The Washington Informer - September 25, 2025

20th H Street Festival Highlights Black Businesses, D.C. Pride

Annual Block Party ‘Rejuvenates’ Thousands with Path for Economic Mobility

By James Wright and Jada Ingleton WI Staff Writer and WI Content Editor

With the National Guard still patrolling throughout the District, local leadership and D.C. pride shone bright this weekend, as hundreds of thousands of people flooded Northeast to celebrate community and resilience at H Street Festival on Saturday, Sept. 20.

Featuring a block expansion, new businesses, and 20 years seniority, Saturday’s celebration highlight-

H STREET Page 40

Amid Federal Intrusion, Field of Norton Challengers Expands

D.C. Councilmember Robert White Declares Candidacy, While Kymone Freeman, Jacque Patterson, Deirdre Brown, and Gordon Chaffin Make Their Case

By Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer

Since the release of The Washington Informer profile about Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), the chorus of voices against her re-election bid has gotten louder, with two of the delegate’s office alumni— Donna Brazile and

5 People dance, shop and enjoy the day in Northeast, D.C. at the 2025 H Street Festival on Saturday, Sept. 20, featuring 250 vendors and an estimated 160,000 attendees. (Ja’Mon Jackson/The Washington Informer)

‘Made

Leaders Optimistic Despite Unsteady National Economy

By James Wright WI Staff Writer

Despite the wariness of the Trump administration and the shaky national economic status, during the D.C. Chamber of Commerce’s State of the District & Region Conference on Sept. 22, District business and political leaders were upbeat about the future of the city’s economy and the various sectors in it.

Chinyere Hubbard, the president and CEO of the chamber, said the purpose of the conference— held at Georgetown University Capitol Campus in Northwest before an audience of 200 people— was “to bring

D.C. Organizers Call for More Action in Response to Trump Administration

By Sam P.K. Collins and Mya Trujillo WI Staff Writer and WI Contributing Writer

D.C. resident Chioma Iwuoha said that, other than one event about reparations, she’s not participating in activities taking place during the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF)’s 54th Annual Legislative Conference (ALC). Instead, she’s opting to spend time

ALC 2025

5 Congressional Black Caucus Foundation President Nicole Austin-Hillery at the 2025 Congressional Black Caucus swearing in ceremony in January. Austin-Hillery says this year’s theme, ‘Made for This Moment: Power, Policy, and Progress,’ speaks to the urgency of the time and the responsibility Americans have during this time. (WI File Photo/ Robert R. Roberts)

5 Several people are encouraging Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton to not run for reelection in 2026, including D.C. Councilmember Robert White (far right), who is seeking to fill her seat. (WI File Photo/Ja’Mon Jackson)

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Commanders’ $3.7 Billion Stadium Deal

It’s an exciting time for Washington Commanders fans. The NFL team won their home game on Sept. 21 against the Las Vegas Raiders 41-24, and last week leaders announced the Commanders are officially coming back to the District.

On Sept. 18, the D.C. Council voted 11-2 to approve a $3.7 billion package that clears the way for a new 65,000-seat stadium and a sweeping mixed-use redevelopment on the site of the old RFK Stadium.

The deal, described by Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) as “the largest economic development

STACY M. BROWN, WI SENIOR WRITER

Approved by D.C. Council

project in D.C. history,” includes more than $1 billion in taxpayer funding for infrastructure, utilities, parking, and a new recreation facility.

Josh Harris, principal owner for the Washington Commanders, said the team was “deeply grateful for the warm return to the District and the center of the DMV.”

District Councilmembers Brianne K. Nadeau (D) and Robert C. White Jr. (D) cast the only votes against the measure. Nadeau opposed a football stadium at the site from the beginning, while White argued the deal lacked adequate protections to prevent displacement and to

COMMANDERS Page 44

Study Finds Nearly 90 Percent of Daily Life Runs on Autopilot

Many people probably didn’t think much about brushing their teeth in the morning, making a cup of coffee, or scrolling through the phone before heading out the door. That’s because, according to new research, nearly nine out of every 10 actions people take each day are automatic and performed with little to no conscious thought.

A team of behavioral scientists from the University of South Carolina, Central Queensland University in Australia, and the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom tracked 105 people for a week.

Using real-time prompts, the researchers discovered that 88% of daily behaviors were “habitually executed,” while 65% were “habitually instigated”—triggered by environmental cues rather than conscious decisions.

Amanda Rebar, associate professor at the University of South Carolina and lead researcher, explained that most people like to imagine

themselves as careful decision makers.

“However, much of our repetitive behavior is undertaken with minimal forethought and is instead generated automatically, by habit,” Rebar said.

The study broke down automatic behavior into two parts. Habitual instigation occurs when a cue—like hearing a notification—automatically sparks an action, such as checking a phone.

Habitual execution refers to carrying out an activity without actively thinking, such as brushing teeth or driving a familiar route. Researchers found that demographics, including age, gender, and marital status, made no difference in how automatic people’s lives were.

One exception stood out: exercise. People were more likely to be automatically prompted to start working out, but the activity itself required conscious attention once it began. This

Page 35

7-Eleven to Pay $1.2 Million for Illegal Vape Sales Near D.C. Schools

Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb announced that 7-Eleven will pay $1.2 million to resolve allegations that the convenience store chain violated Washington, D.C.’s ban on selling electronic smoking devices within a quarter mile of middle and high schools.

The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) determined that since the law went into effect on October 1, 2022, 16 7-Eleven locations in the District illegally sold thousands of vapes and e-cigarettes in prohibited school zones. The chain had notified its stores in August 2022 of the upcoming restrictions, yet all 16 continued to stock and sell more than 7,500 devices after the law took effect.

“Selling vapes and e-cigarettes near schools is illegal because, particularly for young people, these nicotine products are addictive and unhealthy,” said Attorney General Schwalb. “7-Eleven’s illegal sales threatened to reverse the progress we’ve made reducing tobacco use amongst youth. Protecting the safety of our community is our top priori-

ty at the Office of the Attorney General, and that includes enforcing local laws designed to protect the health of our children.”

The Flavored Tobacco Product Prohibition Amendment Act of 2021, which became effective in October 2022, bans the sale, offering for sale, or distribution of vapes, e-cigarettes, and similar devices within a quarter mile of any middle or high school in the District. Fines for violations start at $2,500 for the first offense and can escalate to $10,000, along with suspension or revocation of tobacco licenses.

OAG’s investigation revealed that 10 corporate-owned and six franchised 7-Eleven stores in D.C. ignored both the law and corporate compliance reminders. These locations continued selling devices that the ordinance clearly prohibited.

Under the settlement agreement, 7-Eleven must pay $1.2 million to the District and permanently end sales and

5 Fans are celebrating after the D.C. Council voted 11-2 to approve a $3.7 billion package that clears the way for a new 65,000seat stadium and a sweeping mixed-use redevelopment on the site of the old RFK Stadium. (WI File Photo/Marcus Relacion)

DMV Voter Registration Drives Get New Guidance Ahead of 2026 Midterms

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

As National Voter Registration Day arrives on Sept. 16, local organizers across Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia are being urged to pay close attention to updated guidelines that shape how community drives can legally and effectively help citizens get on the rolls.

In the District of Columbia, applications submitted by mail, online, or through a registration drive must be received 21 days before Election Day.

While the city does not require training or prior notification for drives, organizers are prohibited from paying participants based on the number of forms they collect. The D.C. Board of Elections offers voter registration training, materials, and even attendance at community events when schedules allow.

“A civic engagement infrastructure is something that needs to be nurtured and maintained constantly—not just during election season,” said Chyann Sapp, campaign director for National Voter Registration Day with Nonprofit Vote. “We collaborate with Fair Elections Center on these comprehensive tools to help our partners build year-round, durable civic engagement capacity within the nonprofit sector. Whether they’re engaged in digital outreach, programming, or field-

from Page 4

marketing of e-cigarettes and vapes at stores located within the restricted school zones. The company is also required to provide annual training at corporate-owned stores, request that franchisees participate in training, and send yearly reminders to stores in school zones about the ban.

The settlement further obligates 7-Eleven to monitor franchise stores on a quarterly basis and notify OAG if any violations occur. If a franchise store receives four violations within two years, 7-Eleven must terminate that franchise agreement and report the termination to the District.

During the investigation, 7-Eleven began pulling electronic smoking devices from shelves and inventory systems at stores near schools. The settlement makes those measures permanent and prohibits any advertising

based voter drives, nonprofits can use these fact sheets to train staff, inform strategy, and ensure every touchpoint—from texts to town halls—is rooted in accurate, accessible civic guidance.”

Maryland law requires more structure.

Drives must return completed forms within five days or by the registration deadline, whichever comes first. Training is mandatory for those seeking to distribute more than 25 applications per day, and volunteers must be at least 18 years old by the next general election.

In addition, the state strictly prohibits compensation tied to the number of forms collected and requires volunteers to inform applicants that they may return their registration directly to the election office.

Virginia’s requirements also stand out. Applications must be received or postmarked 11 days before the election. Training is required for groups requesting 25 or more forms, and it must be renewed annually. Completed applications must be delivered within 10 days of being signed or by the state deadline, whichever comes first.

The law also mandates that applicants receive receipts for their submissions, and failure to comply is a criminal offense.

Fair Elections Center and Nonprofit VOTE said their updated voter reg-

of the products in school-zone stores.

While the settlement is final, some people took to social media to criticize the OAG’s announcement, noting that tobacco is still sold at the stores and local schools are still located within a quarter mile of marijuana dispensaries.

“But it’s cool to have a dispensary directly across the street from BASIS,” said social media user Mark Lyon, considering a charter school on 8th Street NW. “Appreciate the consistency.”

Others requested the OAG to list the 16 7-Eleven establishments referenced in the prohibited school zones, while others warned of what could happen next for the popular convenience store.

“Expect even more 7-Eleven closures in D.C.,” another social media user noted, quoting Schwalb’s announcement on X. “Meanwhile more pot shops - including those near schools.” WI

istration drive guides are meant to help nonprofits and community groups navigate such state-specific rules with precision.

“We believe that democracy works best when all voices are heard at the ballot box,” said Michelle Kanter Cohen, policy director and senior ounsel with Fair Elections Center’s Voting Rights Project. “Helping eligible citizens register to vote should not be a contentious issue. Empowering people and communities to make their voices heard is something we should all be working towards for the greater long-term health of our republic. This isn’t about partisanship—it’s about participation.”

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5 People discuss voter registration with a D.C. Board of Elections representative in October 2020. There are updated and new voter registration guidelines shaping how community drives can legally and effectively help citizens get on the rolls. (WI File Photo/ Anthony Tilghman)

VAPE

AROUND THE REGION

Sept. 25

1861 – The Union Navy allows Blacks to enlist for service for the first time during the Civil War.

1886 – Peter “The Black Prince” Jackson wins the Australian heavyweight title, becoming the first Black man to win a national boxing crown.

1968 – Famed rapper/actor Will Smith is born in Philadelphia.

1974 – Barbara Hancock becomes first African American woman to be named a White House fellow.

Sept. 26

1929 – Ida Stephens Owens, the nation’s first African American female biochemist, is born in Newark, New Jersey.

1937 – Singer Bessie Smith, known as “Empress of the Blues,” dies in an automobile accident in Clarksdale, Mississippi, at age 43.

1981 – Tennis great Serena Williams inaw, Michigan.

Sept. 27

1827 – Hiram Rhodes Revels ican U.S. senator, is born in Fayetteville, North Carolina. 1912 – W.C. Handy publishes the sheet music to “Memphis Blues,” one of the earliest known blues songs.

1950 – Gwendolyn Brooks Prize for her book of poetry “Annie Allen,” becoming the first African American to win the honor.

Sept. 28

1868 – The Opelousas Massacre which an estimated hundreds of Blacks were killed by armed white militias in an ethnic war, occurs in Loui siana.

1991 – Iconic jazz trumpeter ta Monica, California, of complications from a stroke at age 65.

SEPT. 25 - OCT. 1, 2025

SOURCE:

Sept. 29

1975 – WGPR-TV, the first wholly African American-owned television station in the United States, begins broadcasting.

1979 – Sir William Arthur Lewis, an economist from the Caribbean island of St. Lucia, becomes the first Black to receive the Nobel Prize in economics.

Sept. 30

1933 – Gospel singer Cissy Houston, mother of late superstar Whitney Houston, is born in Newark, New Jersey.

1935 – Famed singer Johnny Mathis is born.

1966 – African nation Botswana gains independence from the United Kingdom.

Oct. 1

1960 – African nation Nigeria

Miles Davis

Serena Williams (left) Will Smith (center) Cissy Houston (right)

P INT

BY SARAFINA WRIGHT

In honor of Black Reading Month, who is your favorite African American author (or what is your favorite book by one)?

CHRIS SLADE / WASHINGTON, D.C.

“Robert Beck, better known as Iceberg Slim, is my favorite author.”

HILARY DANIEL

WASHINGTON, D.C.

ASHANTI ASH / HYATTSVILLE, MARYLAND

“Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Zora Neale Hurston

“I love Carter G. Woodson’s ‘The Mis-Education of the Negro.’”

JAYLA C., MIRAMAR / FLORIDA

“Parable of the Sower” by Octavia Butler

JERRETT HARRINGTON / WASHINGTON, D.C.

“My favorite Black author is James Baldwin.”

Our staff is made up of writers, just like you. We are dedicated to making publishing dreams come true. Trusted by authors for nearly 100 years, Dorrance has made countless authors’ dreams come true.

AROUND THE REGION

Democrats Brace for Shutdown Fight as D.C. Residents Confront Fragile Health Care

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

The capital stands on the edge of a shutdown, its government offices preparing for darkened hallways and locked doors. However, for District residents, the real fear is not simply lost paychecks; it is the possibility of losing the fragile protections that hold their health care together.

Democrats in Congress have drawn a line. They have refused to accept a spending bill that strips Medicaid and allows Affordable Care Act subsidies to vanish. At stake are programs that tens of thousands of District residents rely on, in a city already scarred by racial health disparities and inequitable access to care.

“Senators will have to choose: to stand with [President] Donald Trump and keep the same lousy status quo and cause the Trump health care shutdown, or stand with the American people, protect their healthcare, and keep the government functioning,” said Sen. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D), who notoriously caved to the GOP in a government shutdown deal earlier this year.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries also pushed back emphasizing where Democrats’ loyalty lies.

“We don’t work for Donald Trump, we don’t work for JD

Vance, we don’t work for Elon Musk, we work for the American people,” Jeffries declared. “And that is why we are a hard no on the partisan Republican spending bill because it continues to gut the health care of everyday Americans.”

For D.C., this is not distant rhetoric. Medicaid cuts and work requirements could strip coverage from thousands in the District. According to the D.C. Department of Health’s community assessments, Black residents already face higher rates of chronic illnesses such as diabetes and high blood pressure, and they bear a disproportionate share of HIV infections.

Further, East of the Anacostia River, District residents are more likely to report discrimination in care and longer waits to see doctors.

The AARP’s 2024 Health Disparities Survey showed that while most D.C. adults rated their health positively and said they could access services, nearly one in five reported being dismissed by providers or experiencing cultural insensitivity. These inequities sharpen the danger of federal cuts, leaving many residents with no margin for loss.

Democrats have linked their resistance to specific demands: restoring Medicaid funding slashed earlier this year and extending ACA subsidies set to expire.

Political analysts have noted that

the minority party is finally wielding rare leverage to defend health care even at the cost of a shutdown.

“I’m not going to write a blank check for a lawless president. That is my starting point here,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D) of Maryland stated.

For the region, the stakes are immediate: hospitals in both Maryland and the District rely on Medicaid dollars to keep their doors open.

The DC Health Link board recently voted to remove copays and deductibles for heart disease treatments, a step aimed at easing the leading cause of death in the District. But such local progress cannot shield residents from the fallout of federal policy. Should subsidies collapse and Medicaid shrink, many families would be pushed to the brink.

As the clock ticks toward shutdown, Democrats argue that they are fighting for more than a political point—they are fighting to keep care within reach for communities already burdened by inequity.

The District, with all its disparities laid bare, could feel the consequences most directly.

“Part of our challenge is, lots of people haven’t felt that yet, but they will next month,” Sen. Chris Coons (D) of Delaware said.

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5Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen (right, speaking) is one of the Democratic leaders pushing back against a Republican led spending bill that strips Medicaid and allows Affordable

House Republicans Advance Bills to Alter D.C. Crime Laws

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

The U.S. House of Representatives has approved two controversial measures targeting Washington, D.C.’s local authority over judicial appointments and police pursuits, intensifying a Republican push to override the city’s home rule.

One bill dismantles the District’s Judicial Nomination Commission, a panel in place for five decades that recommends candidates for the city’s superior and appellate courts. If enacted, the president would gain direct power to nominate judges for Senate confirmation.

Supporters contend the change is needed to fill longstanding vacancies. Opponents argue the real problem lies with the Senate’s slow pace in approving nominees.

The vote split along party lines, 218-211.

The second measure loosens restrictions on police vehicle pursuits. Current D.C. law allows officers to chase only in cases of violent felonies. Under the new legislation, officers would have expanded discretion to engage in chases.

Louisiana Republican Rep. Clay Higgins, a former law enforcement officer, said, “We’re restoring the discretion of the professional law enforcement officer to make a decision in a fraction of a second or two, based upon his policies and his training.”

The bill passed 245-182, with 29 Democrats crossing party lines.

Democrats from the region

warned of the dangers.

Maryland Rep. Glenn Ivey, a former Prince George’s County prosecutor, recounted a high-speed Beltway pursuit that ended in tragedy.

“The car jumped over, hit the top of the car coming in the opposite direction and killed two men on their way to a concert,” Ivey stated.

D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (D) also opposed both measures, stressing that police pursuits pose risks to officers, suspects, and bystanders, and that the Judicial Nomination Commission has safeguarded the District’s courts for half a century.

Republicans countered that the changes are overdue. Texas Rep. Pete Sessions, who sponsored the judicial bill, said the commission “does not work” and “inappropriately limits the president’s authority.”

Tennessee Rep. Tim Burchett went further, declaring, “If the Senate had any guts they would pass it. The people around here deserve better. Washington, D.C., is the creation of Congress. We need to do better.”

The House has already passed two other GOP-backed crime bills this week, including measures targeting juvenile offenders. Collectively, they represent one of the most sweeping congressional interventions in D.C. governance in years.

Whether the Senate will act is uncertain. Rep. Ivey suggested that some of the bills are likely to stall in the upper chamber.

“I think there is a good chance some of these bills get stopped in the Senate,” he said. WI

AROUND THE REGION

5 Congressional Democrats, such as Maryland Rep. Glenn Ivey, are warning Washingtonians as the Republican push to override D.C.’s home rule intensifies. The U.S. House of Representatives has approved two controversial measures targeting D.C.’s local authority over judicial appointments and police pursuits. (WI File Photo/Robert R. Roberts)

AROUND THE REGION

U.S. Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.) with Marie Johns, the 2025-2026 Howard University Gwendolyn S. and Colbert I. King endowed chair in public policy, at Founders Library on Sept. 19. A barrier-breaking politician, Alsobrooks spoke to students about the need to elevate democracy. (Robert R. Roberts/The Washington Informer)

LOCAL LEADERS from Page 1

our communities together to align on the future and actions for the District business ecosystem.”

“We are proud to convene business leaders, policymakers, residents, and all committed partners to hear directly from D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and other esteemed subject matter experts about the bold steps of the District and the surrounding region,” Hubbard said.

As the District grapples with a Trump administration that has laid off thousands of federal workers, many of whom are D.C. residents, coupled with efforts to stop federal interference, the city is also experiencing economic wins.

The D.C. Council recently voted to support the building of a stadium for the Washington Commanders football team at the RFK Stadium site in Northeast and the National Football League announced that its 2027 draft will be held on the National Mall.

To quantify the economic and business activity, the chamber released the 2025 State of Business Report: Investing in Growth, which includes data on commercial performance and employment of the District.

“This report delivers the data District leaders need to incentivize businesses to come to our nation’s capital,” said Earle “Chico” Horton III, board chair for the D.C. Chamber of Commerce. “We’re ensuring the District becomes the place where businesses choose to invest and grow.”

Specifics of the State of the Business Report

The 16-page report’s executive summary said that while the District continues to be the economic engine of the Washington metropolitan area— despite the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic— the downtown corridor and commercially driven areas such as Georgetown are enduring office vacancy rates of 20% and more.

The annual report also noted that the number of business establishments has dropped 66% from 2021 to 2023 and business applications from their highs early in the pandemic.

The unemployment rate in the District sits at 5.8% and the business leaders surveyed say by a margin of 60% that the city’s economy will likely get worse in the coming months.

“It’s a sobering report,” said Horton. In essence, the summary said that a

pro-growth agenda must be adopted by the city’s political leadership to offset any economic slowdown.

“To secure long-term success, the District must pivot from office-centric development toward an economy that encourages experimentation, fosters innovation, and powers job growth,” the report said. “Investments in the vibrancy of the city will help attract talented residents, workers, and businesses— increasing the District’s chances to emerge as a leading innovation or technological hub.”

Specifically, the report called for performance-based tax incentives to encourage job growth, diversifying the District’s economy with a robust workforce training component, fostering university-linked innovation, simplifying permitting, regularly reviewing regulations and including economic impact analysis in policymaking and investing in workforce and affordable housing for workers and continue promoting downtown as a livable option.

“These strategies offer a roadmap for D.C. to build a more diverse, competitive, and dynamic economy,” the report said. “By enacting these policies and leveraging the city’s existing strengths— a talented workforce, an array of respected research institutions, and a rich collection of civic assets— the District can reposition itself as a leading city characterized by efficiency, innovation, vibrancy, and growth.”

Bowser Takes a Victory Lap at the Conference

Before the mayor delivered the keynote address at the conference, Horton praised her for being an effective leader, noting

that she has served three terms.

“She is the first African American woman in the nation to serve as mayor of a major city for three terms, and she will serve another four years,” said Horton, referring to the mayoral election that will take place in 2026 even though Bowser hasn’t indicated whether she will run yet.

The mayor talked about her success saying “you win by winning” by delivering for the residents.

“We made some really important progress,” Bowser said. “I promised D.C. residents some time ago that we would get 180 acres on the banks of the Anacostia River and make it a mixed-use development and we would deliver jobs, deliver new homes, jobs and connections to the Anacostia and we do, indeed, have the right partner at the right time to bring our team home and we are proud of that.”

