WINNER OF THREE SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS D.C. AWARDS Don't miss This Month's WI Bridge Center Section Vol. 56, No. 50 • September 30 - October 6, 2021
Demands Grow Louder for Virtual Learning Options
Parents Continue to Both Question and Defy Status Quo Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer
5 Hundreds of bikers from all over the country participated in the 5th Annual DC Bike Ride, a 20-mile car-free biking event that helps raise money for local charities, bicycle education and street safety programs. The event, held on September 25, began at West Potomac Park and ended in front of the U.S. Capitol. (Robert R. Roberts/The Washington Informer)
VA Gubernatorial Candidates McAuliffe, Youngkin Clash in Final Debate
In the weeks since schools fully relaunched in-person learning, parents and teachers have pressed District leaders for an expansion of virtual options. Many have taken to social media, attended a D.C. Council roundtables and submitted letters expressing their views while others, like Kavitha Kasargod-Staub, have taken more extreme measures. Out of concern about their safety, Kasargod-Staub has kept her children home and supplemented their education with curricula closely aligned with their coursework. School officials have since reported her to the Child and Family Services Agency [CFSA}, which set in motion an investigation that includes a home visit and interviews
PUSHBACK Page 41
Ten Black Women File Class Action Lawsuit Alleging Racism, Sexism at MPD James Wright WI Staff Writer
Third-party Candidate, Princess Blanding, Temporarily Interrupts Proceedings William J. Ford WI Staff Writer In the second and final debate between Virginia gubernatorial candidates Terry McAuliffe and Glenn Youngkin, held on Tuesday, Sept. 28, the candidates revealed distinctly different views on COVID-19 vaccines with about 35 days remaining 5 Third-party candidate Princess Blanding drove five hours from Middlesex, Virginia, to attend the gubernatorial debate on Sept. 28 until the General Election on Nov. 2. only to be escorted out of the room after attempting to interrupt the
DEBATE Page 13 event. (Pool photo/Win McNamee-Getty Images)
Ten Black women, who used to work or have left the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department [MPD], have filed a class action lawsuit against the District of Columbia government alleging rampant and unchecked racism and sexism at the law enforcement agency and have retained a noted civil rights firm to handle the case. Pam Keith, an attorney with The Temple Law Offices in Northwest, held a news conference on Sept. 22 with the plaintiffs and owner of the
firm, Donald Temple. Keith said the time is right for Black women to take a stand against the discrimination taking place at MPD. “We have received calls and referrals dealing with the unfair culture that exists at MPD over the years,” she said. “We are experienced at suing the city because we do it all the time. However, this lawsuit reveals symptoms of a deeper disease in that department and we decided to address it on a class basis.” The 208-page amended complaint
RACISM Page 42
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wi hot topics D.C. Officers Indicted in Karon Hylton-Brown's Death Two D.C. police officers have been indicted in connection to the killing of Karon Hylton-Brown, who died last October after his scooter crashed as police chased him. Officer Terence Sutton, 37, was indicted on second-degree murder and federal charges of conspiracy and obstruction of justice, according to the indictment unsealed Sept. 24 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Sutton was driving the police car during the chase, police said. Lt. Andrew Zabavsky, 53, was indict-
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ed on federal charges of conspiracy and obstruction of justice, the indictment said. Zabavsky was behind the wheel of a second police car involved in the chase. Both officers pleaded not guilty Friday. According to the indictment, Sutton violated police general orders by chasing Hylton-Brown. He and Zabavsky then intentionally misled police superiors about what happened leading up to the crash, the indictment states. The judge ordered home detention for Sutton and said he could only go to his home or his mother's home in Delaware. Sutton also cannot have any guns. Zabavsky must stick to a curfew and wear a GPS monitor. Both have been ordered not to speak to any of the other officers who were there the night of the crash who could be called as witnesses. WI
Leaders Celebrate Grand Opening of $51M Affordable Housing Development in Congress Heights
In Memoriam Dr. Calvin W. Rolark, Sr. Wilhelmina J. Rolark THE WASHINGTON INFORMER NEWSPAPER (ISSN#0741-9414) is published weekly on each Thursday. Periodicals postage paid at Washington, D.C. and additional mailing offices. News and advertising deadline is Monday prior to publication. Announcements must be received two weeks prior to event. Copyright 2016 by The Washington Informer. All rights reserved. POSTMASTER: Send change of addresses to The Washington Informer, 3117 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E. Washington, D.C. 20032. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. The Informer Newspaper cannot guarantee the return of photographs. Subscription rates are $45 per year, two years $60. Papers will be received not more than a week after publication. Make checks payable to: THE WASHINGTON INFORMER 3117 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E Washington, D.C. 20032 Phone: 202 561-4100 Fax: 202 574-3785 news@washingtoninformer.com www.washingtoninformer.com
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The grand opening celebration of Randle Hill Apartments and ribbon cutting, with tours of a resident unit available, will take place Thursday, Sept. 30 at 10 a.m. Located at 3300 6th Street in Southeast, the project preserves affordable housing for 195 families, including 20 set aside for formerly homeless individuals and families, ensuring affordable housing is maintained in the District as housing instability remains exacerbated by the pandemic. D.C. Department of Housing and Community Development Director Polly Donaldson, D.C. Housing Finance Agency Executive Director/ CEO Christopher Donald and other community and business leaders will join representatives of Enterprise Community Development (ECD) for the event. The $51M preservation project was made possible through a unique partnership between Enterprise Community Development, Bank of America, DCHFA, Neighborworks Capital, Community Housing Capital and Enterprise Housing Credit Investments, LLC, and with the cooperation of the residents of Randle Hill, who ECD worked with to ensure no one was displaced during renovations. On-site resident services including workforce development, case management, educational and financial literacy programs and other essential services that offer opportunities for upward mobility
for residents will be provided thanks to funding from TD Bank. The architect for Randle Hill was Associates Architects and the general contractor was Hamel Builders and Wiencek. WI
Windows at Nat’l Cathedral to be Created by Artist Kerry James The Washington National Cathedral recently announced that it will replace its former stained-glass windows featuring Confederate iconography, removed in 2017, with racial-justice themed windows created by world-renowned artist Kerry James Marshall, described by The New Yorker as “a virtuoso of landscape, portraiture, still-life, history painting, and other genres of the Western canon.” The Cathedral’s commission represents Marshall’s first time working with stained-glass as a medium, and the windows are expected to be his first permanent public exhibition anywhere in the country. In addition, celebrated poet, author and scholar Dr. Elizabeth Alexander has agreed to pen a new poem that will be inscribed in stone tablets alongside Marshall’s window installation, overlaying the previous stone tablets which venerated the lives of Confederate soldiers. Completion of both Marshall’s new windows and the stone tablets featuring Dr. Alexander’s new poem is expected in 2023, at which time they will be permanently installed at the Cathedral. WI
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Attorney General Racine Delivers Keynote Address at UDC’s Opening Convocation Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer
The University of the District of Columbia [UDC] commemorated its 45th year of existence with an opening convocation that allowed officials to highlight investments in students, faculty, infrastructure, and other aspects of campus life. The convocation also provided keynote speaker Attorney General Karl A. Racine a chance not only to honor his late mother and UDC professor Dr. Marie-Marcelle Buteau Racine, but emphasize the university’s significance to the droves of District residents who enroll each semester. “There’s a wealthy D.C. with cranes, development, and increasing attractiveness. We also see the most intense level of displacement anywhere in the country relative to other states,” Racine said on Thursday, Sept. 22 at UDC’s Theater of the Arts Auditorium on Connecticut Avenue in Northwest. During his remarks, Racine, the District’s first elected attorney general, reflected on his electoral victories in 2014 and 2018. He credited his mother, a foreign language and linguistics professor who passed away last year, with boosting his appeal among voters who, upon learning about the familial connection, shared their memories about Dr. Racine. Officials recognized Dr. Racine and Dr. Virginia Pearl Hymes Howard, who passed away in August. As he continued to touch on lessons his mother gave him and his sister, Racine told students that they
must work hard and take advantage of the opportunities afforded to them at UDC. However, he didn’t shy away from stressing that the District invests in UDC and other resources that address gaps in education, employment, health, and housing, “We must enlighten, engage, and prepare young people to have independent lives where they can fully take care of themselves and lift their people up,” said Racine. “There’s no other institution that’s dedicated to the residents of the District of Columbia and them reaching their full potential.” The opening convocation marked UDC’s full return to in-person learning. As of September 23, the university has reported three COVID cases since the beginning of the academic year. Graduates from District public and public charter schools account for more than 60 percent of UDC students. Under UDC President Ronald Mason, the university increased, and then ultimately maintained, enrollment levels this year after 200 applicants didn’t provide proof of COVID vaccination. A handful of university vice presidents and 50 new tenure-track professors also joined UDC’s ranks at a time when university officials announced cost-of-living wage increases for all staff members. Other enhancements include workforce pipelines in the healthcare and technology fields, along with an improved relationship with D.C. Public Schools. University officials announced $50 million of renovations on all campuses and strategies to provide learning
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on various instructional platforms. In addition to moving out of UDC facility offices at 801 North Capitol Street NE, UDC will expand its operations in Congress Heights and UDC- Community College Bertie Backus Campus in Northeast. During the pandemic, and amid racial justice protests, UDC launched the Institute for the Study and Elimination of White Supremacy. On Thursday, Christopher D. Bell, chair of UDC’s board of trustees, thanked students for their commitment to UDC throughout the pandemic and lauded the efforts of his colleagues to make the university run as smoothly as possible. “It’s been hard to manage resources. We’re investing and thriving,” said Bell. “It’s for all the students [who] deserve the best. We’re pleased that you’re here with us. We’re committed to help you succeed and get the resources you need to succeed.” WI @SamPKCollins
5 Washington, D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine. (WI File Photo/Roy Lewis)
The opening convocation marked UDC’s full return to in-person learning. As of September 23, the university has reported three COVID cases since the beginning of the academic year.
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SEPT. 30 - OCT. 6, 2021 SOURCE: BLACK AMERICA WEB
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.
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1960 – African nation Nigeria gains independence from the United Kingdom. 1962 – James Meredith becomes the first African American student to enroll at the University of Mississippi.
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1800 – Nat Turner, the leader of a major slave rebellion, is born in Southampton County, Virginia. 1935 – Robert Henry Lawrence Jr., the first African American astronaut, is born in Chicago. 1937 – Famed lawyer Johnnie Cochran is born in Shreveport, Louisiana. 1967 – Thurgood Marshall is sworn in as the first African American Supreme Court justice.
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2005 – August Wilson, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, dies of cancer at 60 in Seattle.
OCT. 3
1904 – Mary McLeod Bethune opens the Daytona Literary and Industrial Training School for Negro Girls, which eventually became Bethune-Cookman University. 1941 – Singer Chubby Checker of "The Twist" fame is born in Spring Gully, South Carolina. 1949 – WERD, the first radio station owned and programmed by African Americans, is established in Atlanta. 1954 – The Rev. Al Sharpton is born in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. 1974 – Baseball Hall of Famer Frank Robinson is named manager of the Cleveland Indians, becoming the major leagues' first Black manager.
OCT. 4
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1943 – Social activist H. Rap Brown is born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
OCT. 5
1992 – Soul singer Eddie Kendricks, one of the founding members of the Temptations, dies of lung cancer in Birmingham, Alabama.
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6 SEPTEMBER 30 - OCTOBER 6, 2021
1917 – Fannie Lou Hamer, voting rights activist and civil rights leader, is born in Montgomery County, Mississippi. 1921 – Joseph Lowery, civil rights leader and longtime president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, is born in Huntsville, Alabama. 1971 – The first legal interracial marriage in North Carolina, between John A. Wilkinson and Lorraine Mary Turner, takes place. WI
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Rhode Island state Rep. Anastasia P. Williams has drawn criticism for suggesting that the state’s own homeless and poor populations should be prioritized before the state houses “stranger” Afghan refugees. What are your thoughts?
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If America can provide provisions for the Afghan people, then America can do the same thing for the homeless people all over America. Trust and believe, the Afghan people will not be living on the streets. It's going to look bad on America if the people from Afghanistan are given food and shelter, while Americans are still homeless living on the streets.
CHANDRA WILLIAMS / WASHINGTON, D.C.
She had a point, [but] the delivery was just off. If the point was not trying to be picked apart, then it would be the point of the conversation. There are homeless in Rhode Island and they should get the benefits that are being provided to the Afghans first. They are citizens, paid taxes and are taxpayers. Perhaps that would have been better.
TAMMY COLLIER / WASHINGTON, D.C.
I completely understand where she’s coming from. If our family member is in need, we need to help our family first. Then we can help our neighbor who is also in need.
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The World According to Dominic D. Kevin McNeir / WI Senior Editor
As Police Address Youth Violence at Six Flags America, I Wonder ‘Who’s in Charge at Home?’
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Dozens of unruly, unprincipled and just plain foolish youth decided to interrupt their fun on the rollercoasters, opting instead to engage in a potentially deadly free-for-all last weekend at Six Flags America in Upper Marlboro. Cell phone videos reveal images of youth fighting as well as jumping on and destroying vehicles in the parking lot on the first night of the annual Fright Fest Halloween-themed event. The melee grew so heated that officials shut the park down early and forced everyone to leave the premises. Prince George’s County police assured the public on Monday that they will meet with Six Flags officials this week to review the park’s security plan and then provide recommendations. The monthlong event, originally scheduled to continue through Oct. 31, will now close an hour earlier every evening at 9 p.m. with other changes, also geared toward safety, now including the inability to re-enter the park starting at 6 p.m. and no new entry beginning at 7 p.m. “We are reviewing video and attempting to identify tag numbers and victims, as well as potential suspects,” said county police in a statement. “Once we identify the suspects, then the state’s attorney’s office can determine potential charges.” Great, great, great, some may say, but their reply is still far from an ad-
equate response and certainly not a solution. And despite the many videos which youth and some victims captured on their phones, no arrests have been made. In time, both the suspects and victims will undoubtedly be identified and with any luck, those youth who participated in the destruction will have to answer for their crimes. But this isn’t the first time that youth have become enamored with fighting at the park which resulted in serious injuries. In September 2014, several teens were attacked, beaten so badly that their lives were placed in jeopardy. As parents arrived that evening, they saw a throng of teenagers rushing out of the park. One witness, a mother searching for her 15-year-old son and his friends who were there to celebrate his birthday said, “it was panic, mayhem, chaos.” Again, a spokeswoman said the amusement park had no plans to cancel Fright Fest but added this lukewarm promise: “The safety and security of our guests is always our number one priority. Steps are being taken to increase security by working closely with local law enforcement; increasing the number of dedicated security personnel . . . and continuing to enforce a zero-tolerance policy for anyone violating our published code of conduct.” So, what happened to those plans that were supposed to guarantee the safety of the park’s team and its patrons? Whatever changes Six Flags made, they clearly were inadequate and have failed to provide the kind of safety and security that we all expect. Maybe I’m too old or perhaps too cynical but looking back on my youth, I just cannot recall ever witnessing or being involved in such stupidity. And it had nothing to do with the rules and regulations that were then in force at local amusement parks in my hometown of Detroit or those at nearby venues in Ohio or across the river in Canada. I went to amusement parks with my friends and my cousins to have fun – plain and simple. Further, I knew that if I showed out and caused my family to be ashamed, humiliated,
embarrassed – even furious – because of my behavior, I would have to answer to my parents. And my father, a big man with a booming voice, huge hands and little tolerance for foolishness, would set me straight, fast. In fact, the only thing the police might need to do on my behalf would be to help me secure a ride to the closest hospital. The judges in my case, my parents, would have already completed the investigation, ended the trial and sentenced the suspect – me – to a long period of hard labor and months without any semblance of joy. Once, when I called myself acting “mannish,” my mother reminded me, “it takes a lifetime to build a good reputation and one instance to destroy it.” That’s all it took. I wonder what the parents of the youth who joined last weekend’s “adventure” are saying to them? Times may change – in fact change remains inevitable. But some things just don’t change. Or at least they shouldn’t. Children learn by example and as they mature, they form many of their opinions and make most of their decisions based on the lessons they learn at home. Parents remain the ultimate teachers in the lives of children, teenagers and even youth who have recently entered legal adulthood. But if the “teachers” aren’t doing their job, then youth may simply follow the crowd. In this case, some obviously followed the wrong leaders. So, I ask, who’s really in charge back at home for the dozens of youth who eagerly participated in last weekend’s violent outbreak? At this point, maybe it really doesn’t matter. What does matter is other adults, park officials, police officers and even community leaders, must hold our young people accountable for their unacceptable behavior. There are always consequences – some good, others bad – which come with the decisions we make in life and the ways in which we chose to conduct ourselves within society. It’s time for our youth to get a serious dose of “tough love.” It may just save them from engaging in something far more life-altering, even deadly, in the future. WI
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James Wright WI Staff Writer One of the District’s most historic parks reopened on Sept. 24 with a new landscape and a commitment by city and federal officials that everyone will have access to it regardless of residential status. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and members of her executive and agency team, along with D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D) and Downtown Business Improvement District President and Executive Director Neil Albert, joined 60 people to celebrate the renovations of Franklin Park, a city block framed by 14th and 13th Streets and K and I Streets, NW, Bowser said Franklin Park stands as a defining landmark in the city. “We knew that if the D.C. government could renovate Franklin Park, we would be able to turn this park into something special for residents, visitors and workers,” the mayor said. “The new Franklin Park is its own destination—a place for residents and visitors to enjoy and for workers to retreat to. This is the type of park you would expect to find downtown in our nation’s capital, and I want to thank Congresswoman Norton and our partners at the National Park Service and the DowntownDC BID for making this possible. D.C. is open and so is Franklin Park.” The $21 million renovation of Franklin Park started in August 2020 a year after Norton steered a bill through Congress to forge a cooperative agreement that sets D.C.- National Park Service in joint management of the park. The renovation includes a restaurant and pavilion, an expanded and restored fountain plaza and a new children’s garden along with sidewalks accessible to the handicapped, a broader tree canopy, enhanced lighting, green space and seating. Much of the construction was the work of the D.C. Department of General Services. The District’s Department of Parks and Recreation is to coor-
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5 Renovated Franklin Square sparkles on K Street, NW after a $21 million renovation. (Roy Lewis/The Washington Informer)
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BLACK HISTORY AT FRANKLIN PARK
Created in 1832 by the federal government, the park --then known as Franklin Square--was the staging area for the city’s first Emancipation Day celebration four years after the 1862 end of slavery in D.C. as more than 5,000 marchers gathered for a parade, “stopping at the White House, then returning here for speeches,” according to the Cultural Tourism DC website reported one observer, saying it “was the grandest event in the history of the colored race.” The parades continued until 1901, when the observance was halted by disagreements among the organizers and disorders among the participants, according to local historians. The parade tradition was resumed in 2002.
HOMELESS ACCESS ALLOWED BUT DWELLING BARRED
Homeless encampments there,
long the focus of media attention, will be blocked in the renovated square, according to District officials who said that a ban on tent living will be enforced although homeless persons will have access to the park. District officials countered with opening up nearby homeless shelters and centers that serve the population. At a news conference after the re-opening, Bowser stressed the illegality of having an encampment in a District park. She said homeless people are welcome to go to nearby shelters for services such as overnight accommodations and showering facilities. Both Albert and Jeff Reingold, superintendent of National Mall and Memorial Parks of the park service, said camping in Franklin Park won’t be tolerated but the homeless will be treated with respect. “The National Park Police have the legal authority to escort individuals who seek to set up camp out of the park,” he said. “We will do this as a last-minute move and work to make sure that people have access to good, safe shelter.” WI @JamesDCWrighter
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Former Washington Informer photographer now tasked with capturing the political history for the District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser, Khalid Naji-Allah, was celebrated at the National Portrait Gallery on September 22. Standing with Bowser and Naji-Allah are his two sons, Yasir and Kadari, beside his aerial photo of Black Lives Matter Plaza taken last year, featured in an exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery, Block by Block: Naming Washington. (Shevry Lassiter/The Washington Informer)
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WORDS TO LIVE BY “It’s easy to do anything in victory. It’s in defeat that a man reveals himself.” – Floyd Patterson
“The Loser” as published in Esquire magazine, March 1964.
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AROUND THE REGION
Award-Winning D.C. Pediatrician Compares Vaccines and Masks to Airbags and Seatbelts
Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer
Dr. Yolanda Lewis-Ragland, board certified in pediatric and obesity medicine, minces few words when protecting children. After all, Dr. Lewis-Ragland has lived and practiced medicine in Washington, D.C.’s Ward 8 for nearly two decades. In one of the nation’s capital’s poorest and most traumatized communities, Dr. Lewis-Ragland has gained trust and respect from residents that other physicians often find elusive. That respect and trust remain crucial as medical experts and providers attempt to give more access to the all-important COVID-19 vaccines many people of color hesitate to accept. “We did a study and came up with the top reasons for hesitancy,” said Dr. Lewis-Ragland, a Children’s Hospital pediatrician and owner and CEO of Family Fitness and Wellness for Community Health and founder and president of Dr. Yolanda Cares Foundation, a non-profit organization that focuses on reducing health disparities in at-risk communities. “Negative coverage about the vaccine was one of the reasons,” Dr. Lewis-Ragland reflected, sitting in a white executive office chair inside the National Newspaper Publishers Association’s (NNPA) state-of-the-art television studio in Northwest, D.C. “One of the top reasons also was not understanding the rapid development of the vaccine and needing more clarity,” Dr. Lewis-Ragland explained. “Community members didn’t understand, and they had no one who looks like them to talk to,” Dr. Lewis-Ragland continued. “We need physicians of color having these conversations. I get all my vaccines done because my parents are asking me direct questions. Kids are telling me what they see on Tik Tok and online, so I’ll have the candid conversation.” Dr. Lewis-Ragland, author of two pandemic-influenced books–“Navigating a Triple Pandemic (Volume 1),” and “Navigat-
ing a Triple Pandemic: Volume 2: COVID Virus and Vaccine Facts, Fiction & Fears”--said there’s a huge uptick in the number of Ward 8 parents receiving the vaccine. “We actually vaccinate our parents onsite,” Dr. Lewis-Ragland remarked. “When they bring their children in for vaccines, we ask the parents to get vaccinated. So we lead by example, and I believe we are going in the right direction because we are starting to employ the resources of the voices that are in the community.” She continued: “When you see a Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett [Black immunologist] at town halls, when you see individuals like that having these conversations in the community, there’s going to be a positive reception.” For much of the past few years, Dr. Lewis-Ragland has actively addressed issues like heart disease in vulnerable Black communities through her annual Heart-toHeart Red Carpet Affair as a way of tackling the underlying issues contributing directly to hypertension, heart attacks, stroke, and death. Though a native Washingtonian, Dr. Lewis-Ragland left D.C. at a young age and moved with her family to Seattle, Wash. She calls her story a tale of two cities. She returned to D.C. to attend the Howard University College of Medicine. The mother of three, and mentor to several youth organizations and trainees, Dr. Lewis-Ragland engages in community advocacy through medical missions and health fairs throughout the Caribbean. She has dedicated her life’s work to providing excellent healthcare services, closing the gap of healthcare disparities and advocating for health equity in vulnerable populations and communities. “My mother was interested in nursing, and I was a very curious young person with three older brothers,” Dr. Lewis-Ragland divulged. “I wasn’t afraid of anything. But, growing up with boys, I felt if they
could do something, then I could do it better,” she continued. “When I was in 7th grade, we dissected cow’s eyes. No one wanted to do it, except me. I dissected 20 cow’s eyes, and I decided that I wanted to learn more about biology. I was a latch-key kid, and I saw [fictional television] doctors like Marcus Welby, Quincy, and Cosby and decided that I wanted to be in medicine.” Dr. Lewis-Ragland worked in West Africa as part of the Peace Corps., and that experience opened her eyes. “I’m here in D.C. because our nation’s capital, like third-world
COMPARISON Page 41
5 Dr. Yolanda Lewis-Ragland (Courtesy photo)
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PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY MD Lawmakers Suggest Vaccine Mandate for Schools William J. Ford WI Staff Writer With a surge in positive coronavirus cases among Maryland children, state lawmakers asked Health Secretary Dennis Schrader if his department would require vaccinations in the schools. Not right now, he said Monday, Sept. 27 during a virtual briefing before a Senate vaccine oversight work group. “We’re being very careful not to be intentionally overbearing and allowing the school systems to take the lead in their individual jurisdictions,” he said. “We’re being very differential to them. We’re giving them our guidance and our best advice, but we
don't want to be interventionist in terms of school policy.” As of Monday, about 62 percent of teenagers ages 12 to 17 are fully vaccinated with 70 percent having received at least one dose. The Pfizer-BioNTech remains the only COVID-19 vaccine approved for that age group and there remains no available vaccine for children younger than 12. The state highlights a list of public and private schools showing positive cases. Local school districts such as Prince George’s County updates reported cases at various schools and other buildings on its website. Vaccine policies fluctuate among the state’s 24 public school districts.
