2020
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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
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to Continued Protests law enforcement. She saidTemporary they threat,” sheHalt said. to Census had come together to bring a Among the programs Marlow Bureau’s 30 Deadline sense of uniformity in the way wants Sept. 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, A federal judge recently ordered the U.S. Census Bureau old daughter told her the father survivors are treated. more rights for victim's families to stop following a plan that would have had it winding of her daughter threatened her “She's using her own personal to intervene on behalf of a vicdown operations in order to complete the Census 2020 life, and the life of their child, story, her own personal pain to tim, a domestic violence assesscount at the end of September. she knew something had to be push forward,” Davis-Nickens ment unit coupled with further The federal judge in San Jose late Saturday issued a temdone. Out of her frustration said about Marlow. training for law enforcement porary restraining ordera against theLife Census Bureau and the with law enforcement's handling Davis-Nickens said anyone agencies, Child's ProtecCommerce Department which oversees the agency. The of the situation, she decided to who reads Marlow's book will tion Act and mandatory counselorder stops the Census Bureau from winding down operastart the Saving Promise cam- “get it.” She said she “puts the ing for batterers. tions for now with a court hearing scheduled on Sept. 17. paign. case in such a way, the average “If we are ever going to eradicount of every U.S. resident which occurs ev“It seems to be a vicious cycle person can get it.” She said atThe theheadcate domestic violence, we must ery will 10 years,look helpsatelected decide $1.5 trillion that won't turn my family end of the day, the book bothofficials sides of the how coin. is distributed. results loose,” Marlow said. Marlow help people begin to haveinafederal dia- funding We need to addressThe both thealso vic-impact the critical process of apportionment – that is, the determining shared her story with the audi- logue about domestic violence. tim and the batterer,” Marlow of how many congressional seats each state receives. ence at the District Heights Also present at the event was said. Domestic Violence Symposium Mildred restraining requested the The ex-temporary Marlow wouldorder, also like to seeby a coali5 The Fish Market Restaurant in Clinton reopenedMuhammad, Sept. 4 onbut May 7 at the District Heights tion of cities, counties and civil rights groups wife of John Allen Muhammad, programs designed to raisefollowing a protests have not abated. (Anthony Tilghman/The WashMunicipal Center. The symposuit filed against the U.S. Census Bureau, agrees who was sentenced to six consecawareness among children in with the ington Informer) sium was sponsored by the utive life terms without plaintiffs’ bureauschools. restore itsShe previous plan parole demand public that andthe private Afterand a racial incident forced abyClinton restaurant Family Youth Services a Maryland jury for hisfor rolefinishing in feels to of beOctober, educat- instead of the children census at need the end to close two months, Fish Market Center of for themore city than of District the the Beltway Sniper attacks ed about violence. usingina revised plan todomestic end operations on Sept. 30. The Heights andits thedoors National Hookreopened Friday, Sept. 4.2002. Police maintained a Mildred Muhammad is had argued “We have to stop beingwould pas- cause the coalition the earlier deadline Uppresence of BlackinWomen. the parking lot as protests the continued founder ofacross After the Trauma, sive-aggressive with poor chil- in the Census Bureau to overlook minority communities Marlow has written a book, the property. Police stood between Black customer ana organization that helps theleading drento about domestic violence,” census, an inaccurate count. “Color Butterfly,” which is aothersurvivors of restaudomestic violence and aMe protester yelling at each outside the Marlow said. U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh indicated in her ruling story fourstreet. generations theirformer children. Marlow worked tothat break rantabout near the On Juneof26, and a Black custhat previous court caseshas had concluded it’s in the pubdomestic violence. The wore bookanis“I Can’t “I Breathe” lived in fear for six years. Six that theCongress cycle of be abuse her family, tomer, Daryl Rollins, t-shirt lic interest fairlyin apportioned and that the inspired by her own experiences, yearsheincouldn’t fear is wear a long time. It isfunds and is confident theanpolicies inside the restaurant. Rollins was told federal be distributed using accurateshe census, writand grandmother, not an easyhusband, thing to come is pushing for will and start thatinterest tip thethose shirtofbyherowner Sherry Giovannoni’s ing,out “the balance of the hardships public herRick. mother and hersaid daughter. of,”29 sheinterview said. process. Giovannoni during a July her sharply in Plaintiffs’ favor.” She said every time she part readsof the Mildred Muhammad saidbureau“Ihas plan to take these offices policies toheadquarhusband was no longer business and had The emailed regional and excerpts from her book, she people a Congress and implore them tothe Combeen seeking treatment forstill mental healthwho issues.want She to help ters, confirming that the statistical agency and canemphasized not believeher thehusband words came domestic violence must change our laws,” Marlow said. doesn’t “have a filter and atvictimmerce Department “are obligated to comply with the from her.can“Color Me Butterfly” be careful of how they go into “I will not stop until these politimes be insensitive” in reference to his conservaCourt’s Order and are taking immediate steps to do so.” won 2007views, National “Best life,senand understand cies are passed.” tivethe political adding that hethe hasvictim's no “racist” The bureau added that further guidance will be providBooks” Award. Tia Carol Jones can be reached timents and values. Stay tuned. that she may be in “survival ed later. “I was just 16-years-old when mode”. at tiacaroljones@sbcglobal.net my eye first blackened and my “Before you get to 'I'm going lips bled,” Marlow said. to kill you,' it started as a verbal WI Elaine Davis-Nickens, president of the National Hook-Up the firstsaid timethere ever,islegislation is on the Senate calendar to make the District of BlackFor Women, no of Columbia a state. consistency in the way domestic Senate violenceThe issues are has dealtstarted with the by procedural process, known as Rule 14, to bypass committee consideration of the House-passed D.C. statehood piece (H.R. 51) and place the legislation directly on the Senate Calendar of Business. That action makes the bill available for floor consideration for the first time in history, D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D) and U.S. Sen. Thomas Carper (D-Del.), the sponsors of the District statehood bill, announced on Aug. 25. The bill will be placed on the calendar formally when the Senate returns from its August recess. Placement on the calendar doesn’t guarantee the legislation floor consideration and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has repeatedly said he will not bring it up for a vote. However, Norton said Senate Democrats pushed this procedural process demonstrating the importance of H.R. 51 to the Senate Democratic Caucus. “After 216 years of Congress denying D.C. residents congressional voting rights and full local self-government, we are on the cusp of another historic first for a D.C. statehood in a year of historic firsts for D.C. statehood,” Norton said. “Thanks to Sen. Carper’s leadership, as well as the work of D.C. residents and local and national advocacy groups, over 90 percent of Senate Democrats are co-sponsoring the D.C. statehood bill, a record by a large margin. We will take every opportunity including using the procedural tools of the Senate, to highlight to the American public the importance of D.C. statehood.”
“
Senate Puts D.C. Statehood Bill on its Calendar—A First
We have to stop being passive-aggressive with poor children about domestic violence. I plan to take these policies to Congress and implore them to change our laws. I will not stop until these policies are passed.
“
SOMETHING NEW EVERYDAY
Women the Cycle of wi hotBreak topics Domestic Violence Federal Judge Orders The Fish Market Reopens
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L.Y. Marlow
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THRIVE Steps in to Aid Struggling Ward 8 Residents D.C. Non-Profit, City Agencies Coordinate East of The River By Lindiwe Vilakazi Contributing WI Writer Ward 8 residents are the first of neighboring wards to participate in THRIVE East of The River, a non-profit based initiative to empower and assist families struggling with food and economic insecurities amid and beyond COVID-19. Four District non-profit groups, Martha’s Table, 11th Street Bridge Park, Far Southeast Family Strengthening Collaborative (FSFSC) and Bread For The City, convened to create a five-month program of allocated resources for a series of anti-displacement strategies in support of 500 participating families across Ward 8. “Economic insecurity has been huge. Nationally, we’ve been seeing a much higher unemployment rate in the African American community, people of color, than in the White community - and that is particularly true in Ward 8 east of the river,” said Scott Kratz, Director of 11th Street Bridge Park. THRIVE East of The River grew out of a brainstorming session last fall meeting when Kim Ford of Martha’s Table, Kratz of 11th Street Bridge Park, Dionne Reeder of FSFSC and George Jones of Bread for The City, tried to figure out how to maximize individual resources for a larger collective impact to the Ward 8 community. Working directly with the Department of Employment Services and the office of the deputy mayor of planning and economic development, the team of agencies collaborate to deploy resources based on enhancing unemployment insurance consulting. Because the THRIVE organizations already receive funding from federal and local agencies to operate their individual programs, they have turned to private fundraising to fuel the new grassroots initiative. So far, they have secured roughly $3.4 million dollars. “COVID actually pushed more foundations and philanthropists
in the direction of helping,” said Dionne Reeder, executive director and CEO of Far Southeast Family Strengthening Collaborative. The impact of the pandemic and the swirl of protests growing out of the nationwide reaction to highly publicized incidents of police brutality combined to ignite “our philanthropist and foundations to really see their role in providing some financial support for the injustices that are occurring in a lot of our challenged communities.”
Ward 8 residents are the
5 East of the River volunteers distribute dry goods to Ward 8 families. (Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer)
first of neighboring wards to participate in THRIVE East of The River, a non-profit based initiative to empower and assist families struggling with food and economic insecurities amid and beyond COVID-19.
Each organization conducts their own research heavily focused on data identifying driving factors that push families to either success or desperation across Ward 8, carefully tailoring the project’s benefits to ensure they do not jeopardize recipient’s current federal subsidies. For instance, one unanticipated impact of the pandemic is aiding families in the effort to make sure remote education is effective when the parents themselves lack the proper education to guide home schooling. Virtual learning has posed a major hurdle for scores of Ward 8 families.
THRIVE Page 39
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black facts SEPT 10 - 16, 2020
SOURCE: BLACK AMERICA WEB
SEPT. 10
1961 – Jomo Kenyatta, Kenya’s first president, returns from exile to lead the country 1976 – Mordecai Johnson, the first Black president of Howard University, dies in Washington, D.C.
SEPT. 11
1942 – Singer and actress Lola Falana is born in Camden, New Jersey. 1970 – Actress and Howard University alumna Taraji P. Henson, best known for the hit TV show “Empire,” is born in Washington, D.C. 1977 – “Roots,” the television miniseries based on Alex Haley’s 1976 novel, wins 9 awards at the 19th annual Emmys. 1987 – Reggae great Peter Tosh is murdered in Kingston, Jamaica, during a home invasion.
ar and “Dean” of the Harlem Renaissance, is born in Philadelphia. 1996 – Rap great Tupac Shakur (top) dies in Las Vegas after being shot six days earlier.
SEPT. 14
1861 – Abolitionist John Rock, the first Black person 1913 – Four-time Olympic gold medalist Jesse to be admitted to the bar of the Supreme Court of the United Owens is born in Oakville, Alabama. States, gains admittance to the Massachusetts Bar. 1977 – Steve Biko, famed anti-apartheid activist, dies in police custody in Pretoria, South Africa. 1992 – Astronaut Mae Jemison (right) be- SEPT. 15 1963 – Four African American girls are killed in the bombcomes the first African American woman to travel ing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alin space. abama.
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1889 – Claude Barnett, founder of the Associated Negro Press, is born in Sanford, Florida. 1925 – Legendary blues singer and guitarist B.B. King is born in Itta Bena, Mississippi. WI
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OKEY KANU / LAGOS, NIGERIA
What a worthy and giant step Akon has taken with the drop of the first stone for Akon City. I pray that he will live and prosper to see it through by God’s Grace. And I pray that I will live to see the finished city and my desire to step on the soil of the city. Senegal and indeed Africa is proud of you, your vision and your achievements.
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One of the inevitable realities that comes with growing older is the ability to actually recall seminal moments in history that have not only impacted and shaped your life but which continue to exist as critical events – their significance acknowledged as being much more than a few footnotes on the pages of life. September 11, 2001 serves as such a moment in my life and in American’s story. And while this Friday will mark the 19th anniversary of that tragic date in American history, the reason I’ll never forget it has almost nothing to do with my own life and what I felt on that day but what could have happened to my children and how their futures could have been tragically changed forever. In retrospect, one of things that I remember most about 9/11 was how similar the day first began, almost a mirror image of any other day – until it suddenly and inexplicably changed, like a shape-shifter, into something more reminiscent of a nightmare than a daydream. Back then, I was a beat reporter based in Chicago – relatively new in my career as a journalist and
eager to establish my own unique voice and make a name for myself in the business. It was a Tuesday morning and the newsroom was buzzing with activity as my fellow reporters and the editors booted up our computers, checked the
In retrospect, one of things that I remember most about 9/11 was how similar the day first began, almost a mirror image of any other day – until it suddenly and inexplicably changed, like a shape-shifter, into something more reminiscent of a nightmare than a daydream. latest news reports and grabbed a few donuts and some coffee. As they say in the business, we were going to press. Then, just before 9 a.m., the publisher rushed into the newsroom – his face glowing, white and so bereft of blood that he
looked like the proverbial ghost. The fax machine was going berserk as page after page came pouring nonstop out of its mouth – vomited on the floor in an unruly pile of sheets that grew bigger with every passing minute. It seemed almost surreal when the publisher shouted, “stop the presses.” Wasn’t that the line often used in the movies when we’re given a hint that something terrible has just happened requiring Clark Kent and Lois Lane to grab their pads, pens and coats and rush to the scene of the crime? Had someone robbed a bank? Did the stock market crash? Had someone “important” been kidnapped or murdered or found guilty of some heinous crime? It was much worse. America was under attack. We were all stunned. As more information was released, we learned that through a series of four coordinated terrorist attacks led by 19 members of the Islamic terrorist group al-Qaeda, four passenger airlines had been hijacked as a means of initiating four deadly suicide missions. In the end, 2,996 people died,
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As Chief Judge, Josey-Herring Wants a More People-Friendly Court
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By James Wright WI Staff Writer @JamesDCWrighter D.C. Superior Court Chief Judge-designate Anita Josey-Herring wants to make sure the general public and legal professionals who deal with the District’s trial court system are treated fairly and professionally and has ideas on how she will make that happen as the first female to hold that position. Josey-Herring will be sworn in as the new chief judge of the D.C. Superior Court on Oct. 16, after serving almost 23 years as an associate judge and having been selected by the D.C. Judicial Nomination Commission as its new leader on July 21. A holder of a juris doctorate from the Georgetown University Law Center in 1987, Josey-Herring clerked for D.C. Associate Superior Court Judge Herbert Dixon before working for the D.C. Public Defender’s Service, where she rose from staff attorney to deputy director. In 1997, President Clinton appointed her to the Superior Court bench where she has worked in most divisions of the court, serving as the presiding judge in the Family Division. Reappointed by President Obama in 2012, Josey-Herring decided to apply for the chief judge’s position upon the retirement of Robert E. Morin. “I have been involved in this community for many decades and I am committed to public service,” Josey-Herring told the Informer. “I see the position of chief judge as one that can make the community better. I have a passion for justice and when people come to the courthouse, I want them to see all types of people on the bench and I want them to be treated fairly and equitably.” Josey-Herring wants people to realize that judges “have walked in their shoes.” She said her goal will be to set policies and implement her vision of a court focusing on equal protection, due process and justice for all. “I want the court to be a fair place for people,” Josey-Herring said. Josey-Herring will manage a trial court system with 62 judges—associate, magistrate and senior--and
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5 D.C. Associate Superior Court Judge Anita Josey-Herring will be sworn in Oct. 16 as the new chief judge. (Courtesy photo/National Association of Women Judges)
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support staff working in the criminal, civil, family, landlord and tenant, probate, tax and driving violations divisions. She said during the coronavirus pandemic, people are taking care of their legal matters virtually or by telephone instead of coming to the courthouse. Josey-Herring said the virtual process has worked well so far. She said when the pandemic ceases, a feasibility study likely will be commissioned to see what aspects should remain for the benefit of the public. Josey-Herring said she realizes visiting the courthouse can be an intimidating process. She said measures such as making the courtroom’s furnishings more elegant, having a childcare section for people visiting the court and a public board at the entrance of the courthouse where judges’ names, rooms and cases are listed are in place. Josey-Herring also wants to expand the utilization of
members of the District of Columbia Bar Association in helping people with their legal matters. Josey-Herring said employees who possess up-to-date skills often deal with the public the best and would like continuing education to be mandatory. “Our employees are expected but not required to take 10 hours of continuing education but I would like to change that,” she said. “We offer our employees courses in the tech field, soft skills in dealing with the public but everyone is required to take implicit bias and sexual harassment training.” Being the first woman to lead the District’s trial court system excites Josey-Herring. She said a step forward has taken place in a branch of the District government. “Women and girls have something to look forward to,” she said. “A glass ceiling has been shattered.” WI
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AROUND THE REGION CAPTURE THE MOMENT ACTIVISTS IN ACTION A small group of protesters showed up at Popeyes on Ritchie Station Court in Capitol Heights, Md., on Sept. 7, in response to the physical abuse of a woman by an off-duty police officer that was caught on video. (Anthony Tilghman/ The Washington Informer)
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The CDC Enacts Temporary Eviction Ban Through 2020
Agency Says COVID-19 an Historic Threat to Nation’s Public Health By Sarafina Wright WI Contributing Writer The Trump administration, through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has called for a halt to evictions through the end of the year to further prevent the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. The CDC issued the order last week as countless Americans faced eviction — a result of the coronavirus pandemic, which has upended the economy and sent jobless claims soaring. The agency says keeping people in their homes is what’s best for public health. “In the context of a pandemic, eviction moratoria—like quarantine, isolation, and social distancing—can be an effective public health measure utilized to prevent the spread of communicable disease,” the CDC said. “Eviction moratoria facilitate self-isolation by people who become ill or who are at risk for severe illness from COVID-19 due to an underlying medical condition.” The agency said that temporarily banning evictions will allow state and local authorities to implement stayat-home and social distancing orders to mitigate the community spread of COVID-19. “Furthermore, housing stability helps protect public health because homelessness increases the likelihood of individuals moving into congregate settings, such as homeless shelters, which then puts individuals at higher risk to
COVID-19,” the CDC said. “The ability of these settings to adhere to best practices, such as social distancing and other infection control measures, decreases as populations increase.” To invoke the order, the agency requires lessees and residents of residential properties to provide to their landlord an executed copy of a CDC declaration form. Each adult listed on the lease, rental agreement, or housing contract must also complete a declaration form. The CDC says the declaration, under penalty of perjury, would indicate that an individual will not earn more than $99,000 for the calendar year of 2020, or $198,000 if filing a joint tax return. The measure addresses individuals who, the administration said, have used best efforts to obtain all available government assistance for rent or housing. It also said the measure addresses those who are using their best efforts to make timely partial payments that are as close to the full payment as the individual’s circumstances may permit. In addition, the measure said that it aids those for whom eviction would likely render the individual homeless— or force the individual to move into and live in close quarters in a new congregate or shared living setting. The order does not relieve any residents of the obligation to pay rent, nor does it prevent evictions for other reasons other than financial payments.
AROUND THE REGION
It also does nothing to prevent fees, penalties, or interest as a result of the failure to pay rent or other housing payments on a timely basis per the individuals’ leasing agreement. “To respond to this public health threat, the federal, state, and local governments have taken unprecedented or exceedingly rare actions, including border closures, restrictions on travel, stay-at- home orders, mask requirements, and eviction moratoria,” the CDC writes said. “Despite these best efforts, COVID-19 continues to spread and further action is needed.” As of Sept. 5, there have been over 26 million cases of COVID-19 globally resulting in over 800,000 deaths. In the U.S., six million cases have been identified with over 188,000 deaths due to the disease. WI
5 The CDC has issued a temporary halt on evictions nationwide. (Courtesy photo/NPR)
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SEPTEMBER 10 - 16, 2020 11
PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY Vote Like Your Life Depends on It: Panel By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill Less than two months away from the Nov. 3 general election, NAACP President Derrick Johnson suggested three ways for Americans to overcome attempts at voter suppression: policy change, legal action and voter turnout. “That is the trajectory we must be on,” Johnson said. “We are done dying and public policy is killing us. We must take the
power in our own hands.” Johnson joined a panel Thursday, Sept. 3 entitled “From the Mailbox to the Ballot Box: Exercising Your Right to Vote in the Age of COVID-19.” It marked the fourth day of the Con- 5 Sherrilyn Ifill, president and director-counsel for NAACP Legal Defense Fund, participates on a virtual voting panel Sept. 3 during gressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Congressional Black Caucus Foundation annual legislative conference. (Screen grab: CBCF) annual legislative conference which ican participation in the nation’s his“It’s not often you get a chance to provisions to increase federal superviwas held virtually for the first time. The conference, usually held at the tory and will feature topics on crim- meet your real-life hero,” said Rep. sion on state election policies, mainly Walter E. Washington Convention inal justice reform and statehood for Terri Sewell (D-Ala.). “When I think in southern states and to eliminate about John’s legacy, nothing was pre-clearance policy changes, such as Center in Northwest, will be con- D.C. A key participant will be missing more important than voting rights.” requiring photo ID’s to vote. ducted online through Oct. 2. The House voted in December to The U.S. Supreme Court in 2003 This year’s theme, “Now is Our this year: the late Rep. John Lewis update the Voting Rights Act with ruled the law’s pre-clearance proviTime,” focuses on the African Amer- (D-Ga.). sion focused on data from decades ago that is not relevant to today. The Democratic-controlled House voted to rename the voting rights bill for Lewis in July, but remains in the Senate, a chamber controlled by the social “This is going to be a historic turnout maintain GOP. for this election and we’re going to do distance during the On Thursday, the speakers spoke everything we can to prepare for it.” ongoing coronaviabout this year’s election with elected Alsobrooks said the county expects rus pandemic. Beofficials in the South such as Senate voter turnout to exceed the number of cause of the virus, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell voters who showed up to cast ballots voters are encour(R). He faces a challenge in Kentucky aged to primarily in the June 2 primary. from Democratic nominee Amy McAccording to final audit numbers, cast their ballots by Grath. out of 521,877 ballots mailed, about mail. “All Black folks need to be depuThousands of 240,880 voters, or 46 percent, partictized and see themselves responsible ipated in this year’s primary election. Maryland voters for at least 10 voters (to vote),” said Approximately 231,711 voters re- have received apLaTosha Brown, co-founder of the turned their ballots by mail or placed plications to apply 5 Mail-in ballot requests from each Maryland jurisdiction. Black Voters Matter Fund, a nonfor mail-in ballots. (Photo: Courtesy of Maryland Board of Elections) them in drop-off boxes. profit organization that pushes for As of Thursday, The 46% turnout was second only Black participation in voter registraThe state approved for Prince to voter participation in the 2008 a p p rox i m a t e l y tion through grassroots movement. George’s 11 early voting sites to have primary when Barack Obama and 497,514 voters have requested mail-in “Who is setting the policy priorities and have selected 29 high schools for Hillary Clinton were competing for ballots, according to the state board of in this country right now? They’re the Nov. 3 election. the Democratic presidential nomina- elections. from Kentucky. They’re from South Prince George’s Election AdminisAbout 51,300 ballot requests came tion. During that election, about 48 Carolina…where Black folks are livpercent of registered voters in Prince from Prince George’s, which ranks trator Alisha Alexander said the couning. It’s not just about participation, fourth in the state. The highest num- ty is trying to recruit election judges George’s cast a ballot. If FedEx Field gets approved to be- ber of mail-in requests --124,551-- who are registered Republicans. If not but it’s about power.” Sherrilyn Ifill, president and dicome a polling center, voting stations came from neighboring Montgomery enough are available, she said regisrector-counsel for NAACP Legal tered voters who are registered as inwould be set up along the concourse County. Defense Fund, said the country faces For those who choose to vote in dependent would be used in place of area. two pandemics: COVID-19 and racThe move not only would provide person, early voting in Maryland runs a Republican judge. WI a larger venue, but also keep voters from Oct. 26 to Nov. 2.
