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COMPILED BY WI STAFF WRITER WILLIAM J. FORD AND WI SENIOR EDITOR D. KEVIN MCNEIR
Two Prince George’s Residents Seek State Delegate Seats Prince Georgians LaTasha Ward and Marlin Jenkins have announced their plans to run for seats in the Maryland House of Delegates. Ward, who ran unsuccessfully in 2018 for one of the three District 24 seats, will try again to replace Del. Erek Baron, nominated by the White House to serve as a U.S. attorney for Maryland. Ward, a community activist and the former campaign manager for Prince George’s Circuit Court Judge Gladys Weatherspoon, received the most votes in last year’s election. Jenkins, who works as a community liaison for Del. Wanika Fisher (D-District 47B), will seek Fisher’s seat who plans to run for Prince George’s County Council’s District 2 seat. Jenkins, of Hyattsville, ran unsuccessfully in 2018 for a delegate seat when he resided in Montgomery County. His website at https://marlinformaryland. com highlights his background which includes former deputy for the Maryland Vaccine Equity Task Force.
The second, four-year term for Prince George’s council vice chair Deni Taveras (D-District 2) of Adelphi expires in December 2022. Taveras plans to seek Fisher’s seat, according to an updated website at https://votedenitaveras. com/. The primary takes place June 28. WI
5 LaTasha Ward and Marlin Jenkins. (Courtesy photos)
Comcast’s RISE Grants to Support Businesses Owned by People of Color
In Memoriam Dr. Calvin W. Rolark, Sr. Wilhelmina J. Rolark THE WASHINGTON INFORMER NEWSPAPER (ISSN#0741-9414) is published weekly on each Thursday. Periodicals postage paid at Washington, D.C. and additional mailing offices. News and advertising deadline is Monday prior to publication. Announcements must be received two weeks prior to event. Copyright 2016 by The Washington Informer. All rights reserved. POSTMASTER: Send change of addresses to The Washington Informer, 3117 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E. Washington, D.C. 20032. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. The Informer Newspaper cannot guarantee the return of photographs. Subscription rates are $45 per year, two years $60. Papers will be received not more than a week after publication. Make checks payable to: THE WASHINGTON INFORMER 3117 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E Washington, D.C. 20032 Phone: 202 561-4100 Fax: 202 574-3785 news@washingtoninformer.com www.washingtoninformer.com
PUBLISHER Denise Rolark Barnes STAFF D. Kevin McNeir, Senior Editor Ron Burke, Advertising/ Marketing Director Shevry Lassiter, Photo Editor Lafayette Barnes, IV, Assistant Photo Editor Dorothy Rowley, Online Editor ZebraDesigns.net, Design & Layout Mable Neville, Bookkeeper Ron Taylor, Copy Editor Tatiana Moten, Social Media Specialist Angie Johnson, Circulation REPORTERS Stacy Brown (Senior Writer), Sam P.K. Collins, Timothy Cox, Will Ford (Prince George’s County Writer), Hamil Harris, Curtis Knowles, Daniel Kucin, D. Kevin McNeir, Dorothy Rowley, Brenda Siler, Lindiwe Vilakazi, Sarafina Wright, James Wright PHOTOGRAPHERS Shevry Lassiter, Roy Lewis, Jr., Robert R. Roberts, Anthony Tilghman
4 SEPTEMBER 16 - 22, 2021
Comcast recently announced it will award $1 million in grants to 100 small businesses owned by people of color, including Black, Indigenous, Hispanic, and Asian American owners, among others, in the District, as well as technology and marketing resources to 93 businesses in the area. These recipients are part of nearly 4,700 entrepreneurs nationwide who have been selected as Comcast RISE awardees since November 2020. D.C. was one of six cities, including Houston, Miami, Oakland, Seattle and the Twin Cities, selected to award a $10,000 grant to 100 local businesses from the Comcast RISE Investment Fund, for a total of $6 million across 600 businesses. Through Comcast RISE, the company will also support 13,000 small businesses, owned by people of color, with monetary grants; a TV campaign, production of a TV commercial or consulting services from Effectv; or computer equipment, internet, voice or cybersecurity from Comcast Business by the end of 2022. In addition, Comcast RISE invests in ongoing mentorship and resources to help businesses succeed over the long-term. The program has partnered with Ureeka, an online platform for entrepreneurs, to provide grant recipients with business coaching to help build skills in company foundation, growing customers and financial stability. Comcast RISE was formed in late 2020 to give small businesses owned by people of color, from bakeries and barber shops to childcare centers and cleaning services, the tools needed to not just survive, but thrive. The 4,700 recipients are from 422 cities across 34 states. More information and the applications to apply for either the grant program or marketing and technology services are available at www.ComcastRISE.com. WI
Maia Chaka Becomes First Black Woman to Officiate NFL Game
Maia Chaka made history on Sunday, Sept. 12, becoming the first Black woman to officiate an NFL game. She worked as a line judge for the Jets-Panthers game. Chaka said on an official NFL Instagram post before the game, “it’s a privilege that I’ve been chosen to represent women and women of color in the most popular sport in America.” She added that “it's a proud moment for myself. It's a proud moment for my family. It's a proud moment for my community and my students and coworkers.” She counts as just the third on-field female NFL official, joining Sarah Thomas, the first female hired as a full-time NFL official and the first woman to officiate in the Super Bowl, and Shannon Eastin. She previously worked as an official on the college level for the Pac-12 Conference and Conference USA before joining the NFL’s Officiating Development Program in 2014. The program “identifies top collegiate officiating talent to expose them to some of the same experiences as NFL officials,” the NFL said. Chaka graduated from Norfolk State University with a bachelor’s in education in 2006. WI
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