Prince George’s students 12 and older participating in sports must be vaccinated. Those who still didn’t receive a shot in the arm will undergo weekly testing starting the week of Oct. 18. Weekly testing for unvaccinated student-athletes in neighboring Anne Arundel County won’t start until Nov. 22. Schrader said nearly one million people statewide remain unvaccinated and noted, “We’ve been saying publicly, ‘If you’re not vaccinated, your chance of dying goes up dramatically.’” Although the committee praised some of the health department’s efforts, singling out data showing that 83 percent of residents 18 and older have received at least one dose of the vaccine, it wasn’t pleased with some of Schrader’s explanations to increase vaccination efforts in the schools. Sen. Jim Rosapepe (D-District 21), a Democrat who lives in College Park but also represents portions of Anne Arundel County, said it appears some officials with the health department and school systems are blaming each other about which group can require vaccinations. “It’s the adults pointing fingers at each other while the kids are suffering and the parents are suffering,” he said. He offered a few suggestions such as the state’s Health and Education departments lead in the effort “because you have the power to do it and I would encourage
Rezoning Six Flags Recommended to Boost Commercial Base in Prince George’s William J. Ford WI Staff Writer
5 Phillippa Johnston, president of the Cameron Grove Community Association, leads the first against a potential commercial development along Central Avenue near her neighborhood composed of residents 55 and older. (Anthony Tilghman/ The Washington Informer)
12 SEPTEMBER 30 - OCTOBER 6, 2021
Prince George’s County residents who reside in a 55-and-older community in Upper Marlboro have raised opposition to a proposed commercial project that could be built just a mile away. But for that to happen, the land owned by Six Flags America at Central Avenue (Route 214) and Church Road in Bowie must be rezoned from residential suburban to commercial. It’s part of a preliminary project to revitalize and preserve land in the Bowie-Mitchellville corridor. A joint hearing will take place Monday, Oct. 4 with the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission and County Councilmembers sitting as District
5 Jasmine Jennings, then 17 receives a Pfizer vaccine shot in the arm at a vaccinea-thon on May 14 at the Wayne K. Curry Sports and Learning Center in Landover. (FILE: Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer)
you to use that power.” Sen. Clarence Lam, a physician who represents portions of Baltimore and Howard counties, agrees. “It sounds like the Maryland Department of Health, under the authority that you have, you’re not looking to use that as a tool to increase the vaccination rates of teens in our schools. Is that correct?” he said. “Not at the moment,” Schrader replied. “It’s an interesting question. Are you advocating that we would make the 12 to 17 [year-old teens COVID-19] Pfizer a part of the required vaccina-
tion regiment in schools?” Lam said yes, adding that he’s been in contact with patients who contracted COVID from their children. “I think that would be one way to increase the vaccination rates in our schools,” Lam said. “You have a tool you can use as the secretary to require vaccinations for students coming into our schools, but it sounds like you are not reaching for this tool, or not willing to do so.” “You make a good point, senator,” Schrader said. “We’ll go back and take a look at your suggestion.” WI Twitter: @jabariwill
Council, which reviews zoning and land use matters. “The county is trying to create this density but what about the vacant storefronts that could be filled?” said Phillippa Johnston, president of the Cameron Grove Community Association. “The idea you are going to build more when you have all of those vacant retailers doesn’t make any sense. People don’t go out and buy anymore -- they buy online.” Johnston and others in the 733unit residential complex of single-family homes and condominiums are concerned rezoning the land would increase traffic along the highway with Watkins Park and Mitchellville plazas, less than a half-mile away to the west. Along Central Avenue on more than 20 acres west of Six Flags near the two plazas, the CEO of Velocity Companies of Greenbelt announced the company “will fine tune” a proposed mixed-used development called Mitchellville Town Center. That decision became public one day after County Councilmember
Derrick Davis (D-District 6) of Upper Marlboro decided to withdraw two bills he sponsored earlier this month requesting the property be rezoned for commercial use. A testimonial from Davis about Velocity’s work can be viewed on the company’s website. According to the document labeled “Bowie-Mitchellville and Vicinity Master Plan,” it seeks to boost an economic, residential and environmental focus at these locales along state routes 3, 50, 197, 214, 301 and 450: Bowie State University, Old Town Bowie, Bowie Town Center, Free State Shopping Center and Collington Local Employment Area. Some of the recommendations include: Limit development east of Routes 3 and 301 to protect the rural and agricultural areas. Build residences for students and employees and retail at the MARC train station area at Bowie State. Develop recreation facilities along
REZONING Page 36
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PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY
African Heritage Month Proclaimed in Prince George’s County William J. Ford WI Staff Writer
Maryland’s largest African-American jurisdiction will officially pay homage to its residents’ ancestry for the first time in its history. Amid the color flags, clothing and bagged lunches, Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks proclaimed the month of September “African Heritage Month.” “We have certainly been made richer and been made better off because of the many contributions of the African diaspora community,” she said Friday, Sept. 24 outside the Wayne K. Curry Administration Building in Largo. “The African Immigrant: Representation, Identity and Diversity is a beautiful theme,” she said. “This is the first but next year we are truly going to blow the blacktop off this and other places.” Alsobrooks established the county’s African Diaspora Advisory Board during her first year in office in 2019 to address the concerns, needs and interest of those who represent African
DEBATE from Page 1 “I’m running against a candidate who actually has been spreading anti-vax rhetoric throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia,” said McAuliffe, the former Democratic governor who served between 2014 to 2018. “We cannot move this economy forward and keep our schools open if we’re not getting our folks vaccinated.” Youngkin, a Republican and former CEO of the Carlyle Group, said he supports requiring childhood vaccinations for
immigrants. The county now celebrates May 25 as “Africa Day” and Sept. 9 as “African Union Day” but Friday’s proclamation seeks to honor the country’s 45 ethnicities and more than 500 language dialects for an entire month. C. Vincent Iweanoge of Bowie, who chairs the county’s diaspora advisory board, said logistics didn’t allow for a larger celebration to happen earlier this month. But the event Friday still attracted more than 100 people with dozens dressed in African garb. “We have a lot of contributors . . . here in Prince George’s County,” said Iweanoge, principal director of Havit, Inc. in Northeast. “This is humongous. Once the census is done, it will show that people of African descent are here.” The U.S. Census Bureau’s 2019 “American Community Survey” highlights county residents who are native Africans accounted for 55,376, or nearly 26 percent, of the 214,910 foreign-born residents. Africans ranked second behind the 122,375 residents born in Latin
America, according to the survey. Several people who viewed the ceremony on Facebook Live! commented the month of September also commemorates National Hispanics Heritage Month. However, that monthly celebration began Sept. 15 and continues through Oct. 15. According to the 2020 Census, the county’s African-American population accounted for nearly 579,000, or 67 percent, of the total 967,201 residents. Officials continue to calculate exactly how many residents are originally from Africa. About 40 percent of small businesses in the county represent those owned by people of African descent including Swahili Village Bar and Grill in Beltsville, owned by Kevin Onyona for 15 years. Thousands of residents like Remi Duyile of Upper Marlboro, who’s of Nigerian descent, serve on local and statewide groups. Duyile serves on the Governor’s Commission of African Affairs. “It is the biggest deal in town right now to finally be able to recognize and
diseases such as measles, mumps and rubella. But in regard to a COVID-19 vaccine, he said, “No.” “I’ve gotten the [COVID-19] vaccine. My family has gotten the vaccine. It’s the best way for people to keep themselves safe,” he said. “I have asked everyone in Virginia to please get the vaccine but I don’t think we should mandate it.” As of Tuesday, the state Health Department reported 860,493 coronavirus cases in Maryland and a total of 12,647 deaths.
Within the first 15 minutes of the debate at Northern Virginia Community College’s Alexandria campus, third-party candidate Princess Blanding interrupted the proceedings, demanding that she be allowed to join McAuliffe and Youngkin on stage. Blanding, who represents the Liberation Party, said she drove five hours from Middlesex, Virginia, to ensure her platform received attention on issues that include racial justice, health care and community police reform. “This is not democracy. This is
5 Democratic candidate Terry McAuliffe (left) debates with Republican candidate Glenn Youngkin during the Virginia gubernatorial debate Sept. 28 at Northern Virginia Community College in Alexandria. (Pool Photo/Win McNamee-Getty Images)
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5 C. Vincent Iweanoge (left) holds a proclamation Sept. 24 to declare the month of September as “African Heritage Month” in Prince George’s County. County Executive Angela Alsobrooks (right) made the announcement in Largo. (Robert R. Roberts/ The Washington Informer)
dedicate a particular time to celebrate the history of who we are in the community,” said Duyile, who’s running for state delegate to represent District 23B. Nicole Jessica Camara, 26, hopes a similar measure becomes declared in neighboring Anne Arundel County where she resides. Camara won the
crown of Miss Guinea North America in 2019. “Maryland is a state that brings people together from different communities,” she said. “It’s happening right now in Prince George’s County but it can definitely be extended to other counties.” WI @jabariwill
racism. I have every right to be up there. This is voter suppression,” Blanding said before escorted out of the room. McAuliffe, unable to run for a consecutive term because Virginia law prohibits governors to do so, said to reporters after the debate that he had no problem with Blanding participating in the debate. “We’re not involved in this at all,” he said in terms of organizing the debate. The sponsors of the one-hour debate, hosted by the community college, included a partnership with George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government, Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce, Capital One and NBC4 and Telemundo 44. As for McAuliffe’s plans should he be successful in his bid for office, he said he would seek to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, give his support for paid sick days and medical leave and ensure lower costs in health care. Youngkin said he would eliminate the grocery tax saving Virginians $1,500 “in year one” of
his term in office. He also vowed to “fully fund police,” create 400,000 jobs and “turn Virginia into the most military-friendly state in the country.” And while Youngkin hasn’t officially mentioned former President Donald Trump unless specifically asked, the former CEO of the Carlyle Group said he would support Trump if he ran in the 2024 presidential election. Trump, who endorsed Youngkin, iterated during a radio interview on Thursday, Sept. 23, that the Republican candidate would not win if he failed to “embrace the MAGA movement.” During the debate both men accused one another of lying to the voters while frequently exchanging verbal jabs. “Revenues and expenses I know are hard for you, buddy,” Youngkin said. “That’s why you got tossed out of your firm,” McAuliffe replied. “You have no idea what you’re talking about,” Youngkin said. Youngkin reiterated public views that distinguish between
DEBATE Page 49
SEPTEMBER 30 - OCTOBER 6, 2021 13
BUSINESS Commerce Secretary Explains Why Biden’s Agenda Benefits African Americans Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer The Biden-Harris administration’s Build Back Better Agenda outlines what officials call an ambitious plan that would position America to turn towards a more sustainable, resilient, equitable and prosperous future. As Congress mulls the administration’s plan, U.S. Deputy Commerce Secretary Don Graves sketched a picture of the Build Back Better Agenda and how communities of color stand to benefit.
“As our community learns more about the agenda, particularly with the infrastructure bill and the components of the reconciliation bill that’s currently on Capitol Hill, this will have a massive and transformational impact on African Americans and communities of color,” said Graves, a Georgetown Law graduate and four-time great grandson of former slaves, Lynch and Polly Wormley. “The Build Back Better plan not only is making investments in roads and bridges but it’s also generational
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14 SEPTEMBER 30 - OCTOBER 6, 2021
and transformational in public transportation. We’re making investments in water because we’ve seen what’s going on in Flint, Michigan, and other places,” Graves continued. “We need these investments so that our kids are not getting lead poisoning. It’s also about high-speed internet and broadband that’s affordable,” he asserted. Build Back Better includes President Biden’s American Families Plan and critical elements of the American Jobs Plan not factored in the Bipartisan Infrastructure and Investments Act. The president said the plan would create jobs, cut taxes and lower costs for working families – “all of it paid for by making the tax code fairer and making the wealthiest and large corporations pay their fair share.” “It’s critically important to get the dollars approved by Congress to help our communities succeed,” Graves stated. “Right now, we know that millions of Americans are unable to work because they don’t have access to childcare, or they are underemployed and don’t have anyone to take care of their aging parents.” He continued: “We know women of color are the largest share of the childcare workforce, and this will create jobs for women in our communities and opportunities for small business and infrastructure.” “We will be able to lay our broadband and fix our water. All these focus on African American communities and other communities of color that haven’t had these types of investments – ever.” In lowering prescription drug costs, the administration recognizes that Americans pay as much as three times for their prescriptions than those in other wealthy countries. Administration officials said African Americans use 10 to 40 percent fewer medications than their white
5 U.S. Commerce Deputy Secretary Don Graves. (Photo courtesy Commerce Department)
counterparts for the same illnesses. Further, approximately 62.6 percent of all three- and four-year-old Black children have enrolled in preschool or kindergarten programs. Graves said the Build Back Better Agenda lowers the cost of childcare and makes universal preschool a reality by providing parents access to high-quality programs in the setting of their choice. The plan also includes 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave which would help improve Black maternal health outcomes and reduce wage losses that cause persistent earning and wealth gaps for African-American women. Education and housing costs would drop precipitously under the plan and families and children would realize extensive tax cuts, administra-
tion officials insisted. Overall, it would reduce the poverty rate in Black America by nearly 35 percent. Finally, the plan would also drive vaccinations and the U.S. economy, Graves said. “When you have people in a situation where they are able to leave their home and go to work, you will bring down the costs for everyone,” he noted. “We’ve made huge progress with the vaccines, with almost 80 percent of adults vaccinated with at least one shot. If we get more people vaccinated and take the appropriate steps around masking, we will get our arms around COVID-19 and the economy will be so much better,” he said. WI @StacyBrownMedia
Five Creative Ways to Capitalize a Business James Wright WI Staff Writer One of the biggest hurdles entrepreneurs consistently identify in surveys and focus groups deals with problems accessing capital but there are creative ways to get financing, according to an article on the website Credibly. “Whether you’re running a
startup or an established small business, it seems to be harder than ever to access capital from banks,” said Katrina Manning, the author of Credibly’s “Five Ways to Access Capital for Your Small Business.” “But even if a financial institution says ‘no’ to your request for a business loan, that shouldn’t stop you from pursuing your goals,” she said. “There are funds out there,
you just need to know where to look.” Manning said instead of focusing on traditional funding sources such as financial institutions or even monies from relatives and friends, there are five ways to get extra capital which business owners may not have considered or utilized.
BUSINESS Page 15
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BUSINESS from Page 14
SMALL BUSINESS GRANTS
“Often this form of capital gets overlooked but it deserves more attention, “ she said. “The government offers small business grants that fit initiatives it tries to promote. On the federal level, people can visit business.usa.gov to get information on small business grants. In the District, visit the website of the D.C. Department of Small and Local Business Development for its grant programs, whether the businesses are Certified Business Enterprises or not.” Manning added that Fundera’s Zach Grant provides a $2,500 check each year -- submitting a video explaining why a proposal for a startup business serves as the only requirement.
CREDIT CARDS
Manning said using credit cards might not be a first option but they can use Fundora's help when
in a financial bind. She said an SBA study reported nearly 60% of entrepreneurs use credit cards when needed. Manning said when managed correctly, credit cards can help build your business credit score which can make the business owner eligible for lower-risk capital in the future. Nevertheless, she said using credit cards incorrectly can damage a credit rating and cause future lenders to be wary of offering financial assistance.
FACTORING
Invoice factoring has become an obscure method of financing, according to Manning. This method provides advances on future revenue. Basically, the factoring company will give the business owner money upfront for invoices that have already been sent out. The entrepreneur settles the debt with the company once the client pays the invoice. Manning said this method works when customers are slow to pay and during months when business tends to be sluggish.
ONLINE/ ALTERNATIVE LENDERS
Online and alternative lenders can get entrepreneurs funds in days, not weeks or months and can customize loan sizes, Manning said. She said accessing capital from an online/alternative lender, an entrepreneur would need to prove monthly cash flow. The good news, according to Manning, has to do with the application process being completed in less than an hour and the paperwork less burdensome than a traditional bank loan.
OPEN A SIDE BUSINESS
The transition from an adjunct business to a primary operation can be a funnel, Manning said. Think of something that won’t
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BUSINESS
take up too much time away from your main business but will give you cash in hand. An example of this could be a newspaper company charging the general public for use of its equipment. Manning said pursuing alternative capital will give entrepreneurs better control of their business operations.
“Instead of giving up when a bank turns you down, try to determine other routes of getting the money you need,” she said. “By doing so, you might be able to expand your business beyond its wildest dreams.” WI @JamesDCWrighter
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CARES SEPTEMBER 30 - OCTOBER 6, 2021 15
NATIONAL The Suffering Behind the Unjust Incarceration of Black Women and their Families Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer Shaquanda Cotton constantly worries about her eight-year-old daughter’s safety in the Paris, Texas, school system. After all, her child counts as Black in a district whose recent history includes students at the high school adorning the backs of their pickup trucks with large Confederate flags. But it’s Cotton’s own history with the school district that terrifies her. Now 30, Cotton received a seven year prison sentence in 2006 after an encounter with a school employee. She was just 13 when a resource officer denied Cotton early entry into Paris High School. Arriving early had proven a regular practice to allow Cotton to see the school nurse for a daily dose of prescription medication. As Cotton writes in her new book, “Memoir of a ‘Teacher Slapping B*%$!” the resource officer and another school employee assaulted Cotton but Cotton found herself de-
tained, arrested and jailed. Cotton wanted her medication and only asked the employee why, after denying her entry, had she allowed several white students to enter the building. Later, when she appeared in court to face bogus assault charges, a more violent white female juvenile also had a case in front of Judge Chuck Superville. The judge denied parole for Cotton, who had no previous offenses, while he granted a 14-year-old white girl parole for a more severe crime. The white girl violated probation but received a second probation. Cotton received a seven-year jail sentence. “My daughter is eight-years-old and I’m seeing a lot of the same things that happened to me, and I’m afraid,” Cotton explained. For Black mothers everywhere, Cotton’s story resonates. A study in the Journal of Marriage and Family revealed that more than half of all African-American women had experienced jail or at least one incarcerated family member. The report
16 SEPTEMBER 30 - OCTOBER 6, 2021
revealed that the experience results in high depression levels and psychological distress. An NAACP fact sheet further noted that African Americans are jailed more than five times the rate of white people, and the results are palpable. The NAACP’s research paper noted the resiliency of African Americans but called that resilience “a double-edged sword as these experiences worsens health outcomes.” Miquelle West, told Yahoo! News that she understands this firsthand. “We’re both doing time in our own way,” she said of herself and her mother. “Certain things I can’t achieve because my mom is not present. But sometimes, when you are fighting for something of this magnitude, it should take your time,” West said, talking while crying softly during the Yahoo! News interview. Miquelle’s uncle, Marcel Mays, was arrested with her mother and convicted in the same drug conspiracy. Mays finally left prison in 2010 after 16 years and five months. “Michelle doesn’t have an out date,” Mays said in the report. “I always wonder: What does that feel like, not having an out date? I woke up with something to look forward to.” Marion “Pete” Mays, Miquelle’s aunt who helped raise her, told Yahoo! News she suffered years of depression after the incarceration of her siblings. “My whole life was consumed with very dark days,” Marion Mays, 58, said. “Later on in life, I have been able to seek help for this. Unfortunately, this is something I have had to live with. It’s similar to death. It also causes grief. I haven’t lost my sister but I’m losing time with her. Journaling helped me. And my faith has helped me, too,” she said. Meanwhile, nearly two decades af-
5 Shaquanda Cotton. (Courtesy photo)
ter the incident and several years after her release from jail, Cotton’s struggle to cope and raise her daughters continues. “Not only am I a target, but my daughter is also,” Cotton explained. “It makes it tough. There are some situations that she has in school that make me feel like deja vu – it reminds me of what happened to me, so I’ve been trying to focus and work to make sure it doesn’t happen to my children.” Those situations include Cotton receiving disciplinary letters for being “openly defiant” and “not following the rules.” While in school, Cotton received reprimands for “pouring too much paint into a cup.” Because of growing media interest in her case after community activists protested Cotton’s treatment and incarceration, a special conservator appointed to overhaul Texas’ juvenile prison system reviewed the matter. Cotton would be granted release one year into her sentence when the
conservator said “we have no confidence in the system that was in place. This case is an example of what we expect to happen if something wrong has been done to youths being held inside that system.” Activist Jay Morrison has asserted that America must take “full responsibility for its past and correct what is still purposefully occurring – mass incarceration, the school-to-prison pipeline, unequal school systems, gentrification, police brutality.” “The tension will continue to exist,” Morrison said. “Until all people can be honest about our history and lack of repair, the hate will be hard to get past. These human rights violations against Africans in America must be treated with the same seriousness as other communities that have experienced similar imprisonment, oppression, exploitation and genocide. “When the playing field is leveled, I imagine a greater peace in America,” she said. WI @StacyBrownMedia
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Hip-Hop Museum, D.C. to Induct Cultural Icons including Heavy D and Chucky Thompson Grand Induction Gala Slated for Friday, Oct. 8 at Ivy City Smokehouse in Northeast WI Staff Report Pete Rock, Kid Capri, Rakim, Nice & Smooth and Kool Moe Dee will be honored for their impact on Hip-Hop culture worldwide in an upcoming festive evening. The Hip-Hop Museum of Washington, D.C., founded two years ago, will celebrate the upcoming 50th birthday of Hip-Hop music and culture with an impressive induction ceremony during its Grand Induction Gala, Friday, Oct. 8 from 4 – 8 p.m. The venue will be the Ivy City Smokehouse, 1356 Okie Street in Northeast. Honorees include: Pete Rock, Kid Capri, Rakim, Nice & Smooth and Kool Moe Dee, each of whom will be inducted along with a special posthumous induction for rapper Heavy D (right) and legendary record producer, Chucky Thompson (left). The event will be hosted by Russell Peters, a world renowned comedian and hip-hop aficionado, who said, “Even as a Canadian kid, Hip-Hop raised
me and it's the lens through which I've seen the world.” As part of the gala, he will sit down with the inductees for a special taping of his podcast, “Culturally Cancelled.” The gala will also feature The Hip-Hop Museum's Executive Director Master Gee, a founding member of The Sugarhill Gang. Many VIP Hip-Hop legends are expected to be in the building including: Chief Rocker Busy Bee (first solo MC signed to Sugarhill Records); Krazy Drayz (DAS EFX) showcasing his new cannabis strain “Googley Goo,” producer Domingo, co-hosting the podcast; and Hip-Hop historian Jay Quan who will deliver the induction speeches. For more information, visit www. hiphopmuseumdc.org. The HipHop Museum's art gallery will be open to the public seven days a week from noon - 8 p.m., beginning on Oct. 9. The Hip-Hop Museum, DC is located inside Listen Vision Studios 2622 Georgia Avenue in Northwest. WI
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National Urban League 2021 Conference Returns, Sept. 28 – Oct. 1 Vice President Kamala Harris Opens Week with Marc Morial, NUL CEO WI Staff Report
The Financial Navigators Program helps District residents deal with the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Trained Navigators help residents to:
The National Urban League [NUL] 2021 Conference kicked off Tuesday, Sept. 28 with Vice President Kamala Harris opening the gathering along with NUL President/CEO Marc Morial. The conference continues virtually and free of charge for the first time ever through Friday, Oct. 1. As the country struggles to emerge from the triple pandemics of COVID-19, systemic racism and economic turmoil, the con-
ference will focus on eliminating disparities and expanding opportunities with each day focusing on
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F Prioritize daily living expenses like housing, food and insurance F Maximize income with referrals to benefit eligibility services, emergency cash assistance and emergency loans F Manage debt F Avoid predatory scams F Budget for future loss of income
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a different theme where examples of social and economic innovation will be demonstrated. Daily themes include: Tuesday: Empowerment Day (opening day)—dedicated to galvanizing the Urban League Movement and our allies to meet the challenges of COVID and structural inequity, police brutality and the most virulent attacks on voting rights since Reconstruction. Wednesday: Career & Professional Development Day—features a forward-looking slate of workshops tailored to enhanced job success and economic independence. Thursday: Small Business Matters/Entrepreneurship Day— In recognition of the role of Black-owned businesses to African-American independence, the critical period of challenge and the transformation they are facing. Friday: TechConnect & Get Funded Friday—a fresh lineup of information-packed sessions and a pitch competition for creatives in the tech field ready to monetize their next great idea. More: The Urban League NOW: Experience & Expo features the Health & Wellness Space, TechConnect, H.E.R. Space, KINGS Corner, Community “Give-Back” Corner, and the Brilliant & Black-Owned Marketplace. And top-notch entertainment will be a part of each day of the conference. Registration is free and open to the public. https://conference. iamempowered.com/ WI
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africa now
COMPILED BY OSWALD T. BROWN, WI CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Mali Prime Minister Accuses France of ‘Abandonment’ over Troop Drawdown Mali Prime Minister Choguel Kokalla Maiga accused France Sept. 25 of abandoning the conflict-torn country with its decision to draw down troops this year. Maiga told the UN General Assembly that he regretted the “unilateral announcement,” which he said justified his government “seeking other partners,” in an apparent reference to Mali having asked private Russian companies to boost security in the conflict-torn country. “Mali regrets that the principle of consultation and concertation which should be the rule between privileged partners was not observed before the French government’s decision. The new situation resulting from the end of Operation Barkhane, which presents Mali with a fait accompli and exposes it to a kind of abandonment in mid-flight, leads us to explore ways and means to better ensure security, either independently or with other partners,” Maiga said in a statement. This comes after a recent demonstration in Mali’s capital backing the nation’s military rulers and protesting perceived foreign meddling in the Sahel state. The protest comes as military strongman Col. Assimi Goita faces growing pressure from European powers to renounce a possible deal with Rus-
sian private-security firm Wagner. Former colonial power France — which has thousands of troops in Mali — warned against the deal after reports Mali was close to hiring 1,000 Wagner paramilitaries surfaced this month. French Defense Minister Florence Parly said this week that her government “will not be able to cohabit with mercenaries.” WI
caribbean now Bahamas Prime Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis Addresses United Nations Newly elected Prime Minister of The Bahamas Philip “Brave” Davis led a Bahamian delegation to New York for the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 76), which he addressed on Saturday, Sept. 25. During his address, Prime Minister Davis reminded his colleagues of the devastation caused to two islands in the northern Bahamas – Abaco and Grand Bahama – by Hurricane Dorian in September 2019 and that The Bahamas is battling a surge of infections in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic crisis. The Bahamas Prime Minister also underscored the need to address climate change and called for immediate action from the international community with regard to the Caribbean Resilience Fund, noting that many Small Island Development States (SIDS) such as The Bahamas are "out of time." Prime Minister Davis and Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell paid a courtesy call on U.N. Secretary General Antonio Gutierrez on Saturday, Sept. 25. At a dinner on Saturday night, Prime Minister Davis had an opportunity to reconnect with an old friend, Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados, and both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to regional solidarity in confronting challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic fallout. Prime Minister Davis also indicated that a unified front in the Caribbean would help the region to tackle its most difficult problems. The Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), led by Davis, won 32 of the 39 seats in The Bahamas House of Assembly in the general election held on Sept. 16. WI
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Stepping up when it matters most Last year, we committed $1.25 billion over five years to build on our long-standing work in support of driving racial equality and economic opportunity. To date, we’ve directly funded or invested nearly $400 million of this commitment, in addition to other ways we continue to make an impact in our communities. Our actions include: •
$36 million to 21 Minority Deposit Institutions (MDIs) and Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) banks that support minority-owned businesses. This is in addition to our approximately $100 million in deposits to MDIs and our existing $1.8 billion CDFI portfolio.