Bowser also noted the progress made with the rebuilding of Capital One Arena downtown and the economic importance of it. She stressed the importance of engaging District businesses and how that stimulates the economy.

“We know that when you hire D.C. businesses, D.C. businesses hire D.C. residents, and D.C. residents pay D.C. taxes,” she said.

Having long touted the benefits of sports for the city’s economy, Bowser said the success of plans to have all of Washington’s pro sports franchises housed in the city is noteworthy and uncommon nationally.

“I declared D.C. the sports capital (of the nation) 10 years ago,” she said. “We will be only one of six cities in the United States of America that has all

5 University of the District of Columbia President Dr. Maurice Edington speaks at the D.C. Chamber of Commerce’s State of the District & Region conference on Sept. 22. (Courtesy Photo/Ron Thomas)

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY

Congressman Ivey Re-Introduces George Floyd Policing Act

By Richard Elliott WI Contributing Reporter

Following the grisly public murder of George Floyd in 2020, the United States saw the largest wave of political demonstrations in the nation’s history.

Former President Joe Biden (D) and congressional Democrats, including Rep. Glenn Ivey (D- Md.), introduced legislation and enacted policy since this mass movement

to improve accountability and transparency while reforming police strategies, tactics, and training methods.

Ivey, who served as Prince George’s State’s Attorney from 2003 to 2011, is the chief sponsor of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.

“The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act has been important from the beginning. It has passed the House twice and has over 100

sponsors. We need to ensure accountability,” Ivey The Informer on Sept. 15, shortly after announcing the bill’s re-introduction.

The Maryland congressman emphasized the urgency of this bill amid the Trump administration’s deployment of the military into America’s cities.

“The Trump administration has made it an even more immediate concern; there has been backsliding to say the least. The militarization in D.C. and LA is a huge step in the wrong direction,” he continued. “The need is even more important and obvious now that the military is in the streets of the District.”

This bill would require training on racial bias and duty to intervene, bans chokeholds and no-knock warrants in drug cases, expands the use of body-worn cameras, and reform qualified immunity.

While the House of Representatives passed this bill in 2021 on a 220-212 vote, Senate Republicans stalled negotiations and have blocked the Justice in Policing Act since then. President Biden’s Executive Order 14074 enacted some aspects of the bill, including a police misconduct database, and President Donald Trump (R) reversed these reforms in February with Executive Order 14148.

“We need this legislation to make sure police are doing their job the right way. Congress needs to do everything to get us moving towards making people in the streets safer and making police more effective.”

Floyd Family, Ben Crump Appreciate Ivey’s Efforts

The Floyd family said they were grateful to Ivey and his colleagues for reintroducing the George Flyd Justice in Policing Act.

“Nearly five years after George’s life was taken, our family continues to grieve but we also continue to hope. This legislation carries his name because it represents more than just his memory; it represents a call for real change so that no other family has to suffer the way we have,” Philonise and Keeta Floyd— the brother and sister-in-law of the legislation’s namesake, wrote in a statement. “We urge Congress to act with the courage and compassion this moment demands and finally deliver accountability, transparency, and justice in policing across America,” said Philonise and Keeta Floyd, George Floyd’s brother and sister-in-law.”

Attorney Ben Crump also thanked Ivey and his colleagues for re-introducing the bill.

“This moment marks a critical step toward confronting systemic injustice and demanding real accountability in law enforcement,” said Crump, “and I am deeply grateful for your commitment to building a safer, more just America for all.”

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5Congressman Glenn Ivey (left) is the chief sponsor of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. He calls the bill “an immediate concern” amid the deployment of troops in American cities. (WI File Photo/Anthony Tilghman)

Prince George’s Political Updates

GEORGE’S COUNTY

President, Secretary of Transportation Threaten Key Bridge Funding

By Richard Elliott WI Contributing Reporter

While former President Joe Biden (D) and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) quickly stepped up to clear the channel, re-open the Port of Baltimore, and secure funding for the rebuild post the March 2024 Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse, the Trump administration is now working to stop the progress in another attack on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).

Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy sent a letter to Gov. Moore on Sept. 19, accusing the governor of “prioritizing race and gender-based requirements” over project completion, which is currently projected for 2028.

“One additional area of specific concern relates to whether Maryland intends to award contracts for the FSK Bridge project in a manner that relies on the race or sex of contractors,” said Duffy, who is seeking a meeting with the governor, in a letter to Moore on Friday morning. “Any reliance on race- or sex-conscious factors in contracting decisions could introduce significant legal vulnerabilities and inefficiencies in the management of the project.”

Moore responded that same day to Duffy’s comments, noting that more than 10% of Maryland’s economy sails through the Port of Baltimore, and port cargo is needed across the nation. Further, the governor emphasized the safety of the bridge and responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars as top priorities in the rebuilding effort.

“We moved with speed and efficiency to secure expedited permitting to begin the rebuild immediately, clearing the channel to the Port of Baltimore in 11 weeks when some experts said it would take 11 months,” Moore said in a statement. “Since then, we have worked expeditiously to promote full restoration of the bridge as a critical asset to our nation’s economy. Today, the project continues in the design phase, with demolition and pre-construction underway in parallel.”

Maryland’s congressional Democrats, including Sens. Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks, also

signed onto a letter in response to Duffy’s letter to Moore, noting the tragic impact of the collapse and the federal government’s commitment to covering rebuilding costs.

“The Key Bridge was bigger than Baltimore and Maryland – its collapse took away a vital transportation artery for the broader region and a gateway to the Port of Baltimore. As we have with other major infrastructure disasters with nationwide implications, Congress came together on a bipartisan basis to provide the full resources necessary for reconstruction to ensure it can be rebuilt as quickly and efficiently as possible,” the Maryland leaders wrote in a joint letter. “The federal government’s commitment to fund the rebuild is enacted into law, and the construction contract was awarded through a legal, competitive, transparent process.”

Fighting for Marylanders in the House and Senate, the Democratic politicians also emphasized their dedication to the rebuild.

“We will continue working with the Department of Transportation and our partners to keep delivering on this national priority and commitment,” they said. WI

5The Key Bridge after a boat collision and collapse, claiming the lives of six construction workers. (WI File Photo/Anthony Tilghman)

5After Gov. Wes Moore’s efforts securing funding and working to rebuild post the March 2024 Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse, the Trump administration is now trying to stop the progress in an attack on diversity, equity and inclusion. (WI File Photo/Robert R. Roberts)

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY

of its professional sports teams in the city limits.”

Further, looking forward to the completion of the Commanders stadium, Bowser made a prediction.

“I believe— you heard it here— in 2031 we are going to host the Super Bowl,” she said.

On the housing front, the mayor noted her efforts produced a win for residents.

“We had a goal of 36,000 units of housing by 2025 but we beat that goal by one year,” she said. “And that’s a big deal.”

While she touted achievements, the mayor also said she plans on re-introducing legislation designed to foster growth in the city.

“We are going to have a StandAlone Tuesday, and do you know what that is,” she said. “That means stand alone bills that the Council wants that focus on how we grow.”

The mayor also emphasized that the District is pro-business.

“We have to beat back this notion that D.C. is not good for business when in fact we are good for business,” she said. “A lot of businesses start and grow here, a lot of developers have gotten their start here and become great businesses, a lot of IT companies are doing great work, so we want to make sure that our laws match our intense focus on being a great place to do business.”

‘Capital

of ConferenceBusiness’: Panels Discuss Policies, Practices

The conference held subject matter

panels on education, health care and real estate/sports/entertainment.

During the education panel, University of the District of Columbia President Dr. Maurice Edington said it was important for educational institutions to develop strong relationships with the business community.

“We need to listen to our corporate partners,” Edington said. “We need to spend time with them and get to know them.”

Drew Hubbard, the executive director of D.C. The Workforce Investment Council said it is key that students and workers learn as much as possible about artificial intelligence.

“It is important to be proficient in artificial intelligence,” he said.

D.C. Council member Christina Henderson (I-At Large) was a panelist on the health sector. Henderson said recent changes instituted by the U.S. Congress and the Trump administration has created challenges for some residents and businesses.

“Medicaid requirements have changed and must be dealt with by residents and businesses,” she said.

The real estate/sports/entertainment panelists talked about the city’s more aggressive insertion into these sectors.

“This is about diversifying our economy,” said D.C. Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Nina Albert.

Ernie Jarvis, vice chairman of Savills North America, said other sectors the city should explore include life sciences, bioscience and cryptocurrency.

“Washington, D.C. has a healthy labor pool,” Jarvis said. “We are known as the capital of the nation, and we can become the capital of business.” WI

@JamesWrightJr10

Fall Into Energy Savings Submitted by Washington Gas

Back to school, football season, and shorter days can only mean one thing: Fall is here! As temperatures drop, now’s the perfect time to make sure your home is as energy efficient as possible.

Energy efficiency helps lower utility bills, improve system performance, and reduce overall energy demand. By using less energy to achieve the same results, homes and businesses can operate more cost-effectively. It’s a smart way to manage resources, increase comfort, and support long-term financial savings across communities and industries.

The good news? Washington Gas offers programs designed to help you reduce energy use and save money. When it comes to saving energy, small changes can make a big impact.

When it comes to saving energy, small changes can make a big impact. Check out these energy-savings tips:

• Seal leaks around windows and doors to keep warm air in. Inspect windows and doors for draft and use weather stripping or caulk to seal gaps.

• Use a programmable thermostat to lower temps when you’re away or asleep. Small adjustments can mean big savings on your utility bill.

• Check insulation in attics and basements to prevent heat loss.

• Schedule a Tune-Up: Just like your car needs regular maintenance, heating and air conditioning systems rely on consistent upkeep to function properly. Consider having a professional check the health of your natural gas furnace or boiler to ensure your system is operating safely and efficiently.

• Upgrade Windows and Window Treatments: High-efficiency windows and treatments help retain warmth in winter and block heat in summer—keeping your indoor temperature consistent and comfortable.

• Install Energy-Efficient Equipment: Consider upgrading to more energy-efficient equipment, such as boilers, furnaces, and water heaters, to reduce energy use and lower utility bills.

• Don’t Miss Out on Potential Savings: You may be eligible for rebates to offset the cost of equipment upgrades, tune ups, and more. Learn more at wgsmartsavings.com.

Ready to get started?

Washington Gas customers in Maryland and Virginia can order a Home Energy Conservation Kit at no cost. The Energy Conservation Kit includes items such as spray foam sealant and faucet aerators, each selected to help conserve energy in your household.

Washington Gas has been the DMV’s choice for reliable, affordable energy for over 175 years. We’re here to support you in making the best energy choices for your home.

For more information on energy efficiency programs in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia, please visit http:// wgsmartsavings.com.

WASHINGTON GAS: BUILDING A SAFER, STRONGER COMMUNITY

Washington Gas is actively performing infrastructure upgrades across Washington, D.C. These projects are essential to maintaining the safety and reliability of natural gas service for the communities we serve. We recognize that our work— particularly excavation—can impact streets, sidewalks, public spaces, and private property.

As your community partner, we take that responsibility seriously. We are committed to completing this work as safely and efficiently as possible, with respect for your property and neighborhood. Restoration is a key part of our process, and we will ensure that any disturbed areas are returned to their preconstruction condition.

You can count on us to:

• Respect your home and neighborhood

• Restore landscaping and hard surfaces after work is complete

• Follow all DC Department of Transportation standards

We appreciate your patience as we modernize critical infrastructure. Questions? Call 202-624-6400, visit washingtongas.com, or email Project_Pipes@washgas.com

Together, we’re building a safer, stronger community.

If you have questions regarding any of our construction processes, please call the PROJECTpipes Hotline at 202-6246400, email Project_Pipes@washgas.com or visit washingtongas.com/projectpipes

BUSINESS

Black Chamber Leaders Muse on D.C. Area Economy

By James Wright WI Staff Writer

In an event that emphasized the hard work, nuances, achievements and goals for local entrepreneurs and businesses, leaders from various DMV area chamber of commerce organizations came together to discuss the state of Black business on Sept. 18 at the Gallery O on H Street in Northeast, D.C., hosted by The Washington Informer (WI).

The evening included an exhibition highlighting 60 years of Washington Informer photography and

a panel discussion under the theme “The Future of Business,” moderated by WI Publisher Denise Rolark Barnes and featuring: Chinyere Hubbard, president and CEO of the DC Chamber of Commerce; Kathy Guzman, president and CEO of the Charles County Chamber of Commerce in Maryland; Courtney Edmonds, chair of the board of the Prince George’s Chamber of Commerce; Corey Arnez Griffin, chair of the Greater Washington DC Black Chamber of Commerce; and Tonya Poindexter, chair of the Northern Virginia Black Chamber of Commerce.

For Barnes, the event furthered The Washington Informer’s celebration of six decades in business, after the 60th anniversary celebration at the Martin Luther King Library in March.

“We wanted to honor family legacy businesses,” said Barnes.

Having served as the publisher for more than 31 years, Barnes, 70, praised African American entrepreneurship and its impact on the community.

“We start businesses not just for ourselves,” Barnes said, “but for our families.”

With more than 40 people gathered for the event, Marie Johns, former deputy administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration under the Obama administration, offered words of encouragement to the gathering.

“I love Denise,” said Johns, 74. “I knew her Dad and her Mom. I honor Denise and her amazing team. I love all the chamber chairs.”

Johns, a former president and CEO of Verizon in the Washington area, talked about the importance of entrepreneurship, sharing a story about her grandfather who started a lawn care company in Indianapolis, Indiana.

“My grandfather grew his landscaping business at a time when it was tough for Black business,” she said before offering a call to action.

“He won state contracts at a time when that was unheard of for Black companies. When I was at Verizon, we made sure that we did business with minority companies. Now it is time for minority businesses to do business with each other.”

Leaders Talk Impact, Focus

Charles County made national headlines in 2022 when media organizations announced that it was the wealthiest Black majority county in the nation, replacing nearby Prince George’s County.

Despite the achievement, Guzman— the first person of color to lead the Charles County Chamber of Commerce, which was founded in 1956 and is based in La Plata, Maryland— discussed the culture that permeates in the county’s business sector and continues to hamper Black businesses.

“There is a history of gatekeeping in Charles County,” said Guzman, referring to the control of access to government contracts and work. “I

3 Local chamber leaders

Washington In-

Publisher

from

in a discussion about Black businesses in the Washington region at Gallery O on H in Northeast, D.C. on Sept. 18. (Ja’Mon Jackson/The Washington Informer)

don’t do gatekeeping. At the chamber, I work to see that there is no more gatekeeping and anyone who is qualified has access to funding.”

Chair of the Northern Virginia Black Chamber of Commerce, based in McLean, Virginia, Poindexter was excited to join the powerful group of leaders and emphasized a need for more collaboration in order to uplift Black businesses.

“I am proud to be here among elite chamber leaders,” she said, number of African American firms and potential for contracting opportunities on the state, county and local levels in Northern Virginia. “We don’t need to work in silos, we can work together.”

Griffin, chair of the Greater Washington DC Black Chamber of Commerce, said contracting opportunities for African American businesses are at risk in the present political climate.

“Systems designed to help Black entrepreneurs are being dismantled,” said Griffin, before offering encouragement. “But I want Black businesses not to get discouraged. We are coaching Black businesses to stay focused and keep going. The money did not go anywhere, it just shifted.”

Particularly with the recent financial blows to Prince George’s County and present effects of federal DEI cuts on African American entrepreneurs in the area and nationwide, Edmonds, said Black businesses must be more intentional about success.

“This is a very difficult time,” said Edmonds, chair of the board of directors for the Prince George’s Chamber of Commerce, citing the loss of the Washington Commanders stadium and the Trump administration stopping the planned relocation of the FBI building to the county. “We are telling our chamber members not to lose hope and consider local government instead of federal contracts.”

As president and CEO of the

Chinyere Hubbard, Kathy Guzman, Courtney Edmonds, Corey Arnez Griffin and Tonya Poindexter, with

former

Denise Rolark Barnes (third

left)

D.C. Business Leader Tapped for Prestigious Howard Chair

By James Wright WI Staff Writer

Howard University announced that Marie C. Johns, former member of the Howard University Board of Trustees and deputy director of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) during the Obama administration, has been appointed the 2025–2026 Gwendolyn S. and Colbert I. King Endowed Chair in Public Policy.

Johns, currently a Trustee Emeritus, previously served on the Board of Trustees from 2000 to 2010 and from 2014 to 2024.

Created in 2008 by Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Colbert I. King and former Social Security Commissioner Gwendolyn S. King, both Howard alumni, the endowed chair provides students with access to senior public service executives who have developed and advanced public policy initiatives during their government service. The program has featured lectures and seminars on voting, leadership, civil rights, economic affairs, and global diplomacy, among other public policy topics.

“We have known Marie Johns for more than 30 years and have long admired her dedication and service to the public, and particularly to the business community,” Gwen and Colby King said in a joint statement. “She will offer students a treasure of knowledge on the importance of civic leadership in the creation of public policies to benefit all our citizens.”

Howard University Interim President Wayne A. I. Frederick praised Johns’ appointment.

“The King Chair represents Howard’s commitment to preparing the next generation of leaders to shape public policy with vision and integrity,” Frederick said. “Marie Johns’ experiences in private industry and in public arenas make her most suitable to carry forward Gwendolyn S. and Colbert I. King’s vision for this series.”

Previous King Chairs include the late U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Maryland), Elaine R.

5 Marie C. Johns, a well-regarded business leader in the District, is the 2025–2026 Gwendolyn S. and Colbert I. King endowed chair in Public Policy at Howard University. (Robert R. Roberts/The Washington Informer)

Jones, former president of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, political strategist Donna Brazile, and most recently, former Maryland Lieutenant Governor and current co-host of MSNBC’s ”The Weeknight” Michael Steele.

Johns is CEO of PPC-Leftwich, a minority/woman-led management and consulting firm with deep roots in the District.

She has been a leader in business, civic, and government service for more than 30 years. Her experience includes holding senior positions in the telecommunications industry, including retiring as president of Verizon Washington. In that position, she was responsible for more than 1,800 employees and nearly 800,000 customers.

Johns served as deputy administrator of the SBA from 2010 to 2013. During her tenure, she oversaw record lending of more than $30 billion to over 60,000 small businesses, chaired the President’s Interagency Task Force on Veterans’ Small Business Development, created the SBA’s Council on Underserved Communities, and launched Start Young, an

If you accepted or processed Discover credit cards between 2007–2023, you could be eligible to get a payment from a class action settlement.

**YOU MAY BE ENTITLED TO A SETTLEMENT PAYMENT**

To receive a payment, file a claim by May 18, 2026

WHAT IS THIS ABOUT?

A proposed class action settlement has been reached in three related lawsuits. The lawsuits allege that, beginning in 2007, Discover misclassified certain Discover-issued consumer credit cards as commercial credit cards, which in turn caused merchants and others to incur excessive interchange fees. The misclassification did not impact cardholders. Discover denies the claims in the lawsuits, and the Court has not decided who is right or wrong. Instead, the proposed settlement, if approved, will resolve the lawsuits and provide benefits to Settlement Class Members.

WHO IS INCLUDED?

The Settlement Class includes all End Merchants, Merchant Acquirers, and Payment Intermediaries involved in processing or accepting a Misclassified Card Transaction during the period from January 1, 2007 through December 31, 2023. To view the full Settlement Class definition, including defined terms and excluded entities, go to www.DiscoverMerchantSettlement.com.

WHAT CAN I GET?

To receive a settlement payment, with very limited exceptions, you will need to file a claim by May 18, 2026 and/or provide additional information to the Settlement Administrator. Under the proposed settlement, Discover will make payments to eligible Settlement Class Members who submit valid claims. Discover has agreed to pay between $540 million and $1.225 billion plus interest in connection with this settlement. Your settlement payment amount will be calculated based on a variety of factors.

YOUR OTHER OPTIONS.

You can file a claim for a payment by May 18, 2026 and/or provide additional information. Alternatively, you can exclude yourself from the settlement by opting out, in which case you will receive no payment under this settlement and retain any right you may have to sue Discover about the claims in these lawsuits or related to the Misclassified Card Transactions. If you do not exclude yourself, and the Court approves the settlement, you will be bound by the Court’s orders and judgments and will release any claims against Discover in these lawsuits or related to the Misclassified Card Transactions. If you do not exclude yourself, you can object to or comment on any part of the settlement. The deadline to either exclude yourself or object to the settlement is March 25, 2026. Visit the website for information on how to exercise these options.

www. washingtoninformer .com www. washingtoninformer .com

NATIONAL

Opportunity Zones Are Trumpeted at Innovative Housing Showcase

By James Wright WI Staff Writer

U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner is passionate about the opportunity zone program.

Opportunity zones are defined as an economically distressed community, set by an individual census tract and is nominated by a state governor and certified by the U.S. Treasury Secretary. Investments in the opportunity zone may be eligible for

preferential tax treatment.

During a panel part of the Innovative Housing Showcase on the National Mall on Sept. 9. Turner and other leaders discussed the Trump administration’s approach to opportunity zones.

Before becoming HUD Secretary, Turner worked as the executive director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during the first Trump administration. The secretary said opportunity zones deliver jobs and economic sta-

bility to people that need them.

“Opportunity zones aren’t about buildings but about people,” Turner said to a gathering of 100 people. “Free enterprise, the private sector, which is where the solutions are for people when it comes to jobs and housing.”

One of the panelists, Ja’Ron Smith, —- Howard University graduate who is a partner at CGCN Group a public relations firm, in Northwest, D.C., and a former White House staffer in the first Trump administration—- said opportunity zones are successful because they are a bipartisan issue but work still needs to be done for their success to continue.

“We know what works, let’s run the same play,” said Smith using a sports analogy. “Opportunity zones have their own brand now. It’s about getting the local people involved and finding out what they want.”

Jill Homan, the deputy director of Economy & Trade and campaign director of American Revival for the America First Policy Institute and a former Republican National Committeewoman representing the District, said opportunity zones are now part “a permanent part of the tax code because of the passage of the Big, Beautiful Bill.”

“Opportunity zones will attract capital to low-income communities,” Homan said. “Community leaders need to be creative with tax incentives to bring in jobs.”

