invited friends from all different circles to try out the game we created,” Higgins related. “It’s crazy how Winsults connected everyone in the room. Some of these people who had never met before were laughing together like they’d known each other for years.” Ford remarked that inviting strangers to play the game made the creation click for him. “At first, I thought [people] were coming to tell us to quiet down, but they had come to play,” Ford recalled. “Once they joined in the game with us, I knew we had something special.” Winsults is a card game that tests individuals’ vocabulary and relationships. In a Winsults deck, there are 26 alphabet cards, nine warp cards, and an instruction booklet that comes with a disclaimer. Higgins and Ford said Winsults is best played with loved ones and those we are most comfortable with because the game captures the feeling of home. “Imagine you’re at a party, and you bring Winsults,” the couple noted. “You’re playing against your significant other who you’ve only been dating for two weeks. It’s your turn. You get the letter’ B.’ “There are many insults that start with B— bum, bad, busted, big, burly— you go through them one at a time a five letter one that’s particularly
5 Winsults (Courtesy Lanee Higgins)
chaotic. Forty seconds gone, only five seconds left to win the round. You can’t think of any other B insults. Do you unleash the chaos? That’s for you to decide.” Higgins and Ford said fate allowed their worlds to collide. “I am from the Philly burbs. I grew up in Willow Grove and then later Warrington, Pa., and came to Maryland in 2010 to attend Hood College,” Higgins said. She moved to Washington, D.C. in 2014, but Higgins returned to Baltimore County to resume her teaching career after graduating college. “Davon is the reason I am still here. Being in the Baltimore area now feels like home,” Higgins said. Ford declared that he’s “from all over.” “I was born in West Baltimore but moved out to Randallstown when I was eight. I went to New Town High School and did a year at Morgan State before I dropped out to be an entrepreneur,” he said. “For a while, I was bouncing around. I spent some time in Montreal then Miami, but after 2015 I finally settled down with Lanee in Owings Mills.” Before creating Winsults, both Higgins and Ford said they’d always enjoyed board games. “I’ve always loved board games. I’m a Monopoly fanatic, but no one wants to play with me because I’m a sore winner,” Ford remarked. “Sadly, I didn’t get to play as many games as I grew older, but now we make it a point to play more.” Higgins recalled visiting her grandmother each Sunday as a child and playing board games with her sisters and cousins. She’s kept at it. “This summer, I compiled a list of
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130- plus games created by Black game makers,” Higgins said. “Since June, I’ve made it my mission to own as many as I can. I currently have 16. Some of my favorites are ‘AUXGOD,’ ‘Actually Curious,’ ‘Verified the Game,’ ‘Tattoo Stories,’ and ‘Brilliant or B.S.’ I also
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love ‘Say it Loud!,’ created by Baltimore game maker Jaquetta Bess.” The couple wants everyone to understand that Winsults is “more than just a product.” “We’re tired of game companies trying to sell you something just to upsell
you later,” Higgins said. “We want you to buy Winsults once and only once so you can enjoy it for years to come.” To learn more about Winsults or to purchase the game, visit: www.winsults. com. WI
OCTOBER 29 - NOVEMBER 4, 2020 27
LIFESTYLE
District Youths Embrace the Electoral Process By Sam P.K. Collins WI Contributing Writer @SamPKCollins This week, Deyan Johnson counted among scores of District Generation Zers preparing to take to the polls during an election season unlike any other in recent history. This milestone has proven especially important for the one-time member of a youth-led movement that came close to securing voting rights for 16- and 17-year-old D.C. residents. Nearly two years after the D.C. Council quashed Vote 16 DC’s efforts, Johnson said he remains steadfast in his belief that youth voting rights can be of significant benefit to young people and their older counterparts. He told The Informer that current events and social justice movements of the past have highlighted that reality. “Voting is the most important thing anyone should ever do, especially when they are voting for a candidate who will be in power for a specific amount of time depending on their
position,” said Johnson, a 19-year-old Southeast resident who counts gun violence and police brutality among his key concerns as a voter. Throughout much of 2018, Johnson and other Vote 16 DC campaign organizers advocated for youth voting rights on community panels and before the D.C. Council. In their testimonials, the youth speakers often cited the experiences of peers burdened with adult responsibilities who had firsthand knowledge of the problems facing District residents in marginalized communities. Though the D.C. Council would ultimately decline to vote on the legislation, Johnson continued to reflect on those lessons about civic engagement and the experiences he said compelled him to register as a voter earlier this year. “[This process] gets youth to understand how the country works [and] it gets them in that mature mindset to think for themselves and act upon it so they can live T:5.85" in a much safer and opportunity-based world,” he said.
During this election season, Johnson and other young people have challenged a long-held notion that they don’t participate in electoral politics. In more than a dozen key battleground states, Generation Z and Millennials have counted among a significant portion of early voters. Experts point to social media and an increasing political consciousness as catalysts for increased youth mobilization in the age of COVID-19 and heightened racial injustice. Before the start of the coronavirus pandemic, the D.C. Board of Elections’ (DCBOE) outreach strategy involved high school registration drives where eligible students began pre-registration and explored opportunities to serve as poll workers. Other organizations have embarked on similar endeavors to boost voter participation among this demographic and others with historically low turnouts. In September, members of the D.C. Office of the Attorney General capitalized on this fervor for civic engagement with a #Take30 virtual chat
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5 Deyan Johnson (Courtesy photo)
Grimes has connected with young people, in person and in the virtual realm, to help them better embrace their role in improving society. “Our students show they understand gentrification and other community issues when they describe what they see happening in their communities,” she said. “We need to give them hands-on opportunities to participate in civic action and make a connection between what they’re learning and living.” WI
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about youth voting that highlighted a voter's resource guide. It provided an opportunity for LaDawne White, manager of DCBOE’s voter education and outreach division, to answer questions about voter registration. Other participants on the program with Attorney General Karl Racine included Patricia Kapunun of Children’s National Medical Center and Robyn Lingo of Mikva Challenge DC, a youth electoral engagement nonprofit. Meanwhile, some people like Lauren Grimes said they’re working to ensure that young people living throughout the District can vote with the knowledge and self-awareness needed to make informed decisions. As a member of a D.C. State Board of Education task force centered on curriculum restructuring, Grimes has her sights set on what she described as a more culturally relevant social studies curriculum and increased opportunities for impactful community service at the high school level. “We have to make sure youth are prepared to vote and school is one of the biggest and best platforms to get that kind of civic education [where they can] think of themselves as active citizens, especially if they don’t get that kind of encouragement elsewhere,” said Grimes, founder and executive director of the Community Enrichment Project, an organization formed three years ago with the purpose of instilling a sense of civic engagement and awareness in underserved communities. Since the beginning of the year,
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election coverage 2020
What’s At Stake This Election? TV One Panel Provides Answers First of a Three-part Series: "Represent the Vote: Our Voice, Our Future”
By Sarafina Wright WI Contributing Writer As election day draws near on Nov. 3, critical questions are being asked to help voters decide who they will choose on their ballots, the issues on the table and what hangs in the balance for Black America. In the first of a three-part series, CNN commentator and political analyst Karen Finney hosts TV One’s “Represent the Vote: Our Voice, Our Future” conversation series taking a deep dive with an expert panel about what’s at stake for Black people this election from healthcare, the economy to the Supreme Court. Lia Epperson, professor at American University Washington College of Law says American 33democracy is at a crossroads. “We really are at a critical juncture between Justice Ruth Bader
Ginsberg passing and the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett. This is possibly the largest ideological shift I would say since Thurgood Marshall stepped down and Clarence Thomas took over,” said Epperson. “Everything is at stake. Health care, reproductive rights, voting rights, election protection, employment laws, you name it.” Epperson continued that the confirmation of Barrett as associate justice will deepen an already steep political divide. “We have a president who has publicly stated that he may not acquiesce to a peaceful transition of power should he lose the election. And what we do know is if this election is contested the place where it goes is to the Supreme Court.” “So he is further politicizing the process by choosing the person who should go on the court in the
midst of a presidential election.” Rev. Shavon Arline-Bradley, president & founding principal of R.E.A.C.H. Beyond Solutions LLC, says not only will Barrett’s confirmation increase the conservative tilt of the Supreme Court but threaten the future of the Obama-era Affordable Care Act. “The supreme court justice is very much connected to the healthcare fight in ways we could have never imagined,” she said. “Issues like preexisting conditions, looking at mandates, these are issues that will come again before this court.” “And what makes this so polarizing is we are talking about adjusting a healthcare law in the midst of a pandemic.” Arline-Bradley continued, “If you look at the data African Americans between the years of 20102016 saw the largest decrease in
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5 Screenshot of TV One’s “Represent the Vote: Our Voice, Our Future” episode one.
uninsured populations. Now what has happened? Between 20172018 those numbers have begun to creep up.” Host Finney said that several surveys pointed to racial injustice and the economy as being top issues for Americans this election. The coronavirus pandemic has upended the U.S.’s economy and labor force resulting in unemployment claims that topped one million.
Dr. Avis DeWeever says the economic fallout from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, is familiar. “COVID has specifically attacked Black business in a very devastating way,” she said. “It reminds me of foreclosures we had just a few years back where we lost roughly half of our wealth due to the foreclosure crisis.”