•
$300 million to 100 equity funds to provide capital to diverse entrepreneurs and small business owners
•
$10 million grant to fund the Center for Black Entrepreneurship (CBE), in partnership with Spelman and Morehouse colleges
•
$25 million to 21 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs) and community colleges in support of job skilling and placement
•
Establishing new partnerships and coalitions focused on building skills and creating job opportunities for people of color
•
$60 million to increase access to capital and career opportunities for Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) affordable housing developers
•
33 million+ masks, more than 272,000 bottles of hand sanitizer and 8 million gloves to communities in need
•
$1.35 million in grants to support mental health initiatives for young people of color
•
$25 million founding partnership in the Smithsonian’s new initiative on race, Our Shared Future: Reckoning with Our Racial Past
These are just some examples of how we’re working with community partners, business leaders, experts and academics across the public and private sectors to continue to drive progress. At Bank of America, we call this a nice start.
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What would you like the power to do?® Go to bankofamerica.com/washingtondc to learn more. Bank of America, N.A. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender
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HEALTH For Black Men, Mental Health Breakthroughs Include Overcoming the Stigma of Therapy Natalie C. Hockaday WI Staff Writer Self-care has become a buzz word lately but what does that truly mean? It can mean many things and with this broad understanding of self-care it allows people to be open with themselves about what they need to do to make sure they are the best version of themselves, according to a local therapist. Addressing mental health in the Black community can mean overcoming a stigma of weakness at
times. “Psychology or therapy for a lot of people is a scary word,”said Dr. Phillip Graham, a D.C. area psychotherapist who specializes in treating Black men. “The conversation has picked up globally and [we] are de-stigmatizing mental health and therapy and we want to put ourselves in a position where we can provide some insight as Black therapists,” Graham explained how at times there is widespread misunderstanding about the nature of mental patients and how therapists address
patients’ problems. The stigma surrounding mental health he says is the perception that one has to be “crazy” or have a severe mental health disorder and that is not necessarily always the case. “Sometimes life is just stressful and trying to learn how to work through anxiety and stress and talking to somebody that has an objective opinion about how what you’re experiencing and how you’re experiencing [it] and putting it into words where you can understand to process and do the work yourself,” said Graham. Mental health and how it looks in people can differ depending on socio-economic status. Sometimes people don’t see the signs of someone’s depression or whatever they are going through because it is hidden. Symptoms of depression vary, Dr. Graham said, noting that for some patients the manifestation of those symptoms are masked by socioeconomic status can affect mental health status. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Minority Health, “Black or African Americans living below the poverty level, as compared to those over twice the poverty level, are twice as likely to report
5 Dr. Phillip W. Graham. (Courtesy photo)
serious psychological distress.” Identity can be an important factor for those seeking therapists and Graham says that it has helped him connect to some of his patients because there is a cultural understanding without further explanation. “It makes it easier for men to talk to me because I understand what it’s like to be a man and to be a Black man [and] to be a Black man growing up in a religious environment and a community that doesn’t necessarily encourage therapy,” says Graham. Dr. Graham says that there is a
lot of intergenerational trauma that was yet to be addressed and that current generations are still dealing with the impact of that trauma. He also stated that Black men should be included more in understanding mental health because there can be disparities when understanding when they are experiencing mental health issues. “If we had a better understanding, a better access to mental health, we may be able to avoid and alleviate some of the more severe problems or consequences,” said Graham. WI
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22 SEPTEMBER 30 - OCTOBER 6, 2021
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HEALTH
CDC Recommends Booster Shots for Certain Populations Natalie C. Hockaday WI Staff Writer As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to surge, booster shots have now become a method to help protect people who are vaccinated from the virus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Sept. 27. Those who have been fully vaccinated could be eligible according to a statement from the CDC. The CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has recommended that those who are in certain populations get a booster shot. The CDC recommends those who are sixty-five years old and up that are in “long term care settings should receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine at least six months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series.” It is also recommended that people between the ages of 50 and 64 who have underlying illnesses should receive a booster shot and people between the ages of 18 and 64 who are at a higher risk of “COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of occupational or institutional setting should receive a booster shot as well.” The CDC says that the booster shot will help strengthen the protection against the Delta variant which has become the dominant
strain in the United States. As booster shots become a way to protect those already fully vaccinated, children under the age of twelve are still not eligible to receive a vaccine. Earlier in September the FDA released a statement explaining the ongoing process for having a safe vaccine for younger children. The FDA stated that “manufacturers have reported that the necessary clinical trials involving children as participants are currently underway.” Some manufacturers are enrolling and administering doses to participants and the continuation of the process is expected to have a two-month follow-up period. Continuing this process, manufacturers need to analyze the data to ensure its safety to then move forward to make sure it meets regulatory standards. Making vaccines for children differs from making ones for adults and the way the clinical trials are conducted differs in-part as well because of the differences in dosage and formulation strength. The FDA urges anyone who interacts with younger children to get “vaccinated, wear masks, and follow other recommended precautions so that we can protect those who cannot yet protect themselves through vaccination.” WI
The CDC recommends those who are sixty-five years old and up that are in “long term care settings should receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine at least six months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series.”
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SEPTEMBER 30 - OCTOBER 6, 2021 23
EDUCATION Amid Pandemic, Monroe School Scholars Overcome Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer
After struggling to maintain stellar grades throughout the pandemic, Traque Shepherd started his senior year at The Monroe School eager to establish professional connections during field trips and discover how to eventually become an airplane mechanic. Over the next few weeks, he’ll
confer with teachers and staff about the best path to take on that professional endeavor. Since entering The Monroe School four years ago, Traque has grown academically and emotionally under the guidance of these very same instructors and administrators who he said helped him understand the importance of his schoolwork, and provided extra help when he requested it.
24 SEPTEMBER 30 - OCTOBER 6, 2021
“They helped me see a different perspective,” said Traque, a 17-year-old Northeast resident. “When you’re younger, you don’t really see the road all the way, but when you get older you can see it more clearly. They cleared that path for me [when] I was being young and not really paying attention.”
GAINING RECOGNITION
The Monroe School, a private school perched atop a hill along Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue in Northeast, currently has less than 50 students between the sixth and 12th grade who receive individually tailored, one-on-one instruction from teachers of various disciplines. This model reflects The Monroe School’s mission to pinpoint students’ greatest abilities and provide coursework that leads to connections to post-secondary opportu-
5 (L-R) Traque Shepherd, a senior at The Monroe School, and The Monroe School Founding Executive Director Dr. Ruth Logan stand in front of The Monroe School. (Photo by Ja’Mon Jackson)
nities. It builds upon the legacy of Dr. Nannie Helen Burroughs, a 20th century educator and activist who launched and operated a vocational training institute for young Black women in the same building. During the pandemic, The Monroe School, like other institutions, faced financial challenges when enrollment dropped as some students juggled parenting and work obligations. Even as school administrators accommodated the needs of the students, The Monroe School achieved accreditation from the Middle States Association along with the National Security Association and National Science Foundation’s GenCyber Grant that allowed for cybersecurity instruction. The Monroe School also garnered the attention of NBA star Kyrie Irving’s K.A.I. Family Foundation, which contributed a substantial amount of money and resources to the school earlier this year. Such developments paved the way for administrators at The Monroe School to gradually acclimate students to full-time, in-person learning. As part of what was called “the hub,” some students entered the school building during last school year for one-on-one help that supplemented their virtual instruction. The Monroe School also provided mental health resources for
young people reeling from the quarantine. These arrangements continued into the 2021-2022 school year, buttressing standards imposed by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education. “We want to build our students back up to where they’re supposed to be and make sure they’re socially and mentally in a position to do what they’re supposed to do academically,” said Dr. Ruth Logan, maiden executive director. “We provide any kind of mental health assistance that’s needed so our students are able to reach their full capacity,” she added. “We hope to get them back on board successfully as they transition to a brick-and-mortar setting.”
RESOURCES EFFECTIVE BEFORE AND DURING THE PANDEMIC
Data released by the DC Policy Center earlier this year suggested that the pandemic exacerbated young people’s adverse experiences via their parents’ tenuous economic situation, the trauma of COVID and social isolation. Students in large households also faced challenges in accessing technology for virtual learning and mitigating the spread of COVID. Tyki Irving, executive director of the K.A.I. Family Foundation said such conditions highlight the need for The Monroe School.
MONROE Page 41
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Homeowners’ Dreams Deferred on Talbert Street in Southeast Austin R. Cooper, Jr. Our House DC Managing Editor Five years ago, Brittany Bennett and her two young sons lived in a shelter for the homeless on New York Avenue. And while she often dreamed of purchasing a home, she also spent many sleepless nights wondering how her dream could become a reality. Homeownership meant “stability” – something she badly craved for her children and herself. So, as she said, she held on to her dream and began to search for ways that would allow her to begin building “generational wealth.” With patience and great resolve, she would discover that help was available and she took full advantage of it. “I went from being homeless for three years to becoming a homeowner within one,” she said proudly. Her path to homeownership first took shape in 2017 when a loan officer told Bennett about the Home Purchase Assistance Program (HPAP), which is managed by the D.C. Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). It provides interest-free loans and closing costs assistance to qualified applicants to purchase single-family homes, condominiums, or cooperative units in the District. Since 1978, HPAP has served more than 7,700 District households and provided over $210 million in down payment and closing costs assistance. Bennett worked with her loan officer while holding down three jobs to better her chances of meeting mortgage eligibility requirements. She went through the process, which she describes as “tedious and stressful,” before becoming eligible in the fall of 2018 when she submitted her application. Bennett succeeded and said she remembers being elated upon realizing that she had grown one enormous step closer to fulfilling her dream of being a D.C. homeowner. That December, when she first saw her 3-bedroom condominium in Southeast at the River East at Grandview Estates II on Talbert Street, she said she knew “it was everything I wanted.” With keys in hand, she and her sons moved in a few days after Jan. 31, 2019. But within just a few short months, her dream became a nightmare. In April, she began noticing cracks in the walls and immediately called the developer, Stanton View Development
who did not initially respond. Still, she was advised not to worry and told by an official, “you’re going to see cracks in the walls because the foundation is still settling.” Over the next two years, the structural problems grew with water started leaking into the bathrooms, bedrooms and kitchen. The windows and doors stopped closing properly. And even when the developer made repairs, Ben-
nett viewed them as simply cosmetic. As more problems emerged, she began consulting with neighbors and realized they, too, had similar complaints. She, like others at Grandview Estates, had overcome homelessness only to be confronted with multiple safety concerns in their “dream homes.”
MORE HOMEOWNERS DISCOVER TROUBLING SIGNS
Homeowner Robin McKinney moved into her unit in 2017 after being homeless for five years. “It was my dream to be a homeowner and to give my kids generational wealth,” she said. McKinney, an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner (8A06), also noticed “cracks in the walls, tiles on the floor buckling and doors closing improperly” within weeks of moving in. And like Bennett, she was told, “You’re going to see cracks because the foundation is still settling.” Another neighbor, Karl Morrison, moved into his condominium in June 2017. “Grandview was a new development,” he said. “I remember because I used to drive by and tell my friends that I am going to move there when they’re done. I thought I had achieved my dream by moving in there but like Robin and Brittany, it quickly turned into a nightmare.” “I learned that there were problems
taken a downward slope on the rear of the property. Outside of the entrance to Bennett’s unit, visible cracks can be seen in the structure which run from the roof to the ground.
CAN D.C. GOVERNMENT CLEAN UP THE MESS?
D.C. government officials continue to work with homeowners as they attempt to address the crisis. Drew Hubbard, Deputy Director for Operations for DHCD, responded to The Washington Informer in writing: “Mayor Muriel Bowser established (Top) Homeowner Brittany Bennett the Talbert Street Task Force, led by surveys damage in her unit. (Roy Lewis/ DCHD. The multi-agency task force The Washington Informer) is helping homeowners navigate their insurance claims and alleviate loan obli(Left) ANC Commissioner Robin gations to the District while preserving McKinney (8A06) has been living at Grandview Estates since 2017. (Photo their ability to access first-time homebuyer programs and relocation needs.” Courtesy Commissioner McKinney) Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon in Unit 9-B even before I even moved White, Sr., is working with Counin. When I did my housing inspection, cilmember Anita Bonds, Chair of they found that my master bedroom Committee on Housing and Executive window was leaking. Stanton Develop- Administration, and members of the ment had to come in and replace the mayor’s task force to assist the homedrywall and fix the window. And I had owners. “I know the city has offered several to pay for an additional inspection.” “When my mother, who was in temporary solutions, including offerher early eighties first came to my new ing $7,000 to move them into housing place, she said as soon as she walked in, or pay for their housing for a year,” ‘Your floors are crooked. I feel like I am White said, “It is my understanding that all but six or seven walking down a hill.’” As for Bennett and her sons, they homeowners have accepted the moved out last May, unable to take any District’s offer.” When asked if the District more. Nonetheless, like other homeowners, she still carries the burden of had been helpful, Bennett mortgage payments and condo fees – replied, “I feel like no one is despite the District having deemed the doing anything. They gave us $7,000 to cover moving costs property uninhabitable. McKinney is in the process of va- and stuff like that.” “They gave us a certificate for which cating her home and Morrison moved into a hotel last month. The smell of mold remains apparent in Bennett’s condominium and without the carpeting to hide imperfections, the floor shows considerably huge cracks in the floor. Raw sewage has destroyed the walls and the foundation of the building has
they will pay our rent for 12 months and our utilities at fair market price. But where are you going to find a three-bedroom unit like the one I have already? I am supposed to cover that gap for rent with what the government is offering for a 3-bedroom apartment. Plus, I am still responsible for my mortgage and condo fees even though I can’t live here” she said. McKinney added, “To be honest, someone should be held accountable for murder because they killed my dream to become a homeowner.” “The developer would have never cut corners [in other parts of the District] like they did in Ward 8. They felt like they could do it over here and no one would care or do anything,” she said.
FOR MANY, ANOTHER MOVING DAY COMES YEARS TOO SOON
McKinney, who called HPAP a “great program,” estimates that structural damage similar to what she experienced, now impacts between 70 to 75 percent of Grandview residents. She plans to vacate the premises soon because it is no longer habitable. “Are you telling me I must live in substandard housing because of something I did not do? Grandview Estates is a failure as no one can live there and I think the D.C. government is responsible,” Morrison said.
(Right) Grandview resident Karl Morrison complains of structural damage in front of his condominium. (Roy Lewis/ The Washington Informer) Cracks in the floor of Brittany Bennett’s unit. (Photo courtesy Commissioner McKinney)
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September 2021. Volume 7. Is8ue 7.
DMV Men of Media featured in the back.
Dearest Dieglo, The FCTRY, & DMV Men of Media
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letter from the editor As we transition into Fall, I’d like to take the time to let you know you’ve made it a long way. The past year has been an unpredictable challenge that we often overlook or underestimate. We’d like to recognize a few of our wins, even when there’s so much more to come. This month we celebrate Latin American history, recognize the DMV Men of Media, and profile a duo of cultural purveryors called The Fctry. As we attempt to reestablish and redefine DC culture, we must recognize the people who have made it their prerogative to preserve it. At the Bridge, we have been overwhelmed by the amount of energy that is being brought back into the city. We’re seeing live shows again and getting introduced to new experiences to bring our comunity together. Events like ArtAllNight and The Mayor’s Arts Awards are back to remind us of the amazing creators we have in our city. I hope this edition of The Bridge will give you a small glimpse into the amazing minds of DMV-based talent. And as always, get in touch. We are always looking to feature and collaborate with our people. You can reach us on our website or hit me directly at lafayette@wibridgedc.com. Control the Narrative, Save the City. Lafayette Barnes IV
Photography via/ Foster K. White | @fkwhite_
“Art for Love”
feat. Dieglo written by : Maxwell Young | @poppy__baker
The enlarged wood-cut replicas of fiat money and plump, brown cash bags bordering the doorway of Diego Montoya’s Maryland-based studio suggest the artist (also known as “Dieglo”) is acutely aware of commoditization. And while Montoya loves money, “It’s what makes the world go-round,” he says laughing, his focus is on balance and self-respect as an artist. Conside the intention of art, why it exists. Art materializes intangible concepts Consider and ideas to serve as a source of information that may be marketable, sellable, and collected. Today, artists fall somewhere on the spectrum between creating for the sake of creating and creating for economic resources. Montoya’s work informs the ‘do-it-yourself’ nature of Washington, D.C.’s art scene. “I’m big on pushing art no matter what month it is, no matter what race, your sexuality, your religious beliefs--no matter what you do--art should be everywhere,” says Montoya. In this sense, the soon-to-be 24-year-old is a multi-hyphenate producer, assigning his version of macabre (e.g., technicolored skulls, horned monsters and deranged cartoons) to large scale works like graffiti on the DuPont Underground stairwell among commissioned projects, including the Tacos Borrachos food truck and Room 808 DC gallery installation. Part Chilean, part Peruvian, Montoya’s narratives of death refer to his indigenous, South American heritage, where reincarnation and figurative creatures manifest in the forms of mysterious geoglyphs called Nazca lines. Over the summer, Montoya returned to Peru, visiting his father and younger sister, experiencing what he labeled an ego death. “It was powerful to see a real love for art at a young age. Art is not looked at as a career over there,” he says. Montoya passed-time painting with his precocious baby sister and fellow children from the neighborhood, admitting ho how removed and free he felt from worrying about money and resources to afford his art-making. “I once had that love, but it is no longer as organic as it was, and I was able to touch that root once again.” As it is Hispanic Heritage Month, Montoya will also be celebrating his birthday all October, with new graphic t-shirts and merchandise to be released as well as pop-ups and parties to be announced. “I’m 100% Latino, that is my blood. My blood is ‘Inca Kola.’ My blood is Rocoto. If this is the month you’ll try a new heritage, try Peruvian food,” Montoya says, recommending Inca Social, La Limeña, and Pisco y Nazca for D.C., Maryland, and Virginia residents. Visit Dieglo.com to learn more about Montoya’s practice and to purchase artworks.
THFCTRY Is Turning Up The Volume of The DMV
written by : Priscilla Ward | @macaronifro
There are DMV music fans, casual listeners, and those who will go the distance to support the city’s expansive music scene. Matt Jackson and Avery Showell are the latter. The Bowie natives are the founders of The Factory (styled THFCTRY). True to their name, they’ve been in build mode creating opportunities for artists to amplify their voices, name namely through their weekly radio show.
Eventually, aaer the two graduated, they started hosting their weekly radio show at The Line Hotel in Adams Morgan. They went by the catch-phrase “the new kids of Euclid St.” Local acts like WiFGawd and Mavi4Mayor stepped foot inside the studio to share a piece of their story and turn up the volume on their sound. The platform was allowing them to give many artists not just an intervi interview, but their first big break.
Their story of creating a trusted platform for the area's enterprising music landscape all begins with a blog started while Showell was still a student at Bowie High School. Joined by a common interest in up-and-coming acts, Jackson got involved and together with friends the two started, Thank You For Not Snitching, a college radio show created while students at Salisbury Salisbur University.
Then the panorama hit. Like so many things, their chapter at The Line Hotel came to a close. “You know you’re still on track, but you don’t know where that train is taking you,” Jackson says of their experience learning to pivot.
The show allowed them to play the artists they were writing about. “The first episode we started combining everything that we had. We were using the blog as an outlet, created a Twitter, and we employed the services of everyone around us,” Showell says. “We had this sort of hive mindset about it,” he continues. Their start playing and writing about their favorite songs has evolved into a formative part of the DMV’s music scene. “We were obsessed by the idea that this could be cool,” Jackson says. “One night, we went around campus chalking the school up with our logo, and the next day got called in by the dean of students, then the president got involved, and we had to explain what it was that we were doing, “ Jackson says. “Luckily they loved it,” he adds. College radio allowed the two to test out their platform before bringing in subjects. “It was kind of like our focus group,” Showell adds. Their reputation was continuing to grow, and as a unit, they decided to change their name to THFCTRY. “From around 2016-2018 we didn’t tell anyone it was us doing THFCTRY. We would just go and do it,” Jackson says.
