2020
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Vol. 55, No. 46 • September 3 - 9, 2020
Peaceful March on Washington Followed by Racially-Divisive Protests
Mayor Bowser Fears ‘Race War’ as Outside Agitators Fuel Nationwide Fires By D. Kevin McNeir WI Editor @dkevinmcneir
5 Protesters atop a stoop at the Lincoln Memorial with raised fists at the Commitment March on Friday, Aug. 28. (Roy Lewis/The Washington Informer)
Crowds gathered in the District on Friday, Aug 28 with the Lincoln Memorial at their backs with many of the participants wearing masks and practicing social distancing – cognizant of the ongoing coronavirus health pandemic. They assembled to mark the 57th anniversary of the historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, held in 1963 on the very same grounds organized by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther
From Howard to Hollywood, Gifted Actor Personified Excellence
Legislative Delays Could Eliminate Thousands as Election Draws Near
With electronic errors, long lines and voters who received late mail-in ballots during Maryland’s special Congressional and June primary elections a thing of the past, advocates have now shifted their attention to an equally-challenging task: making sure those
incarcerated can participate in the Nov. 3 general election. Three nonprofit organizations, Out For Justice, Common Cause Maryland and the ACLU of Maryland, continue to coordinate a statewide project which seeks to compile lists of eligible voters from the majority of the state’s county jails.
VOTING Page 13
MARCH Page 44
‘Wakanda Forever:’ Chadwick Boseman’s ‘Adieu’ to the World
Efforts Intensify to Restore Vote for Returning Citizens By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill
King, Jr., Bayard Rustin, John Lewis and other leaders from the Civil Rights Movement. However, as those who traveled from near and far to attend the recent Commitment March illustrated, this call for racial justice amid a slew of nationwide protests against police brutality, continues to be dominated by a new generation – many of whom have grown tired of waiting for the right to simply breathe. To many who assembled in the District, little has changed. But with a mix-
By D. Kevin McNeir WI Editor @dkevinmcneir
5 Chadwick Boseman, who died Friday, August 28, gave the 2018 commencement address at his alma mater, Howard University. (WI File Photo/Roy Lewis)
Only those closest to the charismatic, gifted thespian Chadwick Boseman, knew the full extent of the details surrounding his four-year battle with colon cancer which recently resulted in his death at the age of 43. But as a number of confirmed accounts reveal, he never allowed his health to interrupt his zest for life, his perseverance to be the best at his craft or his desire to encourage youth who, like him, struggled with life-threatening illnesses.
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Employees
Convention
By Tia Carol Jones
law enforcement. She said they threat,” she said. had come together to bring a Among the programs Marlow sense of uniformity in the The way Congressional wants to see implemented are Black Caucus Foundation beWhen L.Y. Marlow's 23-year- domestic violence victimsganand stricter restraining order policies, its first ever virtual convention this week due to old daughter told her the father survivors are treated. more rights forpandemic. victim's families the ongoing coronavirus Because the usual of her daughter threatened her “She's using her own personal intervene oninbehalf of a vic-venue, the in-person to cannot be held its traditional life, and the life of their child, story, her own personal pain to E. tim, a domestic violenceCenter assess- in NorthWalter Washington Convention she knew something had to be push forward,” Davis-Nickens ment unit coupled with further west, the virtual convention will hold 30 forums done. Out of her frustration said about Marlow. training for law enforcement through Oct. 2. Seminars of interest include a session with law enforcement's handling Davis-Nickens said anyone agencies, Sept. a Child's slated for Thursday, 3 at 1Life p.m.Protecon voting during of the situation, she decided to who reads Marlow's bookCOVID-19 will tionfeaturing Act and Kristen mandatory counselClarke, president and start the Saving Promise cam- “get it.” She said she “puts the ing for batterers. executive director, National Lawyers’ Committee for paign. case in such a way, the average we are everNAACP going toPresident eradi- Derrick Civil Rights “If Under Law; “It seems to be a vicious cycle person can get it.” She said at the cate domestic violence, we must Sherrilyn Ifill, president and director-counthat won't turn my family end of the day, the bookJohnson; will look at both sides of the coin. sel, NAACP Defense Fund; and Latosha Brown loose,” Marlow said. Marlow help people begin to have a dia- WeLegal need to address both the vicwith the Black Voters Matter Fund. shared her story with the audi- logue about domestic violence. tim and the batterer,” Marlow year’s theme, “Now is Our Time,” will focus up attothe event This enceMGM at theResorts DistrictInternational Heights will Alsolayoff present was said. on exlife in America during the ongoing coronavirus 18,000 furloughed employees including 800 Domestic Violence Symposium Mildrednearly Muhammad, the Marlow would also like to see pandemic, nationwidedesigned protests against police brutaliat MGM National Harbor, according to recent news on May 7 at the District Heights wife of John Allen Muhammad, programs to raise ty on Blacks and a presidential election which reports. A company executive attributes the job cuts Municipal Center. The sympo- who was sentenced to six consec- awareness among children in features Kamala Harris as the firstShe Black womto thewas ongoing coronavirus pandemic. sium sponsored by the utive life terms without Sen. parole public and(D-Calif.) private schools. an and South Asian-American chosen as a vice “While resumed operations at many Family andwe have Youthsafely Services by a Maryland jury for his role in first feels children need to be educatpresidential of ourofproperties have returned tens of thouCenter the city and of District the Beltway Sniper attacks in ednominee. about domestic violence. sands of our colleagues to work, our industry and our Heights and the National Hook- 2002. Mildred Muhammad is “We have to stop being pasbyfounder the pandemic Upcountry of Blackcontinue Women.to be impactedthe of After the Trauma, sive-aggressive with poor chiland we have returned to full operating capacity,”that helps the dren about domestic violence,” Marlow has not written a book, an organization “Color MeCEO Butterfly,” which is a saidsurvivors MGM Bill Hornbuckle in a letteroftodomestic emviolence Marlow said. story about four generations of and their children. ployees provided to CBS MoneyWatch. Marlow has worked to break domestic violence. The George’s book is County, Locally, in Prince MGM Na“I lived in fear for six years. Six the cycle of abuse in her family, inspired her own experiences, years in fear isjurisa long time. It is and is confident the policies she tional by Harbor represents the majority-Black and those of her grandmother, notwhich an easy thing to come out is pushing for will start that diction’s biggest revenue generator includes herincome mother daughter. she said. process. andand realher estate taxes. Theof,” casino and resort She said more everythan timethree she months reads dueMildred Muhammad said “I plan to take these policies to closed to COVID-19 excerpts from her she According still people who want to help a Congress and implore them to and reopened in book, late June. to state gaming canfigures, not believe words came domestic violence MGMthe generated more than $8 in June from victim must change our laws,” Marlow said. from her. “Color Me Butterfly” be careful of how they go into “I will not stop until these polislot machines and table games. won the 2007 National “Best the victim's life, and understand cies are passed.” Books” Award. that she may be in “survival Tia Carol Jones can be reached “I was just 16-years-old when mode”. at tiacaroljones@sbcglobal.net my eye first blackened and my “Before you get to 'I'm going lips bled,” Marlow said. to kill you,' it started as a verbal WI A defense attorney for one of the Minnesota police officers Elaine Davis-Nickens, presicharged with murdering George Floyd will ask for the charges dent of the National Hook-Up of Black Women, said there is no against his client to be dropped during a hearing scheduled consistency in the way domestic for Sept. 11. According to court documents filed in Henviolence issues are dealt with by nepin County, MN, attorney Eric Nelson alleges Floyd, 46, had a combination of fentanyl and methamphetamine in his system and didn’t die as a result of actions committed by fired police officer Derek Michael Chauvin (left) – the officer accused of kneeling on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes. “Put simply, Mr. Floyd could not breathe because he had ingested a lethal dose of fentanyl and, possibly, a speedball. Combined with sickle cell trait and his pre-existing heart conditions, Mr. Floyd’s use of fentanyl and methamphetamine most likely killed him,” according to documents. “Adding fentanyl and methamphetamine to Mr. Floyd’s existing health issues was tantamount to lighting a fuse on a bomb.” Chauvin has pleaded not guilty to second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Floyd’s death on May 25 sparked global protests related to police brutality and other forms of racism. WI Staff Writer
Lawyer Seeks to Dismiss Charges of Cop in George Floyd Case
“
We have to stop being passive-aggressive with poor children about domestic violence. I plan to take these policies to Congress and implore them to change our laws. I will not stop until these policies are passed.
“
SOMETHING NEW EVERYDAY
Women the Cycle of wi hotBreak topics Domestic Violence MGM Laying Off Nearly 800 CBCF Begins Virtual
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L.Y. Marlow
AROUND THE REGION
District Residents Protest Police Brutality at National March By James Wright WI Staff Writer @JamesDCWrighter
Even though it occurred as a national event, District residents were a major element in the 57th Anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom Aug 28, with many expressing strong views on the killing and shooting by law enforcement of unarmed African Americans. According to WTOP all-news radio, thousands of people gathered at the Lincoln Memorial and National Mall area to participate in the march and members of the D.C. Democratic Party counted in those numbers. The small D.C. Democratic contingent walked from the meeting point, the Albert Einstein Memorial, to the National Mall to hear the speakers and ultimately make their way to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, the march’s terminus. Claire Goldberg, an active District Democrat, said attending the march became a priority for her. “The shooting and killing of Black men haven’t stopped,” Goldberg, 23, said. “I have attended protests since the killing of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and I was going to make an effort to attend this march, especially in light of what happened to Jacob Blake in Kenosha. If we are going to put a stop to these killings, we have to keep coming out and protesting until things change. We should be out here everyday protesting what is wrong.” A few feet away from the D.C. Democrats stood Karl Griffin and a few of his Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity brothers. Griffin said he and his fraternal kin came to the march to address broken promises made to African Americans throughout the years regarding civil rights and fair treatment. “We as Black people have had to endure years of years of tyranny,” Griffin, 25, said. “Our people have never been treated right. I am proud to say I am part of the Black Lives Matter movement to address these wrongs. Being a part of the movement is a positive and beautiful thing.”
Goldberg and Griffin listened to the program emceed by District native the Rev. Mark Thompson and led by the Rev. Al Sharpton, founder of the National Action Network. District officials such as D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton relayed her thoughts on the march through a statement. Norton served as a staffer during the 1963 march and noted the gathering “paved the way for civil rights legislative victories to come.” “Today’s march shows the continuing strength of peaceful protest as a tool to bring about change,” the delegate said. “Out of the 1963 march came the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the 1965 Voting Rights Act and ultimately the 1968 Fair Housing Act. I was among those who marched for Congress to bring change then, as a member of Congress now I will take today’s march as a mandate to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.” D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, during a news briefing on Aug. 26, said she wouldn’t be a speaker at the march and discouraged District residents from attending mainly out of concern for the coronavirus pandemic. She did encourage residents to watch the program digitally or on television and urged those who choose to attend to wear masks and practice social distancing. Both Norton and Bowser are champions of D.C. statehood and the cause didn’t receive mention by the major speakers but Adan Garcia, who sported a 51st state t-shirt, appeared not to be concerned. “D.C. statehood not being mentioned hasn’t bothered me,” Garcia, 29, said. “I think this march is addressing something bigger which is unarmed Black men being killed by the police around the country.” Quenessa Long, a first-year student at the Howard University School of Law, agreed with Garcia that police killings have become a major issue. “This is a pivotal moment in this day and age,” Long, 24, said. “This police brutality has to stop. That is why we are coming together.” WI
5 District native, The Rev. Mark Thompson, emceed the 57th Anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. (Shevry Lassiter/The Washington Informer)
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black facts SEPT 3 - 9, 2020
SOURCE: BLACK AMERICA WEB
SEPT. 3
1838 – Abolitionist Frederick Douglass escapes from slavery in Maryland by disguising himself as a sailor and boarding a Pennsylvania-bound train. 1919 – The film “A Man’s Duty” is released by Lincoln Motion Picture Company, an African American-owned company, marking the first feature-length film by a Black filmmaker. 1990 – Jonathan A. Rodgers is named president of CBS’s television stations division, becoming the highest-ranking African American in net- braska. 1959 – “Our Nig: Sketches work television at the time. from the Life of a Free Black” by Harriet Wilson, wideSEPT. 4 ly considered the first novel 1908 – Famed author Richard Wright, best written by a Black woman, is known for penning “Native Son” and “Black Boy,” published. is born in Roxie, Mississippi. 1960 – Leopold Sedar 1981 – Grammy-winning singer Beyoncé is Senghor is elected as the born in Houston. first-ever president of Senegal.
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1957 – Tennis great Althea Gibson (above right) becomes the first African American to win the U.S. National Championships, now known as the U.S. Open. 1986 – “The Oprah Winfrey Show” debuts nationwide, making its namesake host the first Black woman with a nationally syndicated talk show.
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1925 – Ossian Sweet, a Black Detroit physician, and a handful of armed family and friends defend his newly purchased home in a white neighborhood against a mob trying to force him out. He and his family and friends were ultimately acquitted of murder by an all-white jury in what came to be known as the Sweet Trials. 1934 – Renowned African American poet Sonia Sanchez is born in Birmingham, Alabama. 1941 – Soul music legend Otis Redding is born in Dawson, Georgia. 1968 – Arthur Ashe wins the first U.S. Open of the open era, becoming the first Black man to win the title. WI
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Men, women and children around the world are mourning the death of actor Chadwick Boseman, star of the ‘Black Panther’ film, who died from colon cancer at 43. What are your thoughts on Boseman’s passing?
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I heard the screeching cries of my 5-year-old nephew, I thought he got hurt playing, then I found out he was crying because the man from Black Panther died. The younger children are feeling this one.
TAMMIE MARSHALL / PINE BLUFF, ARKANSAS
Lord Jesus touch his family, friends, and fans with such a mighty force of comfort and strength. This is an extremely sad moment in our time. No more suffering; no more pain. I’m literally hurting. He was so young, gifted, and talented. He will be very much missed.