ELECTION Page 42
OCTOBER 29 - NOVEMBER 4, 2020 29
LIFESTYLE Amy Coney Barrett Confirmed, Joins Supreme Court
‘Threat to Health Care and Civil Rights’ By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer @StacyBrownMedia Amy Coney Barrett, a conservative judge with a stated opposition to the Affordable Care Act, was confirmed on Monday, Oct. 26, as a justice to the U.S. Supreme Court. Only Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins defected, while Democrats boycotted the formal vote. “After refusing a Democratic nominee to the Supreme Court because an election was eight months away, they will confirm a Republican nominee before an election that is eight days away,”
Democratic Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said. “The Republican majority is lighting its credibility on fire. This hypocritical, 180-degree turn is spectacularly obvious to the American people [who] will suffer the consequences of Judge Barrett's far-right, out of the mainstream views for generations,” Schumer warned. The high court now has three appointees of President Donald Trump and a 6-3 supermajority, potentially setting the stage for the president to sabotage the General Election – one in which polls show him trailing by double-digits.
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“In the crudest possible disparagement of Justice Ginsberg's work, the Senate has continued its court-packing with the confirmation of far-right extremist Amy Coney Barrett. Not only an insult to the memory of a tireless advocate for human rights, outspoken protector of equality and lifelong advocate for justice, the move is an unapologetic and hypocritical power grab by Trump and his co-conspirators in the Senate,” said Marcela Howell, president and CEO, In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda. Among the issues the Supreme Court will soon hear are Pennsylvania ballot extensions. Three Wisconsin petitions are also before the court that concern Democrats who have asked the justices to allow the counting of ballots six days after the election and whether COVID-19 vulnerable voters and others can secure replacement mail-in ballots by email. In addition, a GOP candidate for Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional District has asked the court to intervene in a case concerning whether his election will take place on Nov. 3 or Feb. 9. Controversy arose after the recent death of Legal Marijuana Now Party candidate Adam Weeks which invoked the moving of the contest to next year as required by state law. The court is preparing to hear whether a New York prosecutor will be given access to Trump's financial documents from January 2011 to August 2019, including his tax returns. It’s believed Coney would side with Trump, raising concerns that if the high court must decide the outcome of the
2020 presidential election, he will retain the office because he's appointed Coney and two other justices – Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh. Many believe Barrett's confirmation could signal the end of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 landmark Supreme Court decision. In Mississippi, a federal judge struck down the law in November 2018, and the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the ruling late last year. Another significant case facing the U.S. Supreme Court this fall – the Affordable Care Act – which Barrett has gone on record as opposing. With no replacement for the health care law, it’s estimated that more than 22 million Americans would lose coverage. That number includes a large swath of African Americans and those with preexisting conditions. “Without a replacement in place for Obamacare, the loss of this act will make things more difficult for those who need healthcare the most – the underrepresented and underserved communities and those with preexisting conditions,” said Dawon Hawkins, Chief People and Training Officer for the health care startup Xcelrate UDI. Losing coverage could also prove devastating for women and expectant mothers, said Andrea Ippolito, a health tech expert and founder of SimpliFed, a company that assists mothers who breastfeed. Barrett’s confirmation drew the ire of American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten. “Just days before voters elect the next president, with nearly 60 million ballots already cast, Majority Leader Mitch
(Courtesy photo)
McConnell's Senate ignored the will of the people and installed another ideological soulmate for President Donald Trump on the Supreme Court,” Weingarten said in a statement. “It’s a flagrant miscarriage of justice and it flies in the face of our representative democracy. In fact, McConnell and Judge Amy Coney Barrett said so themselves in 2016 when President Barack Obama nominated Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court nearly nine months before the presidential election. But, as usual, Senate Republicans have changed the rules and trampled on the voices of the very people who elected then.” “At her confirmation hearing, she evaded questions on the right of Americans to have access to healthcare, Medicare and Social Security; she refused to acknowledge systemic racism and she was not clear that discriminatory barriers in voting exist . . . Her judicial philosophy closes every door that Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg ever opened,” Weingarten said. WI
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LIFESTYLE
wi book review "Reclaiming Her Time"
By Helena Andrews-Dyer and R. Eric Thomas c.2020, Dey St. $26.99 / $33.50 Canada 256 pages
By Terri Schlichenmeyer WI Contributing Writer "Excuse me. It's my time to talk." Ugh, it's frustrating when someone doesn't honor your voice or respect your ideas. When it's your time to speak, they should at least be quiet, and you shouldn't feel bad for wanting to be heard. Speak up! As in the new book "Reclaiming Her Time" by Helena Andrews-Dyer and R. Eric Thomas, one politician had no problem doing so. Born and raised in poverty, little Maxine Carr had one thing most kids in the 1930s and 40s didn't have: She had the certainty that if she didn't open her mouth to speak up, there'd never be any food in it. With thirteen children in the family and an overwhelmed mother raising them alone, Maxine and her siblings scrabbled for whatever they got, and they learned to stand up for themselves because nobody else was ever going to do it for them. Perhaps because of this, Maxine was always a fighter and never let an opportunity pass her by. She landed a job at age thirteen, so she could buy her own clothing. She worked hard to graduate from high school, knowing that an education was important. At eighteen, she was married, became a mother shortly afterward, and worked to help support her family. When she was twenty-eight years old, someone told her about Head Start, a program for children who needed a boost, and she applied to be a teacher. "Head Start changed my life," she said later. It opened up a world for her, and gave her the opportunity to use other talents to become a community advocate for the people of Southern California, following the Watts riots. Her roots gave her an innate ability to use the power of connections, which led her to volunteer work in local politics and later, to office. In 1976, she made the leap to state politics with her election to the California State Assembly. She became Maxine Waters when she re-married in 1977. And in 1990, she became the second Black woman to represent California and just the sixth Black woman in the House. Cinderella did it. So did Andrew Carnegie. We love it when someone moves decisively from poverty to pinnacle, and "Reclaiming Her Time" tells the next story in line. And yet, with side-bars, lots of colorful illustrations, and enough fuss-free slanguage to keep information accessible, authors Thomas and Andrews-Dyer have done more than just write about Congresswoman Maxine Waters, who they insist "is not a celebrity" and "is not your typical politician." No, in addition to Waters' lively and meteoric story, the authors also fully explain how their title words fit into congressional hearings, firmly promising readers that "reclaiming" is no-nonsense and not rude. This, and other such information here makes this book like having your own personal tour of Congress. Younger readers will enjoy it, as will adults who like things solidly informative but a little on the lighter side. If that's you and you love politics, "Reclaiming Her Time" is worth yours. For more light reading, check out "Queens of the Resistance: Maxine Waters" by Brenda Jones & Krishan Trotman. It's a small, pocket-stuffer book that's perfect for taking a good story on the road. WI
horoscopes
OCT 29 - NOV 4, 2020
ARIES Halloween is an exceptionally powerful day of endings and beginnings. Resolve to let go of feelings that you are not deserving. Clear the air and the energy in the house by ringing bells or chimes as you walk from room to room. At each door or window pause for a moment and think of a wish you have. Lucky Numbers: 9, 38, 49 TAURUS You may have a brilliant money idea today, one that may make your family nervous. It's good to reach out to knowledgeable people who can help you with this topic. For while your family loves you, they may not be well-versed on the intricacies of this venture. Lucky Numbers: 10, 27, 30 GEMINI You know what you want to do, but you may not feel you have the knowledge or experience to tackle such a big thing. You're going to need some help. Today, look for opportunities for finding help. Over the next few days, helpful, supportive people arrive to give you a hand. But notice, they come in the guise of people asking for your help and expertise. Lucky Numbers: 6, 8, 33 CANCER You may have been struggling to figure out how to do something. The moment you step back from it, almost as if to say you're giving up, the real question pops into your head. A quick Google search later and you have your answer. Lucky Numbers: 11, 17, 20 LEO There is a lot of communication at home and noise everywhere. There may be phone calls and texts along with loud discussions between family members. For the most part, it's good until it begins to irritate you. Then your voice may join the chorus. Lucky Numbers: 32, 47, 49 VIRGO Today's a good day to talk to a supervisor about the management track. You might reach out to hiring managers at interesting companies. Virgo natives who own a business have opportunities to find helpful employees or contractors. Lucky Numbers: 2, 31, 43 LIBRA Today's a good day to work on your financial accounts by reviewing your investments or updating your budget. Paying attention to your money in this manner helps you see new opportunities as they approach. Lucky Numbers: 16, 27, 28 SCORPIO Today, you can approach your challenging relationships with self-assuredness, and solutions will occur to you as needed. You may see a person who has been intractable in their position suddenly flip and be on your side. Lucky Numbers: 21, 22, 38 SAGITTARIUS Today, you could receive a message from the universe. Messages could come in the form of numbers, or there may be animal signs. When you receive the sign, notice what you were thinking about at the moment. For example, if you are wondering if you should go back to school in the spring and at that moment a butterfly flits around your head, then the universe is saying yes. Lucky Numbers: 10, 16, 51 CAPRICORN Today's a good day to review some of your goals and plans to achieve them. Look at timetables for the next month, as well as years in the future. Be creative in the goal-setting process by color-coding your timetables or creating a full vision board of inspirational pictures. Lucky Numbers: 8, 25, 56 AQUARIUS Your charisma is very strong today. You can get help and support from others even through social media. Today's a good day to post to your YouTube channel, send out your first podcast, or do creative things others can see. Lucky Numbers: 14, 46, 55 PISCES You're more easily seen over the next day or so. This is very good relationship energy. Pisces natives who are looking for love should update your profile on online dating sites. If you're already in a love relationship, you could have some fun between the sheets. Lucky Numbers: 3, 16, 32
WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER
OCTOBER 29 - NOVEMBER 4, 2020 31
SPORTS Allen, Washington Defense Spank Dallas Cowboys By Daniel Kucin, Jr. WI Sports Writer danielkucin88 The Washington Football team was just one play away from taking the lead against the New York Giants in the fourth quarter last week for a go-ahead score that could have secured their second win of the season. Though Washington failed on that opportunity, the Burgundy and Gold took out their anger and frustration against the NFC East Division rival Dallas Cowboys by scoring 22 unanswered points en route to a 25-3 blowout win at home on Oct. 25. Washington led an 11-play, 70yard drive on their opening posses-