Fed-Ex Field Eyed as a Nov. 3 Voting Site in Prince George’s By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill FedEx Field in Landover could be transformed into a polling center for Prince George’s County voters on Election Day. Before voting booths, ballots and elections judges converge at the more than 80,000-seat stadium, the Maryland Board of Elections plan to meet Friday, Sept. 11 and must grant formal approval. The county’s Board of Elections scheduled an emergency meeting Wednesday, Sept. 9 for the stadium to become its 41st polling center for the presidential general election Nov. 3. “We are going to do everything we in our power to make sure that absolutely nothing stops Prince George’s County from being able to show up in this next election,” said County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, who told reporters about the plan at a Sept. 3 news conference.
12 - SEPTEMBER 10 - 16, 2020
VOTE Page 51
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PGCPS BRIEFS
school to explore and share their favorite books, engage in games, and other fun activities. The virtual reading club is held Mondays at 5:30 p.m. and can be accessed via Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/ j/87105353853?pwd=RGtYWmVISnBlRWZlVFhwMW1iTEE2UT09.
‘GRAB N’ GO’ MEALS Compiled by Dorothy Rowley WI Staff Writer
LEARNING DISTANCE HOTLINE
Prince George’s County Public Schools’ new Distance Learning Hotline is 240-696-6229 and is available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Parent Support Centers will also be available to assist with technical/equipment issues, instructional guidance and more. If students are unable to attend scheduled classes, parents must communicate the reason via email to the student’s classroom teacher. Families are also encouraged to look for tips on the school system’s social media pages.
IMMUNIZATIONS STILL REQUIRED
Although PGCPS will offer distance learning for the first semester, students must meet state immunization requirements within 20 calendar days of enrollment or by Sept. 21. PGCPS is hosting free immunization clinics at multiple school sites to assist families with meeting immunization requirements. These services are offered in collaboration with the Prince George’s County Health Department and the Maryland Partnership for Prevention. In order to adhere to social distancing guidelines, immunizations will be offered by appointment only and masks will be required. Temperatures will also be taken upon arrival.
BOYS READ PROGRAM
The Virtual Boys Read Program is a great opportunity for male students in elementary and middle
Breakfast and lunch will be available for pickup at most schools — and delivery in many communities — on Mondays and Wednesdays between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Students who are not eligible for free and reduced-price meals can purchase breakfast and lunch.
VIRTUAL ATHLETICS
The first semester of athletics will be virtual and feature three sport seasons: fall, winter and spring. During the first semester, athletes will have the opportunity to virtually participate in lessons for college and career readiness, academic achievement, recruitment preparation, physical activities, social, emotional and mental well-being and sport specific information. Interscholastic athletics will start at the lowest risk level for participation. In December, a determination will be made on how PGCPS will continue delivering instruction for the second semester. Once that decision has been made, direction will be provided regarding face-toface participation in sports.
LESSONS ON PGCPS-TV
Lessons will air through Sept. 18 on PGCPS-TV (channel 96/ Comcast and 38/Verizon) for students in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade who do not have a computer for learning at home and have not yet received a PGCPS device. Televised lessons will cover reading, math, science and social studies aligned with classroom content. Art, dance, music and physical education lessons as well as weekly language immersion and “Montessori Moments” will also be broadcast. WI
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY
A Note to My Grandchildren
My beautiful grand-toddlers, you are growing up in challenging times- a global health pandemic taking hundreds of thousands of lives and a racial brutality pandemic taking Black lives. A virus called COVID-19 has overcome the world-closing businesses, churches and forcing millions of Americans who had stable employment to the unemployment line. All of this coupled with the police killing of unarmed Black citizens for menial offenses. These killings have brought nationwide forceful protest unlike anything we’ve seen in this nation’s history. Rest assured, you are covered by God’s love and your parents will keep you safe and well. At some point in your lives, they will help you put this historic moment in context. The cacophony of protest voices have brought together a unified symphony ringing loud to protect Black lives. However, I was raised during a time when the song of social justice and healing rang; unfortunately, little changed. This time, for your sakes, I pray change will come. I was born and raised in the Queensbridge Housing Projects in the great borough of Queens, New York. Let me remind you, a Mets fan you will become! Anyway, ask your parents and they’ll tell youQueensbridge is the mecca of hip-hop. Roxanne Shante, Nas, Tragedy Khadafi and Capone were the first Urban Poets. Queensbridge was conceived in 1939 by the President Franklin Roosevelt Administration and remains the largest public housing project in the United States. Originally programmed for low income Whites to transition to the middle class, right around the period I was born in the 1950’s, Queensbridge was reprogrammed to segregate a rising low income Black population. You see, I was born in segregation! Your great grandmother (my mom) was a high school graduate where upon graduation, for one year, she attended New York University majoring in English. Your great grandfather (my dad) was a Navy veteran who fought in the Korean War. When my brother (your grand uncle Robert) came of school age, it was expected that we would attend the local public school. This dissipated when on our first day of school my mom overheard two teachers saying, “how many of them do you have in your class?” My brother and I were not seen as children, we were them. Within seconds, we were taken out of public school and enrolled in the Catholic school miles away from my community. Ironically the school was in the middle of segregated boundaries- one white the other black. My dad’s hard work and tax dollars could not place me in a public school where we could be children. He and my mom gambled that a religious education would prepare me. As she told me, “David, you have to adjust in this white world.” I went to elementary school in the turbulent 1960’s where racial and social unrest was commonplace. My school days saw the assassination of a United States President and the murder of gifted social justice martyrs, but the bright side saw these tragedies bring together a multiracial cohort that seemed poised to forge an integrated society. Fast forward, today we remain segregated. It was segregation and presumption of guilt based on race that was on the neck of George Floyd, that barged into the home of Breonna Taylor, that shot Treyvon Martin & that choked Eric Garner. Just as my parents had few housing options, today too many Black people have few options. Where you live impacts health and education funding leaving many segregated Black communities with underfunded schools, inadequate healthcare and a presumption of fault. Segregation is one of the root causes of the stark inequities between white and black people. In homeownership, 74% of Whites own homes while 44% of Blacks own their homes. In terms of wealth, that is money, property, investments which can be passed on to you, for every dollar, Blacks make .10 cents compared to Whites. This means there is a .90 cent gap between White and Black wealth. For your sakes, I pray that the current movement will tackle the structures and policies that feed inequities. Removing these and adding others that bring every community great schools, access to wealth and health must be the goal. By the time you are of the age of consent that is voting and being civically engaged, hopefully segregation will be gone and no longer a barrier for your aspirational goals!
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BUSINESS A New Black Renaissance Popping in Prince George’s By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill Leon Chapman slowly walked alongside a table covered with handmade soaps, colorful earrings and other accessories. But the Capitol Heights resident wanted a specific item from Malik’s Fashion Boutique: a lightly scented oil called “Amber White.” “I just got this little bottle that will last me for a month,” Chapman said Saturday, Sept. 5 outside Everlasting Life Restaurant in Capitol Heights. “It is very important for the community to have something like this [during COVID-19 pandemic]. It is nice
to see people being able to survive and still make a living.” Chapman purchased his small ounce bottle of oil during the first day of the Black Wall Street Renaissance pop-up shopping bazaar at Everlasting Life. The free community event will last a week until Saturday, Sept. 12 for almost a dozen Black vendors to showcase art, African garb, books and other merchandise. The week-long exhibit held every first Saturday of the month is designed to become a commercial fixture aimed at circulating cash locally, especially in majority-Black Prince George’s County. The idea is emulate the bustling commercial district that thrived a century ago in Tulsa, Okla.’s Green-
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5 Lark Dixon, left, owner of Finding All the Chakras, listens to customers Sept. 5 during Black Wall Street Renaissance at Everlasting Life Restaurant in Capitol Heights. (Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer)
wood district where an estimated 10,000 African Americans settled and established commercial hub that included grocery and clothing stores, barbershops and hair salons, a bank and even a Black newspaper called The Tulsa Star. “We just decided a couple of years ago to help support small and local vendors,” said Al-Qamar Malik, owner of Malik’s Fashion Boutique and who helped organize the event in Capitol Heights. “This is to circulate our dollars within the community. What better way to do it than through a renaissance?” Baruch Ben-Yehubah, owner and founder of Everlasting Life, opened his health-conscious business 20 years ago in Prince George’s. He launched similar businesses five years earlier in the District with two other establishments at the Anacostia Arts Center in Southeast and Takoma area in Northwest. Ben-Yehubah said plans are in the works to open a
fourth location by next year. Also available was an eatery with a vegan menu that offered chopped chicken salad, seaweed wrapped fish, green cabbage and a variety of smoothies. Besides the various vendors, the restaurant presented a cold salad
The week-long exhibit held every first Saturday of the month is designed to become a commercial fixture aimed at circulating cash locally, especially in majority-Black Prince George’s County.
bar Saturday that included olives, salsa, guacamole, and non-dairy cheese. Although Prince George’s 2018 health data showed improvements in the state of health care facilities, both primary care and dental care, the county ranked last among the state of Maryland’s 24 jurisdictions for residents uninsured and near the bottom of diabetes monitoring. “Even though this community has changed quite a bit at least economically, the health disparity is still prevalent,” Ben-Yehubah said. “We, as a business, are established to have an alternative to what is contributing to the problem. We want to contribute to the solution.” Some vendors such as Emeka and Deneshia Oruada link its merchandise back to Africa. The couple from Oxon Hill sell colorful $15 masks for children and adults with fabric from Emeka Oruada’s homeland of Nigeria. Each mask has a small, clear visor attached that can be flipped up to cover the eyes. “We’re connecting on the continent to have them designed and made there and bring them here to all of our people,” said Deneshia Oruada, an intelligence analyst for the federal government who established Black Travel Brand with her husband last year. “We have about 4,000 on stock. We can protect an army.” WI
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Prospering During Pandemic, is Zoom Here to Stay? By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer @StacyBrownMedia Remember when Bill Gates started Microsoft and Mark Zuckerberg opened Facebook? While it’s widely known Microsoft and Facebook started respectively in the 1980s and 2000s, not a lot of significance was given to the opening of these now multi-billion-dollar companies. It appears Zoom will follow in their footsteps. The nine-year-old virtual platform became popular when the coronavirus pandemic began as its not only the home for business meetings, but social and religious gatherings, education, and events like weddings and funerals. MSN reported that Zoom has a market capitalization of $129 billion and is now worth more than IBM and twice as valuable as VMware. In 2019, CEO Eric Yuan had a net worth of about $3 billion. Today, Forbes places Yuan’s value at approximately $20 billion. In its most recent earnings report, the company said revenue over the last quarter increased a whopping 355 percent from a year earlier, as many companies struggle to stay afloat with the deadly pandemic still raging. And, if there were any doubt that Zoom is here to stay, business owners and many users in and around the District said they are committed for the long haul. “Even after the pandemic, Zoom will be a part of everyone’s
daily life. It’s a convenient way to reach out to people, especially those who are far from you,” stated Dennis Bell, the founder, and CEO of Byblos Coffee. “Regardless of the time zone differences, you can easily communicate effectively. It provides a lot of opportunities to interact virtually with your team. Zoom can also record videos that allow you to store and have access to it whenever needed. It is also a convenient way to replay a part of your meetings for recording purposes. Zoom was here even before the pandemic, and it is likely here to stay and be a part of the business and people’s lives,” Bell said. Erik Rivera, the CEO of the online telehealth platform, ThriveTalk, said he currently attends as many as 20 Zoom meetings per week. Rivera said the video chat platform is facilitating his business. “As we have moved our operations model entirely online, moving forward, I can only predict that this number will stay high,” Rivera said. Mark Hayes, the head of marketing at the advice and tutoring company, Kintell, said he’s also attending countless Zoom meetings and believes they’re here to stay. “At this point, it went from a novelty to standard procedure,” Hayes declared. “In my view, the coronavirus taught the world that a lot of roles could be carried out remotely, for better or for worse.” There are skeptics, however.
BUSINESS Children and Property Aimee D. Griffin, Esq I previously outlined the schedule of topics I want to discuss each article, but often my experiences compel me to deviate from the plan. This summer, we have had too many cases where an issue with real property has presented itself. We know that there is a correlation between generational wealth and property ownership. Historically, there has been strategic obstacles placed to hinder ownership as a method to oppress a community of people. When a married couple buys a property together, it is owned as Tenants by the Entirety. Subsequently, when one spouse passes away, the other spouse is able to automatically receive the other’s interest in the property. The tenancy by the entirety can be terminated by death of one spouse (as in the previous example), divorce or by mutual agreement by the couple. When the tenancy by the entirety is terminated through divorce or mutual agreement, the property is then owned as tenants in common. Each interest is passed at death to the decedent’s heirs. Too often, I have seen couples who have experienced a divorce and the real property deed has not been adjusted to reflect the change in ownership. In two very recent cases, shares of ownership has passed to minors. Minors do not have legal capacity to enter into contract. The law considers them as being in a disabled state. We have recently supported a family who has lost their mom. She and the father are divorced, but are both on the deed for the family home. The mom passed away without a Will. The father lives in the home with the minor children. There will need to be a guardian appointed for the children, even though the father will be the guardian. He will have to report to the court to make sure that their assets are protected. When we have minor children, we should be thoughtful about how to provide for them. Although it may seem logical that the father is the natural and legal custodian of the property, the court needs to protect the children from misappropriation of the assets. The truth is, the remaining parent is not always the most responsible. In many cases, a divorce happens due to the financial concerns of one parent. We must take the steps to protect our children and the assets of our children. Laws concerning how property passes upon death differs state to state. In Virginia, property drops like a rock to descendants. This is a great benefit for many adult beneficiaries. However, if there is no Will, the drop can become quite complicated. Heir property is often lost because of the number of people who become “owners” of the property without the ability to control and manage the property. Too many times, people are not willing to continue to pay the taxes without receiving the benefit. As the Center for Heir property states “Generations pass, seasons change, but the land remains”. We should position our land so that the future generations will grow with the land and the land provides a legacy for the future of our families.
ZOOM Page 52
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5 Is Zoom here to stay? (Photo courtesy of Vanessa Julye via Friends Journal)
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SEPTEMBER 10 - 16, 2020 15
NATIONAL Can an Unhinged President Trump Legally Withhold Funding from the District? By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer @StacyBrownMedia Donald Trump is a lot of things to a lot of people. Most notably – and perhaps most disturbing to a growing portion of the 330 million people who call this country home – he is president of the United States of America. This is the first in a series by the Washington Informer titled, “Unhinged,” that will chronicle the behavior, race-baiting and well-documented lies that have marked Trump’s presidency. In a newsletter emailed earlier this week, the New York Times noted that “Trump breaks so many of the normal rules of politics that it can sometimes be hard to know when his tweets and comments are truly newsworthy.” The Old Gray Lady declared, “even by his standards, though, the past several days have stood out.” In a barrage of what most point to as flat-out lies, Trump claimed there was an airplane “completely loaded with thugs,” who were wearing “dark uniforms” preparing to do “big damage.” The Times and other outlets pointed out that Trump’s claim reflected a previous baseless conspiracy theory that went viral earlier in the summer. Only, Trump suggested it was currently happening. “People in dark shadows” are controlling Democratic Presidential Nominee Joe Biden, Trump railed before falsely stating that the Democratic National Convention didn’t discuss law enforcement and the police. “Those words were never mentioned,” Trump proclaimed.
On the contrary, Biden held a discussion at the convention on policing – with a police chief. The president has not only been caught lying almost daily since taking office but he’s shown just how dangerous his rhetoric and race-baiting can be. He invited the gun-toting Missouri couple to speak at the Republican National Convention – the same couple who pointed weapons at peaceful, mostly African-American protestors. Trump has claimed that Biden and the Democrats are trying to destroy the suburbs with low-income housing and “with that comes a lot of other problems, including crime.” Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Trump said, would be in charge of it. Many observers noted the dog-whistle – Booker, who is Black, would be the new Housing and Urban Development Secretary under a Biden administration and he’d allow urban Black thugs to move into the lily-white suburbs and there goes the neighborhood. What else makes Trump dangerous? For District residents, one immediate concern is the president’s recent threat to withhold federal funding because of his disdain for Mayor Muriel Bowser. (Trump’s disdain for women, particularly those of color, has not gone unnoticed.) In a signed memo, Trump asked agencies to look into whether federal funding provided to D.C. and other cities can be redirected. Specifically, he directed the agencies to see whether D.C. officials have intervened with local enforcement efforts to “restore order amid widespread or sustained violence or destruction”; defunded or
16 - SEPTEMBER 10 - 16, 2020
5 “Our cities, and the millions of Americans we represent, are not President Trump’s political pawns,” says D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser.” (WI File Photo)
“disempowered” police departments; refused assistance from the federal government in the form of additional law enforcement; and withdrew law enforcement from areas they usually tend to.” The memo says U.S. Attorney General William Barr has 14 days to develop a list of “anarchist jurisdictions.” White House budget director Russ Vought then has about a month to issue guidance on how those funds can be redirected. “My Administration will not allow federal tax dollars to fund cities that
allow themselves to deteriorate into lawless zones,” Trump wrote in the memo. “He can’t do that, Congress wouldn’t let him,” New Jersey Democratic Congressman Donald Payne, Jr., told the Informer. “We have laws.” Bowser also responded. “Our cities, and the millions of Americans we represent, are not President Trump’s political pawns,” said the mayor, whom Trump called “radically liberal.” “The president, instead of talking about the failures of the last four
years, especially the COVID-19 national response, the failure of the economy and the failure to move meaningful legislation for the people, whether its unemployment or small business relief, as a distraction, he’s focused on American cities, where millions of Americans live,” Bowser said. “I said the other day that a president who attacks American cities is really attacking America,” she added. D.C. Democratic Delegate Eleanor Holmes-Norton noted that
TRUMP Page 52
Report: Fox News Running Recycled Footage to Stoke Fears, Push Trump Agenda By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer @StacyBrownMedia Keeping in lockstep with President Donald Trump, Fox News continues to help stoke fears by deceptively recycling old footage of violent acts and presenting them as current news, according to the media watchdog group, Media Matters. The president’s favorite network, which caters to almost every Trump whim, used its prime-time programming to bombard frightened followers
with incendiary images of violence that were “days or months old” in August. According to the nonprofit organization, Fox’s prime time lineup of Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham ran 3 hours and 15 minutes of “violent” imagery last month that included images or videos of burning objects or fires 81 times. The watchdog group also said that on “at least” 50 occasions, the images Fox used in its programming about ongoing chaos were more than five days old. According to Media Matters, more than 20 of those images used in August dated
back to May and June. “Fox News is bombarding their viewers with imagery of violence that is often out of date and placed in order to manufacture a narrative that chaos is brewing and that there is an existential threat on the horizon,” Media Matters President/CEO Angeloa Carusone told the New York Daily News. “To put it bluntly, they’re working their audience into a fear-fueled frenzy with an intent to stoke violence. The network is flirting with violence because they think it serves their political interests,” she said. WI
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NATIONAL
National Health Aging Month Shines Light on America’s Seniors By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer @StacyBrownMedia
Experts believe the number of older adults in the U.S. will reach nearly 71 million by 2030. And according to data compiled by AARP, this expanding older adult population will significantly affect the nation’s public health system and increase the demand for aging-related services. September counts as National Healthy Aging Month, a time of the year during which greater attention is given to the lives and contributions of seniors as well as the health challenges they face. “Spend time with elderly people or call your local nursing home and ask if there’s something you can do to support their residents as they deal with COVID-19,” said Aaron Blight, founder of Caregiving Kinetics and the author of the upcom-
ing book, “When Caregiving Calls: Guidance as You Care for a Parent, Spouse, or Aging Relative.” “Challenge cultural assumptions about aging or oldness. Rethink what retirement actually means, hire an older worker and write a letter to an elderly person who has been confined to their home during COVID-19,” Blight suggested. Jim Owen, a 79-year-old fitness enthusiast and the author and producer of “The Art of Aging Well,” airing this fall on PBS, says if we’ve learned anything from the pandemic, it’s that the people most vulnerable are those with underlying health conditions. “We know that these chronic diseases are, to some degree, lifestyle-related, so if you smoke, or are obese, or live a sedentary way of life, you are at higher risk of getting seriously ill or dying from the virus,” Owen noted. “The best way I’ve found to [im-
prove your health] is to focus on one healthy habit at a time – say, going for a walk every day – and challenging yourself to keep it up for 30 days. Then, make another small change. If you do that every month, imagine where you could be a year from now,” he said. Stephanie Erickson, a clinical social worker and author of the book, “Plan for Aging Well,” says the focus needs to center on a complete rebuild of the nation’s medical and healthcare system so older adults can receive care and support for “their body, mind and soul.” “Our current model is intervention and medically based and should include a balanced approach to provide opportunities for our emotional, psychological and spiritual wellbeing,” Erickson said. “Aging is scary for people and conversations about it are avoided, leaving older adults alone and without a clear plan of their expectations
5 September counts as National Healthy Aging Month – a time of the year during which greater attention is given to the lives and contributions of seniors as well as the health challenges they face. (Photo courtesy ncba-aging.org)
in terms of care and support as they age,” she said. “This creates unavoidable crises and family conflict.” “This pandemic has highlighted, very clearly, how little we support those who are aging. It is now time to rebuild the system completely,” Erickson added. Writer and educator Kathie Lapcevic believes older adults should focus on simplifying their lives. “It’s a good idea to avoid all the
crazy distractions which often lead people feeling overwhelmed as they try to do it all and to be all for everyone,” Lapcevic said. “Take time to live a life that is slower and more intentional with a focus on personal priorities, not those that are applied from social media or marketing.” For more information about older adults and National Healthy Aging Month, visit www.aarp.org or www. healthyaging.net. WI
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We need your participation to understand how COVID-19 may affect responses to vaccines. This may help you, your family, and your community. The NIH Clinical Center America’s Research Hospital is located in Bethesda, MD, at the Medical Center Metro stop.