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Childhood Lessons Learned at Playtime with the Jackson Five
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It’s still hard to believe that Michael Jackson, the undisputed “King of Pop,” has been gone for more than a decade – his sudden death on June 25, 2009 still shrouded in mystery and controversy. Equally surprising, at least from this writer’s perspective, is the relative silence and limited recognition of Jackson’s birthday which recently came and went last weekend with little or no fanfare on August 29th. However, given the unprecedented events now dominating social media and headline news – from the coronavirus pandemic and Black Lives Matter protests challenging police-involved shootings of Blacks to the upcoming showdown between Trump and Biden for the White House – the mention of Michael Jackson which resulted in little more than a footnote, despite his continued impact on culture and society, may have been expected. As a Black man-child born just weeks following the onset of the both historic and turbulent decade of the 1960s in Detroit – a city which also became the birthplace of Motown and introduced the world to talents like the Jackson Five – the songbook they produced has forever maintained a special place in my heart and soul.
Even more, I claim fellowship among a small cadre of Blacks who as children were afforded the unique opportunity to connect with Michael and his brothers on a more intimate level. In fact, I was among a throng of those who sang along with the Jackson Five to songs
Like my parents, husband and wife teams were paving the way for themselves and their children including Motown’s quickly emerging legendary singer, Marvin Gaye, who along with his wife, Anna Gordy, a sibling of Berry Gordy, lived just a few short blocks away from my family.
like “I Want You Back,” “ABC” and “The Love You Save” during one of their first performances, held on the grounds of the Michigan State Fair in the summer of 1971. The following afternoon, away from the cameras, I found myself at the Gordy mansion in Detroit, engaged in activities more reflective of the kind enjoyed by children of the era – bowling, swimming, hide-andgo-seek, catch, pool and dodgeball – albeit with a unique twist – the addition of several playmates: Marlon and Michael Jackson. In those days, Black celebrities lived among “everyday people,” if for no other reason than because Jim Crow and segregation had yet to relinquish its dominance in
American society. Safety could best be achieved through greater numbers and in communities where Blacks were living and establishing families. Like my parents, husband and wife teams were paving the way for themselves and their children including Motown’s quickly emerging legendary singer, Marvin Gaye, who along with his wife, Anna Gordy, a sibling of Berry Gordy, lived just a few short blocks away from my family. The Gaye family and my parents also shared something else in common – both had in their employ the same caregiver who meticulously and lovingly watched each family’s children, along with others. That’s how I met Michael Jackson, played with him and his brothers and subsequently realized something so profound that I have never forgotten it – how lonely he seemed despite being among the upper echelon of a world which I and many of my childhood friends dreamed about – longing to become part of the normative landscape which was ordinary to the Jackson Five. Yes, we all wanted to “be like Mike” – not the Michael who would just a few years later emerge as the dominant force on the hardwood floors of the University of North Carolina Tar Heels and soon thereafter on the hallowed grounds of the Chicago Bulls. Looking back at the mountains which Michael Jackson effortlessly seemed to climb and conquer, I wonder if the sacrifices he made to reach the precipice were worth the valleys that he would eventually encounter and which would swallow one day devour him whole? One thing I can state with little equivocation – I am the more fortunate between us. After all, even given unprecedented privilege, I believe life with the “silver spoon” afforded Michael far less than it ultimately provided. WI
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HIV Rate Declines in the District: Report
By James Wright WI Staff Writer @JamesDCWrighter
The District’s HIV rate has fallen tremendously over the years since it emerged as an epidemic in the late 1980s and efforts by the city government are ongoing to minimize its spread, especially in the age of the coronavirus. On Aug. 20, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, D.C. Department of Health Director Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt and other city leaders released its annual “The District of Columbia Department of Health HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, STD and TB Administration Report” revealing the number of new HIV cases in the city has decreased by the widest margin in the past five years. The dip, the report said in its introduction, had been “proving key prevention and treatment strategies are working.” The report reached its conclusions based on data collected during 2019. Bowser expressed satisfaction with the report. “Our partnerships with the community have continued to yield promising results to both stem and reduce new HIV cases, while also delivering better and more efficient treatment to residents living with HIV,” the mayor said. “Our goal of ending the HIV epidemic in D.C. is not yet done, and we will continue to work to ensure equity in services, reduce stigma as an access barrier, make testing easier, support needle exchange and keep people HIV negative.” Among the report’s findings: • there are 12,408 current District residents or 1.8 percent of the population living with HIV; • newly diagnosed cases decreased to 282 in 2019, a decline of
61 percent from 721 during 2011 and a 79 percent fall of 1,374 in 2007; • Blacks and Latinos with HIV exceeded one percent of their respective populations, with Blacks at 2.8 percent; • more than half of District residents living with HIV are 50 yearsold and older and; • men who have sex with men and heterosexual contact are the two leading modes of transmission among new cases. The report said of District residents, 0.1 percent of White women are infected with HIV in contrast 1.7 percent and 4.0 percent of Black females and males, respectively, are suffering from the disease. Plus, the report said among those newly diagnosed with the virus, 59 percent of cases had been virally suppressed in 90 days, meaning it couldn’t be spread. Nesbitt noted the decline in infections from needle exchanges, calling that momentous. “That is a significant achievement,” she said. “And so, it should not be understated, the impact that needle exchange programs and syringe services programs can have on reducing the transmission of HIV in communities.” In response to HIV concerns, the report said the District government distributed more than 4.6 million male and female condoms in 2019, removed 478,038 needles from the street through the D.C. needle exchange program, provided more than 5,000 sexually transmitted disease (STD) tests for young people through school-based and community STD screenings last year and provided HIV medical care and support service to more than 6,500 people through the Ryan White program the past year. The anti-HIV
The District’s HIV rate has fallen tremendously over the years since it emerged as an epidemic in the late 1980s and efforts by the city government are ongoing to minimize its spread, especially in the age of the coronavirus.
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efforts of the Bowser administration are part of the “90/90/90/50 Plan to End the HIV Epidemic in the District by 2020” announced in 2016 which aspires to 90 percent of residents knowing their HIV status, 90 percent of residents living with HIV are in treatment, 90 percent of those living with HIV are trending toward viral suppression and 50 percent reduction in new cases by the end of this year. Naseema Shafi, the president and CEO of the Whitman-Walker Health, told WJLA-TV (Channel 7) on Aug. 20 she is grateful for the declining HIV numbers, but she said a lot of work still needs to be done. Shafi also said she has noticed some long-term clients have been “retraumatized” by COVID-19. Nesbitt said she too has noticed the coronavirus’s effect on HIV-infected residents psychologically. “D.C. Health recognizes that the COVID-19 pandemic is changing the way D.C. residents obtain medical care and other services,” Nesbitt said. “We are expanding telehealth options and have homebased testing to give residents the opportunity to take charge of their health.” WI
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AROUND THE REGION CAPTURE THE MOMENT STEVE FRANCIS’ B-BALL COURT Steve Francis, former NBA player and founder of the Steve Francis Foundation, dedicated a mural painted on two basketball courts located at Oxon Run Park in Ward 8 to honor the anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington. (Robert R. Roberts/The Washington Informer)
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Why Child Abuse Reports Have Plummeted During the COVID-19 Pandemic By Brigette Squire WI Writer @SquireBrigette Nearly 700,000 children are abused and neglected in the U.S. each year. With family discord at an all-time high due to overall instability, one could’ve predicted child abuse and neglect reports to spike. According to the National Children’s Alliance, 40,000 fewer children nationwide between January and June of this year compared to last year took a staggering 21 percent plummet. “Statistics tell us that 1 in 10 children will be sexually abused by their 18th birthday and in some communities that rate is much higher, we believe that number of children who are brought to Safe Shores is the tip of the iceberg,” expressed Michele Booth Cole, J.D. Executive Director at Safe Shores,
a D.C. Children’s Advocacy Center, in N.W. The National Children’s Alliance states that in the District, the drop was smaller — only 3 percent because social isolation is more difficult for children living in a city than in more rural areas of the country. Social isolation for children heightened due to school closures. According to federal data, educators were responsible for 21 percent of the 4.3 million referrals made to child protective services in 2018. “Some children are in greater danger due to the social isolation since the traditional mandated reporting system designed to keep them from harm has been largely disabled,” says Cole. Also, virtual teaching 25 to 30 students decreases the ability to detect abnormal behavior in one child. Some school districts have sought to train staff on how to spot potential signs of abuse on-line.
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“There are strategies and safeguards that can be put in place even with on-line learning,” informs Cole.” Our school systems must support teachers by quickly equipping them with the skills and tech tools to spot and report abuse and to allow children to be able to indicate they need help in ways that don’t place them in further danger. The delivery of academic content, frankly, is secondary at this point to students’ safety and wellbeing.” Nationally, neglect is the most common form of abuse. Neglect is some cases includes a parent napping while children under the age of eight are playing. Proper child supervision requires full responsiveness and presence, according to the law. Children must not be left alone in situations where they may get hurt. Neglect is considered a misdemeanor, and the parent or guardian is subject to a fine or 30 days in prison. “People fear that reporting child abuse or neglect will fall back on
5 Child abuse has been harder to check during the COVID-19 pandemic due to social isolation since educators make up the bulk of the cases reported to authorities. (Courtesy photo)
them or break up the family. The truth is that getting help can protect children from further harm and assist the family in overcoming problems,” states Rudy Davis, an adult victim of child abuse and raised in foster care. In 2019 Safe Shores saw 1,529 children and their families. In 90 percent of these cases, the children
know their abuser, who is frequently a trusted adult. “Consider what it might feel like for a child to have her life turned upside down by violence and betrayal, having her reality shattered by someone, perhaps someone she knows,” according to Cole.
ABUSE Page 44
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SEPTEMBER 3 - 9, 2020 11
PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY First Baptist Church of Highland Park’s Caravan Takes Issues Directly to Community By Hamil R. Harris WI Contributing Writer Marion Jamison will never forget attending the 1963 March on Washington because, “I enjoyed doing that because there was such a meaning inside of me that said this is what you have to do.” But on Friday, 57 years later, Jamison and her 15-year-old granddaughter decorated the rear window of their car with “Black Lives Matter,” and the names of Freddie Gray, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and the names of
others who have been shot by the police. Their car was part of a caravan the church organized to make people aware of the issues, register to vote and encourage people to register for the census. “As a young person when I watch the news and I see my peers dying it really hurts because we are supposed to be a country with unity and we are supposed to be free but you can’t be free if you don’t have the same rights as everyone,” Tabitha Jamison. “I can’t breathe is so powerful because what possesses you to push so hard on someone’s
5 Marion Jamison (left) holds signs she created for a caravan with the First Baptist Church of Highland Park to bring attention to the lives lost to police and encourage people to participate in the census. (Hamil Harris/The Washington Informer)
neck until they couldn’t breathe. You have authority to protect, serve and help us but it doesn’t mean to kill us.” Rev. Henry P. Davis, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Highland Park, said, “World events have brought us to this point from the anniversary of Dr. King’s s dream and you realize that after 57 years you still have African Ameri-
cans living a nightmare. “I am glad that you have so many professional athletes who are saying that we are not going to entertain while on the flip side we are looking at all of the pain in the street,” Davis said. “How is it that we can see a man gunned down, shot seven times in the back and you can have a 17 year-old white boy who can walk with a gun and
Ideas Presented on Criminal Justice Reform By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill
5 Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Bravevboy (WI File Photo/ Robert R. Roberts)
12 - SEPTEMBER 3 - 9, 2020
Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy said mentorship and re-entry programs should be prepared for those incarcerated once a sentence gets imposed. “When people go away, they are still part of our community,” she said. “Even though that person may not physically be in Prince George’s County, we know their connections are likely to be in our county.” Braveboy joined three other lawmakers who represent Prince George’s during a virtual discussion Monday, Aug. 31. The discussion entitled “Maryland’s Disproportionate Incarceration of African Americans” led by Maryland Alliance for Justice Reform, People for Change Coalition and PFC Black Chamber had more than 110 people logged on.