sion seemingly destined to finish in the end zone, until the Dallas defense stopped quarterback Kyle Allen at the 1-yard line as he tried to sneak into the painted area on fourth down. Nevertheless, Washington's defense answered the bell five plays later when safety Landon Collins sacked Dallas Cowboys quarterback Andy Dalton for a nine-yard loss into the end zone, and lineman Dalton Schultz fell on the ball resulting in a safety. It only took seven plays for Washington to travel 63 yards for the first touchdown of the game when rookie running back Antonio Gibson ran in from 12-yards out to go up by nine. "I definitely feel like our energy
5 The Washington Football Team defense takes down Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott on Oct. 25. (Daniel Kucin, Jr./ The Washington Informer)
from [the] last game carried over to this week through our practice," Gibson said about how failing on the two point conversion last week fueled the team. I thought we had a great practice, and we showed it on the field today." Dallas went on to score their only points of the content during their next possession when running back Tony Pollard set up the Cowboys in excellent field position after a 67-yard kickoff return down
5 Washington Football Team quarterback Kyle Allen threw two touchdowns against the Dallas Cowboys on Oct. 25. (Daniel Kucin, Jr./The Washington Informer)
32 - OCTOBER 29 - NOVEMBER 4, 2020
to the Washington 34-yard line in the first quarter. The Washington defense stood firm again, limiting Dallas to three points four plays later when Greg Zuerlein booted a 45-yard field goal. Allen exacted an offensive rout in the second quarter when he threw a bomb to wide receiver Terry McLaurin for a 52-yard touchdown and then hit tight end Logan Thomas for a 15-yard score. Allen finished the game throwing for 194 yards and no interceptions. "I think people are sleeping on Logan," Washington Football Team Head Coach Ron Rivera said. "He's done a heck of a job, so Logan is a guy that can continue to grow in his role with us, so I'm really excited about that." A defense battle ensued in the third quarter, with bitter rivals jostling for field position. However, tragedy struck Dallas late in the third quarter. Dalton tried to slide after scrambling for 21 yards when Washington Football Team Jon Bostic laid an illegal hit on the quarterback, forcing an ejection. Dalton suffered a concussion. Washington Football Team kicker Dustin Hopkins added insurance points on the next drive on a 30-yard field goal. The Washington defense preyed on rookie backup quarterback Ben DiNucci who finished the game going 2-of-3 for 39 yards. The Burgundy and Gold held perennial pro bowl running back
Ezekiel Elliott to only 45 yards on the ground and limited Dallas to only 142 net yards. The Washington offense, on the other hand, finally exploded, accounting for 397 total yards and improved to 60 percent efficiency on third down. Gibson had the best game of his young career rushing for 128 yards on 20 carries for a touchdown, and McLaurin led Washington in receiving once again by hauling in seven receptions for 90 yards and a touchdown on 11 targets. The Washington defense was impressive, posting six sacks, an interception by linebacker Cole Holcomb before halftime when Dallas was threatening to score and two forced fumbles. However, the defense lost a veteran that they truly depend on when Collins exited the game with an Achilles injury in the first half that will end his season. Washington now improves to 2-5, mirroring the Cowboy's current record while the Burgundy and Gold will head into the bye week looking ahead to the New York Giants, who will come to Landover on Nov. 8. "If those three guys (running back committee) play the way they do and progress and we get the offensive line play that we've had, we have a chance...we're starting to learn, the last couple of games have been good for us,� WFT Coach Ron Rivera said Sunday. “We'll see what happens next week, well, after the bye, excuse me." WI
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34 - OCTOBER 29 - NOVEMBER 4, 2020
ELECTION from Page 1 first day of early voting during the 2016 presidential election. Although there remains a global coronavirus pandemic with about 142,000 confirmed cases and nearly 4,000 deaths in Maryland, it didn’t stop thousands of Prince George’s residents from voting in person, like Andrea Simpson and her daughter, Veronica. They stood in a long line, which if stretched out, would have almost circled the Wayne K. Curry Sports and Learning Center complex in Landover. They both experienced personal firsts with Andrea voting early and Veronica Simpson casting a ballot in the presidential election. “I’m really happy I have my mom here with me because if I was by myself, I’ll probably be a little overwhelmed – it’s an exciting feeling,” said Veronica of Capitol Heights who attends the University of Maryland Baltimore County majoring in Asian studies with a minor in Korean. Dean and Dewanna Jean Pierre of Largo echoed the sentiments of several voters in the majority Black jurisdiction with the most registered Democrats in the state: get Republican President Donald Trump out of -the White House. “It’s more than just trying to get [Democratic presidential nominee Joe] Biden in office as everyone is frustrated on how Trump’s been for the past four years. He’s been a demon,” Dean said. The coronavirus forced several changes in this year’s voting process in Maryland such as using voting locations as polling centers which allows for voters to cast a ballot at any site within a jurisdiction. Of the more than 4 million registered voters in Maryland, about 1.6 million requested mail-in ballots. As of Tuesday, Oct. 27, the state Board of Elections reported slightly more than 1 million mail-in ballots have been received. The state reported Prince George’s with the second highest total with 162,710 ballots received behind Montgomery County’s 237,171 ballots. Prince George’s has about 606,440 registered voters but the figure could increase with same-day voter registration during early voting and Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Although state and health officials urged voters to cast their ballots by mail, state election officials estimated half of the state’s registered voters would vote in person. The state has about 81 early voting
5 Joanne Frederick of Capitol Heights talks about casting her ballot Oct. 26 during early voting in Maryland. (William J. Ford/The Washington Informer)
centers with 11 in Prince George’s. Most of the early voting sites in the county will have about 60 election judges working through Monday, Nov. 2 and about 50 on Election Day.
COUNTYWIDE BALLOT INCLUDES OTHER HOT RACES, ISSUES Besides the presidential race between Trump and Biden, county voters will decide on two statewide and five countywide ballot questions along with three competitive races for the Circuit Court judge and school board in Districts 4 and 7. Rep. Anthony Brown (D-Maryland) has been predicted to maintain his seat on Capitol Hill representing the 4th Congressional district. Two voters had differing viewpoints on Question 2, which asks voters whether to support sports betting in Maryland. The Vote Yes on Question 2 committee, chaired by former University of Maryland basketball star Marissa Coleman, received $2 million from the two major online betting companies, DraftKings and FanDuel. Paula Hoover of Beltsville, a medical assistant with MedStar Health, voted “yes” because students and teachers “need more money in the school system.” Joanne Frederick of Capitol Heights voted “no” because for several years, casino revenue supplanted
funding streams without adding to them. “It looks good, it looks great but what is the reality?” asked Frederick, a licensed counselor who runs JFL & Associates Counseling Services in Northwest. Unfortunately, some voters who reside in the school system District 7 area say they did not know about the race between Alexis Branch and Kenneth Harris II. The winner will replace school board member K. Alexander Wallace, who lost in the June primary. But some parents expressed concern about projected safety and COVID-19 protocols in the public schools. “If [school officials] decide to open back before it is actually safe, I'm going to opt out,” said a county educator who declined to be identified who has a daughter in pre-kindergarten. “When we're in a store, she can barely keep her mask on for more than two minutes. I can only imagine how she would be in the classroom.” Prince George’s voters who still haven’t voted can log onto the county’s Board of Election website and check waiting times at early voting sites at https://bit.ly/3e1f4sE. Officials say the site continues to be updated every two hours. Polls open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. during early voting and Election Day. WI Contributing Writer Lindiwe Vilakazi contributed to this story. WI
THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM
RELIGION the religion corner WITH LYNDIA GRANT
God Will Give Us Back What We Lost Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. — Romans 12:19 This seeming nightmare we have all been experiencing for the past few years is coming to an end. We must continue to trust in God for his relief. Nothing stays the same — this, too, shall pass. How many of you have noticed how things change, often coming full circle? The issue of racism must not go full circle. America has had 400 years of free labor from God's children, African Americans stolen from our homeland, packed on ships like sardines in a can, millions tossed overboard. Let us stand together on God's promises that He will give us back what we've lost. There is a story of Joseph and his 12 brothers in the Book of Genesis that fits this topic so perfectly. In this story, Joseph was mistreated by his brothers — in fact, they decided to kill him at first, but changed their minds and sold him instead. All they wanted was to be rid of him forever! But Joseph flourished during his time of tragedy and be-
trayal, and after 20 years, those same brothers who meant him harm later needed his help! Joseph went through his tribulations, from being thrown in the well to being sold and eventually imprisoned. After interpreted the dreams of two prisoners, and was therefore recommended to interpret a strange dream that the king had. The king really wanted to know the meaning of his dream, and one day one of the ex-prisoners was reminded of what a great job Joseph did and recommended him. He interpreted the king's dream in such a powerful way that he was appointed second-in-command over Egypt. Here is where Joseph was able to see God's hand in the entire situation with what his brothers had done to him. Those same brothers came to Joseph in dread, as famine was throughout the land. Though Joseph was now sitting in the second-highest seat in the land, he decided he would not settle the score and throw his brothers into a pit as they had done to him. Instead, Joseph said, "But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. In God's hands, what others do or say to you in a harmful manner, will eventually be good." (Genesis 50:20 NKHV) Another Scripture, Romans
Mt. Zion Baptist Church
12:19, says it this way: "Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." In yet another Scripture, The Lord God said, "I will give you back what you lost to the swarming locusts, the hopping locusts, the stripping locusts, and the cutting locusts. It was I who sent this great destroying army against you." "You meant evil against me," Joseph told his brothers, using a Hebrew verb that traces its meaning to "weave" or "plait." "You wove evil," he said, "But God rewove it together for good." God, the Master Weaver. God can weave a new blanket more beautiful than ever with shreds, using ragged and broken pieces that become like velvet strings. He will wipe away the pains we've suffered and replace them with such great pleasures. Nothing shall escape the reach of our Lord and Savior. Do you not know that all the leaders of the world are at His command? No matter what has happened with our president, God IS in charge! When you experience those times of trouble, when it appears that you have been forgotten, just keep trusting in God. Faint now, continue to acknowledge Him in all your ways, and he surely will direct your paths. WI
John F. Johnson Reverend Dr.