The two took the unfortunate ending as a chance to birth a new relationship with Audiomack, a music streaming platform. In partnership with Audiomack, they began hosting Instagram Lives featuring D.C.-area up-and-coming acts and curating playlists as a way to stay connected to the artists they serve. Now, the duo hosts a weekly radio show on Sundays at Eaton Radio inside of the Eaton Hotel. Additionally, as an expansion of their weekly radio show, they host parties at the upstairs venue, Wilddays on any given weekend, packing out the space with artists and fans alike. Places like the Eaton and The Line Hotel have given THFCTRY a catalyst to expand their platform and places to connect with artists. “You can’t have a jungle just full of just one animal. It’s an ecosystem. We’re all different things and we all add to it in different ways, and the artists benefit from it because they need different things at different points,” Showell says, explaining the value add of THFCTRY to the area’s music communities. “Our goal has always been to add value and resources to a place that was lacking thereof. I think that we were able to create a system, a machine, a factory that could address the needs of the music community here,” Jackson says. Th They’re always on the ground, whether sneaking backstage, introducing an artist on stage, or passing off the microphone in the radio station booth. “It’s a small area and I’m just continuing the legacy of Bowie [High School]. We’re all doing it,” Showell says.
DMV Men of Media Create Visibility for Local Talent The rise of independent media platforms like Worldstar Hip-Hop, The Shade Room, Baller Alert and more have spurred a variety of new content entrepreneurs. As technology continues to improve, the digital media industry keeps growing. Anyone with access to the internet can join a digital platform and pursue viral fame. Although there many who dream of this fate, there are also those who attempt to create their own platforms. In the spirit of collaboration, eight DMV-based platforms created a coalition to achieve greater visibility for local talent. It so happened that these platforms are all run by African American men, something they all realized many consider rare. As African American men are misrepresented in the mainstream, the DMV Men of Media stands to promote a new standard of what black voices can look like. We are dedicated to being the narraters of the diverse stories our community has to offer. Below you will meet the founders of the eight platforms and learn more about their motivations and goals. Make sure you follow each of these on social media to stay in touch. Welcome to the DMV Men of Media.:
written by : Lafayette Barnes IV | @lafayette4dc
The DMV Daily The DMV Daily is a News & Media Platform dedicated to everything D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. It boasts the title of the #1 Source For Breaking News & Entertainment in the DMV. The platform is headed by Abu Sillah, a Journalist and Publicist from Prince George's County, MD. In addition to serving as CEO of The DMV Daily, he is also Marketing Manager of The Wig Café, LLC. In May 2018, Abu obtained his B.A. in Sociology from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. He is now attending Bowie State University for his M.A. in Organizational Communications. Outside of the world and media, Abu is also the 7th Grade Social Studies Teacher for Prince George's County Public Schools. As Abu continues to grow and expand his knowledge and business, he also strives to help and uplifts everyone around him. Jukebox DC Ju Jukebox DC is was founded in June of 2010 by college friends Jamoris Vincent and M. Jon Powell. Their platforms aim is to provide the news, music, videos, and art that shows the continuation of our city’s culture. They represent from the streets and beyond. Since their launch, they have done interviews with many notable artists. They’ve profiled locals artists such as Wale, Kingpen Slim, Ade, Black Cobain, and Fat Trel. Their work with artists in other regions include Big K.R.I.T., Freeway, Miguel, Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q, A$AP Rocky, and more. In 2011, they received the Best Breakthrough Fim Award at the DMV International Film Festival for their work with Tony Lewis Jr.'s film, Son of Life. Big Mouf Media Big Mouf Media is a platform covering music, entertainment & viral news. The company was founded by Darryn Brown in 2018 in North Carolina. Darryn’s platform began to grow after interviewing Da Baby, Stunna 4 Vegas, Toosii, and more before they entered the mainstream. In 2019, Darryn moved his platform to the DMV area. He was quickly accepted after interviewing DMV-based acts like Walk Down Will, Big Flock, Rolling Ray, and more. The Big Mouf Media platform continues to grow with the additions of partners Perry Paper T.V., Mel Major, and J. Ram. Big Mouf Media is growing daily and is looking forward to being a worldwide platform. MOBoomBox MOBoomB MOBoomBox was founded in 2014 by Abel Girma, Wayne Mclean, and James Spears at Old Dominion University. Their objective was to create a platform for emerging talents to showcase their craft while promoting and endorsing quality entertainment. Based in the DMV area, they've hosted several events like the RnArt series where they feature rising talents from the art and music industry. They host events so the viewers can see new talents perform live and get an overall vibe of what they bring to the culture. Although events are an essential component of the platform, the main content focus area is on media campaign strategy for talent in the urban entertainment community. These media campaigns consist of interviews, podcasts, commercials, and write-ups. MOBoombox not only provides talent with promotion but also provides branding and advertising services. MOBoombox prides itself on changing the way people view media. They are at the forefront of breaking talent
The Posh Standard In a world where the decedents of African slaves are still fighting for a voice, Founder, Donovan demands a platform with an upliiing and informative spirit. He started The Posh Standard Media Group, LLC. to be the voice committed to invoking a change. With their fashion-forward approach, The Posh Standard uses media, events, and more to provide a new standard for self-promotion. You will see their motto, “Let your presence reflect excellence” as a common theme throughout their branding. The Washington Informer Bridge The Bridge was founded in 2015, by Lafayette Barnes IV, as a platform for DMV-based millennial to celebrate their achievements and control their narrative. Since then they’ve grown to serve as a local social hub and source for content creators of color. The platform produces a variety of content to include podcasts, video, articles, events, merchandise, and a monthly newspaper. They also provide back-end data and consult with emerging creators. The Bridge has told the stories of hundreds of local change-makers, entrepreneurs, artists, and more. Creators take to the streets to feature people, programs, and initiatives that uniquely address prominent youth issues in and around the DC/Metro area. Their parent-company is the oldest black-owned newspaper in D.C., The Washington Informer Newspaper. It is now in its 56th year of business. Thei founder, Lafayette Barnes IV, is a third-generation publisher. He is the grandson of founder Calvin W. Their Rolark, and son of current publisher Denise Rolark Barnes. Born and raised in S.E., DC, he attended school across town at Wilson SHS before attending Howard University & The Wharton School. His passion for community, creative expression, and entrepreneurship has been honed throughout his life. The Media Prince The Media Prince is an International Entertainment Journalist and Media Specialist dedicated to promoting the arts and shedding light on talent throughout the world. He is known in over 25 countries for showcasing the most creative work from all areas of art. Whether it's fashion, music, politics, or you name it, The Media Prince will cover it. With a degree in Journalism, PR & Marketing, and a Minor in Music, The Media Prince holds the bar high. He is known to work with celebrities and up and coming talent. His writing credits include contributions to TMZ, BET, The Washington Post, HBCU Buzz, Pride Magazine, WKYS 93.9 FM & more. He has interviewed some of the biggest celebrities inclusing Megan Thee Stallion, Angela Simmons, 50 Cent, and Taraji P Henson. Music On The Dot Music On The Dot is a DMV-based music platform that shines light on rising acts in the DMV and beyond. It’s founder, Kris, started the blog in high school. Originally a hobby, it soon began to gain traction. Since its founding in 2013, the platform has had interviews artists such as YNW Melly, Money Man, 42 Dugg, and more. It has also helped artists gain a buzz in the DMV and beyond, sometimes leading to record deals. When he’s not running his music platform, Kris co-manages rising DMV artists Inkay2x and O’Mai.
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CONTROL THE NARRATIVE. SAVE THE CITY.
OPINIONS/EDITORIALS
EDITORIAL Shame On You!
Guilty, on all counts! This week, Robert Sylvester Kelly, popularly known as R. Kelly, was convicted by a New York federal court jury for racketeering and eight counts of violating the Mann Act (also known as the White-Slave Traffic Act of 1910. The federal law criminalizes the transportation of “any woman or girl for the purpose of prostitution or debauchery, or for any other immoral purpose.”) The R&B singer, well-known most for his famous song “I Believe I Can Fly,” is grounded, and deservedly so. More than 40 witnesses testified during the trial that lasted five weeks, recounting years of alleged sexual and physical abuse by Kelly with underage girls, women and boys. Details exposed the acts by Kelly and those of his accomplices that participated in helping to lure girls into Kelly’s violent and abusive grip. Yet, Kelly stood trial, is now convicted, and may spend decades in prison. There are laws aimed at protecting potential victims from predators like Kelly. He married the late singer Aaliyah when she was only 15. Still, Kelly’s former tour manager reportedly bribed a Chicago welfare worker who provided the fake ID showing her to be age 18. A minister married them and testified that he met them that day, and “I didn’t understand it at all.” Many looked the other way or ignored Kelly’s notorious acts, allowing him to violate his victims. Their acts gave rise to the charge of racketeering. And, when his victims sought retribution, why weren’t they heard? Even more, why were previous charges against Kelly dropped, or how did they result in an acquittal? Kelly’s conviction reminds us of the challenges women face to make their voices heard. “This is the culmination of the movement of so many women who having been trying so long to have their voices heard,” said Oronike Odeleye, co-founder of #MuteRKelly, told the New York Times. “We have never had full ownership of our bodies,” she added, “And we’re at a moment where Black women are no longer accepting that as the price of being Black and female in America.” If others don’t learn a lesson from Kelly and his victims’ ordeal, then shame on you! WI
Who’s to Blame for Mistreatment of Haitians? The List is Long After more than a week of public outcry and finger-pointing from all sorts of people provided with a platform, the 15,000 migrants once relegated to inhumane conditions at a border camp in Del Rio, Texas, have finally been sent to other cities in the U.S., to unspecified locations in Mexico or back to Haiti. But it’s going to take more time for many of us to forget the disturbing images of Haitians being chased down and threatened with lassos by border patrol agents riding horseback. It’s also going to be tough to quickly forget the clearly squalid conditions which those migrants faced – an inadequate supply of clean water and food and the absence of toilets forcing them to use nearby streams as an unlikely and unacceptable substitute. And while President Biden has vowed that those responsible will be held accountable, it seems fairly obvious that there are a lot of people who must accept part of the blame for what transpired including the president himself and the members of the House and Senate, political party notwithstanding. There’s just no excuse for America to still lack a clear and reasonably just immigration policy that is applied to everyone who approaches our borders and who seeks asylum. Color should not matter. Nation of origin should not matter. Nor should either their achieved level of education or their previous employment have anything to do with those who seek shelter on our shores serve as a factor for whether they will be allowed to resettle in the U.S. But given the difference between how America has opened its arms to those from Afghanistan while both recently and historically refusing Haitians the same kind of carte blanche remains disturbing. Does anyone remember the song that began, “give us your tired and your poor?” It was once a theme song for the U.S. which touted our immigration policies. It could be heard drifting over the Statue of Liberty – the first thing that scores of European immigrants saw as they arrived by the boatloads on Ellis Island. Now, about 100 years later, America opens its borders but with more restrictions and conditions. Maybe, we’re no longer that port of safety and opportunity for the downtrodden that we once so gloriously professed to be. If that is true, we should just send a memo, accept our own hypocrisy which now more accurately defines who we are and how we operate and stop the pretending. WI
TO THE EDITOR Rest In Peace
Vital Information
Rest in peace to Christa Beverly Baker. I’ve read over the years about her ongoing battle and the love and support she has had from the community, her family and husband Rushern Baker. What a love story they shared and an accomplished life she lived.
I really enjoyed the information on how to do first aid for seizures. I don't think many people would know what to do if a family member had a seizure at a moment's notice. I know I didn't before I read last week’s paper. This information is especially important if you or your loved one has had a stroke.
Traceey Sanders Largo, Md.
Mae Jones Washington, D.C.
Readers' Mailbox
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The Washington Informer welcomes letters to the editor about articles we publish or issues affecting the community. Write to: lsaxton@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. SEPTEMBER 30 - OCTOBER 6, 2021 27
OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnist
Monique LeNoir-Pittman
No Time for Confusion Over COVID-19 Boosters In the African American Community, we are swimming upstream trying to close the gap between our vaccination rates and those of white Americans. We are telling our community: These vaccines are safe and effective. American science tells us so. Now comes confusion about whether you need a COVID-19 booster if you have been fully vaccinated. That muddies the water. So, let’s examine the issue. Three weeks ago, President Biden announced that all fully vaccinated people, will need a booster even giving a starting date of Sept.
21, 2021. So, using my inside connections, I found a program that was authorized to give the booster. Got it, no problems. But shortly thereafter I learned that the president made that announcement without the official input from his various layers of advice-- his official advisory committee, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration. The need for a booster is based largely on data from the Israeli experience, that a booster helps protects people from dying with this infection. Let’s try to understand this issue.
Guest Columnist
WHAT IS A BOOSTER?
In medical terms, a booster dose is an extra administration of a vaccine after an earlier (primer) dose. With the first series of immunization, you get some protection. But that protection decreases over time. It happens with almost all vaccines. And that booster shot increases your immunity back to more protective levels.
IS GETTING A BOOSTER UNUSUAL?
quire a booster and some, like the COVID vaccine, need to be boosted every year.
WHY DO WE NEED A COVID BOOSTER SO SOON?
The prevailing theory is that if the immune system responds to a primary vaccine rapidly, the body does not have time to sufficiently develop immunological memory against the disease, and memory cells will not persist in high numbers for the lifetime of the human.
Many childhood vaccines re-
WHAT ARE THE CURRENT RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE ADVISORY PANEL?
Neither the CDC nor the FDA has given an official answer, but the advisory committee suggests that people over 65, health care workers and those people who are immune compromised should be vaccinated. Immune compromised means almost any
LENOIR-PITTMAN Page 49
Marc H. Morial
Gymnasts' Demand for Justice is a Powerful Display of Courage and Grace we deserve answers." — U.S. gymnastics champion Simone Biles, testimony to Senate Judiciary Committee "I sit before you today to raise my voice so that no little girl must endure what I, the athletes at this table, and the countless others who needlessly suffered under Nassar's guise of medical treatment, which we continue to endure today. We suffered and continue to suffer because no one at the FBI, USAG or the USOPC did what was necessary to protect us. We have been failed, and
Just 17 years old in June 2015, Maggie Nichols disclosed to USA Gymnastics officials that the organization's team doctor, Larry Nassar, had been molesting her since she was 15. Furthermore, she said she suspected that Nassar was abusing her friend and teammate Simone Biles as well. USA Gymnastics waited more
Guest Columnist
than a month to report the allegations to the FBI, by which time a private investigator had identified at least six victims, including McKayla Maroney and Aly Raisman. After receiving the report, the FBI did almost nothing. When agents finally scheduled an interview weeks later with McKayla Maroney, then 19, it was only to get USA Gymnastics "off of our back," according to investigators. For nearly three hours, Maroney described to FBI agents — over the phone, in graphic detail — the six
years of sexual abuse she endured at Nassar's hands. She called it "the most uncomfortable conversation I had ever had in my life." The agents who interviewed her took almost no notes and filed no reports. It would be another year and a half, after an Indianapolis Star investigation brought renewed attention to Nassar, before Nichols, Biles and Raisman finally were interviewed, and a wildly inaccurate and misleading report of Maroney's interview was filed.
Despite the trauma of their abuse and betrayal by a system stacked against them at every turn, these four young women found the courage not only to seek justice for themselves and the hundreds of Nassar's other victims, but also to stand before the U.S. Senate to tell their stories and demand accountability for those who failed them so completely. The testimony of Biles, Maroney, Nichols and Raisman at last week's
MORIAL Page 49
A. Peter Bailey
Black History Must Be Carefully Studied, Learned and Built Upon information on to young Black folks. One of the main reasons for knowing Black history is so important and why white supremacists try so fiercely to keep control of U.S. history is its value as something to study carefully, learn from and build upon. That’s why serious Black adults have the responsibility to be aware of important individuals and events and pass that
During the month of October, there are two such historical dates I believe should passed on. This is no claim that they are the only ones, just the two I choose. The first is Oct. 4, birthdate of Dr. C. Delores Tucker, founder of the National Political Congress of Black Women and the Bethune-DuBois Institute. Dr. T, as we called her,
28 SEPTEMBER 30 - OCTOBER 6, 2021
led a serious vigorous campaign against the psychological damage done to young Black folks, especially young males, by the creators and distributors of gangster rap. She called them "gangstas in the suites and gangstas in the streets." She bought 10 shares of Time Warner stock so she could attend a stockholder’s meeting, during which she said the following: "I come before you to address one of
the most serious issues of our time — the issue of corporate responsibility in regards to violent, sexually explicit, and misogynistic lyrics in recordings financed by this and other corporations … due to inaction towards its destructiveness and a silent conspiracy between profiteers and producers, violent, sexually explicit and misogynistic music has seeped into the souls of our youth, conditioning them to violent behavior, disrespect for
women and utter disregard for human life." For her campaign, Dr. T was viciously attacked by the gangstas in the suites and gangstas in the streets. The latter profanely attached her in song lyrics. The second date is Oct. 31, the day in 1919 when the legendary Pan Africanist leader Marcus Garvey launched a ship from the 125th
BAILEY Page 49
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OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnist
Ben Jealous
Fulfilling Biden's Pledge to Diversify Federal Bench
One of the most important reasons to vote Donald Trump out of the White House was to stop him from packing our federal courts with even more anti-voting-rights, anti-equality, pro-corporate judges. Stopping the flood of bad Trump judges was a huge accomplishment for every organizer and voter who helped elect Joe Biden as president.
And that's only part of the good news. President Biden is making history with the most diverse set of judicial nominees ever. President Trump's judicial nominees were overwhelmingly white men, often young and unqualified. They were almost always picked for their commitment to a rightwing judicial ideology that makes it harder for millions of Americans to count on the courts for justice. Thanks to Trump and his Republican enablers in the Senate, we will be dealing with hundreds of those judges for years to come.
Elections matter. Right now, instead of more judges hand-picked by right-wing legal activists and their corporate allies, President Biden is making good on his promise to bring greater diversity to our federal courts. Biden is naming far more brilliant Black judges and women judges than any other president – including Barack Obama. Let's look at some numbers. Because they are impressive. More than 30 percent of Biden's judicial nominees so far have been Black. Fewer than 5 percent of
Guest Columnist
Trump's judicial picks were Black. More than a quarter of Biden's judicial nominees have been Black women. Under Trump, it was less than one percent. In fact, almost half of President Biden's judicial nominees are women of color. Biden has been in office for less than a year, and he has already doubled the number of Black women judges on the circuit courts – the highest level of federal courts below the Supreme Court. Trump named zero Black judges to the circuit courts; nearly 40 percent of Biden's circuit
court nominees have been Black. There's also a lot more diversity in Biden nominees' life experiences and professional backgrounds. They aren't all corporate lawyers and law professors. Almost onethird of them have had experience as public defenders. Some of them have worked at respected civil rights organizations. Some have devoted their legal careers to protecting and representing workers. One started her career at the Legal Aid Society.
tion is most dramatically demonstrated by those who rail against being forced to vaccinate against their will. They will crow incessantly about their right and freedom to do what they want with their own bodies, yet too many of them will argue against a woman's right to choose an abortion or act in a manner consistent with her conscience and the counsel of her physician. Because they are disturbed or offended by the truth of their histories, they will attempt to prevent the telling of the unvarnished truth
of that hateful and most often brutal excursion through the American past. Historical revisionism now runs rampant. Those who cling to the deceitful nature of the typical Trump follower would have all believe that the history of this nation began in 1776 and that the viciousness of slavery, the inhumane treatment of the Native American, the brutish overrun of the Mexican occupants of the American Southwest, and the unjust exclusion
put a few more dollars into their already-overstuffed pockets. I could go on and on, until the break of dawn. In October, Rep. Rod Blum (R-Iowa) was wandering around D.C. past a massive, privately funded development with nothing better to do than to scratch his head and think to himself that the eight cranes he saw in a six-block radius was just too many for the nation's capital. In his mind the folks were living too well, so he advocated for economic hardship, writing on Twitter, "EIGHT tower cranes in
6 block radius. We need to cause a recession…in Washington DC." He was so outdone by the Capital City with a Black plurality population that he couldn't rest until he wished some suffering on D.C. This is precisely the mentality that provoked white folks in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to proceed to destroy the Greenwood neighborhood which was such a prosperous community that they deemed it to be too good
JEALOUS Page 50
E. Faye Williams
Freedom
It's hard to believe and even sadder to have to admit that naturalized citizens are more knowledgeable about the functions, operation and current events related to the United States government than natural-born citizens. That's primarily attributed to the extremely rigorous education program and demonstrated knowledge necessary to meet the stringent requirements
of the naturalization process. While many of those natural-born assume they have or will acquire such knowledge through the process of osmosis or the ignorant musings of a "smart" friend or neighbor, our naturalized fellow-citizens have been vetted, tested, and have proven themselves worthy of their rights and privileges of citizenship. As one who has taught civics in formal classes, run for the U.S. Congress and studied diplomacy, I am repeatedly befuddled by the
knowledge — or lack thereof — about principles of the American government or governance by other Americans who proclaim their right to "freedom(s)" under those same principles. I find it equally hard to believe that those who protest the loudest about the erosion of the right of independent thought and personal autonomy are also the actors who would/do most often trample the rights and freedom of expression of those with whom they disagree. The example of this contradic-
Askia-At-Large
WILLIAMS Page 50
Askia Muhammad
USA Doomed By Its Own Hatred
e fall of America, the doom of Th America, seems even more certain to me with each passing day, as I watch white Christians find new and imaginative ways to demonstrate their self-demeaning hatred of everyone not white and "saved" like them. I'm not exaggerating. Every day, in new and unique ways, they demon-
strate again, and again and again, their desire to prosper at the expense of everyone else. For example, imagine a member of Congress so consumed with jealousy and hate that he wished for an economic recession in the District because there was too much development going on for his taste. Imagine a people so insecure about their own history that they make its teaching illegal, as if their "law" that will dry the bloodstains which soak the ground, as if Europeans, whose
entire 6,000-year history is so shallow among the sands of time, can by decree turn the true truth into a lie. Imagine a people who boast of an "invisible empire" of "White Knights" who boastfully wear T-shirts with a picture of nonviolent crusader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s face in a gun's crosshairs gleefully proclaiming that "Our dream (his assassination) came true." Imagine a people who are willing to sacrifice the very existence of all human life on this planet in order to
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ASKIA Page 50
SEPTEMBER 30 - OCTOBER 6, 2021 29
LIFESTYLE Fighting While Black: How Champions Battled Foes In and Out of the Ring
SECOND OF A THREE-PART SERIES
Muhammad Ali: Boxing’s Version of the Pied Piper
Life of the Legendary Champion Showcased in New Documentary D. Kevin McNeir WI Senior Editor
The rise to stardom for Muhammad Ali and his subsequent domination as a heavyweight fighter in the world of professional boxing, did not occur without the champion’s commitment early in his career to becoming “the greatest” – a description of his abilities which he maintained well before he had the skills to support such a claim. B u t after sur viv-
30 SEPTEMBER 30 - OCTOBER 6, 2021
ing a childhood marked by trauma fueled by Jim Crow laws and segregation in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky and the rantings of a father known for his propensity for domestic abuse, Ali discovered boxing. It would serve as the critical conduit to both a way out and the entry point to a more promising and positive way of life. As the first part of this series reported, Black boxers have routinely been forced to contend with more than one opponent – the challenger within the ropes and white-dominated society which stood outside of the ring. And with white promoters controlling the industry and its potentially lucrative purse strings, Black men who hoped to reap the rewards often had little choice but to yield to multiple forms of racially-motivated oppression. But Muhammad Ali, born Cassius Marcellus Clay, refused to submit, remaining adamant in his quest to assert himself as a Black man who lived without the shackles of white supremacy. It would be a decision that cost him much but in the long run but would one day gain him the adulation and respect of millions worldwide. Much has been written about Ali including his many shortcomings and personal demons. But few will ever forget his lighting of the Olympic flame during the opening of the 1996 Olympic games in Atlanta and the revelation that Parkinson’s disease, his greatest foe ever, had finally got the champ on the ropes in a fight which he could not hope to win. After the ceremony, Ali said to reporters that he believed he’d been stricken with the condition as a reminder from God that “God alone is the greatest.” But who was Ali? Do we really know? If you’re anxious for answers, you might consider taking a look at a new documentary produced by Ken Burns which premiered on Sept. 18 on PBS. It takes viewers on an eight-hour ride and features both rarely-seen footage as well
as commentary from those who knew Ali best – shedding greater light on the champion and the complex world in which he lived. During the recent Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s annual conference, Burns sat down with Rep. Bobby L. Rush (D-IL) in an interview about the documentary, touching on issues which included the motivation behind Burns’ decision to develop the project and highlighting several of the things he discovered about Ali in the process. Burns said the parallels between Ali’s journey and the fight for civil rights among African Americans that reached unparalleled heights during Ali’s lifetime served as one of several reasons for Burns committing himself to the project. “Ali was one of the most important people in America – perhaps even the greatest athlete in the 20th century,” Burns said. “And his life intersected with all of the important themes of the century, especially during its latter half: race, politics, war, courage and freedom.” “Many documentaries on Ali have focused on one particular fight or a few of his fights or his refusal to join the U.S. Army. We wanted something comprehensive – from his childhood in the segregated south to his death five years ago in 2016 from Parkinson’s disease,” Burns said. Burns pointed out that Ali evolved from being a divisive figure, often braggadocious when engaging with the media, to a man whose commitment to his faith led him to refuse to be inducted into the army and to willingly accept the outcome of his decision. But he would stand fast in voicing his perspective on other issues that often led to public criticism. “Ali left this world as a revered figure but that’s not how the world viewed him early in his career,” Burns said. “I wanted to chart that path. If I could have dinner with someone from the past, Ali would
BOXING Page 32
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LIFESTYLE
Learning Life Lessons in 'Teenage Dick' Woolly Mammoth Season Opener Marks a New Spin on Shakespeare Brenda C. Siler WI Contributing Writer Washington, D.C.’s regional theater season this year is highlighted by Woolly Mammoth’s production of “Teenage Dick,” based on Shakespeare’s “Richard III.” Before the play began, Maria Manuela Goyanes, Woolly Mammoth’s artistic director appeared on stage enthusiastically welcoming the audience to this first production in the theater’s 2021-2022 season. “This is a glorious moment,” said Goyanes. She said about playwright Mike Lew and director Moritz von Stuelpnagel, “I have loved this play from the moment I read it. Thank you for trusting that we were going to make this happen.” After the opening scene of Teenage Dick, I was “all in.” The audience experienced a junior year in high school where students sought power by manipulation, bribery, lying, conspiracy
and peer pressure rooted in jealousy. Gregg Mozgala portrays Richard Gloucester, born with cerebral palsy. He has always been treated as “less than.” Richard wants to be accepted as equal where his awkward movements are ignored. He aspires to be senior class president, knowing that he has a lot more to offer than Eddie Ivy, the jock character and election opponent played by Louis Reyes McWilliams. Richard could be considered the “lead” character in this production, but all of the actors are “co-leads” because they each play important pieces to this dramatic puzzle sprinkled with pauses of comic relief.