One of the main items dealt with a report released in November by the Justice Policy Institute of Northwest that noted Maryland recorded the highest number of Blacks incarcerated in the nation at more than 70 percent of the state’s prison population. Young Black men ages 18 to 24 are incarcerated with the longest prison terms, according to the report. Olinda Moyd, a defense attorney and member of Maryland Alliance executive board, said Prince George’s receives about 400 returning citizens a year. That’s why at-large council members Mel Franklin and Calvin Hawkins are working on legislation to create financial incentives for businesses who hire returning citizens. In addition to getting a bill passed to create an advisory re-entry board, he said the county must build a stateof-the-art county jail to replace current one. “It’s old. It’s outdated. None of us
would want any of our family members in a place like that,” he said. Franklin said he’s contemplating proposed legislation to prohibit discrimination against returning citizens who apply for jobs with felony convictions at least five years old and misdemeanor offenses three years or older. Applicants would not have no other prior offenses. “That is a big impediment to a lot of our returning citizens staying on a pathway of straight and narrow,” he said. “We encounter many returning citizens who are very qualified to do work in the county but cannot get hired because once their background check is done…then you are knocked out of contention.” Del. Erek Barron (D-District 25) of Mitchellville said he will continue to try to change state laws that hurt low-income residents. One bill he sponsored that passed
JUSTICE Page 43
hold his hands in the air with no sense of concern. Instead of simply protesting, the members of First Baptist Church of Highland Park organized a carpool that went throughout the neighborhood to register people to vote. Davis said when church organizers did their homework, they learned the depth of the election problem. “We are going to take our car caravan to a specific community because we learned that only 30 percent of the people voted in the last election. Those kinds of things have to change,” Davis said. “We have to bridge the gap from dreams to reality.” Rev. Rachel Boyd, social justice minister at First Baptist Church of Highland Park, said, “Rev. Sharpton and the National Action Network [were] downtown celebrating the 57th anniversary of the March on Washington. Our effort is to make sure that people are informed of the issues and the options and to excite some sense of urgency regarding these matters and to allow everyone to play some role in making a change.” Todd Coogan, regional census manager for Maryland, said that the U.S. Census Bureau is in the phase of the census, which takes place every decade, of going house to house. “We have to try reach people the best way that we can through the month of September.” WI
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VOTE from Page 1 “We are not confidence that any of our individuals behind the walls have access to the ballot and we don’t have proof that they did,” said Nicole Hanson-Mundell, executive director of Out For Justice, an advocacy organization based in Baltimore that helps former and current incarcerated individuals. “We are crafting the [voter information] packets into local detention centers across the state. We can’t go through this boxed-type process every election cycle.” Nikki Charlson, deputy state administrator for state Board of Elections, acknowledged the advocates’ groundbreaking efforts in implementing this process as it’s usually done on a local level. Charlson said once the state receives a list, it will count the number of people from each detention center, then mail packets of information with a letter explaining voter eligibility, how to vote, a voter registration form to request a mail-in ballot and a self-addressed stamped envelope. Once voter registration forms are returned, the votes will be counted, she said. The state Board of Elections has a system that can flag if a person has a current felony conviction which would make that person ineligible to vote. Individuals convicted for buying or selling votes cannot register. “I think the fact that we are doing this mailing shows our commitment to making sure that the eligible voters behind the wall are being able to participate in the process,” Charlson said. “State and local election officials are working diligently to prepare a safe election for voters.” The state Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services department of corrections provided not only a list of eligible voters to the Board of Elections from the Baltimore jails but also the names of 2,743 currently housed at state prisons and other facilities. “However, the Department is not in any way able to track or determine who actually votes,” said Mark Vernarelli, corrections spokesman, in an email Tuesday. In a separate emailed statement Thursday, Aug. 27, the agency’s policy requires each correctional facility to display signs on whether an inmate needs a legal representative to complete a voter application or mail-in ballot, deadlines to return
forms and other voter information. “The department had previous procedures in place to ensure the incarcerated population is able to exercise the right to vote,” according to the statement. “However, Secretary [Robert L.] Green recognized the need to codify and refine the policy to ensure consistency throughout the department’s correctional facilities.” Maryland has about four million registered voters with census data showing the state’s Black population stands at 31 percent. However, the Justice Policy Institute of Northwest published a report in November that noted the state in 2018 recorded the highest number of Blacks incarcerated in the nation at more than 70 percent. To ensure those incarcerated aren’t forgotten, state Sen. Cory McCray (D-Baltimore City) penned an Aug. 12 letter to Election Administrator Linda Lamone with a few directives including: request a list of eligible voters from the two city jails managed by the state department of correctional services; send absentee ballots directly to each eligible voter; and provide inmates voter registration deadlines and when to cast a ballot. McCray said in an interview Thursday some 700 are eligible to vote at the two city jails and voter information will be sent to them. He admitted responsibility to constantly educate both the public and state officials about the importance of ensuring that the incarcerated be allowed the right to vote. The assistance of diverse administrators further helps, McCray said, who sponsored legislation in 2015 as a delegate for returning citizens on parole or probation to vote which affected about 40,000 people. Gov. Larry Hogan vetoed the bill but the legislature overrode his veto in 2016, making it become law. “A lot of the people that are in decision-making positions have not lived the life that we’ve lived. They have never spent one day…as a Black man or Black woman,” McCray said. “I am not defending them but they clearly want to do the right thing and may not know how to do the right thing. We must educate the masses to make sure they’re woke and make sure they are concise about the decisions that are in front of them.” He received assistance from Monica Roebuck, a member of the Prince George’s County Board of Elections. She also serves on a voter protection committee with the Maryland Democratic Party. McCray serves as first vice chair of the party.
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY
5 A Zoom meeting held by the Maryland State Board of Elections on August 28, 2020. (Screen grab)
When the county assesses how many incarcerated individuals may be eligible to vote, Roebuck said a list must be sent and approved by the state. “For too long, this population has been overlooked. No more,” she said. “We have so much work to do.” The Prince George’s state’s attorney’s office continues to work on “Operation Protect the Vote for All” to assess and determine eligible voters with the county Department of Corrections and state Board of Elections.
Maryland has about four million registered voters with census data showing the state’s Black population stands at 31 percent. However, the Justice Policy Institute of Northwest published a report in November that noted the state in 2018 recorded the highest number of Blacks incarcerated in the nation at more than 70 percent.
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‘THEY ARE STILL CITIZENS’
The Sentencing Project, a national criminal justice advocacy organization in Northwest, published a report in May to highlight about 482,000 out of 745,000, or 64 percent, of individuals incarcerated in 2017 were held on pretrial status. The group notes the majority of the 263,000 received a misdemeanor conviction. “Despite the fact that most persons detained in jail are eligible to vote, very few actually do,” according to the Sentencing Project report. “Jail administrators often lack knowledge about voting law and bureaucratic obstacles to establishing a voting process within institutions contribute significantly to limited voter participation.” Here are a few recommendations the group cites for local and state lawmakers: • Establish jail polling locations; • Require county jail voter registration plans; • Authorize special status for incarcerated voters; and • Designate a jail voting coordinator. In Maryland, one bill failed to become approved due to the shortened session in Annapolis caused by COVID-19. Del. Nick Mosby (D-Baltimore City) and Sen. Chris West (R-Baltimore County) presented legislation in their respective chambers that would’ve required each correctional facility to
disseminate voter information to each eligible person incarcerated. In addition, legislation called for mandating the state Board of Elections to disseminate certain voting materials to each and for the state Department of Corrections to provide a voter registration application and other information for those released. Meanwhile, some lawmakers and criminal justice and voting advocates suggest ending the trend toward increased mass incarceration because it can save states money. According to fiscal year 2018 data, the average cost to house each person incarcerated in the more than two dozen state facilities cost nearly $46,000. The average length of stay lasted slightly more than two years. Although the COVID-19 pandemic hampered in-person events, that hasn’t stop Hanson-Mundell with Out For Justice to use word of mouth, post fliers on social media and other means of communication to help returning citizens and those incarcerated. Her group either coordinated or participated this year in events on voter registration, the 2020 Census and recruit election judges and will participate in a statewide voter registration effort for incarcerated individuals Sept. 22, the same day as National Voter Registration Day. “We care about making sure that all eligible people have the right to vote,” she said. “They are still citizens and deserve to be treated as such.” WI
SEPTEMBER 3 - 9, 2020 13
BUSINESS Local Graduates Work to Clean a Disadvantaged Community in Need
“Our Time Is Now” Engages District Heights During “Sunday Scrub” Event By Lindiwe Vilakazi Contributing WI Writer Three local Washingtonians are facilitating efforts to convene the District Height’s community in generating positive images, inspiration, and resources for residents through their recently launched “Sunday Scrub” cleaning events. Spawned from the group’s prior conversations on Instagram live streams used to discuss current events with their following, recent university graduates hailing
from Washington, D.C., and District Heights, Md., created “Our TIN”, for “Our Time Is Now”. The organization brings an urgent focus to community needs and welfare, looking to reframe the narrative and visuals that impact the youth and residents of a subtly impoverished area. “Our people need equality and equity, and without both our people cannot prosper. Equity is a key component. Equity is the resources that go into our communities. There’s a reason why you
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5 Our TIN member Colby Mullins chants with bypassing drivers in support of the organization’s Sunday Scrub Event. (Courtesy photo)
have more than one grocery store, there’s a reason why you have only this type of school in your District. We need the equity to ensure that everyone is educated, everyone has the same playing field, and everyone is ensured a life that is not deprived of any of our constitutional rights,” said Our TIN Co-President Chris Mullins. Co-creators Christian Mullins, and Nia Steven, along with Vice President Tranel Robinson, embarked on a mission to help empower their community through esthetic and motivational practices. The Sunday Scrub, currently being their most popular event across District Heights, gathers residents to trek miles down Marlboro Pike, picking and cleaning up scattered trash. The recurring Sunday gathering has garnered strong community support, as drivers honk their horns in solidarity as the team chants slogans that embrace and encourage residents. Although the collective’s clean-
ing initiatives have helped stabilize a strong community presence, the group is more than merely a cleaning organization. The group has a projected roll out of school leadership conferences for grade school children, community food giveaways, and various initiatives
Three local Washingtonians are facilitating efforts to convene the District Height’s community in generating positive images, inspiration, and resources for residents through their recently launched “Sunday Scrub” cleaning events.
aimed to give back to their neighboring parents and children. “We’re out here because we want to help clean our community. We want to be able to give back and we want to provide that equity and equality for our communities so that we’re able to have nice things,” said Tranel Robinson. Our TIN has additionally secured support by District Heights Mayor Jonathan Medlock, reportedly collaborating with community businesses planning for future events highlighting the organization’s purpose and community service efforts. Our TIN’s marketing consultant Kadeem Ragg partnered with the group after developing ties with Robinson during their college tenure, Ragg being a Morehouse College graduate, and Robinson an alumna of Clark Atlanta University. The organization pushes for positive Black imagery and empowerment, as they are planning to spread their agenda outside of Maryland, into popularly Black communities within Philadelphia, and Atlanta. “You see everyone out here honking their horns in support we need that. We want them to go home, talk about it, and tell others,” Ragg said. Our TIN plans to continue Sunday Scrubs cleanings until November of this year, and make a return at the top of Spring 2021. WI
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BUSINESS Report: D.C. Children in Rental Housing are Food Insecure
The USDA Extends Free Meals for Youth to End of the Year By Sarafina Wright WI Contributing Writer A new survey found that one in four adults with children in the District say they can’t afford enough food for their kids and one in 10 adults in rental housing say they are behind on their rent. The report comes from the Census Bureau’s weekly Household Pulse Survey launched in April to provide nearly real-time data on how the coronavirus pandemic is impacting D.C. and the nation. About 63,000 adults—12 percent of all adults in the District— reported that their household sometimes or often didn’t have enough to eat in the last seven days, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities [CBPP] analysis of Census data for the survey period between July 9 and July 21. The survey also found that
Black and Latino children face the highest rates of hardship as well as adults living with children versus adults not living with anyone under age 18. In neighboring Maryland, communities of color aren’t fairing much better with one in three households with children struggling with food insecurity, according to data from Northwestern University. Feeding America says across the U.S. up to 18 million children are at risk of hunger due to the pandemic. The Impact of Coronavirus on Food Insecurity analysis, conducted by Dr. Craig Gundersen in April found that an increase in the unemployment rate of 7.6 percent coupled with a 5 percent increase in child poverty would result in a 9.3 percent increase in the child food insecurity rate—bringing the
total child food insecurity rate potentially to 24.5 percent. That means at the height of the pandemic one in four children could face hunger in America this year. “Whether the food insecurity rate rises to one in four or remains at one in seven, as it currently stands now, it is too many children facing hunger in our country,” Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, CEO of Feeding America said. “This report should mobilize everyone from our elected officials to the public at large to provide all the resources families need to get through this crisis.” Babineaux-Fontenot adds that the pandemic has impacted communities large and small, and the ripple effects could be felt for years to come. She says school closures and stay-at-home orders have upended
5 (Photo courtesy Pexels)
household budgets. At the same time, the Feeding America network food banks are facing an unprecedented set of circumstances with increased demand, a decline in food donations, and fewer volunteers. “This pandemic has brought the plight of so many millions of our neighbors to the forefront,”
Babineaux-Fontenot said. “Every car waiting in a distribution line is a family seeking food and encouragement. We will not stop being there for them and ask that if you can support us in our mission, please give what you can.” In response to the millions of
FOOD Page 43
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SEPTEMBER 3 - 9, 2020 15
NATIONAL GOP Convention Ignores Reality; Disregards Plight of African Americans By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer @StacyBrownMedia If a single tweet could sum up the Republican National Convention held last week, then the New Yorker’s Susan Glasser likely nailed it. “America right now has deadly pandemic, massive unemployment, and recession, schools unable to open, protests over racial injustice, a killer hurricane bearing down on the South… And I am watching Mike Pence talk about how bad things would be in Joe
Biden’s America,” Glasser wrote. Many who watched opined that the prevailing theme of the recently-completed four-day GOP affair seemed like a 1978 Jim Jones rally in San Francisco before he took his loyal disciples to Guyana and fed them the poisonous Kool-Aid. “That’s not a political party. That’s a cult,” “Late Show” host Stephen Colbert said. “Welcome to the convention, everybody. Take off your masks and put on your matching Nikes and your MAGA hats, then drink up our
5 Darryl Strawberry was among the African Americans spotted at President Trump’s acceptance speech at the White House during the Republican National Convention. (Photo via Report Door)
bleach-flavored Kool-Aid,” Colbert dead-panned. It was clear early and late that the GOP gathering took on a decidedly different tone than the Democrats’ held one week earlier. While Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden released statements condemning yet another police shooting of an unarmed African American, President Donald Trump invited among his guests, the gun-toting cou-
Request for Qualifications GAGA-2020-RFA-0030 Dedicated Aide & Nursing Services for Students with Special Needs DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PUBLIC SCHOOLS OFFICE OF CONTRACTS AND ACQUISITIONS The District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS), Office of Contracts and Acquisitions (OCA), on behalf of the Division of Specialized Instruction (DSI) in the Office of Teaching & Learning (OTL), is requesting qualifications for service providers to staff paraprofessional (“dedicated aide”) and nursing (“dedicated nurse”) roles dedicated to specific DCPS students with special needs attending DCPS at various locations. Services must be available both in-person and remotely to accommodate for remote learning. Dedicated aides must meet the requisite credentials for highly qualified paraprofessionals outlined in the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002 and have the capacity to provide support for students who qualify for dedicated one-on-one paraprofessional support as determined by the Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) team in an urban setting. Dedicated nurses must meet the requisites for providers of school health services as a related service, outlined in the IDEA. Nurses will document all medical care each day in relation to student nursing and/ or feeding plans. The Request for Qualifications form and related documents are available on the DCPS website at https://dcps. dc.gov/node/1433901 under Solicitations. Submissions will only be accepted via e-mail at justin.willis@k12.dc.gov. All submissions must be received later than 3:00 PM on Friday September 11, 2020.