Contact: NIH Clinical Center Office of Patient Recruitment 800-411-1222 (refer to study #19-I-0126) Se habla español Email: prpl@cc.nih.gov Website: https://gp.usa.gov/xpPgw TTY/ASCII: 800-877-8339 WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER
SEPTEMBER 10 - 16, 2020 17
NATIONAL
Federal Prisons Will Reinstate Visits in October By Sarafina Wright WI Contributing Writer After months of no outside contact due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) will allow in-person social visits for inmates at 122 of its facilities nationwide as of Saturday, Oct. 3. The BOP says all visits will be non-contact and social distancing between inmates and visitors will be enforced, either via the use of plexiglass, or similar barriers. Inmates in quarantine or isolation will not participate in social visiting. Both inmates and visitors must always wear appropriate face coverings and will perform hand hygiene just before and after the visit, according to the BOP. Visitors will also be symptom-screened and temperature-checked; visitors who are sick or symptomatic will not be allowed to visit. The number of guests allowed in the visiting room will be based on
available space when utilizing social distancing; the frequency and length of visits will be established to ensure all inmates have an opportunity to receive visits at least twice a month. Tables, chairs and other high-touch surfaces will be disinfected between visitation groups in line with sanitation guidance. The reinstatement of visitation comes almost seven months after the BOP froze visits at the onslaught of the pandemic. To help compensate for the suspension inmates were given 500 telephone minutes per month at no charge. As the weeks went on and COVID-19 numbers began to rise around the country, so did the number of cases for incarcerated people presenting what many have called a health hazard. Prison Policy Initiative, a nonprofit that advocates against mass incarceration said prisons and jails are amplifiers of infectious diseases such as the coronavirus, because social distancing is impossible inside and movement in
and out of facilities are common. The group says many jails around the U.S. have significantly decreased its population by releasing non-violent inmates with chronic diseases and complex medical needs who are more vulnerable to COVID-19. On the other hand, the country’s prisons have been slower to do so, resulting in several lawsuits from advocacy groups. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) have leveled lawsuits against dozens of prisons that they said weren’t doing enough to release vulnerable detainees and force officials to implement social distancing, augment hygienic practices and expand testing. By July, the ACLU alone filed over 30 lawsuits against prisons including Oakdale Federal Correctional Institution in Louisiana, which was once declared an epicenter of the virus. At the time of the suit five prisoners had died and the group charged that prison officials were not moving fast enough to prevent more deaths. Other suits followed in Dallas
(Courtesy photo/Copyright: 2013 Phil Harvey/Wikimedia Commons)
County and Shelby County in Memphis, Tenn. alleging unsafe conditions by not providing inmates supplies and equipment needed to stay safe from COVID-19. The ACLU says the lawsuits in many cases have worked to make inmates safer with getting better conditions inside along with the distribution of masks, hand sanitizer and other materials. “In response to these suits, officials have improved conditions in-
side and done so faster than they would have otherwise. This has unquestionably saved lives and slowed the spread of the virus.” As of Sept. 6, there are 1,823 federal inmates and 643 BOP staff who have tested positive for COVID-19. Since late March there have been 118 federal inmates and two BOP staff members deaths attributed to the respiratory disease. The BOP says of the inmate deaths, four occurred while on home confinement. WI
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Expert Says Finding A Solution For Mali’s Population Will Be “Difficult” Mali’s President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita announced his resignation on Wednesday, September 2, 2020 after the military detained him, putting the West African country into a deeper crisis as it fights jihadism in the Sahel. Keita was the target of mass protests since June, with people saying his seven-year rule was flawed with corruption. Mali is also in a dire economic situation and is one of the poorest countries in the world. The country is a key ally to West in the battle against jihadist threat in the region. In a statement carried overnight on state broadcaster ORTM, the mutinous soldiers who staged Tuesday’s coup identified themselves as the National Committee for the Salvation of the People led by Col. Maj. Ismael Wagué. “With you, standing as one, we can restore this country to its former greatness,” Wagué said, announcing that borders were closed and that a curfew was going into effect from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Wague said the committee will implement a transition to civil political rule with elections held in a “reasonable amount of time.” He reassured that all international agreements will still be respected and that international forces, including the U.N. mission in Mali and G5 Sahel, will remain in place “for the restoration of stability.” “It seems to me difficult that a junta could lead Mali,” Dr. Niagalé Bagayoko, Chair of the African Security Sector Network told Africa News. “It’ll be very difficult to find a solution the population will find legitimate today as all solutions that have been tried until now have been a failure.” Mali saw its last coup in 2012, which started at the same military base where shots were fired on Tuesday, sparking the latest events. There was no word on the future of the now former President Keita. The West African regional bloc ECOWAS said it was sending a high-level delegation to “ensure immediate return to constitutional order.” WI
caribbean now Jamaica’s Holness Wins Big In Bet On Early Elections Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness won big in his bet on early elections as his Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) captured 49 of 63 seats in Parliament, swamping the rival People’s National Party (PNP). Addressing the nation on a virtual livestream after the PNP conceded defeat Thursday evening, September 3, Holness congratulated Jamaicans for a smooth and fair election held amid restrictions aimed at stifling the coronavirus pandemic. “Tonight the victor is the people of Jamaica,” he declared. “What it says to me is that the Jamaican people are maturing in their outlook; they understand that populist policies can have destructive impact on the national good.” The party won despite a recent spike in COVID-19 cases that has threatened several years of strong economic growth. Debt had been shrinking, unemployment hit a record low and the stock market was booming. The JLP focused on pledges to rebuild the economy from the fallout of the pandemic, which has damaged tourism and exports. The PNP focused on providing social programs to assist the most vulnerable, including students, poor and working-class Jamaicans. Elections weren’t constitutionally due until February 2021, but on August 11, Holness called for a new general vote. WI
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September Greetings from DC Department of Aging and Community Living Laura Newland Director Department of Aging and Community Living We miss you! We miss seeing you at all of our events, connecting with you in the community, and celebrating with you. This month, I hope you’ll join us for the first ever Virtual Mayor’s Annual Senior Symposium scheduled for Tuesday, September 22, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. You can join us from your own living room by tuning in to Channel 16, watching online at http://video.oct. dc.gov/DCN, or join by phone at 1-844-881-1314. Normally, we’d all get together in- person for a day of entertainment, great food, dancing, fellowship and information sharing, but this year has been anything but normal. So, my team has been working to recreate some of these great experiences into something we can still enjoy together while staying safe at home. We’re excited to celebrate, dance and share information with you. For more details, check out the flyer on the next page. This month, we’re also celebrating the lives and legacies of our District centenarians. There are nearly 200 District residents 100 or older living in all eight wards of the city, according to the Social Security Administration. We’ve had the privilege of making connections with more than 40 centenarians identified in the community. We’ve learned about their life stories, tri- umphs, lessons learned and advice, which I’ve found especially helpful during this unprecedented time. For some, this isn’t their first
time experiencing a global pandemic. Mrs. Marillee Asher, an active artist who moved to DC during World War II, was recently in the news for surviving the Spanish Flu in 1918 and surviving COVID-19 this year at 107 years old! We also connected with Ms. Norine C. Berryman, who was the first woman taxi driver in the District! She’s served her community and her church for most of her life and prides herself on teaching her grandchildren how to do the electric slide! Mrs. Dorothy Boggess, who moved to D.C. to work for the District’s War Department in 1941, once wrote an article for the Washington Post about the contributions made by African Ameri- can women who came to D.C. to work during World War II. Mrs. Boggess’ early career is documented in American Dream Deferred: Black Federal Workers in Washington, D.C. 1941-1981, written by Frederick W. Gooding. Mr. Willie Covington always loved to sing, so in 1947 he joined the National Negro Opera Company (NNOC) and performed and traveled around the country. And our oldest centenarian, Ms. Dora Sylvia Credle, born July 21, 1911, is known for her kind personality and amazing cooking! Even at 109, she stays very active working around the house and in the community. We’re looking forward to celebrating the longevity and accomplishments of our centenarians this month, and invite you to follow along on social media at @dcagingnews on twitter and Insta- gram September 14 – 25 when we’ll be sharing information on all of our centenarians. You can also view all of the in- credible stories online at dacl.dc.gov.
As my team continues to look for ways to engage with you, we also want to hear your ideas on new projects, services and programs to combat social isolation and loneliness during the Public Health Emergency. You can complete a short survey on our website at dacl. dc.gov. Your feedback will help us create a Re- quest for Applications to fund new and innovative programs in fiscal year 2021. It’s been a challenging time for all of us, but being able to find new ways to connect with you, with our centenarians and our entire community has been a reminder that no matter our circumstances, we can all find new ways to live boldly — together. For the latest information on the District Government’s response to COVID-19 (Coronavirus), please visit coronavirus.dc.gov.
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SEPTEMBER 10 - 16, 2020 21
HEALTH COVID-19 UPDATE
Colon Cancer Can be Managed: Expert By James Wright WI Staff Writer @JamesDCWrighter
The death of famed actor Chadwick Boseman from colorectal cancer has brought attention to the disease that hits Blacks at a higher rate than other racial groups. It has no cure but can be successfully treated and managed, an expert said. Colorectal cancer or colon cancer occurs when the colon or rectum, a part of the large intestine, becomes malignant, according to studies from the American Cancer Society
(ACS). The cancer increases when polyps develop on the colon and they aren’t treated in a timely fashion, the ACS says. Signs and symptoms include blood in the stool, a change in bowel movements, weight loss and feelings of constant tiredness. ACS studies reveal risk factors include diet, obesity, smoking and lack of physical activity. Dietary factors increasing the risk of getting the disease include the consumption of red meat, processed meat and alcohol. Treatment for the disease include
a combination of surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy. The ACS said a colonoscopy, an examination looking into abnormalities and changes in the colon through the anus, remains the most common method of detecting the disease. Globally, according to the cancer society, colon cancer ranks as the third most common type of cancer making up 10 percent of all cases. In the wake of Boseman’s death, the cancer society issued a statement noting, “what most don’t know is that Chadwick Boseman sat at the intersection of where colorectal cancer rates are among the highest and rising the fastest.” “He was a young man,” the statement said. “And he was a Black man. African Americans are 20 percent more likely to get colorectal cancer and 40 percent more likely to die from it than any other group. Black men have the highest incidence rate.” The statement noted rates of colorectal cancer in younger age groups are rising. In 2020, the statement said 12 percent of colon cancer will be diagnosed in people under 50—about 18,000 cases.
5 Actor Chadwick Boseman succumbed to colon cancer in August. (WI File Photo)
Dr. Elmer Huerta, former president of the American Cancer Society and director of the Can“It is my guess that he, like many others, aren’t getting their colon examined,” he said. “You have to find the can-
Prince George’s County Will Remain at Phase Two By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks Sept. 3 announced the county will not move
to a more open state of business with the rest of Maryland. With Prince George’s County continuing to lead the state of Maryland with more than 27,000 confirmed coronavirus cases, crowds at movie theaters and other
5 Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, right, provides a COVID-19 update during a press conference July 9 at the county’s Office of Emergency Management in Landover. (FILE: Rob Roberts/The Washington Informer)
22 - SEPTEMBER 10 - 16, 2020
indoor entertainment and commerce venues will remain under Stage Two restrictions. Although the overall rate of COVID 19 test results for the county remain below the 5% positive threshold for moving to phase three, about 13 of the jurisdiction’s zip codes are above it. The 20783 zip code of Hyattsville has recorded the highest number of confirmed cases in Maryland with nearly 2,900. “We are not there yet,” Alsobrooks said about reopening other businesses. “We remain concerned about rolling back restrictions before we see progress.” Under the current phase two designation, Prince George’s residents can still shop at grocery stores and deposit and retrieve funds at banks and gather in limited numbers to attend religious services. County and health officials will reassess COVID-19 data in the next few weeks to determine whether to reopen fully. Montgomery County, which
has the second highest coronavirus confirmed cases in the state, will also continue to limit indoor and outdoor gatherings. Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich said during a press briefing Sept. 2 officials there will constantly review health data and make possible modifications in terms of reopening some entertainment venues. He declined to set a specific timeline “because that’s not the way to make healthbased decisions. “We’re making progress, but we’re not where we need to be,” he said. “When we are where we need to be, we’ll have a great celebration of being able to reopen things in a more normal way.” Gov. Larry Hogan (R) announced last week the state will move into its third and final recovery stage that relaxes restrictions on certain activities that began Friday, Sept. 4. Movie theater and indoor ven-
PHASE TWO Page 24
cerous polyps that develop and if you find them early, treatment can take place and the cancer will not spread. I recommend everyone get a colon exam annually.” Huerta also suggested there are cultural factors that explain why colon cancer incidence is so high among some groups. “At one time, it was thought to be unpolite to talk about things such as the colon, feces and polyps in public,” he said. “What needs to happen is a good public relations campaign should be waged to inform people about colon cancer and to make it clear that this is one of the preventable cancers. There are no early detection or prevention programs that are widespread. “One thing that is clear, young people are getting it at an increasing rate. There was a time when doctors would recommend you test for the disease at 50 but now that has been moved up to 45 and Mr. Boseman, who was 43, serves as an example as to why people in that age range need to be tested.” In addition to testing, Huerta said lifestyle plays a role in avoiding colon cancer. “Living a healthy lifestyle can be a strong factor in preventing colon cancer,” he said. “People should eat more fruit, vegetables and whole grains and stay away from processed food. Obesity is a trigger for colon cancer also therefore exercise should be a part of people’s regimen.” WI
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HEALTH
Donation to Howard University’s College of Medicine Largest in History By Alexis McCowan Howard University News Service On September 3, Mike Bloomberg, former New York City mayor, announced a donation of $100 million to the nation’s four historically Black medical schools: Howard University’s College of Medicine, Meharry Medical College, Morehouse School of Medicine and Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science. Howard University reported that Mike Bloomberg and Bloomberg Philanthropies are making a $32.8 million donation to the College of Medicine – the largest donation to the College in its history. Dr. Wayne A. I. Frederick, president of Howard University, welcomed the gift. “Healthcare disparities exist for a myriad of reasons related to systemic infrastructural issues, not the least of which is the dearth of Black doctors. Black doctors with cultural competency are a major part of the solution but their path is often hampered by a compromised financial situation,” Frederick said in a statement. “This gift from Bloomberg Philanthropies is the first stone dropped into a calm lake of op-
portunity and promise. The ripple effects that it will have on the lives of our students and our programs will carry on for generations,” he continued. The dean of Howard University’s College of Medicine, Dr. Hugh Mighty, said reducing loan debt will allow students to look more widely at opportunities they may have ignored before, which include working in impoverished communities. He said Black communities across the country have less access to quality healthcare, affecting them disproportionately with different illnesses. “Students choose to go into professions where they can pay their debt back quickly. But now with debt being reduced they may look to choose a specialty that is more beneficial to the community,” he said. According to Howard, the College of Medicine will determine the eligibility of the students currently enrolled and receiving financial aid for scholarships up to $100,000. Students currently in years two, three or four of medical school will receive retro-active scholarships, meaning that they can receive up to $100,000 in support regardless of whether they are graduating in
2021, 2022 or 2023. Mighty said Bloomberg’s financial gift will open a door for Black physicians to go into predominantly Black communities where they can both serve and create a healthier community. Bloomberg’s goal is to improve the health and wellness of Black communities during the pandemic. The donation will help increase the number of Black doctors in the U.S. by reducing the debt burden of approximately 800 medical students. A Stanford University study paired Black men in Oakland with either Black or non-Black doctors. Men seen by Black physicians appeared more likely to engage with them and be advised for preventive services including screenings and immunizations. The study also said Black physicians wrote more detailed notes about their Black patients in comparison to white physicians. One
5 Mike Bloomberg and Bloomberg Philanthropies are making a $32.8 million donation to the College of Medicine. The gift serves as the largest donation to the College of Medicine in its history. (Courtesy photo)
step to reduce the distrust that Black communities have with the healthcare system is building a more diverse workforce. Based on the latest data, white doctors make up 56 percent of the physician workforce with Asian doctors at 17 percent. Just under 6 percent are Hispanic doctors. Only 5 percent are Black doctors. Dr. Marjorie Innocent serves as
senior director of health programs for the NAACP. She said in order to optimize the health and wellbeing of African Americans, people must invest in the training of Black doctors. “Medical training needs to be improved so that they are actually trained and ready to provide care to African Americans and others,” Innocent said. WI
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HEALTH
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over 6,000 required medical treatment for their injuries and property and infrastructure damage totaled at least $10 billion. As for firefighters and law enforcement officials, 9/11 has become the deadliest incident in U.S. history, with 343 and 72 killed, respectively. I was directed to take the train, along with a photographer, from our offices in Oak Park to downtown Chicago. No one really knew what was going on yet and many speculated that similar attacks might occur in other major U.S. cities. We were there to confirm or deny such speculations. The trains were empty as people were racing to get as far away from the skyscrapers and swarms of other people to the supposedly safer suburbs. I wish I could say that I was attentive to my assignment. I wish I could say that I was eagerly pursuing interviews with folks as they scrambled out of the ominously tall towers of downtown Chicago, fought for cabs and pushed their way onto the platforms for the “L.” But it wouldn’t be true. I moved in a fashion more akin to a robot that day – like being in a trance – my movements hampered like one trapped in suspended animation. Phones were
PHASE TWO from Page 22 ues can open at 50 percent, or up to 100 people. Outdoor performance venues are also at 50 percent, but with a limit of 250 people that can attend. In addition, retail businesses and places of worship can extend from 50 percent capacity to 75 percent capacity. Hogan’s plan released in April called “Maryland Strong: Roadmap to Recovery,” said the third phase that would require a “FDA-approved vaccine or safe and effective therapeutics.” At a press conference Sept. 1 in Annapolis, Hogan said, “things have changed since then.” Officials in the majority of Maryland’s jurisdictions have decided to enter the final stage of the recovery plan. That can be viewed at https://bit.ly/3jPwD0R.
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inoperable for most of the morning as the circuits and cell towers were overloaded as millions of Americans tried to contact their loved ones to make sure they were safe. It took me most of the day before I was able to reach my exwife and be reassured that our children, then just 11 and 7 years of age, were okay back home in Detroit. – the city from which I had moved after our divorce,
hoping to make a fresh start on my own in Chi-town. I had never felt such fear or anxiety like what I experienced on 9/11 – waiting to hear, wanting to hear, needing to hear. Finally, when I heard the voices of my little girl and my little boy, all was right again – at least in my very small world. Others would not receive such good news. And so it was. WI
Ernest Carter, chief health officer for Prince George’s, explained some of the metrics the county used in its decision included the county averaging nearly 1,000 new cases weekly since the Fourth of July. That figure decreased the last week of August to an average of about 700 new cases. Carter said one out of every four of those in the state diagnosed with the coronavirus have been Prince George’s residents. He continued to stress residents should wear face coverings or masks in public and maintain social distancing of six feet from other people. He added that residents should not be discouraged that other jurisdictions are relaxing restrictions before Prince George’s County. “Don’t host large parties. Don’t attend large parties,” Carter said. “I know how disappointing it can
be to hear some of our neighbors are reopening more quickly than we are,” he added, cautioning that the county shouldn’t “take a backwards trend.” Meanwhile, childcare providers in Prince George’s that remain closed or reopened after July 30 due to the coronavirus pandemic can apply for grants. Some of the money would go toward personal protective equipment, payroll, supplies, rent and other operating costs. Licensed centers can apply for up to $$20,000 and those registered as a home center can request up to $3,000. The county will allocate $2 million from the federal CARES Act to provide the funding. Eligibility requirements can be reviewed at https://www.pgcedc. com/covid-child-care-recovery. WI
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Taking action on our commitment to Greater Washington, D.C. We know we must do more to address the very real consequences of systemic racism that exist in society today. The impact is clear for communities across the country, including where our teammates live and serve our clients. To drive progress, Bank of America has committed to invest $1 billion over four years to advance racial equality and economic opportunity, building on work we’ve had underway for many years. We’re partnering with community and corporate leaders to create sustainable change. Our actions will help address critical issues and long-term gaps that have only been widened by the coronavirus and amplified by the most recent acts of injustice. Our efforts include: • connecting workers to new skills and enhanced job readiness • increasing medical response capacity and access to health care and nutritious food • powering small businesses owned by people of color through access to capital • helping people find a place to call home
My teammates and I here in Greater Washington, D.C. are committed to doing more, and doing more now.