WI @JamesWrightJr10

5 Ja’Ron Smith is a partner in the public relations firm of CGCN located in the District. (Courtesy Photo/Alamy)

Paper Checks Ending for Federal Benefits on September 30

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

The federal government will stop issuing paper checks for Social Security, veterans’ benefits, tax refunds, and most other programs at the end of this month, requiring millions of Americans to move to electronic payments.

The shift, required under Executive Order 14247, begins on Sept. 30.

“Reducing paper checks has been a longstanding bipartisan goal that our administration is finally putting into action,”

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated. “Thanks to President Trump, this will help reduce fraud and theft. It will also remove delays that prevent hardworking Americans from receiving their vital payments.”

While most beneficiaries already use electronic transfers, more than 5 million still receive paper checks, including seniors, people with disabilities, and those without bank accounts.

Beneficiaries can choose between direct deposit into a bank or credit union account or the Direct Express debit card, a Treasury-sponsored card for those without accounts. Enrollment is available through GoDirect.gov, by calling 1-800-9676857, or through the agency that issues payments.

Jennifer Tescher, founder of the Financial Health Network, warned that the deadline could create problems for vulnerable

groups.

“Populations that may be more challenged by having to change the way they receive their federal benefits include older adults, immigrants, and people with disabilities,” Tescher stated.

Kathleen Romig, a former Social Security Administration official now with the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, described her experience trying to enroll.

“I couldn’t get through to a person. Some people are just not going to be able to manage the steps,” Romig stated.

Paper checks cost about 50 cents to issue compared with less than 15 cents for electronic transfers. Officials contend that fraud concerns are also driving the change, with banks reporting nearly 680,000 cases of check fraud in 2022, nearly double the year before.

Waivers will be available only in limited cases, including for people 90 and older, those in remote areas, or individuals with certain disabilities. Beneficiaries seeking an exemption must call 1-800-967-5042.

A spokesperson for the Social Security Administration said the agency is contacting those who still receive paper checks.

“Where a beneficiary has no other means to receive payment, we will continue to issue paper checks,” the spokesperson stated.

WI

3 The federal government will stop issuing paper checks for Social Security, veterans’ benefits, tax refunds, and most other programs at the end of this month.

(Courtesy Photo)

n Banners

n Canvas Bags

n Color Copies

n Contracts & Vouchers

n Church Fans

n Fax & Scan

Peace Thru Culture Champions Youth Advocacy Inaugural

Youth Development

Youth to

Navigate and Influence the World Around Them

By Mya Trujillo WI Contributing Writer

Until Adriane Alfred was 13 years old, she spent her summers in her home state of Louisiana, learning about her ancestors and the cultures that had shaped her family. As a young person, little did she know that those summer trips would decades later inspire her to found an organization focused on providing youth with global exposure through civics, STEM, art and advocacy.

Alfred founded Peace Thru Culture (PTC) in 2006, with programming commencing in 2008.

The “boutique organization,” as the founder likes to call it, features global treks to champion international education, Alternative Spring Break, and a trip to the United Nations headquarters in New York City, with both the PTC Corps Global Leadership Program and Global Youth Symposium, which were piloted in 2025.

“I founded [PTC] because I thought that youth should be exposed to different cultures,” Alfred told The Informer. “I thought it was important that they get that exposure so that they can make better life choices and so they can see things differently, and it’s amazing how that’s worked.”

PTC launched its Global Leadership Program this year, which focuses on strengthening high schoolers’ leadership skills by introducing them to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs)– a list of 17 environmental and humanitarian goals championing equity and greener practices to be achieved by 2030.

Throughout the program, participating students choose an SDG that interests them and create a project aimed at helping achieve that goal, pushing them to become self-motivated, action-driven changemakers within their communities through hands-on experience.

“The sooner that the youth gets involved with these big world problems, the sooner we can impact the world,” PTC Corps mem-

ber and D.C. International School (DCI) student, Madeline Karrer, told The Informer at the inaugural Global Youth Symposium.

Teen Changemakers Tackle Hunger, Climate, Equity

The symposium, tailored for students between the ages of 13 and 18, debuted on Sept. 20 at the Riverside Baptist Church in Northeast, D.C., and was used as a way for PTC Corps students to practice the leadership skills they developed throughout the program.

Young leaders hosted a series of breakout sessions that encouraged dozens of attendees to use art, STEM innovation, civics and youth advocacy to amplify their voices and take the steps needed toward social change.

Alfred and the PTC Corps members she has mentored since January introduced attendees to the UN SDGs, hoping to ignite the desire within them to take the initiative to come up with local solutions for these global issues.

“We want them to know that their voice matters,” Alfred told The Informer. “We really want them to understand that they can help to change things, no matter how young they are. They still have a voice.”

Madeline, 15, focused on “Zero

Hunger,” the second UN SDG, throughout the PTC Corps Global Leadership Program, using the power in her voice and interest in advocacy to help battle hunger in her community. The high school sophomore went to a local bakery, collected the food the company couldn’t sell, and delivered it to a local church to hand out to people in need.

For her focus, fellow PTC Corps member and DCI sophomore, Samantha Castro, chose “Climate Action,” the 13th UN SDG. The 15-year-old created a campaign in her apartment building, hoping it would inspire residents to think twice about the effects their actions have on the environment and push them to make more sustainable choices.

The teen appreciates the opportunity to speak out and inspire change that PTC offers young people.

“I feel like the youth’s voices are very overlooked,” Samantha told The Informer. “I feel like politics and things like that only focus on the adult perspective and usually ignore how their decisions might impact children.”

Equipping Youth for Global Impact

Alfred hopes the various pro-

5 Peace Thru Culture president and founder Adriane Alfred introduces herself to the attendees of the first Global Youth Symposium, going on to teach them about the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. (Mya Trujillo/The Washington Informer)

Get in the Medicare Groove: Enrollment Season Is Near!

AARP Staff Reports

It’s that time of year again, Washingtonians—Medicare Open Enrollment is just around the corner! If you are over age 65, you may qualify for a Medicare plan. Medicare open enrollment is from October 15 to December 7, 2025. Medicare beneficiaries in the District can review, switch, or update their coverage for plans that begin January 1, 2026.

Whether you’re considering looking for a new plan or reevaluating your Part D prescription drug coverage, this is your annual opportunity to make sure your health care plan fits your needs—and your budget.

What You Can Do During Open Enrollment

The Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) allows you to:

• Switch Medicare Advantage plans or move from original Medicare to Medicare Advantage.

• Join, drop, or change your Medicare Part D prescription drug plan.

• Compare new plans that may offer better coverage or lower costs. Even if you’re happy with your current plan, it’s smart to review it. Plans often change their premiums, copays, provider networks, and drug formularies yearly. What worked for you in 2025 might not be the best fit in 2026.

Why It’s Important to Review Your Plan

Several factors make this year’s review especially important:

• Plan Changes: Many Medicare Advantage and Part D plans are adjusting their benefits and costs. For example, the Part D out-of-pocket maximum will increase to $2,100 in 2026, and the deductible will rise to $615.

• New Options: Providers like Aetna and UnitedHealthcare are expanding their coverage areas, including in Washington, DC, potentially offering more choices for District residents.

• Your Health Needs: If your medical needs have changed, a different plan might offer better coverage for your prescriptions, specialists, or services.

Resources to Help You Choose Wisely

Navigating Medicare can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to do it alone:

• Visit the AARP Medicare Open Enrollment at (https://www.aarp.org/ medicare/) for articles, tips, and tools.

• Use Medicare’s Plan Finder at Medicare.gov to compare plans based on cost, coverage, and ratings.

• Contact DC’s State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) by phone at (202) 727-8370 for free, unbiased counseling tailored to your situation.

Protect Yourself from Scams

Unfortunately, open enrollment season can also attract scammers. Here’s how to stay safe:

• Guard your Medicare number—never share it with anyone who contacts you unexpectedly.

• Be skeptical of offers for “free” medical equipment or services unless prescribed by your doctor.

• Review your Medicare statements regularly and report suspicious activity to your provider or call 1-800-MEDICARE.

Medicare Open Enrollment is your chance to take control of your health care. Whether you’re looking to save money, get better coverage, or simply stay informed, now’s the time to get in the groove and ensure your plan is working for you.

People today can spend nearly half their lives over the age of 50. That’s a lot of living. So, it helps to have a wise friend and fierce defender like AARP in your community. Find us at aarp.org/dc.

HEALTH

‘March

On!’ Festival ReImagines Public

Health

in

Black America Experts, Advocates Say ‘To Move Forward, We Have to Go Back’

By Jada Ingleton WI Content Editor

When envisioning a better health care system, Ndifreke Ikpe said the solution resembles much of what she saw during last week’s March On! Festival: a collaborative union of activism and storytelling challenging historic roots of inequity.

Guided under a 2025 theme of: “The Right to Be Well,” March On!

Festival – the nation’s longest running civil rights film festival – deemed Washington as the place to champion health equity and wellness Sept. 15-21. Instead of simply filmmakers, the festival united creatives, lawmakers, health and wellness leaders and advocates from around the globe with the tools to drive equitable public health.

“Health equity begins when America recognizes all of the inequities that have been built into the very founda-

tion of our health care system,” Ikpe, a health equity trainee, told The Informer. “Racism’s been building on it and [not addressing] the harmful legacies that have contributed to people in marginalized communities having poor health outcomes.”

As the city played host to a hybrid series of panels, workshops and celebratory soirees, Ikpe counted among many demanding accountability for

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the stark odds in Black health and wellness.

Health experts and students alike addressed disparities across various topics, from the nationwide impacts of COVID-19 among African Americans, to the disproportionate rates of issues like maternal mortality, breast and urine cancers in Black women and prostate cancer in men, compared to their white counterparts.

Meanwhile, artivism thrived through documentaries like “Critical Condition: Health in Black America,” which hosted a Sept. 18 panel at Howard University Hospital inviting attendees – including Ikpe – to journey through systemic trends that leave Black Americans nearly twice as likely to suffer from high blood pressure, diabetes or heart disease.

At the Sept. 15 opening webinar, doctors and health advocates Aletha Maybank of Truthlight Studio, “Instagram’s Medical Mythbuster” Joel Bervell, and Uché Blackstock, founder and CEO of Advancing Health Equity, joined forces to unpack generational medical myths and misguided narrative. In a three-part discussion, the experts touted the power of storytelling in connecting lived experiences to the truths of modern health care.

“We rarely hear about how Black communities were systemically excluded from life saving trials, how Indigenous health sovereignty was ended, or how medical myths that were rooted in slavery still echo in today’s health care system,” Bervell said, “and they aren’t just history lessons – they’re urgent warnings, especially today.”

The March On! Fest comes at a time of discouragement for equity standards and health protections nationwide. On the list of major recent setbacks: threats

to Medicare and Medicaid; the purge on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI); rollbacks on policies with the Environmental Protection Agency and Food and Drug Administration; cuts to public health funding; and attempts to erase African American progress and history, to name a few.

For Bervell, this marks an even more crucial moment to celebrate initiatives that embody the walk of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement, including March On!, which once bore the name March on Washington Film Festival. Lauding the opportunity to build on ancestral resistance, the Peabody Award-winning physician reminded folks that the mission for collective justice then – just like now – “wasn’t just fought in the courtrooms and on the streets.”

“Art and activism together make inequality impossible to ignore, and it invites people to imagine an alternative of what it is right now,” Burvell said.

“We have to pair data with lived experiences, making sure that we’re building coalitions that unite patients, unite providers, unite policymakers, and refuse to let equity be treated as just a temporary trend.”

‘March On!’ Addresses Why Health Equity Exists, What It Looks Like Today

Throughout the weeklong festival, the diverse array of speakers made it clear – when it comes to health outcomes, biology plays less of a role than people think.

Alongside socioeconomic factors – living wages, educational status, access to quality care and resources – Dr. HEALTH Page 23

5Nationally renowned OB/GYN Dr. Sharon Malone (speaking) joins other health leaders at the Barbara Jordan Conference Center at KFF in Northwest D.C., on Sept. 19, addressing disparities in Black health. The hybrid event was part of a week of events during the March On! Festival (Sept. 15-21), guided by the theme “The Right to Be Well.” (Courtesy Photo/Purple PPL Media)

Sharon Malone, a nationally renowned women’s health expert, told March On! attendees that she attributes 80% of health disparities to environmental placement, which evidently traces back to residential segregation that began in the 1930s.

“You can’t underplay the role of racism in this system,” Malone said on Sept. 19, while speaking at the “Grown Folk Talk: Grand Rounds on Women’s and Men’s Health” panel. “But you cannot ignore the fact that, even as a Black physician in this country, we have been raised and educated in a system that is inherently racist in its views.”

As panelists, and film sources for Thursday’s “Critical Condition: Health in Black America,” Dr. Vanessa Northington Gamble, a professor at George Washington University, and American Academy of Pediatrics Senior Vice President Dr. Joseph Wright chronicled the intersections of systemic racism and medical health on and off the screen.

With note to historic themes of oppression, the health care duo candidly mapped a framework that can be traced to pseudoscientific origins to enforce labor on enslaved peoples in the mid-1800s.

Now, Wright, also chief health equity officer, said it exists in modern practices based in inaccurate “racenormed” science, such as use of the spirometer, a tool used to measure airflow and test pulmonary function; the pulse oximeter; and how the process to diagnose urinary tract infections in children is based in “a dichotomizing variable around race.”

Emphasizing the flaws behind the thinking, Northington Gamble explained the core of scientific racism.

“It’s not that Black bodies are different,” she said, “it’s that Black bodies, and Black people, are inferior.”

Malone said that today’s health professionals also play a role in tipping the scales on equity, notably pointing to the alarming racial disparities in maternal health.

The D.C.-based OB/GBYN charged physicians, regardless of race or background, to approach health care from the lens of improving “a population of a people,” while highlighting the need to work on “the before, the during, and the after.”

“What you are when you’re 16, 17, 20 is gonna be determinative of how you do in a pregnancy. [Similarly], there are conditions in pregnancy that

put you at higher risk of other chronic diseases as you age,” she explained. “Nobody educates you on the front end of the kind of things we should be doing to make sure you don’t end up there, and that’s where, I think, that our profession has failed.”

Turning Cause to Action

In the aftermath of the weeklong festival, Wright told The Informer he hopes attendees leave with the fuel to confront public health concerns in their own lives and communities, “and make sure that we don’t repeat them.”

While he focuses on tackling racial bias in medical algorithms, other festival leaders made a case for prioritizing structural investments, such as clean air, stable housing, quality food, and investing in community-based organizations that approach health holistically.

On the topic of urgent reform, Bervell called for systemic disruptors that start with accountability, representation, and access, and challenged the public health sector to embed equity metrics “into how we measure health care success.”

“That means designing systems that are representative…not just treatments, but devices, drugs, clinical trials that reflect the diversity of the patients that they’re meant to serve,” he continued.

To build standard care from the inside-out, he suggested aligning physicians incentives, dismantling models “that often reward volume over equity,” and ensuring that culturally competent care isn’t optional, but a standard woven into daily practice.

Inspired by the festival, Ikpe told The Informer immersing in community and storytelling is one of the “the biggest and easiest” ways to raise awareness and fight the road ahead.

While she plans to continue working toward medical equity and appreciates organizations such as March On! fighting for civil rights through film, Northington Gamble also emphasized the role of the Black Press in moving justice forward.

“Historically, it was Black journalists and Black newspapers who were the trusted messengers, but also they were the ones who revealed the inequities and kept telling the story,” Northington Gamble said during a Q&A on Sept. 18. “It’s more important these days that we have folks [such as The Washington Informer] telling these stories.”

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ESSENTIAL PLANS

EARTH OUR

Baltimore-Washington Maglev

Project Stopped in Its Tracks

Prince George’s Residents and Elected Officials Celebrate the Success of the Decade-Long Effort that Halted the $10 Billion Rail Proposal

By Mya Trujillo WI Contributing Writer

After nearly a decade of pushing back against the proposed construction of a Superconducting Magnetic Levitation (SCMagLev)

rail system between Washington and Baltimore, Prince George’s County residents, leaders and environmental activists alike have seen their hard work pay off with the project’s cessation.

5 Prince George’s County leaders celebrate in Greenbelt after the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) officially announced that it will not take further action with the Maglev train project, a proposed high-speed rail system. (Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer)

To celebrate their victory, those who opposed the maglev gathered at the Greenbelt American Legion Post 136 on Sept. 15.

“It becomes rare where we actually defeat the machine,” said

Maryland Sen. Alonzo T. Washington at the event. “We defeated this machine and defeated this train, and we stopped it.”

The proposed project, formally introduced in 2016, was developed by the Baltimore-Washington Rapid Rail (BWRR) and promoted by the Northeast Maglev (TNEM). It was intended to be part of the larger project to connect the District to New York City by way of Philadelphia. Its construction would have cost $10 billion.

This project would have featured a 40-mile high-speed, magnetically powered rail system capable of reaching speeds of up to 311 miles per hour, and transporting passengers from the District to Baltimore in approximately 15 minutes. The SCMagLev system would have primarily run underground and had three stops– one in each city and another at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI).

“There wasn’t even going to be a stop in Prince George’s,” Maryland state delegate Joseline Peña-Melnyk told The Informer. “So we’re going to have that impact… and [the maglev] is going to disrupt the neighborhoods and the communities, and there’s not going to be any benefit.”

Community members and their elected officials opposed the project because it could have harmed wildlife and green spaces, and

“It becomes rare where we actually defeat the machine,” said Maryland Sen. Alonzo T. Washington at the event. “We defeated this machine and defeated this train, and we stopped it.”

potentially led to the removal of homes, businesses, and historic sites.

“It’s not the right time or place for that project,” Greenbelt Council Member Jenni Pompi told The Informer. “It’s really important if you do a project on that scale, that it’s going to serve the community, and that project is not going to serve the community in anything.”

Residents Reject the Maglev Plan

Maglev rail systems feature trains that levitate above the track, made possible by either electromagnetic attraction or repulsion. The absence of wheels on a rail means there’s a lack of friction between the train and its track, allowing these vehicles to reach speeds traditional trains can’t achieve.

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Since no fuel is burned with the operation of maglev trains, they cause little to no air pollution, making them more environmentally friendly than conventional rail systems. Even still, the construction of one of these systems in the Washington Metropolitan Area requires the presence of a trainyard aboveground for storage and maintenance.

Such a plan would have been environmentally unsuitable as it required the potential paving of 187 acres of the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center and the destruction of 24 acres in the Patuxent Research Refuge.

“This landscape of protected government parklands and research centers is large enough to support and retain almost all the biodiversity that was once, but is no longer, found across the Baltimore-Washington region,” the Maryland Coalition for Responsible Transit (MCRT) wrote in one of many papers outlining the effects the SCMagLev would have on the area.

Aside from cutting through land that is indispensable for the area’s ecosystem, the presence of a maglev would cause an increase in noise pollution, air pollution and energy consumption. According to the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) 2021 draft of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), transportation energy consumption in the region would increase by 39% with the operation of a maglev system.

According to the National Parks Conservation Association, that is “enough energy to power 88,900 homes.” Since the region’s increased energy demand has already caused surges in utility bills, environmental advocates note such an increase does not seem ideal.

“[The maglev] would have de-

stroyed a large part of what’s very important in our community,” said Greenbelt resident Kristin Fletcher, a member of the MCRT and the Greenbelt Forest Preserve. “We could have very well ended up left holding the bag on this multi-billion dollar project and been left with nothing but destruction.”

Fletcher is one of many community members who opposed the maglev’s construction. The belief that the project would only bring devastation to the area is what propelled her and others to continue fighting until they reached their desired outcome.

“It takes a long time to win,” Fletcher told The Informer. “It’s all in the strength of your coalition and the people behind you. The broader and more committed your coalition, the better your chances are.”

From Advocacy to Action: ‘Your Voice is

Basically All You Have’

Hyattsville resident and president of the Woodlawn Community Association, Ina Fells, has opposed the project since the first day she heard about it in 2017.

A member of her church brought the BWRR’s plans to her attention, telling Fells her home could be one of the ones affected by the rail’s potential construction.

After hearing this, Fells started to grow concerned about insurance coverage for any damages that may affect her home, the possibility of the state taking her house under eminent domain and any risks to her health that the rail system’s construction and operation may cause.

“One thing about us seniors, you start talking about our homes that we worked hard to pay for and retire to comfortably… We’re going to come out fighting,” Fells told The Informer. “We’re coming

“One thing about us seniors, you start talking about our homes that we worked hard to pay for and retire to comfortably… We’re going to come out fighting,” Fells told The Informer.

out with our gloves on.”

Fells said the victory has fired the community up, inspiring many to continue standing up and speaking out against projects and developments that could harm the region and its residents.

The halting of the maglev project is one of two major environmental wins Prince George’s residents and officials experienced

OUR EARTH

recently, as development for the proposed Landover Data Center was also paused. With residents’ voices being heard and their collective action successfully applying pressure on developers, the community hopes they can keep this momentum going.

“You need to show folks that they can’t stop your voice,” Fells told The Informer. “Your voice is basically all you have, and if you don’t speak, look at what they do. They’ll run right over you like they’ve tried to with that train.” WI

5 Maryland state delegate Joseline Peña-Melnyk addresses the crowd, congratulating them on their victory. She believes the state should focus on funding projects that will truly serve its communities. (Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer)

EDUCATION

PEACE from Page 20

gramming PTC offers equips young people with the tools and confidence necessary to spark positive change in their communities and around the globe, simultaneously providing them with a well-rounded education.

To show students that what they learn in school is used in other places, PTC takes them on a trip abroad, usually to Costa Rica, due to the country’s innovation in STEM and renewable energy.

With these kinds of global treks, Alfred aims to open students’ eyes to the endless possibilities the world has to offer. This programming also helps the students see various UN SDGs in action through travel, such as: affordable and clean en-

ergy; industry, innovation and infrastructure; sustainable cities and communities; partnerships for the goals and many more.

“It’s inspiring for them,” Alfred told The Informer at the symposium. “And once that imagination starts, they realize that the world is so different in many places and that they can actually make different choices. That’s what studying abroad is about.”

Alfred hopes that future Global Youth Symposiums grow into something bigger and that the event becomes a mainstay in PTC, along with the leadership program.

5 Peace Thru Culture Corps member Madeline Karrer hosts an advocacy-focused breakout session, presenting the project she completed earlier this year to battle hunger in her community.