16 - SEPTEMBER 3 - 9, 2020
ple from St. Louis who pointed guns at unarmed and peaceful protestors. Meanwhile, Paris Dennard, the Republican National Committee advisor for Black affairs, sent daily email updates to journalists. While the messages included the text, “real Americans standing for our national anthem,” African-American athletes continued to exercise their right to protest not just by kneeling but by giving up their multi-million-dollar paychecks, striking in support of Black lives. In a response from the White House on Thursday, Trump condemned the athletes while his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, mocked the players. But perhaps more important, while Democrats observed social distancing and the wearing of masks during their convention, Trump and his more ardent supporters declared victory over the coronavirus. Trump also packed in an estimated 1,500 people on the White House lawn Thursday evening to deliver his formal nomination acceptance speech, clearly breaking social gathering guidelines and norms mandated and observed by most localities. Perhaps the convention’s highlight was first lady Melania Trump who spoke to Americans during the second night of the convention with a speech in which she declared that “total honesty is what we as citizens deserve from our president.” However, as noted by CNN and other outlets, the convention programming was littered with false or
misleading claims, including some from the president’s son Eric Trump and several others whose allegations against Biden and the Democrats failed to include essential contextual references. White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow claimed that Trump inherited a “stagnant economy on the front end of recession” from the Obama administration, adding that the Trump White House rebuilt the economy in three years. “This is misleading,” CNN fact-checkers reported. “The U.S. economy was growing 1.7 percent in 2016 when Trump was elected. It continued to grow after he took office, especially after the 2017 tax cuts.” Fact-checkers noted further that the country emerged from the “Great Recession” in the third quarter of 2009 and grew continuously throughout the rest of Barack Obama’s presidency. In his remarks Tuesday night, Eric Trump contrasted his father’s accomplishments with Biden’s plans saying, “Biden has pledged to defund the police.” Again, CNN fact-checkers responded. “Biden has expressly not supported calls to defund the police,” the team reported. “In fact, Biden’s published criminal justice plan called for a $300 million investment in community policing efforts – including hiring more officers.” The younger Trump also claimed
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GOP Page 43
NATIONAL
Bill Cosby Supporters Show Love with Massive Billboard By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer @StacyBrownMedia
A digital billboard showing love to Bill Cosby now stands a short distance away from the Norristown, Pa. courthouse where the imprisoned comedian was convicted of aggravated indecent assault two years ago. The massive sign that hovers above F H Gold Buyers at 244 W. Main Street reads “We Love Cosby” with the word love substituted with a glowing red heart. A group called “We Believe Bill Cosby!” paid $3,150 for the billboard, raising the money through a Go Fund Me campaign with 56 donors and hundreds of supporters. “Basically, a group of Cosby supporters wanted to show Mr. Cosby support on a grand level,” said
Nicole Lewis who organized the fundraiser adding that the location was chosen because it represents where “Mr. Cosby was maliciously prosecuted.” Cosby was convicted on three counts of aggravated indecent assault in a 2018 trial that many legal experts consider unfair. He is currently serving a three-to-10-year prison sentence. However, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court recently ruled that it would hear Cosby’s appeal. The comedian’s supporters said they originally wanted the billboard to read, “Bill Cosby is Innocent,” but Lamar Advertising which leases the billboards denied the request. “Lamar did not want to touch the Cosby case and they wanted to remain impartial until the appeal hearing,” Lewis wrote in an email to NNPA Newswire.
A spokesman for Lamar declined further comment. Lewis said fellow Cosby supporter Sasha Hampton, who lives in New York, helped design the billboard. “Lamar was very hesitant to have a pro-Cosby message advertised. However, after reading over their rules, simply using Cosby’s last name was perfectly legal since there are thousands of people named Cosby in America,” Lewis offered. “So, we kept our message simple and to the point, ‘We Love Cosby,” she said, explaining the bottom portion of the message states it’s paid for by WBBCO, which stands for ‘We Believe Bill Cosby.” The organization has received feedback from both Bill and Camille Cosby, Lewis said. “We heard that Mr. and Mrs. Cosby were very happy and thankful for our billboard. Our overall
5 (Courtesy photo)
hope is that Mr. Cosby’s conviction can be overturned in the very near future because he has no business being locked up over corrupt political officials,” Lewis explained. “Even though we couldn’t put what we wanted, we feel that our
message of support is still just as powerful, especially since the billboard is literally nine minutes away from the Montgomery County courthouse in Norristown.” The billboard will be on display until Sept. 29. WI
receive up to $25,000 to pay delinquent property taxes, homeowner’s insurance, condominium fees, homeowners association fees and certain property related expenses paid by your Servicer. • Must be a District resident/homeowner • Residence must be secured by a Reverse Mortgage in borrower’s name • Subject property must be a primary residence located in the District • Have an annual income not to exceed $77,450 • Be ”at risk” of foreclosure due to unpaid property taxes, homeowner’s insurance, condo/HOA fees • Must demonstrate ability to sustain future tax and insurance payments, as required.
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additional information remit@dchfa.org
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africa now
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Entrepreneur Who Quit Law School Starts Biggest Charcoal Factory in Ghana
In Africa, many parents often hope their children will grow up to be doctors, engineers, lawyers or bankers. Only a few parents support their children’s entrepreneurial skills or their desire to work in the creatives. Sulley Amin Abubakar, now the owner of the “biggest charcoal producing company in Ghana and probably West Africa,” started off as a law student. The promising Ghanaian entrepreneur was in his final year of law school when he quit and started his own business, Zaacoal, a company that produces quality and affordable environmentally friendly charcoal for households and industries. On his commute to school, Abubakar saw many coconut vendors and wondered how they dispose of their waste. Usually, there are no proper channels to dispose of coconut husks, despite many coconut vendors on every street corner. He took a trip to the beaches one day and saw how there were many coconut husks littered all over the place. His desire to venture into mass charcoal production was ignited, however, when he saw a kenkey street vendor make fire with coconut husk instead of the usual charcoal or firewood. His curiosity was at its all-time peak about this time and he traveled to the northern parts of Ghana to learn more about charcoal production. With his newly acquired knowledge, Amin began experimenting with the idea of making charcoal from coconut waste in his home. With his final year of school hanging in the balance, Abubakar used his school fees to fund his new venture. He tried making charcoal from the husk using a tomato tin and now he owns his own factory producing stainless environmentally friendly charcoal. His family at this point did not know he had dropped out of school, only finding out after he had set up his factory. Since then, they have been his greatest supporters and he now works with almost 12 people at the factory. WI
caribbean now CLA Aims to Issue 100th Cannabis License by End of 2021 Fiscal Year
The Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA) says it aims to issue its 100th license before the end of the 2020/2021 fiscal year. Felicia Bailey, CLA director of research development and communications, said during a JIS Think Tank event on Aug. 27 that the authority is focused on achieving this goal through a reduction in the application processing time. “The CLA started the 2020/2021 financial year with a renewed vision to be the global benchmark for excellence in the medical cannabis industry,” Bailey said. “Our mission is to effectively regulate the legal handling of ganja and hemp and issue licenses, permits and authorization to enable the development of a sustainable medical cannabis industry in Jamaica.” The authority has issued 67 ganja licenses to local companies and individuals since its establishment in 2015. In addition, there are 21 applicants at the “license granted” stage of the process. Bailey noted that the CLA’s Key Performance Indicator (KPI) for processing time is now six months, which is a reduction compared to the more than eight-month period that previously existed. “The CLA continues to try to review and process applications in a timely manner to meet this KPI. After reviewing the process and making changes, some applications are now being processed within three months,” she said. Bailey noted that the authority’s revised application processing time of six months is among the shortest periods across the world, including countries such as the United States, Canada, Columbia and Australia. WI
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Eight Ways to Embrace Self-Care Submitted by AmeriHealth Caritas District of Columbia
Care has been foremost in the minds of many this year. How can we best take care of ourselves and those we love when our health may be at greater risk? To care for our loved ones, we first need to take care of ourselves. Self-care is when we pay attention to the needs of our own body and emotions. It means we take care of our own physical and emotional health. Self-care can help us adapt to changes and recover from setbacks. It can help us weather the stormy times and enjoy the brighter ones.1 Self-care often falls to the bottom of the list for caregivers. Yet the better we feel and function, the better we can care for others.
WAYS TO CARE FOR YOUR PHYSICAL HEALTH1
1. Keep active every day. All activity counts. Even dancing around the kitchen to the radio, taking the stairs, and jogging in place may help our bodies stay healthy. Daily exercise naturally helps our bodies relieve
stress. Schedule some time to move as a routine part of your day. Remember to talk to a health care provider before starting an exercise program. 2. Eat well. Get plenty of whole grains and fresh veggies and fruit in your diet. This may help lower your risk for chronic diseases. Eating right can also help improve your mood and energy level. 3. Get the sleep you need. Many adults need seven to nine hours a night. To make the most of your rest times, stay away from computers, TVs, and smartphones before bed. 4. Try some techniques to reduce stress. If you need a timeout, try five minutes of deep breathing, muscle relaxation, or meditation. These may help relieve hard feelings and help you stay more relaxed day to day. 5. Avoid alcohol and drugs. Ultimately, these may worsen your stress.
pause each day or week to jot down one good thing you saw. 2. Accept your feelings. It’s OK to feel some frustration or sadness. You may find yourself thinking that you shouldn’t feel these things. Instead, try to just notice and respect your feelings. You can help reduce your stress by not labeling them as good or bad. 3. Look for support. If you’re a caregiver, this is key. We may think that we can or should be able to do it all ourselves, but this is untrue. Knowing you’re not alone is also a powerful boost. Support can come from community resources, family, friends, and professionals. Many resources are available online. Join a support group or talk to a counselor or friend. If you or your loved one is an AmeriHealth Caritas District of Columbia (DC) enrollee, we can help. Please call Enrollee Services at 1-800408-7511 (TTY 1-800-570-1190).
WAYS TO CARE FOR YOUR EMOTIONAL HEALTH1
Sources: 1. “Taking Care of Yourself,” National Alliance on Mental Illness, https://www.nami.org/Your-Journey/Family-Members-and-Caregivers/Taking-Care-
of-Yourself. 2. “Stress and Coping,” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/ managing-stress-anxiety.html?CDC_AA_ refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fprepare%2Fmanaging-stress-anxiety.html. All images are used under license for illustrative purposes only. Any individual depicted is a model
1. Focus on the good. Let yourself notice any positive moments during the day. Even the small ones count, like a kind word or a sunny day. Try to
Managing Health Stress #BestMe For some people, managing feelings of fear or anxiety may be the hardest part of challenging times. It’s normal to feel uneasy about uncertainty. However, we may help ourselves and others by adopting ways of coping. You may notice one or more of these signs of stress:2 • Worrying about your health or the health of those you love • Changes in how you sleep or eat • Difficulty sleeping or focusing • Worsening of chronic or mental health conditions • Using more alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs
If you notice any of these signs, try some of these ways to cope:2 • Give yourself a break. Limit how often you watch, read, or listen to the news. This includes
news on social media. Hearing about troubling events too often can add to our stress. • Give yourself time to relax.Try to do something you like each day. • Connect with others, even online. Talk with people you trust about how you feel. • Eat healthy, well-balanced meals • Take deep breaths, stretch, or meditate • Get the sleep you need • Keep your body active • Avoid alcohol and drugs
If you or someone you love is overwhelmed with feelings of sadness, depression, or anxiety, there are resources available to help: • Call the Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990 • If you are an AmeriHealth Caritas DC enrollee, call Enrollee Services at 1-800408-7511 (TTY 1-800-570-1190)
Find us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/amerihealthdc. / Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/amerihealthcaritasdc. / Find us on Instagram at www.instagram.com/amerihealthcaritasdc.
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Visit www.amerihealthcaritasdc.com/giftcard to learn more. Note: A member cannot get more than $50 in incentives each year.
ACDC-19433327-2
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All images are used under license for illustrative purposes only. Any individual depicted is a model.
AmeriHealth Caritas District of Columbia complies with applicable federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. English: ATTENTION: If you speak English, language assistance services, at no cost, are available to you. Call 1-800-408-7511 (TTY/TDD: 202-216-9885 or 1-800-570-1190). Spanish: ATENCIÓN: si habla español, tiene a su disposición servicios gratuitos de asistencia lingüística. Llame al 1-800-408-7511 (TTY/TDD: 202-216-9885 o 1-800-570-1190). Amharic: ማሳሰቢያ፡ አማርኛ መናገር የሚችሉ ከሆነ፣ ከከፍያ ነጻ የሆነ የቋንቋ ድጋፍ አገልግሎት ይቀርብልዎታል፡፡ በስልክ ቁጥር 1-800-408-7511 (TTY/TDD: 202-216-9885 ወይም 1-800-570-1190) ይደውሉ. 1-800-408-7511 اﺗﺼﻞ ﺑﺮﻗﻢ.ﺎن ﻓﺈن ﺧﺪﻣﺎت اﳌﺴﺎﻋﺪة اﻟﻠﻐﻮﻳﺔ ﺗﺘﻮاﻓﺮ ﻟﻚ ﺑﺎ، إذا ﻛﻨﺖ ﺗﺘﺤﺪث اﻟﻠﻐﺔ اﻟﻌﺮﺑﻴﺔ: ﻣﻠﺤﻮﻇﺔ: Arabic .(1-800-570-1190 أوTTY/TDD: 202-216-9885 )رﻗﻢ ﻫﺎﺗﻒ اﻟﺼﻢ واﻟﺒﻜﻢ
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SEPTEMBER 3 - 9, 2020 19
HEALTH COVID-19 UPDATE
FDA Approves New Rapid Result COVID-19 Test
The BinaxNOW™ COVID-19 Ag Card Rapid Test By Sarafina Wright WI Contributing Writer The Food and Drug Administration has authorized the first diagnostic test where COVID-19 results can be read directly from a testing card. The BinaxNOW™ COVID-19 Ag Card rapid test for detection of COVID-19 infection is about the size of a credit card, highly portable and can be read in similar fashion to a pregnancy test, according to the drug maker Abbott. The test will sell for $5 and is de-
signed to be fast and efficient for healthcare providers without the need of an analyzer. “This new COVID-19 antigen test is an important addition to available tests because the results can be read in minutes, right off the testing card,” Jeff Shuren, M.D., J.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health said. “This means people will know if they have the virus in almost real-time. “Due to its simpler design and the large number of tests the company anticipates making in the coming
months, this new antigen test is an important advancement in our fight against the pandemic.” Abbott will also launch a complementary mobile app named NAVICA for iPhone and Android devices. This first-of-its-kind app, available at no charge, will allow people who test negative to display a temporary digital health pass that is renewed each time a person is tested through their healthcare provider along with the date of the test result. Organizations will be able to view and verify the information on a mobile device to facilitate entry into facilities along with handwashing, social distancing, enhanced cleaning and mask-wearing. “We intentionally designed the BinaxNOW test and NAVICA app so we could offer a comprehensive testing solution to help Americans feel more confident about their health and lives,” Robert B. Ford, president and chief executive officer, Abbott said. “BinaxNOW and the NAVICA app give us an affordable, easy-to-use, scalable test, and a complementary digital health tool to help us have a bit more normalcy in our daily lives.” How it works: A healthcare provider swabs the patient’s nose and twirls
that sample on a test card with a testing reagent added. After waiting 15 minutes, the healthcare provider reads the results directly from the testing card. One line indicates a negative result; two lines indicate a positive result. The FDA says this test can be used at doctor’s offices, emergency rooms or some schools. The test also has been authorized for use in patients suspected of COVID-19 by their healthcare provider within seven days of symptom onset. Abbott plans to make up to 50 million tests available monthly in the U.S. at the beginning of October. “The massive scale of this test and app will allow tens of millions of people to have access to rapid and reliable testing,” said Joseph Petrosino, chairman of the Molecular Virology and Microbiology Department at Baylor College of Medicine, whose labs have been leading efforts to provide COVID-19 testing for the college and
5 Abbott’s BinaxNOW™ COVID-19 Ag Card is highly portable, about the size of a credit card, and doesn’t require added equipment. /Courtesy of Abbott.