A STORY THAT TRACES MANY PATHS
The talented ensemble includes Shannon DeVido as Barbara "Buck" Buckingham, who on the surface appears to have a lot in common with her friend and classmate Richard. Buck has an affliction that requires
a wheelchair. Throughout Teenage Dick, the audience sees she has very little in common with Richard. What she does have are a heightened sense of awareness and a sharp wit. She is the conscience of her classmates. Portland Thomas portrays the highly ambitious Clarissa Duke who also desires to be senior class president. She overplays the religious card in a misguided rationale for equal consideration. Emily Townley is Elizabeth York, the teacher who has her hands full with trying to inspire her students, manage senior class elections while keeping her memories of her own youthful exuberance in check. Then there is Zurin Villanueva portraying Anne Margaret, the girl that all the guys lust after. A talented dancer who has dreams of attending college in New York, she guards her feelings that are eventually broken down by Richard.
TEEN Page 36
5 Woolly Mammoth’s opening season play is "Teenage Dick" running until
Oct. 17. The high school-themed play features (from left) Gregg Mozgala as Richard Gloucester, born with cerebral palsy. Zurin Villanueva portrays Anne Margaret, the girl all the guys want. (Courtesy photo)
Mark your calendars for Whitman-Walker’s 35th annual Walk & 5K to End HIV on Saturday, October 23, 2021! Register online at WalktoEndHIV.org WALK & RUN TO END HIV.
WALK & RUN TO ENSURE EQUALITY.
WALK & RUN TO FIGHT RACISM.
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WALK & RUN TO LOVE OPENLY.
WALK & RUN TO SAVE LIVES.
SEPTEMBER 30 - OCTOBER 6, 2021 31
LIFESTYLE BOXING from Page 30 be included among the guests with others like Ida B. Wells, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Abraham Lincoln.”
LEARNING THE INTRICACIES ABOUT ALI
Burns said he thought he knew everything about Ali but to his surprise, he had barely scratched the surface before engaging in extensive research and hours of interviews in preparation for the documentary. “We often remember him as this loud-mouthed figure who dominated a room until Parkinson’s silenced him,” he said. “But I’m now impressed with his poise which he
exhibited even in his early 20s – he understood the stakes of things far beyond those who were guided by more conventional wisdom. I hope people will see him as being more heroic and very complicated. And we don’t hide his darker side which included how he treated Joe Frazier so horribly and the way he mistreated his wives. But he changed and sought to make amends later in his life.” Burns has made films on Black icons from Jack Johnson to Jackie Robinson. But he said while doing his research for the Ali documentary, he realized things about the champion that undoubtedly provided encouragement for other Blacks who then faced similar forms of discrimination and prejudice on a daily basis. “Ali redefined what it meant
to be a Black man and asserted, ‘I’m Black and beautiful,’” Burns noted. “But it’s his courage which serves as the heart of his story. He was willing to give up things – things which most people refused to give up. Unlike many athletes today who are willing to ‘just shut up and dribble,’ Ali was unwilling to be any less than the man he felt he had to be. He realized the price one had to pay while on earth and understood that a greater price was required in order to gain entrance into heaven. He was willing to pay that price – like the former football star Colin Kaepernick who would be blackballed from the NFL for his views or the two track stars, Tommie Smith and John Carlos, who risked it all by raising their fists in protest during the medal ceremony at the 1968 Olympics.”
THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA HOUSING AUTHORITY REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) SOLICITATION NO.: 0018-2021 CONSTRUCTION PROJECT MANAGEMENT SERVICES The District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) requires Construction Management staff to coordinate, manage, and oversee all on-site construction operations. DCHA invites licensed qualified professional businesses to submit proposals of response. SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS will be available beginning Monday, September 27, 2021 on DCHA’s website at www.dchousing.org under “Business” and “Solicitations”. SEALED PROPOSAL RESPONSES ARE DUE ON OR BEFORE Wednesday, October 27, 2021 at 12:00 PM.
“Many of Ali’s closest friends and family remember how he would often leave home with thousands of dollars in his pockets only to return that evening penniless after hearing stories of people in need and giving them whatever he had – giving them everything he had.” Burns said he remained intrigued by a notion that began to dominate Ali’s beliefs in the twilight years of his life – the idea that a “tallying angel” existed who counted up both the good and bad things a person did throughout their life. At judgment day, Ali believed that he, like others, would be held accountable. “Ali once shared with his biographer how he regretted some of the choices he had made: turning his back on Malcolm X, the way he once relished in humiliating Frazier and the bad things he did to women for his own enjoyment including how he disrespected his wives,” Burns said.
SHOULDERING THE BURDEN OF THE BLACK MAN “He couldn’t change the past but eventually he became committed to walking along a different
path where he carried a love for everyone around him. He was thoroughly an American and committed to practicing his faith and willingly accepted the price which awaited him because of his determination to be respected. He was a proud Black man and a devoted American Muslim and he refused to be anyone less.” “Muhammad Ali was authentic – his words were born of real convictions. When Parkinson’s made it impossible for him to speak, he spoke even larger by remaining consistent in his views. Eventually he realized that in many ways he not only personally carried the Black man’s burden but that he shouldered that burden for millions of other African Americans. And he carried it proudly until his death,” Burns said. In the third and final part of this series, we will examine the life of the legendary boxer Jack Johnson who remained determined to live a life unencumbered by the restrains of racism which dominated American society in the early 20th century and ultimately led to his demise. But first he would destroy all of his opponents in their quest to defeat him and become white America’s long-awaited “Great White Hope.” WI
Email LaShawn Mizzell-McLeod, Contract Specialist at LMMCLEOD@dchousing.org with copy to business@ dchousing.org for additional information.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA HOUSING AUTHORITY REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) SOLICITATION NO.: 0021-2021 MOLD TESTING AND REMEDIATION SERVICES DISTRICT of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) requires Mold Testing and Remediation Services. SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS will be available beginning Monday,September 27, 2021 on DCHA’s website at www.dchousing.org under “Business” and “Solicitations”. SEALED PROPOSAL RESPONSES ARE DUE ON OR BEFORE Thursday, October 28, 2021 at 11:00 AM. Email Lolita Washington, Contract Specialist at lwashing@dchousing.org with copy to business@dchousing.org for additional information.
32 SEPTEMBER 30 - OCTOBER 6, 2021
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LIFESTYLE Celebrating an Evening of Art
Your Affordable Housing Navigator COVID Assistance
The District of Columbia Government has programs and services to help you with your rent and mortgage (top) Live music was one of the features during Art All Night in Congress Heights. (Ja’Mon Jackson/ The Washington Informer) (middle)Vendors making sales outside of Congress Heights Arts & Culture Center during Art All Night in Ward 8. (Ja’Mon Jackson/The Washington Informer) (bottom) Artist, Sierra Koker, holds up one of her paintings on display and for sale during the annual Art All Night in front of Culture Coffee TOO in Northeast on September 25. (Roy Lewis/ The Washington Informer)
For information, contact Marshall Heights Community Development Organization (MHCDO) at 202-650-5606 or visit www.mhcdo.org Housing Counseling services and programs are sponsored in part by DC Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) and Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Stay Informed!
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SEPTEMBER 30 - OCTOBER 6, 2021 33
LIFESTYLE
D.C. Mayor Hosts Art Awards
2021–2022
3 Mayor Muriel Bowser presents artist Sam Gilliam with the Distinguished Honor Award during the Mayor’s Art Awards held at the Howard Theatre on Tuesday, September 28. (Roy Lewis/ The Washington Informer) 6 Myles “MiniShotta” Campbell was a presenter at the Mayor’s Art Awards at the Howard Theatre on Tuesday, September 28. (Roy Lewis/The Washington Informer)
HARLEM 100 NOV 4 | 8 PM AN EVENING WITH BRANFORD MARSALIS JAN 26 + 27
5 D.C. Commission on the Arts Chair Reggie Van Lee presents Cora Masters Barry and the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center along with some of the students an award for Excellence in Arts Education during the Mayor’s Art Awards at the Howard Theatre on Tuesday, September 28. (Roy Lewis/The Washington Informer)
THE 5 TH DIMENSION MAR 3
LIMITED TICKETS AVAILABLE
AND MANY MORE!
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34 SEPTEMBER 30 - OCTOBER 6, 2021
4 Washington, D.C. Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development John Falcicchio presents the award for Visionary Leadership to the Rev. Dr. Sandra Butler-Truesdale during the Mayor’s Art Awards on Tuesday, September 28 at the Howard Theatre. (Roy Lewis/The Washington Informer)
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District’s Arts Community Among Those Mourning the Death of Melvin Deal
LIFESTYLE
Founder of African Heritage Drummers & Dancers icons, the drums, the horns, Served Community for Over 50 Years the“The rattles, the people and the chief D. Kevin McNeir WI Senior Editor
Tributes continue to pour in upon the news of the death of Melvin Deal, the founder of the District’s dance troupe, African Heritage Drummers and Dancers. For more than 50 years, Deal has considered to be an integral part of the Washington, D.C. African dance community. A native Washingtonian, he started dancing in 1959 and graduated from Howard University in 1965. His contributions to his beloved city include having trained countless at-risk youth in dance, holding residencies at all of the major D.C. area universities, helping to found the Duke Ellington School for the Arts and working with the DanceAfrica festival. In reflecting on his life’s work of performing, choreographing, managing and promoting African dance, he said in a 2017 interview that he when he started dancing, most assumed that you had to do ballet in order to be successful. However, he felt an affinity to African dance and chose to follow his intuition and desire. At the time, decolonization efforts remained in full force on the African continent and he took it upon himself to fight the vast number of stereotypes about Africa.
Many of his former students counted as at-risk youths who often credit him with having changed the direction of their lives. Through his African Heritage dancers, he secured legitimacy for African culture in the community and the larger city. He once shared how he educated a Washington Post writer about Africa dance and how the resulting articles led to a significant increase in attendance at African dance events. As for his commitment to working with youth, he often said he wanted to improve their sense of self so that they would be able to say, “I feel like I am someone now.” Deal recently served as the grand marshal for the MLK Holiday DC parade in 2021, again held in Southeast. But he has held numerous hats including community priest leading celebrations, spiritual services and special moments across the region to help connect people to Mother Africa. Whether it was a Kwanzaa service or a church anniversary, one could count on seeing Deal and his rhythmic procession of drummers. “The drum is the centerpiece that connects the spiritual world and physical world that allows the voice of God to speak to the people,” Deal said earlier this year.
are part … because many people and dancers are telling a story about the importance of moral and ethnic values that help people find their place in society,” he said. Details have not been released about his funeral at this time. WI 4 Melvin Deal, who recently died after leading the District for over 50 years as an advocate for African music and dance, cuts a step several years ago during the Heritage Gallery International Black History series UNIA-ACL Worldwide Washington, D.C., sponsored by the Thurgood Marshall Center Trust at their facility in Northwest. (Courtesy photo).
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SEPTEMBER 30 - OCTOBER 6, 2021 35
LIFESTYLE
REZONING from Page 12 Route 450 at Archer Park in Bowie. The nearly 300-page plan separated into eight files correlates work that began in 2006 with a proposal to refurbish the 59-square-mile area.
SIX FLAGS LAND COULD SEAL THE DEAL
The Six Flags tract represents a small portion of the plan but serves as a major contributor to the project’s success. “The goal for the Six Flags property from our perspective is to make it easier for the existing park to expand and continue to be one of the larger economic drivers in that area,” Thomas Lester, project manager in the county’s Planning Department, said in an interview Friday, Sept. 24 Lester said one challenge in the plan deals with trying to balance residential development and amenities such as retail shops. For example, he said retail shops inside apartment buildings are usually open after the residential units are fully leased. “Companies locate where their customers are and if there aren’t enough customers, then they are not going to locate there,” he said. “With a lot of mixed-use developments, you generally want to build the housing first and then the commercial uses come second.” About a mile away at Cameron Grove, some residents said the county should focus on filling empty storefronts and utilizing land with infrastructure in place such as the former
TEEN from Page 31
UNEXPECTED DEVELOPMENTS
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36 SEPTEMBER 30 - OCTOBER 6, 2021
The play’s diverse characters reflect the interplay between whimsy, hip hop, dancing, raw emotions and deep exploration. Selfish decisions put characters in a freefall towards tragedy. After all, many of Shakespeare’s plays are called tragedies. This tragedy has several surprises that no one saw coming. In the end, I said to myself, “That was a lot!” Teenage Dick was ten years in the making. Written by Mike Lew and directed by Moritz von Stuelpnagel, the two met when they were college interns. They spoke to the
Landover Mall site near FedEx Field. In addition, the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and advances in technology allow people to order clothes, furniture and food from their home and have them delivered. “I can order from Wawa’s and [an employee] will bring me something. I don’t have to go over there,” said Linda Willis, who has lived at Cameron Grove for about 4½ years. “Why create more traffic and pollution?” Cleveland Grant, a member of the community’s homeowner association and a resident since November 2017, supports commercial development when “all things are taken into consideration.” “We have to be broader in our scope. We have to be a lot more sensitive to our communities,” he said. “We call this our little slice of heaven. It is tranquil. It’s peaceful. It is, ‘aaahhhh.’” Barbara Reynolds, 79, plans to fight the commercial proposal while continuing to write books. She’s authored several including “Jesse Jackson: the Man, the Myth and the Movement,” and “No, I Won’t Shut Up: Thirty Years of Telling It Like It Is” that features a foreword from Coretta Scott King. “I didn’t think I would have to fight at this age. I am surrounded by people of color who have accomplished something,” said Reynolds, who’s also an ordained minister. “We all want peace and prosperity under God. I put my life savings into buying this house. I don’t have another place to live.” WI @jabariwill audience at the conclusion of the play. “Not every theater was able to honor their commitment,” said Lew about how the pandemic devastated the arts community. “I am so truly grateful.” “This is personally a beautiful evening for me,” said von Stuelpnagel. He continued to speak about working with Lew and also his former college roommate cast member Gregg Mozgala who played Richard. “Those kinds of relationships and the close partnerships that you can have are incredibly valuable. It is exactly what I felt when I walked through the doors of this theater.” Teenage Dick continues at Woolly Mammoth until Oct. 17. Visit https:// www.woollymammoth.net for ticket information. WI
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SEPTEMBER 30 - OCTOBER 6, 2021 37
LIFESTYLE © 2021 by Vicki Whiting, Editor Jeff Schinkel, Graphics Vol. 37, No. 44
A fire has started at 101 Flintstone Lane! How will everyone in the house know there is a fire? By the time anyone in the family smells smoke, the fire could be too big for the people upstairs to get down the stairs. This is a job for Super Sniffer Blaster Bleepers, your life-saving smoke alarms!
Long ago when horses pulled fire trucks, Dalmatian dogs were used to help guide the horses through busy streets. Dalmatians have long been known for their ability to bond well with horses. Today, horses no longer pull fire trucks, but the Dalmatian has continued to be the firefighters’ mascot.
To a bur a firefi specia coat, f special to prot from h
How many differences can you spot?
Put smoke alarms in several places in your home: Each bedroom.
At least one smoke alarm on each floor of the house. Near the kitchen, but more than 20 feet away, so that cooking smoke and steam don’t set it off. Test smoke alarms each month to make sure they are working, and so you’ll know what they sound like when they go off. Replace old batteries with brand new ones at least once a year. Replace smoke alarms at least every 10 years.
Quick! Cut out each of the smoke alarms. Read the Super Sniffer Blaster Bleeper Smoke Alarm Tips to find out where you should put each smoke alarm!
If your house caught on fire at night, you might not see fire, smell smoke or wake up in time to get out safely. Smoke alarms can help. Smoke alarms are tools that can tell if there is smoke in the air. They work even if you can’t smell smoke!!
Keep smoke alarms dust free. Run the vacuum cleaner attachment over and around the alarms to clean away the dust. Standards Link: Health and Safety: Students develop and use appropriate skills to avoid injury.
A smoke alarm makes a VERY loud beeping noise to warn you that a fire has started.
Standards Link: Health and Safety: Students understand and practice safe behaviors to avoid injury by fire.
38 SEPTEMBER 30 - OCTOBER 6, 2021
When you hear the loud noise, follow your home escape plan and get out fast!
Select a newspaper photo, drawing or comic. Study the image and make a list of all the details you can observe. Give yourself a point for every detail that is a fact and not an opinion. Can you get 50 points? Standards Link: Reading Comprehension: Recall major points; distinguish between fact and opinion.
Refle the coa firefi anot smo
Standards Link: Visual Discrimination/Sorting: Find similarities and differences in common objects.
SMOKE ALARMS DALMATIAN BATTERIES SLOGAN FLOOR STAIRS FIRE SAFELY LOUD STEAM DUST HELP SMELL FACT
helm
T S U P E F R P B S
turnout coat
S C S M E L L A M S
L T A N I E T O F L
O S E F H T K S O S
G U E A E E M U F R A D R R M R D E R I
N A I T A M L A D A B E F L L A S T E T S R A B Y L E F A S
Standards Link: Letter sequencing. Recognize identical words. Skim and scan reading. Recall spelling patterns.
Smoke Alarm Safety Sticker Use words from newspaper headlines and ads to write a bumper sticker slogan that reminds people to test their smoke alarms each month.
Standards Link: Health: Students demonstrate an understanding of practices that prevent injury.
Our Fire Department
Write a paragraph telling what you know about the fire department in your town.
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oxygen tank Photo: Flashon Studio/Shutterstock
Just outside all bedroom areas.
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LIFESTYLE
wi book review "There She Was: The Secret History of Miss America" By Amy Argetsinger c.2021 One Signal Publishers/Atria $28 384 pages
Terri Schlichenmeyer WI Contributing Writer You'd been doing it since you were a year old. But now you'd have to relearn to wave. No more hand-flap or finger-wiggle, no more exuberant arm over the head like a cowpoke on a mechanical bull; no, you have to learn to wave in a ladylike manner when you become a beauty queen. As you'll see in "There She Was" by Amy Argetsinger, though, that's not all you'll learn. Everything started to change the year the bras went into the trash can. They weren't burned, as popular culture claims, but the young women who tossed their undies away were burning with passion. They were, Argetsinger says, the women who'd marched against the war, and for Civil Rights, and now they were demonstrating against what had become an American institution: the Miss America pageant. It was the first time in the pageant's history that it would be "so brazenly challenged," but it wouldn't be the last; fans and detractors alike demanded that the organization keep up with changing American society and culture, hairstyle, makeup and talents. Young Miss America contestants also became outspoken about their beliefs and their politics. Even the after-reign period changed, which gave Phyllis George the opportunity for a television career that almost ended with what we now call sexual harassment. It allowed Terry Meeuwsen to publicly choose controversial "exploitation" to further her career. Changes opened the door for a lesbian Miss America, a disabled one, a hearing-impaired one, and its first Indigenous and Asian-American winners. It also loosened the reins on the press, who seemed eager to find a crack in the usual Miss America armor. And that was the downfall of the first Black Miss America. Vanessa Williams, argues Argetsinger, was one of the most talented winners in the pageant's history but with just nine weeks left to reign, she was forced to resign in disgrace for an incident designed to humiliate her. Thirty-one years later, changes were ripe for a triumphant, wildly-successful Williams to return to the fold… No surprise: despite its subtitle, there are no secrets inside "There She Was." That's okay because there are still jaw-droppers, and not one of them is snarkingly gossipy. That should put your mind at ease when you pick this book up: author Amy Argetsinger's storytelling isn't scandalously presented, although she does write about scandals here, and equally about how those things were dealt with by young women who were blazing trails without realizing they were doing so. This chapter in women's history is impossible to ignore, and it's made even better since Argetsinger doesn't leave their tales incomplete; she spent time with a host of former Miss Americas, catching up so we know where our hometown "girls" are now and what they've done with their lives — and the competitors of the past 50 years have done a lot. In the end, while it might agitate you some, "There She Was" is also quite the feel-good book. If you're a feminist, fan, or former wanna-be, find it, don't wave it away. WI
horoscopes
SEPT. 30 - OCT. 6, 2021
ARIES It can be a bit intimidating, but to the shy people in the room, it's refreshing to have someone like you, someone confident enough to take the plunge. Activity and avidity are key themes on Monday and Tuesday, but Wednesday and Thursday are defined by roadblocks. You don't mind an obstacle, though. It gives you a chance to show what you're made of. Lucky Numbers: 9, 14, 24 TAURUS You don't have to accept the first offer that comes your way — be it job-related, love-related or whatever. As you may want to race ahead, pace yourself. Wednesday and Thursday are beautiful days, marked by luxury, happiness, and amusement (to say nothing of romance). Friday will mostly be wasted time. Maybe someone will stand you up for lunch, or fail to return a phone call. It happens. Lucky Numbers: 2, 10, 21 GEMINI If you don't take charge, who else will? You're surrounded by intelligent people, people who could do anything if they put their minds to it. But what they don't have is initiative, a leader, someone to inspire them to greatness. That's where you come in. No one's saying it's going to be easy — Wednesday and Thursday are full of examples of what can go wrong with a project. Lucky Numbers: 10, 14, 36 CANCER A new project is not always the best way to solve an old problem. It may just create more work. And the chemistry in your workplace is off on Monday and Tuesday, further complicating everything. Cool your heels and take a back seat this week. Friday finds you strangely torn between two friends, both of whom adore you and both of whom you want to be loyal to. Lucky Numbers: 21, 31, 36 LEO It doesn't really matter what you do at the start of the week — you're going to have a good time regardless. Making fun out of anything is one of your talents, and the raw materials, such as new, interesting people, will be on hand. Stubbornness and greediness are double-whammy themes. But Friday you'll get to go to a lecture (or get a lecture) that taxes your brain in beautiful ways. Lucky Numbers: 5, 16, 45 VIRGO If there's a pizza in your life, don't dawdle when it's time to take your share. You don't like to pounce on things, but resources are limited and people are hungry. On Tuesday, there's tension between you and your coworkers, but by Wednesday, you've turned that on its head, thanks to the force of your personality. In the middle of the week, you're as compatible with others as peanut butter is with jelly. And when you join forces with someone on Thursday, you two can do anything. Lucky Numbers: 4, 8, 17 LIBRA The world is a two-person show. Either you're bound together professionally or you're bound together by love, you're inseparable, so make sure you're getting along. You have the power to make this truly great. The middle of the week is almost entirely about beauty — you're around it, you see it in others, you appreciate it — and the end of the week is about harmony, companionship, and kindness. Lucky Numbers: 7, 17, 25 SCORPIO Your health is your top concern at the start of the week. Eat well, jog if you like jogging and swim if there's a pool around. Staying active will have an added benefit — it will give you an excuse not to get caught up in whatever conflicts are brewing in the social realm. However, no matter what you do, Wednesday and Thursday will likely be defined by opposition or discord. Lucky Numbers: 13, 20, 31 SAGITTARIUS You haven't played on a playground in years. On Monday or Tuesday, if you pass one on your way somewhere, stop in for a second and go for a slide, a swing or a turn. The wide-eyed energy of childhood defines the week. Wednesday and Thursday your focus should be on small personal issues — again, reminiscent of childhood — but Friday and Saturday are full of big ideas. And busyness. Lucky Numbers: 8, 13, 19 CAPRICORN As much as you'd like to charge into the week with the confidence of an ox, you're feeling much more like a worried sheep. Is it family stuff? Career issues? Stability is a major preoccupation on Tuesday. Your mood doesn't lift until Wednesday, which is marked by romance, relaxation and maybe the presence of rambunctious children. Thursday is a stellar day. Friday and Saturday move at a breakneck pace — you won't have enough time to even formulate a complete thought. Lucky Numbers: 3, 27, 29 AQUARIUS Monday is a museum of amazements. You're well aware of how big and weird the world is, but seldom have you been able to see as much meaning in things as you do at the start of the week. By Wednesday, you're swimming in a swarm of discoveries, each one bright and small and exciting. Thursday is full of learning, but there's nothing academic about Friday. Romantic, creative Friday is all about sparks. Lucky Numbers: 4, 25, 32 PISCES Even holding a lantern out in front of you won't help you see better right now — it'll illuminate the fog and make the glare brighter. If you can stand to sit in the dark on Monday and Tuesday, do it. Hey, maybe you'll get some good thinking done. Consider keeping the lights dim on Wednesday, too — a candlelit dinner is exactly your speed. Flowers, poetry, and clever stationery figure on Thursday, but Friday and Saturday are less floral and more frantic. Lucky Numbers: 12, 41, 45
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SEPTEMBER 30 - OCTOBER 6, 2021 39
SPORTS WFT’s Season Hits a Buffa-low – Team Crushed by Bills, 43-21
In Measuring Stick Game, Team Comes Up Way Short Rob Warren WI Contributing Writer Buffalo Bills Quarterback Josh Allen, coming into the Sept. 26 game against the visitors from the District, had not enjoyed a hot start to the season. Some were even thinking maybe he was in store for a down year. But Allen got healthy against the underachieving Washington defense. In Buffalo’s opening possession when the Bills converted a third down and 15 yards into a first down to keep the drive alive, that was a tell-tale sign of
what was to come. Buffalo scored a touchdown on their first drive. Washington has allowed opening drive touchdowns in every game this season. Washington Football Team Head Coach Ron Rivera labeled this game a chance for the team to measure themselves against an elite team in the league. The WFT did not measure up. Their defense that came into the season with big expectations and headlines and has so far been a case of over promise and under delivering. Now the team is near the bottom of the league in almost every statistic, not
5 Antonio Gibson runs the ball to the left against the Buffalo Bills on Sept. 26. (Photo courtesy Washington Football Team)
just defensively but offensively. Struggles were expected with veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick being new to Offensive Coordinator Scott Turner’s scheme. When he went out, everyone knew there would be growing pains with Taylor Heinicke, entering his fourth professional season, as the temporary fill-in quarterback. But no one expected the defense to routinely give up 300 yards to every passer that walked through the door, and give up the 40 points that they
surrendered to the Bills. So what is the issue exactly? How does the Washington Football Team correct these issues to get better and be more competitive? First they have to get teams off the field on third down. Turnovers and flashy plays like sacks and big tackles for loss may not always materialize. But when they are put in ideal situations like third and long, your defense must make a play to get off the field and give your offense more opportunities to score, and keep
Wizards G League Team Extends its Arms into the Community
Capital City GoGo Continues to Build Brand and Forge Relationships in D.C. Rob Warren WI Contributing Writer On the blacktop of Mary McLeod Bethune Day School in Northeast kids of all sizes and ages enjoyed a basketball clinic put on by the Wizards’ G League team staff. The youngsters were able to participate in defensive drills, lay up lines, and learned the basics of executing a sound chest pass.