At the symposium, Madeline led an exercise that allowed students to discuss different world issues and come up with action-oriented plans to make strides toward solving those problems in or around their communities. People who participated in her activity came up with campaigns they could push at their schools or even on social media.

WE MAKE HISTORY

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“I know people say your voice has power all the time, but it really does, and I hope they realize that they have the power to actually follow through with these campaigns,” Madeline told The Informer after leading the breakout session. “Hopefully, they realize that they can make a difference and that these ideas that they’ve come up with today aren’t just hypothetical. They can put this into practice.”

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(Mya Trujillo/The Washington Informer)

from Page 16

D.C. Chamber of Commerce, Hubbard said entrepreneurs should look for opportunities during tough times.

“Crisis breeds creativity,” she said. “Businesses should look to partner with large companies. Small businesses should embrace cybersecurity, workforce transition and seek to develop talent in the tech field.”

While there was no representa-

BUSINESS from Page 17

SBA/U.S. Department of Labor initiative providing entrepreneurial training to Job Corps students.

Johns is also the founding chair of the Washington, D.C. Technology Council and has served as a board member, president, or chair of numerous organizations including the D.C. Chamber of Commerce, the Federal City Council, the Greater Washington Board of Trade, and the D.C. Judicial Nomination Commission. She is also a member of the Greater Washington Business Hall of Fame and one of Washingtonian magazine’s “100 Most Powerful Women.

tive from the Montgomery County, Maryland chamber of commerce, County Council member Laurie-Ann Sayles (D-At Large) came to the event and uplifted the importance of supporting Black businesses.

“I had to be here today,” Sayles said. “I am the first Black woman elected countywide in Montgomery County. Our businesses are suffering, and we are looking for solutions.” WI

@JamesWrightJr10

She is a 2013 recipient of an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Howard University and holds two degrees—a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Public Administration—from Indiana University.

“It is an honor to be entrusted with the legacy of the King Endowed Chair, which I am deeply committed to advancing,” Johns said. “I look forward to engaging with Howard students, challenging them to think boldly about solutions to today’s most pressing policy issues, and equipping them with the tools to lead with courage, truth, and service.”

EDUCATION

BLACK CHAMBER

Mayor Bowser Deserves Credit For a Job Well Done and for Remaining Calm Under Fire

Earlier this spring, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser shared what some might call her “report card” – a summary of the goals she set and how she has fared over her 10 years in office; and she didn’t hold back or attempt to blur the facts as some politicians have recently done.

Instead, Bowser highlighted a decade of promises which she has made to her constituents – voters who have shown their thanks and support by electing her as mayor for three consecutive terms – and promises on which she has delivered.

To be clear, the mayor, with the long shadow of the late Marion Barry, D.C.’s Mayor for Life,” always looming over her shoulders, has often faced challenges and crises that have tested her patience, ingenuity, diligence and required her to leapfrog, sidestep, or even high hurdle to get the job done and reach one finish line after another.

“We opened a new hospital, drove down homelessness, added more housing, created new opportunities in our schools, and so much more. Now, as we look ahead, we’re embracing a bold, transformational growth agenda

that will position D.C. for the next decade – and more – of opportunity,” Bowser said last May while delivering her 10-year progress report.

And through it all, she has also made it a point to be forthright and transparent. Like her or not, the mayor has made sure that the residents of D.C. know where she stands and what she plans to do – or not do.

Given these facts and her track record, we were more than a little disturbed when Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), a member of the House Oversight Committee, went after Bowser during a hearing on oversight of the District on Sept. 18.

Mace attacked the mayor on D.C.’s DEI programs with claims that “DEI policies” and “gender madness” are interwoven in the D.C. code.

During her five minutes on the House floor, Mace ranted and raved, less like a member of Congress and more like a woman gone mad, posing questions about sections and subsections of the D.C. Code while refusing to allow the mayor time to answer any of the questions posed.

To her credit, Bowser did not allow

herself to be baited by the condescending, disrespectful attitude which Mace exuded – almost with a sense of righteousness.

Instead, she showed why she has been chosen to lead the District of Columbia since 2015 and why D.C. voters remain confident in her adroit leadership abilities.

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Mace attacked the mayor on D.C.’s DEI programs with claims that “DEI policies” and “gender madness” are interwoven in the D.C. code.

Will Free Speech Survive This Moment?: Recognizing the Stakes

The assassination of Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, was a shocking act of political violence.

Kirk often promoted views that many found offensive or racist. Still, he also emphasized that free expression was a core American principle.

“We’ve allowed far too many people who hate America to move here from abroad,” the late conservative activist once said, “but the right to speak freely is the birthright of all Americans.”

That principle is now being challenged.

In the days following his death, networks and individuals faced punishment for their responses.

ABC suspended “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” after a monologue criticizing Kirk. Further, FCC Chair Brendan Carr threatened ABC affiliates with regulatory action unless Kimmel was silenced. That is not private accountability — it is government coercion.

Even Senator Ted Cruz, who is

not an ally of the left, condemned this abuse of power.

“It might feel good right now to threaten Jimmy Kimmel,” Cruz warned. “But when it is used to silence every conservative in America, we will regret it.”

His words highlight a dangerous hypocrisy: The same voices that decried “cancel culture” are now embracing it when convenient.

At the heart of this is President Donald Trump.

Now in his second term since losing the election to former Democratic President Joe Biden in 2020 and defeating former Vice President Kamala Harris (D) in 2024, Trump has established a pattern of attacking critics — whether comedians, journalists, or political opponents — and using his platform and influence to silence them.

Today, that tendency-- particularly among the Trump administration and other conservative leaders-- has become official policy. What was once rhetoric about

“fake news” is now a campaign to suppress dissent, often under the guise of protecting decency or national unity.

It’s important to recognize the stakes.

In the 198-year history of the Black Press, African American-owned newspapers, such as the almost 61-year-old Washington Informer, have always spoken truth to power, often challenging popular opinion. If comedians can be taken off the air and networks threatened, what’s to stop government or corporate pressure from targeting minority media next?

The First Amendment does not protect speech selectively. It defends dissent, criticism, and even speech we despise. If those in power weaken that protection for short-term gains, all communities — especially vulnerable ones — risk losing out.

Free speech should not become the latest victim in America’s culture wars.

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TO THE EDITOR

“I am so ashamed of how the human species has been focused on isolationism rather than cooperation and mutual advancement. I am, however, very proud to belong to a species that has produced the likes of Stacy M. Brown and those who work for the Washington Informer. I am ashamed of how the United States along with the majority of Earth’s governments have missed the boat by not evolving into a worthy compassionate species. The concept of capitalism has made slaves of most humans on a global scale by supporting a small minority while enslaving the majority with taxes and stress.Thanks to the incites of the Informer, I have become aware of the greatness that can be.”

- Glenn Adkins (referencing the article: “America in Free Fall: Trump’s Corruption, Racism, and Weak Opposition Leave Democracy Hanging by a Thread”)

Readers’ Mailbox The Washington Informer welcomes letters to the editor about articles we publish or issues affecting the community. Write to news@washingtoninformer.com. or send to: 3117 Martin Luther King Jr Ave., SE, Washington, D.C. 20032. Please note that we are unable to publish letters that do not include a full name, address and phone number. We look forward to hearing from you.

OPINIONS/EDITORIALS

Guest Columnist

Charlene Crowell

Advocates Sue HUD to Preserve $75 Million Homeless Grants

Sept. 30, leaves only a few days to resolve whether $75 million in homeless funding will be shared.

An effort to limit federal homeless funding to locales embracing Trump administration policies on sanctuary cities has triggered a lawsuit from homeless advocates.

Although a Sept. 12 court order gave a temporary reprieve to homeless providers seeking to preserve vital services, the approaching end of the current fiscal year,

Co-plaintiffs, the National Alliance to End Homelessness, based in Washington, D.C., and the Women’s Development Corporation in Rhode Island sued HUD, charging that the new criteria would make projects in 36 states and the District of Columbia ineligible for $75 million for Continuum of Care Build grants.

New funding standards, announced in a Sept. 5 notice, su-

perseded an earlier one issued in May. This change allowed only seven days for applicants to submit revised plans. The May 12 court order now bars HUD from disbursing funds while the case is pending.

The abbreviated time frame was addressed from the bench by District Judge Mary S. McElroy.

“It’s unfortunate that we are here on these things that are done so last minute by these agencies, but here we are,” McElroy told attorneys as reported by a Rhode

Ben Jealous

Island news outlet.

In response to the court’s decision, the plaintiffs and their legal counsel released a joint statement praising the ruling.

“We welcome the court’s decision to stop a rushed, lawless attempt to make essential funding contingent on a community’s compliance with harmful and unlawful restrictions the TrumpVance administration is trying to impose,” they wrote. “This order ensures that service providers can focus on what matters most: pro-

What the Readjusters Teach Us About Healing Our Divided Country

There’s a deep sense of despair settling over America. Families are working harder and falling further behind. The cost of raising children grows, while schools, housing and health care remain out of reach for too many. It’s no wonder people across this country — rural and urban, Black and white — feel left behind and politically homeless.

“This is not a simple slip of the tongue. This remark promotes violence against some of the most vulnerable members of our society — people experiencing homelessness and serious mental illness. It dehumanizes them, reduces their lives to disposable inconveniences, and implicitly endorses state-sanctioned violence.” — Change.org petition demanding termination of Fox News host Brian Kilmeade

But our past offers a powerful, largely forgotten story of how people once came together — across race and class — to put their children first. It happened in post-Civil War Virginia, through a political force called the Readjuster Party.

The Readjusters emerged in the late 1870s, when Virginia’s elites were insisting the state repay its massive prewar debt in full — even if that meant closing schools and slashing public services. Poor and working-class families, Black

and white, saw clearly what was at stake: the future of their children’s education. Public schools had been significantly expanded during Reconstruction, and they were now under threat.

In response, Black voters and white working people — farmers, laborers, veterans — formed the Readjuster coalition. Their message was simple but bold: public debt should be “readjusted” so that education and opportunity for all children could come first.

For a brief but impactful time in the 1880s, the Readjusters controlled Virginia’s state government. They raised public school funding, protected Black voting rights and pushed for reforms that served the working class, not just the elite. It was one of the most successful examples of cross-racial, working-class solidarity in American history.

One of the leaders of this movement was Edward David Bland, a Black Reconstruction-era legislator

viding safe, stable housing and support to people in crisis. We will continue to fight to make sure housing resources remain available to all communities, free from political interference.”

As many workers in the U.S. face challenges to secure and keep affordable housing, homelessness continues to rise.

HUD’s Annual Homeless Assessment Report, issued in December, highlighted the scope of

A late-night talk show host on ABC suggested the Trump administration is exploiting the murder of right-wing provocateur Charlie Kirk to score political points. Under pressure from the Trump administration, the network immediately pulled his show off the air.

A political analyst on MSNBC reacting to news of shots fired pointed out that Kirk’s own incendiary rhetoric contributed to a violent political climate. The news had not yet broken that Kirk was killed

or even hit. The network fired him before the end of the day.

A Washington Post columnist posted on social media that the “absolution for white men who espouse hatred and violence” is “part of what keeps America violent.” The Post called her comments “gross misconduct” that endangered “the physical safety of colleagues” and fired her. But the Fox News host who called for the execution of mentally ill homeless people still has his job. Brian Kilmeade has faced no repercussions. The network has

not uttered a word to denounce his comments.

Days after Kilmeade suggested “involuntary lethal injection or something, just kill ‘em,” 13 homeless people were wounded in two separate mass shootings in Minneapolis.

With its silence, Fox not only sanctions the substance of Kilmeade’s abhorrent statement but embraces a double standard that glorifies the most extreme incitement to violence from the right while suppressing valid criticism of the right.

from Petersburg. Elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in 1879, Bland was supported by both Black and white working-class voters — the kind of broad, grassroots coalition our politics rarely sees today. While in office, he championed public education and helped secure funding for Black schools and institutions. But his base was never just “the Black community” — it was the working people of Petersburg,

It’s not even a question of whether we want to live under that standard, but whether we can. While it’s hard to believe Kilmeade still has a job after his blatant endorsement of unjustified violence, it’s even harder to believe considering his long history of inflammatory comments. He criticized Americans for intercultural marriage while praising the “pure genes” of Sweden. He falsely claimed, “all terrorists are Muslim.” He dismissed the

MORIAL Page 53

Marc H. Morial

CROWELL Page 53

Guest Columnist

Guest Columnist

Guest

The Corrosive Ideology of Donald John Trump

When does a depiction of history turn into a “corrosive ideology”? When the current administration is working overtime to erase facts about our nation’s history and foundations. They want to remove any reminders about the evils of enslavement and its critical role in the development of this country. We need to say it repeatedly; there would be no United States with-

out enslavement. We built this nation. Our labor produced the White House (or The House that Enslaved People Built), the Capitol and even some of the odious monuments to slaveholding colonialists. This is a history that this president would erase.

The Washington Post reported that an anonymous source said the administration “has ordered the removal signs and exhibits related to slavery at multiple national parks.” This is a follow-up from the president’s March executive order asking the Interior Department to eliminate information that reflects

“a corrosive ideology.” The Post reports that the National Park Service is removing signs that fail to whitewash our nation’s history. The president has said many times that we talk about enslavement too much. I say we cannot talk about it often enough.

Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, is the site of John Brown’s failed rebellion against enslavement. According to the Post, more than 30 signs referring to this history have been flagged for alteration or removal. This desperate attempt to rewrite history is our president’s corrosive ideology. He promised

When Minor Voices Become Major Warnings

Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel — giants of late-night television — now find themselves facing censorship, dismissal or forced silence when their words cross the powerful. That should alarm us all. If media figures of their stature can be muzzled, what chance do ordinary journalists or community truth-tellers have?

I know this pain personally. Decades ago, I was among the first Black women to sit on the editorial board of a major newspaper. I was eventually pushed out — not because of poor work, but because my views did not align with the white male owners. They praised the virtues of free press while silencing those who tried to practice it.

The issue is not new. It is the age-old clash between voices that speak truth from the margins and systems that demand loyalty to privilege. When I wrote about poverty, inequality or the

struggles of ordinary people, I was not being rebellious. I was testifying. But privilege prefers a flattering portrait over an honest mirror.

On many occasions, my white colleagues and I could be in the same room or were looking at the same set of facts, but walk away with conclusions as if we existed on different planets. For example, once a popular U.S. senator came to our editorial board meeting to boast about the massive cuts in health programs which would save the taxpayers billions. But when I questioned how many children would

Reframing the Truth as a Political Strategy

in shock and disbelief that something like this could ever happen in our nation. We saw the television images of the hangman’s noose along with the chants of “hang Mike Pence.”

During the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, millions of people across the United States watched the events unfold in real time on live television. We saw news broadcasters provide continuous coverage showing how police officers were unable to contain the rioters who eventually breached the U.S. Capitol building. Watching this attack, I found myself

This was a reminder of how lynching is a dark part of our nation’s history that never totally went away. As an angry mob roamed throughout the Capitol building, congressional staff, members of Congress and Vice President Pence were forced to shelter in place while basically being hunted down. A Confederate flag never entered the U.S. Capitol building

during the Civil War; however, it was carried inside the building by the rioters on this sad day. Video footage from the day showed rioters breaking windows and doors and ransacking offices. Approximately 140 police officers were assaulted.

Yet, despite what we saw with our own eyes, the collective memory of Jan. 6 is fading for most Americans. Polls show that only a small percentage of Americans now identify the Jan. 6 insurrection as the defining moment of Donald Trump’s presidency. Efforts to downplay or distort the Jan. 6 events

to fix the economy, and he has not. Instead, he has fully immersed himself in the culture wars, seemingly prioritizing the culture wars over economic stability.

Many people have seen the iconic photograph “The Scourged Back,” showing the back of a man who was beaten so many times that his back is a painful tapestry of scars. It was used years ago to promote the film “12 Years a Slave.” A copy of that photograph has been part of many exhibits about the Civil War and enslavement. It was exhibited at Fort Pulaski Na-

tional Monument in Georgia but has been removed because it supposedly was part of “corrosive ideology.” Yet the most corrosive of ideologies is one that cannot stand the truth about our nation’s history. The so-called chief executive officer of these United States ought to be more interested in the economy than in important historic documents. But the corrosive ideology of this administration has restored Confederate monuments, attempted to scrub museums of historical ref-

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be malnourished or sick because of the cuts, the reaction was almost like a pair of skunks had invaded the boardroom. It was often painful to see stories that were crucial to the health and welfare of people of color considered not news or heavily edited, which diluted their importance. For example, I investigated how Medicaid policy actually destroyed the practices of African American doctors, leaving not only their patients medically neglected but fractured the livelihood of the doctors. If this condition had not been centered in the Black communities, it

would have been front-page news. But pushing for coverage of these kinds of stories aided in my exit.

Not all of my time at the paper was negative, but it was very frustrating that the opinions of the white writers sailed to the finish line while mine were circumspect, challenged and too often berated. The fight for equality in the newsroom for civil rights and liberties was often as challenging as the protests we covered outside.

My honesty cost me my livelihood.

Page 54

turned this historical political crisis into something seen through political rather than patriotic and moral filters. As a result, our government’s built-in systems of checks and balances failed the nation, making full accountability to an emboldened president unobtainable.

Despite the growing threat to democracy, too many people simply do not care about what Jan. 6 means to our nation. Some felt it was justified. Several Republican lawmakers and commentators went as far as to refer to the Jan. 6 rioters as “tourists.” This

reframing and whitewashing of the narrative was not isolated, but part of a larger effort to minimize the severity of the violence and to discredit the Jan. 6 investigation. The tactic of false counter-narratives will always resonate with those who are consistently drawn to conspiracy theories. This is particularly true as Donald Trump continued to spread lies about the 2020 election, claiming that a massive conspiracy robbed him of a second term.

Lying is proving to be an effective

Page 54

David W. Marshall

Guest Columnist

Julianne Malveaux

Columnist

Dr. Barbara Reynolds

Guest Columnist

LIFESTYLE

March On! Celebrates Filmmakers, Lawmakers Changemakers Working Toward Justice

Festival Offers ‘The Ability to Connect People Through the Arts’

By Brenda C. Siler, Demarco Rush, and Keith Golden Jr. WI Contributing Writers and WI Intern

Through its longtime focus has been highlighting films focused on civil rights, March On! Festival works to combat challenges and

offer hope for the future. This year under the theme “March On! Health: The Right to Be Well,” — meshing the arts and wellness— the festival presented filmmakers, creatives, lawmakers and special speakers, working toward social equity for all.

“The thing about festivals

like this is that it connects with a range of people [and] different generations, different racial backgrounds, but the ability to connect with people through the arts,” said Joanne Irby at the festival’s final day party on Sunday, Sept. 21. “Rather than talking at

people we are talking with people.”

From the March On! Annual Opening Night Gala on Sept. 16, and the final day party on Sunday, Sept. 21, the festival honored ancestors and current leaders working toward justice.

“At The March On! Festival, the Civil Rights movement stays alive through our actions and our artistry,” Isisara Bey, artistic director of March On!, told The Informer in mid-September, before the festival’s kickoff. “We’re fueling conversations, sparking action, and inspiring the next generation of activists around the world in the freedom-loving tradition of their forebearers, fighting for justice and human dignity together.”

Gala Honors Documentarians, Booker: ‘Tell the Story of Our Pain and Purpose’

Combining changemaking and filmmaking, this year’s opening night gala honored documentarians Stanley Nelson and Marcia Smith, co-founders of Firelight Media, and Sen. Cory Booker (DNJ).

Jonathan Capehart— Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist, MSNBC anchor, Washington Post opinion columnist, and New York Times bestselling author— served as the gala host for the seventh year in a row, where he not only celebrated the honorees, but uplifted all freedom fighters and

encouraged audience members to join in the work.

“This feels like a family reunion. It’s a space built with friends, with elders whose shoulders we stand on, and with the next generation, who are carrying the torch forward,” said Capehart in his opening remarks. “It’s also a call to action. A reminder that the march never ended, the march continues, and so must we.”

House Democratic Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) presented Sen. Booker with the John Roberts Lewis Lifetime Legacy Award. As he introduced the honoree, Jeffries recalled his first day before being sworn into Congress when he was summoned to Lewis’ office.

“Heard some good things about you and some of the new members of Congress who are joining us,” Lewis told Jeffries. “But Washington, D.C. can be a tough place, so I don’t want you to get into any trouble unless it’s good trouble.” Sharing ideals instilled by Lewis, Jefferies welcomed Booker to the podium. The senator shared struggles in Congress that he and Jeffries worked on together.

Booker also encouraged the crowd to continue championing democracy in America through storytelling.

“The most important thing right now is that we tell the story of our pain and our purpose,” said Booker to a room filled with creative artists and supporters. “Tell

MARCH ON Page 33

5Sen. Cory Booker speaks at the March On! Annual Opening Night Gala on Sept. 16. A festival honoree, Booker discussed the importance of activism through storytelling. (Demarco Rush/The Washington Informer)

the story of how we made a way out of no way. Tell the story about how we beat impossible odds and accomplished impossible things.”

People like husband and wife duo Nelson and Smith have long used storytelling to inspire change.

Twenty-five years ago, Lifetime Achievement Award honorees Nelson and Smith co-founded Firelight Media, chronicling African American history and culture with films about HBCUs, the Freedom Riders, the murder of Emmett Till, the Black Panthers, and many more.

Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-FL) presented the couple with the March On! Lifetime Achievement Award.

“Stanley Nelson and Marcia Smith are so important. Stanley Nelson is an Emmy award-winning and MacArthur Genius Fellow documentary filmmaker,” said Frost. “Marcia is president of Firelight Media. She is a producer and writer for documentaries and steers mentorship, funding and artistic development for Firelight.”

Before Nelson, director of “We Want the Funk” (2025), and Smith came to the podium, Frost emphasized that many of the Firelight documentaries received funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which recently had their funding cut by Congress.

Screened before the gala at Angelika Pop Up at Union Market, Nelson’s “We Want the Funk” is his latest documentary about the evolution of funk music with interviews from George Clinton, Christian McBride, and Marcus Miller.

The title of the movie is from the Parliament/Funkadelic hit and was used to bring Nelson and Smith to the stage as the audience clapped, swayed, and sang to the beat.