Lawrence Di Rita Greater Washington, D.C. Market President
Working together Here in Greater Washington, D.C., we are proud to already partner with local organizations to advance racial equality and economic opportunity, including: Martha’s Table DC Central Kitchen National Housing Trust Latino Economic Development Corporation
To learn more, please visit bankofamerica.com/community. Bank of America, N.A. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender
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SEPTEMBER 10 - 16, 2020 25
EDUCATION College Presidents Lead Campuses into Fall of 2020 Amid Great Uncertainty By Hamil R. Harris WI Contributing Writer It took a 21st century plague to bring it about but this fall the Howard University Bison, the University of Maryland Terrapins, the Florida State Seminoles, the Florida A&M Rattlers and the University of Michigan Wolverines all make the same noise—silence. And the same silence blankets many libraries, science labs and concert halls of academic powerhouses that dominate U.S. higher education in early September as the nation stumbles into a school year racked by twin fears of the coronavirus and racially-tinged civil unrest on the
verge of a presidential election. “The fall semester opens in the shadow of the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘I Have A Dream’ speech and, tragically, in the wake of more senseless violence against Black lives, ” said Darryl J. Pines, incoming president of the University of Maryland, who is African American. In an Aug. 28 “Welcome Back” letter to students and faculty, Pines said the twin pandemics “have reminded us of two indelible truths. We must fight for the change we want. And we must be united in that fight if we are to persevere.” Figuring out how to carry on has meant deciding whether classes will
meet in person or online. Morgan State University is mostly online. Some of Maryland’s classes are meeting in person. And parents said they are standing by to scurry to campus and retrieve offspring in case there’s a repeat of March’s abrupt campus shutdowns. Last week the University of Maryland suspended all athletic training for its college players after 46 of then tested positive for Covid-19 out of more than 500 who were tested. Currently online faculty must undergo regular testing and self-monitoring and the same procedures are taking place at Howard, Bowie State and the other major Washington area colleges. “My goal is to make sure we do our part to create the most meaningful remote learning environment and maintain a safe campus for the day you ultimately set foot on the Hilltop,” Frederick said. “However, I need you to also do your part in your circle of influence by following the necessary Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines to wear your mask, wash your hands frequently and keep your distance when in public places.” Some colleges are getting used to uncertainty and disruptions. Frederick, who is a physician as well as a college president, said, despite the spread of the coronavirus pandemic “Howard University has never wa-
Single Mother Juggles Demands of Distance Learning and Employment By Sam P.K. Collins WI Contributing Writer @SamPKCollins For the time being, students in the District’s public and public charter school systems have been relegated to their homes where they will continue to learn on virtual platforms, much like what they endured during the latter part of last school year when the coronavirus pandemic brought all social and economic activity to a standstill. While the novelty of this experience has tapered, and many families, with the help of school administrators, have risen to the occasion, this ongoing situation continues to raise the issue of how long some parents, particularly those with children across various grade levels, can sustain tending to their young one’s academ-
ic needs while working full time. Angel Johnson, a single mother of three who works in the federal government, said that question has been on her mind since August when, after accepting a new full-time job, she learned that D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) announced the launch of a wholly virtual fall term. “It’s hard for a working parent because you have the summer when the adolescent child can help babysit the other children but now he’s in school so you need someone else there with them, and they have all of these personal needs so it’s complicated,” said Johnson, 33, an operations manager with eight years of experience in the commercial real estate industry. In April, shortly after the start of regional stay-at-home orders, Johnson lost her job. In the months that followed, she said she struggled to
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find a new source of income while tending to the laptop and Wi-Fi connectivity issues that prevented her youngest son, then a kindergartener, from navigating his virtual learning platform. That’s why Johnson, who’s due to start a daily commute to her office in late September, said she has spent several weeks planning for the fall term. That endeavor included securing new laptops, setting up a workspace in her living room for her first-, fifth- and tenth-grade sons and enlisting the help of her aunt who will eventually work closely with the young ones, especially the first grader. In the meantime, many of Johnson’s mornings consist of sitting next to her youngest son and helping him maintain focus during online lessons, as encouraged by his instructor who asked for parental involvement. One
vered in the pursuit of its mission of service. We set up two COVID-19 testing centers in underserved parts of Ward 7 and 8 to bridge the gap and bring testing resources to the most vulnerable.” Student life as most students have known it is almost non-existent, according to Tai Talbot, a senior at Delaware State University. “They (the school faculty) created time slots for lunch. The café will be open but now one will be able to sit down and talk to their friends; they’re doing a take-out lunch kind of deal. Clubs and Organizations will be pushed back to the spring semester and homecoming will be pushed back until April or May.” Delaware State is not the only institution to go virtual or hybrid—a mix of online and in person. Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, Lafayette College, University of Delaware, and St. Johns College of Nursing are also going mostly virtual as well. Even more, institutions are closing altogether, and may not reopen. “The trend of colleges closing absolutely has been accelerated. Without significant state or federal intervention, we’re going to see a lot of colleges close,” says Aaron Rasmussen, co-founder of MasterClass, an online education platform. Clayton Christensen, a professor at the Harvard Business school, backs this notion up in his 2011
5 College students are focused on the challenges of shifting to virtual instruction during the COVID-19 crisis. (Courtesy photo/edstrategy.org)
book “The innovative University.” Half of the U.S. college campuses will either shut down or go bankrupt in the next 10 to 15 years, he said. Dr. Alvin Thornton, President of the Prince Georges County Board of Education and the former Provost at Howard University, said “The most important concern I have no doubt is the safety of the children, faculty and staff. There is not debate in that, but secondly my concern is maintaining…access because colleges have different capacities of access. In the spring, Morgan State University President David Wilson, also week into the new school year, John- a member of the NCAA Board of son said she has often had to call her Governors, said that there is a big son’s teacher to solve log-in issues that difference between the larger footsometimes caused him to fall behind. ball schools and HBCU’s because Despite the challenges she’s en- the sports budgets are often largcountered, Johnson said she relishes er than the entire budgets of an the opportunity to see her children HBCU. learn in the comfort of their home. Cara Williams, senior multi-me“I get to see how my children are dia journalism student at Morgan and they are focused,” Johnson said. State University, said she “feel(s) “I know my kids work better with good about working online. If there one-on-one time. This is a big learn- were not a pandemic I would like to ing experience for my youngest. He’s be on campus. ...in light of pandemgetting a hang of virtual learning but ic and my own medical concerns, I first graders have little patience.” feel safer taking classes online being In the weeks leading up to the at home.” launch of an all-virtual fall term, Thornton said, “I was a professor teachers throughout the D.C. met- for 50 years, if you combine Morgan ropolitan region have participated and Howard, and there is nothing in professional development sessions that can replace the mentoring relawhere they’ve mulled over how best tionship between the professor and to assist families in situations like the student. I am not talking about Johnson’s. just teaching math, psychology and While formatting varies across other subjects, virtual learning can school districts, students’ time is split only go so far. between lectures, group work and in “If you look at what is going on a
LEARNING Page 35
COLLEGE Page 44
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DCPS
BRIEFS Compiled by Dorothy Rowley WI Staff Writer
PANDEMIC TRAUMA SUPPORT
To support parents, the D.C. Department of Behavioral Health has expanded the city’s Mental Health Hotline to offer relevant guidance to families. Parents can get real-time help from licensed clinicians or learn more about available services by calling 1-888-793-4357 at any time of the day, any day of the week.
EDUCATION
EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING
The Office of the State Superintendent of Education recently announced that Ashley Kearney, from Ron Brown College Preparatory High School, and William Stafford from E. L. Haynes Public Charter School, are recipients of the “Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.” OSSE also announced that Edward Donnellan from Gonzaga College High School has been named the 2020 District of Columbia History Teacher of the Year. Awardees — who are recognized for their contributions to teaching and learning, along with their ability to help students make progress in STEM fields — receive a $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation for professional development.
VIRTUAL APP SHOWCASE
The Office of the State Superintendent of Education recently celebrated D.C.’s aspiring computer scientists at
5 DCPS Parent University is a workshop series facilitated by the Office of Communications and Engagement. (DCPS photo)
its inaugural Virtual App Showcase, which gave rising ninth graders and high school students focused on information technology and engineering, a chance to present their ideas and share their solutions with peers, families and the community. Over the summer, 110 students from District public and public charter schools participated in DC Can
Code, a virtual summer coding camp and internship program designed to build awareness and excitement for high school Career and Technical Education.
PARENT UNIVERSITY
The DCPS Parent University is a workshop series facilitated by the schools’ Office of Communications
and Engagement. The workshops are an opportunity for families to share strategies and learn new ones from each other as well as from DCPS Central Office teams. RSVP to DCPS’ upcoming workshops to participate. For questions, email ParentU@ k12.dc.gov. WI
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SEPTEMBER 10 - 16, 2020 27
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OPINIONS/EDITORIALS
EDITORIAL If You Believe Black Lives Matter, Make Sure You’re Counted in Census 2020
The Labor Day weekend has come and gone and schools are back in session – the majority adopting a virtual learning model due to the continuing health pandemic. So, as you take a moment to exhale, we urge our readers to be sure that they’ve completed the Census 2020 questionnaire and returned it to the U.S. Census Bureau. In case you didn’t know, the deadline has been moved one month earlier to Sept. 30 – the last day on which residents in America can make a difference for their communities by participating in the census counting process. While it may take a little longer for the District to finally secure statehood status and its accompanying rights, it only takes a few minutes to complete the Census 2020 questionnaire, either by phone, mail or by employing the newest way to reply – online. And don’t forget to include all babies and young children on your form. Census results matter as they shape the future of communities across the nation. Census data informs how billions of dollars in federal funds will be distributed for health clinics, school lunch programs, disaster recovery initiatives and other critical programs and services for the next 10 years. One of the most memorable quotes from the iconic film, “Jerry Maguire,” “show me the money,” continues to resonate within American culture nearly 24 after the movie’s release. But if you fail to participate in the Census, your community could find its urgent pleas to “show me the money” falling on deaf ears. Communities that fail to fully participate risk missing out on billions of federal dollars – funds that are now more important than ever given COVID-19 and its unprecedented impact on our lives and livelihoods. D.C.’s response rate, 58.4 percent, ranks 34th among states and in the 51st percentile for cities, based on data released several weeks ago. But nearly a four-fold difference exists within different portions of the City – from the highest self-response rate at 86.6 percent in Ward 3’s American University Park neighborhood to 26 percent in the Barry Farm area in Southeast. Ironically, as most residents have been moved out of Barry Farm, the self-response rate cannot provide an accurate assessment of the mostly low- income and Black neighborhood. After all, the Census counts people, not empty chairs and vacated apartments. Still, most of Ward 8 and many neighborhoods in Ward 7 continue to lag far behind – in the bottom 20th percent of self-response in the nation. But there’s still time. Over the next few weeks, community activists promise to pound the streets in Southeast ensuring that every resident has been counted. Canvassers hired by the Census Bureau will still be knocking on doors. Perhaps in the wake of the death of George Floyd, among others, you’ve joined thousands of protesters, waving posters and shouting in unison, “Black lives matter.” You may even be among those who both in the past and in recent days, have been compelled to invoke that phrase from “Jerry Maguire” lore, “show me the money.” But if you’re really serious – if both phrases have become part of your DNA and philosophy of life – then you must complete the Census 2020 form. It’s just as important as casting your vote in November. Why? Because similar to why exercising one’s right to vote can have longtime ramifications on America in cities great and small, the impact of your participation in the Census 2020, or lack thereof, will be felt by U.S. communities – all neighborhoods – for years to come. WI
Remembering the Victims of 9/11 and the Vote This year marks the 19th anniversary of 9/11, remembered as the deadliest day in U.S. history. Four planes flown by terrorists slammed into the World Trade Center’s twin towers in New York and the Pentagon just outside of Washington, D.C. in Arlington, Va. and a fourth that crashed in a field in Shanksville, Pa. Hundreds of people were killed instantly, including men, women, and children of every race and ethnic group. Hundreds of others died trying to escape the flames and collapse of the 110-story New York skyscraper hit by a plane on the 80th floor, and moments later, a plane sliced through the 60th floor of its twin tower. The attacks were captured on television broadcasts raising shock and fear across the country and the world. Among those who survived, thousands still suffer from grave illnesses, including cancers of all sorts. Many continue to seek compensation for their life-threatening conditions, including the first responders and their
TO THE EDITOR Rest in Power
Trending Upward
What a wonderfully penned tribute to the great Chadwick Boseman by D. Kevin McNeir. I personally get triggered seeing the constant “dead at 43,” so I’m grateful that you took a different approach to the horrid news of such an icon. We appreciate you.
Happy to read about the HIV rates declining in the District. For a long time, D.C. had such an ugly stigma attached to HIV. The stigma had a major impact on residents and even more so those living with the virus. Prevention campaigns and programming need to continue. It’s working!
Fatima Reynolds Washington, D.C.
survivors. Others are still grieving the loss of loved ones, and their wounds reopen on the anniversary of the attack. On this day, we join those who remember the six D.C. Public Schools teachers and students who were killed on the plane that crashed into the Pentagon. They were en route to California to study ecology by invitation of the National Geographic Society. We take this moment to say their names: Asia Cottom, Bernard Brown and Rodney Dickens, along with their teachers Hilda Taylor, James Debeuneure and Sarah Clark, from Leckie and Ketchum Elementary Schools and Backus Middle School. Nearly 20 years later, Americans ask if we are saf-
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Beatrice Smalls Laurel, Md.
er today. The Obama Administration abandoned the color-coded warning system, leaving most Americans with no idea of our daily susceptibility to an attack. And, what are the current warning systems? The increasing incidents of internal terrorist attacks lay bare the fact that we are not safer. And this president makes us feel less safe with acts and statements that stoke the fires of conflict domestically and across the globe. As we reflect on 9/11, it’s also a time to remember why it’s important to vote on Nov. 3. The security of this country also rests in the hands of its voters. WI
SEPTEMBER 10 - 16, 2020 29
OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnist
By Julianne Malveaux
Is the Economy Rebounding?
On the Friday before Labor Day, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released its monthly report, The Employment Situation. It reported good news — the unemployment rate dropped to 8.4%, higher than in February before the pandemic hit. We added 1.4 million jobs last month, the highest gain since the corona recession began. But while this is progress, it is no cause for celebration. The Black unemployment rate
remains double-digit and has not dropped as rapidly as either the overall rate or the white rate, 7.3%. Eleven million fewer people held jobs in August than in March. And the “rebound” is not spread evenly across populations. The top 10% have already recovered. The bottom 40 or 50% are still struggling. Democratic vice-presidential nominee Kamala Harris told CNN that “one in five mothers is describing her children as hungry.” The lines at the food banks have not gone down, and in some communities, they are getting
longer. Once thought to be relatively immune to the virus, small-town America is now being hit, and forcefully. The challenge is that there are fewer hospitals or health care facilities in rural areas. Economic recovery is dependent on the development of a COVID-19 vaccine, which the current president says will be ready in October or November. More realistic voices, such as Dr. Anthony Fauci, say a vaccine might not be ready until next summer or even later. The bottom line is that the macro-indicators may show some progress,
Guest Columnist
but a deeper dive is far less optimistic. Hundreds of thousands of small businesses, including 40% of Black-owned companies, have closed, resulting in permanent job loss. Some of the hardest-hit industries include the leisure industries — travel, dining and more. Women, especially women of color, heavily populate some of these industries. While COVID-19 hit women of color harder than others, recovery will not make these women whole. The economy will not regain its position from early March. Indeed, the slight comeback in leisure industries has
been partly a function of people enjoying safer, outdoor dining. The colder it gets, the more likely it is that people will choose to pass up dining out in favor of eating at home. People bought more groceries between March and August, not wanting to risk the possibility of contagion. Many have cautiously begun to eat out again, but restaurants lose money when they reduce seating because of social distancing. By mid-September, we will know whether the Labor Day weekend has
MALVEAUX Page 53
By George H. Lambert, Jr.
From Protest to Action: Imagining Policing in the D.C. Metropolitan Area
For 82 years, the Greater Washington Urban League, an historic civil rights organization and affiliate of the 110-year-old National Urban League, has been providing vital services and fighting for Blacks in the Washington Metropolitan Area since 1938. We are proud to continue to be serving, fighting for and giving voice to families and individuals.
The events of the past several months have revived demands for action on systemic racism and police reform, igniting a renewed passion for change. The convergence of two pivotal events, the coronavirus pandemic and the senseless murder of George Floyd, has led us to this seminal moment. The protests have heightened awareness of police brutality, while the pandemic has illuminated health, social and economic disparities in Black communities. We applaud the initial responses by
local political leaders. In D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser’s steadfast resistance to the president’s blatant disregard for peaceful protests, in creating the Black Lives Matter Plaza, sparked similar expressions on streets across America. The D.C. Council adoption of the Police Reform Commission is a significant step in addressing public safety and building stronger communities. The mayor’s recommendation allocating $1.3 million for violence interruption and the city’s Employment Pathways program and the July
Guest Columnist
18 town hall on policing, are hopefully the beginning of many recommendations and communitywide conversations on reimagining policing. The League also serves Montgomery and Prince George’s counties in Maryland and thus supports efforts throughout the region. We urge the State to enact such reforms as Anton’s Law, proposed by Montgomery Del. Gabriel Acevero, to reform the Maryland Public Information Act to enable the sharing of pertinent police officer personnel file information to promote
greater transparency. In Montgomery County, we support the establishment of an independent entity to investigate officer-involved deaths, taking this responsibility from police to investigate themselves through an independent federal, state, or local entity to conduct these investigations. The Law Enforcement Trust and Transparency Act introduced by County Councilman
National Urban League, National Action Network, NAACP, National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc., along with Martin Luther King III — have issued a Statement of Principles to establish a shared civil rights and social justice agenda. These principles are: • Fundamentally transforming the criminal justice system. • Protect and defend voting rights during the pandemic and beyond.
• Achieve economic parity for African Americans. • Promote equity in educational opportunity. • Promote a fair and accurate census. - Promote a healthier nation by eliminating disparities and prioritizing testing, treatments and cures for COVID-19 in communities of color. The Commitment March, like the March in 1963, happened as
LAMBERT Page 53
By Marc H. Morial
Get Your Knee Off Our Necks
“And so this march must go beyond this historic moment. We must support the strong. We must give courage to the timid. We must remind the indifferent, and we must warn the opposed. Civil rights, which are God-given and constitutionally guaranteed, are not negotiable in 1963.” — National Urban League President Whitney M. Young, 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Justice
Fifty-seven years to the day after Whitney M. Young stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to declare that civil rights are not negotiable, I stood on the very same spot to say: racial justice is not negotiable in 2020. Transforming our racially biased criminal justice system and mass incarceration crisis is not negotiable. Protecting and defending our sacred right to vote against racially motivated suppression and foreign sabotage is not negotiable.
30 - SEPTEMBER 10 - 16, 2020
Dislodging the structural racism that infects our institutions and paving a patriotic pathway to shared prosperity, economic parity and educational opportunity is not negotiable. Last month’s Commitment March, “Get Your Knee Off Our Necks,” was convened in support of police accountability in solidarity with the families of African Americans killed or injured at the hands of the police. In conjunction with the March, the convening organizations —
MORIAL Page 51
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OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnist
By Charlene Crowell
Black Households Earned 61 Cents for Every Dollar of White Median Incomes
The Aug. 23 police shooting of an unarmed Black man in Kenosha, Wis., triggered yet another round of community protests and national news coverage of a Black man. A series of multiple gunshots fired by a local police officer was not fatal for 29-year-old Jacob Blake, but may have permanently paralyzed him from the waist
down. Days later on Aug. 28, the National Action Network served as a major organizer for a Commitment March, rededicating the yet-unaddressed dreams of the historic 1963 March on Washington. Assembled again at Washington’s Lincoln Memorial, the day’s speakers spanned nationally known leaders like Rev. Al Sharpton, Martin Luther King III, and attorney Ben Crump to the family members of George Floyd, Breon-
Guest Columnist
Minneapolis, Portland and other locales. Why measurable forward strides in policing, or economic progress have remained elusive after decades of calls for reforms may partly be explained by the findings of a new policy analysis by the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank in St. Louis. Using U.S. Census Bureau data, Ana Hernandez Kent, a policy analyst with the St. Louis Fed, found that America’s racial poverty gap continues to suppress social
na Taylor, Jacob Blake and others. The irony is that despite the passage of nearly 60 years between the original march and its 2020 recommitment, many of the issues that have plagued Black America remain the same. Black America and other people of color still cry for justice, equality, and freedom. Yet noticeably, what formerly focused national attention on events in Selma, Montgomery and Birmingham have now emanated from Ferguson to Kenosha,
and economic justice. Moreover, Wisconsin, not a southern state, claims the dubious distinction of having the largest poverty gap in the nation. Nationally the St. Louis Fed found that in 2018, Black households earned 61 cents for every $1 of white household median income. Further, the Black-white median household income gaps ranged from 87 cents per dollar
CROWELL Page 54
By A. Peter Bailey
Needed: All Black Police Officers in Inner-City Neighborhoods
In a 1992 column for the Richmond Free Press I wrote, “Someone should tell young Black males who are killing each other with such deadly efficiency that they are being allowed to do so precisely because they are killing each other. The harsh reality is that there are many white people in this city who believe that it is cheaper to let them kill each other off than to educate them or to keep them in jail.” Two years later for the same news-
paper I wrote, “I have a suggestion on how to more effectively combat street crime in Black neighborhoods in Richmond which is to put all Black police officers in our inner-city neighborhoods. … This would eliminate race as a major factor in crime control by taking this cover out of the hands of the minority of residents who indulge in criminal behavior mainly against their own people. Many Black people, for legitimate historical reasons, don’t trust white police officers. Black criminals are well aware of this situation and take advantage of it.” In a 2009 column distributed by
Askia-At-Large
prevent inner-city street crime from spreading into other parts of the city. It must be admitted that they have been very successful in doing this; it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that if Black street criminals were killing or brutalizing Whites on any income level, from street bums to corporate executives, the way they kill and brutalize each other, they would be stopped by any means necessary. … What the young street criminals fail to comprehend is that their destructive behavior towards each other and towards their communities is allowed, sometimes encouraged, by a system which regards
them as expendable. By their behavior, the minority of young Black people who disrupt their communities have, for all practical purposes, become allies of white supremacists/racists.” That is as true in 2020 as it was in 1992 when I first wrote about the subject. There are organizations within inner-city communities throughout the country who are trying to deal with this unfortunate situation. They have earned and deserved support from all of us who really care about the present and future of Black folks in this country.