Harris County, Texas. “With lab-based tests, you get excellent sensitivity but might have to wait days or longer to get the results. With a rapid antigen test, you get a result right away, getting infectious people off the streets and into quarantine so they don’t spread the virus.” WI
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District Healthcare System Offers Relief During Coronavirus Pandemic By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer @StacyBrownMedia
The average American spends about $11,000 per year on personal health care, according to the most recent estimates from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. But when considering record unemployment and COVID-19, any significant cash outlay could lead to a disastrous financial outlook and, as noted in a recent release by the District-based personal finance site, WalletHub, higher medical costs don’t necessarily translate to better results. According to a study by the Kaiser Family Foundation, the U.S. lags behind several other wealthy nations on measures that include health coverage, life expectancy and disease burden, which measures longevity and quality of life. However, the U.S. has improved in giving more healthcare access for people in worse health and healthcare cost growth has slowed somewhat. District residents have a reason for optimism because an August survey by WalletHub that compared the 50 states and D.C. found that the nation’s capital ranked tops in access to adequate health care services and the city enjoyed the most reasonable costs. While Maryland ranked 32nd in access, it had the third-best ranking for costs. Virginia finished 49th and 18th in those respective categories.
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5 The average American spends $11,000 per year on healthcare costs and for African Americans, that translates into a heavy burden especially during the pandemic. (Photo courtesy Medical Economics)
The District also has the most physicians, most hospital beds and most dentists per capita. Further, the survey noted that D.C. has the second-highest number of insured adults and the third-highest number of insured children. Avalere, a health care think tank in Northwest, noted that costs to the healthcare system for COVID-19 treatment and related procedures have increased across all health insurance markets, demonstrating the opportunity for potential pharmacological treatments and vaccinations to reduce the number and duration of hospitalizations. Avalere’s analysis of hospital stay claims in Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) found that total costs to the U.S. healthcare system from inpatient hospitalizations due to
COVID-19 will range from $9.6 billion to $16.9 billion in 2020. The U.S. has recorded more than 6.1 million cases of the coronavirus and more than 186,000 have died. The District reports about 13,850 cases with more than 600 deaths. Overall, African Americans are dying more than 2 times higher than other groups, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The rising healthcare costs has also greatly affected African Americans whose medium annual income is about $30,000 less than white Americans. “For Americans who struggle with healthcare costs, drug prices are often identified as the biggest prob-
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The Washington Convention and Sports Authority t/a Events DC Bid Announcement The Washington Convention and Sports Authority t/a Events DC is soliciting bids from qualified firms to provide Commercial Window Shade. Interested parties can view a copy of the Request for Proposal (RFP) by accessing the Event DC’s E-procurement website at www.wcsapex.com and opening APEX BID #20-S-011-658. Key Dates Pre-Proposal Conference via Zoom: 01:00 PM EST, Friday, September 4, 2020 Questions Due Date: 05:00 PM EST, Tuesday, September 15, 2020 Proposal Due Date: 03:00 PM EST, Wednesday, September 23, 2020 Notification of intent to attend the pre-proposal conference via Zoom must be provided via e-mail to Briana Vaden, Contracts & Procurement Analyst at bvaden@eventsdc.com no later than 5:00pm EST, September 3, 2020 WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER
SEPTEMBER 3 - 9, 2020 21
EDUCATION After Postmaster General’s Testimony, America’s Trust Issues Continue for Post Office By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer @StacyBrownMedia One week after Postmaster General Louis DeJoy testified before a House Oversight Committee on Capitol Hill, there remain suspicions on whether voters and those who receive prescription medication through the mail can trust the U.S. Postal Service. “It remains to be seen,” Rep. Yvette
Clarke (D-N.Y.) said. “We made sure that the American people had the facts before them because the Postal Service is the only service enshrined in the U.S. Constitution, and this [controversy] has happened under Donald Trump’s attempt to dismantle democracy as we know it and move forth his agenda.” DeJoy’s leadership has received sharp criticism from Democrats and included some Republicans’ rebukes
5 President Trump has publicly stated his disdain for the postal service. His administration has withheld critical funds from the agency despite legislation that passed the House and the Senate supporting a cash infusion to the Post Office. (Shuttershock photo)
because of widespread reports of a slowdown in mail delivery. President Trump has publicly stated his disdain for the postal service. His administration has withheld critical funds from the agency despite legislation that passed the House and the Senate supporting a cash infusion to the Post Office.
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Trump opposes mail-in voting but that didn’t stop him and first lady Melania Trump from mailing in their recent Florida election ballots. While DeJoy promised to comply with lawmakers’ demands not to slow delivery of mail and not to put in place measures that undermine the postal service, House Oversight Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney blasted him during the hearings. “You can expect a subpoena if you withhold information from this committee,” Maloney, the New York Democrat, warned. “You’re withholding information from us, concealing documents and downplaying the damage that you’re causing.” She added that DeJoy probably should be replaced. “I can’t imagine why he would be kept on,” she said. DeJoy claimed that reports critical of his actions as postmaster general have greatly been exaggerated. “There are many inaccuracies,” he stated, noting that he did not direct the removal of mail collection boxes and didn’t cut back workers’ hours. “I did, however, suspend these prac-
tices to remove any misperceptions about our commitment to delivering the nation’s election mail,” DeJoy claimed. “Any further assertions by the media or elected officials are furthering a false narrative to the American people.” Clarke said lawmakers put a lot of pressure on DeJoy and have exposed the postmaster general’s dereliction of duty and the unprecedented collaboration with Trump. “Donald Trump has tried to undermine our mail system for the purpose of discouraging individuals from voting by mail,” Clarke stated. “This has implications for veterans and seniors. This dismantling of the postal service was intentional. There is a cease and desist order that DeJoy admitted but we need to see the apparatus put back in place so that people can vote safely and our seniors can get their medication.” Clark continued: “Will that be the case? We are getting a lot of pushback and Donald Trump is on the campaign trail already trying to delegitimize the election if mail-in ballots are allowed. It’s all to cause voter suppression.” WI
One week after Postmaster General Louis DeJoy testified before a House Oversight Committee on Capitol Hill, there remain suspicions on whether voters and those who receive prescription medication through the mail can trust the U.S. Postal Service.
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EDUCATION
School Systems Urged to Reconsider In-Person Instruction By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill As the 136,500 Prince George’s County public school students began virtual learning this week, there’s a push for the state of Maryland to hold some form of in-person instruction later this year. Prince George’s Schools CEO Monica Goldson said health and safety remain the most important decision based on plans prepared in July. The county continues to lead the state with the most confirmed cases at nearly 27,000. Goldson said five staff members died from COVID-19. “It was important to us to make sure that we created a safe environment and we continue to move forward academically,” she said Monday, Aug. 31 while visiting Cooper Lane Elementary in Landover Hills. “We’ve given our resources totally
different than we did in the spring to help support our students, create parent centers [and] create a parent hotline. Safety, equity and excellence. All of those things are important to us.” The state of Maryland’s second largest school system joined eight others this week where students sat at their computers and other technology devices learning online because of the coronavirus pandemic. The other 15 school systems in Maryland will hold the first day of school after Labor Day on Sept. 8. Prince George’s and several other jurisdictions that include Anne Arundel, Baltimore and Montgomery counties plan to keep students out the buildings for the entire first semester through January. However, a statewide proposal encourages all schools to offer some in-person instruction later this year. It comes with a financial incentive: to obtain portions of a $10 million grant to help
with schools that do open. State Superintendent Karen Salmon said during a press conference last week in Annapolis she “is strongly encouraging” all 24 school systems to provide a form of in-person instruction at the end of the first quarter. School boards vote on calendars to set each marking period during that timeframe. For instance, the last day for Prince George’s students will be Nov. 5. It ends four days later Nov. 9 in Montgomery County. “Parents of our at-risk children and our children with special needs have been especially consistent with their message that they need direct instruction for their children,” Salmon said. “I’ve heard loud and clear from parents across the state that what occurred this past spring is not acceptable. We can’t allow that to happen again.” The state Board of Education approved a plan Tuesday, Sept. 1 that
5 Maryland public schools superintendent Karen Salmon, center, talks about proposal for all 24 school systems to incorporate some form of in-person instruction later this year. (William J. Ford/The Washington Informer)
requires a minimum of six hours of school per day with at least 3½ hours of synchronous instruction for kindergarten through 12th grade. Students enrolled in half-day pre-kindergarten must receive a minimum of 90 minutes of synchronous learning during the course of the half-day. Local school officials must submit
a plan by the third week of November that includes a process to provide some form of in-person instruction in 2021. However, school systems aren’t required to if officials feel it remains unsafe due to COVID-19. Meanwhile, about 16 school systems will offer small group instruc-
INSTRUCTION Page 38
COVID-19 NOTICE Legal Counsel for the Elderly (LCE) is operating remotely during the pandemic, but we remain committed to the needs of DC elders 60 and older. For legal assistance call LCE Legal Hotline: 202-434-2120 For long-term care issues call LCE’s Office of the DC Long-Term Care Ombudsman: 202-434-2190 For the latest on the pandemic, visit www.cdc.gov and www.coronavirus.dc.gov
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OPINIONS/EDITORIALS
EDITORIAL No Justice, No Games Kudos to members of the NBA, WNBA, NFL, NHL, tennis, and other professional sports leagues whose members did more than take a knee following the most recent police-involved killing of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wis. Last week, players staged walkouts while standing up against racial injustice in the U.S. It was a powerful statement to make and for all of America, and the world, to see and hear. As players, coaches, and even sports commentators made bold statements and then walked off the field, the court, and news desks, it brought to mind A Day of Absence, the 1965 one-act play, by Douglas Turner Ward, the playwright and actor most noted for founding and directing the Negro Ensemble Company based in New York City. The play takes place in a Southern town where, overnight, Black people suddenly disappear, leaving White people to fend for themselves to do the work they depended on Black people to do for them. It is a satire, but for one day, the walkout of athletes – both Black and White – left America wondering who or where would they go for entertainment if the players, the majority in most leagues who are Black, refused to play. The New York Times, in a headline, called it a “deafening silence… that provided a powerful message.” And The Washington Post described it as a “new standard of civil disobedience.” No matter how you characterize this moment, it is clear that the players discovered their voice and used it effectively. “We are not just basketball players,” Arial Atkins of the Washington Mystics said. “And just because we are basketball players doesn’t mean that’s our only platform.” An official statement by the Milwaukee Bucks read, “When we take the court and represent Milwaukee and Wisconsin, we are expected to play at a high level, give maximum effort and hold each other accountable. We hold ourselves to that standard, and in this moment, we are demanding the same from our lawmakers and law enforcement.” At a time when COVID-19 is devastating American households through sickness and death, forcing less human interaction, and creating job loss, as well as mental, physical, and emotional concerns, the nation needs its favorite past-times to return. But athletes are humans, too, and they share the pain that makes playing less fun. We take pride and support the decisions they’ve made and their demands to end all injustice everywhere. So, as the games begin, we know these men and women have proven that until there is justice, the games may end again. WI
AS PLAYERS, COACHES, AND EVEN SPORTS COMMENTATORS MADE
BOLD STATEMENTS AND THEN
WALKED OFF THE FIELD, THE COURT, AND NEWS DESKS, IT BROUGHT TO
MIND A DAY OF ABSENCE, THE 1965
ONE-ACT PLAY, BY DOUGLAS TURNER
WARD, THE PLAYWRIGHT AND ACTOR
TO THE EDITOR Stand Up for Black Girls Bridging the Gap Glad to see someone is talking about the school-to-prison pipeline that Black girls face in the story “School Policies, Procedures Hurt Girls of Color: Report.” Black girls are often described as too loud, too aggressive, too mouthy, grown, etc. Black girls are also unfairly treated from a young age and it will not get better unless people call it out and change their own mentality first.
To the Washington Informer Bridge, all I can say is wow! What a great section showing young, Black people in an honest, intelligent and creative light. Great stories and photos. I also love the cartoon on the cover. Nice job, folks. Terrence Billingsley Landover, Md.
Lynn Felder Washington, D.C.