“It was a real honor to be able to make these films,” said Nelson about Firelight’s catalog of documentaries. “This is a festival with a purpose”

Considering the challenges Black and marginalized communities are facing, Smith noted “these are not the easiest times,” but emphasized the power of pushing toward love, justice and joy,” through art in effecting change.

“We are trying to do our part,” she said.

March On! Festival Day Party Celebrates Unity

After the week of screenings, discussions, honors and other programming, March On! Concluded with a day party on Sept. 21, celebrating art and creativity in the Black community and its influence on greater society.

Attendees, dressed in the Harlem Renaissance-themed attire, networked and danced, and shared stories of Black artists who changed culture.

During the celebration, Bey, March On’s artistic director, honored generations across the African diaspora.

“To the cycle of life of African ancestored people, to those who have gone on before, to those living and those yet to be born,” she said. “Because they were, we are. Because we are, they will be.”

The day was about more than just partying, but taking in art, having inspiring conversations, and making meaningful connections. The event featured two aerial performances by Chi Akano and a sit down conversation with author A’Lelia Bundles, Madame C.J. Walker’s great-great-granddaughter.

After, attendees engaged in conversations centered around the artistic development of the Black community and how to use it going forward.

Spoken word artist and arts educator Patrick Washington said the arts are essential in bolstering the Black community.

“Particularly, as Black people, we have gone through so much and [the arts have] been the thing to maintain our sanity,” Washington said during the discussion. “It’s been the thing to maintain and connect our communities— from the drum to the grio— all of these things created a sense of community when it was ripped from us.”

For Irby the day and week long festival was a means of empowering people with information about things they did not know and promoting change.

“To me,” Irby said, “it’s a powerful thing.”

LIFESTYLE

3As the evening’s honorees for their contribution to filmmaking, documentarians Stanley Nelson and Marcia Smith, founders of Firelight Media, accept their Lifetime Achievement Award. (Demarco Rush/The Washington Informer)

Ellington and Shakespeare a Perfect Match at Signature Theatre’s ‘Play On!’

By Brenda C. Siler WI Contributing Writer

The work of William Shakespeare and D.C. native Duke Ellington collide in “Play On!,” the musical comedy now at Signature Theatre in Arlington Virginia, until Oct. 5.

An adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night,” the play features changing identities and unrequited love against the backdrop of the club showbiz scene in New York during the Harlem Renaissance, incorporating 22 Ellington compositions.

Conceived by producer, director and author Sheldon Epps from the book written by playwright Cheryl L. West, and directed by Lili-Anne Brown, the talented cast hits the stage in colorful attire, dancing and singing, and acting that brings this story to life in a captivating way.

Bringing it to the Stage

From the dynamic duo that is Epps and West–who have collaborated previously on “Shout Sister Shout,” the musical about gospel and rock and roll legend Rosetta Tharpe presented by Ford’s Theatre–“Play On!” is non-stop action that brings the audience into the tough life of getting ahead in entertainment against many obstacles.

Music director Jermaine Hill did a stupendous job arranging the Ellington songbook, and Brown and choreographer Breon Arzell assembled a cast filled with superb singers and

dancers who know how to bring a story to life.

“This is our first time doing this musical,” said Arzell. “Lili-Ann first saw it at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago. Since then, she has been in conversation with Sheldon and Matt Gardiner, artistic director at Signature.”

The rigorous musical numbers are more than just dancing and singing, as the production also relies on choreography to walk and go up and down stairs on stage against that syncopated Ellington rhythm.

For Arzell, the performers had to be more than dancers, but able to breathe life into the characters and overall narrative.

“We had 50-60 people come in for a dance call, and we had a lot of strong dancers,” said Arzell. “But I don’t believe in telling someone they can’t do something. I look for potential. I can teach technique. I want someone who can actually feel the music.”

Telling the Story

“Play On!” features Wesley J. Barnes as Jester, the lead dancer at the club, greeting his cousin from the country, who has a strong desire to compose music for New York shows. His cousin Vy, played by Jalisa Williams, has a rude awakening about the opportunity being sought.

Through the story and Barnes’ and Williams’ striking performances, some entanglements are revealed through Vy’s journey and the future composer has to walk a tightrope of emotions.

Further, Duke Ellington School of the Arts, Howard University and American University alumnus Greg Watkins does an extraordinary job portraying Duke Ellington in the production.

The entire cast’s performances were

5Greg Watkins (Duke), Jalisa Williams (Vy), and the cast of “Play On!” will be at Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia until Oct. 5. (Courtesy of Daniel Rader)

5Awa Sal Secka plays Lady Liv in “Play On!” at Signature Theatre until Oct. 5. (Courtesy of Christopher Mueller)

LIFESTYLE

PLAY ON from Page 34

incredibly engaging, and their interpretations of the musical numbers resulted in thunderous applause after each song.

In addition to the excellent acting, the costume design by Samantha C. Jones brings the audience close to the aura of life during the Harlem Renaissance.

The male actors looked dandy, and the women moved from daytime work clothes to dressed to kill, seamlessly. “Play On!” is

time well spent at the theater.

After the opening night performance on Aug. 20, the audience in the open square theatre joyfully celebrated Brown’s work in bringing all of the elements of this piece together.

“I’ve been chasing this show for a number of years,” Brown said. “Shakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night’ and Duke Ellington’s music set at the Cotton Club in Harlem during the Harlem Renaissance, so, no brainer, right?”

For tickets and more information, visit sigtheatre.org WI

Buy one or more eligible produce items at participating Healthy Corners stores using your SUN Bucks or SNAP/EBT benefits, and receive a $5 coupon to buy more produce!

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

AUTOPILOT from Page 4

means cues may successfully get someone to lace up their sneakers, but they still need deliberate focus to complete the workout.

Further, most automatic actions weren’t working against personal goals. Nearly half of all behaviors studied were both habitual and intentional. Only 17% of daily activities happened by habit but ran counter to what a person consciously wanted to do.

Researchers tracked more than 3,700 behavioral moments across categories including employment, domestic tasks, eating, screen time, and transportation. Employment and education accounted for 22% of daily actions, while domestic tasks and screen time

followed closely at 18% and 17%.

Experts said the takeaway is clear that, while people may consciously intend to live a certain way, their brains are already running much of the show.

Habits quietly steer the course of everyday life, and scientists say the best way forward is to design the right cues to make good behaviors automatic.

“Our research shows that while people may consciously want to do something, the actual initiation and performance of that behavior is often done without thinking, driven by non-conscious habits,” said Benjamin Gardner, a psychology professor at the University of Surrey and co-author of the study.

“This suggests that ‘good’ habits may be a powerful way to make our goals a reality.” WI

COME AND CELEBRATE the strength of Black leadership, community and collective action

5Wesley J. Barnes (Jester) and Derrick D. Truby Jr. (Sweets) in “Play On!,” a Shakespearean adaptation set during the Harlem Renaissance. (Courtesy of Christopher Mueller)

LIFESTYLE

‘The Great Privation’ Unearths Buried Stories, Confronts Truths Play

Emphasizes Power, Freedom in Discovering Hidden Histories

By Micha Green WI Managing Editor

When the house lights go dark at Woolly Mammoth in Northwest, D.C., signaling the start of “The Great Privation (How to flip ten cents into a dollar),” audiences are taken on a time-traveling journey as characters confront the realities of racism, health and economic disparities, taboo conversations, and buried truths.

Set on a burial ground turned campsite, the new work by Nia Akilah Robinson, running at Woolly Mammoth until Oct. 12, reveals how time and the truth catches up to people and— through a struggling and grieving mother-daughter duo in the 1830s and modern-day colleagues at a summer camp— showcases the ever-true tale of people working to survive despite hard times.

“‘The Great Privation,’ for me, alludes to the great lack of resources. And the second part of the title is ‘How to flip ten cents into a dollar,’ which is what was taught to

me by my parents,” said Robinson in a question and answer interview with Woolly Mammoth. “When you have a dollar and you can only buy some franks from the store, how do you make it look really nice on your dinner table? How do you take what you have and make it beautiful?”

Further, the play highlights the incredible power that comes with unearthing narratives.

“With humor and wit, this play powerfully exhumes buried histories around medical advancements and celebrates African American legacies of resistance and resilience across time,” Kristen B. Jackson, Woolly’s associate artistic director and director of connectivity, said in a joint statement with the Interim Artistic Collective, a group supporting the theatre’s current and upcoming season during the artistic leadership transition. “It invites audience members into complex conversations about bodily autonomy, racial justice, scientific consent, and the ethical implica-

tions of scientific advancement.”

Directed by Mina Morita, creative director, BOLD resident director and member of the Interim Artistic Collective at Woolly Mammoth, “The Great Privation (How to flip ten cents into a dollar)” is more than a chance to witness a new work, but a dive into the past, allowing audience members to analyze progress and consider how they work to survive despite trials.

Yetunde Felix-Ukwu (Mother/ Modern-Day Mother) and Victoria Omoregie (Charity/Modern-Day Charity), as the mother-daughter duo of the past and today, Zack Powell (John/Modern-Day John) and and Marc Pierre (Janitor/Cuffee), reinforce the ideas that: people will do what they feel necessary for survival; there are no coincidences; and buried truths will always come to the surface.

Further, the play allows for audiences to consider the importance of preserving truths at a time when the Trump administration has: erased federal diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programming; revoked funding from minority serving institutions; and works to remove parts of Black– and American, for that matter– history from institutions like the Smithsonian.

“As we round the corner to the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, we have an opportunity to reflect on our nation’s past and envision futures of our own making,” continued Jackson and the collective.

“From our vantage point, ‘The Great Privation (How to flip ten cents into a dollar)’ is a quintessentially American story perfectly suited for this moment.”

Keeping Traditions, Working to Survive, Preserving Memories

The engaging performances from

Without giving away any spoilers, the mother and daughter of the past are grieving after the death of the family patriarch and the modern-day duo are away from their Harlem home, caring for a sick family member. With skilled acting and technical design choices, the mother and daughter are clearly different in the 1830s and today. Further, the two meet nuanced characters along the way, who not only contribute to the storyline, but add to the tension and humor.

All of the actors’ bold and distinguishable acting choices, vibrant costume design by Brandee Mathies, detailed scenic design by Meghan Raham, and mood-setting lighting design by Amith Chandrashaker, allowed for seamless transitions between the past and present.

For Robinson, writing the play was a way to reflect on hidden stories and her own past.

“Growing up, I always had interesting conversations with both parents and one of those topics ended up being grave robbing.

I remember being horrified by the topic and also intrigued by its history. I also knew that I was trying to write a play for my 16 or 13-year-old self. What would I be entertained by? What would I enjoy? I am someone who enjoys laughing,” the playwright explained. “The 1832 nature of it all was my first entry into the play. But the modern-day journey came from wanting to give to my younger self.”

A co-production with Boston’s Company One Theatre, Woolly’s “The Great Privation (How to flip ten cents into a dollar),” is a 1-hour-and-40-minute production, with no intermission, that allows audiences to confront their truths, while laughing and sometimes even clapping along the way.

“As with most productions at Woolly Mammoth, ‘The Great Privation’ expands the boundaries of our understanding and speaks powerfully to our present realities. It lingers—demanding reflection long after the lights dim,” said the Rev. Thomas Bowen, who recently hosted a staged reading at Woolly Mammoth of August Wilson’s “Gem of the Ocean,” in honor of his 60th birthday and in support of the theatre. “Nia Akilah Robinson reminds us that history is never past, and memory is both a burden and a blessing we are called to steward.”

For tickets and more information visit woollymammoth.net.

WI

5 Victoria Omoregie (Charity/Modern-Day Charity) and Yetunde Felix-Ukwu (Mother/Modern-Day Mother) in “The Great Privation (How to flip ten cents into a dollar),” by Nia Akilah Robinson, running at Woolly Mammoth until Oct. 12. (Courtesy

Photo/Woolly Mammoth, Cameron Whitman Photography)

Mayor’s Arts Awards Reaches Four Decades of Distinction

By James Wright WI Staff Writer

In a milestone celebration, the 40th Annual Mayor’s Arts Awards, held Sept. 25 at the National Theatre in Northwest, D.C., not only highlights the achievements of this year’s nominees, but emphasizes the District’s longtime efforts to uplift local arts, artists and creative culture.

District Mayor Muriel Bowser— who LaToya Foster, director of the Office of Cable Television, Film, Music and Entertainment (OCTFME), often calls “MB” — is furthering a tradition started by a late, legendary D.C. politician with her same initials.

“It was Marion Barry that started the Mayor’s Arts Awards 40 years ago,” Foster said in a press call on Sept. 18. “Marion Barry believed in the arts and the role it plays in the life of the District of Columbia.”

This year’s event is set to occur during 202Creates Month, a time that the Bowser administration has set aside to recognize the artistic achievements of D.C. residents while showcasing the District as “the Capital of Creativity, a place where artists can prosper.

Local leaders, including Bowser, have said the creative economy generated $15 billion for the city, as of 2024. Further, the creative economy fuels jobs, innovation and tourism, according to city leaders.

Foster, who served as the communications director for Barry when he was the Ward 8 D.C. Council member from 2011-2014, said her late boss was intentional in aiding the city’s arts community, and appreciates Bowser’s continued dedication to local artists not only through the awards, but also 202Creates and 202Creates Con 2025.

“The creative economy in Washington, D.C. employs residents, attracts investment, diversifies our economy, and strengthens the vibrancy of our city,” said Bowser in a September press release. “And 202Creates Month is a celebration of the important role artists, entrepreneurs, and innovators play in telling the story of our beautiful and creative city.”

What to Expect: First Year at the National, Performances, Surprises

Foster said she is excited the mayor and OCTFME are excited to bring the milestone celebration to a new venue, with this year being the first time the awards will be held at the National Theatre, the oldest continuously operating theatre in the District and the second oldest in the country.

“We decided to bring the event downtown,” she said in an OCTFME press release.

Residents have had the chance to vote across multiple categories giving them the opportunity to select their choices for recognition in the arts, culture and creative industries, and nominees will learn if they are big winners on Sept. 25 for the 6 p.m. awards show.

Performers at the event will include Grammy-nominated recording artist Eric Roberson, noted soprano Symone Harcum, revered go-go infusion band Black Alley and Chris Styles as the DJ.

There will also be a special guest appearance by legendary radio and television broadcaster Donnie Simpson.

“We will have other surprise guests too,” said Foster.

The event, which includes a preawards red carpet, is traditionally black-tie and is considered a high-level production that is welcome to all.

“Tickets are free,” she said. “The mayor wants this event to be available to anyone who wants to attend.”

With the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Annual Legislative Conference going on the same week of the awards, Foster said the event planners and District leaders hoped this would be an opportunity to showcase the District’s creative culture to many.

“We know a lot of people will be in town,” Foster said, “and we want them to stop by the Mayor’s Art Awards and see what talents D.C. has to offer.”

D.C. Council member Kenyan McDuffie (I-At Large), chair of the Committee on Business and Economic Development, looks forward to people getting to see the nuances of the District, beyond the monuments

and tourist attractions.

As the event celebrates 40 years, McDuffie, a native Washingtonian, also emphasized the Mayor’s Arts Awards ability to be a stimulant to the local economy.

“The arts are an important part of our local economy,” the council member said. “When a lot of people who don’t live in the city come to D.C., they think of the museum and the Mall, but there is so much more. The

Mayor’s Arts Awards will give people a chance to see another D.C. and especially see our young people exhibit their talents.”

WI @JamesWrightJr10

5 D.C. native Christylez Bacon performs at the 2022 Mayor’s Arts Awards. This year’s Mayor’s Arts Awards will be on Sept. 25 at the National Theatre in Northwest, D.C. (WI File Photo/Robert R. Roberts)

Washington Informer Weekend Checklist

WASHINGTON INFORMER'S

Things To Do, DMV!

By Keith Golden Jr. WI Intern

From planting in Southeast, D.C., to experiencing an Emmy-winning comedian in action and tapping into a revisioning of Shakespeare inspired by Malcolm X, check out a handful of the many events happening in the DMV this weekend.

Further, to keep up with all the fun, don’t forget to check out the Washington Informer Calendar.

This weekend and beyond, work to maintain a vibrant outlook and remember, there’s always something happening in the DMV to keep your spirit—- and social life— lit.

Thursday, Sept. 25

Volunteer at Hopkins GardensDiscover your green thumb

10 a.m. | Free Hopkins Garden, 1227 K Street SE Washington, D.C. 20020

Hopkins Garden will be planting, harvesting and weeding every Thursday, and giving away the vegetables, herbs and flowers they pick the next day at Food and Farm Fridays at THEARC.

While no experience is necessary, this is a great opportunity to learn how to grow food, volunteer and help people living in food apartheid to take home fresh, life-giving vegetables!

Dani Cortaza at Blues Alley 7 p.m. | $145 Blues Alley, 1073 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. 20007

Audiences can prepare to immerse themselves in the captivating world of Dani Cortaza, an artist who has taken the music scene by storm, blending genres and creating a unique sound that resonates worldwide.

Known for his electrifying live shows and heartfelt performances,

5 At Hopkins Garden, community members can benefit from learning the nuances of produce, volunteering, and challenging food

rity every Thursday. (Courtesy Photo)

Cortaza has quickly become a favorite among fans. Now is a chance to witness his talent live and be part of an unforgettable experience.

Beginning his musical journey at a young age and influenced by diverse genres ranging from pop to rock to electronic music, Cortaza’s ability to weave together different styles has set him apart in the competitive music landscape.

Over the years, the artist has released several hit singles and al-

bums, earning critical acclaim and a loyal fanbase. His dynamic stage presence and engaging performances have made him a must-see artist, and his upcoming shows promise to be no exception.

Friday, Sept. 26

5th Friday Open Mic | Brookland| Hosted by Casey Catherine Moore

9 p.m. - 11 p.m. | $5 Busboys and Poets, 625 Monroe Street NE, Washington, D.C. 20017

For two hours audiences can expect a diverse chorus of voices and a vast array of professional spoken word performers, open mic rookies, musicians and a different host every week during FRIDAY NIGHT OPEN MIC! A Busboys and Poetry Event.

THINGS TO DO from Page 38

This week’s host, Casey Catherine Moore, holds a Ph.D. from the University of South Carolina in Comparative Literature with a focus on Latin poetry, invective, and women’s and gender studies.

A bisexual, bipolar poet, writer, educator, and activist, She. Moore’s writing centers on gender and sexuality, educational equity, and dis/ability and mental health. Further, Moore’s work appears in academic and creative publications, including The Comparatist, Sinister Wisdom, Oyster River Pages, Bourgeon, and Samfiftyfour.

Michael Yo @ DC Improv

7 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. | $85+

DC Improv , 1140 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. 20036

A two-time Emmy nominee, fresh off his latest comedy special “Snack Daddy,” comedian and actor Michael Yo is keeping busy on all of Hollywood’s platforms and now coming to Northwest, D.C. Yo came up under the wings of Chelsea Handler and Jo Koy and now headlines all over the country.

A proud father and loving husband with a bottomless pool of material about his family, Yo has been making audiences across the country laugh for years with his unique blend of wit and charm. With his infectious energy and relatable humor, Yo has become a household name in the comedy world.

Whether performing on stage, hosting a podcast, or appearing on talk shows, Yo always leaves a lasting impression.

Saturday, Sept. 27

Art & Me | Family Workshop: Silver Tells a Story

11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. | Free National Museum of Asian Art, 1050 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, D.C. 20013

Explore how silver objects from ancient Iran were made and preserved in this hands-on family workshop for children ages 3-8 and their caregivers. After a guided look at the exhibition “Feast Your Eyes: A Taste for Luxury in Ancient Iran,” participants will ex-

periment with real silver and learn simple techniques inspired by the science of conservation.

AfroKulture Saturdays at Citizens Rooftop!

10 p.m. - 3 a.m. | Free entry with RSVP until 11:30 p.m. Citizens and Culture, 8113 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910

Unwind to the latest hip-hop, Afro-beats, dancehall, and much more, to sounds by DJ Bugatti, Sam I am, Young Legend and Fat Mike.

For tables, text: 301.454.9401.

Sunday, Sept.

28

Julius X: A Re-envisioning of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar 2 p.m. - 5 p.m. | $20+ Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 E Capitol Street SE, Washington, D.C. 20003

Award-winning writer, journalist, and podcast host Al Letson harmonizes with William Shakespeare in “Julius X: A Re-envisioning of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar.”

Just as Shakespeare chronicled history to create a means of understanding the events of his day with “Julius Caesar” (around 1599), Letson highlights and reflects on contemporary challenges by blending the Bard with the story of civil rights leader Malcolm X.

Directed by Nicole Brewer, “Julius X” champions Shakespeare’s original text and timeless tragedy, amplified with Letson’s verse, to highlight the cyclical nature of societal strife and shared human experiences of ambition, betrayal, and brotherhood.

“Letson’s poetry pulses with the rhythm of revolution,” said Brewer, “weaving Shakespearean drama into the raw urgency of the Civil Rights era.”

East of the River Tutoring & Mentoring Info Session

Noon - 1:30 p.m. | Free Anacostia Arts Center, 1235 Marion Barry Avenue SE, Washington, D.C. 20020

Connected to Wards 7 or 8?

Take an active part in building a better world and learn about becoming a mentor or tutor with

the DC Tutoring and Mentoring Initiative.

Come to this information session, to learn about how to give back, pay it forward, and make a world of difference for District youth by devoting 1-2 hours a week to serving the community as a mentor, tutor, or coach for elementary, middle, or high school students. WI

4 A two-time Emmy nominee, fresh off his latest comedy special “Snack Daddy,” comedian, actor, and host Michael Yo is coming to DC Improv on Saturday, Sept. 26. (Courtesy Photo/DC Improv)

LIFESTYLE

H STREET from Page 1

ed the breadth of the Northeast corridor to the tune of about 250 vendors and an estimated 160,000 attendees, all basking in the District as a cultural hub for creativity and economic development.

“H Street Fest is what D.C. is all about: highlighting our quarter, marking our quarter, and strengthening it economically,” Anwar Saleem, executive director of H Street Main Street, told The Informer. “People have a tendency of looking at the negative sides of predominantly African American [neighborhoods]...and this right here shows the positive side of our community, the beauty of our community, and what it has to offer.”