James rising in stature to the pinnacle that Muhammad Ali once occupied alone. When Wallace took his stand, his entire industry — the most Dixie-fied in sports — stood with him. They banned the popular Confederate flag, folks draped race cars with Black Lives Matter paraphernalia. The NBA, WNBA, Major League Baseball, tennis shero Naomi Osaka all canceled games — playoff games in some instances —
to take a stand against the rampant, wrongful murder of innocent Black people by Ku Klux Kops all over the country. Bravo. Something to cheer for. And just think, just four years ago, Colin Kaepernick was mocked and scorned, and the Super Bowl quarterback couldn’t even get a job as a backup. This summer, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell issued a mea culpa of sorts, admit-
the news wire service of the National Newspaper Publishers Association, I noted that my all Black police officer position “…was based on the premise that many, if not most, Black officers either live in inner-city neighborhoods or have relatives or friends who live there. Thus, they have a much more vested interest in safety in such neighborhoods than their white counterparts. … I believe that Black police officers have a better chance of sifting out information from people in the neighborhood than white cops most of whom don’t give a you-know-what about inner-city neighborhoods. Their chief goal is to
By Askia Muhammad
The Revolution Will Not Be on Netflix
To paraphrase the immortal Gil Scott-Heron: The Revolution will not be on Netflix. ESPN, maybe, but not Netflix. We’re already seeing some remarkable, courageous behavior from athletes in almost every sport, but truth be told, the “jocks” have been “down” for 53 years, but that’s just since I’ve been following them,
and courageous athletes go back decades before that. On the other hand, folks in the entertainment industry all seem to be WAP-whipped and are tuned out, spinning their wheels trying to get on TMZ, trying to get photo shoots so they can show off their beautiful bodies in super-revealing bikinis, plunging neckline blouses, and skirts split up to their belly buttons. The 24-7 Hollyweird bacchanal has corrupted the morals and the vision for all but a notable few
celebrities. As tantalizing as their adventures appear to be, they are simply decadent distractions. Game shows, boats and pools and fancy houses and nonstop glitz has corrupted, even the hip-hop community to where it’s hardly recognizable from the time of Public Enemy and Tupac Shakur. The athletes, though, are as serious as a heart attack. From Bubba Wallace leading the march in NASCAR, of all places, to LeBron
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ASKIA Page 54
SEPTEMBER 10 - 16, 2020 31
LIFESTYLE Yoga Instructor Launches Virtual Sessions for Black Educators By Sam P.K. Collins WI Contributing Writer @SamPKCollins Although school has been in session for less than two weeks, teachers across the county have spent nearly a month preparing lesson plans, learning new communication mediums and familiarizing themselves with processes that, at times, could prove more stressful than any they’ve previously experienced. In response to concerns among
teachers about clocking additional hours and the long-term health effects of sitting in front of a screen for extensive periods of time, a local yoga instructor has launched a weekly, virtual gathering. The sessions target Black educators, providing assistance in the practice of stress-relieving movements and mind-enhancing techniques which can be employed prior to the start of each work week. “I remember being a teacher. You dreaded Sundays with Mondays
32 - SEPTEMBER 10 - 16, 2020
coming up and that was just being in the classroom,” said Ajeenah Abdul-Watts, co-owner of “Twist and Turns Body Fitness” in Northwest and a native Washingtonian with nearly a decade of experience as a yoga instructor. Last Sunday evening, Watts, a former elementary school teacher, discussed meditation techniques with nearly two dozen Black teachers from the District and other cities before guiding the group through a yoga flow. The hour-long virtual session counted as the first of several scheduled to take place throughout the school year, regardless of whether school buildings reopen. “I want to help people find some relief by getting ready for work and [the sessions] will include a slow yoga meditation and affirmations they can use for the week,” Watts said. “We’re focusing on relieving stress on the back, shoulders and hands. So far, we have 20 educators and a Facebook group. I created it so throughout the weeks and months, I can add short meditations they can use,” she added. “Yoga and Meditation for Black
5 Ajeenah Abdul-Watts, co-owner and instructor at ‘Twist and Turns Body Fitness’ in Northwest, recently launched ‘Yoga and Meditation for Black Educators’ – an hour-long virtual session that takes place on Sunday evenings. (Photo courtesy Ajeenah Abdul-Watts)
Educators” comes at a time when Blacks are increasingly embracing physical and mental wellness while society grapples with a bevy of polarizing issues including policing, education and electoral politics. In the District, questions about whether schools would reopen have incited dialogue about the stresses related to teaching. Earlier this summer, after the Washington Teachers’ Union organized around the safe reopening of schools, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) reneged on an initial attempt to fully open schools, or at least provide a spectrum of options for families. In July, when she delayed her announcement about the fall term, Bowser told reporters that her decision would primarily focus on staffing capacity. Shortly after Bowser announced at least one term of virtual learning, schools went into action for a smooth launch. As the spring semester has shown, teachers, in addition to students and parents, have had to make significant adjustments in the transition to a wholly virtual learning environment. Qualitative data collected by Education Week shortly after the implementation of virtual learning models earlier this year showed that teachers struggled to transfer their lessons to digital platforms, respond to an influx of emails and phone calls and in some cases, meet the academic and emotional needs of their own
biological children. Other situations that induced stress involved students who didn’t show up for virtual learning. In recent weeks, resources in the D.C. Public Schools’ central office, the D.C. Public Charter School Board and the Office of the State Superintendent of Education have been tailored to meet teachers’ needs while the school year remains totally virtual. As told to The Informer by one teacher, there’s been less emphasis on the timely submission of homework while students, teachers and parents continue efforts to make an unprecedented adjustment. For Watts however, a wellness regimen – an affordable one at that – would best help in delaying feelings of stress and anxiety likely to surface while facilitating the virtual learning experience. She said providing yoga and meditation for Black educators serves as a means of giving back to the community and passing on the tools that first helped her two decades ago. “I saw different posts about how hard it was for teachers. You have Wi-Fi connections messing up and parents complaining, and I really felt empathy for them,” she said. “I know it can be stressful for everyone – not to mention the educators who are also parents. I was home and thought that it was time to put this in place.” WI
THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM
LIFESTYLE 16th Annual
DC JAZZFEST
THURSDAY, SEPT. 24 – MONDAY, SEPT. 28
DANILO PEREZ • MARC CARY 5 Angie Gates, Director of the Office of Cable Television, Film, Music and Entertainment (OCTFME) (WI File Photo)
Bowser Presents D.C.’s Fifth Annual ‘202CreatesMonth’
Celebration Includes Interactive Virtual Programming and Mayor’s Arts Awards WI Staff Report D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser recently announced the celebration of the fifth annual 202Creates Month to honor and showcase the District’s diverse, vibrant and creative community. The D.C. Office of Cable Television, Film, Music & Entertainment (OCTFME) and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) will spearhead the month-long celebration. 202Creates Month, which began with a virtual kickoff on Sept. 2 with performances that can be viewed on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and the 202Creates website, will conclude with the 35th Annual Mayor’s Arts Awards on Sept. 30. “From Go-Go, to street art, to theater, we know that [the District] has always been – and will always be – a leader in the arts,” Bowser said. “This year, more than ever, we are proud to highlight and celebrate the artists and change makers who bring so much joy to our city, who represent the culture of D.C. and who – through the good, the bad and the unprecedented times – keep D.C. creative.” 202Creates represents a citywide effort, launched by the mayor
in 2016 to amplify, celebrate and highlight the District’s creative economy. The month-long campaign will showcase and engage the District’s entrepreneurial and creative community through an array of virtual performances and events. These events will include two expert masterclasses, an industry leader fireside chat, an intensive week-long podcast lab and artist showcases and performances. “Creativity and innovation are the backbone of a world class city,” said OCTFME Director Angie M. Gates. “Our creative economy fuels jobs and opportunity. It is so important to support our makers, creators and entrepreneurs. Throughout 202Creates Month we celebrate, amplify and highlight our D.C. Creatives.” For the first time, the celebration will close with the 35th Annual Mayor’s Arts Awards. This year’s award show will be a virtual telecast on Wed., Sept. 30 at 7:00 p.m. The program will be shown on OCTFME’s DCN Network, streamed on DC Radio and be available as a premier event on OCTFME’s Facebook and YouTube channels. Live Instagram engagements will also be featured throughout the show. For more information and to vote
FRÉDÉRIC YONNET • MATTHEW WHITAKER BABY ROSE • MAIMOUNA YOUSSEF DADO MORONI • BEN WILLIAMS NASAR ABADEY TRIO • CHRISTIE DASHIELL ALLYN JOHNSON AND SONIC SANCTUARY CECILY • ¡FIASCO! • GIVETON GELIN THE CHUCK BROWN BAND • HERB SCOTT
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ALLISON AU • H E A R T O F T H E G H O S T HEIDI MARTIN • DCJAZZPRIX FINALS The 2020 #DCJazzFest will be streaming live from our Nation’s Capital, watch on:
GATHER by
https://bit.ly/2020DCJazzFest The DC Jazz Festival®, a 501(c)(3) non-profit service organization, and its 2020 programs are made possible, in part, with major grants from the Government of the District of Columbia, Muriel Bowser, Mayor; the National Capital Arts and Cultural Affairs program and the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts; and with awards from the National Endowment for the Arts; the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities; and, in part, by major grants from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, the Galena-Yorktown Foundation, the Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, Wells Fargo Foundation, Gillon Family Charitable Fund, Venable Foundation, The Dallas Morse Coors Foundation for the Performing Arts, The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation, the Kaiser Family Foundation, the John Edward Fowler Memorial Foundation, and The Leonard and Elaine Silverstein Family Foundation. ©2020 DC Jazz Festival. All rights reserved.
for your favorite creative, go to dcmayorsartsawards.com. Key virtual events during “202Creates Month” include: Sept. 9 - Digital Strategies to Grow Your Reach, noon Sept. 10 - Content is King: Tips for Creating Powerful Scripts and In-
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terviews, noon Sept. 11 - Getting to the Money: Monetizing Your Podcast, noon Two virtual masterclasses and one virtual fireside chat will feature topics that promise to be among the most viewed presentations of the month. The topics include: “TV, Film,
P0141 5.96x7
and Production in a Virtual World,” Sept. 10, 2 p.m.; “What Next for the Music Industry, Sept. 17, 2 p.m.; and “Innovation, Economy and COVID-19,” Sept. 24, 2 p.m. For more information and a full schedule of events, visit 202Creates. com. WI
SEPTEMBER 10 - 16, 2020 33
LIFESTYLE
Nation’s Only Black to Lead Major U.S. Symphonic Chorus Heading to D.C. The Washington Chorus Names Dr. Eugene Rogers as Artistic Director for 2020-2021 Season By D. Kevin McNeir WI Editor @dkevinmcneir As the two-time Grammy Award-winning choral ensemble, The Washington Chorus [TWC], prepares to observe its 60th anniversary this fall, the 2020-2021 season brings further reason for music lovers to celebrate. Dr. Eugene Rogers, a leading conductor and pedagogue throughout the U.S. and abroad, recently assumed the helm as the fifth artistic director for TWC.
Rogers, a two-time Emmy Award winner, a 2017 Sphinx Medal of Excellence recipient and a 2015 Grammy Award nominee, has become accustomed to the role of trailblazer, not so much because of his new role with TWC which makes him the only Black to lead a major U.S. symphonic chorus. Rather, he accepted the challenges and responsibility of being “the first” even earlier in life when he became the only African American to earn a Ph.D. in conducting from the University of Michigan.
The upbeat singer-turned-conductor says despite pervasive racism which has long-defined classical music and the industry, he realized years ago that remaining focused on his goals and improving his skills at every opportunity were the best ways to prove his mettle. “I fell into conducting after taking my first class and knew at that moment that I wanted to pursue it as my field of studies and as a potential career, giving little thought to people’s assumptions of how a conductor should look,” said Rogers, a
THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA HOUSING AUTHORITY REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) SOLICITATION NO.: 0026-2020 SURSUM CORDA TURNKEY & SIBLEY TOWNHOMES The District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) requires a development partner to lead a mixed-income redevelopment of two proximate DCHA-owned sites in the Northwest One neighborhood of Ward 6 in Washington, DC. Site A: Sursum Corda Turnkey (“Sursum Corda”) 1 acre with 28 existing units and Site B: Sibley Townhomes (“Sibley”) 0.64 acres with 22 existing units.
native of Halifax County, Virginia. “When I began graduate school, I realized I was the only Black in the choral, orchestral or wind programs. Upon receiving my doctorate in conducting, again, I was the only Black candidate. At that point, I thought my success would be best achieved if I only showed certain parts of myself. But that would be a very heavy burden. So, I became convinced that the best thing to do was to take what I needed. What mattered most was making sure I was good at my craft.” “However, even after having conducted choirs around the world and despite the prestigious titles I had earned and been awarded, some of my closer white colleagues reminded me that none of it would ever be enough to change how some people perceived me – as a Black first and then as a conductor.” “That was a hard lesson to learn because on a subconscious level, I wanted to prove that I was good
enough – that I was a good as anyone else. But I had to accept the reality that because I’m Black, I may never be good enough for some. With that understanding, I stopped worrying about what others thought. I didn’t have time to care anymore. I just kept working hard, improving my abilities and doing the kinds of work that gave me pleasure and further empowered me,” he said. Rogers’ ability to ignore that which he could not change would pave the way for opportunities and pathways that he could have never imagined. And the programming he has developed for TWC this season will reflect his willingness to push the envelope in ways he’s certain will improve the chorus while also resonating with audiences. “Opposition has become normal for me but so have encouragement and praise,” he said. “I cannot hide
ROGERS Page 42
SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS will be beginning Wednesday, September 9, 2020 on DCHA’s website at www.dchousing.org under “Business” and “Solicitation”. PROPOSAL RESPONSES ARE DUE ON OR BEFORE Monday, October 26, 2020 at 12:00 PM. Email LaShawn Mizzell-McLeod, Contract Specialist at LMMCLEOD@dchousing.org with copy to business@dchousing.org for additional information.
THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA HOUSING AUTHORITY REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) SOLICITATION NO.: 0027-2020 MELVO RAD GENERAL CONTRACTOR The District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) requires professional General Contractor for the rehabilitation of five (5) bundled DCHA-owned properties that comprise the MELVO Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) Project. SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS will be available on DCHA’s website at www.dchousing.org beginning Monday, August 31, 2020. SEALED PROPOSAL RESPONSES ARE DUE ON OR BEFORE Thursday, October 15, 2020 at 12:00 PM. Email LaShawn Mizzell-McLeod, Contract Specialist at LMMCLEOD@dchousing.org with copy to business@dchousing.org for additional information.
34 - SEPTEMBER 10 - 16, 2020
5 Eugene Rogers (Courtesy Eugene Rogers)
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LEARNING from Page 26 dependent study. Teachers have also been encouraged to maintain various modes of communication including texting, email and social media while making themselves available during unconventional hours that better suit families’ schedules. Meanwhile, Johnson’s three children, James, Asahai and Khalil, count among the thousands of youth who are increasingly familiarizing themselves with Google Hangouts, Microsoft Teams and other virtual learning platforms this academic year. In preparation for this undertaking, the D.C. government allocated $17 million – a combination of local and COVID-19 stimulus funds – toward the purchase of laptops and Wi-Fi hotspots. Officials in the D.C. Public Schools central office have also set up a website and hotline to assist parents. James, a 10th grader at a local charter school, said he has relied on relationships with his teachers and his growing embrace of computers as an academic resource to help him
make the transition to virtual learning. Though there’s less opportunity for in-person interactions with classmates, he’s been able to keep in contact with friends through other means. Last spring, after a few setbacks in the beginning of his high school career, James regained his footing while learning virtually and has since developed a strategy for success that requires greater focus. And while he works next to his younger siblings, the demands of his schoolwork often prevent James from actively watching them and providing his mother with some relief. “At first, I was rushing to go back into school but as we started the process I thought it was okay to stay at home,” said James, a student at KIPP DC Somerset College Preparatory, as he explains his daily routine of waking and freshening up, eating a light breakfast and logging on to his virtual learning platform. “Some negative parts about distance learning are being late to class and teachers not being able to repeat
what they said,” he continued. “It’s been good keeping up with the lessons. It’s easier to learn in person but I can handle this.” Earlier this summer, before fall academic plans coalesced, District teachers expressed concerns about the health risks of physically engaging students in closed spaces during a pandemic. On the other hand, the Trump Administration embarked on a crusade to corral students, teachers and school personnel into buildings through threats of funding cuts and more recently with the declaration that teachers are classified as essential workers. Parents concurrently facing the demands of home and work in the age of COVID-19 held a bit of a nuanced view on the matter. A Gallup survey released at the end of the 2019-2020 academic year showed that more than half of parents wanted in-person learning in the fall. While parents have increasingly embraced virtual learning amid a resurgence in COVID-19 cases, more than one-third of respondents who
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LIFESTYLE
5 Angel Johnson, 33, helps her two elementary school aged sons, Asahai and Khalil, with schoolwork during their virtual learning class work. (Roy Lewis/The Washington Informer)
participated in another survey last month said they preferred a combination of in-person and virtual learning. Regardless of the circumstances, Johnson said, continuity in her childrens’ education is key – so much so that she will go to any means to ensure that they receive it. “I pray every day that we continue to be the way we are because some
children aren’t even getting the proper education and nutrition,” Johnson said. “I wish there was a better way. It’s risky getting the kids back in school but they need small groups or something. A lot of people are switching over to homeschooling. I thought about it but it’s a lot as a single mother,” she said. WI
SEPTEMBER 10 - 16, 2020 35
LIFESTYLE
Study: Steroids Help Critically-ill COVID-19 Patients By Sarafina Wright WI Contributing Writer
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In a new study, medical experts found that a 28-day regimen of corticosteroids, or steroids, lowered mortality among critically ill COVID-19 patients compared to usual care or placebo treatment. The World Health Organization Rapid Evidence Appraisal for COVID-19 Therapies [REACT] Working Group says the results of the study came from meta-analysis of seven randomized clinical trials that included 1,703 critically ill patients, of which 647 died. “The efforts of the clinical trial groups for the launch and conduct of high-quality trials in the midst of a pandemic should be acknowledged as an important accomplishment,” Drs. Hallie Prescott and Todd Rice wrote in a JAMA medical journal editorial. “The agreement among the trialists to share unpublished data with WHO is an example of how science can advance and is critical.” The doctors wrote steroids are inexpensive, readily available, and based on the new data are associated with reduced mortality in critically ill patients with COVID-19. The side effects of this anti-inflammatory drug include possible weight gain, blurred vision, onset or worsening of diabetes and irritability. At the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in March, however, guidance regarding steroids were mixed and to some degree remains controversial. Dr. Anthony Gordon of Imperial College London called the result “a huge step forward,” according to the Associated Press. He added, “as im-
pressive as these results are, it’s not a cure.” Journal authors say while the trials produced positive results, the study does have limitations. “The trials only recruited adults, and the effect of corticosteroids on children remains unclear. Similarly, the trials were mainly conducted in high-income settings,” they wrote. “One trial reported mortality at 21 days and one trial reported mortality at 30 days after randomization, potentially leading to inconsistency between trial results.” The study found in conclusion that the administration of systemic steroids was associated with lower 28-day allcause mortality for patients. The World Health Organization [WHO] says steroids have received worldwide attention as a potentially effective treatment for COVID-19 and has been added to a model list of essential medicines, readily available globally at a low cost. As of Sept. 5, there have been over 26 million cases of COVID-19 globally resulting in over 800,000 deaths. In the U.S., six million cases have been identified with over 188,000 deaths due to the disease. “The COVID-19 pandemic has brought fear and a sea of change to the world,” Drs. Prescott and Rice wrote. “These studies provide evidence and some hope that an effective, inexpensive, and safe treatment has been identified.” “Despite the widespread morbidity and mortality, and societal disruption caused by this pandemic, the work and collaboration of these networks provide hope for advancing science and humanity through this pandemic and beyond.” WI
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Jacob Blake Speaks Out for First Time in Twitter Video Post WI Report
In a video posted over the weekend to Twitter by civil rights at-
torney Ben Crump, Jacob Blake, the 29-year-old Kenosha, Wis. man who was shot seven times in the back by a police officer, is
5 Blake, who had an outstanding arrest warrant when he was shot, pleaded not guilty Friday to charges accusing him of sexually assaulting a woman in May and waived his right to a preliminary hearing./Photo/Screenshot: Ben Crump (Twitter)
seen speaking out for the first time since the shooting from his hospital bed. “Your life, and not only just your life, your legs, something you need to move around and forward in life, can be taken from you like this,” said Blake, adding that for him, “every 24 hours it’s pain, nothing but pain. It hurts to breathe, it hurts to sleep, it hurts to move from side-to-side, it hurts to eat.” He refrained from speaking about details surrounding the shooting or any criminal charges he might face. However, in urging Black people to stick together, Blake, reportedly the father of six children, said “make some money, make everything easier for our people out there, man, because there’s so much time that’s been wasted.” WI
5 Bruce Williamson (Courtesy photo)
Former Temptations Singer Bruce Williamson, 49, Dies from COVID-19 Complications WI Report
Bruce Williamson, a former lead singer with The Temptations R&B group has died at age 49 from COVID-19. Bruce, who joined the band in 2007, died at his home in Las Vegas, Nevada on Sunday night, after a reported battle with the dreaded disease, according to TMZ. The Temptations, known for iconic hits such as “My Girl,” “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg,” and “Just My Imagination,” have been performing under various changing line-ups since the 1960s.