5101 14th Street, NW / Washington, DC 20011 Phone: 202-726-2220 Fax: 202-726-9089
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“A Church with a past to remember – and a future to mold” www.mtzbcdc.org
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Mount Olivet Lutheran Church
Reverend John W. Davis Pastor
Service and Times Sunday Worship Service - 8:00 a.m. & 11:00 a.m. Children’s Church - 11:00 a.m. (1st & 3rd Sundays) Communion - 10 a.m. 4th Sunday Sunday School - 9:15 a.m. (4th Sunday 8:15 a.m.) Prayer Meeting & Bible Study - Wednesday 7:00 p.m.
(301) 864-6070
Service and Times Divine Worship, Sunday 10:00 a.m. Communion 1st and 3rd Sunday “Friendliest Church in the City” Website: mountolivetdc.org Email: mtolivedc@gmail.com
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OCTOBER 29 - NOVEMBER 4, 2020 35
RELIGION The Miracle Center of Faith Missionary Baptist Church
Pilgrim Baptist Church
Bishop Michael C. Turner, Sr. Senior Pastor
Rev. Louis B. Jones II Pastor
9161 Hampton Overlook Capitol Heights, MD 20743 Phone: 301-350-2200 / Fax: 301-499-8724
700 I Street, N.E. Washington, D.C. 20002 (202) 547-8849
Service and Times Sunday Worship Times : 7:30 AM 7 10:00 AM Communion: 1st Sunday Sunday School: 9:00 AM Bible Study: Wednesday, 12 Noon Bible Study in homes: Tuesday 7:00 PM Website: www.themiraclecenterFMBC.com Email: Miraclecenterfmbs@gmail.com Motto: “We Walk by Faith, Not by Sight”
Blessed Word of Life Church
Service and Times Worship Sundays: 7:30 & 11:00 AM 5th Sundays: 9:30 AM 3rd Sundays: Baptism & Holy Communion Prayer & Praise: Wednesdays @ Noon & 6:30 PM www.pilgrimbaptistdc.org
Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ
Church of Living Waters
Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church
Rev. Paul Carrette Senior Pastor Harold Andrew Assistant Pastor 4915 Wheeler Road Oxon Hill, MD 20745 301-894-6464 Service and Times Sunday Service: 8:30am& 11:00 AM Bible Study: Wednesday 7:30 PM Communion Service: First Sunday www.livingwatersmd.org
St. Stephen Baptist Church
Rev. Dr. Michael E. Bell, Sr., / Pastor 2498 Alabama Ave., SE - Washington D.C. 20020 Office: (202) 889-7296 / Fax: (202) 889-2198 - www.acamec.org Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 8:00am and 11:00 AM Sunday Church School - 9:15am & Sunday Adult Forum Bible Study - 10:30 AM 2nd & 4th Monday Women’s Bible Study: 6:30 PM Tuesday Jr./Sr. Bible Study: 10:00 AM Tuesday Topical Bible Study: 6:30 PM Tuesday New Beginnings Bible Study: 6:30 PM Wednesday Pastoral Bible Study: 6:30 PM Wednesday Children’s Bible Study: 6:30 PM Thursday Men’s Bible Study: 6:30 PM Friday before 1st Sunday Praise & Worship Service: 6:30 PM Saturday Adult Bible Study: 10:00 AM “The Amazing, Awesome, Audacious Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church”
Third Street Church of God
Dr. Dekontee L. & Dr. Ayele A. Johnson Pastors
Reverend William Young IV Interim Pastor
Bishop Lanier C. Twyman, Sr. Senior Pastor
Rev. Cheryl J. Sanders, Th.D. Senior Pastor
4001 14th Street, NW Washington, DC 20011 (202) 265-6147 Office 1-800 576-1047 Voicemail/Fax
3845 South Capitol Street Washington, DC 20032 (202) 562-5576 (Office) / (202) 562-4219 (Fax)
5757 Temple Hill Road, Temple Hills, MD 20748 Office 301-899-8885 – fax 301-899-2555 Services and Times Sunday Early Morning Worship: 7:45 AM Church School: 9:30 AM Sunday Morning Worship: 10:45 AM Tuesday: 7:00pm/Kingdom Building Bible Institute Wednesday , 12:30 PM Mid-Day Bible Study Wednesday: Prayer/Praise/Bible Study-7:30 PM Baptism & Communion Service: 4th Sunday – 10:30 AM
1204 Third Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 202-347-5889 office / 202-638-1803 fax
Service and Times Sunday School: 9:30 AM Sunday Morning Worship Service: 11:00 AM Communion Service: First Sunday Prayer Service/Bible Study: Tuesday, 6:30 PM www.blessedwordoflifechurch.org E-mail: church@blessedwordoflifechurch.org
Campbell AME Church Rev. Dr. Henry Y. White 2562 MLK Jr. Ave., SE - Washington, DC 20020 Adm. Office 202-678-2263 Email: Campbell@mycame.org Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 10:00 AM Sunday Church School: 8:45 AM Bible Study Wednesday: 12:00 Noon Wednesday: 7:00 PM Thursday: 7:00 PM “Reaching Up To Reach Out” Mailing Address : Campbell AME Church 2502 Stanton Road SE - Washington, DC 20020
Turning Hearts Church Virgil K. Thomas, Sr. Senior Pastor/ Teacher 421 Alabama Ave. SE Washington, DC 20032 Phone: 202-746-0113 Fax: 301-843-2445 Service and Times Sunday School: 10:15 AM Sunday Worship Service: 11;15 AM Children’s Church: 11:15 AM Tuesday Bible Study: 6:30 PM Motto : “A Great Commitment to the Great Commandment” Website: www.turningheartschurchdc.org Email: gr8luv4u2@gmail.com
Services and Times Sundays: 10:00am Worship Services Bible Study: Wonderful Wednesdays in Worship and the Word Bible Study Wednesdays 12:00 Noon; 6:30 PM (dinner @ 5:30 PM) Sunday School: 9:00 AM – Hour of Power “An inclusive ministry where all are welcomed and affirmed.” www.covenantdc.org
“We are one in the Spirit” www.ssbc5757.org / E-mail: ssbc5757@verizon.net
Services and Times Sunday School: 9:30 AM Sunday Worship: 11:00 AM Sunday Community Worship Service: 8:30 AM “Ambassadors for Christ to the Nation’s Capital” www.thirdstreet.org Live Stream Sunday Worship Service begins @ 12:00 noon www.thirdstreet.org
Crusader Baptist Church Rev. Dr. Alton W. Jordan Pastor 800 I Street, NE - Washington, DC 20002 202-548-0707 - Fax No. 202-548-0703 Service and Times Sunday Morning Worship: 11:00 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sunday Sunday School: 9:45 AM Men’s Monday Bible Study: 7:00 PM Wednesday Night Bible Study: 7:00 PM Women’s Ministry Bible Study: 3rd Friday -7:00 PM Computer Classes: Announced Family and Marital Counseling by appointment E-mail: Crusadersbaptistchurch@verizon.net www.CrusadersBaptistChurch.org / “God is Love”
Greater Mt. Calvary Holy Church Bishop Alfred A. Owens, Jr.; Senior Bishop & Evangelist Susie C. Owens – Co-Pastor 610 Rhode Island Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002 (202) 529-4547 office • (202) 529-4495 fax
Sunday Worship Service: 8:00 AM and 10:45 AM Sunday Youth Worship Services: 1st & 4th 10:45 AM; 804 R.I. Ave., NE 5th 8 AM & 10:45 AM; Main Church Prayer Services Tuesday – Noon, Wednesday 6:00 AM & 6:30 PM Calvary Bible Institute: Year-Round Contact Church / Communion Every 3rd Sunday The Church in The Hood that will do you Good! www.gmchc.org / emailus@gmchc.org
Isle of Patmos Baptist Church Reverend Dr. Calvin L. Matthews Senior Pastor 1200 Isle of Patmos Plaza, Northeast Washington, DC 20018 Office: (202) 529-6767 - Fax: (202) 526-1661 Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 7:30 AM and 10:30 AM Holy Communion: 2nd Sunday at 7:30 AM and 10:30 AM Sunday Church School: 9:20 AM Seniors Bible Study: Tuesdays at 10:30 AM Noon Day Prayer Service: Tuesdays at Noon Bible Study: Tuesdays at 7 PM Motto: “A Ministry of Reconciliation Where Everybody is Somebody!” Website: http://isleofpatmosbc.org Church Email: ipbcsecretary@verizon.net
St Marks Baptist Come Worship with us... Dr. Raymond T. Matthews Pastor and First Lady Marcia Matthews St. Mark's Baptist Church 624 Underwood Street, NW Washington, dc 20011 Services and Times Sunday School: 9:00 AM Worship Service: 10:00 AM Wed. Noon Day prayer service Thur. Prayer service: 6:45 PM Thur. Bible Study: 7:15 PM
Twelfth Street Christian Church Reverend Dr. Paul H. Saddler Senior Pastor (Disciples of Christ) 1812 12th Street, NW - Washington, DC 20009 Phone: 202-265-4494 Fax: 202 265 4340 Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 11:00 AM Communion every Sunday: 11:00 AM Sunday School: 10:00 AM Bible Study Tuesday: 12 Noon Pastor’s Bible Study Tuesday: 6:30 PM Motto: “Discover Something Wonderful” Website: 12thscc.org / Email: Twelfthstcc@aol.com