With people from all over the map joining the festivities, the 2.5 mile corridor—one block east of Union Station train facility to Benning Road–was packed and alive with community on Sept. 20.

While various vendors and businesses from across the region lined the streets, local talent and live entertainment lit up across more than a dozen stages, where DMV natives – including Angela Butler, Terri Hunter Echols, and self-employed dancer Drako Marciano–enjoyed the likes of go-go music, karaoke, and dancing to cultural hits, in addition to some diasporic exposure.

“I come every year, I grew up in the area,” Butler, 60, said pointing northward. “I love the Black art that is here, and I like the African style of clothing and food that is sold by the vendors.”

Beyond the increase in foot traffic and dance battles, Marciano says H Street Fest heeds a much needed call for communal support and unity, at a time when the District is in need of, what he refers to as, a “relief of life.”

Noting persisting issues of gun violence, coupled with widespread mistrust of local and federal law enforcement, the Litty legacy Entertainment Company founder touted the annual festival as a path towards something greater in D.C., particularly for Black Washingtonians.

“It’s too much…that’s making us, our people, [feel bitter and unsafe],” Marciano told The Informer. “[H Street Fest] brings the city together. If you bring it together, you bring unity, you bring peace, you bring something that…no-

5 Performers and attendees dance together at the 2025 H Street Festival on Saturday, Sept. 20 in Northeast, D.C. (Ja’Mon

body thinks is possible.”

Black Businesses Thrive During H Street Fest

As one of the District’s most signature events, H Street Festival offers a boost to economic opportunity even beyond the one-day event, said Saleem.

While acknowledging continuous plans for growth, the executive director highlighted popular businesses like The Daily Rider bike shop and Caribbean cuisine Jerk at Nite – both veteran festival vendors that eventually developed into full scale brick and mortars on H Street.

“So far in 2025, we have had 12 new businesses open up on H Street. In 18 months, we have had 18 new businesses to open,” Saleem told The Informer. “We want more people and businesses to see what H Street has to offer.”

The presence of Black entrepreneurship on Saturday was undeniable, earning a nod of approval from Hunter Echols, a native Washingtonian who recalls the storied impact of job turnovers and gentrification on the H Street corridor.

On the 13th block, newly minted Ethiopian restaurant Ethio Vegan (EV on H) prepared food for sale, while, at the western terminus, popular eatery DYvine BBQ & Southern Cuisine in Motion – based in Dumfries, Virginia – had a line 10-people deep less than 30 minutes post-kick off.

Where the African restaurant Lydia on H sits, a half-block west of the intersection of H Street, Benning Road and Bladensburg Road NE, owner Chef Victor Chizinga set up tables and chairs and celebrated his fourth year at the annual festival,

CHALLENGERS from Page 1

D.C. Councilmember Robert White (D-At large)— publicly requesting that the 88-year-old veteran lawmaker not seek another term in office.

Last week, White, a former Norton legislative aide and one-time mayoral candidate, launched his bid for Norton’s seat, shocking many voters and inciting questions about why he wouldn’t remain focused on D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s seat.

White said his pivot to Congress makes the most sense in the current moment.

for residents who are sick and tired of the things that have happened and are fearful about what might come next, and calling on national leaders and national organizations to the front lines of the authoritarian takeover that we’re seeing.”

Norton, White said, isn’t best suited to take on the cause.

adding, “It’s a good time to catch up with the revenue.”

Albert C. Hillman Barber Shop on 1106 H St NE shares a similar benefit, even without having a booth or tent set up on Saturday.

“We have been busy,” said Dexter Riley, 57, who has worked at the shop for years. “I have had 10 people so far today, five regulars and five walk-ins. The walk-ins are because of the festival. We have that and it isn’t even 1 p.m. yet.”

Other afternoon hits included: returning vendors like Black Betty’s BBQ, D’Bohomama, and Jessica Logan, a Virginia-based artist who deems H Street Festival “such a positive experience.”

Meanwhile, Tyler Lee of Fairfax, Virginia told The Informer he came to deliver a message “at a time when the word ‘Black’” has come under fire from some in the national space.

Thus, he and his partner sold t-shirts, baseball caps, bracelets and shorts with the slogan “Black is Love.”

“We are here to change the narrative,” Lee, 32, said.

The additional features of musical performances and African drumming led Hunter Echols to laud the day of events as a reflection of the “roots of H Street,” a place she remembers to be predominantly Black.

Further, she noted the importance of preserving a safe space that has historically overcome adversity, originating with the birth of the festival that followed the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assasination, when 1968 uprisings left the community largely economically dormant.

WI

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“We’ve had the military turned on us, people being snatched in our city, and constant threats about the federal government taking over D.C.,” White told The Informer. “And I realized that if we can’t turn the tide on the federal level, we won’t even have a mayor or council much longer. So that’s where the fight is right now, which means that’s where I have to go.”

For weeks, White, along with D.C. Councilmembers Brooke Pinto (D-Ward 2) and Christina Henderson (I-At large), have been identified as possible contenders for the D.C. delegate seat. Pinto and Henderson have denied having intentions of running, though Pinto recently acknowledged it as a step she’s considering.

From the onset of the federal surge this summer, White and other council members engaged Democratic congressional leadership while many D.C. residents and activists criticized Bowser’s cooperation with the Trump administration.

Earlier this month, before the council’s return from recess, White coordinated a virtual town hall featuring senior officials in the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and members of the Free DC movement. Not long after, he, along with other elected officials and D.C. residents, watched as Democratic and Republican members of the House approved measures allowing the prosecution of 14 year olds as adults for violent crimes, consolidating the president’s control over District judicial appointments, and preventing future execution of the Incarceration Reduction Amendment Act and the Second Chance Amendment Act.

Such outcomes, White said, further highlight the need for congressional leadership that can successfully discourage congress members from participating in the decimation of District home rule.

“These next months are going to be about coalition building,” White said. “It’s going to be about leadership

“She has done phenomenal things for this city over three decades of service,” White said. “But for this year, as we have been getting hammered, she hasn’t been able to fight, and that doesn’t take away from anything she’s done, but the reality is most residents are feeling the absence right now.”

Kymone Freeman Criticizes White, Continues Bid for Congressional Seat

D.C.-based activist and 2024 D.C. congressional candidate Kymone Freeman said there’s more to what meets the eye when it comes to White’s run for Congress.

“Franklin Delano Roosevelt said, ‘Nothing happens in politics by chance. If it happened, you can guarantee it was planned that way,’” Freeman told The Informer. “So someone influential who pulls the strings of the politicians and their funding sat these candidates down and said that [they] could fight amongst [themselves], leave Muriel alone, so she can maintain the status quo in the mayor’s office, and you can get the congressional seat and maintain the status quo there.”

During the latter part of last week, Freeman took to social media in criticism of White’s decision, calling it disingenuous and conveniently timed.

“So he’s basically saying that the mayor’s office is meaningless,” Freeman said about White. “So why were you running for mayor? If that’s how you felt, what changed? You can’t say the D.C. takeover changed. Trump was already here before, and he was saying the same things then.”

In early 2024, Freeman launched his bid to unseat the non-voting delegate who he said deviated from her radical, civil rights roots. After Norton, once again, won re-election, Freeman revealed that he would run again in 2026. His platform this go-round centers on the District’s exemption from federal taxes, the enshrinement of federal standards that keep rent at or below 30% of a person’s income, and investments toward resources and programs that reduce violence and crime. WI

Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

Jackson/The Washington Informer)

with Harriet’s Wildest Dreams and other grassroots organizations who’ve responded to the onslaught of Trump executive orders and bipartisan congressional votes against the District with the force she believes is necessary at this time.

“What I think we need is not just business as usual, but people who are willing to be innovative and go against the grain and do things that they haven’t done before in the past,” Iwuoha told The Informer. “I’m not saying that the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) isn’t useful, but what I’m saying is that this moment calls for something bigger that builds power and resilience in Black communities.”

Iwuoha, an at-large committeewoman in the D.C. Democratic Party and mother of a D.C. public charter school student, has spent much of the second Trump administration with a pulse on developments affecting the District— such as the continuing resolution that froze $1.1 billion in local funds.

More recently, she’s weighed in on the federalization of the Metropolitan Police Department as one of those who’ve criticized D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser for what she describes as capitulation to the Trump administration. Despite D.C.’s status as a city still under the control of the federal government, Iwuoha said she believes that Bowser and other local officials can do more, and encourage more, of national Republican and Democratic leadership.

The 54th ALC is the ideal opportunity to do so.

“What we’re seeing is we’re being called to take a stand on who we really are as a city, as a party,” Iwuoha said as she spoke about Bowser. “People want to support her because they feel like she’s powerless, but I just don’t believe that there’s nothing that we can’t do. We need to be taking a stronger stance against Trump and being more vocal.”

Tension Run High in the District Amid the 54th Annual ConferenceLegislative

Since 1970, CBCF’s ALC has provided a platform for discussions about policy issues affecting Black Americans.

Amid the Trump administration’s promotion of detrimental policy affecting marginalized communities, erasure of Black history, and roll back of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiative (DEI), organizers have designated the theme of the 54th ALC as

“Made for this Moment: Power, Policy and Progress.”

“This year’s theme… captures the urgency and responsibility we face as a nation,” CBCF President Nicole Austin-Hillery said. “This moment calls for bold leadership, collaboration, and action, and this conference provides the platform to make that happen.”

The conference, scheduled to take place on Sept. 24-28, includes panel discussions about health care, education, civic engagement and social justice, and economic empowerment. Visitors should also expect to see exhibits and partake in networking opportunities.

For some organizers, like Yolanda Raines, the annual event should set the stage for a collective movement that changes the current political landscape.

“Next year is a midterm election year, and I hope that [the ALC] encourages folks to start thinking about how we can galvanize as a community… and make sure that we’re making the proper elections on local and regional levels, so that we can change what’s happening on the national level in the next three years,” said Raines, CBCF vice president of marketing and communications.

Earlier this month, a contingent of House Democrats, which also included CBC members, voted alongside Republicans in approval of bills allowing the prosecution of 14 year olds as adult for violent crimes, the president’s control of D.C. judicial nominations, and the future repeal of the Incarceration Reduction Amendment Act and the Second Chance Amendment Act.

While local activist Ambrose Lane, Jr. said he harbors no ill will toward the CBC, he told The Informer that the caucus has lost its way for a long time. That’s why Lane, chair of the Health Alliance Network and supporter of the Million Man Vote movement, believes that Congressional Black Caucus members must go beyond conventional strategies to channel the radical energy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“There’s been nothing that they have done in terms of marches, rallies, speeches that have gotten this administration changed course,” Lane said. “Civil disobedience, on the other hand, is an act where you are seeking to shut down things, whether or not that is shutting down traffic, whether or not that is using labor to shut down functions. That affects money. That affects economies. That affects their bottom line. “

While he hinted at an act of civil disobedience to take place during the

ALC, he stopped short of fully revealing it, opting instead to raise the consciousness of those attending.

“We’re not going to take any actions that will disrupt the Congressional Black Caucus Legislative Week,” Lane said. “The CBC is not our enemy. What is happening in the federal administration is diametrically opposed to democracy [and] trying to provide

opportunities for our youth and a pathway forward for families. We are fighting on that front.”

Last week Bowser, D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson and D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb spoke before the House’s Committee on Government Oversight and Accountability. The hearing, at times, turned controversial with Rep. Nan-

cy Mace (R-S.C.) delving into topics irrelevant to local crime, and Mendelson accusing Police Union President Gregg Pemberton of fudging crime statistics.

Bowser later called the hearing “disgraceful.”

Lane lambasted Democratic leadership, including House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), who he said could’ve done more to prevent the assault on the District. In the aftermath of the controversial oversight hearing, Lane also pointed out that District leaders squandered an opportunity to stand up for fathers when questioned about “fatherless youth” committing crimes.

“None of the D.C. leaders could provide what they’re doing to enhance the lives of fathers, and more specifically Black men,” Lane said. “Now we have a situation where young children, adolescents, who don’t have a strong father in the home, don’t have strong fathers in [the] community, do not have direction. Because they don’t have direction, they are off the rails, and that’s specifically because of the benign negligence of our current D.C. leadership.” WI

Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

5 Despite appreciating the work of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF), some local activists say they will not be participating in this year’s Annual Legislative Conference, and instead taking to the streets to fight against oppressive federal policies. (WI File Photo/Ja’Mon Jackson)

review wi book

“The Double Tax: How Women of Color are Overcharged and Underpaid” by Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman, foreword by Chelsea

Clinton

c.2025, Portfolio

$29 / 256 pages

Terri Schlichenmeyer WI Contributing Writer

Your favorite uncle will want to hear from you in about six months, maybe sooner. He’ll want to talk about your wallet, first and foremost. He’ll be interested in your home and your workplace and he’ll check your memory and your math skills. Nice guy, he’ll probably ask after your family, too. You can’t avoid Uncle Sam’s inquisitiveness but with “The Double Tax” by Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman, you’ll see how to stop the “pink tax” from being worse if you’re Black. When she was a young child, Anna Gifty Opoku-Ageyman noticed that when it was time to leave for church, the women in her family struggled to get ready on time. Hair, makeup, dressing, it all took more effort for her mother and sisters than it did for the menfolk.

Generally speaking, women have social requirements they must follow that manufacturers have seized upon, leading to “pink taxes,” or extra costs placed on things for women that are identical to products made for men. Unfair, yes, and in the case of Black women and life, she says, there’s often a double-tax.

Take, for instance, hair.

Studies show that a woman’s looks are linked to her checkbook, and hair and beauty products matter. Products marketed to women cost more than that which is marketed to men, and the cost is even higher for Black women’s products. That’s if they can find them nearby.

Women go up against gender stereotypes when applying for jobs; Black women go up against stereotypes of gender and race — which can also lead to “tokenism” and wage gaps. Women get stuck in lower-paying jobs and are often discouraged from reaching for STEM-related careers, but studies show that Black women suffer higher rates of this discrimination.

So what can be done?

Fund minority businesses, Opoku-Ageyman says. Change how your business uses resumes. Support better access to education for Black women. Be transparent in your organization’s pay scale. Revisit your company’s policy on motherhood. Finally, identify gaps in the system and close them. Doing so will help now, and later.

Sometimes, it seems like life is all uphill. And that may be twice as apt for women of color, as you’ll see in “The Double Tax.”

But is this a book you need?

Read a little, think about its first few pages, and you may decide that author Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman isn’t talking to you. If you’re a woman of color, what’s here is old news; instead, she seems to be talking more to male supervisors, bosses, and CEOs of all races with personal stories that underscore her points. That doesn’t mean white woman won’t learn a few things — raising another woman up is always a good action — but men who don’t pay the pink tax will surely get more from it.

Although what you’ll find here is a bit broad, this book will open eyes to what’s hidden in plain sight and you’ll find ideas for change that can affect the status quo. For that, “The Double Tax” is a singularly helpful book.

WI

horoscopes

LIFESTYLE

SEPT. 25 - 0CT. 1, 2025

ARIES Leadership initiatives drive workplace transformation as Mars activates your innovation sector, bringing breakthrough opportunities when decisive action combines with strategic collaboration to secure high-profile projects. Entrepreneurial ventures accelerate through bold marketing approaches challenging industry conventions while maintaining professional credibility. Lucky Numbers: 7, 29, 51

TAURUS Investment strategies yield sustainable returns as Venus strengthens your prosperity sector, bringing financial growth through methodical analysis identifying emerging markets positioned for long-term stability. Property development opportunities mature when comprehensive market research reveals undervalued locations with excellent appreciation potential. Lucky Numbers: 14, 31, 46

GEMINI Communication expertise establishes thought leadership as Mercury enhances your influence sector, bringing professional recognition through specialized knowledge enabling authoritative consultation across diverse business sectors while maintaining accessible presentation standards. Content creation advances when data-driven insights guide strategic messaging reaching targeted demographic segments effectively. Lucky Numbers: 3, 26, 39

CANCER Family enterprises generate lasting security as lunar energy illuminates your foundation sector, bringing stability through protective investments creating supportive environments where collaborative resources enable mutual prosperity. Caregiving services flourish when compassionate expertise transforms natural abilities into specialized programs addressing community eldercare needs. Lucky Numbers: 17, 22, 50

LEO Executive presence commands industry attention as solar power radiates through your visibility sector, bringing recognition through inspirational leadership motivating organizational excellence while establishing authoritative market reputation. Media ventures multiply when natural magnetism transforms standard communications into compelling brand experiences. Lucky Numbers: 10, 35, 55

VIRGO Process optimization drives operational excellence as earth energy perfects your systems sector, bringing advancement through analytical methodology demonstrating quantifiable improvements inspiring expanded organizational authority. Lucky Numbers: 20, 37, 44

LIBRA Partnership harmony creates mutual prosperity as Venus balances your cooperation sector, bringing success through diplomatic collaboration transforming competing interests into unified strategies benefiting all participating stakeholders. Interior design projects flourish when aesthetic sensibility enhances practical requirements creating beautiful functionality. Lucky Numbers: 8, 24, 42

SCORPIO Strategic insight reveals profitable opportunities as Pluto intensifies your investigation sector, bringing transformation through persistent research uncovering valuable possibilities within neglected market niches. Executive coaching grows when psychological understanding guides systematic assessment revealing organizational optimization strategies. Lucky Numbers: 5, 18, 57

SAGITTARIUS Global connections expand business horizons as Jupiter broadens your international sector, bringing worldwide success through cultural intelligence applying universal business principles while respecting regional practices. Educational publishing ventures advance when comprehensive scholarship creates practical resources serving international professional markets. Lucky Numbers: 13, 34, 49

CAPRICORN Corporate authority establishes enduring influence as Saturn fortifies your command sector, bringing recognition through dependable performance creating robust systems supporting sustainable organizational growth. Executive consulting expands when demonstrated competence proves capability for managing increased operational responsibility while maintaining excellence standards. Lucky Numbers: 4, 25, 43

AQUARIUS Social innovation serves progressive advancement as Uranus revolutionizes your network sector, bringing breakthrough success through creative solutions addressing collective needs while encouraging individual technological expression. Platform development strengthens when ethical frameworks guide collaborative innovation demonstrating socially responsible technology practices. Lucky Numbers: 9, 32, 47

PISCES Intuitive guidance deepens professional connections as Neptune refines your service sector, bringing fulfillment through compassionate approaches strengthening client relationships while maintaining appropriate professional boundaries. Wellness practices gain recognition when empathetic understanding guides research-based methodologies respecting individual therapeutic journeys. Consultation opportunities expand midweek when sensitive communication creates nurturing environments honoring client autonomy. Lucky Numbers: 2, 16, 53

SPORTS

Howard Wins 2025 ‘Battle of the Real HU’ 34-7, Snaps Hampton’s Streak

By Ed Hill

WI Contributing Writer

The sounds of excited fans from Howard and Hampton Universities filled Southwest, D.C. as people gathered at Audi Field for the Truth and Service Classic, better known as the “Battle of the Real HU” on Sept. 20.

More than a football game between longtime rivals, the annual meetup between Howard in Northwest, D.C. and Hampton in Hampton Roads, Virginia, is an event show-

casing African American excellence, camaraderie and pride, featuring two historically Black institutions.

Pirate fans chanted “Hampton, Hampton the Real HU,” as Bison supporters countered by yelling “Howard, Howard, the Real HU.”

In the friendly battle, Howard walked away victorious this year, winning 34-7, ending the eight-game hex that Hampton held over them, and continuing to celebrate the university’s 100th anniversary.

“It is great for both institutions,” said Howard University coach Larry

and Service Classic, or “Battle of the Real HU,” on Sept. 20. (Marcus Relacion/The Washington Informer)

Scott, emphasizing the importance of showcasing historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), before adding some Bison pride. “It is all about Truth and Service and that is actually a part of the Howard brand. And to have it here in Washington, D.C. adds to the mystique.”

Hampton was finally able to get on the board.

The key to the victory was Howard’s balanced offense and its strong complementary defense.

The individual hero of the game for Howard’s offense was sophomore running back Travis Kerney, who rushed for a career-high 113 yards and two touchdowns. Further, Kerney benefited from an offensive line that featured four new starters, who helped the Bison rush for a season-high 274 yards and four touchdowns.

“A lot of credit goes to the O-line because they did a great job today,” said Kerney. “They opened holes and made it easy for the backs. Tyriq [Starks] also called a great game. It’s been a little rough but we are beginning to get good chemistry.”

Howard Defeats

Hampton: ‘A Great Team Effort’

Hampton went into this year’s game having prevailed in the last eight meetings between the institutions and boasting a 55-43-1 advantage.

Further, the last three meetings have been decided by a total of 11 points with the Pirates each time finding a way to win.

With 20,000 fans filling Audi Field to capacity, Howard jumped out to the early 7-0 lead on its first possession and led 34-0 in the second half before

COMMANDERS from Page 4

guarantee housing delivery.

“I have long been clear that an NFL stadium alone is not a good investment for the city,” Ward 6

Councilmember Charles Allen (D) stated. “It just isn’t. Decades of experience and research have shown us that. But building 6,000 new homes, creating thousands of good-paying jobs for D.C. residents, protecting our Anacostia River and Kingman Island, expanding the number of youth sports fields and facilities — those are very good investments.”

The stadium package also includes environmental and community concessions. After negotiations, the team agreed to preserve more heritage trees, adopt higher efficiency standards in construction, and commit funds to low-income neighborhoods in Wards 5, 6, 7, and 8 for rental assistance, homeownership programs, and small-business grants.

The decision followed months of

A transfer from Florida Atlantic University, quarterback Starks, continues to improve with his play. In the Truth and Service Classic, he completed 12of-15 for 165 yards and although he did not throw a touchdown, he spread the ball around, connecting with eight different receivers.

Known for its high-powered attack, the Hampton offense struggled against the Howard defense that held them to only 215 yards of total offense, which included seven tackles for negative yards and three quarterback sacks.

WI

Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

debate, amendments, and last-minute tension. Commanders President Mark Clouse warned in a letter ahead of the final vote that new demands threatened to derail the agreement.

“I think it’s fair to say that the team, which focuses on football and not on the legislative process, is quite frustrated with what it sees as a lot of last-minute asks,” remarked D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson (D).

Outside the Wilson Building, fans erupted in cheers when the final vote was announced.