As a member of The Temptations, Bruce, a Compton, Calif., native, sang on studio albums like “Still Here” and “Back To Front,” as well as performing on various tours all over the world, alongside founding member Otis Williams. Paying tribute, his son wrote: “There’s no words in the world that can express how I feel right now,” Williamson’s son, Bruce, wrote on Facebook. “I love you Daddy thank you for being awesome thank you for being loving thank you for being Who You Are I pray to God and we will meet again. “I love you Daddy R.I.H KING WILLIAMSON.” WI
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LIFESTYLE Step Afrika! to Premiere ‘Stono’ Virtually, September 9 By D. Kevin McNeir WI Editor @dkevinmcneir Even in the midst of a global pandemic, D.C.’s own professional dance company dedicated to the tradition of stepping, Step Afrika!, continues to find creative ways to provide some of the best entertainment available for fans in the Greater Washington Area. The dance company, founded and led by C. Brian Williams, will premiere its new show, “Stono,” on Wed., Sept. 9 on Facebook and YouTube at 8 p.m. The show serves as a tribute to the Sept. 9, 1739 march of enslaved Africans in South Carolina along the Stono River. While their efforts to gain their freedom would ultimately fail, the incident bears historical significance as one of the earliest collective actions for human rights in the U.S. A discussion will follow the performance moderated by WUSA anchor Lesli Foster with scholars from Yale and Columbia who will compare the rebellion to issues that still plague today’s society. To register for the free event, visit www.stepafrika.org. WI
THRIVE from Page 5 “Our families are really afraid of the lack of education that they can provide their own children at home,” Reeder said, noting that with so many of the jobs they have secured are in the hospitality industry and in positions that are essential jobs leaving little time to supervise virtual learning for elementary and secondary school students. “So now they are forced to have the oldest child who may be a teenager, home to provide support to that sibling for education,” Reeder said. Partnering THRIVE East of The River organizations pride themselves on the empowering aspect of the program, giving recipients full leverage on how their funds will be allocated for their families, providing a push that gives residents a hand up, and not a hand out. “A really important part of the project is that we trust our families to make their own decisions,” said Kratz. “These families know how to spend their money; they know how to budget. They know how to stretch that dollar as far as it can
go, and we trust these families to make their own decisions. That’s been a core value of the project from the beginning.” Although financial counseling is not required, Reeder heavily encourages participating families to have at least one session with
FSFSC’s financial literacy coach. The executive director works to ensure they are providing their families with options on how to manage money. Andrea Richardson, a Ward 8 resident and participant of the THRIVE East of The River Pro-
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gram, was introduced to the initiative the program by her Arc of DC case manager. Arc of DC targets people with intellectual and development disabilities achieve full participation in their communities. “It (COVID) put me in a disar-
ray as far as my routine, and my consistency in how I was able to maintain my life. Being a part of this program has given me a rooting in being encouraged again, and to keep going forward in this time of crisis,” Richardson said. WI
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LIFESTYLE
African-American Suffragist Claimed Four Names and One Primary Purpose By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer @StacyBrownMedia
This is part of an ongoing Washington Informer series about the Women’s Suffrage Movement and an initiative that includes Informer Publisher Denise Rolark Barnes that will use the lens of history, the fabric of art and culture and the venue of the public square to shine a light into dark places, equipping all with a compass to chart the way forward. The initiative lives in the institutional home of the Washington Informer Charities. Do you know her? If not, perhaps you should. Naomi Bowman Talbert Anderson was born March 1, 1843, in Michigan City, Ind.
Gaining attention due to her poetic talent, she received an invitation to attend a previously all-white school to complete her education. Anderson, whose mother died when the young poet was just 17, married at the age of 20 and moved to Chicago. Her advocacy was immediate. Anderson became a crucial player in the suffrage movement that advocated for equal rights for all people. She used her poetry to express the experience of being a Black woman and worked beside white suffragists in a campaign that led to the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920. In quoting Bonnie Schaaf, the president of the Michigan City Commission for Women and vice president of the League of Women
Voters of LaPorte County in Indiana, writer William Halliar recently proclaimed that Michigan City had rediscovered one of its true heroines in the struggle for women’s right to vote and in the eradication of racial oppression. The March 2020 proclamation by Halliar, titled “Rediscovering a Local Hero,” honored Anderson. He noted that her “extended last name is derived from the fact that she survived several husbands which attests to her fortitude.” He continued, quoting Schaaf. :“Anderson was known throughout the United States for her eloquence, moral force and life of activism, gaining a reputation for giving fiery controversial speeches. And she did this fighting for dual oppression for being both Black and female.”
Anderson would eventually move to Ohio and join the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union, writing articles describing the demoralizing effects of alcohol abuse on people of color. “She was especially concerned with the lack of education – a root cause of the problem,” Halliar wrote. Following her husband’s death in 1881, Anderson worked as a hairdresser while continuing to write editorials and op-eds for various newspapers. In an “Emancipation Day” address, Anderson expressed her faith, her view of history and her hope for the future. “Woman has a power within herself, and the great God that reigns above, who furnished Abraham Lincoln with the knowledge to write the Emancipation Proclamation whereby four million Blacks were set free. That God, our God, is with and for us and will hear the
5 Naomi Bowman Talbert Anderson. (Photo courtesy National Archives/Public Domain)
call of woman and our rights will be granted and she shall be permitted to vote.” WI
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LIFESTYLE POLITICS from Page 1 the independent at-large council seat while the sixth, Martin Miguel Fernandez, wants to represent Ward 2 on the District’s legislative body. The Latino candidates, whether citywide or for a ward, face an electorate where their ethnic population won’t be dominant. Census data indicates 11.3 percent of the District’s population consists of Latinos, people of Central and South American origin as of July 2018. Nearly a quarter of District Latinos, 24.4 percent, are of Salvadorian descent, followed by in measurable numbers Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Cuban, Colombian and Guatemalan. In the District, Latinos live largely in the Northwest quadrant in Ward 4, with a 21 percent population and Ward 1, 20 percent and have a strong presence in neighborhoods such as Ward 1’s Adams Morgan, Mount Pleasant and Columbia Heights and Ward 4’s Petworth and Mid-16th Street. In the overwhelming majority Black Wards 7 and 8 located east of the Anacostia River, Latinos make up three percent in both. Despite the low percentage of residents, a few Latinos have been elected as advisory neighborhood commissioners since the advent of Home Rule in 1973, however few have been elected to other positions. Frank Shaffer-Corona, a Latino, won election on the D.C. School Board as an at-large member in 1978 and served until 1982, according to the D.C. Board of Elections. In 2004, Victor Reinoso won the District 2 seat on the D.C. School Board representing Wards 3 and 4. In 2014, voters elected Garcia as the shadow U.S. representative and he won re-election in 2016 and 2018. In 2006, Garcia and a few other Democratic political activists founded the D.C. Latino Caucus in order to articulate issues of concern to Brown elected leaders in the city. “The D.C. Latino Caucus has hosted candidate forums and issue endorsements through the years as a means to empower our community,” Garcia said. “We
also have two seats on the D.C. Democratic State Committee and through those seats we make sure our voices are heard.” Charles Wilson, the chairman of the D.C. Democratic State Committee, said the D.C. Latino Caucus has a strong voice in the party. “We have become dependent on their efforts regarding outreach and we support what they do,” Wilson said. Garcia said he realizes five Latino candidates running for the at-large council seat could create a troublesome logjam for Brown voters, possibly dividing the vote and diluting Brown voter strength. “We may need to consolidate as the Nov. 3 general election date gets closer,” he said. “Those Latino candidates who don’t have a chance should coalesce behind someone who does.” Garcia said Latinos have issues that block their political potency. He said even though 11 percent of the city’s population consists of Latinos, immigration status means 40 percent of that population aren’t eligible to vote. Garcia said ideas in the past to have council representation, such as a proposed Latino ward 10 years ago consisting of neighborhoods in Wards 1 and 4 wouldn’t work presently because Latinos live are all over the city, “not just in the two Northwest wards.” Fernandez said there should be at least one Latino on the D.C. Council, based on the legislative chamber having 13 members at a time when the Latino share of the city’s population exceeds 10 percent. “We are not represented as a group on the Council,” he said. “Ward 1 and Ward 4 have a heavy number of Latinos but my ward is 12 percent Latino. I am the only candidate in my race whose website and campaign literature are in Spanish and English. I feel an affinity for my community but identity isn’t everything to me. I am not a gimmick. I want people to know I have the back of Latinos and the community now and on the council. Plus, as someone who was raised in D.C. and understands its history, I know about the unique relation-
ship between Blacks and Latinos in this city and how we can work together to get things done for our peoples.” Howard University political scientist Michael Fauntroy said Latinos are a growing force in the city and those non-Latinos tied to the past must change. “People in D.C. have to understand that the Black-White
paradigm has disappeared,” Fauntroy said. “We are living in a multi-racial city and a multi-racial country. It is no longer just Black or White and people need to adjust to that.” Fauntroy said the Latinos should engage with other groups such as Asians and the LGBTQ community to achieve their goals instead of relying on Afri-
can Americans exclusively. “When Black people used to run for office in this city, it was always taken for granted that Latino support would follow,” he said. “That is not the case anymore, Black politicians will have to earn the votes of Latinos and Latinos must learn to bargain with Blacks or anyone else to get what they want.” WI
In 2006, Garcia and a few other Democratic political activists founded the D.C. Latino Caucus in order to articulate issues of concern to Brown elected leaders in the city.
Latinos Surge in Elected Office in Suburbs Despite Absence in D.C. Seats By James Wright WI Staff Writer @JamesDCWrighter While Latinos have struggled to get elected to the D.C. Council, they have had much better luck in the suburbs. The Washington, D.C. metropolitan area has an estimated 800,000 Latinos residing not only in the District but Montgomery and Prince George’s counties in Maryland and Alexandria and Arlington, Fairfax and Prince William counties in Virginia. While few Latinos serve on town and small city councils, several have managed to county-level and major city governing board seats. In Montgomery County, two members of the county council are Latinos. Nancy Navarro represents District Four encompassing Wheaton, Md., up to the Howard County line along Georgia Avenue and in Sandy Spring, Laytonville, Glenmont, Etchison, Aspen Hill and Kensington. Navarro won a special election to the council in 2009 and was re-elected in 2010, 2014 and 2018. In 2018, Montgomery County voters elected Gabe Albornoz to
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a council at-large position. Montgomery County’s Latino population consists of 19.9 percent, about the same percentage as its African American residents; both groups have two representatives on the council. In Prince George’s County, one Latino sits on the county council, Deni L. Taveras. Taveras, of Dominican descent, represents District Two that includes areas such as Hyattsville, Adelphi, North Brentwood, Chillum, Langley Park and Mount Rainier. Prince George’s County has a 14.9 %population with strong Latino presence in Langley Park and Hyattsville. In Northern Virginia, Canek Aguirre became the first Latino elected to the Alexandria City Council in 2018. Alexandria consists of 16 percent Latino. Arlington County elected its first Brown member of the board of supervisors, Kate Cristol, in 2015. She chaired the body in 2018. In Prince William County, Yesli Vega serves as the Coles District Supervisor on the board of supervisors. Vega won election to the position in November 2019. A Republican and the first Latina on the board, Vega has received
5 Deni L. Taveras represents District 2 on the Prince George’s County Council.
national attention for being in a commercial talking about the education she obtained at American Military University. WI
SEPTEMBER 10 - 16, 2020 41
LIFESTYLE ROGERS from Page 34 my skin color or my sexuality so I just hold up my head and walk through the doors. Washington Chorus was an easy decision because its leaders have a desire which mirrors my own – to bring greater diversity to the stage and audience as well as within its group of dedicated financial supporters. TWC’s vision of moving forward into unexplored terrains was a perfect match of what and who I am.” Rogers exudes excitement when discussing the new season and some of the special features he has planned like the Mahogany Series which will showcase the chorus performing music from genres rarely undertaken by American symphonic choirs. “We’re fortunate to be in D.C. in an area where Black and Latinx communities co-exist with white communities,” he said. “Diversity
isn’t foreign to the DMV but with a predominantly-white chorus and donor base, it cannot be truly achieved if we don’t allow for more musical experiences, allowed to develop organically and include jazz, Black opera, Latinx and old Renaissance composers all the way to the present day. We’ll be featuring a new cantata written by a Black composer, which will be premiered as a film, using music from the spirituals to Bach with a storyline based on the COVID-19 pandemic. We begin filming around the District in a few weeks and I’m very excited.” “Naturally, there’ll be one concert that will serve as our annual commitment to taking all of those cultures and then displaying all the diversity and its colors. But it won’t be held during Black History Month as is normally the case.” “And in the tradition of TWC, we will present out candlelight Christmas concert – five or six perfor-
mances with three digital premieres, a core choir of about 10 singers and me at Strathmore.” “Yes, we’ve had to re-pivot because of coronavirus. Still, as I cannot predict the future, I’ve made it a point to not look too far ahead. However, the virtual rehearsals and programming, which are now the only way we can proceed, should not be considered anything more than temporary.” “There’s no way to replace what we know live art does to humankind and for the human experience. But I believe in time, things will return to the way it was when live audiences and performers fed off of one another’s energy. Perhaps it will be refashioned in slightly different ways but I’m hopeful, it will happen,” Rogers said. For more information about the season or TWC, visit thewashingtonchorus.org. WI
The Washington Chorus 2020-21 Season Chronology Dr. Eugene Rogers, artistic director, in his debut season with The Washington Chorus
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LIFESTYLE
wi book review “A Most Beautiful Thing: The True Story of America’s First All-Black High School Rowing Team” By Arshay Cooper c.2020, Flatiron Books $27.99 / $37.99 Canada 229 pages
By Terri Schlichenmeyer WI Contributing Writer Either, or. The choice is yours: do you pick one thing, or take the other? Stay where you are, or reach for better? This or that, any way, you always have to decide: do you take either, or... as in “A Most Beautiful Thing” by Arshay Cooper, do you take the oar? Growing on Chicago’s West Side, Arshay Cooper was used to seeing blood on the sidewalk. Gunshots were like lullabies and he hated it. His father was long gone, his mother was then too addicted to care for her children, and he “had a funeral” for her in his heart. Later, once his mother was clean and he started attending high school at Manley Career Academy, he became firm in his belief that his future was not on the streets. He knew gang-banging wasn’t for him, so he mostly stayed home and watched Family Matters, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and A Different World on TV, absorbing their lessons and wishing his life was more like that of the characters. And then he saw a boat. It wasn’t just any boat, though: it was long and sleek, and Cooper quickly learned that it was used in a sport he’d never heard of. The white female coach said team members would be taught all they needed to know; the white man who’d put the program together said that there’d never been an all-Black high school rowing team, and he promised that anybody who stuck with the program would succeed in life. Though Cooper’s schoolmates talked smack about it, and in part because of a girl, Cooper and his best friend signed up for “crew.” And everything clicked into place. Rowing required discipline. It was exhausting, emotionally and physically. There were sacrifices. But when on the water, rowing, he says, “I don’t hear gunshots or ambulance sirens. I don’t see gang signs and I don’t have fear... I feel powerful.” Here’s all you need to know: “A Most Beautiful Thing” lives up to its name. It doesn’t start out that way, though: in laying the ground for his tale, author Arshay Cooper writes about the realities of growing up in a Chicago neighborhood that he hints could have been any-inner-city-where, any-inner-city-time. This gives the story its muscle and allows readers to better picture the scenes and the struggles he and his young teammates withstood. You’ll be happy to know that there isn’t a shred of boasting or false pride in that. Once you’re that far into the book, then, you may notice that Cooper masterly makes you feel a part of the team. At that point, just go ahead, take their losses to heart. Be proud of the changes they’ve made. Think about the grace on race that Cooper offers. Grin like a fool at the triumphs and laugh at their nonconformity. It’s perfectly okay to get teary-eyed at the epilogue, really. This is the feel-goodest of feel-good books, and you should have it now. Reading “A Most Beautiful Thing” will leave you feeling merrily, merrily, merrily. WI
horoscopes
SEPT 10 - 16, 2020
ARIES Today it’s very easy to get into an argument over money. It’s a good idea today to step back and recognize that not everyone handles money the same way. This energy is a fast-moving aspect and will clear in a day or so. Today, avoid a hotheaded impulse to bring angry words into the house. Lucky Numbers: 10, 23, 34 TAURUS For a couple of days, you may not feel as centered or balanced as usual. You may feel unprepared for a presentation, or that you are behind in some work. But Taurus, you can find a burst of energy to get things done when you need to. You may want to go hiking, run a marathon, or get started with some weight training. Lucky Numbers: 7, 12, 23 GEMINI Plans can go awry because of a miscommunication, or someone shows up at the wrong time. And after the challenges of yesterday, you may be tempted to feel more irritated than usual. But this is a good time to pivot to your usual great sense of humor. Lucky Numbers: 3, 30, 37 CANCER Over the next few weeks, you may have the desire to return to something you were doing before. This could be getting an old job back or resuming your previous duties after filling in for someone else. If you are thinking of moving on to another job, the universe is giving you a last chance to decide if you’re sure. Lucky Numbers: 10, 19, 44 LEO Today, you may be negotiating for a loan, raising your credit card limits, or laying out a budget. Numbers seem to dance around and it’s hard to pin people down to a specific rate or credit terms. Today, you’ll need patience if you want to finish the deal, otherwise put it aside until next week. Lucky Numbers: 19, 25, 26 VIRGO Today, you may catch someone in a lie. But before you fly off the handle, make sure to consider the reason the person was not telling the truth. Focus on investigation rather than judgment. Now the truth is revealed and everything you suspected was correct. There may be explanations — and perhaps even apologies. It’s best to laugh together and let bygones be bygones. Lucky Numbers: 33, 43, 48 LIBRA This is a good day to look at your investments. When you add things up you may find that you want to make a change, especially as the moon passes by Uranus, the planet of change. You may make a radical financial decision like doing a “no buy” month just to see if you can. Lucky Numbers: 4, 20, 21 SCORPIO Someone close to you has a very different idea of how to move forward on a project. Your sense is leaning the other way. But this is difficult to resolve with today’s aspect. If possible, wait until next week to make a decision. Lucky Numbers: 22, 28, 49 SAGITTARIUS Sometimes you can have a cavalier attitude about how you take care of yourself. But for the next few days, treat yourself with loving kindness. Give your body healthy food, water and sunshine. Nurture yourself and your body will thank you. Lucky Numbers: 7, 15, 45 CAPRICORN If you were considering moving, now things may be at a standstill. The real estate deal may be delayed and require further negotiations. If you were just thinking about changing residences, it’s time to start decluttering for a move in a few months. If you’ve recently moved, this is a good time to fully unpack every last box. Lucky Numbers: 18, 27, 52 AQUARIUS The events of yesterday may inspire you toward paying more attention to your finances and budget. With Neptune traveling for so long through your house of money, you have the ability to harmonize your personal energy with the energy of wealth. It starts with you paying attention to the money coming in and the money going out. Lucky Numbers: 5, 10, 26 PISCES Mars, the planet of action, will stay in your house of money for the rest of the year. This gives you enormous opportunities for creating additional income sources either through a side business, investments, or through changing jobs. This won’t happen overnight, so today just consider the possibilities. Lucky Numbers: 15, 23, 55
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SEPTEMBER 10 - 16, 2020 43
CAPTURE
Protest at Popeyes
the moment
For more photos, visit www.washingtoninformer.com
Continued Distress Over Police Mess
5 A group of protesters gathered at the Popeyes on Ritchie Station Court in Capitol Heights, Md., on Sept 7, to show support for a woman who was brutally assaulted by an off-duty police officer working as a security guard at the restaurant, according to a video that went viral. (Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer)
5 Edward Burroughs, Prince George’s County Public School board member, and Ashanti Martinez, an advocate, join the protest to show support for a woman who was brutally assaulted at the restaurant by an off-duty police officer working as a security guard, according to a video that went viral. (Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer) 5 Tyesha Kay, the sister of Deon Kay, the young man killed by police as he was releasing a gun, tearfully speaks during a candlelight vigil for her brother at the intersection of Mellon Street and Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue in Southeast. (Roy Lewis/The Washington Informer)
5 Friends and family of Deon Kay, the young man killed by police as he was releasing a gun, gather at the intersection of Mellon Street ad Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue in Southeast for a candlelight vigil. (Roy Lewis/The Washington Informer)
44 - SEPTEMBER 10 - 16, 2020
5 Kyle and Ashley (who chose not to give their last names) join protesters at a Popeyes in Capitol Heights after a viral video shows a security officer brutally assaulting a woman at the restaurant. (Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer)
COLLEGE from Page 26
national level, there is a lot of chaos, there is a need for consensus building.” Thornton said. “From Prince George’s County to parents of students in Alabama people need to have faith in the people who making decisions about their children.” Times have been particularly hard for high school graduates who have received college scholarships to play football and other sports in college. There are reports of players contracting the virus, being forced into isolation and then getting better. In addition to this stress one parent of a college player at West Liberty University is not sure if her son will return in January because the school may also go online. “As a parent of a student, whether they are freshman or a senior, you want the complete college experience but the main thing is safety,” said Allison Prince, a Montgomery County pupil personnel specialist. “During these times a college athlete must have a mindset of resilience because of the layers of concerns.” Student life is almost non-existent, according to Tai Talbot, a senior at Delaware State University, “They (the school faculty) created time slots for lunch. The café will be open but now one will be able to sit down and talk to their friends; they’re doing a takeout lunch kind of deal. Clubs and Organizations will be pushed back to the spring semester and homecoming will be pushed back until April or May.” Delaware State is not the only institution to go virtual or hybrid in the fall. Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, Lafayette College, University of Delaware, and St. Johns College of Nursing are also going mostly virtual as well, COVID-19 Roundup: Colleges Tilt Toward Online Openings says. Even more, institutions are closing altogether, and may not reopen. “The trend of colleges closing absolutely has been accelerated. Without significant state or federal intervention, we’re going to see a lot of colleges close,” said Aaron Rasmussen, co-founder of MasterClass, an online education platform. Clayton Christensen, a professor at the Harvard Business school, backs this notion up in his 2011 book “The innovative University.” Half of the U.S. college campuses will either shut down or go bankrupt in the next 10 to 15 years, he said. Devynne Johnson contributed to this article. WI
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SPORTS Haskins to Lead Washington Football Team as QB
Cuts Legendary Running Back Adrian Peterson By Daniel Kucin, Jr. WI Sports Writer danielkucin88 Washington Football Team Head Coach Ron Rivera recently announced that second-year quarterback and former Ohio State University product Dwayne Haskins will be the official starter under center for the foreseeable future. Haskins will suit up for the Burgundy and Gold as the day one starter against the Philadelphia Eagles at home on Sept. 13. Rivera cites the young signal caller’s growth during the offseason as the basis for his decision. “I made a commitment 10 years ago to another young quarterback and just told him: ‘Hey, you know what, I’m choosing you because I believe in you,’” Rivera said, referring to New England Patriots Quarterback Cam Newton. “That’s really how I feel about Dwayne. He’s lived up to his part of our conversation in January. Because of that, I’m living up to mine.” The former Bullis School standout will start his first opening day NFL game against the Eagles Week 1 just a stone’s throw away from his old stomping grounds in Potomac, Md. Though he only played in nine games last season (seven starts), the youthful gunslinger showed development in his game before suffering a high-ankle sprain injury that sidelined him against the New York Giants during the final of the 2019 campaign. He was on pace to have the best game of his rookie season, completing 12-of-15 passes for 133 yards and
two touchdowns against the G-Men. “He deserves the opportunity. He’s going to get my support,” Rivera said. “Hopefully, we can ride it as long as I rode it with Cam. You want to be able to have that guy and have that guy in place.” By season’s end, Haskins threw for 1,365 yards, tossed seven touchdowns, seven interceptions and boasted a quarterback rating of 76.1. However, he will not have the services of future Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Adrian Peterson – a decision that many fans may find difficult to swallow. The team announced on Sept. 4 that Peterson had been released from the team despite being the leading rusher for the last two seasons. The new-look backfield will feature University of Memphis standout Antonio Gibson, J.D. McKissic, Peyton Barber and Bryce Love (who will return after missing last season due to injury).