Mount Carmel Baptist Church Reverend Dr. Paris L Smith, Sr. Senior Pastor 901 Third Street N.W. Washington, DC. 20001 Phone (202) 842-3411 Fax (202) 682-9423 Service and Times Sunday Church School : 9:00 AM Sunday Morning Worship: 10:10 AM Bible Study Tuesday: 6: 00 PM Prayer Service Tuesday: 7:00 PM Holy Communion: 3rd Sunday 10:10 AM themcbc.org
36 - OCTOBER 29 - NOVEMBER 4, 2020
THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM
RELIGION Shabbath Commandment Church Bishop Adrian A. Taylor, Sr. Pastor 7801 Livingston Road Oxon Hill, MD 20745 301-534-5471 Service and Times Sabbath School 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 AM Service 11:00 AM Praise & Worship Preaching 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM Motto: “A Church Keeping It Real for Real.” Website: Shabbathcommandmentchruch.org Email: Praisebetoyhwh@gmail.com
Zion Baptist Church Rev. Keith W. Byrd, Sr. Pastor 4850 Blagdon Ave, NW - Washington D.C 20011 Phone (202) 722-4940 - Fax (202) 291-3773 Service and Times 9:00 a.m. – Sunday School 10:15 a.m. – Worship Service Wed. Noon: Dea. Robert Owens Bible Study 7 PM Pastor’s Bible Study Ordinance of Baptism 2nd Sunday, Holy Communion 4th Sunday Mission: Zion shall: Enlist Sinners, Educate Students, Empower the Suffering, Encourage the Saints, And Exalt our Savior. (Acts 2: 41-47) www.zionbaptistchurchdc.org
St. Luke Baptist Church Rev. Aubrey C. Lewis Pastor 1415 Gallatin Street, NW Washington, DC 20011-3851 P: (202) 726-5940 Service and Times Sunday Worship: 11:00 AM Sunday School: 9:15 AM Holy Communion: 11:00 a.m., 3rd Sun. Bible Institute: Wednesday - 1:30 PM Prayer Meeting: Wednesday - 12:00 Noon
All Nations Baptist Church Rev. Dr. James Coleman Pastor 2001 North Capitol St, N.E. - Washington, DC 20002 Phone (202) 832-9591 Service and Times Sunday Church School – 9:30 AM Sunday Worship Service – 11:00 AM Holy Communion – 1st Sunday at 11:00 AM Prayer – Wednesdays, 6:00 PM Bible Study – Wednesdays, 7:00 PM Christian Education / School of Biblical Knowledge Saturdays, 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM, Call for Registration Website: www.allnationsbaptistchurch.com All Nations Baptist Church – A Church of Standards
Israel Baptist Church
Rev. Daryl F. Bell Pastor 2324 Ontario Road, NW Washington, DC 20009 (202) 232-1730 Service and Times Sunday School: 9:30 AM Sunday Worship Service: 11:00 AM Baptismal Service: 1st Sunday – 9:30 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sunday – 11:00 AM Prayer Meeting & Bible Study: Wednesday -7:30 PM “Where Jesus is the King”
Dr. Earl D. Trent Senior Pastor
2409 Ainger Pl.,SE – WDC 20020 (202) 678-0884 – Office / (202) 678-0885 – Fax “Moving Faith Forward” 0% Perfect . . . 100% Forgiven!
623 Florida Ave.. NW - WDC. 20001 Church (202) 667-3409 / Study (202) 265-0836 Home Study (301) 464-8211 / Fax (202) 483-4009
Service and Times Sunday Worship: 8:00 AM & 10:45 AM Baptism/Holy Communion: 3rd Sunday Family Bible Study Tuesdays – 6:30 PM Prayer Service: Tuesdays – 8:00 PM www.emmanuelbaptistchurchdc.org
Sermon On The Mount Temple Of Joy Apostolic Faith
Lincoln Park United Methodist Church Rev. Richard B. Black Pastor
Elder Herman L. Simms Pastor
1251 Saratoga Ave., NE Washington, DC 20018 (202) 269-0288
1301 North Carolina Ave. N E Washington, D C 20002 202 543 1318 - lincolnpark@lpumcdc.org www.lpumcdc.org
5606 Marlboro Pike District Heights, MD 20747 301-735-6005
Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 10:45 AM Sunday School: 9:15 AM Holy Communion1st Sunday: 10:45 AM Prayer Service: Wednesday at 6:30 PM Bible Study: Wednesday at 7:00 PM Bible Study: Tuesday at 10:30 AM
Mount Moriah Baptist Church Dr. Lucius M. Dalton Senior Pastor
Service and Times Sunday Worship: 10:00 AM Holy Communion: First Sunday 10:00 AM Sunday School: 9:00 AM Bible Study: Wednesday @ 12 noon and 6:30 PM Motto: "Faith On The Hill"
Service and Times Sunday Apostolic Worship Services 11:00 A.M and 5:00 PM Communion and Feet Wash 4th Sunday at 5:00 PM Prayer/Seeking: Wednesday at 8:00 PM Apostolic in Doctrine, Pentecostal in Experience, Holiness in Living, Uncompromised and Unchanged. The Apostolic Faith is still alive –Acts 2:42
New Commandment Baptist Church
Eastern Community Baptist Church Damion M. Briggs Pastor
Rev. Stephen E. Tucker Senior Pastor
1636 East Capitol Street, NE Washington, DC 20003 Telephone: 202-544-5588 - Fax: 202-544-2964
8213 Manson Street Landover, MD 20785 Tel: (301) 322-9787 Fax: (301) 322-9240
13701 Old Jericho Park Road Bowie, MD. 20720 (301) 262-0560
Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 7:45 AM and 10:45 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sundays at 7:45 AM & 10:45 AM Sunday School: 9:30 AM Prayer & Praise Service: Tuesdays at 12 noon & 6:30 PM Bible Study: Tuesdays at 1 pm and 7 PM Youth Bible Study: Fridays at 7 PM
Service and Times Early Morning Message: 7:30 AM Sunday Morning Worship Service: 10:00 AM Sunday Church School: 9:00 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sunday 7:30 AM & 10:00 AM Prayer, Praise and Testimony: Wednesday 7:00 PM Bible Study: Wednesday 7:30 PM
Service and Times Sunday Worship: 11 AM Sunday School: 10 AM Wednesday Mid-Week Worship, Prayer & Bible Study: Wed. 7 PM
Rehoboth Baptist Church
Reverend Peter R. Blue Sr. Pastor
Rev. Curtis l. Staley Pastor
2001 Brooks Drive District Heights MD. 20744 240.838.7074
621 Alabama Ave., S.E.- Washington, D.C. 20032 P: (202) 561-1111 - F: (202) 561-1112
Service and Times Sunday Worship Experience: 10:15am Sunday School: 9:00am Holy Communion: 3rd Sunday Morning Noontime Bible Study: Tuesday @ 12:00pm Prayer Meeting/Bible Study: Tuesday @7:00pm Theme: "Building On A Firm Foundation"
Service and Times Sunday Service: 10:00 AM Sunday School for all ages: 8:30 AM 1st Sunday Baptism: 10:00 AM 2nd Sunday Holy Communion:10:00 AM Tuesday: Bible Study: 6:30 PM Prayer Meeting: 7:45 PM
Email: revprbstmbc@gmail.com Website: www.stmatthewsbaptist.org
Motto: “Where God is First and Where Friendly People Worship”
“Real Worship for Real People” Website: www.easterncommunity.org Email: ecc@easterncommunity.org
“A Church Where Love Is Essential and Praise is Intentional”
Foggy Bottom - Founded in 1867 728 23rd Street, NW - Washington, DC 20037 Church office: 202-333-3985 - Fax : 202-338-4958
Shiloh Baptist Church
Matthews Memorial Baptist Church Dr. Joseph D. Turner / Senior Pastor 2616 MLK Ave., SE - Washington, DC 20020 Office 202-889-3709 - Fax 202-678-3304 Service and Times Early Worship Service: 8:00 AM Worship Service: 11:00 AM New Member’s Class: 9:45 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sunday, 11:00 AM Church School: 9:45 AM Wednesday 12:00pm Bible Study Prayer, Praise and Bible Study: 7:00 PM Saturday Bible Study: 11:00 AM Baptism 4th Sunday: 11:00 AM “Empowered to love and Challenged to Lead a Multitude of Souls to Christ”
Peace Baptist Church Rev. Dr. Michael T. Bell 712 18th Street, NE Washington, DC 20002 Phone 202-399-3450/ Fax 202-398-8836 Service and Times Sunday Early Morning Prayer & Bible Study Class: 8:00 AM Sunday School: 9:00 AM Sunday Morning Worship Service: 10:00 AM Wednesday Service: 12:00 PM “The Loving Church of the living lord “
4504 Gault Place, N.E. / Washington, D.C 20019 202-397-7775 – 7184 Service and Times Sunday Church School: 9:30 AM Sunday Worship Service : 11:00 AM The Lord’s Supper 1st Sunday Prayer & Praise Services: Wednesday 7:00 PM Bible Study: 7:30 PM Saturday before 4th Sunday Men, Women, Youth Discipleship Ministries: 10:30 AM A Christ Centered Church htubc@comcast.net
Christ Embassy DC
Kelechi Ajieren Coordinator 6839 Eastern Avenue, R1 Takoma Park, MD 20912 (202) 556-7065 Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 10:00 AM Wednesday Bible Study: 7:00 PM Friday Evening Service: 7:00 PM ; Last Friday “…Giving Your Life a Meaning” www.Christembassydc.org Christ.embassy.dc@hotmail.com