“Go Commanders! Let’s win the Super Bowl this year! Welcome home!” D.C. resident Dottie Love Wade, who explained that she and her husband have supported the team for decades, told reporters.

“It is with great pride that I can say we are officially bringing our Commanders home and turning 180 acres of land on the banks of the Anacostia, on the monumental axis, into jobs and opportunity for DC residents,” Bowser exclaimed.

WI

5 Hampton Defensive Back Anthony Hightower III (#2), running behind Howard running back Travis Kerney (#4), sprints toward the endzone for a touchdown in the Bison’s 34-7 win against Hampton University in the Truth

CAPTURE the moment

Howard University held its 158th Opening Convocation in Cramton Auditorium in Northwest, D.C. on Sept. 19, officially signaling the beginning of the academic year. Interim President Dr. Wayne A. I. Frederick and Leslie D. Hale, chair of the Board of Trustees, delivered opening remarks at the annual event, which unites new and returning students with the university’s faculty, staff, alumni and administration. Keynote speaker Sherrilyn Ifill, a Howard School of Law professor, noted the “heaviness in the land,” but urged students to see the moment as time for democratic renewal. (Robert R. Roberts/The Washington Informer)

RELIGION

The Nap Ministry Preaches ‘Rest is Resistance’

Tricia Hersey Emphasizes Power of Napping During March On Fest

By Trevor Johnson Contributing Writer

On the Saturday before Sunday service, people flocked to the historic Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church on Sept. 20 to tap into another spiritual practice: rest.

March On! Festival hosted “Napping as Resistance: Rest as a Tool for Collective Liberation,” led by Tricia Hersey, founder of the nationally recognized Nap Ministry and author of “Rest Is Resistance: A Manifesto” (2022). Hersey’s movement frames rest as a spiritual and practical necessity, a way for Black communities to reclaim dignity and healing in the face of generations of overwork.

Drawing on church tradition and liberation theology, she invited participants to see rest as faithful resilience: a practice of care that resists capitalism’s demand for endless labor and opens space for joy, imagination, and collective renewal.

“I’ve been leaning into the idea of speaking gratefulness over my body, over my spirit,” Hersey told the crowd. “There’s so much to not be grateful for, there’s so much to be afraid of, there’s so much fear going on right now, but I believe we have the power to slowly place ourselves in a temporary space of joy and freedom, which is resting.”

Throughout the event, Hersey read passages from “Rest Is Resistance,” blending scripture and lived experience into a call for radical self-care.

She reflected on how exhaustion has weighed on Black communities for generations.

“I always wonder what more our ancestors could have done with more rest,” Hersey said.

Considering the many generations of African Americans who were forced into labor, and the socio-economic disparities Black people face today, Hersey views rest as both inheritance and resistance—a way to regain strength and carry justice work forward.

Emphasizing rest as a spiritual practice and act of political resistance, Hersey’s urged people to pause and collect themselves, deliberately reclaim their bodies and spirits from a culture built on overworking, and return renewed.

“Resting is a faith walk,” she said. “Social-justice work is spiritual work, and spiritual work is political work. To say, especially as a Black person, ‘I refuse to be burned out’ is a radical act of faith and a disruption of capitalism. My work is simply a pushback—a voice saying, ‘No. We can sleep. We must.’”

Guided Meditation, Rest as a Pathway to Joy

The gathering included a guided day-dreaming meditation, led by artist Arin Maya, who filled the sanctuary with soft, sustained melodies— her voice mingling with the gentle resonance of a singing bowl.

The bell-like tones invited participants to close their eyes, breathe deeply, and rest.

“I grew up in church—Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago with Reverend Jeremiah A. Wright Jr.—and in the theology of

Black liberation. There’s a song we used to sing: ‘What God has for Me is for Me,’” Maya told The Informer. “I’ve evolved that to: What I want for myself, God wants for me too. If I’m burned out, I need to rest and care for myself—that’s what God wants as well.”

Among those deeply moved was Cammie Ward, who said the gathering felt like a rare invitation to stop and breathe.

“This event was amazing—it moved me to tears,” Ward reflected. “Hearing her voice over the sound system, it felt like permission to close my eyes and truly rest. I loved it.”

Ward connected the message to her own family history of overwork.

“Rest is necessary for longevity. Not resting—being overwhelmed and overworked—takes a real toll on the body. I’m 53, and seeing the trauma in my own family from parents who were constantly overworked truly frightened me,” Ward said. “Because of that, I make sure to find time every day to crochet or simply sit still. It’s okay to just relax and rest.”

Maya views rest as closely tied to faith and underscored prioritizing it in one’s life, describing it as a pathway to joy: a practice that nurtures creativity and the strength to sustain resistance.

“My faith tells me God is an active player in creating my life, and I’m part of that creativity,” she said. “If what I need is rest, God

and I work together so I can receive it.”

The Inspiration Behind the Nap Ministry

Before founding the Nap Ministry, Hersey spent years as a political activist, organizing direct actions and community campaigns. She remembers watching fellow organizers push themselves past the point of safety.

“It also felt like a lot of times activists don’t know how dangerous it is to be at protests and on frontlines with an exhausted brain,” she told The Informer. “When you are exhausted, when you are in burnout mode, it is a physical, spiritual thing happening in the body that really takes a toll on your thinking, takes a toll on your creativity, on your ability to be imaginative.”

Hersey had an up close view of the power of prioritizing rest.

“My grandmother is the muse of all my work. She survived a lynching in Jackson, Mississippi, migrated to Chicago, and—despite poverty—rested every single day,” she said. “She taught me what it means to rest inside a capitalist system.”

Further, Hersey notes that a celebrated activist ensured rest was part of her famous journeys to freedom.

“I love the story of Harriet Tubman pausing during Underground Railroad missions to nap and pray.

Even in life-or-death situations, she stopped to dream and strategize,” Hersey said. “She was never caught. That practice of rest is a model for activists today.”

In times of unrest, Hersey encourages people to make rest a priority. She pointed to today’s political landscape—marked by ongoing protests, social upheaval, and attacks on people of color and marginalized communities —as fertile ground for exhaustion.

“People wake up every morning not knowing what they’re going to see. Anxiety and fear are everywhere. Resting right now is majorly important because all that fear can consume you,” the author explained. “Burnout only leads to more trauma, and that cycle weighs on our mental, physical, and spiritual health.”

Through the chaos of uncertainty—whether political, personal, or anything in between—Hersey emphasized rest must be prioritized as a natural right of all people. Her work, she explained, “just hopes to be a calendar,” meant to serve as a constant reminder to slow down and reclaim that right.

“Resting is a birthright, it’s not a luxury,” she said. “I think that there’s a different reimagination that we’re missing by not looking at resting as being part of the foundation for a liberated world.”

WI

4 Tricia Hersey, founder of The Nap Ministry, speaks on stage during the Sept. 20 “Rest is Resistance” program held at Metropolitan African A.M.E Church, as part of the 2025 March On! Festival. (Courtesy of Purple PPL Media)

5 Audience members hold their hearts while Arin Maya plays a singing bowl and sings soothing melodies during the “Rest is Resistance” program as part of the March On! Festival. (Courtesy of Purple PPL Media)

Brothers and sisters, I want to talk to you today about the importance of encouraging yourself. The song says it so well: “Sometimes you have to encourage yourself.” When the world knocks you down, when you feel defeated, that’s when you have to speak victory over your test. No matter how you feel in that moment, speak the word of the Lord, and watch as you are healed. You must speak over yourself and encourage yourself in the Lord! Just as the lyrics tell us, sometimes you have to be your own cheerleader and “pat your own self on the back.”

So many of you have been through a lot this week, including me. Things have happened that you

WITH LYNDIA GRANT

These Days, You Must Encourage Yourself the religion corner

can’t forget, and the memory of that pain lingers on. But take heart, for Scripture tells us that God is a God of justice. The book of Proverbs reminds us that those who cause harm will ultimately face consequences: “Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein.” And the book of Deuteronomy assures us that “Vengeance is mine, and recompense,” and that “the things that come upon them make haste,” meaning God will handle those who wrong his children swiftly and surely.

Think about the story of Joseph. His brothers, consumed by jealousy, stripped him of his special coat and threw him into a pit. But even when they sold him into slavery, God was with him. In the end, Joseph’s faith and resilience led him to become a powerful leader. So, even when others try to dig a pit for you, remember that God can take what was meant for evil and use it for your good.

Psalm 101:7 also says, “He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight.”

Look at how God works. His wonders are truly amazing. During our worst trials, as long as we go

through the trials and they don’t stop us, we will come out on the other side better than before. It is the quitter who will not make it.

Though this is not an ideal situation, each of us must keep our hands in the hands of our Savior, Jesus Christ the Lord! The Scriptures have proven to be correct. What’s done in the dark will truly come to the light. A liar cannot tarry and will not tarry, say the Scriptures!

In closing, continue to encourage yourself. Many of us are going through changes in our country — changes we never dreamed would happen, especially in the federal government with the thousands of layoffs.

It is happening, my friends. Things are changing in the United States of America every day. We must pray for ourselves, and we must pray for others. Speak over yourself, cling to those around you who are helpers, and keep those around you who encourage you and believe in you. Finally, stay away from those who bring your spirits down! Trust me, it is bad enough already, without somebody speaking negative words over you that you do not need to hear! WI

RELIGION

Phone: 301-350-2200 Fax: 301-499-8724

Service and Times

1st Sunday

School: 9:00 AM Bible Study: Wednesday,

Church with a past to remember – and a future to mold” www.mtzbcdc.org

- Founded in 1867 728 23rd Street, NW - Washington, DC 20037

office: 202-333-3985 Fax : 202-338-4958

Service and Times Sundays: 10 a.m. Holy Eucharist with Music and Hymns Wednesdays: 12:10 p.m. - Holy Eucharist www.stmarysfoggybottom.org Email: stmarysoffice@stmarysfoggybottom.org

All are welcome to St. Mary’s to Learn, Worship, and Grow.

Rev Kevin A. O'Bryant

401 Van Buren St., NW, Washington D.C. 20012 Office (202)-882-8331

Service and Times Sunday Worship 10:30 am Zoom: zoom.us/;/2028828331 Bible Study: Wednesday 7:00pm Communion Every First Sunday "Serve, teach and Live by precept and example the saving grace of Jesus Christ."

Website: Theplbc.org Email: churchclerk@theplbc.org

Mt. Horeb Baptist Church

Rehoboth Baptist Church

First Rising Mt. Zion Baptist Church

Historic St. Mary’s Episcopal Church Promised

Baptist Church

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2022 ADM 001440

James D. Vass Decedent

Kevin Judd, Esq. 601 Pennsylvania Ave., NW Suite 900-South Building Washington, DC 20004

Attorney

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Kevin Judd, Esq., whose address is 601 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Suite 900-South Building, Washington, DC 20004, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of James D. Vass who died on August 11, 2021 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., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 3/11/2026. 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 3/11/2026, 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: 9/11/2025

Kevin Judd, Esq. Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 ADM 000911

Cecilia Keller Denslow aka Ana Cecilia Keller Vargas aka Cecilia Ana Keller aka Cecilia Vargas Decedent

Graner S. Ghevarghese 600 14th Street, NW, Fifth Floor Washington, DC 20005 Attorney

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Bruce Edward Denslow, whose address is 3700 North Capitol Street, NW, Scott Room #2081, Washington, DC 20011, respectively, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Cecilia Keller Denslow aka Ana Cecilia Keller Vargas aka Cecilia Ava Keller aka Cecilia Vargas who died on 12/27/2024 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., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 3/18/2026. 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 3/18/2026, 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: 9/18/2025

Bruce Edward Denslow

Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 FEP 000109

9/22/1994

Date of Death

Thomas Rudolph Harley Name of Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Kendra Harley (Administatrix-DBN) whose address is 4340

Gault Place NE, Washington, DC 20019 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Thomas Rudolph Harley, deceased, by the Orphans Court Division Court of Common Pleas Court for Philadelphia County, State of Pennsylvania, on 7/29/2025.

Service of process may be made upon Kendra Harley 4340

Gault Place NE, Washington, DC 20019 whose designation as District of Columbia agent has been filed with the Register of Wills, D.C.

The decedent owned the following District of Columbia real property: 724 44th Street, NE, Washington, DC 20019 and 4340

Gault Place NE, Washington, DC 20019. Claims against the decedent may be presented to the undersigned and filed with the Register of Wills of the District of Columbia, 515 5th Street, NW, Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001 within 6 months from the date of first publication of this notice.

Date of first publication: 9/11/2025

Kendra Harley Personal Representative

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

PROBATE DIVISION

Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 FEP 000111

5/15/2012

Date of Death

Kimberly Jeter aka Kimberly Marie Vereen Name of Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Aaron Jeter aka Aaron Emmanuel Jeter whose address is 8859 Bennington Blvd., Lorton VA 22079 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Kimberly Jeter aka Kimberly Marie Vereen, deceased, by the Fairfax Circuit Court for Fairfax County, State of Virginia, on 8/13/2025. Service of process may be made upon Arthur Banks 1777 Lyman Place NE, Washington, DC 20002 whose designation as District of Columbia agent has been filed with the Register of Wills, D.C. The decedent owned the following District of Columbia real property: 1779 Lyman Place NE, Washington, DC 20002. Claims against the decedent may be presented to the undersigned and filed with the Register of Wills of the District of Columbia, 515 5th Street, NW, Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001 within 6 months from the date of first publication of this notice.

Date of first publication: 9/18/2025

Aaron Jeter aka Aaron Emmanuel Jeter Personal Representative

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 ADM 000916

Ann L. Quinn aka Ann L. R. Quinn aka Ann Lees R. Quinn Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Peter G. Quinn & Heather Quinn, whose addresses are 5240 Ridge Ct., Fairfax, VA 22032 & 1217 McKinley St., Annapolis MD 21403, were appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of Ann L. Quinn aka Ann L. R. Quinn aka Ann Lees R. Quinn who died on 1/23/2025 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., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 3/18/2026. 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 3/18/2026, 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: 9/18/2025

Peter G. Quinn

Heather Quinn

Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 ADM 000658

Florice T. Roper aka Florice Tillman Roper Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Denise K. Roper & Charice F. Roper-Williams, whose addresses are 6532 7th Street. NW, Washington, DC 20012 & 1624 Portal Drive NW, Washington, DC 20012, were appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of Florice T. Roper aka Florice Tillman Roper who died on 3/11/2024 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 (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 3/18/2026. 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 3/18/2026, 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: 9/18/2025

Denise K. Roper

Charice F. Roper-Williams Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

Copyright Notice for Publication

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SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 ADM 000948

Sherelene P. Thomas aka Sherelene Powell Thomas Decedent

Stephanie L. Royal, Esq. The Royal Legal Group, PLLC Washington, DC 20015 Attorney

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Gina Thomas Mitchell, whose address is 6 East Weald Ave., Bear, Delaware 19701, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Sherelene P. Thomas aka Sherelene Powell Thomas who died on 11/7/2024 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., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 3/18/2026. 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 3/18/2026, 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: 9/18/2025

Gina Thomas Mitchell Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

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SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 ADM 000953

Ruth Dorsey Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Evangeline Brown, whose address is 911 47th Place, NE Washington, DC 20019, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Ruth Dorsey who died on 3/25/2019 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 3/18/2026. 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 3/18/2026, 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: 9/18/2025

Evangeline Brown Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 ADM 00994

Estate of Paul F. Wood aka Paul Frederick Wood

NOTICE OF STANDARD PROBATE

Notice is hereby given that a petition has been filed in this Court by Tycia Haight for standard probate, including the appointment of one or more personal representatives. Unless a responsive pleading in the form of a complaint or an objection in accordance with Superior Court Probate Division Rule 407 is filed in this Court within 30 days from the date of first publication of this notice, the Court may take the action hereinafter set forth.

Admit to probate the will dated April 11, 2013 exhibited with the petition upon proof satisfactory to the Court of due execution by affidavit of the witnesses or otherwise Appoint an unsupervised personal representative

Date of first publication: 9/18/2025

Augusto Macedo 1629 K Street, NW Suite 300 Washington, DC 20006

Petitioner/Attorney:

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division

Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 ADM 001026

Estate of Beatrice Brown

NOTICE OF STANDARD PROBATE

Notice is hereby given that a petition has been filed in this Court by Ciji Simmons and Kelvin Christian for standard probate, including the appointment of one or more personal representatives. Unless a responsive pleading in the form of a complaint or an objection in accordance with Superior Court Probate Division Rule 407 is filed in this Court within 30 days from the date of first publication of this notice, the Court may take the action hereinafter set forth.

Admit to probate the will dated March 9, 2021 exhibited with the petition upon proof satisfactory to the Court of due execution by affidavit of the witnesses or otherwise

In the absence of a will or proof satisfactory to the Court of due execution, enter an order determining that the decedent died intestate appoint an unsupervised personal representative

Date of first publication: 9/25/2025

Ciji Simmons

Kelvin Christian

413 Prairie Court

Upper Marlboro, MD 20774

Petitioner/Attorney:

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 ADM 000925

Wallace Andrew Cash, Sr. Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Lynnette K. M. Jeffers, whose address is 3012 M Place SE, Washington, DC 20019, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Wallace Andrew Cash, Sr. who died on 2/27/2024 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., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 3/25/2026. 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 3/25/2026, 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: 9/25/2025

Lynnette K. M. Jeffers

Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 ADM 000929

Otis Price Decedent

Mahsa Alaeian

Legal Counsel for the Elderly 601 E Street, NW Washington, DC 20049 Attorney

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Dorothy V. Price, whose address is 70 I Street, SE, Unit 429, Washington, DC 20003, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Otis Price who died on 2/20/2021 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., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 3/25/2026. 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 3/25/2026, 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: 9/25/2025

Dorothy V. Price Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2024 ADM 846

Derrick Thompson

Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

J. Anthony Concino III, Esq., whose address is 5335 Wisconsin Ave., NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20015, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Derrick Thompson who died on July 7, 2023 without a Will. 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., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 3/25/2026. 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 3/25/2026, 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: 9/25/2025

J. Anthony Concino III, Esq.

Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 ADM 000943

Ariene Hammond Decedent

Tamara Jones, Esq.

The Legal Courthouse, PLLC 6218 Georgia Ave., Suite 1-682 NW Washington, DC 20011 Attorney

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Bernard Ward, whose address is 7727 Chatfield Lane, Ellicott, MD 21043, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Ariene Hammond who died on March 5, 2025 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., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 3/25/2026. 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 3/25/2026, 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: 9/25/2025