These are the types of exercises one would normally learn in instructional or intramural basketball leagues put on by community centers and boys and girls clubs. But normally they are not being taught by former college players, general managers and head coaches of professional basketball organizations. As much as this was a great opportunity and exposure for the young-
5 Capital City Go-Go held a youth clinic at Mary McLeod Bethune Day Academy Public Charter School on Friday, September 24 with children doing basketball drills with the head coach of Capital City Go-Go and Assistant Coach Rob Dosier. (Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer)
40 SEPTEMBER 30 - OCTOBER 6, 2021
sters of Mary McLeod Bethune Day School, this was a chance for the GoGo to make inroads into the community and build a fan base. The GoGo are the G League affiliate organization and play their games at the Entertainment and Sports Arena in Southeast D.C., sharing a home floor with the Washington Mystics. In attendance were a few team officials, including General Manager Amber Nichols and Head Coach Mike Williams. Seeing people of color in management and coaching is important for young African Americans who are heavily represented as athletes but not common in management and coaching. On top of that it’s very rare to see a men’s sports franchise being managed by a woman. Nichols, who is a graduate of the University of Richmond and University of Georgia, worked in ticket sales, for the NBA Players Association, and was the director of basketball operations with the GoGo before being promoted to the General Manager position. Seeing
that it is possible to break through and become an executive in a male dominated field such as sports is surely going to inspire some young woman to pursue the same field and make it normal to see women in C-Suite in professional athletics. The clinic is part of an ongoing relationship with a few schools in the city, according to Assistant Principal Sanjay Singh. The kids from grades pre-K 3 to eighth grade, received free basketball instruction from coaching professionals, and the team has created good will in the community and hopefully built relationships with kids that will turn them into basketball fans, and possibly basketball players and, who knows, maybe even basketball executives. The Capital City GoGo start their season Nov. 5 at the Entertainment and Sports Arena against Westchester Knicks. To watch the GoGo play their games live or with On-Demand, download access to the Monumental Sports Network. WI
the other teams off the board. So far this season the Washington Football Team’s defense has not been able to answer that call. Taylor Heinicke is also going through growing pains as the team’s long term fill in. Heinicke threw two interceptions, made some ill-advised throws and took unnecessary hits when he should have thrown the ball away. While the defense has been hammered publicly about their struggles on third down, the offense was also anemic on third down on Sunday converting only 2 chances out of a 11 for a conversion rate of 18 percent. You can’t win any games by giving the football back nine times in 11 drives. The Bills had 29 first downs compared to 13 by the WFT. Buffalo also held the ball for 35 minutes, that’s nine minutes longer than Washington. Where do we go from here? Can the front four figure out how to get pressure on the quarterback? Can Defensive Coordinator Jack Del Rio scheme a way to help create some big plays? Do they need to blitz more? Can the linebackers communicate better and be better in coverage? The secondary has struggled in man coverage and in zone coverage, a pass rush would certainly help make the job of defense easier. The team can’t depend on corners to cover receivers for four or five seconds. Lots of questions that need answering for Rivera and the Washington Football Team. If the team has any designs for salvaging the season and competing for the division once again it has to start next Sunday in Atlanta. WI
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PUSHBACK from Page 1
exclusively with the children. “I’ve been very clear with CFSA [that] it’s about COVID,” said Kasargod-Staub, whose children are enrolled at Powell Elementary School in Northwest. Kasargod-Staub said her decision to keep her children home stemmed from misgivings about elements of D.C. public schools' [DCPS] safety plan and school officials’ ability to consistently execute it. Weeks before the start of the school year, Kasargod-Staub watched closely as school officials, and later Ward 4 D.C. Councilmember Janeese Lewis George, attempted to secure HVAC repairs for Powell. She said the decision to reopen without giving parents a virtual option doesn’t take into account their concerns about COVID-19 or the severity of the Delta variant.
COMPARISON from Page 11 countries, needs help,” Dr. Lewis-Ragland said. “When I came back from Africa, I realized that I didn’t have to go far to see health disparities. Many communities need that grassroots outreach, and I wanted to serve and live in the community, so I decided to stay in Ward 8.” Dr. Lewis-Ragland said she chose to work at Children’s Hospital because of her love for kids. However, she said the U.S. must do a better job of caring for children. She also decried the politicization of the COVID vaccines. “We have parties who have de-
MONROE from Page 24 She told The Informer that, in addition to its mission, The Monroe School launched its College and Career Readiness Program that piqued her colleagues’ inter-
“We have incredibly high numbers and pediatric beds are being filled up at Children’s National,” Kasargod-Staub told The Informer. “The mayor is asking me to choose between in-person instruction and the health of my child,” she continued. “We are very committed to our public school and staying and seeing it thrive [but] we are in a very difficult position.”
A TUG OF WAR BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND PARENTS
District law mandates CFSA referrals for cases when students between the ages of 5 and 13 have more than 10 full days of unexcused absences. As of September 22, CFSA received 73 reports of what’s considered potential educational neglect, 43 of which have since been examined. cided we are now infringing on rights and freedoms when we ask people to vaccinate,” Dr. Lewis-Ragland said. “It is preposterous. This is a public health issue. You have to protect the entire public because [the virus] is highly transmissible.” Dr. Lewis-Ragland likened the debate over vaccines and wearing masks to driving. “In your car, you have an airbag,” she offered. “When deployed, the airbag stops you from serious injury or death. If it’s not there, you might die or seriously injure yourself. So, it’s not stopping accidents,” Dr. Lewis-Ragland emphasized. “When people say that you may est because of the way it countered the negativity often facing young people. “We need to create places for children to be successful,” Irving said. “One of the things we talk-
D’Armani Barnett, a 2021 graduate of The Monroe School, credited her alma mater with quelling her anger and keeping her focused on her college and career goals.
Out of those 43, a dozen turned into investigations. The other 30 reports currently remain under review by the Educational Neglect Triage Unit. The group, through interviews with school officials and parents, endeavors to resolve attendance issues and determine if a situation requires child welfare investigation. If that occurs, a social worker collaborates with the school for an intervention plan and conducts an investigation centered on whether there’s evidence of educational neglect. A CFSA representative told The Informer that each referral goes through an independent review with consideration of all factors, including parents’ apprehension about COVID-19. CFSA, in accordance with District attendance laws, has expressed no intention to give deference to parents concerned about COVID-1. Though DCPS has virtual options
EASIER SAID THAN DONE
still get COVID if you are vaccinated, that is true. But you won’t get seriously injured, and you’re not going to die. When we talk about masks, the N-95 mask offers 87 percent protection against the virus. That’s like having that seat-
belt on; it will keep you safer. You are less likely to die from impact because you have on that seatbelt. Social distance is like the traffic light; it keeps you from running into things.” WI @StacyBrownMedia
available, students can only receive it with an approved medical exemption. That’s why parents and elected officials have rallied around the call for expanding virtual options. Ward 8 D.C. State Board of Education Representative Carlene Reid recently sent D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) a letter making the request. Last week, nearly 100 parents and community leaders followed suit, writing individual letters to Bowser and the D.C. Council with a list of demands, including the creation of a virtual option, mandatory vaccinations for teachers, expansion of outdoor learning spaces, punishment for administrators who report parents to CFSA and D.C .Health’s stewardship of contact tracing in schools.
Dr. Lewis-Ragland likened the debate over vaccines and wearing masks to driving. “In your car, you have an airbag,” she offered.
ed about is the belief that each child is a unique individual who needs a unique atmosphere to grow emotionally, intellectually, physically, and mentally,” she added. “Those are key components when dealing with Black and brown children.” D’Armani Barnett, a 2021 graduate of The Monroe School, credited her alma mater with quelling her anger and keeping her focused on her college and career goals. She enrolled in The Monroe School to follow in the footsteps of her father who also gained an education on the campus when the Nannie Helen Burroughs School was in operation. In July, Barnett walked across the stage as class salutatorian.
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That journey, she said, didn’t come without its hurdles. The pandemic took its toll on Barnett, who worked to raise her grades after they dipped during her junior year. As she juggles a part-time job and her studies at Prince George’s Community College, Barnett reflects on the lessons and the people who helped her get back on track. “Teachers have no problem helping you with anything,” Barnett told The Informer. “They take their time helping you get on the right path. If you don’t want to go to school, they can help you find a path that’s productive. They even help students and do things for them that they don’t get paid [to do].” WI
As of Sept. 15, DCPS has reported 656 COVID-19 cases for the academic year. That amount accounts for nearly 40 percent of the COVID-19 cases reported across all District-based schools. During the D.C. Council’s education roundtable on September 21, Chancellor Lewis Ferebee touted a systemwide strategy centered on prevention, screening and disseminating information. Schools mandate universal masking and social distancing amid HVAC system enhancements and an ongoing campaign to boost vaccination numbers. In terms of asymptomatic testing, DCPS has pledged to test 10 percent of students per week, particularly those who haven’t received the COVID-19 vaccine. When a student or staff member contracts COVID-19, schools follow health and safety guidelines outlined by DC Health. They also jumpstart a contact tracing investigation, notify the school community and initiate a process to clean and disinfect affected spaces. People who qualify for quarantine would have to have been within six feet of the infected person for more than 15 minutes within two days of that person testing positive. “I want to acknowledge [that] this school year feels different for our parents,” Ferebee told council members on September 21. “Every aspect has been rethought and our students and staff are working hard to learn new routines and protocols.” However, a growing contingent of teachers, including David Ifill, said following the new protocol has been easier said than done. Since the school year started, Ifill, a public school music teacher, has become fearful of contracting COVID-19 in an environment he described as stressful for teachers juggling their responsibility to their craft and new procedures. As a member of the DC Caucus of Rank and File Educators, Ifill has advocated for virtual options, much like what he said DCPS central office staff already have available to them. “I definitely see kids without masks running around. The three feet social distance is not maintainable,” Ifill said. “Contact tracing is nearly impossible because kids are switching cohorts. It feels like the things [administrators] were trying to do are out of the window. It's visually frustrating for us but we have to keep a smile on our faces.” WI
SEPTEMBER 30 - OCTOBER 6, 2021 41
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filed in the District’s federal court rests with senior U.S. District Court Judge Reggie B. Walton. The complaint lists the ten plaintiffs suing the District naming D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, D.C. Police Chief Robert J. Contee III and D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine as defendants. The document details the plaintiff’s racial and sexual accusations along with either lethargic, dismissive or retaliatory actions of the department’s EEO division, immediate supervisors and upper management. The lawsuit includes 700 present and former police officers who served from Jan. 1, 2011 to those currently employed. The complaint calls for creation of a $100-million fund for officers who have been adversely affected by the department and seeks $250,000 in damages for each plaintiff along with a court-appointed official to oversee the agency’s personnel division.
The lawsuit details numerous incidents of racial and sexual abuse at MPD during the police chief tenures of Cathy Lanier and Peter Newsham, Contee’s predecessors. The plaintiffs said Lanier and Newsham either ignored discrimination complaints or supported retaliatory behavior against them or any complaining Black female. Black female officers had a tendency to stay under abusive supervisors more than others even if they requested a change of workplace, the lawsuit said. The lawsuit said, in contrast, white male officers “are highly favored and forgiven for very serious transgressions.” “For example, on one occasion, a white male sergeant took out his penis and urinated into a bottle while riding in a police vehicle with a female officer, instead of asking to pull over and urinate in a bathroom or in the woods,” the lawsuit said. Chanel Dickerson, an assistant chief, talked about years of being propositioned for sex, enduring comments about her figure, being denied promotions and under Newsham, blocked from participating in staff meetings that pertained to her position. Keith said Dickerson’s situation has become troubling. “Chanel has all of the qualifications to be the chief of police or lead a major police agency someday,” Keith said.
5 Chanel Dickerson. (Courtesy photo)
“The culture at the police department didn’t help her reach that goal and that is why we are taking this to court.”
RESPONSES TO THE LAWSUIT
A spokesperson for MPD declined to comment specifically on the lawsuit but told DCist/WAMU in an email “the Metropolitan Police Department is committed to treating all members fairly and equitably throughout our organization.” “We take these allegations seriously and we will be reviewing them thoroughly and responding accordingly,” the spokesperson wrote. When asked about the lawsuit, Bowser didn’t address the matter directly at a Sept. 22 news conference but expressed pride in the professionalization of the department and said workers of any D.C. agency should move up due to their abilities “and nothing else.” Former Ward 5 advisory neighborhood commissioner Kathy Henderson describes herself as a pro-police citizen who supports more resources for MPD and denounces the “defund police” movement. Nevertheless, Henderson said if the allegations are found to be true, MPD leaders must take the appropriate disciplinary actions to correct the situation. “I support law enforcement,” Henderson said. “I support professional policing. You have rogue individuals in every organization. People should be held accountable for their actions.”
A leading Black law enforcement organization has also weighed in on the lawsuit filing. “The National Association of Black Law Enforcement Officers, Inc. wishes to offer its support to the 10 current and former Black female members of the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C. who have recently filed a class action lawsuit against their agency claiming racial and sexual discrimination, hostile working environment and a culture of intimidation,” the association said in a statement. “Their plight is just another glaring example of how female officers are treated in their constant and continuous battle to gain respect and dignity in a White male-dominated atmosphere. The general causes and complaints of these plaintiffs’ lawsuit are, in fact, nothing new to Black law enforcement officers who daily face issues of systemic racism, bigotry, retaliation, and undue disciplinary action within agencies whose white-male dominated culture condones and perpetuates demeaning, degrading and disrespectful discourse and actions by and between officers.” “The mere fact of its filing would seem to provide evidence of an ongoing pattern, practice and custom of supervisory approval of abuse, intimidation and denigration of Black female police officers, actions that have apparently been ignored or encouraged by agency administrators.” WI @JamesDCWrighter
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RELIGION the religion corner WITH LYNDIA GRANT
COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy, Part 1
Let me begin this week's column by sharing details in this article written by Dr. Sherita Hill Golden, chief diversity officer at Johns Hopkins Medicine, who specializes in diabetes, heart conditions and patterns of disease in diverse communities. Dr. Golden was my guest in February 2015 for Black History Month on "The Lyndia Grant Show," when we talked about how Type 2 diabetes got started back during the days of slavery in America. Dr. Golden stated that a group of doctors discussed this very topic during grand rounds at Johns Hopkins about how African Americans didn't get Type 2 diabetes back in the late 1800s, since the slaves worked all day and burned off the calories. Type 2 diabetes was a White man's disease back then, she said. Dr. Golden wrote a recent article aimed at helping those folks with "COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy." It was published in the online edition of Johns Hopkins Medicines newsletter, Updated Edition, on Sept. 21, 2021. Her article details facts directed at those undecided, especially those with specific illnesses, to help make the decision on whether to get vaccinated. She prefaces her article with this statement: "Since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the first COVID-19 vaccines, more than one hundred & eighty million people in the U.S. have been vaccinated. Johns Hopkins Medicine views all authorized COVID-19 vaccines as highly effective at preventing serious disease, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19." Here are the first five of 12 facts and insights shared by Dr. Golden: 1. The COVID-19 vaccine was created quickly, but was carefully tested for safety. The development of the COVID-19 vaccines did not cut corners on testing for safety and efficacy. The vaccines were made using processes that have been developed and tested over many years, and which are designed to make
— and thoroughly test — vaccines quickly in case of an infectious disease pandemic such as COVID-19. The vaccines themselves were extensively tested by independent scientists, and more than 180 eighty million people in the U.S. have been safely vaccinated. COVID vaccine side effects are temporary and do not mean you're sick. The vaccines do not contain live coronavirus, and you cannot and will not get COVID-19 from getting vaccinated. After the shots, you might experience a sore arm, a mild fever or body aches, but this doesn't mean you have COVID-19. These symptoms, if they happen at all, are temporary, usually lasting only a day or two. 2. Getting the COVID-19 vaccine can protect you from getting sick. The COVID-19 vaccines work with your immune system so your body will be ready to fight the coronavirus if you are exposed to it — including coronavirus variants such as delta. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, getting the vaccine is a powerful step in taking charge of your health. When given as directed, the FDA-authorized vaccines can prevent severe COVID-19 illness and death. 3. Diversity in COVID-19 vaccine testing helped assess safety and effectiveness. COVID-19 affects everyone, so scientists made sure clinical trial participants for the vaccines were diverse. The clinical trials for the first two COVID-19 vaccines included Black (about 10% of participants) and His-
panic (about 20% of participants) people, older age groups (about 25%), and people with conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and heart and respiratory conditions. The U.S. study participants for the one-shot COVID-19 vaccine were 15% Hispanic/Latinx; 13% Black/ African American; 6% Asian and 1% Native American. New and future clinical trials will also include pregnant women and children under 12. 4. Do you have allergies? You can probably still get the COVID-19 vaccine. The CDC says people with allergies to certain foods, insects, latex and other common allergens can get a COVID-19 vaccine. If you have ever had a severe allergic reaction to a vaccine, be sure to discuss that with your doctor, who can evaluate you and assess your risk. However, if you are severely allergic to any of the coronavirus vaccines' ingredients, you should not be vaccinated. 5. People of color are especially vulnerable to severe COVID-19. Generations of health inequities have caused Black and Hispanic/Latin Americans and other communities of color to be overrepresented in severe COVID-19 cases and deaths. People of color are vulnerable to COVID-19 risk factors, and are more likely to be working front-line, essential jobs that cannot be performed from home, increasing their chances of being infected. Getting vaccinated can provide protection for you and those you love. More next week. WI
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Adams Inspirational A.M.E. Church Dr. E. Gail Anderson Holness / Senior Pastor Rev. Ali Gail Holness-Roland / Assistant & Youth Pastor 12801 Old Fort Road • Ft. Washington, MD 20744 Office (301) 292.6323 • FAX (301) 292.2164 Service and Times Sunday Worship 10:15 am Sunday Church School 11:00 am Youth Sunday every 4th Sunday Prayer Call @ Noon every Tuesday & Thursday 978.990.5166 code: 6166047# Virtual Bible Study Wednesday Facebook & Zoom 7:00 pm “A Growing Church for a Coming Christ” www.adamsinspirationalamec.org
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SEPTEMBER 30 - OCTOBER 6, 2021 43
RELIGION The Miracle Center of Faith Missionary Baptist Church
Pilgrim Baptist Church
Bishop Michael C. Turner, Sr. Senior Pastor
Rev. Louis B. Jones II Pastor
9161 Hampton Overlook Capitol Heights, MD 20743 Phone: 301-350-2200 / Fax: 301-499-8724
700 I Street, N.E. Washington, D.C. 20002 (202) 547-8849
Service and Times Sunday Worship Times : 7:30 AM 7 10:00 AM Communion: 1st Sunday Sunday School: 9:00 AM Bible Study: Wednesday, 12 Noon Bible Study in homes: Tuesday 7:00 PM Website: www.themiraclecenterFMBC.com Email: Miraclecenterfmbs@gmail.com Motto: “We Walk by Faith, Not by Sight”
Blessed Word of Life Church
Service and Times Worship Sundays: 7:30 & 11:00 AM 5th Sundays: 9:30 AM 3rd Sundays: Baptism & Holy Communion Prayer & Praise: Wednesdays @ Noon & 6:30 PM www.pilgrimbaptistdc.org
Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ
Church of Living Waters
Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church
Rev. Paul Carrette Senior Pastor Harold Andrew Assistant Pastor 4915 Wheeler Road Oxon Hill, MD 20745 301-894-6464 Service and Times Sunday Service: 8:30am& 11:00 AM Bible Study: Wednesday 7:30 PM Communion Service: First Sunday www.livingwatersmd.org
St. Stephen Baptist Church
Rev. Dr. Michael E. Bell, Sr., / Pastor 2498 Alabama Ave., SE - Washington D.C. 20020 Office: (202) 889-7296 / Fax: (202) 889-2198 - www.acamec.org Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 8:00am and 11:00 AM Sunday Church School - 9:15am & Sunday Adult Forum Bible Study - 10:30 AM 2nd & 4th Monday Women’s Bible Study: 6:30 PM Tuesday Jr./Sr. Bible Study: 10:00 AM Tuesday Topical Bible Study: 6:30 PM Tuesday New Beginnings Bible Study: 6:30 PM Wednesday Pastoral Bible Study: 6:30 PM Wednesday Children’s Bible Study: 6:30 PM Thursday Men’s Bible Study: 6:30 PM Friday before 1st Sunday Praise & Worship Service: 6:30 PM Saturday Adult Bible Study: 10:00 AM “The Amazing, Awesome, Audacious Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church”
Third Street Church of God
Dr. Dekontee L. & Dr. Ayele A. Johnson Pastors
Reverend William Young IV Pastor
Bishop Lanier C. Twyman, Sr. Senior Pastor
Rev. Cheryl J. Sanders, Th.D. Senior Pastor
4001 14th Street, NW Washington, DC 20011 (202) 265-6147 Office 1-800 576-1047 Voicemail/Fax
3845 South Capitol Street Washington, DC 20032 (202) 562-5576 (Office) / (202) 562-4219 (Fax)
5757 Temple Hill Road, Temple Hills, MD 20748 Office 301-899-8885 – fax 301-899-2555 Services and Times Sunday Early Morning Worship: 7:45 AM Church School: 9:30 AM Sunday Morning Worship: 10:45 AM Tuesday: 7:00pm/Kingdom Building Bible Institute Wednesday , 12:30 PM Mid-Day Bible Study Wednesday: Prayer/Praise/Bible Study-7:30 PM Baptism & Communion Service: 4th Sunday – 10:30 AM
1204 Third Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 202-347-5889 office / 202-638-1803 fax
Service and Times Sunday School: 9:30 AM Sunday Morning Worship Service: 11:00 AM Communion Service: First Sunday Prayer Service/Bible Study: Tuesday, 6:30 PM www.blessedwordoflifechurch.org E-mail: church@blessedwordoflifechurch.org
Campbell AME Church Rev. Dr. Henry Y. White 2562 MLK Jr. Ave., SE - Washington, DC 20020 Adm. Office 202-678-2263 Email: Campbell@mycame.org Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 10:00 AM Sunday Church School: 8:45 AM Bible Study Wednesday: 12:00 Noon Wednesday: 7:00 PM Thursday: 7:00 PM “Reaching Up To Reach Out” Mailing Address : Campbell AME Church 2502 Stanton Road SE - Washington, DC 20020
Turning Hearts Church Virgil K. Thomas, Sr. Senior Pastor/ Teacher 421 Alabama Ave. SE Washington, DC 20032 Phone: 202-746-0113 Fax: 301-843-2445 Service and Times Sunday School: 10:15 AM Sunday Worship Service: 11;15 AM Children’s Church: 11:15 AM Tuesday Bible Study: 6:30 PM Motto : “A Great Commitment to the Great Commandment” Website: www.turningheartschurchdc.org Email: gr8luv4u2@gmail.com
Services and Times Sundays: 10:00am Worship Services Bible Study: Wonderful Wednesdays in Worship and the Word Bible Study Wednesdays 12:00 Noon; 6:30 PM (dinner @ 5:30 PM) Sunday School: 9:00 AM – Hour of Power “An inclusive ministry where all are welcomed and affirmed.” www.covenantdc.org
Twelfth Street Christian Church Reverend Dr. Paul H. Saddler Senior Pastor (Disciples of Christ) 1812 12th Street, NW - Washington, DC 20009 Phone: 202-265-4494 Fax: 202 265 4340 Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 11:00 AM Communion every Sunday: 11:00 AM Sunday School: 10:00 AM Bible Study Tuesday: 12 Noon Pastor’s Bible Study Tuesday: 6:30 PM Motto: “Discover Something Wonderful” Website: 12thscc.org / Email: Twelfthstcc@aol.com
Mount Carmel Baptist Church
“We are one in the Spirit” www.ssbc5757.org / E-mail: ssbc5757@verizon.net
Service and Times Sunday Morning Worship: 11:00 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sunday Sunday School: 9:45 AM Men’s Monday Bible Study: 7:00 PM Wednesday Night Bible Study: 7:00 PM Women’s Ministry Bible Study: 3rd Friday -7:00 PM Computer Classes: Announced Family and Marital Counseling by appointment E-mail: Crusadersbaptistchurch@verizon.net www.CrusadersBaptistChurch.org / “God is Love”
Greater Mt. Calvary Holy Church Bishop Alfred A. Owens, Jr.; Senior Bishop & Evangelist Susie C. Owens – Co-Pastor 610 Rhode Island Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002 (202) 529-4547 office • (202) 529-4495 fax
Sunday Worship Service: 8:00 AM and 10:45 AM Sunday Youth Worship Services: 1st & 4th 10:45 AM; 804 R.I. Ave., NE 5th 8 AM & 10:45 AM; Main Church Prayer Services Tuesday – Noon, Wednesday 6:00 AM & 6:30 PM Calvary Bible Institute: Year-Round Contact Church / Communion Every 3rd Sunday The Church in The Hood that will do you Good! www.gmchc.org / emailus@gmchc.org
St Marks Baptist Come Worship with us... Dr. Raymond T. Matthews Pastor and First Lady Marcia Matthews St. Mark's Baptist Church 624 Underwood Street, NW Washington, dc 20011 Services and Times Sunday School: 9:00 AM Worship Service: 10:00 AM Wed. Noon Day prayer service Thur. Prayer service: 6:45 PM Thur. Bible Study: 7:15 PM
5101 14th Street, NW / Washington, DC 20011 Phone: 202-726-2220 Fax: 202-726-9089 Service and Times Sunday Worship Service - 8:00 a.m. & 11:00 a.m. Children’s Church - 11:00 a.m. (1st & 3rd Sundays) Communion - 10 a.m. 4th Sunday Sunday School - 9:15 a.m. (4th Sunday 8:15 a.m.) Prayer Meeting & Bible Study - Wednesday 7:00 p.m. “A Church with a past to remember – and a future to mold” www.mtzbcdc.org
headline and photo for Mount Olivet LIF - MALCOLMXLutheran Church DAY
901 Third Street N.W. Washington, DC. 20001 Phone (202) 842-3411 Fax (202) 682-9423
1306 Vermont Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20005
44 SEPTEMBER 30 - OCTOBER 6, 2021
www.thirdstreet.org Live Stream Sunday Worship Service begins @ 12:00 noon www.thirdstreet.org
800 I Street, NE - Washington, DC 20002 202-548-0707 - Fax No. 202-548-0703
Reverend Dr. Calvin L. Matthews Senior Pastor 1200 Isle of Patmos Plaza, Northeast Washington, DC 20018 Office: (202) 529-6767 - Fax: (202) 526-1661 Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 7:30 AM and 10:30 AM Holy Communion: 2nd Sunday at 7:30 AM and 10:30 AM Sunday Church School: 9:20 AM Seniors Bible Study: Tuesdays at 10:30 AM Noon Day Prayer Service: Tuesdays at Noon Bible Study: Tuesdays at 7 PM Motto: “A Ministry of Reconciliation Where Everybody is Somebody!” Website: http://isleofpatmosbc.org Church Email: ipbcsecretary@verizon.net
Reverend John W. Davis Pastor
John F. Johnson Reverend Dr.