Readers' Mailbox
MOST NOTED FOR FOUNDING AND
DIRECTING THE NEGRO ENSEMBLE COMPANY BASED IN NEW YORK CITY. WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER
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 3 - 9, 2020 25
OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnist
By Julianne Malveaux
Lawlessness and Disorder: America’s Mistreatment of Its Black Citizens
When a 17-year-old white boy walks down the streets of Kenosha, Wis. with a loaded automatic weapon, he is cheered and thanked by the police and offered a water bottle. No matter that he’d killed two people and wounded another. His attorney says it was self-defense, and Kenosha Sherriff Miskinis said the shootings would not have happened had those killed not broken curfew. Later he “clarified” his
remarks, but his callousness was frighteningly evident. Speeches at the Republican National Convention painted a wildly inaccurate picture of the Democratic Biden-Harris ticket. It would not be “safe,” said Vice President Mike Pence. There will be lawlessness, violence, and destruction, said Rudy Giuliani. And count on the Republican presidential nominee to stir the pot during his dystopic 70-minute combination of lying bombast and dire predictions. Through it, all the words “looting” and “lawlessness” were repeatedly used.
Guest Columnist
Black folks are all too familiar with lawlessness. After the aching oppression of enslavement, much of which was lawful, we endured the post-Reconstruction era where laws were made re-enslave the recently emancipated with Jim Crow “laws,” voter suppression, random violence against Black people deemed “insolent” and others. Rabid racists took Black people’s property, raped Black women and girls, and experienced no consequences. Though much of this was against the law, white law enforcement agencies did not enforce the law, so there were
few arrests, even fewer trials, and hardly any convictions. A white man was more likely to be convicted of killing an enslaved person (and usually fined) because they “destroyed someone’s property” than to be tried or convicted because they killed a Black person. Consider the lynching of Anthony P. Crawford, a Black man of considerable property who was lynched on Oct. 21, 2016, in Abbeville, S.C. Crawford owned 427 acres of “prime cotton land” and was wealthy enough to lend money to both Black and white farmers. He was a civic-minded AME
church member but was described by some whites as “rich for a (N)egro” and insolent along with it. Anthony Crawford, born enslaved, had land worth $20,000 in 1916 or $500,000 today. One day, Crawford went to the county seat to sell cottonseed and other goods at the county seat. The owner offered him five cents a pound less than he offered whites. Crawford, being “insolent,” said he would rather dump his cottonseed in the river than be cheated, using colorful language. He was ar-
• Choose the doll that looks like a Negro child, • Choose the doll that looks like themselves. At question six, most had identified the Black doll as “bad.” When asked question seven, many replied that the white doll looked like them. Others refused to pick either doll or just start crying. The Clark Test was presented as evidence in the Supreme Court Brown v. Board decision and, more than any other instrument, demonstrated the
psychological impact of the portrayal of image and character upon a group; how image can shape and influence conduct and behavior. Considering the historically stereotyped images of African Americans, it is easy to understand OUR struggle to maintain positive character images rather than acceptance of the negativity projected/expected of us. Those who enjoy history or who wit-
MALVEAUX Page 45
By E. Faye Williams
If You Hear It Enough
Growing up in Louisiana, I was exposed to men and women who used animals to work their land and/or as a food source to sustain their families. It was fascinating that most of these men and women could gather their animals to a central location for feeding and other purposes with a unique sound, call or shout. I was amazed at the amount of con-
trol these calls afforded these people over their “dumb animals.” I didn’t immediately think about a correlation between animals and humans, but after observation, I realized humans become conditioned to the influence of “noise” in our lives as well. Because of scientific research, we understand the effect of “noise” on African Americans is responsible for many significant behaviors. In 1939, Dr. Kenneth Clark, a noted Black psychologist, and his wife performed an experiment where they asked Black children ages 6
Guest Columnist
to 9 to choose between Black and white dolls that were the same except skin color. The test asked the children to: • Choose the doll they liked best or would like to play with. • Choose the doll that’s the “nice” doll. • Choose the doll that looks “bad.” • Choose the doll that looks like a white child. • Choose the doll that looks like a colored child,
WILLIAMS Page 45
By Glenn Ellis
Ongoing Challenges with Testing for COVID-19
As of now, there is no clear proof that the antibodies that develop after being infected with COVID-19 offer any protection from future infections. Even if these antibodies will protect you, no one knows what antibody levels are needed to protect against reinfection. As evidenced by the man in China who is the first confirmed case of being infected a second time, we need to accept that there is much we need to un-
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derstand about COVID-19, in order to protect ourselves as best as possible. As pointed out in an earlier column, as summer comes to an end, the prospect of a flu season during the coronavirus pandemic is a frightening thought for many health experts. Six months after the start of the pandemic, we are seeing tens of thousands of deaths, and thousands of people experiencing horrible effects from the virus even after surviving! And yet, we seem to be as far away from understanding this COVID-19 virus! Now, in what could only be called
a “mind-blowing” decision, the CDC has just issued guidance that says, “If you have been in close contact (within 6 feet) of a person with a COVID-19 infection for at least 15 minutes but do not have symptoms: You do not necessarily need a test unless you are a vulnerable individual or your health care provider or state or local public health officials recommend you take one.” REALLY?! It has been barely a month, since the CDC, themselves, confirmed that 40 percent of all COVID-19 cases in the United States are in people who don’t
know that they are infected. In other words, asymptomatic people. Up until now, the guidance stressed the importance of testing people who were in close contact with infected people. Now, without explanation, this is no longer recommended. As recently as June, the CDC’s advice was, “Because COVID-19 is highly transmissible and can be spread by people who do not know they have the disease, risk of transmission within a community can be difficult to determine. Until broad-scale testing is widely implemented, or we have a more
comprehensive and precise measure of disease burden, states and communities should assume some community transmission or spread is occurring.” Go figure! The whole purpose of doing testing is to reduce the rate at which someone infected comes in contact with someone not infected or reduce the probability of infection if there is contact. The more a person interacts with different people, and the longer and closer the interaction, the higher the risk of COVID-19 spread. So can
ELLIS Page 45
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OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnist
By Austin R. Cooper, Jr.
Trump’s House of Lies
“Though nothing Donald did surprised me, the speed and volume with which he started inflicting his worst impulses on the country – from lying about the crowd size at the inauguration and whining about how poorly he was treated to rolling back environmental protections, targeting the Affordable Care Act in order to take affordable health care away from millions of people, and enacting his racist
Muslim ban – overwhelmed me.” These words were written by Dr. Mary L. Trump, the President’s niece, in her recently released book, “Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man.” Needless to say, the Trump presidency has not only overwhelmed him, but also much of America and indeed, the world. To quote both President Trump and former First Lady Michelle Obama, “It is what it is.” In a column titled, “Now Our Nation Must Heal,” written a few days
Guest Columnist
In the four years of Donald Trump’s presidency, never, even for one day, has he demonstrated “the vision, desire, compassion, fortitude and patience to unite this country.” During the 2016 primaries, former Gov. Jeb Bush was accurate in his premonition about Trump: “He’s a chaos candidate and he’d be a chaos president.” Trump’s vision for America? Divisive. His desire for healing the nation? Not even on his radar. Ability to show compassion? Only for Vladimir Putin. Twisted capacity to demonstrate fortitude? Ask Stormy Daniels. Patience?
before the November 2016 election, but published two days afterwards, I wrote these words: “May all Americans, regardless of party affiliation, remember these words spoken in 1858 by Sen. Stephen Douglas to Abraham Lincoln, who had just defeated him for the presidency: ‘Partisan feelings must yield to patriotism. I’m with you, Mr. President and God Bless you.’” I went on to write, “Madame President or Mr. President-Elect, America is already great. May you have the vision, desire, compassion, fortitude and patience to unite this country.”
Only for that which financially benefits himself, family and friends. Much of last week’s GOP convention production was illegal. The Hatch Act specifically prohibits federal employee participation in most partisan political activities. For example, calls for campaign political contributions cannot be made from government offices. True, the act does not apply to either the president or vice president. Nonetheless, it was illegal to host convention activities at the White House.
COOPER Page 46
By Jediael Peterson
Can Colleges Hold Space for Student’s Mental Health during a Global Pandemic?
As an undergraduate, I am concerned about how students will manage their mental health as we return to school after a tumultuous year. No one has planned for a pandemic in 2020, but we are presented with the unfortunate task of navigating these unknown times. Unfortunately, college students must navigate both worldwide events and stressful schoolwork. Unlike other countries
that prioritize their citizen’s mental health, the United States has decided that physical and mental health is not a priority--and university student will suffer because of this. College students make up a good number of people whose mental health will be negatively affected, and many fear that their colleges are not equipped to handle this. For many students, college is already stressful enough, juggling schoolwork, jobs and extracurricular activities, but the community created in these environments often helps
Askia-At-Large
health resources. This pandemic will have long-lasting effects on our mental and physical health. Even before COVID colleges were not adequately equipped to help its students and now more than ever, students’ mental health needs to be prioritized. The current pandemic highlights the need for improved mental health for students. Students are forced to cope with the loss of physical contact, inability to see their loved ones, loss of jobs and the death of family members. And we don’t have a chance to
mourn our losses. Even more, the idea that college students will be paying thousands of dollars in tuition and not receive adequate care is something for which students should not settle. The pandemic heaps stress on us and it is not lightweight. It weakens the human immune system and makes us sick, a burden we cannot afford. Stress robs our sleep, distorts thinking, warps mental health, which in turn, reflects on our performance
voters in every town and hamlet where there’s a voting booth, Biden seems content to want to campaign from the basement of his house in Delaware. What? He seems to want to let Harris, and Sanders, and Stacey Abrams, the members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Barack and Michele Obama, and other surrogates do the retail campaigning for him. Bad decision. By contrast, I read recently that the Trump campaign has already knocked on 1 million doors, encouraging voters to turnout for their guy.
Worst of all, Biden is bubble-bathsoft on the issues. At the Democratic National Convention, he gave more time to Republican-defectors from Trump, than he did to his party’s core supporters. Former Ohio Gov. John Kasich and former Secretary of State Colin Powell got prime-time speaking slots, while Democratic rising star Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.) got less than 90-seconds, and then only to pro-forma second the nomi-
one cope. However, due to COVID, those communities are going to look quite different; many students cannot afford to go back to school, and others will be quarantined on campus. All of these add on to the impending loneliness college students are going to feel. A survey done by the Healthy Minds Network between March and May, 2020 found an increase in depression amongst college students. Considering how difficult it is to access mental health services, universities can step in and help their students by providing efficient online mental
PETERSON Page 46
By Askia Muhammad
Biden Won’t Win
Sorry to be the bearer of sad tidings, Never-Trumpsters. But I have to tell you, Joe Biden will not win the presidential election this November. It’s not that he can’t win. His problem is that he won’t do what he needs to do to win. Democrats and Trump-haters were buoyed after he chose Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate. That was
a smart decision. Bravo Biden. But other than that, he’s wimping out. He thought he was “Bad” with that move, pulling out his switchblade. The only problem is that the Republicans have made this a hatchet fight. When I first felt Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), or even Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) were better on the issues from the rest of the wacky Democratic primary field, I gave Biden a pass. I thought he might best be able to stand up, eyeball-to-eyeball in a debate with The Donald and back him
down, and if need be challenge him to “step outside” to settle things if he tried some of that spooky stalking-stuff he did to Hilary Clinton in one of the 2016 debates. But Biden has made so many stupid gaffes, till Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is suggesting that he not debate Trump! What? That’s Biden’s only asset, his potential ability to face down the Town Bully in a fair fight and show him up for being the empty-suit, windbag that he is! Instead of getting out and engaging
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ASKIA Page 46 SEPTEMBER 3 - 9, 2020 27
LIFESTYLE CHADWICK from Page 1 Thus, the announcement that the South Carolina native and Howard University graduate (class of 2000) had died Friday, Aug 28 at his home surrounded by his wife and family, was received with even greater surprise, shocking fans, colleagues and friends alike who had been unaware of the challenges he had endured. In days to come, Boseman’s name will undoubtedly be added to a list of other Black “superstars” whose untimely departures from this world have each evoked words reminiscent of the phrase, “gone too soon.” Similar to others whose deaths many lament came before they had realized their fullest potential, including Aaliyah, Tupac, Minnie Riperton, Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, Jimi Hen-
28 - SEPTEMBER 3 - 9, 2020
drix and Bob Marley, Boseman leaves behind a legacy of work that will be remembered for generations to come. A statement posted on his Twitter account provides reflections from his family. “A true fighter, Chadwick persevered through it all, and brought you so many of the films you have come to love so much,” the statement said. “From ‘Marshall’ to ‘Da 5 Bloods,’ August Wilson’s ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’ and several more, all were filmed during and between countless surgeries and chemotherapy.” “With his role as King T’Challa in the boundary-breaking film ‘Black Panther,’ he became a global icon and an inspiring symbol of Black power. That role was the ‘honor of (Boseman’s) career,’ the statement concluded.