Pennsylvania Ave. Baptist Church Rev. Dr. Kendrick E. Curry Pastor 3000 Pennsylvania Ave.. S.E Washington, DC 20020 202 581-1500 Service and Times Sunday Church School: 9:30 AM Sunday Worship Service: 11:00 AM Monday Adult Bible Study: 7:00 PM Wednesday Youth & Adult Activities: 6:30 PM Prayer Service Bible Study
First Rising Mt. Zion Baptist Church
Mt. Horeb Baptist Church
Rev. Dr. Wallace Charles Smith Pastor
Rev. Oran W. Young Pastor
Rev. Dr. H. B. Sampson, III Pastor
9th & P Street, N.W. - W. D.C. 20001 (202) 232-4288
602 N Street NW - Washington, D.C. 20001 Office:(202) 289-4480 Fax: (202) 289-4595
2914 Bladensburg Road, NE Wash., DC 20018 Office: (202) 529-3180 - Fax: (202) 529-7738 Service and Times Worship Service: 7:30 AM Sunday School: 9:00 AM Worship Service: 10:30 AM Holy Communion: 4th Sunday 7:30AM & 10:30 AM Prayer Services:Tuesday 7:30 PM. Wednesday 12 Noon
www.stmarysfoggybottom.org Email: stmarysoffice@stmarysfoggybottom.org
Service and Times First Sunday Worship Service (one service): 10:00 AM Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Sunday Worship service: 7:45 AM and 10:55 AM Sunday Church School/Bible Study: 9:30 AM Thursday Prayer Service: 6:30 PM
All are welcome to St. Mary’s to Learn, Worship, and Grow.
Email: sbc@shilohbaptist.org Website: shilohbaptist.org
Service and Times Sundays: 10 a.m. Holy Eucharist with Music and Hymns Wednesdays: 12:10 p.m. - Holy Eucharist
Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 10:00 AM Sunday Church School: 8:45 – 9:45 AM Holy Communion: Every First Sunday Intercessory Prayer: Monday – 7:00-8:00 PM Pastor’s Bible Study: Wednesday –7:45 PM Midweek Prayer: Wednesday – 7:00 PM Noonday Prayer Every Thursday
Rev. Dr. George C. Gilbert Senior Pastor
Email Address: admin@pbc712.org
Historic St. Mary’s Episcopal Church The Rev. E. Bernard Anderson Priest
Holy Trinity United Baptist Church
Florida Avenue Baptist Church
Reverend Christopher L. Nichols Pastor
Rev. Dr. Jerryl V. Moody Pastor-Elect
Web: www.mountmoriahchurch.org Email: mtmoriah@mountmoriahchurch.org
St. Matthews Baptist Church
Emmanuel Baptist Church
King Emmanuel Baptist Church
WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER
Service and Times Sunday School for All Ages: 8:00 AM Sunday Worship Services: 9:30 AM Midday Prayer & Bible Study: Wednesday 11:30AM Evening Prayer & Bible Study: Wednesday 7:00 PM Laymen's League: Thursday 7:00 PM Email: Froffice@firstrising.org Website: www.firstrising.org “Changing Lives On Purpose “
Email:mthoreb@mthoreb.org Website:www.mthoreb.org For further information, please contact me at (202) 529-3180.
OCTOBER 29 - NOVEMBER 4, 2020 37
LEGAL NOTICES IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION Nakia Kittrell, as Personal Representative of the Estate of Jonathan Lee Ross 122 Stoney Ridge Avenue Suffolk, VA 23425 Plaintiff v. Case No. 2019 LIT 000036 The Unknown Personal Representative(s), Heirs, Legatees, Devisees, Successors and Assigns of the Judge Maurice Ross Estate of Alice Virginia Ross (No Estate Opened) The Unknown Personal Representative(s), Heirs, ) Legatees, Devisees, Successors and Assigns of the Estate of Jerdenia Ross Maxwell Marie C. Hart, as Administrator of the Estate of Jerry Lee Ross ) 3007 Kelrae Drive Richmond, VA 23224 Carlton Maxwell 2401 Washington Place, NE, Unit 310 Washington, DC 20018 Michael Ross 8305 Gibbons Drive Fort Washington, MD 20744 Marcus Ross 8305 Gibbons Drive Fort Washington, MD 20744 Cather M. Cooper 9605 Beverly Avenue Clinton, MD 20735 and All unknown property owners of the property described below, their heirs, devisees, personal ) representatives, and executors, administrators, ) grantees, assigns or successors in right, title, interest, and any and all persons having or ) claiming to have any interest in the leasehold or fee simple in the property and premises situate, ) lying and being in the District of Columbia ) described as: Square: 5214, Lot: 72 Also known as: 709 56th Place, NE Washington, DC 20019 Defendants. AMENDED ORDER OF PUBLICATION There is now pending before the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, Probate Division, an action, case number 2019 LIT 000036, seeking to quiet title and partition a parcel of residential real property located at 709 56th Place, NE, Washington, DC 20019, which is known for taxation and assessment purposes as Square 5214, Lot 0072. A copy of this action is available in the Clerk’s Office of the Court, located at Room 314, Building A, 515 5th Street, NW, Washington, DC. On Motion of the Plaintiff, it is this 1st day of October 2020, ORDERED, that notice be given by publication to Defendants (i) the Unknown Personal Representative(s), Heirs, Legatees, Devisees, Successors and Assigns of the Estate of Alice Virginia Ross; (ii) the Unknown Personal Representative(s), Heirs, Legatees, Devisees, Successors and Assigns of the Estate of Jerdenia Ross Maxwell; and (iii) all unknown owners of the above- described property, their heirs, devisees, personal representatives, and executors, administrators, grantees, assigns or successors in right, title and interest, and any and all persons having or claiming to have any interest in the leasehold or fee simple in the property and premises situate, lying and being in the District of Columbia as above-described, by the insertion of a copy of this Order in the Washington Informer and the Daily Washington Law Reporter twice per month for a period of three successive months; and it is further ORDERED, that the persons herein named are hereby summoned and required to file an Answer to the Amended Complaint in Room 314, Building A, 515 5th Street, NW, Washington, DC between 8:30 am and 5:00 pm, and serve the same the Plaintiff and any other parties named in the Amended Complaint, on or before the date and time of the Initial Scheduling Conference in this action; and it is further ORDERED, that the Initial Scheduling Conference shall be held before Judge Ross in Courtroom A-51 on January 5, 2021, at 10:45 a.m.; and it is further ORDERED, that the Initial Scheduling Conference may be held remotely due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, and the above-named defendants shall be required to contact the chambers of Judge Ross to obtain remote hearing instructions prior to the date of the Initial Scheduling Conference; and it is further ORDERED, that if you fail to serve and file an Answer within the time stated above, or if, after you answer, you fail to appear at any time the Court notifies you to do so, including at the Initial Scheduling Conference, a judgment by default may be entered against you for monetary damages or any other relief demanded in the Complaint. If this occurs, your wages may be attached or withheld or personal property or real estate you own may be taken and sold to pay the judgment. If you intend to oppose this action, do not fail to answer within the required time. IT IS SO ORDERED. Judge Maurice A. Ross
LEGAL NOTICES
LEGAL NOTICES
LEGAL NOTICES
LEGAL NOTICES
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION
2020 FEP 61
2020 ADM 000509
2020 ADM 000514 George N. Terris aka George Nicholas Terris Decedent
Mary D. Fields aka Mary Dowling Fields Name of Deceased Settlor
June 22, 2019 Date of Death
Grace L. Callis Decedent Edward G. Varrone, Esq. 1825 K. Street, NW, Suite 1150 Washington, DC 20006 Attorney
Jeffrey K. Gordon, Esq. 5335 Wisconsin Avenue, NW #700 Washington, DC 20015 Attorney
Dessie M. Kirkland Name of Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS Vivian C. White, whose address is 1212 Merganser Court, Upper Marlboro, MD 20774-7019 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Dessie M. Kirkland, deceased, by the Orphans Court for Prince Georges County, State of Maryland, on July 31, 2020.