themcbc.org
“Ambassadors for Christ to the Nation’s Capital”
Rev. Dr. Alton W. Jordan Pastor
Isle of Patmos Baptist Church
Mt. Zion Baptist Church
Reverend Dr. Paris L Smith, Sr. Senior Pastor
Service and Times Sunday Church School : 9:00 AM Sunday Morning Worship: 10:10 AM Bible Study Tuesday: 6: 00 PM Prayer Service Tuesday: 7:00 PM Holy Communion: 3rd Sunday 10:10 AM
Services and Times Sunday School: 9:30 AM Sunday Worship: 11:00 AM Sunday Community Worship Service: 8:30 AM
Crusader Baptist Church
Service and Times Divine Worship, Sunday 10:00 a.m. Communion 1st and 3rd Sunday “Friendliest Church in the City” Website: mountolivetdc.org Email: mtolivedc@gmail.com
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RELIGION Shabbath Commandment Church Bishop Adrian A. Taylor, Sr. Pastor 7801 Livingston Road Oxon Hill, MD 20745 301-534-5471 Service and Times Sabbath School 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 AM Service 11:00 AM Praise & Worship Preaching 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM Motto: “A Church Keeping It Real for Real.” Website: Shabbathcommandmentchruch.org Email: Praisebetoyhwh@gmail.com
Zion Baptist Church Rev. Keith W. Byrd, Sr. Pastor 4850 Blagdon Ave, NW - Washington D.C 20011 Phone (202) 722-4940 - Fax (202) 291-3773 Service and Times 9:00 a.m. – Sunday School 10:15 a.m. – Worship Service Wed. Noon: Dea. Robert Owens Bible Study 7 PM Pastor’s Bible Study Ordinance of Baptism 2nd Sunday, Holy Communion 4th Sunday Mission: Zion shall: Enlist Sinners, Educate Students, Empower the Suffering, Encourage the Saints, And Exalt our Savior. (Acts 2: 41-47) www.zionbaptistchurchdc.org
St. Luke Baptist Church Rev. Aubrey C. Lewis Pastor 1415 Gallatin Street, NW Washington, DC 20011-3851 P: (202) 726-5940 Service and Times Sunday Worship: 11:00 AM Sunday School: 9:15 AM Holy Communion: 11:00 a.m., 3rd Sun. Bible Institute: Wednesday - 1:30 PM Prayer Meeting: Wednesday - 12:00 Noon
All Nations Baptist Church Rev. Dr. James Coleman Pastor 2001 North Capitol St, N.E. - Washington, DC 20002 Phone (202) 832-9591 Service and Times Sunday Church School – 9:30 AM Sunday Worship Service – 11:00 AM Holy Communion – 1st Sunday at 11:00 AM Prayer – Wednesdays, 6:00 PM Bible Study – Wednesdays, 7:00 PM Christian Education / School of Biblical Knowledge Saturdays, 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM, Call for Registration Website: www.allnationsbaptistchurch.com All Nations Baptist Church – A Church of Standards
Israel Baptist Church
Rev. Daryl F. Bell Pastor 2324 Ontario Road, NW Washington, DC 20009 (202) 232-1730 Service and Times Sunday School: 9:30 AM Sunday Worship Service: 11:00 AM Baptismal Service: 1st Sunday – 9:30 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sunday – 11:00 AM Prayer Meeting & Bible Study: Wednesday -7:30 PM “Where Jesus is the King”
Dr. Earl D. Trent Senior Pastor
2409 Ainger Pl.,SE – WDC 20020 (202) 678-0884 – Office / (202) 678-0885 – Fax “Moving Faith Forward” 0% Perfect . . . 100% Forgiven!
623 Florida Ave.. NW - WDC. 20001 Church (202) 667-3409 / Study (202) 265-0836 Home Study (301) 464-8211 / Fax (202) 483-4009
Service and Times Sunday Worship: 8:00 AM & 10:45 AM Baptism/Holy Communion: 3rd Sunday Family Bible Study Tuesdays – 6:30 PM Prayer Service: Tuesdays – 8:00 PM www.emmanuelbaptistchurchdc.org
Sermon On The Mount Temple Of Joy Apostolic Faith
Lincoln Park United Methodist Church Rev. Richard B. Black Pastor
Elder Herman L. Simms Pastor
1251 Saratoga Ave., NE Washington, DC 20018 (202) 269-0288
1301 North Carolina Ave. N E Washington, D C 20002 202 543 1318 - lincolnpark@lpumcdc.org www.lpumcdc.org
5606 Marlboro Pike District Heights, MD 20747 301-735-6005
Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 10:45 AM Sunday School: 9:15 AM Holy Communion1st Sunday: 10:45 AM Prayer Service: Wednesday at 6:30 PM Bible Study: Wednesday at 7:00 PM Bible Study: Tuesday at 10:30 AM
Mount Moriah Baptist Church Dr. Lucius M. Dalton Senior Pastor
Service and Times Sunday Worship: 10:00 AM Holy Communion: First Sunday 10:00 AM Sunday School: 9:00 AM Bible Study: Wednesday @ 12 noon and 6:30 PM Motto: "Faith On The Hill"
Service and Times Sunday Apostolic Worship Services 11:00 A.M and 5:00 PM Communion and Feet Wash 4th Sunday at 5:00 PM Prayer/Seeking: Wednesday at 8:00 PM Apostolic in Doctrine, Pentecostal in Experience, Holiness in Living, Uncompromised and Unchanged. The Apostolic Faith is still alive –Acts 2:42
New Commandment Baptist Church
Eastern Community Baptist Church Damion M. Briggs Pastor
Rev. Stephen E. Tucker Senior Pastor
1636 East Capitol Street, NE Washington, DC 20003 Telephone: 202-544-5588 - Fax: 202-544-2964
8213 Manson Street Landover, MD 20785 Tel: (301) 322-9787 Fax: (301) 322-9240
13701 Old Jericho Park Road Bowie, MD. 20720 (301) 262-0560
Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 7:45 AM and 10:45 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sundays at 7:45 AM & 10:45 AM Sunday School: 9:30 AM Prayer & Praise Service: Tuesdays at 12 noon & 6:30 PM Bible Study: Tuesdays at 1 pm and 7 PM Youth Bible Study: Fridays at 7 PM
Service and Times Early Morning Message: 7:30 AM Sunday Morning Worship Service: 10:00 AM Sunday Church School: 9:00 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sunday 7:30 AM & 10:00 AM Prayer, Praise and Testimony: Wednesday 7:00 PM Bible Study: Wednesday 7:30 PM
Service and Times Sunday Worship: 11 AM Sunday School: 10 AM Wednesday Mid-Week Worship, Prayer & Bible Study: Wed. 7 PM
Rehoboth Baptist Church
Reverend Peter R. Blue Sr. Pastor
Rev. Curtis l. Staley Pastor
2001 Brooks Drive District Heights MD. 20744 240.838.7074
621 Alabama Ave., S.E.- Washington, D.C. 20032 P: (202) 561-1111 - F: (202) 561-1112
Service and Times Sunday Worship Experience: 10:15am Sunday School: 9:00am Holy Communion: 3rd Sunday Morning Noontime Bible Study: Tuesday @ 12:00pm Prayer Meeting/Bible Study: Tuesday @7:00pm Theme: "Building On A Firm Foundation"
Service and Times Sunday Service: 10:00 AM Sunday School for all ages: 8:30 AM 1st Sunday Baptism: 10:00 AM 2nd Sunday Holy Communion:10:00 AM Tuesday: Bible Study: 6:30 PM Prayer Meeting: 7:45 PM
Email: revprbstmbc@gmail.com Website: www.stmatthewsbaptist.org
Motto: “Where God is First and Where Friendly People Worship”
“Real Worship for Real People” Website: www.easterncommunity.org Email: ecc@easterncommunity.org
“A Church Where Love Is Essential and Praise is Intentional”
Foggy Bottom - Founded in 1867 728 23rd Street, NW - Washington, DC 20037 Church office: 202-333-3985 - Fax : 202-338-4958
Shiloh Baptist Church
Matthews Memorial Baptist Church Dr. Joseph D. Turner / Senior Pastor 2616 MLK Ave., SE - Washington, DC 20020 Office 202-889-3709 - Fax 202-678-3304 Service and Times Early Worship Service: 8:00 AM Worship Service: 11:00 AM New Member’s Class: 9:45 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sunday, 11:00 AM Church School: 9:45 AM Wednesday 12:00pm Bible Study Prayer, Praise and Bible Study: 7:00 PM Saturday Bible Study: 11:00 AM Baptism 4th Sunday: 11:00 AM “Empowered to love and Challenged to Lead a Multitude of Souls to Christ”
Peace Baptist Church Rev. Dr. Michael T. Bell 712 18th Street, NE Washington, DC 20002 Phone 202-399-3450/ Fax 202-398-8836 Service and Times Sunday Early Morning Prayer & Bible Study Class: 8:00 AM Sunday School: 9:00 AM Sunday Morning Worship Service: 10:00 AM Wednesday Service: 12:00 PM “The Loving Church of the living lord “
4504 Gault Place, N.E. / Washington, D.C 20019 202-397-7775 – 7184 Service and Times Sunday Church School: 9:30 AM Sunday Worship Service : 11:00 AM The Lord’s Supper 1st Sunday Prayer & Praise Services: Wednesday 7:00 PM Bible Study: 7:30 PM Saturday before 4th Sunday Men, Women, Youth Discipleship Ministries: 10:30 AM A Christ Centered Church htubc@comcast.net
Christ Embassy DC
Kelechi Ajieren Coordinator 6839 Eastern Avenue, R1 Takoma Park, MD 20912 (202) 556-7065 Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 10:00 AM Wednesday Bible Study: 7:00 PM Friday Evening Service: 7:00 PM ; Last Friday “…Giving Your Life a Meaning” www.Christembassydc.org Christ.embassy.dc@hotmail.com
Pennsylvania Ave. Baptist Church Rev. Dr. Kendrick E. Curry Pastor 3000 Pennsylvania Ave.. S.E Washington, DC 20020 202 581-1500 Service and Times Sunday Church School: 9:30 AM Sunday Worship Service: 11:00 AM Monday Adult Bible Study: 7:00 PM Wednesday Youth & Adult Activities: 6:30 PM Prayer Service Bible Study
First Rising Mt. Zion Baptist Church
Mt. Horeb Baptist Church
Rev. Dr. Wallace Charles Smith Pastor
Rev. Oran W. Young Pastor
Rev. Dr. H. B. Sampson, III Pastor
9th & P Street, N.W. - W. D.C. 20001 (202) 232-4288
602 N Street NW - Washington, D.C. 20001 Office:(202) 289-4480 Fax: (202) 289-4595
2914 Bladensburg Road, NE Wash., DC 20018 Office: (202) 529-3180 - Fax: (202) 529-7738 Service and Times Worship Service: 7:30 AM Sunday School: 9:00 AM Worship Service: 10:30 AM Holy Communion: 4th Sunday 7:30AM & 10:30 AM Prayer Services:Tuesday 7:30 PM. Wednesday 12 Noon
www.stmarysfoggybottom.org Email: stmarysoffice@stmarysfoggybottom.org
Service and Times First Sunday Worship Service (one service): 10:00 AM Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Sunday Worship service: 7:45 AM and 10:55 AM Sunday Church School/Bible Study: 9:30 AM Thursday Prayer Service: 6:30 PM
All are welcome to St. Mary’s to Learn, Worship, and Grow.
Email: sbc@shilohbaptist.org Website: shilohbaptist.org
Service and Times Sundays: 10 a.m. Holy Eucharist with Music and Hymns Wednesdays: 12:10 p.m. - Holy Eucharist
Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 10:00 AM Sunday Church School: 8:45 – 9:45 AM Holy Communion: Every First Sunday Intercessory Prayer: Monday – 7:00-8:00 PM Pastor’s Bible Study: Wednesday –7:45 PM Midweek Prayer: Wednesday – 7:00 PM Noonday Prayer Every Thursday
Rev. Dr. George C. Gilbert Senior Pastor
Email Address: admin@pbc712.org
Historic St. Mary’s Episcopal Church The Rev. E. Bernard Anderson Priest
Holy Trinity United Baptist Church
Florida Avenue Baptist Church
Reverend Christopher L. Nichols Pastor
Rev. Dr. Jerryl V. Moody Pastor-Elect
Web: www.mountmoriahchurch.org Email: mtmoriah@mountmoriahchurch.org
St. Matthews Baptist Church
Emmanuel Baptist Church
King Emmanuel Baptist Church
WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER
Service and Times Sunday School for All Ages: 8:00 AM Sunday Worship Services: 9:30 AM Midday Prayer & Bible Study: Wednesday 11:30AM Evening Prayer & Bible Study: Wednesday 7:00 PM Laymen's League: Thursday 7:00 PM Email: Froffice@firstrising.org Website: www.firstrising.org “Changing Lives On Purpose “
Email:mthoreb@mthoreb.org Website:www.mthoreb.org For further information, please contact me at (202) 529-3180.
SEPTEMBER 30 - OCTOBER 6, 2021 45
LEGAL NOTICES Declaration of Nationality Notice of White Flag Surrender In God We Trust. Declaration of Nationality. Notice of White Flag Surrender. Notice of Special Appearance : I am that I am:" Melvin Louis Huges © ", in full life, in propria persona, sui juris, in solo proprio, Haqdar by natural issue, the beneficiary and heir of: " HUGES , MELVIN LOUIS © ", corp.sole Dba.: " MELVIN LOUIS HUGES © ", having reached the age of majority, being duly certified, hereby affirms to declare my tribal intention to be as my pedigree subscribes, as an: Moorish American, but not a citizen of the United States. I declare permanent, and unalienable, allegiance to The Moorish Empire, Societas Republicae Ea Al Maurikanuus Estados, The Constitution for the united States of America, Article III Section 2, The Lieber Code, Hague Conventions of 1899 & 1907, The Geneva Conventions, [ United Nations Declaration on the Rights of lndigenous Peoples ], and all natural laws governing moors, and hereby declare and proclaim my nationality in good faith as a: Moorish American. " I am that I am: " Melvin Louis Huges © ", from this day forward, in harmony with my Nationality / Status / Jurisdiction, shall be known as: " bandele el © ". Notice of White Flag Surrender: as " hors de combat ", pursuant to The Geneva Conventions, Article III, as a minister of The Moorish Empire, and Internationally Protected Person. Notice of: LAWS AND CUSTOMS OF WAR ON LAND ( HAGUE, IV), ARTICLE: 45, 46, & 47. Notice of Claim pursuant to Public Law 87-846, TITLE II, SEC. 203. Notice of Bailment Merging of Legal Title with Equitable Title : This order is to preserve legal and equitable title , and to reserve all rights, title, and interest, in the property, Re: LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH : 119-1963-044-00555 , " MELVIN LOUIS HUGES © ", is as a special deposit order conveyed to "ORANGE BARON Trust © ". All property of the same issue and amount, in like kind and specie, is to be returned fully intact , as a Special Deposit order of the Depositor / Beneficiary / Bailor / Donor / Principal / Creditor: " bandele el © ", nom deguerre: "MELVIN LOUIS HUGES © ", as a special deposit order in lawful money. This special deposit is to be used exclusively for the benefit of : " ORANGE BARON Trust © ", an Inter Vivos Unincorporated Divine Grantor Trust. This deposit is not to be commingled with general assets of any bank , nor depositary / trustee / agent / bailee / donee / debtor. This deposit is not limited to, but including: discharge and set off, of any and all outstanding liabilities as accord and satisfaction. Inter alia enact fuit. All Rights Reserved. Deo volente. Notice of Reference : 0112358-13 SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2021 ADM 000973 Minnie Sokol Decedent Edward G. Varrone, Esq. 1825 K Street, NW, Suite 1150 Washington, DC 20006 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Maxine Champion, whose address is 6211 Utah Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20015, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Minnie Sokol who died on April 27, 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 3/23/2022. 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 3/23/2022, 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: 9/23/2021 Maxine Champion Personal Representative
TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer
LEGAL NOTICES
LEGAL NOTICES
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
2021 ADM 000931
2021 ADM 967
Everett Crosson Decedent
Dorine W. Caves Decedent
Robert P. Newman, Esq. Law Office of Robert P. Newman 801 Wayne Ave., Suite 400 Silver Spring, MD 20910 Attorney
Matthew F. Shannon, Esq. 1420 N Street, NW #203 Washington, DC 20005 Attorney
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS
LEGAL NOTICES SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2021 FEP 000103 12/24/19 Date of Death
LEGAL NOTICES SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2021 ADM 000926 Joseph R. Cobb, Sr. Decedent
Barry Michael Pearson Name of Decedent
Julius P. Terrell 1455 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, #400 Washington, DC 20004 Attorney
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS
Sylvia Pearson whose address is 3801 Cedar Drive, Suitland, Maryland 20746 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Barry Michael Pearson, deceased, by the Orphans Court for Prince Georges County, State of Maryland, on February 7, 2020. Service of process may be made upon George L. Garrow, Jr., Garrow Law Firm PLLC, 300 New Jersey Avenue, NW, Suite 900, Washington, DC 20001 whose designation as District of Columbia agent has been filed with the Register of Wills, D.C. 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.