Bernard Ward Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

Copyright Notice for Publication

LEGAL NOTICES

Copyright Notice: All rights reserved regarding common-law copyright of trade-names/trade-marks, not excluding any and all derivatives and variations in spelling of any of said names, Jaron N. Dandridge ©; JARON N. DANDRIDGE ©; Jaron Dandridge ©; JARON DANDRIDGE ©; Jaron Neal Dandridge ©; JARON NEAL DANDRIDGE ©; Jaron N. Dandridge Sr. ©; JARON N. DANDRIDGE SR. ©; Jaron Dandridge Sr. ©; JARON DANDRIDGE SR. ©, Jaron Neal Dandridge Sr. ©; JARON NEAL DANDRIDGE SR. ©; Mr. Jaron N. Dandridge ©; MR. JARON N. DANDRIDGE ©; Mr. Jaron Dandridge ©; MR. JARON DANDRIDGE ©; Mr. Jaron Neal Dandridge ©; MR. JARON NEAL DANDRIDGE ©; Mr. Jaron N. Dandridge Sr. ©; MR. JARON N. DANDRIDGE SR. ©; Mr. Jaron Dandridge Sr. ©; MR. JARON DANDRIDGE SR. ©, Mr. Jaron Neal Dandridge Sr. ©; MR. JARON NEAL DANDRIDGE SR. © and Kennecia Dandridge ©; KENNECIA DANDRIDGE ©; Kennecia M. Dandridge ©; KENNECIA M. DANDRIDGE ©; Kennecia Mekeba Dandridge ©; KENNECIA MEKEBA DANDRIDGE ©; Kennecia M Dandridge ©; KENNECIA M DANDRIDGE ©; Kennecia M. Easley ©; KENNECIA M. EASLEY ©; Kennecia Mekeba Easley ©; KENNECIA MEKEBA EASLEY ©; Kennecia Easley ©; KENNECIA EASLEY ©; Kennecia M Easley ©; KENNECIA M EASLEY ©; Mrs. Kennecia Dandridge ©; MRS. KENNECIA DANDRIDGE ©; Mrs. Kennecia M. Dandridge ©; MRS.KENNECIA M. DANDRIDGE ©; Mrs. Kennecia Mekeba Dandridge ©; MRS. KENNECIA MEKEBA DANDRIDGE ©; Mrs. Kennecia M Dandridge ©; MRS. KENNECIA M DANDRIDGE ©; Mrs. Kennecia M. Easley ©; MRS. KENNECIA M. EASLEY ©; Mrs. Kennecia Mekeba Easley ©; MRS. KENNECIA MEKEBA EASLEY ©; Mrs. Kennecia Easley ©; MRS. KENNECIA EASLEY ©; Mrs. Kennecia M Easley ©; MRS. KENNECIA M EASLEY ©; Ms. Kennecia Dandridge ©; MS. KENNECIA DANDRIDGE ©; Ms. Kennecia M. Dandridge ©; MS. KENNECIA M. DANDRIDGE ©; Ms. Kennecia Mekeba Dandridge ©; MS. KENNECIA MEKEBA DANDRIDGE ©; Ms. Kennecia M Dandridge ©; MS. KENNECIA M DANDRIDGE ©; Ms. Kennecia M. Easley ©; MS. KENNECIA M. EASLEY ©; Ms. Kennecia Mekeba Easley ©; MS. KENNECIA MEKEBA EASLEY ©; Ms. Kennecia Easley ©; MS. KENNECIA EASLEY ©; Ms. Kennecia M Easley ©; MS. KENNECIA M EASLEY ©; and Christy Curry ©; CHRISTY CURRY ©; Christy Ann Curry ©; Christy A. Curry ©;  Ms. Christy Curry ©; Ms. CHRISTY CURRY ©; Miss. CHRISTY CURRY ©; Miss. Christy Curry ©; Christy A. Curry ©; CHRISTY A. CURRY ©; MS. CHRISTY A. CURRY ©; Ms. Christy A. Curry ©; Miss. Christy A. Curry ©; Miss. CHRISTY A. CURRY ©; Christy Ann Curry ©; Ms. Christy Ann Curry ©; Miss Christy Ann Curry ©; CHRISTY ANN CURRY ©; Ms. CHRISTY ANN CURRY ©; Miss. CHRISTY ANN CURRY ©; MS. CHRISTY ANN CURRY ©; Christie Curry ©; Christie Currie ©; Christy Currie ©; Christy A. Currie ©; Christy Ann Currie ©; Christie A. Curry ©; Christie Ann Curry ©; Ms. Christy Currie ©; Miss. Christy Currie ©; CHRISTIE CURRY ©; CHRISTIE CURRIE ©; MS. CHRISTIE CURRY ©; MS. CHRISTIE CURRIE ©; Miss. CHRISTIE A. CURRIE ©; MISS. CHRISTIE Ann CURRIE ©; MS. CHRISTIE ANN CURRIE ©; MISS Christie A. Currie ©; Miss. Christie Ann Currie ©; Chrissy Curry ©; CHRISSY CURRY©; Chrissy A. Currie ©; Chrissy Ann Curry ©; Chrissy Ann Currie ©; CHRISSY CURRIE ©; CHRISSY ANN CURRIE ©; CHISTIE ANN CURRIE ©; Christie Ann Curry ©; CHRISTY Ann CURRY ©; MS. Chrissy Ann Curry © ; Miss. CHRISSIE A. CURRY ©; christy curry ©; christy A. curry ©; Christy curry ©; Christy Ann curry ©; chrissy curry ©; chrissie currie ©; Khristy Curry ©; Kristy Curry ©; Kristie Curry ©; Kristy A. Curry ©; Khristie Currie ©; Kristie Ann Currie ©; KRISTY CURRY ©; KHRISTY CURRY ©; KRISTIE A. CURRY ©; KHRISTIE A. CURRIE ©; KRISTY Ann CURRIE ©; C. Curry ©; C. A. Curry ©; c. curry ©; c.a. curry ©; curry,christy ©; curry, a. c.  ©; Curry, Christy ©; Ms. Curry, A. Christy ©; Ms. Curry, Christy ©; Ms. Curry A. Christy ©; Ms. Curry©, respectively-Common Law Copyright © 1973, 1985, and 1990, respectively, by Jaron N. Dandridge ©, Kennecia M. Dandridge © and Christy Ann Curry©.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the copyright owners in red ink, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Copyright Notice for Publication Copyright Notice: All rights reserved regarding common-law copyright of trade-names/trade-marks, not excluding any and all derivatives and variations in spelling of any of said names Krystal Tibbs ©; KRYSTAL TIBBS ©; Krystal V. Tibbs ©; KRYSTAL V. TIBBS ©; Krystal Veronica Tibbs ©; KRYSTAL VERONICA TIBBS ©; K. Veronica Tibbs ©; K. VERONICA TIBBS ©; K. Tibbs ©; K. TIBBS ©; K.V. Tibbs ©; K.V. TIBBS ©; K.V.T. ©; K.T. ©; k.v.t ©; k.t. ©; Tibbs, Krystal ©; TIBBS, KRYSTAL ©; Tibbs, Krystal V. TIBBS, KRYSTAL V. ©; Tibbs, Krystal Veronica ©; TIBBS, KRYSTAL VERONICA ©; Tibbs, K.T ©; TIBBS, K.T. ©; Tibbs, K. Veronica ©; TIBBS, K. VERONICA ©; Ms. Krystal Tibbs ©; MS. KRYSTAL TIBBS ©; Ms. Krystal V. Tibbs ©; KRYSTAL V. TIBBS ©; Ms. Krystal Veronica Tibbs ©; MS. KRYSTAL VERONICA TIBBS ©; Ms. K. Tibbs ©; MS. K. TIBBS ©; Ms. K. Veronica Tibbs ©; MS. K. VERONICA TIBBS ©; Ms. K.V. Tibbs ©; MS. K.V. TIBBS ©; Ms. K.T. ©; MS. K.V.T. ©; ms. k.v.t. ©; ms. k.t. ©; Ms. Tibbs, Krystal ©; MS. TIBBS, KRYSTAL ©; Ms. Tibbs, Krystal V. ©; MS. TIBBS, KRYSTAL V. ©; Ms. Tibbs, K. ©; MS. TIBBS, K. ©; Ms. Tibbs, Krystal Veronica ©; MS. TIBBS, KRYSTAL VERONICA ©; Ms. Tibbs, K.V. ©; MS. TIBBS, K.V. ©; Ms. Tibbs, K. Veronica ©; MS. TIBBS, K. VERONICA ©; and Anthony M. OBrien Jr. ©; Anthony Mathew OBrien Jr. ©; Anthony Matthew OBrien Jr ©; Anthony M. O’Brien Jr. ©; Anthony Mathew O’Brien Jr. ©; Anthony Matthew O’Brien Jr. ©; Anthony M. Obrien Jr. ©; Anthony Mathew Obrien Jr. ©; Anthony Matthew Obrien Jr. ©; Anthony M. O’Brien Jr. ©; Anthony Mathew O’Brien Jr. ©; Anthony Matthew O’Brien Jr. ©; ANTHONY M. OBRIEN JR. ©; ANTHONY MATHEW OBRIEN JR. ©; ANTHONY MATTHEW OBRIEN JR ©; ANTHONY M. O’BRIEN JR. ©; ANTHONY MATHEW O’BRIEN JR. ©;ANTHONY MATTHEW O’BRIEN JR. ©;ANTHONY M. OBRIEN JR. ©; ANTHONY MATHEW OBRIEN JR. ©; ANTHONY MATTHEW OBRIEN JR. ©;ANTHONY M. O’BRIEN JR. ©;ANTHONY MATHEW O’BRIEN JR. ©; Anthony O Brien ©; anthony o brien ©; O BRIEN, ANTHONY ©; o brien, Anthony ©; O Brien, Anthony ©; ANTHONY M. OBRIEN ©; anthony m. obrien ©; Anthony M. Obrien ©; and MR. FRANK FOSTER SMITH JR© FRANK FOSTER SMITH JR© MR. FRANK FOSTER SMITH© FRANK FOSTER SMITH© MR. FRANK F SMITH© FRANK F SMITH© MR. FRANK SMITH© FRANK SMITH© Mr. Frank Foster Smith Jr© Frank Foster Smith Jr© Mr. Frank Foster Smith© Frank Foster Smith© Mr. Frank F Smith© Frank F Smith© Mr. Frank Smith© Frank Smith© SMITH, FRANK FOSTER© SMITH, SMITH, FRANK FOSTER MR.© Smith, Frank Foster Mr.© Smith, Frank F ©. Respectively- Common Law Copyright © 1973, 1985, and 1990, respectively, by Krystal V. Tibbs ©, Anthony M. O’Brien ©, Frank Foster Smith Jr.©.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the copyright owners in red ink, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Copyright Notice for Publication   Copyright Notice: All rights reserved regarding common-law copyright of trade-names/trade-marks, not excluding any and all derivatives and variations in spelling of any  of said names, Michelle Bland ©; MICHELLE BLAND ©; Michelle R. Bland ©; MICHELLE R. BLAND©; Michelle Renee’ Bland ©; MICHELLE RENEE’ BLAND ©; M. Renee’ Bland ©; M. RENEE’ BLAND ©; M. Bland©; M. BLAND©; M. R. Bland©; M. R. BLAND ©; M. R. B. ©; M. B. ©; and Devren D. Carrington ©;names Devren Derrell Carrington ©; Devren D. Carrington ©; Devren D Carrington ©; Devren Carrington ©; Derrell Carrington ©; Derrell Devren Carrington ©; Derrell D. Carrington ©; Derrell D Carrington ©; D. Derrell Carrington ©; D Derrell Carrington ©; D. Devren Carrington ©; D Devren Carrington ©; D. D. Carrington ©; D D Carrington ©; D. Carrington ©; D Carrington ©; D. D. C. ©; D.D.C. ©; D D C ©; D.C. ©; DC; Carrington, D. Devren ©; Carrington, D Devren ©; Carrington, D. D. ©; Carrington, D D. ©; Carrington, D ©; DEVREN DERRELL CARRINGTON ©; DEVREN D. CARRINGTON ©; DEVREN D CARRINGTON ©; DEVREN CARRINGTON ©; DERRELL DEVREN CARRINGTON ©; DERRELL D. CARRINGTON ©; DERRELL D CARRINGTON ©; DERRELL CARRINGTON ©; D. DERRELL CARRINGTON ©; D DERRELL CARRINGTON ©; D. DEVREN CARRINGTON ©; D DEVREN CARRINGTON ©; D. D. CARRINGTON ©; D D CARRINGTON ©; D. CARRINGTON ©; D CARRINGTON ©; D.D.C. ©; D D C ©; D.C. ©; DC ©; CARRINGTON, DEVREN DERRELL ©; CARRINGTON, DEVREN D. ©; CARRINGTON, DEVREN D ©; CARRINGTON, DEVREN ©; CARRINGTON, DERRELL DEVREN ©; CARRINGTON, DERRELL D. ©; CARRINGTON, DERRELL D ©; CARRINGTON, DERRELL ©; CARRINGTON, D. DERRELL ©; CARRINGTON, D DERRELL ©; CARRINGTON, D. DEVREN ©; CARRINGTON, D DEVREN ©; CARRINGTON, D. D. ©; and Charles Foster©; CHARLES FOSTER©; Charles E. Foster©; CHARLES E. FOSTER©; Charles Eddy Foster©; CHARLES EDDY FOSTER©; Charles Eddy Foster, Jr.©; CHARLES EDDY FOSTER JR.©; C. Foster©; C. FOSTER©; C. E. Foster©; C. E. FOSTER©; C. E. Foster, Jr.©; C. E. FOSTER, JR.©; C.E.F.©; C.F.©; c.e.f.©; c.f.©; C.E.F.JR.©; c.e.f.jr.©; C.F.JR.©; c.f.jr.©; Foster, Charles©; FOSTER, CHARLES©; Foster, Charles E.©; FOSTER, CHARLES E.©; Foster, C.©; FOSTER, C.©; Foster, Charles Eddy©; FOSTER, CHARLES EDDY©; Foster, C. E.©; FOSTER, C. E.©; Foster, C. Eddy©; FOSTER, C. Eddy©; Foster, Jr., C .Eddy©; FOSTER, JR., C. EDDY©; Mr. Charles Foster©; MR. CHARLES FOSTER©; Mr. Charles E. Foster©; MR. CHARLES E. FOSTER©; ©; Mr. Charles Eddy Foster©; MR. CHARLES EDDY FOSTER©; Mr. Charles Eddy Foster, Jr.©; MR. CHARLES EDDY FOSTER JR.©; Mr. C. Foster; MR. C. FOSTER©; Mr. C. E. Foster©; MR. C. E. FOSTER©; Mr. C. E. Foster, Jr.©; MR. C. E. FOSTER, JR.©; MR.C.E.F.©; MR. C.F.©; Mr. c.e.f.©; MR. c.f.©; MR. C.E.F.JR.©; Mr. c.e.f.jr.©; MR. C.F.JR.©; Mr. c.f.jr.©; Mr. Foster, Charles©; MR. FOSTER, CHARLES©; Mr. Foster, Charles E.©; MR. FOSTER, CHARLES E.©; Mr. Foster, C.©; MR. FOSTER, C.©; Mr. Foster, Charles Eddy©; MR. FOSTER, CHARLES EDDY©; Mr. Foster, C. E.©; MR. FOSTER, C. E.©; Mr. Foster, C. Eddy©; MR. FOSTER, C. EDDY©; Mr. Foster, Jr., C. Eddy©; MR. FOSTER, JR., C. EDDY©;respectively Common Law Copyright © 1973, 1985, and 1990, respectively, by Michelle R. Bland ©, Devren D. Carrington ©, and Charles E. Foster ©.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the copyright owners in red ink, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 ADM 000947

Davetrina Gadson Decedent

Julie A. Simantiras, Esq.

The Geller Law Group 4000 Legato Road, Suite 1100, PMB 6084 Fairfax, Virginia 22033

Attorney

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Jovonna R. McNeal, whose address is 3920 Old Trail Road, Martinez GA 30907, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Davetrina Gadson who died on January 11, 2025 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., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 3/25/2026. 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 3/25/2026, 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: 9/25/2025

Jovonna R. McNeal

Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2025 ADM 000945

Xavier Douglas Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Angel Douglas, whose address is 1676 Maryland Ave NE, #360, Washington, DC 20002, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Xavier Douglas who died on 11/12/2024 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., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 3/25/2026. 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 3/25/2026, 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: 9/25/2025

Angel Douglas Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

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CROWELL from Page 30

largest single year increase in homelessness was families with children.

“Our worsening national affordable housing crisis, rising inflation, stagnating wages among middle- and lower-income households, and the persisting effects of systemic racism have stretched homelessness services systems to their limits,” the report stated.

Citing data from the Census Bureau and Bureau of Labor Statistics, the report documents that 2024 recorded the highest ever number of people experiencing homelessness. The annual point-intime count of America’s homeless found a total of 771,480 people experienced homelessness in an emergency shelter, safe haven, transitional housing program, or in unsheltered locations. More than 99,500 people were counted in unsheltered locations — the highest number recorded since data collection began.

Moreover, Black Americans, who comprise just 12% of the total U.S. population, are disproportionately affected by both homelessness (32%) and poverty (21%).

Between 2023 and 2024, the

JEALOUS

from Page 30 the crisis.

Black and white alike, united by a shared demand for dignity and opportunity.

The Readjusters were eventually dismantled by a well-funded and racially charged backlash that ushered in Jim Crow. But the impact of their brief victory endures. Virginia’s public school system — now ranked among the strongest in the country — still benefits from the foundational reforms won by that movement.

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mistreatment of immigrant families, saying “These aren’t our kids ... it’s not like [Trump] is doing this to the people of Idaho or Texas.” He attacked the judge who approved a search warrant against Trump, displaying a Photoshopped image of Ghislaine Maxwell giving the judge a foot massage.

Unlike the comments that got Jimmy Kimmel, Matthew Dowd and Karen Attiah fired, Kilmeade’s statements are both hateful and misleading. His call to execute the homeless was so shocking, in fact, that some right-leaning social media users refused to

Nearly 150,000 children — most under the age of 18 — experienced homelessness on at least one night in 2024, reflecting a 33% increase (or 32,618 more children) over 2023.

Conversely, veterans were the only population to report continued declines in homelessness. Between 2023 and 2024, the number of veterans experiencing homelessness declined by 8%, or 2,692 fewer veterans. The number of veterans experiencing homelessness has declined by 55% since data collection about veteran homelessness began in 2009.

The HUD report attributed these improvements to targeted intervention.

“These declines are the result of targeted and sustained funding to reduce veteran homelessness,” the report states.

It will also take the same level and long-term homeless resources to reverse current rising trends for the overall unhoused population.

According to an analysis by the National Alliance to End Homelessness, homeless service providers from California, the state with the

Their story offers urgent lessons for today.

Too often, the struggles of poor white families are rendered invisible, while Black poverty is hyper-visible but rarely treated with empathy. Both distortions serve to divide people who might otherwise stand together. In a political environment designed to pit us against each other, the Readjusters remind us that it doesn’t have to be this way.

We can choose something better.

We can build a politics rooted in our shared concern for our chil-

believe he even said it.

In the days after Kilmeade’s statement, at least 14 petitions calling for his dismissal sprang up on Change. org, garnering more than 19,000 signatures. Some of the petitioners cite their own experience with homelessness, or the experience of a friend or relative.

“I know the struggles of living without a home, the fear, the uncertainty and the continuous fight for dignity. Working with the homeless, I witness their resilience, their hopes and their dreams. Kilmeade’s statement is not just reckless; it is a direct attack on human rights and dignity. Such views have no place in our society, espe-

largest homeless population and the most Continuum of Care plans, would be ineligible for funding if the revised criteria were to take effect. Potential grantees from other states with serious housing challenges include D.C., Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New York, Texas and Washington state.

A recent policy brief from the Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank emphasized the geographic disparities in homelessness.

“The experience of being homeless varies by place,” the brief states. “In Los Angeles, most homeless people live outside — a quite different experience than in New York City, where a legal ‘right to shelter’ has almost every homeless person under a roof. The rest of the country is in between.”

Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward, one of the law firms representing the homeless activists, criticized the administration’s approach.

“These federal housing funds exist to help people experiencing homelessness — not to punish states, localities, and service providers for meeting people where they are,” Perryman said. WI

dren. We can refuse to let race be used to divide the working class, as it so often is, and instead invest in a future where every child — rural or urban, Black or white — gets a real chance at success.

The Readjusters weren’t perfect, and they weren’t permanent. But they proved what’s possible when people stop fighting each other and start fighting for each other. If they could do it — in the shadow of the Civil War — then surely, we can find the courage to do it again.

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cially from a public figure with significant media influence,” Rio Phillips wrote.

All of the petitions mention the duty of Fox News to demonstrate its commitment to journalistic standards and basic human decency.

“Taking strong action against such conduct is not just a matter of corporate responsibility but a social imperative,” petitioner John Davis wrote. “By terminating Brian Kilmeade’s contract, Fox News can affirm its commitment to journalistic integrity and the well-being of all individuals, regardless of their socioeconomic status or health conditions.”

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MALVEAUX from Page 31

erence and removed textbooks at the Naval Academy.

This administration fully understands the importance of symbolism, of pomp and circumstance. This may be why the president would like to rename the Kennedy Center after himself and add his wife’s name to another section of the center. This is why the president will give the murdered conservative activist Charlie Kirk a posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom. This is why Attorney General Pam Bondi, whose legal credentials are highly questionable, says she will “absolutely” target those who use

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My words were branded a “poison pen,” too inconvenient, too unwilling to play along. I wrote not to comfort the powerful but for the poor, the struggling and the left out — because I had once been there myself. That lived truth was not welcome in the boardroom.

What was brushed aside as “minor” in my case is now playing out on a much larger and more dangerous scale. In-house censorship has metastasized, and it increasingly resembles the playbook of dictatorship.

Former President Donald Trump has made no secret of his disdain for independent media. He has pressured networks like ABC and CBS to soften unfavorable coverage. He has filed defamation suits against The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. His allies in Congress stripped federal funding from NPR and PBS. The FCC, under his influence, has targeted diversity, equity and inclusion pro-

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political strategy for conservatives because so many people are willing to disbelieve the facts and evidence while accepting untrue conspiracies, even when the truth and facts are crystal clear.

For example, the facts and evidence proved that while critical race theory analyzes how laws and policies perpetuate racial disparities and systemic racism in society, it was not taught in K-12 public schools as a formal curriculum. Yet, conservative politicians and media figures used critical race theory as a rallying dog whistle to undermine any efforts to address racism or promote equity. The furor over critical race theory was used as a symbol for broader grievances about changing

hate speech, including any negativity toward Charlie Kirk.

The corrosive ideology of this administration is to suppress or to erase. Erase the photograph “The Scourged Back” because it makes some people uncomfortable. Suppress words critical of Charlie Kirk because they aren’t sufficiently deferential to a provocative activist who invited criticism.

This is a delicate time to talk about Charlie Kirk. I mourn his murder, am abhorred by the killing of a 31-yearold father. It would be foolhardy to deny the provocative nature of his work, but a detailed analysis of his legacy is premature — those who choose to be critical might, for the sake of de-

grams while vowing to root out what he calls “liberal bias.”

In a recent interview, Trump made his intentions clear: Networks, newspapers and talk show hosts that portray him unfavorably will be punished. That pressure is already reshaping major newsrooms once trusted to be fair.

Distinguished Black journalists, in particular, have been washed out. At The Washington Post, opinion columnist Karen Attiah was dismissed after she challenged right-wing commentator Charlie Kirk’s demeaning claim that Black women — including Michelle Obama and Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson — “lack brain processing power.”

The attack on the press goes further. The administration has imposed restrictions on journalists covering the Pentagon, requiring them to pledge not to report information unless it has been officially authorized. If such rules stand, they won’t stop at the Pentagon — they will spread across agencies, handcuffing reporters from doing the

social norms and racial justice. “We’re saying, what is the fuss about?” said Lynn Daniel, a ninth-grade English teacher in the Phoenix area. “We don’t get it. This objection is being pushed upon us, and it’s not even happening in our classes. I don’t understand it.” Those on social media amplified the false narrative and misunderstandings to fuel the outcry that critical race theory is “indoctrinating children” and promoting anti-white sentiment, even when most Americans, including educators, do not accurately understand what it is. The term “woke” emerged as a call to remain vigilant, alert and conscious of racial injustice and social inequality. The anti-woke movement was a direct backlash to the racial justice activism that followed the George Floyd protests. The “anti-woke” rheto-

corum, share their views after the man is buried.

Conservatives who say they believe in free speech actually believe in free speech only when conservatives agree with it. A free speech nation would welcome the exhibit of “The Scourged Back.” A free speech nation would not embrace an executive order “Restoring Truth in American History” since the purpose of that executive order is to suppress truth and whitewash history.

This is the corrosive ideology of this administration. Lie, suppress, deny our nation’s history. And to think we have years more of this corrosive (to use their word) form of government.

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very job democracy depends on.

Silencing voices — whether latenight hosts or unknown columnists — does not erase the truths they speak. It only deepens the divide between those who hold power and those who live with its consequences.

That is why the warning signs must not be ignored. When journalists and commentators are stripped of their platforms, it is not simply their loss. It is the public’s loss. Every silenced voice leaves us with less information, less accountability and less freedom.

The silencing also highlights an opportunity to support the Black Press, the hundreds of Black-owned newspapers as well as the podcasts and responsible social media that carry a variety of news.

The silencing of “minor” voices decades ago prepared the ground for today’s assault on “major” ones. If we fail to resist now, the next silenced voice may not belong to a journalist or comedian — but to the people themselves. WI

ric was used to reframe discussions on critical race theory and diversity, equity and inclusion as discriminatory, divisive and a threat to traditional values.

The negative impact from the anti-critical race theory, anti-woke and anti-diversity, equity and inclusion movement by ill-willed people became further entrenched when goodwilled people of all races chose not to pay attention and stay informed of the truth. The racial backlash has consequences for people of color and their communities. Therefore, there needs to be a backlash to the backlash, where dissent and criticism are not silenced by denying individuals their right to free speech.

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