On the campus of Howard University, his beloved alma mater, a makeshift memorial continues to grow larger with each passing day, replete with an array of fresh flowers, stuffed animals, lit candles and messages of sympathy carefully placed in front of the school’s Division of Fine Arts Building. The president of Howard University, Dr. Wayne A.I. Frederick, released a statement on behalf of the school’s thousands of alumni, faculty and staff. “It is with profound sadness that we mourn the loss of alumnus Chadwick Boseman who passed away [on Friday] evening. His incredible talent will forever be immortalized through his characters and through his own personal journey from student to superhero! Rest in Power, Chadwick!” Frederick said in a much longer, heartfelt statement. Boseman made the most of his first opportunity at stardom in 2013 with his portrayal of Jackie Robinson in the film “42.” Ironically, word of his death came on the same day during which Major League Baseball [MLB] honored the man who broke the color barrier in “America’s sport” on Jackie Robinson Day – an annual
5 Chadwick Boseman, gives the Wakanda salute after the 2018 commencement address at Howard University. Boseman died Friday, August 28 after a long bout with colon cancer. (WI File Photo/Roy Lewis)
commemoration delayed by several months because of the COVID-19 pandemic. MLB tweeted Friday about Boseman’s unforgettable portrayal of Robinson. “His transcendent performance in ‘42’ will stand the test of time and serve as a powerful vehicle to tell Jackie’s story to audiences for generations to come,” the tweet said. Boseman first took on the role of T’Challa/Black Panther in his debut performance for Marvel Cinematic Universe in “Captain America: Civil War,” released in 2016. Two years later, in 2018, Black Panther would be featured in a film of his own with Boseman leading the way in the movie that broke box office records. Prior to his death, Marvel Studios had announced plans for a second movie in the “Black Panther” saga, scheduled for release in May 2022. It remains unclear how Boseman’s death will impact production. The actor starred in other films in which he contained to portray iconic African Americans of the 20th century including playing James Brown in “Get On Up” and Thurgood Marshall in “Marshall.” Upon his return to his alma mater in 2018 where he gave the commencement speech, he shared with the graduates his reflections about his early days in the industry – taking on minor roles on soap operas and even being fired from one production after expressing his discontent that many of its Black characters seemed to mimic stereotypical descriptions of African Americans. Sen. Kamala Harris, another Howard alum, said she was heart-
broken over Boseman’s death. “My friend and fellow Bison Chadwick Boseman was brilliant, kind, learned, and humble,” she tweeted. “He left too early but his life made a difference. Sending my sincere condolences to his family.” In his commencement speech, he shared how loss can prepare an individual for greater gains realized in the future. “As conflicted as I was before I lost the job, as adamant as I was about the need to speak truth to power, I found myself even more conflicted afterwards,” he said. “I stand here today knowing that my Howard University education prepared me to play Jackie Robinson, James Brown, Thurgood Marshall and T’Challa,” he said. “I was riding here and I heard on the radio, somebody called [Howard] Wakanda University. But it has many names, the Mecca, the Hilltop . . . But beyond the physical campus, the Hilltop represents the culmination of the intellectual and spiritual journey you have undergone while you were here . . .” “Each of you had your own unique difficulties with the hill. For some of you, the challenge was actually academics. When you hear the words magna cum laude, cum laude, you know that’s not you. That’s not you. You worked hard. You did your best, but you didn’t make A’s or B’s, sometimes C’s. You never made the dean’s list, but that’s okay. You are here on top of the hill,” he said. In response, as the world continues to mourn his death, only one phrase seems appropriate: “Wakanda Forever!” WI
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LIFESTYLE
African Americans and Clinical Research Submitted by: The Center for Information and Study on Clinical Research Participation https://www.ciscrp.org/ african-americans-and-clinicalresearch/ If you have ever taken a pill or been treated for an illness, you have seen the benefit of clinical trials. Each year, thousands of African Americans take part in clinical trials to help find ways to prevent, treat, and cure illness. Clinical trials help African Americans and all people enjoy better health.
WHAT ARE CLINICAL TRIALS?
Why are pediatric clinical studies conducted? MANY ILLNESSES such as sickle cell anemia, asthma, diabetes, heart disease, HIV/ AIDS, and certain kinds of cancer, such as prostate cancer, affect African Americans more than other people. Yet, little is known about how they respond
to treatment, so African American volunteers are needed to help scientists learn how different treatments affect them. When African Americans take part in clinical trials, they help improve the health of all people and provide greater understanding of health disparities. Clinical trials, also known as “clinical research studies,” or “clinical studies,” are studies in human volunteers that try to answer specific health questions. Some clinical trials measure the safety and effectiveness of potential new treatments. Other clinical trials observe health issues and behaviors in large groups of Clinical Trials Then and Now FOR MANY YEARS, most clinical trials were done on white men only. This meant that groups such as African Americans, women, and other minorities were not included. But today, clinical trials welcome the participation of all people, and those clinical trials are closely monitored for their safe and ethical treatment of volunteers.
HOW YOU ARE PROTECTED IF YOU PARTICIPATE
SOME AFRICAN AMERICANS still remember past abuses like the Tuskegee Experiment, in which syphilis treatment was withheld from a group of African American men for many years. People wonder if something like that could happen today. The answer is NO. Federal guidelines and codes of ethics are in place to protect clinical research volunteers from harm. In addition, an Institutional Review Board, a panel of professionals and community members, is responsible for monitoring study safety and protecting volunteer rights in every clinical trial.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE YOU ENROLL IN A CLINICAL TRIAL
It is a good idea to learn as much
as you can about it. You may be interested to know that there are different kinds of clinical trials. Some need healthy volunteers while other clinical trials seek volunteers needing treatment. A clinical trial is conducted according to a plan called a protocol, which describes: • What types of volunteers may enter the study • The schedules of tests and procedures, study medications and dosages
• Length of the study • Number of study visits Based on the requirements of the protocol, you may or may not qualify for a specific clinical trial. If you qualify for the clinical trial, you will be asked to agree in writing to follow the protocol. This is called giving informed consent. To learn more about clinical research, please visit www.ciscrp.org
=
Have you recovered from COVID-19? Join a study to learn if COVID 19 has made you more vulnerable to influenza
We need your participation to understand how COVID-19 may affect responses to vaccines. This may help you, your family, and your community. The NIH Clinical Center America’s Research Hospital is located in Bethesda, MD, at the Medical Center Metro stop.
Contact: NIH Clinical Center Office of Patient Recruitment 800-411-1222 (refer to study #19-I-0126) Se habla español Email: prpl@cc.nih.gov Website: https://gp.usa.gov/xpPgw TTY/ASCII: 800-877-8339 WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER
SEPTEMBER 3 - 9, 2020 29
LIFESTYLE Georgetown’s Legendary Coach ‘Big John’ Dead at 78 By D. Kevin McNeir WI Editor @dkevinmcneir John Thompson, Jr., a towering presence in local, college and professional basketball, who turned Georgetown University into a global basketball colossus, died Aug. 30 at the age of 78. Known affectionately as “Big John,” Thompson, a native Washingtonian who grew up in Southeast, was the first Black head coach to strike gold in the National Collegiate Athletic Association basketball tournament. He transformed a basketball program that had won three games and lost 23 in 1971 into a powerhouse over a 27-year career, led the Hoyas to three NCAA Final Four appearances in the 1980s—including the 1984 national championship--, won seven Big East Conference titles. He also coached the U.S. national team to a bronze medal
in the 1988 Olympics. Survivors include two sons, John Thompson III and Ronny Thompson, and daughter Tiffany Thompson. The family, in a statement issued by Georgetown, said: “We are heartbroken to share the news of the passing of our father, John Thompson, Jr,” the statement said. “Our father was an inspiration to many and devoted his life to developing young people not simply on, but most importantly, off the basketball court. He is revered as a historic shepherd of the sport, dedicated to the welfare of his community above all else. “However, for us, his greatest legacy remains as a father, grandfather, uncle, and friend. More than a coach, he was our foundation. More than a legend, he was the voice in our ear every day. We will miss him but are grounded in the assurance that we carry his faith and determination in us. We
5 John Thompson, Jr. in September 2015 when the United States Basketball Writers Association announced him as the first winner of the Dean Smith Award, named in honor of the legendary North Carolina coach. (Courtesy photo/Georgetown University)
will cherish forever his strength, courage, wisdom and boldness, as well as his unfailing love. “We know that he will be deeply missed by many and our family appreciates your condolences and
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prayers. But don’t worry about him, because as he always liked to say, ‘Big Ace is cool.’” Thompson’s coaching accomplishments included the recruitment and development of four players in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame: Patrick Ewing, Alonzo Mourning, Dikembe Mutombo and Allen Iverson. Ewing, who Thompson lured to the Jesuit school and was central to winning tradition at Georgetown, currently serves as the coach for the men’s basketball team – a role that Ewing says he had never considered before receiving a call from his mentor. “This is a person that, when I came to college, I was 18, helped me to grow,” Ewing said last fall to an ESPN reporter during Big East media day. “Even though my mom and dad were always there, he was always a person I could pick up the phone and call if I had a problem or if I had a question.” Thompson, a Naismith Hall of Fame inductee in 1999, has been credited with opening the door for a generation of minority coaches. His national title run in 1984 was the first by a Black head coach and altered the perception of Black coaches. Never one to pull punches, Thompson walked off the court in 1989 before a game against Boston College to protest Proposition 48, an NCAA measure that would ban academically in-
eligible freshmen from receiving scholarships. Thompson said he protested because he believed the proposition limited opportunities for minority students. Born Sept. 2, 1941, Thompson starred for Archbishop Carroll High School in Washington during the school’s 55-game winning streak, capped by a 24-0 record in his senior year. At Providence College, he starred on a team that won the 1963 National Invitational Tournament, was named an All-American and served as captain of the school’s first NCAA tournament team in 1964. The Boston Celtics’ Red Auerbach selected the 6-foot-10 Thompson in the third round of the 1964 NBA draft. He saw limited action as backup to legendary center Bill Russell but won championships with the franchise in 1965 and 1966 before leaving the NBA after two seasons. His later said he was influenced by the coaching style of Auerbach. He accepted a post as the head coach at St. Anthony Catholic School in Washington in 1966. He was 122-28 during his six-year prep coaching career before Georgetown hired him in 1972, exceeding all expectations. And while the Georgetown president told Thompson his goal was to get the team to the NIT “every now and then,” by 1975, Thompson had led the Hoyas to the NCAA tournament for the first time in 32 years. WI
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LIFESTYLE
Entrepreneur Raymond Rouse Makes Love of Chess a Business Boon D.C. Native’s Customized Boards Tout Black Lives Matter Theme, More
By D. Kevin McNeir WI Editor @dkevinmcneir
Native Washingtonian Raymond Rouse will never forget his introduction 20 years ago to the game of chess nor his almost immediate attraction to the popular pastime requiring the fast-paced tactical and strategic moves of pawns, bishops, rooks and a queen whose origins date back nearly 1,500 years to India around the 6th century AD. And while the Marine Corps veteran and father of two adult children admits being unable to convince his offspring to embrace his passion for the game, his desire to become a business owner has yielded an unexpected result. Six years ago, he founded The Red Tile – a web-based, one-man shop in which he conceives and builds customized game boards, primarily for chess, with pieces and themes specifically chosen by customers. Some have been commissioned by devotees of Jurassic Park with prehistoric game pieces. However, his latest project fits particularly well with today’s unprecedented political environment fueled by heated degrees of both racial and social unrest – chessboards whose 32 figures represent just a portion of the hundreds of Black men or women killed since the murder of Trayvon Martin due to police-involved encounters, white vigilantes or alleged community patrolmen. “The business developed accidentally after someone hired me to make lamps and tables for a cigar lounge,” said Rouse, 45 who resides in Northwest. “The client came to my home to see the kind of things I had make for myself and saw a chessboard on my table that I had made. I made one at their request and that order turned into three more – and kept going. I soon patented my design and can complete a project in as little as one month or, given the complexity, as long as a month or more.” “Some of my designs have required more hours, greater detail and become more difficult to com-
plete, primarily because I always follow the same process in my craftsmanship. While customers vary in their specifications and their unique demands for the theme or details for their boards, I always work with liquid glass while crafting an assortment of transferred images – all hand-painted and thoroughly researched,” Rouse said. He says he faced a “mind-blowing experience” as he began his work on his Black Lives Matter-themed chessboards. “In the real world where I live as a Black man, I soon learned that 32 names and their spaces could have easily been replaced by hundreds of other names of men or women,” he said. “My choices were just a drop in the bucket. Two or three Black children have been killed almost every day since 2013. But I chose more familiar names despite a much longer list that was available. Tragically, most of them will forever remain names that few of us will ever know.”
ROUSE TO RAFFLE BLM BOARD TO SUPPORT LOCAL YOUTH
In efforts to support local youth who share his passion for chess, Rouse will kick-off a raffle beginning Sept. 4 with the winner announced on Oct. 5. The winner will receive a custom-made chess board based on their requirements. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to We Act Radio Summer Chess Club, a group co-founded by Kymone Freeman. Details for the raffle will be shared on the Washington Informer’s website beginning this Friday. Freeman says Rouse’s generosity will continue to encourage Black youth. “Our club teaches kids the virtues of chess while applying critical thinking and conflict resolution skills that I learned earlier in life,” he said. “Our program teaches youth that the white piece [in life] shouldn’t move first all the time. We’re creating a more ecumenical society that values equity and which
supports and embraces the dismantling of today’s corrupt system.” For more about Rouse and The Red Tile, visit www.theredtilerr@gmail. com or visit his website, www.theredtile.com. WI
(Courtesy photos/Raymond Rouse IG grab)
New Affordable Housing Opportunity in the Navy Yard, Washington D.C. We are proud to introduce Estate apartments offering 53 brand new studio, one-and two-bedroom apartments for qualified low-income households at The Yards in Washington, D.C.’s Navy Yard. Waitlist is now open. Income and program restrictions apply. Admission standards include economic criteria. Persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Housing Choice vouchers are accepted. Equal Housing Opportunity Provider. Applications may be picked up from 9:00am to 6:00pm, Monday - Friday at 1212 4th Street SE, Washington, D.C. 20003 or by calling (202) 479-2734.
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LIFESTYLE
After Passage of the 19th Amendment, the Struggle Continued for Women By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer @StacyBrownMedia This is part of an ongoing Washington Informer series about the Women’s Suffrage Movement and an initiative that includes Informer Publisher Denise Rolark Barnes that will use the lens of history, the fabric of art and culture and the venue of the public square to shine a light into dark places, equipping all with a compass to chart the way forward. The initiative lives in the institutional home of the Washington Informer Charities. The signing of the 19th Amendment was a victorious moment for women in the suffrage movement. But, were women readily embraced at the polls? What happened to the
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Black women who helped to make the movement a success? “After the passage of the 19th amendment, politicians aggressively courted the women’s vote,” said David Greenberg, a professor of Journalism and Media Studies and History at the School of Communication and Information at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. “In the 1920 elections, Democrats and Republicans hoped that women’s votes would make the key difference. They developed proposals aimed at women,” noted Greenberg who authored “Republic of Spin: An Inside History of the American Presidency” (2016), “Nixon’s Shadow: The History of an Image” (2003); and “Calvin Coolidge” (2006). “In the end, there was no ‘gender gap’ that year. It took many years be-
fore women in the aggregate showed different voting tendencies from men in the aggregate.” For Black women outside of the South, the 19th Amendment’s effects were real and immediate, added Greenberg. “In cities like Chicago and New York, Blacks developed a strong political power base and used it to influence the Democratic party’s policies. For Black women – and men – in the Jim Crow South, however, such power would have to wait until the 1965 Voting Rights Act and the fall of segregation,” he said. After the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920, suffragists knew that their work remained unfinished. While the government recognized women’s right to vote, many women still faced discrimination. Members of the National Woman’s Party drafted the Equal Rights Amendment, according to National Parks Service (NPS) historians. It wasn’t until 1970 that the Equal Rights Amendment won ratification in both houses of Congress but it still
5 The suffrage movement continued even after the passage of the 19th amendment. (Photo by National Endowment for the Humanities)
failed to receive adequate support from the states and it hasn’t been added to the Constitution. In short, women – Black women in particular – still haven’t received full recognition at the ballot box, although women are more loyal and motivated about voting than men. “A century after the ratification of
the 19th Amendment, women are still advocating for their rights,” NPS historians wrote. “But the passage of the 19th Amendment was an important milestone in women’s history. The Amendment gave women the power to vote and have a say in running our democracy.” WI
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Continuing to Support our Customers and the Community During the Pandemic Submitted by Washington Gas
Washington Gas is committed to delivering the latest updates and reminders as we continue to address the ongoing impacts and challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. These many months have been an incredible test of patience and endurance for all of us. As a provider of essential energy services, each day our team is working hard to deliver natural gas reliably and safely in neighborhoods across Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia. Our dedication to providing information, reminders, and updates to our customers in these unprecedented times is just one of the many ways we aim to keep us connected, informed and united.