PETERSON BLINDSIDED BY COACH’S DECISION
Peterson rushed for more than 14,000 yards during his stellar career and the 35-year-old mentioned during the offseason that he wants to take a crack at Emmitt Smith’s alltime rushing record. “One of the goals I set for myself when I entered the NFL was to pass the GOAT,” Peterson said during an interview with NFL Network earlier this year. “I look forward to playing a couple more years, three or four more, who knows, depending on how my body is feeling.” Peterson said he doesn’t want to
hang up his cleats until winning a Super Bowl and breaking that record in which he would need to average nearly 828 yards for the next five seasons. However, the former NFL MVP felt blindsided after being cut. “It caught me by surprise,” Peterson said during an exclusive interview with NFL Insider Josina Anderson via Twitter. “I was having a strong camp. It was showing up on film, taking #1 reps all the way to this week. I just got notified by the running backs coach yesterday that they want to give these . . . young guys some reps but I didn’t know I was going to get cut; there was no indication,” he said. Peterson’s services remain valuable to other teams in the NFL as the Detroit Lions have already signed him to a one-year contract. Philadelphia swept Washington last season in division play (0-2) and the Burgundy and Gold only achieved three wins. WI
5 Washington Football Team second-year quarterback Dwayne Haskins will lead the offense for week one against the Philadelphia Eagles at home. (Photo by Daniel Kucin, Jr./ The Washington Informer)
Serena Williams: Mom, Wife, 38 and On Track to Tie Margaret Court’s Record By Daniel Kucin, Jr. WI Sports Writer danielkucin88 Though there will be no fans in attendance, America will be watching Wednesday, Sept. 9 at noon as Serena Williams attempts to defy all odds in this year’s U.S. Open. The six-time U.S. Open champion advanced past Maria Sakkari, 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3 in the fourth round of the tournament on Sept. 7, marking her 100th win in Arthur Ashe Stadium. Her victory became the most by any player, even more astonishing given her age at 38. Although she has lost her last four Grand Slam matches dating back to 2016, Williams now has an opportunity to win her 24th which would tie Margaret Court’s distinguished record. To get over that hump, Williams will take on Bulgarian superstar Tsvetana Pironkova who has breezed through the competition until struggling against Alizé Cornet in the fourth round. After dropping the first set, both tennis starlets nipped at one another’s heels until Cornet pulled away in the final set (63) to secure the win. Pironkova paid homage to Williams and knows the caliber of player she’ll face as she heads into the quarterfinal round. “Playing such a champion, such a legend of the game, it’s a tremendous
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5 Serena Williams looks to win the U.S. Open for her 24th Grand Slam title after recently advancing to the quarterfinals. (Courtesy photo)
honor,” Pironkova said of Williams. Despite making light work of Kristie Ahn and Margarita Gasparyan in the first two rounds, Williams truly showed her resiliency during the third round against Sloan Stephens after dropping the first set. However, the former Olympic Gold Medalist took control the rest of the way (6-2, 6-2) to survive and advance. Williams showed that her powerful serve is still potent and consistent against Stephens, notching 13 aces to only two double faults. “Every tournament I enter is important to me,” Williams said. “I’m always going to bring that fire and that passion and that Serena to the court.” After defeating Ahn, Williams passed Chris Evert for the most career wins (102) in U.S. Open history among both male or female players.
So far, Williams has won 828 matches including 73 singles titles and has 23 doubles trophies in her repertoire. Though she appears at the top of her game, Williams has been battling health issues for some time now, including Pulmonary Embolism and Hematoma. Both conditions require constant medications and she even faced death while giving birth to her daughter Olympia. Despite all of the curves that life has thrown her way, Williams remains a model of consistency and success. Notwithstanding the outcome of yet another magical U.S. Open run, Williams leaves viewers and fans in awe at what she has accomplished and how her achievements will both impact the game and other players for generations to come. WI
SEPTEMBER 10 - 16, 2020 45
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46 - SEPTEMBER 10 - 16, 2020
5 Philip Pannell, executive director of the Anacostia Coordinating Council (ACC), speaks with Census volunteers and staff during an ACC Census count initiative in Southeast on Sept. 8. (Roy Lewis/The Washington Informer)
CENSUS from Page 1 “In the beginning of COVID when people were being asked to respond by census day, many people were reluctant to come out of their homes, and also mailboxes weren’t close by,” said Phillip Pannel, executive director of the Anacostia Coordinating Council (ACC). The D.C. Office of Planning, which spearheads Census efforts District-wide, provides historic response rates and data from the U.S. Census suggesting that Wards 7 and 8 would pose a more difficult mission in obtaining responses than surrounding areas of the city, despite the unforeseen health pandemic. Informal, or temporary, living arrangements serve as a leading variable discounting census records, as people in temporary households may not submit, in addition to homeowners withholding members of the household. Research has additionally illuminated the high level of distrust in the government process. “We do find nationally, low-income households, African American households, and immigrant households tend to have lower response rates,” said D.C. Office of Planning Executive Director Melissa Bird. “Then when you add in COVID, it is a pandemic and is something we have to respond to every day. People are concerned about their health, their meal distribution sites, their jobs. “So, the Census has taken a little bit of a back seat to really pressing day-to-day issues across the country. So that has also been an additional challenge for us.” Local organizations such as the
Informal, or temporary, living arrangements serve as a leading variable discounting census records, as people in temporary households may not submit, in addition to homeowners withholding members of the household. ACC are diligently working to reach unresponsive residents while considering variables prohibiting constituents from submitting requested responses to the U.S. Census. The ACC serves as one of the D.C. Office of Planning’s community partners, as they have collectively awarded more than $800,000 in grant funding to D.C. based organizations conducting outreach, and touching base with community residents. Set to campaign until the last day of census counts District wide, head ACC Outreach Director Stuart Anderson details the canvassing efforts made by the local organization to accrue greater response rates among residents, in addition to high illiteracy percentages in the community. “There are three things that are pivotal to the response level East of the Anacostia River specifically in Ward 8, and the number one being the level of distrust in the govern-
ment,” Anderson said. “Number two is us having a high population of functioning illiterates. They can interpret and read words, but the comprehension is off. Therefore, they cannot respond to the standard questions without some help.” Anderson, and fellow colleagues of the ACC are actively facilitating neighborhood sit-ins to connect with residents and assist those who have not yet completed the Census. Publisher of the Washington Informer, Denise Rolark-Barnes, has excitedly opened her office doors to the ACC Census count initiative, partnering with the organization in efforts not only to retrieve resident responses, but provide free COVID-19 testing administered by Georgetown University nursing staff members. Outside tables generated a steady pace of residents Sept. 8, including 40-year-old Eugene Johnson who walked by and observed. “I have not taken the Census. I don’t really think anything of it,” said Johnson, who added that he would answer the questions while in attendance of the census count. Johnson was additionally tested for the Covid-19 virus. The three-hour initiative will return on Tuesday, Sept. 15 to the Washington Informer office, located in SE, DC. As of last week, a federal judge has ordered the U.S. Census Bureau to halt plans to halt Census count operations at the end of September. A pending court hearing on Sept. 17, is slated to mandate final say on a hard deadline for Census reporting nationwide. WI
THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM
RELIGION the religion corner WITH LYNDIA GRANT
Children Learn What They Live Based on my research from NIH and various universities on the topic Type 2 diabetes and ways to lower your A1C, I’ve discovered that the most important factor is how you got your start, as well as will power. It may sound simple, but you are who you are because of the way you eat, which began with your first meals as a baby. Let me give you an excellent example. My son finally has the child he has wanted for so long. Because he has listened to my teaching about how diseases such as Type 2 diabetes begins early in your life, starting with those early childhood meals, my son’s now utilizing what he learned to take care of his 5-month-old son. He makes the baby’s foods from fresh, organic foods only. He never serves the baby processed foods. A photograph of the combination of vegetables the baby is eating for dinner was a blessing to see. It included baby kale, baby spinach, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, yellow squash, fresh carrots and fresh blueberries. He cooked the veggies in water only, no seasoning. He then uses a Magic Bullet blender to soften the cooked food, then he feeds him. This baby has a very healthy start!\ Compare this healthy start with others, where the mother starts the children out by feeding them doughnuts, chips and junk food, because she loves that stuff. The children are
overweight and, for them, eating unhealthy is normal. What am I saying? Remember the poem “Children Learn What They Live”? That poem is so true. I discovered it during my mid-20s, and I believed its messages were true. Now, some 40 years later, at age 69, life experience has proven those words to be true. Here’s a copy for you. Read it, let it motivate and teach you. Copy it, share it and allow those words to sink into your spirit and guide your life, too:
CHILDREN LEARN WHAT THEY LIVE
By Dorothy Law Nolte, Ph.D. If children live with criticism, they learn to condemn. If children live with hostility, they learn to fight. If children live with fear, they learn to be apprehensive. If children live with pity, they learn to feel sorry for themselves. If children live with ridicule, they learn to feel shy. If children live with jealousy, they learn to feel envy. If children live with shame, they learn to feel guilty. If children live with encouragement, they learn confidence. If children live with tolerance, they learn patience. If children live with praise, they learn appreciation. If children live with acceptance, they learn to love.
Mt. Zion Baptist Church
If children live with approval, they learn to like themselves. If children live with recognition, they learn it is good to have a goal. If children live with sharing, they learn generosity. If children live with honesty, they learn truthfulness. If children live with fairness, they learn justice. If children live with kindness and consideration, they learn respect. If children live with security, they learn to have faith in themselves and in those about them. If children live with friendliness, they learn the world is a nice place in which to live. And I add: If children live with eating healthy from the start, they learn to continue to eat healthy for the rest of their lives. If your family has a history of Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, start your family out by teaching them to eat healthy. My grandson enjoys his meals, with no salt, no seasonings, just cooked, healthy food. He enjoys every meal, and he is happy and peaceful after he has a meal. He won’t take a milk bottle for hours after his meals, because he’s not craving anything. He just lay in his play bed, laughing, playing and enjoying his life. Why did my son make such a decision? Because he saw how his grandmother, my mother, suffered from Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, strokes and kidney failure, and had to undergo dialysis three days per week. WI
John F. Johnson Reverend Dr.
5101 14th Street, NW / Washington, DC 20011 Phone: 202-726-2220 Fax: 202-726-9089
1306 Vermont Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20005
“A Church with a past to remember – and a future to mold” www.mtzbcdc.org
EMPLOYMENT LAWYERS MCCOLLUM & ASSOCIATES, LLC ADA, Age Discrimination, Benefits, Civil Rights, COBRA, Contracts, Deaf Law, Defamation, Disability Law, Discipline, Discrimination, FMLA, FLSA, FOIA, Family Responsibility, Harassment, HIPPA, OSHA, National Origin Discrimination, Non-Compete, Race Discrimination, Rehabilitation Act, Retaliation, Severance Agreements, Sexual Harassment, Torts, Whistleblowing, Wage-and-Hour, Wrongful Discharge SERVING MARYLAND, DC, & NORTH CAROLINA
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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
WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER
SEPTEMBER 10 - 16, 2020 47
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”
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
Blessed Word of Life Church
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
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
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
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
“Ambassadors for Christ to the Nation’s Capital” www.thirdstreet.org Live Stream Sunday Worship Service begins @ 12:00 noon www.thirdstreet.org
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
Turning Hearts Church Virgil K. Thomas, Sr. Senior Pastor/ Teacher
“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
Crusader 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
48 - SEPTEMBER 10 - 16, 2020
themcbc.org
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
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
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
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.
SEPTEMBER 10 - 16, 2020 49
LEGAL NOTICES
LEGAL NOTICES SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2020 ADM 000350 Ada Lou Marable Decedent Nakia Gray 800 Maine Ave. SW, Suite 200 Washington, DC 20024 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Sherwood Marable, whose address is 5124 South Dakota Ave., NE, Washington, DC 20017, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Ada Lou Marable who died on July 28, 2015 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 2/27/2021. 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 2/27/2021, 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: 8/27/2020 Sherwood Marable Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer
Notice Of An Unregistered Claim By A Private, Living Man, Sovereign By Birth, One Of The People, And Beneficiary In Original Jurisdiction, Coming Now As Grantor/Settlor With NOTICE Of An Unregistered Claim, Or Priority Equitable Rights, Titles And Interests In The WILLIE LAMONT HICKS Estate, MISSOURI State File Number 124-71-62661, Including All Assets, Attributes, Derivatives And Transmutations Thereof. See Also: http://notice.legal-registry.org/PublicNotice.pdf
Notice Of An Unregistered Claim By A Private, Living Man, Sovereign By Birth, One Of The People, And Beneficiary In Original Jurisdiction, Coming Now As Grantor/Settlor With NOTICE Of An Unregistered Claim, Or Priority Equitable Rights, Titles And Interests In The JIMMY EDWARD GILLARD II Estate, NEW YORK State File Number 131-78-094640, Including All Assets, Attributes, Derivatives And Transmutations Thereof. See Also: http://notice.legal-registry.org/PublicNotice.pdf Notice Of An Unregistered Claim By A Private, Living Woman, Sovereign By Birth, One Of The People, And Beneficiary In Original Jurisdiction, Coming Now As Grantor/Settlor With NOTICE Of An Unregistered Claim, Or Priority Equitable Rights, Titles And Interests In The FAITH SPISAK Estate, OHIO State File Number 134-80-021704, Including All Assets, Attributes, Derivatives And Transmutations Thereof. See Also: http://notice.legal-registry.org/PublicNotice.pdf Notice Of An Unregistered Claim By A Private, Living Man, Sovereign By Birth, One Of The People, And Beneficiary In Original Jurisdiction, Coming Now As Grantor/Settlor With NOTICE Of An Unregistered Claim, Or Priority Equitable Rights, Titles And Interests In The DANIEL PATRIC SHEVLIN Estate, PENNSYLVANIA State File Number 186992-1960, Including All Assets, Attributes, Derivatives And Transmutations Thereof. See Also: http://notice.legal-registry.org/PublicNotice.pdf
Notice Of An Unregistered Claim Notice of an unregistered claim by a private living woman, sovereign by the grace of God, their name written in the Book of the Tree of Life, beneficiary in original jurisdiction now coming as Grantor/settler with NOTICE of Unregistered Claim, or priority equitable right, title and interest in the JOHN QUE PUBLIC estate, Illinois state file number 112-1954 0097573, including all assets, attributes, derivatives and transmutations thereof. For more on the nature of the claim see http.//notice.legal-registry.org/PublicNotice.pdf. Notice Of An Unregistered Claim Notice of an unregistered claim by a private living man, sovereign by the grace of God, their name written in the Book of the Tree of Life, beneficiary in the divine and ancestral original jurisdiction now coming as Grantor/settler with NOTICE for Unregistered Claim, or priority equitable right, title and interest in the KAMISHA NISHAWN YOUNGBLOOD and Kamisha Nishawn Youngblood estate, State of Illinois file number 112-1972 6016207, et al. This NOTICE prays with agreement an express decree unregistered claim or priority equitable right, title and interest retained also shall not be cloned or mis-taken including, but not limited to: all assets, RB 900908183 US, Case Number 2020CONC000056, Case Number 17 CH 03261 and each Case, RE 024178 475 US, issue RE 024178484 US, RB 900908197 US, RB 900908170 US, RB 900908206 US, RB 900908210 US, RB 900908223 US, all intellectual property, signs and seals or distinguished marks; and, any attributes, hereditaments, subsequent derivatives, heirs and assigns or transmutations thereof, therefrom, therein, thereby or thereon past present and future forever and always, without recourse. In God We Trust Declaration of Nationality Notice of Special Appearance: I am that I am: “Adrian Bogopane ©”, in full life, in propria persona, sui juris, in solo propio, Haqdar by natural issue, the beneficiary and heir of: “ BOGOPANE, ADRIAN ©”, corp. sole Dba.: “ADRIAN BOGOPANE©”, Notice of Special Appearance: I am that I am: Lesley Ann Bogopane ©”, f/k/a “Lesley Ann Jackson©; in full life, in propia persona, sui juris, in solo proprio, Haqdar by natural issue, the beneficiary and heir of: “ JACKSON, LESLEY ANN© , corp. sole Dba.: “LESLEY ANN JACKSON ©”, and “BOGOPANE, LESLEY ANN ©, corp. sole Dba.:”LESLEY ANN BOGOPANE ©”. Collectively 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 affirm to declare our tribal intention to be as our pedigree subscribes, as: Moorish American(s), but not citizen(s) of the United States. We declare permanent, and unalienable, allegiance to The Moorish Empire, Societas Republicae Ea Al Maurikanuus Estados, The Constitution for the united States of America, Article III Section 2, The Lieber Code, Hague Conventions of 1899 & 1907, The Geneva Conventions, [United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples], and all natural laws governing moors, and hereby declare and proclaim our Nationality in good faith as: Moorish American(s). Any and all facts contained in this publication, are fully applicable to any and all private tribal issue offspring of Affiants, Nunc pro tunc. I am: Adrian Bogopane© “, from this day forward, in harmony with my Nationality/Status/Jurisdiction, shall be known as: “ amanya basimane bogopane-el©”. I am “Lesley Ann Bogopane© “from this day forward, in harmony with Nationality/Status/Jurisdiction, shall be known as: “lesley ann bogopane-el ©”. Notice of White Flag Surrender: as “hors de combat pursuant to The Geneva Conventions, Article III, as ministers of the Moorish Empire, and Internationally Protected Persons. 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: 1. DEPARTMENT HOME AFFAIRS / REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA/ CHILD’S ID NO:”, B4048958/7107145747081: “Adrian Bogopane ©, to the depositor: “amanya basimane bogopane-el©”nom deguerre: Adrian Bogopane©”, 2. STATE OF CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH: State file number: 14181, “LESLEY ANN JACKSON©”, to the depositor. “lesley ann bogopane-el©”, nom deguerre: “Lesley Ann Bogopane©”. All property of the same issue and amount, in like kind and specie, is to be returned fully intact, as a Special Deposit order of the Depositor/ Beneficiary/ Bailor/ Donor/ Principal/ Creditor. “amanya basimane bogopane-el©”, nom deguerre: “Adrian Bogopane© for: “AETHIOPIA JUS SOLI TRUST”, and or: “lesley ann bogopane-el©”, nom deguerre: “Lesley Ann Bogopne©”, for “Rising Sun Trust”, as special deposit order in lawful money. This special deposit is to be used exclusively for the benefit of: each respective Trust, an Inter Vivos Unincorporated Divine Grantor Trust. This deposit is not to be commingled with general assets of any bank, nor depositary/ trustee/agent/ bailee/ donee/ debtor. This deposit is not limited to, but including: discharge and set off, of any and all outstanding liabilities as accord and satisfaction. Inter alia enact fuit. All Rights Reserved.
50 - SEPTEMBER 10 - 16, 2020
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
2020 ADM 000402
2019 ADM 001022
2020 ADM 000397
Alberta D. Wilson Decedent
Barnett Lee Schank Decedent
George C. Valentine aka George Valentine Decedent
Cheryl Chapman Henderson, Esq. 4920 Niagara Road, Suite 200 College Park, MD 20740 Attorney
Brett Cohen 7910 Woodmont Avenue, #1430 Bethesda, Maryland 20814-7047 Attorney
Robert P. Newman, Esq. 801 Wayne Avenue, Suite 400 Silver Spring, MD 20910 Attorney
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS
Dale J. Wilson, whose address is 4706 Cherokee Street, Apt. 203, College Park, MD 20740, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Alberta D. Wilson who died on December 10, 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 3/10/2021. 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 3/10/2021, 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.
Brett Cohen, whose address is 7910 Woodmont Avenue, Suite 1430, Bethesda, Maryland 20814-7047, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Barnett Lee Schank who died on July 16, 1997 without a Will, and will serve with Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (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 3/10/2021. 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 3/10/2021, 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.
