2020
WINNER OF FIVE SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS D.C. AWARDS Step Afrika! to Premiere ‘Stono’ Page 39
61 DAYS
Vol. 55, No. 47 • September 10 - 16, 2020
All Eyes on MPD after Deon Kay’s Shooting Death By Sam P.K. Collins WI Contributing Writer @SamPKCollins
5 Mike D’Angelo, an anti-violence activist and uncle of the late Mikayah Wilson, speaks during a candlelight vigil for Deon Kay on Sept. 5, where he presented a painting by Demont Pinder of the late Kay. (Roy Lewis/The Washington Informer)
In the days after the release of body cam footage showing Deon Kay’s last moments, debates have raged on about his alleged possession of a gun, and to what degree he and other young people in his Southeast community should hold themselves accountable when interacting with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). During a recent vigil for Kay, many of those who converged on the corner of Mellon Street and Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue made known their position on
Six Are D.C. Council Candidates for Nov. 3 Election
Local Organizations Look to Engage Ward 8 Residents
Only a limited amount of time remains before the closing of census reports across the nation, but the East of the river community falls short at significantly lower completion rates than its neighboring wards across the District.
By James Wright WI Staff Writer @JamesDCWrighter
To date, just under 49% of Ward 8, and slightly tipping above 50% margins of Ward 7 are currently recorded in this year’s census. East of the River residents are traditionally under counted, with the Covid-19 pandemic further adding to a pot of variables in the cause.
CENSUS Page 46
SHOOTING Page 52
District’s Latinos Seek More Political Power
East of The River Residents Come Up Short in Census Report By Lindiwe Vilakazi and Hamil Harris WI Contributing Writers
the matter when, seconds before releasing several balloons into the sky, they loudly chanted a widely popular, and obscene, slogan often aimed at law enforcement officials. In the several minutes leading up to the climactic end to an emotionally charged event, a bevy of community members, including Kay’s older sister, spoke before an audience of nearly a hundred about the young man they said had been criminalized by forces responsible for his Sept. 2 death. “I don’t care what y’all said [Deon] did, he did nothing to the
5 Franklin Garcia is a candidate for the independent at-large council seat. (WI File Photo)
Latinos have lived in the District for decades without having elected one of their own to the D.C. Council but efforts are underway to see that could become a reality soon. There are six Latinos running for the D.C. Council in the Nov. 3 general election. Five of them--Alexander Padro, Claudia Barragan, Monica Palacio, Mario Cristaldo and Franklin Garcia—are candidates for
POLITICS Page 41
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