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS
Donna L. Stewart-Moore, whose address is 5201 Janesdale Court, Glenn Dale, MD 20769, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Grace L. Callis who died on September 21, 2019 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 4/22/2021. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 4/22/2021, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.
Harry Terris and Nicholas Terris, whose addresses are 272 Water St., #6F, New York, NY 10038 and 5241 Chevy Chase Pkwy, NW, Washington, DC 20015, were appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of George N. Terris aka George Nicholas Terris who died on May 28, 2020 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 4/22/2021. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 4/22/2021, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.
Date of first publication: 10/22/2020
Date of first publication: 10/22/2020
Donna L. Stewart-Moore Personal Representative
Harry Terris Nicholas Terris Personal Representative
TRUE TEST COPY
TRUE TEST COPY
Nicole Stevens Register of Wills
Nicole Stevens Register of Wills
Nicole Stevens Register of Wills
Washington Informer
Washington Informer
Washington Informer
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
2020 ADM 000536
2020 ADM 000570
Margaret Ann Greenwell Decedent
Barbara Gloria Ferguson Decedent
Sara B. Entis 10640 Main Street, Suite 200 Fairfax, VA 22030 Attorney
Aimee D. Griffin 5335 Wisconsin Avenue, NW Suite 440 Washington, DC 20015 Attorney
Service of process may be made upon James L. Frazier, 918 Maryland Avenue, NE, Washington, DC 20002 whose designation as District of Columbia agent has been filed with the Register of Wills, D.C. The decedent owned the following District of Columbia real estate. 2365 Rhode Island Ave., NE, Washington, DC 20018, 2373 Rhode Island Ave., NE, Washington, DC 20018, 2385 Rhode Island Ave., NE, Washington, DC 20018. Claims against the decedent may be presented to the undersigned and filed with the Register of Wills of the District of Columbia, 515 5th Street, NW, Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001 within 6 months from the date of first publication of this notice. Date of first publication: 10/15/2020 Vivian C. White Personal Representative
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS
Edward E. Purcell, III, whose address is 44719 Clark’s Landing Road, Hollywood, MD 20636, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Margaret Ann Greenwell who died on September 18, 2019 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 4/22/2021. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 4/22/2021, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.
Chermonne J. Johnson, whose address is 6304 Ridge Run Court, Glenn Dale, MD 20769, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Barbara Gloria Ferguson who died on September 13, 2019 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 4/22/2021. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 4/22/2021, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship.
Date of first publication: 10/22/2020
Date of first publication: 10/22/2020
Edward E. Purcell, III Personal Representative
Chermonne J. Johnson Personal Representative
TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer
38 - OCTOBER 29 - NOVEMBER 4, 2020
TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2020 ADM 000551 Carrie Leola Andrews Decedent Valerie J. Edwards 1725 DeSales Street, NW, Suite 600 Washington, DC 20036 Attorney
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Zina Andrews, whose address is 6304 North Capitol Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Carrie Leola Andrews who died on February 14, 2003 with a Will, and will serve with Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 4/22/2021. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 4/22/2021, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 10/22/2020 Zina Andrews Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer
2020 NRT 20
NOTICE OF EXISTENCE OF REVOCABLE TRUST Mary D. Fields aka Mary Dowling Fields, whose address was 3003 Van Ness St., NW, Apt. S904, Washington, DC 20008 created a revocable trust on 2nd November 2009, which remained in existence on the date of death on February 26, 2020, and Evelyn Parchment, whose address is 7826 Eastern Ave., NW, Suite 410, Washington, DC 20012, is the currently acting trustee, hereinafter the Trustee. Communications to the Trust should be mailed or directed to Evelyn Parchment, Esq. at 7826 Eastern Ave., NW, Suite 410, Washington, DC 20012. The Trust is subject to claims of the deceased settlor’s creditors, costs of administration of the settlor’s estate, the expense of the deceased settlor’s funeral and disposal of remains, and statutory allowances to a surviving spouse and children to the extent the deceased settlor’s residuary probate estate is inadequate to satisfy those claims, costs, expenses, and allowances. Claims of the deceased settlor’s creditors are barred as against the Trustee and the trust property unless presented to the Trustee at the address provided herein on or before April 15, 2021 (6 months after the date of the first publication of this notice.) An action to contest the validity of this trust must be commenced by the earliest of (1) 2/26/2021, (One year from date of death of deceased settlor) (2), April 15, 2021 (6 months from the date of first publication of this notice) or (3) Ninety days after the Trustee sends the person a copy of the trust instrument and a notice informing the person of the trust’s existence, of the Trustee’s name and address, and of the time allowed for commencing a proceeding. The Trustee may proceed to distribute the trust property in accordance with the terms of the trust before the expiration of the time within which an action must be commenced unless the Trustee knows of a pending judicial proceeding contesting the validity of the trust or the Trustee has received notice from a potential contestant who thereafter commences a judicial proceeding within sixty days after notification. This Notice must be mailed postmarked within 15 days of its first publication to each heir and qualified beneficiary of the trust and any other person who would be an interested person within the meaning of D.C. Code 20-101(d). Date of First Publication: 10/15/2020 Evelyn Parchment Signature of Trustee TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2020 FEP 00063 June 26, 2016 Date of Death Leroy Brown, Jr. Name of Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS Vivian D. Brown, whose address is 4936 East 62nd Street, Apt. A, Indianapolis, IN 46220 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Leroy Brown, Jr., deceased, by the Superior Court for Marion County, State of Indiana, on September 1, 2020. Service of process may be made upon Bradley A. Thomas, Esq., The Law Offices of Bradley Ashton Thomas, 1629 K Street, NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20006-1631 whose designation as District of Columbia agent has been filed with the Register of Wills, D.C. The decedent owned the following District of Columbia real estate. 1240 Neal Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002, which is designated for tax assessment purposes as Lot 0060 in Square 4063. Claims against the decedent may be presented to the undersigned and filed with the Register of Wills of the District of Columbia, 515 5th Street, NW, Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001 within 6 months from the date of first publication of this notice. Date of first publication: 10/29/2020 Vivian D. Brown Personal Representative Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer
THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM
LEGAL NOTICES In God We Trust Notice of White Flag Surrender Notice of Special Appearance : I am that I am: “ rapha-el, amal kendall© , nom deguerre: williams, terrance kendell© ”, in full life, in propria persona, sui juris, in solo proprio, as: Moorish American, Haqdar by natural issue, the beneficiary and heir of: ‘‘ WILLIAMS, TERRANCE KENDELL© ’’, corp.sole Dba.: ‘‘ TERRANCE KENDELL WILLIAMS© ’’, having reached the age of majority, being aboriginal to the northwestern and southwestern shores of Africa, the Atlantic Islands, the continental Americas, being duly certified, hereby affirms the following: Notice of White Flag Surrender: as “hors de combat”, pursuant to The Geneva Conventions, Article III, as a minister of The Moorish Empire, and Internationally Protected Person. Notice of LAWS AND CUSTOMS OF WAR ON LAND ( HAGUE, IV), ARTICLE: 45, 46, & 47. Notice of Claim pursuant to Public Law 87-846, TITLE II, SEC. 203. Notice of Bailment Merging of Legal Title with Equitable Title : This order is to preserve legal and equitable title , and to reserve all rights, title, and interest, in the property, Re: Public Health, Connecticut Department of, DBA: Connecticut, State of, STATE FILE NUMBER : 12101: ‘‘ TERRANCE KENDELL WILLIAMS© ’’, be used exclusively for the benefit of : ‘‘ On The Yaheardme Trust© ’’, an Inter Vivos Unincorporated Divine Grantor Trust. Inter alia enact fuit. All Rights Reserved.