Darrell Valentine, whose address is 1120 ½ C Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of George C. Valentine aka George Valentine who died on 3/27/2020 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 3/10/2021. 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 3/10/2021, 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: 9/10/2020
Date of first publication: 9/10/2020
Dale J. Wilson Personal Representative
Brett Cohen Personal Representative
TRUE TEST COPY
TRUE TEST COPY
Nicole Stevens Register of Wills
Nicole Stevens Register of Wills
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 000417
2020 ADM 000388
Ratrini H. Nyasumah Decedent
Richard D. Fleming Decedent
coming as Grantor/Settler with NOTICE OF UNREGISTERED
Attorney Ethel Mitchell 8403 Colesville Road, Suite 1100 Silver Spring, MD 20910 Attorney
Joyce A. Ferguson 33 Sherman Circle, NW Washington, DC 20011 Attorney
JOHN QUE PUBLIC estate, NORTH CAROLINA, state file number
Date of first publication: 9/10/2020 Darrell Valentine Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer
Notice of Unregistered Claim Notice of an unregistered claim by a private living woman, sovereign by the grace of God, name written in the Book of the Tree of Life, benificary in the original jurisdiction, now Claim, or priority equitable right, title, and interest in the 1962000073498 529133, including all assets, attributes, derivatives, and transmissions there of. For more on the nature http.//notice.legal-regristry.org/PublicNotice.pdf
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS
Anthony Burley, whose address is 1316 Park Road, NW, Washington, DC 20010, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Ratrini H. Nyasumah who died on January 13, 2020 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 3/10/2021. 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 3/10/2021, 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.
Joyce A. Ferguson, whose address is 33 Sherman Circle, NW, Washington, DC 20011, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Richard D. Fleming who died on January 24, 2020 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 3/10/2021. 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 3/10/2021, 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: 9/10/2020
Date of first publication: 9/10/2020
Anthony Burley Personal Representative
Joyce A. Ferguson Personal Representative
TRUE TEST COPY
TRUE TEST COPY
Nicole Stevens Register of Wills
Nicole Stevens Register of Wills
Washington Informer
Washington Informer
THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM
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VOTE from Page 12 ism and voter suppression. For instance, she mentioned how election officials in Wisconsin opened only five polling locations in Milwaukee during this year’s primary election. The city usually has 180 available in a city with 28 percent Black population, but 70 percent of Blacks have died from COVID-19. “We’re challenge now to facing how to figure out how to vote, but also vote safely,” Ifill said. “We’re really demanding that everyone vote not only this Election Day but vote for every office on the ballot. It’s time for Black people to
MORIAL from Page 30 people all across the country are taking to the streets to demand justice. The cycle of lawlessness against Black people extends back through the centuries. Police have shot and killed an average of approximately 1,000 people in the United States in each of the past three years, and 2020 is on track to meet or exceed that number. Moreover, Black people are three times more likely than white people to be killed by police. We support the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this year. We urge the U.S. Senate to pass, and the president to the bill into law. When we gathered to march in 1963, the white establishment stopped Black people from voting with violence, literacy tests, and poll taxes. Today, they are sabotaging the U.S. Postal Service. Reductions of early voting, restrictive identification requirements, onerous registration procedures, exact name match requirements, purges of voting rolls, foreign and domestic disinformation campaigns, and mandated in-person voting during a pandemic are all efforts designed to undermine the rights of African- Americans to the franchise. We urge the Senate to pass and the president to sign the Voting Rights Advancement Act. This is the most fitting tribute to the late Congressman John Lewis, who dedicated his life to the advancement of voting and civil rights. The pandemic has thrust long-standing economic injustices into the forefront of our consciousness. Our leaders must adopt a fair response to the COVID-19 pandemic that has destroyed the nation’s economic output, thrown tens of millions of people out of
stop leaving power on the table.” Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of National Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law in Northwest, said the 2020 Census also connects to voting. Some of the data from the census can determine a state’s representation in Congress based on population. “We’ve got billions of dollars in federal funding based on data,” she said. “If Black folks are not counted, we will lose out on this next round of redistricting.” For more information on the conference, go to https://www.cbcfinc.org/ annual-legislative-conference/. WI work, left families with greater food insecurity, cut off millions of school-age children from learning, and has left municipal and state budgets for public services in shambles. In the immediate term, we believe that the HEROES Act, passed by the U.S House of Representatives on May 15, 2020, represents the best response to the economic devastation caused by the pandemic. We urge the Senate to pass the HEROES Act and the president to sign it into law immediately. The disparity in educational investment in minority communities and the resulting achievement gap among Black youth is the biggest threat to equality and upward mobility. Therefore, we support progressive funding mechanisms that promote quality and direct more resources to those areas where the need is greatest— more often in high poverty and minority communities. We support a universal early childhood curriculum that prepares our youngsters to learn and achieve at a competitive level. We believe college should be an attainable—and affordable—goal, and that federal resources should be structured to ensure that financial aid does not become a barrier to the development of the next generation of leaders in business and government. For several years, concerned communities across the country have worked tirelessly to spread the word about the importance of the 2020 Census and the need for everyone — especially Black Americans — to participate. Even so, Black America is facing a historic crossroad due to low participation in the 2020 Census. To make matters worse, the current administration is trying
MORIAL Page 53
SEPTEMBER 10 - 16, 2020 51
SHOOTING from Page 1 police,” Tyesha Kay, dressed in all white, said on Saturday evening during the more-than-two-hour vigil. She stood in front of Mellon Market, surrounded by photos of Kay, Kay’s former teachers, mentors, community members, and affiliates of Black Lives Matter DC (BLM DC) who assisted in coordinating the event. The vigil, which was scheduled to precede a march to MPD’s Seventh District station on Alabama Avenue, had been reported by BLM DC Core Organizer April Goggans as one of the largest attended for a victim of police-involved shooting within the last few years. Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White (D) and Ward 8 D.C. State Board of Education Representative Markus Batchelor counted among community members who poured onto the nearby sidewalk, into Mellon Street and into the gas station across the street. After singer and activist Ayanna Gregory poured libation and led a calling of the ancestors, Kay’s sister and others reflected on their experiences with the adolescent. “Deon loved my kids. I got five kids he left behind. He didn’t ask for this,” the elder Kay continued as she reminisced about her brother. “You can perpetrate and paint him how you want him to be. I watched this little boy come out, I changed his pamper, [and] we walked to school together. He never showed me that. I know him inside. Justice for my brother.” Hours after Kay’s death, several people descended upon MPD’s Seventh District where they protested for hours into the night. The next morning, another group formed in front of Bowser’s Northwest home before marching along 16th Street.
A GROWING LIST OF QUESTIONS
In a statement last week, the newly formed D.C. Police Reform Commission, which coalesced in the passage of emergency police reform legislation earlier this year, has called for an independent investigation into the circumstances of Kay’s death. Other requests, made during an emergency meet-
ing, include body cam footage from other officers on the scene, and access to the records of Officer Alexander Alvarez, who MPD identified as the shooter. The redacted bodycam footage MPD released less than 24 hours after the shooting shows Alvarez and his colleagues slowly pulling into the parking lot before hopping out of their patrol vehicle. Kay, who was sitting in a parked car, made a dash. Officers chased him for a few feet before Alvarez ran ahead, intercepted Kay’s path and shot him in the chest. Seconds later, after Kay fell to the ground, Alvarez can be heard frantically looking for the gun -- that officers said they later found 98 feet away from Kay. Kay, 18, was transported to a hospital where he was later pronounced dead. Officers arrested and charged two other young men with carrying a pistol without a license and not having a permit for driving. Community members would later recount a rapid clean-up of the scene. During the D.C. Police Reform Commission’s emergency meeting, the 20-member panel questioned MPD Chief Peter Newsham and Interim Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Roger Mitchell about whether a 911 call prompted officers to go to the 200 block of Orange Street SE and the distance from Kay’s body they found a gun. They also called into question Newham’s characterization of Kay as a gang member in the aftermath of police-involved shooting, and other aspects of what commission member Patrice Sutton described as MPD’s focus on escaping liability rather than preventing future shooting deaths. “People want to know why this happened in the first place and how we can keep from happening again, and all you’re releasing is a small snippet of if it’s justified in the moment and that doesn’t speak to a larger concern,” Sutton said to Newsham during the Friday afternoon meeting. “Why haven’t you released the other bodycam footage?” she asked.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Kay’s death comes amid protests across the country in response
52 - SEPTEMBER 10 - 16, 2020
to the police-involved shooting deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and several other Black people, that have prompted calls to defund police departments and implement federal measures holding police officers accountable. In June, the D.C. Council passed emergency legislation that not only institutionalized the D.C. Police Reform Commission, but banned officer chokeholds and hiring of officers with a history of misconduct, and required the immediate release of bodycam footage whenever a police officer fatally shoots someone. The council would later approve a FY 2021 budget that decreased MPD’s allocation by $15 million, much to the chagrin of
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D). For years, the Bowser administration has drawn the ire of community members and activists who say she has stalled the implementation of the Neighborhood Engagement Achieves Results (NEAR) Act, designed to connect residents to deterrents to violent crime. In the last week, as cries to fire Newsham have grown louder, the conversation has shifted to how the District’s most marginalized residents don’t have allies in the police force. Mike D’Angelo, an anti-violence activist and uncle of the late Mikayah Wilson, echoed those sentiments during the Sept. 5 vigil on the corner of Mellon Street and Martin Luther King,
Jr Avenue., where he presented a Demont Pinder painting of the late Kay. “I can guarantee you, the cop that shot Deon is not from this city or community. He didn’t take the time to see why Deon was running for his dear life,” D’Angelo said on Saturday as he issued a call to action to mourners. “Why are we funding the same police who put guns in their hands to police us?” he continued. “And they don’t have the proper training to not make a decision based on emotion. A split-second cost him a life. But here’s what we’re gonna do. [We] have to stop relying on them to solve our problems.” WI
TRUMP from Page 16
ter Newsham at more than $273,000 and D.C. Schools Chancellor Lewis Trump isn’t king. She says if acted Ferebee at $280,000. Most importantly, withholding upon, his memo would unconstitutionally usurp the spending power federal funds would decimate school which lies exclusively with Congress. districts, unemployment benefits, “The framers understood that the healthcare and rehabilitation propower of the purse could undercut grams. The question remains whether the functioning of democracy itself and therefore left funding with the Trump could act to prevent funding. people, through the Congress. Note According to most legislators, the that spending bills almost always short answer is affirmative if Trump is originate in the House of Represen- re-elected, the GOP retains control of the Senate and federal courts contintatives,” Norton said. “The President may be able to con- ue to be stacked with judges favorable dition funding if Congress has given to the president. “Law and order is an election issue him the power to do so, and a circuit court recently held he may be able to that could become a fiscal problem withhold policing grants from sanc- for big cities whose mayors stand tuary cities, though there is a circuit down their police in the face of ursplit on this matter. But his memo’s ban unrest,” said Adam Andrzejewswholesale threat to withhold funds ki, CEO and founder of OpenThefrom cities is a violation of the Con- Books.com. “Federal subsidies could come with stitution’s separation of powers which gives the spending power exclusively a lot more stipulations if the president is re-elected and has congressional to Congress.” But Congressional action has al- coattails,” Andrzejewski concluded. WI ready been attempted. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) has written a bill that would strip funding from cities that ZOOM from Page 15 refuse to protect their citizens’ life, liberty, and property rights. Although Martin Seeley called The fiscal watchdog group, Open Zoom the best alternative to the Books, reports that the federal roundtable meetings in times of government has provided the D.C. COVID and the platform helped government with $3.3 billion from companies adjust to the new 2016 through 2019 – on average normal of communications, he $4,680 per person – more than any doesn’t believe it’ll remain popuother city. lar. The organization, which is run by “After the pandemic, it will individuals who identify as Repub- have a great decline in sales belicans but suggest their research is cause people still prefer traditionnon-partisan, notes that the District’s al face-to-face meetings instead of government has 8,000 employees virtual meetings,” said Seeley, the earning more than $100,000 per CEO of MattressNextDay. year, including Bowser at $220,000, “It just happens that companies Metropolitan Police Chief Pe- needed alternative ways to con-
5 “Trump is not a king,” says D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes-Norton. (WI File Photo)
duct business meetings, and they have discovered Zoom as the best tool for virtual communication,” Seeley stated. David Walter, a District electrician, agreed. “While I do see Zoom as a major part of business and life in the short-term, I don’t see that as lasting,” Walter opined. “It will still be popular because I think a lot of folks didn’t understand all of the benefits, but hopefully, as this virus continues to fade, and if we get an effective vaccine, I think you’ll see somewhat of a return to in-person meetings.”
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MALVEAUX from Page 30 sparked another COVID-19 outbreak. And if there is another outbreak, count on the economy to slow again. Congress could at least prevent some of this if the Senate passed the HEROES (Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions) Act, which would extend unemployment insurance, provide relief for cities and states, and provide money for schools. The HEROES legislation has been caught in partisan drama, with a bipartisan group of Congressional representatives passing it, but with Senate
LAMBERT from Page 30 William Jawando is to become effective sometime this year. The Montgomery County Council recently enacted legislation limiting excessive use of force by police. The bill not only holds policeman who use excessive force accountable but it also requires officers to intervene whenever they witness a colleague violating the policy. In Prince George’s County, we concur with County Executive Angela Alsobrooks’ assertion that “calls for social justice and greater accountability . . . create a moment where change is possible.” Alsobrooks has proposed shifting $20 million from the police budget to address mental health and addiction issues and the opportunity to fill the vacant police chief position with someone committed to further proposing and enacting reforms can produce further results. Much has been made of the semantics surrounding the phrase, defund the police – a term which means different things to different communities. Just as Black people are not a monolithic group, neither are the remedies to address police brutality, systemic racism and economic disparities in Black communities.
MORIAL from Page 51 to end all counting efforts by Sept. 30, a month sooner than previously announced. The National Urban League has sued to stop it. We urge the Senate to include much-needed language and allocation of funds in the next COVID-19 relief package to extend the statutory reporting deadlines for the 2020 Census by four months. According to one recent estimate, COVID-19 is the third-leading cause of death among Black Americans. For too many people of
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell failing to even put the legislation up to a vote. Some Republicans dispute the need for the HEROES Act because of the latest unemployment rate data. But many states and local jurisdictions will lay off public servants — teachers, police officers, sanitation workers, transportation workers, health care workers and others, pushing the unemployment rate back up. The August Employment Situation report has more good news than bad. It indicates that for the fourth month in a row, things are improving. But this improvement is not enough, and it could
be much better if our legislators would offer some assistance, especially to those at the bottom. Even though 45 has made the economy his issue, repeatedly proclaiming that he created “the best economy in the world” until COVID-19, his inability to grasp the many ways that COVID-19 will continue to plague the economy raises issues about his sagacity and discernment. Don’t celebrate the rebound yet. Don’t stop the pressure either. The Senate must pass the HEROES Act or face the consequences. If we want economic recovery AND economic justice, we must vote. WI
We encourage the adoption of public, deliberative and inclusive processes that result in public safety strategies, reflective of the social norms and values of the communities they serve. It is important that consensus is reached not on the words but on actions which produce better outcomes. Black communities deserve the type of public safety that can typically be found in more affluent, predominately-white neighborhoods – public safety that functions to protect its citizens. Policing in Black communities is more closely associated with the exercise of force and power to control its residents. More attention is afforded to protecting persons who reside outside of Black communities, rather than in serving its residents. Simply stated, supportive public safety in affluent white communities happens organically. However, in Black communities this only occurs through more deliberative actions such as the enactment of supportive laws, policies and procedures. The League urges each jurisdiction to undertake deliberative processes. Several ideas worthy of serious considerations include: • Developing community-based strategies to reimagine police departments.
• Re-examining de-escalation practices and conflict resolution. • Increasing funding for equity-related initiatives in institutions. • Ending the use of military equipment by police. • Changing the culture of policing and ending the code of silence. • Supporting legislation to prevent law enforcement and correctional officers from raising qualified immunity defenses. • Engaging social workers and mental health professionals in addressing non-public safety-related incidents. • Developing initiatives to address health, mental health, economic and employment disparities. • Supporting economic development, employment and positive youth development programs. We demand measures to create both, safe and thriving communities. We urge a review of excessive and repressive policing tactics. It is not enough to reform outdated institutions that were not designed to support Black Americans. Through citizen engagement we can adopt public safety policies and practices that respect the sanctity of life because Black Lives Matter! WI
color, health care is tied directly to employment. High unemployment means low access to health care. Furthermore, low wage workers often do not have employer-provided health care and too few states have opted into Medicaid expansion. During the COVID-19 pandemic, too few African Americans have access to rapid testing, antibody testing, therapeutics and vaccines. We support prioritizing the availability of testing in communities of color. Personal protective equipment, paid for by employers, should be made available to front-line work-
ers. We also encourage funding for research into the long-term health effects of COVID-19 infection. By providing access to quality and affordable health care for all, promoting community-based prevention efforts, and expanding Medicaid to our most vulnerable citizens, the Affordable Care Act will play a pivotal role in reducing the human cost of these disparities. Read the full Statement of Principles here: https://nul.org/ commitment-march-declaration-of-principles WI
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CROWELL from Page 31 in Maine and Hawaii, down to 32 cents per dollar in the District of Columbia. The disparity in median translates into 22% of all Black Americans living in poverty, a gap of 13% compared to whites who are poor. Wisconsin’s gap is 23%. “In noting the socioeconomic indicators of median income, poverty rates and health insurance rates, I found that white people had more favorable outcomes than Black people in every state,” wrote Hernandez Kent. Poverty’s racial disparity extends to other key measures such as median incomes, homeownership and retirement. Even with the enactment of the Fair Housing Act more than 50 years ago, today’s Black homeownership rate is dwindling. According to Ohio State University professor Trevon Logan, “the homeownership gap between Blacks and whites is higher today in percentage terms than it was in 1900.” Logan’s position is bolstered by findings from a 2020 report by the National Association of Realtors, “A Snapshot of Race and Homebuying in America,” that found: • 62 percent of Black mortgage applicants were rejected because of their debt to income ratio, compared to only 5% of whites.
ASKIA from Page 31 ting that he was “wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier” on racial injustice issues, though he didn’t mention Kaep by name. He did say, now if a team wanted him, he would be welcome back in the league. My own journalism career took off when I was in a program for high school sports reporters. The Hearst-owned Los Angeles Examiner sponsored what it called the Scholastic Sports Association (SSA), and we did everything for high school games on a page printed in the daily paper that the professional journos did for colleges and the pros. The SSA persuaded a friendly American Legion post to send me to California Boys’ State in the summer before my senior year, and they gave me a princely $100 scholarship when I graduated, although some members with better academic records than mine got scholarships to
• 51 percent of Blacks are firsttime homeowners, compared to only 30% of whites. Moreover, since the Great Recession that heavily hit Black homeowners a decade ago, today’s Black homeownership rate has yet to return to pre-recession levels. With lower and lifelong disparities in median income earnings, the ability to prepare for retirement is hindered as well. Social Security figures each worker’s retirement benefit on the basis of a taxpayer’s 35 highest-earning years. With lower incomes and a corresponding lack of monies available for savings or retirement, Black Americans rely on Social Security more than other races and/ or ethnicities. Now, for much of Black America, Social Security is a financial lifeline and often the major retirement benefit. In sum, it seems that in 2020, historic ills remain virtually unchanged. A key component of what continues is police violence against Black America. In 1963, escalating racial tensions that worsened with growing numbers of peaceful protests that became violent by counterprotesters and led to multiple arrests prompted President John F. Kennedy to deliver a nationally televised address on America’s racial reckoning.
“One hundred years of delay have passed since President Lincoln freed the slaves, yet their heirs, their grandsons, are not fully free,” he said. “They are not free from the bonds of injustice. They are not yet freed from social and economic oppression. And this nation, for all its hopes and all its boasts, will not be fully free until all its citizens are free.” Fast-forward and it is nearly inconceivable that the current president would deliver such an address. In fact, President Trump and HUD Secretary Ben Carson co-authored a recent op-ed in the Wall Street Journal that portrayed mixed-income neighborhoods as “social engineering.” The redlining of Black communities, racial covenants, real estate steering and restrictive zoning laws that together perpetuated segregated housing were never acknowledged in the guest column. In response, Nikitra Bailey’s Center for Responsible Lending recently spoke with ABC News, saying that the suburbs “intentionally created opportunities for white families while holding back opportunities for families of color. … What we are really talking about is opportunity in our nation.” WI
Harvard and Dartmouth. When I went on to Los Angeles City College, I was sports editor of the school paper, The Collegian, and I wrote a column called “HNIC.” I told our clueless, geriatric journalism adviser that it stood for “Head Newsman In Charge.” But when I transferred to San Jose State University, the school with the best journalism program in the California system, a place which also had one of the nation’s most envied athletic programs in place, I put sports journalism down after my first day in class. The chairman of the J-Department at SJS was the distinguished Dr. Dwight Bentel. He said he gave the same lecture on the first day of school every year, about why he stopped covering sports, and I was convinced on the spot to forsake sports reporting myself. I don’t regret that choice. But in 1968, led by Dr. Harry Edwards, a champion athlete and scholar, a movement grew among athletes all over the country out
of frustration about South Africa’s apartheid team, and an all-white U.S. Olympic Committee, and other issues, and there was a national call to boycott the Olympic Games. Lew Alcindor, the great basketball star at UCLA, was among the prominent athletes to boycott, but my schoolmates Tommie Smith and John Carlos — who won the gold and bronze medals in record time in the 200 meters — did not boycott. Those two went on to give the iconic, black-gloved, raised-fist (the Original Wakanda) salute during the national anthem in Mexico City, and the rest is history. The athletes — Muhammad Ali, baseball player Curt Flood — have always stood up, and though I don’t regret not being a sports reporter, I salute the athletic players. The Hollyweird players, not so much. Which leads me to my confident conclusion today: The Revolution will not be on Netflix … ESPN maybe, but not Netflix, glamour girls and boys. WI
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