Victoria L. Brown, Oolooteka Bey and Joseph R. Cobb Jr., whose addresses are 7609 Castle Rock Dr., Clinton, MD 20735, 4903 McKinley St., Temple Hills, MD 20748 and 15305 Sir Edwards Dr., Upper Marlboro, MD 20772, were appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of Joseph R. Cobb, Sr. who died on 12/21/2017 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 3/16/2022. 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 3/16/2022, 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.
Doris B. Crosson, whose address is 7432 8th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20012, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Everett Crosson who died on July 18, 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 3/16/2022. 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 3/16/2022, 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.
Sharon Jessup and Veronica Caves Greenfield, whose addresses are 135 47th St., NE, Washington, DC 20019 & 1302 Nicholson St., Hyattsville, MD 20782, were appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of Dorine W. Caves who died on July 3, 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 3/16/2022. 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 3/16/2022, 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: 9/16/2021
Date of first publication: 9/16/2021
Doris B. Crosson Personal Representative
Sharon Jessup Veronica Caves Greenfield Personal Representative
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TRUE TEST COPY
Nicole Stevens Register of Wills
Nicole Stevens Register of Wills
Washington Informer
Washington Informer
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
2021 FEP 000104
2021 ADM 000932
2021 ADM 001007
2021 ADM 001001
Walter E. Minor aka Walter Ellis Minor Decedent
Arrie M. Thomas Decedent
Lester J. Wilson Decedent
Shari G. Kleiner, Esq. 5614 Connecticut Ave., NW #107 Washington, DC 20015 Attorney
Andre O. McDonald, Esq. 10500 Little Patuxent Parkway, Suite 420 Columbia, Maryland 21044 Attorney
May 7, 2021 Date of Death Mesfin Sadik Name of Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS Eleni Sadik whose address is 7204 Kempton Rd., Lanham, MD 20706 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Mesfin Sadik, deceased, by the Orphans Court for Prince Georges County, State of Maryland, on August 17, 2021. Service of process may be made upon Elizabeth Henderson 1829 Jackson Street, NE, Washington, DC 20018 whose designation as District of Columbia agent has been filed with the Register of Wills, D.C. The decedent owned the following District of Columbia real estate. 1812 ½ Hamlin Street, NE, Washington, DC 20018. Claims against the decedent may be presented to the undersigned and filed with the Register of Wills of the District of Columbia, 515 5th Street, NW, Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001 within 6 months from the date of first publication of this notice. Date of first publication: 9/23/2021
Tina Smith Nelson, Esq. Legal Counsel for the Elderly 601 E Street, NW Washington, DC 20049 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Cynthia Minor, whose address is 2417 Savannah St., SE, Washington, DC 20020, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Walter E. Minor aka Walter Ellis Minor who died on May 19, 2018 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 3/23/2022. 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 3/23/2022, 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: 9/23/2021
Eleni Sadik Personal Representative
Cynthia Minor Personal Representative
Nicole Stevens Register of Wills
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Washington Informer
46 SEPTEMBER 30 - OCTOBER 6, 2021
Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer
Date of first publication: 9/16/2021 Sylvia Pearson Personal Representative Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS James Thomas, Jr.,whose address is 5509 Windsor Dr., Temple Hills, MD 20748, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Arrie M. Thomas who died on September 11, 2020 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 3/23/2022. 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 3/23/2022, 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: 9/23/2021 James Thomas, Jr. Personal Representative
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Date of first publication: 9/16/2021 Victoria L. Brown Oolooteka Bey Joseph R. Cobb Sr. Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Maxine A. Wilson, whose address is 10737 Joyceton Drive, Upper Marlboro, Maryland 20774, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Lester J. Wilson who died on 1/21/2021 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 3/23/2022. 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 3/23/2022, 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: 9/23/2021 Maxine A. Wilson Personal Representative
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THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM
LEGAL NOTICES SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2021 ADM 000994 Clarice H. Hughes Decedent
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Iris P. Hughes, whose address is 6077 Thoroughbred Court, Unit D, Waldorf, MD 20603, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Clarice H. Hughes who died on December 30, 2020 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before March 23, 2022. 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 March 23, 2022, 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: September 23, 2021 Iris P. Hughes Personal Representative
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LEGAL NOTICES In God We Trust. Declaration of Nationality. Notice of White Flag Surrender. Notice of Special Appearance : I am that I am: " Orin Edwardo Bivens© ", in full life, in propria persona, sui juris, in solo proprio, Haqdar by natural issue, the beneficiary and heir of: "BIVENS, ORIN EDWARDO© ", corp.sole Dba.: " ORIN EDWARDO BIVENS© ", having reached the age of majority, being aboriginal to the northwestern and southwestern shores of Africa, the Atlantic Islands, the continental Americas, being duly certified, hereby affirms to declare my tribal intention to be as my pedigree subscribes, as a: Moorish American, but not a citizen of the United States. I declare permanent, and unalienable, allegiance to The Moorish Empire, Societas Republicae Ea Al Maurikanuus Estados, The Constitution for the united States of America, Article III Section 2, The Lieber Code, Hague Conventions of 1899 & 1907, The Geneva Conventions, [ United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples ], and all natural laws governing moors, and hereby declare and proclaim my nationality in good faith as a: Moorish American. I am that I am: " Orin Edwardo Bivens© ", from this day forward, in harmony with my Nationality / Status / Jurisdiction, shall be known as: "obadiah ben ashayah© ". Notice of White Flag Surrender: as "hors de combat", pursuant to The Geneva Conventions, Article III, as a minister of The Moorish Empire, and Internationally Protected Person. Notice of: LAWS AND CUSTOMS OF WAR ON LAND ( HAGUE, IV), ARTICLE: 45, 46, & 47. Notice of Claim pursuant to Public Law 87-846, TITLE II, SEC. 203. Notice of Bailment Merging of Legal Title with Equitable Title : This order is to preserve legal and equitable title , and to reserve all rights, title, and interest, in the property, Re: State Of Florida Bureau Of Vital Statistics : 109- 67-019858 , " ORIN EDWARDO BIVENS© ", is as a special deposit order conveyed to "Orin Bivens Sr Trust© ". All property of the same issue and amount, in like kind and specie, is to be returned fully intact , as a Special Deposit order of the Depositor / Beneficiary / Bailor / Donor / Principal / Creditor: " obadiah ben ashayah© ", nom deguerre: "Orin Edwardo Bivens© ", as a special deposit order in lawful money. This special deposit is to be used exclusively for the benefit of : "Orin Bivens Sr Trust© ", an Inter Vivos Unincorporated Divine Grantor Trust. This deposit is not to be commingled with general assets of any bank, nor depositary / trustee / agent / bailee / donee / debtor. This deposit is not limited to, but including: discharge and set off, of any and all outstanding liabilities as accord and satisfaction. Inter alia enact fuit. All Rights Reserved. Deo volente.
LEGAL NOTICES SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2021 ADM 1059 Russell Terry Smalley Decedent Howard Haley, Esq. The Haley Firm, PC 7600 Georgia Ave., NW #416 Washington, DC 20012 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Michael Smalley, whose address is 4327 Ravensworth Rd., #726, Annandale, VA 22003, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Russell Terry Smalley who died on 12/7/2020 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before March 30, 2022. 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 March 30, 2022, 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: 9/30/2021 Michael Smalley Personal Representative
TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer
LEGAL NOTICES SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
LEGAL NOTICES SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2021 ADM 001057
2021 ADM 001062
Edith Christine Lane aka Edith C. Lane Decedent
John Ali Kazemi Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS John Sauragal Kazemi, whose address is 1355 Irving St. NW, Washington, DC 20010, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of John Ali Kazemi who died on June 6th, 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 March 30, 2022. 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 March 30, 2022, 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: 9/30/2021
Nakia V. Gray 800 Maine Ave. SW, Suite 200 Washington, DC 20020 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Roberta Thelma Cooper, whose address is 4814 Reilly Dr., Clinton MD 20735, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Edith Christine Lane aka Edith C. Lane who died on December 26, 2011 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 3/30/2022. 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 3/30/2022, 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: September 30, 2021
John Sauragal Kazemi Personal Representative
Roberta Thelma Cooper Personal Representative
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Nicole Stevens Register of Wills
Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer
Washington Informer
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
2021 ADM 1079
2021 ADM 001037
2021 ADM 001013
2021 ADM 000996
2021 ADM 001071
Clarice Brown aka Clarice Veronica Brown Decedent
Mary E. Gregory aka Mary E. Hilliard Decedent
Charles Lomax aka Charles Preston Lomax Decedent
Lashann Ingrid Cooper Decedent
Earlene Henry Decedent
Age: 90
Tina Smith Nelson, Esq. Legal Counsel for the Elderly 601 E Street, NW Washington, DC 20049 Attorney
Tina Smith Nelson Legal Counsel for the Elderly 601 E Street, NW Washington, DC 20049 Attorney
The Law Offices of Rosalind R. Ray 6856 Eastern Ave., NW Suite 208 Washington, DC 20012 Attorney
Ethel Mitchell 8403 Colesville Rd., Suite 1100 Silver Spring, MD 20910 Attorney
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS
Marquita Moye, Esq., whose address is 504 Brummel Court, NW, Washington, DC 20012, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Clarice Brown aka Clarice Veronica Brown who died on August 26, 2020 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 3/30/2022. 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 3/30/2022, 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.
Angelo Gregory, whose address is 4929 4th St., NW, Washington, DC 20011, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Mary E. Gregory aka Mary E. Hilliard who died on June 6, 2016 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 3/30/2022. 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 3/30/2022, 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.
Eula Marie Lomax, whose address is 1221 Kennedy Street, NW, Washington, DC 20011, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Charles Lomax aka Charles Preston Lomax who died on 11/12/2019 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 3/30/2022. 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 3/30/2022, 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: 9/30/2021
Date of first publication: 9/30/2021
Marquita Moye, Esquire Personal Representative
Angelo Gregory Personal Representative
Date of first publication: September 30, 2021
Marquita Moye, Esq. 504 Brummel Court, NW Washington, DC 20012 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS
TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Frances Annette Cooper, whose address is 419 Farragut St., NW, Washington, DC 20011, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Lashann Ingrid Cooper who died on 12/25/2020 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 3/30/2022. 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 3/30/2022, 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: 9/30/2021
Eula Marie Lomax Personal Representative
Frances Annette Cooper Personal Representative
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Nicole Stevens Register of Wills
Nicole Stevens Register of Wills
Nicole Stevens Register of Wills
Washington Informer
Washington Informer
Washington Informer
WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Crystal Lewis, whose address is 3411 16th Street, NE, Washington, DC 20018, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Earlene Henry who died on 4/5/2021 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 (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 3/30/2022. 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 3/30/2022, 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: 9/30/2021 Crystal Lewis Personal Representative
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SEPTEMBER 30 - OCTOBER 6, 2021 47
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LEGAL NOTICES In God We Trust. Declaration of Nationality. Notice of White Flag Surrender. Notice of Special Appearance I am that I am: " Lotoya Kadeshia Lewin©", in full life, in propria persona, sui juris, in solo proprio, Haqdar by natural issue, the beneficiary and heir of: "LEWIN, LOTOYA KADESHIA© ", corp.sole Dba.: " LOTOYA KADESHIA LEWIN© ", having reached the age of majority, being aboriginal to the northwestern and southwestern shores of Africa, the Atlantic Islands, the continental Americas, being duly certified, hereby affirms to declare my tribal intention to be as my pedigree subscribes, as a: Moor American Indian, but not a citizen of the United States. I declare permanent, and unalienable, allegiance to The League Of Indian Nations Of North America, The Moorish Empire, Societas Republicae Ea Al Maurikanuus Estados, The Constitution for the united States of America, Article III Section 2, The Lieber Code, Hague Conventions of 1899 & 1907, The Geneva Conventions, [ United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples], and all natural laws governing Indians/Moors, and hereby declare and proclaim my nationality in good faith as a: Moor American Indian. I am that I am: "Lotoya Kadeshia Lewin© ", from this day forward, in harmony with my Nationality / Status / Jurisdiction, shall be known as: "aiyahna-yahmaye bey © ". Notice of White Flag Surrender: as "hors de combat", pursuant to The Geneva Conventions, Article III, as a minister of The Moorish Empire, and Internationally Protected Person. Notice of: LAWS AND CUSTOMS OF WAR ON LAND ( HAGUE, IV), ARTICLE: 45, 46, & 47. Notice of Claim pursuant to Public Law 87-846, TITLE II, SEC. 203. Notice of Bailment Merging of Legal Title with Equitable Title: This order isto preserve legal and equitable title, and to reserve all rights, title, and interest, in the property, Re: HOLTSVILLE, NEW YORK: Naturalization number 36838643, " LOTOYA KADESHIA LEWIN© ", is as a special deposit order conveyed to "Soul Unbound Trust© ". All property of the same issue and amount, in like kind and specie, is to be returned fully intact, as a Special Deposit order of the Depositor / Beneficiary / Bailor / Donor / Principal / Creditor: " aiyahna-yahmaye bey© ", nom deguerre: "Lotoya Kadeshia Lewin© ", as a special deposit order in lawful money. This special deposit is to be used exclusively for the benefit of: "Soul Unbound Trust© ", an Inter Vivos Unincorporated Divine Grantor Trust. This deposit is not to be commingled with general assets of any bank, nor depositary / trustee / agent / bailee / donee /debtor. This deposit is not limited to, but including: discharge and set off, of any and all outstanding liabilities asaccord and satisfaction. Inter alia enact fuit. All Rights Reserved. Deo volente. Notice of Reference: 0112358-13
IN THE SUPERIOR COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA CIVIL DIVISION Mikeisha Blackman Plaintiff Case No. 2020 CA 000601 B v. Judge Jason Park Joan Ruffin Defendant.
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ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this proceeding is the enforcement or establishment of a lawful right, claim, or demand to or against any real or personal property located at 3281 15th Street, SE, Unit 102, Washington, D.C. 20020 (Square 5889, Lot 2014). A copy of this action is available in the Civil Clerk’s Office of the Court, located at 500 Indiana Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. On the motion of the plaintiff, it is this 21st day of September, 2021, ORDERED, by the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, that notice be given to defendant Joan Ruffin by the insertion of a copy of this order in the Daily Washington Law Reporter and the Washington Informer, hereby designated by the Court and having a general circulation in the District of Columbia, once a week for three (3) successive weeks; and it is further ORDERED, that defendant Joan Ruffin is hereby summoned and required to file an answer to the complaint in the Civil Clerk’s Office of the Court, located at 500 Indiana Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., and serve the same on the plaintiff and any other parties named in the complaint, on or before the date and time of the initial scheduling conference in this action; and it is further
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ORDERED, that the initial scheduling conference shall be held on the 19th day of November, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. in Courtroom 519;
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ORDERED, that if you fail to serve and file an answer within the time stated herein, or if, after you answer, you fail to appear at any time the Court notifies you to do so, including at the initial scheduling conference, a judgment by default may be entered against you for monetary damages or any other relief demanded in the complaint. If this occurs, your wages may be attached or withheld or personal property or real estate you own may be taken and sold to pay the judgment. If you intend to oppose this action, do not fail to answer within the required time; and it is further ORDERED, that the initial scheduling conference may be held remotely due to the Covid19 Pandemic, and the parties shall contact the chambers of Judge Jason Park to obtain remote hearing instructions prior to the date of the Initial Scheduling Conference.
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It should be, but the data on safety evolves over time and is constantly monitored. As a doctor, and immunologist my advice is get vaccinated now. But I believe that eventually everyone will be getting a booster after the first series of COVID-19 vaccinations, even infants. For now, the data sug-
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hearing was both heartbreaking and enraging to witness. But it was clear to see that the same fortitude, resilience and strength of spirit that made them athletic champions also drives their unshakeable quest for justice. As Department of Justice Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz, whose report revealed the dismal failings of the FBI's Nassar investigation, testified, "These gymnasts showed remarkable bravery by coming for-
BAILEY from Page 28 Street Pier in Harlem. According to Brother Marcus, as quoted in the book "Marcus Garvey and the Vision of Africa," compiled by John Henrik Clarke and his assistant, Amy Jacques Garvey, "In the space of two or three months the corporation of the Black Star
DEBATE from Page 13 choosing a candidate with fresh ideas rather than one who stands as a career politician. “The polls say I’m ahead. Let the voters of Virginia decide,” Youngkin said, although he failed to identify which polls indicate him having a lead. However, in a poll released Monday, Sept. 27 by Monmouth University, the results show that a growing number of registered voters favor having a more familiar face leading the commonwealth.
POLL: VOTERS FAVOR MCAULIFFE
One the eve of the Tuesday debate, Monmouth University released a poll that shows McAuliffe with an advantage of 5 percentage
gests that it you are fully vaccinated, over 65, have a chronic disease and it’s been six months after your last vaccination, you need a booster. Waiting a few more months won’t put you at greater risk, but it could increase the possibility of breakthrough infections. Stay tuned because this COVID-19 booster policy is not written in stone and if you are younger than 65, it is likely to change soon. But the confusing messages do not help instill confidence in those from our community, who are sitting on the fence about the vaccine. WI
As a doctor, and immunologist my advice is get vaccinated now.
ward to detail the shocking sexual assaults that they had endured from a USA Gymnastics medical doctor [Nassar] at the same time they were competing at the highest levels for our country. And, as you also heard today, these athletes reported this abuse with the hope and the belief that their actions would save other young women and girls from the serial abuse that they had endured. Sadly, as our report indicates, the response of the FBI agents who received that
information betrayed their law enforcement responsibilities and their duties to these victims." It is hard to imagine a more demoralizing, disheartening experience than that which these gymnasts endured. They had every justification to surrender to despair and abandon hope. But they could not walk away from the opportunity to prevent what happened to them from happening to other girls and young women. For that, they deserve not
only our admiration and respect, but our every effort to hold those responsible to account. "Nassar is where he belongs, but those who enabled him deserve to be held accountable," Biles testified. "If they are not, I am convinced that this will continue to happen to others across Olympic sports. … A message needs to be sent: If you allow a predator to harm children, the consequences will be swift and severe. Enough is enough." WI
Line was able to purchase its first ship, the SS Yarmouth, which was rechristened the SS Fredrick Douglass. … I thought if we could launch our ships and have our own Black captains and officers, our race too would be respected in the mercantile and commercial world, thereby adding appreciative dignity to our downtrodden people…"
The book notes that "thousands upon thousands" of Black folks cheered on the 125th Pier and along Riverside Drive as the ship set sail. It also states — and this is very important — that the launching was completely financed by Black stockholders in the Universal Negro Improvement Association.
Every Black student in the country should be made aware of warriors such as Dr. T, Brother Marcus, and others who have promoted and protected us throughout our history. They must be taught to carefully study history, learn from it and build upon it. WI
points among registered voters, with the former governor garnering 48% versus Youngkin at 43%. The poll shows McAuliffe with a huge lead among Black voters at 83% versus 3% for Youngkin. Among Latino, Asian and multiracial voters, McAuliffe leads with 53% to 28% for Youngkin. Youngkin, the former CEO of the Carlye Group investment firm, leads among white voters 57% with 36% for McAuliffe. However, white voters with a college degree support McAuliffe 50% versus 43% for Youngkin, according to the poll. The poll also assessed regional voter support with McAuliffe holding a huge advantage in the D.C. suburbs of Northern Virginia at 58% versus 29% for Youngkin. The 801 registered voters sur-
veyed in the Monmouth poll assessed the top three issues: jobs and the economy at 39%; the coronavirus pandemic at 32%; and education and schools at 31%. Voters remain somewhat split among those who would trust the handling of the commonwealth’s economic future with Youngkin receiving 36% and McAuliffe polling at 35%. McAuliffe received high marks for how he might handle the pandemic at 41% versus 28% for Youngkin. The percentage points for schools remain slightly closer with McAuliffe garnering 37% and Youngkin 33%. Monmouth conducted a poll on the governor’s race last month and most of the results remain unchanged which showed regis-
tered voters choosing McAuliffe over Youngkin, 47% to 42%, respectively. “Despite a televised debate [Sept. 16] and a slew of campaign advertising over the past month, the needle has barely moved on how Virginia voters view these two candidates,” said Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute. The university conducted the poll between Sept. 22-26 with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. The Nov. 2 general election also feature contests for lieutenant governor, attorney general and all 100 seats in the House of Delegates. WI @jabariwill
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JEALOUS from Page 29 This is how we get federal courts that represent all of us, not just the most privileged and powerful. And that brings us back to elections. President Biden has been able to get his nominees confirmed—more lifetime judges at this point in his term in office since Gerald Ford—because voters in Georgia elected Sens. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff. If Republicans still held a Senate majority, Mitch McConnell would be slow-walking and stopping Biden's judicial nominees. When Trump was in power, McConnell laughed and bragged about how he kept so many of President Obama's nominees from getting confirmed so that Trump would have lots of vacancies to fill.
WILLIAMS from Page 29 of Asian immigrants was accomplished with the willing participation of its victims. Most egregiously, they're the ones who proclaim to value American democracy, the principle of "one person, one vote" and the unabridged right of every citizen's personal expression through the ballot — except when the votes of people of color, women or others on the "outside" upset the balance of white political power. The unwillingness to accept the "browning" of America has created a social divide so broad and acerbic as to only offer a future steeped in vio-
ASKIA from Page 29 for Black folks, so they attacked and destroyed it, murdering 36 and leaving nearly 200 seriously injured. I suppose such hatred exists in other societies, but in the U.S. it's like a sport. Some crafty politicians exploit this deep hatred embedded in the white American psyche, rather than ever trying to teach the people a better way, not in the schools, not in the halls of power, and certainly not in the churches. In the eyes of one right-wing commentator, the "organized left" is purposefully trying to prevent conservatives from getting vaccinated, by advocating the shots, knowing that anything liberals advise them to do, they will do just the opposite. And it just so happens that the poorest counties
McConnell would love to regain the power to block Biden's judicial nominees. He would love to return to his practice of refusing to schedule hearings and votes on even the most qualified judges. He would love to abuse his power to keep hundreds of judicial seats vacant in the hopes that Trump or some other Republican will take back the White House in 2024. And bring back the flood of white, right-wing men determined to im-
pose their ideology on the federal courts and on all of us. We can't let that happen. Let's praise the good work being done by the Biden White House and Senate Democrats. Let's thank them for bringing balance and diversity and a commitment to equal justice for all to the federal courts. And let's work as hard as we can to keep the Senate and White House in Democratic hands in 2022 and 2024. WI
If Republicans still held a Senate majority, Mitch McConnell would be slow-walking and stopping Biden's judicial nominees.
lence and discord. Without the hint of voter irregularities, the radical right has convinced a huge segment of the population that election outcomes that don't favor the white majority are rigged or "fake." White supremacy has become the fellow traveler with Republicanism and/ or political conservatism. The Jan. 6 insurrection and its precursor in Charlottesville, Va., are now acceptable methods of redressing grievance. Those violations of our most cherished traditions of social conduct are not considered worthy of criticism because they express some nebulous truth. Pedagogists (students of the art
and science of teaching) have long believed that authoritarianism flourishes in the absence of critical thinking among uneducated/ undereducated populations. These are populations most willing to accept "facts" which most closely align with their own beliefs. The reemerging racism and misogyny are the drivers of this new and objectionable "spirit of America." The fear of losing power has caused a negative attitude adjustment among uninformed and just plain mean whites who, each day, demonstrate their unwillingness to accept and adapt to our changing America. WI
in the poorest states — the Southern "red states" — have the lowest vaccination rates and the highest COVID-19 infection and death rates. The trick is reminiscent of the warning from then President Lyndon Johnson: "If you can convince the lowest white man he's better than the best colored man, he won't notice you're picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he'll empty his pockets for you." That's what the famous Southern-born and -bred politician said to a young staffer, Bill Moyers, after encountering a display of blatant racism during a political visit to the South. Since their post-Election Day cheating couldn't steal the 2020 election in favor of the twice-impeached, one-term President Donald Trump, the leaders of the White
Tribe are doing everything they can now, in advance of Election Day, to make sure that their side wins. Period. That's the deal. Despite the rapidly changing demographics in the way of more and more non-white voters, who constitute a majority along with white liberal voters (a minority of the white vote), they want to stay in power, at all costs. I predict there will not be another peacefully settled, "free and fair" election in this country, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. Radical white conservatives, who promise their flocks they will go to heaven when they die, want to make life hell on earth for everyone, for everyone they don't slaughter in the future, like they did the 55 million Native people from whom they stole this continent. Their condition, their hatred, I fear, is terminal. WI
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