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MALVEAUX from Page 24 The "do" list is long, and it may include expanding the Supreme Court's size. It's not court-packing, as some would suggest; it's right-sizing something that has gone wrong. The point is that a Biden-Harris victory may be cause for celebration, but it is also an invitation for all of us to roll up our sleeves and get to work, not only at the federal level but also at the state and local level. I can hear my conservative friends already asking what all this will cost. We know the 2017 tax cut cost the Treasury trillions of dollars. We seem only to be interested in cost when we are looking at people on the bottom. There appears to be much less concern about programs designed to bene-
MORIAL from Page 24 cincts. Arsonists who set fire to a Baptist Church in Mississippi spray-painted the message "Vote Trump." Devin Burghart, executive director of the Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights, told WBUR, "We are seeing a high level of activity from militia-type groups and other far right organizations discussing the possibility of interfering in the electoral process, either on Election Day or after the ballots are cast." The Department of Home-
COOPER from Page 24 New Orleans. Does his birthplace change the fact that he assassinated President John F. Kennedy? The pandemic had to start somewhere. Who cares where it originated? Therefore, how are Trump’s tired refrains of blaming China as the origin of COVID-19 of any comfort whatsoever to a grieving nation? At the first debate, Trump openly mocked Biden for always wearing a mask: “I don’t wear masks like him. Every time you see him, he’s got a mask. He could be speaking 200 feet away then shows up with the biggest mask I’ve ever seen.” Three days later, Trump himself tested positive for COVID-19, along with the first lady, their son Barron and approximately twenty-six other administration officials. Having tested positive for the very
fit the wealthy. Then, some of the work we have to do is to transform our mindset, decide what kind of economy we want, and then work to create it. That may mean a very different approach to our predatory capitalist system, and it may mean restructuring the system to make it more people-focused. It is a possibility! Now we know what it is like to live with a graft-centered leader who has thrown our nation under the bus for his selfish gains. We have the opportunity to learn what it is like to live with a more people-centered leader. Still, we should be clear that Biden-Harris leadership will be center-left predatory capitalism. They will need to be pushed, and we need to be prepared to push them. If we have learned nothing from the Obama
years, we should have learned that a closed mouth won't get fed. Black folk were so happy to have a Black president that we were reluctant to push him and his administration very hard. Much as we may like Biden-Harris, we must be willing to push them. When he accepted the Nobel Peace Prize in 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King said, "I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality, and freedom for their spirits. I believe that what self-centered men have torn down, men other-centered can build up." Biden-Harris will move us closer to King's dream, but they won't take us all the way there. Not unless we push. We know what we have to do. WI
land Security's threat assessment in October warned that violent extremists might target events related to the 2020 Presidential campaigns, the election itself, election results, or the post-election period. "Among [Domestic Violent Extremists], racially and ethnically motivated violent extremists — specifically white supremacist extremists (WSEs) — will remain the most persistent and lethal threat in the Homeland." In the same document, the department also warned that Russian actors would exploit "perceived grievances within
minority communities, especially among African Americans" and "engage in efforts to discourage voter turnout and to suppress votes" in the 2020 election just as they did in the 2016 election. The fact that both foreign and domestic actors have focused their efforts on Black Americans is proof of the power of the Black vote. If your vote didn't matter, they wouldn't fight so hard to block it. We won't be intimidated, and we won't be fooled. Please make a plan to vote, early if possible. WI
virus he had previously dismissed as a “hoax by the Dems,” a part of me honestly wanted to believe that he would finally take it more seriously and seek to protect all Americans, including his far too often mask-less supporters. Any hope of that was dashed by his petulant motorcade around the hospital. Hermetically sealed in the car with his Secret Service detail, he waved to his supporters who themselves ignored social distancing and many were without masks. At the final debate, Trump bragged that “we have turned the corner” with the virus. He said, “Americans are learning to live with it.” Later that week, 83,000 new positive cases were reported in one day here in the United States. After each of his super-spreader rallies, COVID-19 numbers increase. In the first debate, Trump mocked
Biden for always wearing masks. He makes fun of the very safety precautions that the Biden-Harris campaign takes to PREVENT the spread of the virus. The reality president regularly dismisses the expertise and advice of Dr. Anthony Fauci, one of the world’s premier epidemiologists. Does this sound like a president who is genuinely concerned about ANYONE’s health? What a mockery of the presidency! Former First Lady Michelle Obama once said, “I’ve seen firsthand that being president doesn’t change who you are. It reveals who you are.” Trump’s presidency has revealed him for who he is at his core: an uncaring, incompetent, unsympathetic, disingenuous, insecure and spiteful shell of a man. To me, the choice is clear: Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. So, why are you still undecided? WI
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who wasn't used to taking a daily pill. Eventually, one of those three prescription antiretroviral medications became available in generic form. But that one pill was replaced with three new pills — bringing my total ARV burden to five pills each day. And since I'm aging with HIV, my provider has added a statin, a muscle relaxer, an anti-inflammatory, an allergy medicine and a vitamin D supplement. That's a lot of pills. And consistently having to get prescription refills is another form of pill burden. Because most of my prescriptions were started at different times, my refills were never coordinated. Sometimes I would get a one-month
WILLIAMS from Page 25 Black men an excuse for not voting without telling them not voting is a way of supporting Trump. Joe Biden has shown his ability and willingness to help our community. I think it's
ASKIA from Page 25
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around to investigating, apologizing for and offering some recompense to the descendants of the hundreds of Black folks who white folks massacred in the Tulsa neighborhood known as Black Wall Street. It was a time like this. There was a massive flu pandemic sweeping the land, and other racial massacres — "riots," as they were called — took place that season in Florida and Illinois. They destroyed the lives and homes of Negroes who were minding their own business, who had managed to succeed, despite rampant racial injustice at the time, and the rise of the night riders — the Ku Klux Klan — who were even celebrated, like today, in the White House, when segregationist President Woodrow Wilson presented D.W. Griffith's "Birth of a
ELECTION from Page 29 “Now on the back of COVID we’ve lost roughly half of our businesses due to this crisis. Both of those took major chunks out of our wealth. We need to make sure we provide access to capital. Families need to be able to grow wealth by growing their businesses.” The wealth topic continued to homeownership a key factor in wealth building for families. Shermichael Singleton, a writer,
supply. Sometimes three. I advocated (pushed, pressed, begged) to get back to a single-tablet regimen for months. My final argument was the winner: "I'm tired of taking pills. I haven't taken mine for months because there are too many of them, and I'm tired." Search the web for "antiretroviral adherence and treatment fatigue." You'll see that they're linked. The drugs are great, but they only work when you take them. It sounds a little wimpy when you think about all of the people who spent the early years of the epidemic taking handfuls of pills multiple times daily. Toxic stuff. Everybody didn't make it. But it's 2020. Combination drugs are just one example of the future of improved efficacy and adherence
for those living with HIV. But CMS wants to stop them from being developed — they want to make me take more pills. It's unfortunate that we are living in a world where the government is now creating roadblocks for patients, rather than removing them. I know that there are millions of people who are living with HIV in this country, just like me, who would be hurt by the implementation of this proposed change. We all need to speak up and tell CMS that now — especially in the middle of a pandemic — is not the time to enact a policy that would put at risk or make more difficult individuals' ability to access and stick to their treatment regimen. It's bad policy, and it's bad for patients. WI
wrong to say both men are evil. Even if it is true, he knows one is more evil than the other. Such a time as this is reason for voting for the lesser of two evils. Any sensible person would take one mistake over 20,000 lies any day. My plea to Ice Cube is to stop con-
fusing people about the best person to vote for. Lord knows our community is owed a lot of help by a lot of politicians, but we risk too much to take another chance with a reality-show man who hasn't a clue as to what the reality is on needs of our community. WI
Nation," a film glorifying the Proud Boys of that day, as the first movie ever seen in the executive mansion. No. I don't feel any sympathy for the white people who are suffering from natural disasters today but still say they are holding their noses and voting to keep the most despicable president ever in office for another term. Donald J. Trump is the biggest liar ever in the White House, and his Repugnikkkan Party of enablers are nothing but rank hypocrites drunk with power and blind to their own wickedness. This truth about white Americans has been known for a long, long time, but now, the chickens are finally coming home to roost. Frederick Douglass wrote in 1852: "Go where you may, search where you will, roam through all the monarchies and despotisms of the Old
World, travel through South America, search out every abuse, and when you have found the last, lay your facts by the side of the everyday practices of this nation, and you will say with me, that, for revolting barbarity and shameless hypocrisy, America reigns without a rival." But now, at last, this country is being brought to heel, and even though it's not pretty — it's horrendous, even — I'm not crying. "America has been blessed ever since her fathers came across the Atlantic out of the confines of Europe until this day," The Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad wrote in "The Fall of America" in 1972. "Now, for her evil done to her slaves, God threatens her with total destruction." I watch, and I'm not crying. The chickens are coming home to roost. WI
commentator, political consultant and host of Global Perspective, a talk show host, said that before homeownership, there must be a hard look at student loan debt which also disproportionately impact Blacks and delays home-buying. “It’s really difficult to focus on buying your first home or a condo when you’re paying thousands of dollars a month in student loans,” he said. “I think before we can even have
a conversation about building wealth and sustaining that wealth we have to make college education far more accessible. If that becomes more accessible we can build wealth, sustain it and pass it down to other generations.” The next episode in the series is “The Intersection of Race and Gender in Politics and the Power of the Black Female Vote,” debuting Thursday, Oct. 29, at noon on TV One’s YouTube and Facebook channels. WI
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