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While our Walk-In Offices remain closed to the public for the safety of employees and our community, we remain focused on supporting our community and our customers. We know it’s never been more important to have access to energy payment options and resources for energy assistance, as well as information about how to use these programs and realize the benefits. Through our initiative Washington Gas Cares, we are working hard to package our existing customer programs and develop new ones, and to get word out proactively by contacting our customers to make sure they know about the options they have, what to expect and what help is available— with a personal touch—during the pandemic period. That means you may hear from the Washington Gas Cares team by phone, automated messaging or email communication in the coming weeks as we strive to lend a helping hand and potentially match our customers in need with the appropriate assistance.
ic, Washington Gas recently provided $250,000 to fund select programs in the DC-area that address the growing need for immediate and long-term food security assistance for individuals and families impacted by COVID-19. The donations are in addition to the COVID-19 funding previously made available by Washington Gas across our community. Our donations support non-profit programs, including the regional Get Shift Done initiative that pays hospitality and restaurant workers displaced by COVID-19 closures a rate of $15.00 per hour to work at local food banks where demand has risen significantly due to the economic impacts of COVID-19. Our COVID-relief giving will continue so that we help meet the growing needs of impacted communities in a way that is sustainable and equitable.
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Dana White Breaks Glass Ceiling as Hyundai’s Chief Communications Officer Charlottesville Native Began Journey at Black Newspaper Beside Her Grandfather By Troy Schulz Zenger News As Hyundai North America’s first Black woman to serve as the automaker’s chief communications officer, Dana W. White, knows what it’s like to have two feet in two worlds. “Growing up I always knew about the power of communication, the power of words,” she said. “My grandfather, who was born in 1896, founded the oldest Black newspaper in [Virginia – the Charlottesville-Albemarle Tribune]. I used to cut ad sheets, write copy and process black-and-white photos. The entrepreneurial spirit runs deep in me and my family.” “The environment I grew up in there was never a pot of gold waiting for me at the end of the tunnel. It’s in my DNA – to make
it happen for yourself.” She studied hard in college, taking the toughest courses on purpose even if they were scheduled early in the morning and required long walks across Chicago wind-chilled campus, majoring in Chinese history at the University of Chicago. “At the time, nobody was thinking about China,” she said. “Everyone was terrified that Japan was taking over the world but no one was thinking about this country of one billion people that was just sitting there, very quiet. I wanted to make sure I’d be employable for the next 50 years, find something that was valuable for the future. So, I decided to study Mandarin.” She applied for scholarships to study in China’s capital, Beijing, and later in South Korea’s capital, Seoul. This on-the-ground experi-
You don’t have to continue to hide in silence anymore from DOMESTIC VIOLENCE Dr. Carolyn White-Washington, genuinely offers the key to your Freedom, Happiness, and Peace of mind. Hear today on ‘Healing For Humanity’ with Radio Host, Jennifer Gelencia. Show aired Profanity free on podcast radio @ blackonblackunity.com THEN CLICK Radio Information. Show date August 14, 2020. Hear it right now!! A Real Life Changer!! 34 - SEPTEMBER 3 - 9, 2020
ence would later prove pivotal in her career. “I think it’s fascinating, working as a Black American within different cultures. In fact, sometimes I think it’s an advantage as I experience my home culture differently and therefore I think I’m much more observant and intrigued by people, their language and traditions. It’s helpful in translating best practices and communications,” she said. “Communication isn’t just about the literal words themselves, it’s about the feeling, impressions and the image you convey or defy.” After college, she moved to the District without a job and worked as an intern and a temp to pay the bills while she applied for jobs on Capitol Hill. The Republican committee for all GOP lawmakers, then chaired by Rep. J.C. Watts, the only Black Republican serving in Congress, was the first to call her back. She went on to take a series of jobs in government and in media, often working as the only black woman in the room including two years as deputy press secretary for the House Republican Conference. Then she joined the public relations team at Fox News for a year in 2000. Later, she worked at the Heritage Foundation, a think tank
on Capitol Hill that is influential among Republicans “I was director of the Heritage Foundation’s roundtable for Asian-Pacific journalists which was comprised of foreign correspondents . . . totaling more than 400 different journalists from across Asia. It was beneficial when I did my first stint at the Pentagon on the China Desk, then at Nissan and now Hyundai.” Her hiring came as a no-brainer for Hyundai’s top brass. “When I joined Hyundai a year ago, I knew I needed someone who understood decision making at the highest levels, storytelling and how to work across cultures seamlessly to deliver results. So, I called Dana,” said Jose Munoz, Global COO of Hyundai Motor Company and President/CEO of Hyundai Motor North America. “It’s rare to find one person with all the skills, talents and experiences that she has. And she has proven track record of success. In few short months, Dana has already made a big difference in how we operate, communicate and tell the Hyundai story,” Munoz said. Ultimately for White, she says her passions are education, excellence and empowerment. Her father, Sherman R. White, who graduated from Charlottesville’s segregated schools, was also plaintiff in the desegregation of Charlottesville schools. He attended Howard University at 16 and later pledged Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. At Howard, he met and married her mother Agnes Cross whose father was an AME minister and whose mother
5 Dana White poses for a photo inside Hyundai Motor America. (Carol Larsen/ Zenger)
was one of the first Blacks to secure a civil service job in the state of Pennsylvania. “The thing about me is that I’m propelled by history and obsessed with the future,” she said. “It’s in my family – this spirit of perseverance. I feel like they handed me a baton. They ran hard and ran fast. They carried the baton as far as they could go. Now, it’s my turn to run faster and farther and pass the baton to the next generation.” WI
THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA HOUSING AUTHORITY REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) SOLICITATION NO.: 0025-2020 DEVELOPMENT PROFESSIONAL AND ADVISORY CONSULTING SERVICES The District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) requires qualified Development Professional Consulting and Advisory Services to redevelop public housing communities/properties into mixed-income communities/properties. SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS will be available on DCHA’s website at www.dchousing.org beginning Monday, August 10, 2020. SEALED PROPOSAL RESPONSES ARE DUE ON OR BEFORE Thursday, September 10, 2020 at 11:00 AM. Contact Lolita Washington, Contract Specialist at (202) 830-5220 or by email at lwashing@dchousing.org with copy to business@dchousing.org for additional information. THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM
LIFESTYLE
wi book review
horoscopes
SEPT 3 - 9, 2020
“Begin Again: James Baldwin’s America and Its Urgent Lessons for Our Own”
ARIES It’s likely a business opportunity is available to you. If you been looking for a job, you may have the easiest interview ever. If you want to lead the project at your current job, your supervisor may be more than happy to hand you the reins. Today, you have a great ability to concentrate and do the work. Use this energy for working on difficult topics like your dissertation or learning how to program in Java. Lucky Numbers: 2, 4, 8
By Eddie S. Glaude Jr. c.2020, Crown $27.00 / $36.00 Canada 239 pages
TAURUS Today, you are absolutely sure of what you don’t want, but you may be having difficulty figuring out what you do want. This process of elimination is the long way to go. First, recognize you don’t have to constantly review what you don’t want in your life. And second, if you’re not sure, it’s okay to try something for now and change your mind later. This goes for relationships, career choices, and what you’re having for dinner. Lucky Numbers: 2, 12, 34
By Terri Schlichenmeyer WI Contributing Writer Did you see that? Sure, you did. You couldn’t miss it because you can spot hatred, discrimination, and bad trouble a mile away. You know when something’s wrong and you saw it; saw it coming, in fact, and you weren’t alone. In “Begin Again” by Eddie S. Glaude, Jr., you’ll know that a warning was sounded decades ago. Every day, it seems like you catch the news and you cringe. “It is exhausting,” says Glaude, “to find oneself... navigating a world rife with deadly assumptions about you and those who look like you... for no other reason” than the color of your skin or your sexuality. Author James Baldwin keenly felt both and during his career, he demanded, through his writing, that America come to terms with “this so-called democracy.” Baldwin was tired of a “set of practices” Glaude calls “the lie,” or “more properly several sets of lies” meant to keep racism alive in as many American systems as possible. Baldwin saw “the lie” and it enraged him: once, early in the Civil Rights Movement, he made a group of Black college students promise that they would never take to heart “the lies” they heard about themselves. It’s been said that he saw “the lie” and wanted to give “warning” to White readers of the battle to come, but in truth, Glaude says, Baldwin wasn’t sure “whether white America was worthy of warning at all.” These are the things Baldwin spoke out against, says Glaude, and that we still grapple with – especially in the political climate in which we live. He believes “the divisions in the country feel old and worn,” although we do have the tools to alter current racial and political climates. Baldwin, for instance “insisted that we reach for a better self….” “With that in mind,” says Glaude, “we have to gather ourselves to fight and to begin again.” In his introduction, Glaude, Jr. says that he was in Heidelberg when he started this book, which gave him a unique perspective of the “current state of our politics.” He says that he didn’t write it as biography or literary criticism or history, although it ended up being “some combination of all three.” This, plus a good measure of personal memoir thrown in, adds a different twist and makes “Begin Again” quite deep. But not too deep: there’s enough room here for readers to be moved by the parallels that Glaude draws between then and now, and how Baldwin perceived American society before his death. Glaude also presents Baldwin’s constant fury and sadness over “the after times” (post-Civil Rights Movement) with an urgency that can still galvanize, though Baldwin has been gone for more than three decades. So, what would Baldwin have thought about our current administration? Glaude doesn’t hypothesize here, so we’re left mostly to draw our own conclusions, to imagine, think, and to use Baldwin’s words as a sort of guide out. And for that, “Begin Again” is a book you’ll want to see. WI
GEMINI Your desire to acquire may feel a bit overwhelming today. A little bit of shopping can add up quickly into a spending spree. Or you may do the other side of the equation and be ready to go minimalist and dump all your stuff. Whichever side of the seesaw you want to be on make sure it’s in harmony with your bigger goals. Lucky Numbers: 19, 31, 50 CANCER Today, you might be a little obsessed with the topic of love. This could be harmlessly flipping through the pages of a bodice ripper romance novel, or a continual flow of thoughts about a person in your life. Turn the energy back to self-care and the people in your life will step up to support you. Lucky Numbers: 3, 4, 6 LEO Consider sitting down for 10 minutes and visualizing different goal points over the next five years. Cement this picture in your mind with a symbol. For you it might be a beach house, your dream wedding day, or it might be your manuscript in print. Hold that picture in your mind today. Lucky Numbers: 5, 35, 38 VIRGO Today is one of the best days for you to reach out to people on online dating platforms. If you’re already in a long-term relationship, grab your honey for some satisfying romance. Happily single? This aspect isn’t just about love, but for ambition as well. Today, you can knock one out of the park. Lucky Numbers: 2, 3, 34 LIBRA Today, you can find a song of success, music to go with the vision in your mind that propels you forward. Give yourself a soundtrack to inspire you, something to get you up in the morning, or to help you take action when you’re outside your comfort zone. This helps you build your monuments. Lucky Numbers: 14, 22, 23 SCORPIO On Sept. 4, Venus, in your house of spirituality, blends with Mars in your house of daily routines. It’s a wonderful thing to have a daily ritual such as a few minutes of meditation, lighting a candle, or saying a prayer. Consider sweeping the porch with reverence and the intention to sweep away the negativity and welcome in the positive energy. Today, return to a habit you’ve done in the past and let this ritual build your power. Lucky Numbers: 8, 23, 40 SAGITTARIUS You may be working on a project that is going to cost you some money. This could be related to the home or the business you have going. You may be trying to decide whether to open your wallet or find funding elsewhere. Time to ask the universe for some help by visualizing opportunities. Lucky Numbers: 3, 17, 20 CAPRICORN Someone in your life seems obsessed with how you do things and very focused on getting you to change. You may be feeling a desire to push back and now you have the power to do so. But instead of giving them a verbal shove, thank them kindly for their interest in your life and let them know you’re just going to do it your way. Lucky Numbers: 8, 25, 33 AQUARIUS Today, you could uncover a much easier way to do something around the house. This small change could save you hours of time each month. Now it’s a good idea to look at what else you can streamline, delegate, or eliminate. In fact, this might lead to a mass decluttering. Lucky Numbers: 3, 15, 23 PISCES Someone that you love and care about has you concerned. They may be going the wrong direction or be completely off the rails. And you may be on one of those little hamster wheels over what you should do about it. The solution now is to send them thoughts of loving-kindness and turn this over to the universe. Lucky Numbers: 6, 9, 28
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SEPTEMBER 3 - 9, 2020 35
SPORTS Blake Tragedy Sparks National Sports Boycott By Daniel Kucin, Jr. WI Contributing Writer danielkucin88 After the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minn. May 25, a demand for change sparked protests that raged on to stop police brutality and systemic racism against people of color. The 46-year-old man died in the street screaming, “I can’t breathe,” while officer Derek Chauvin left his knee on Floyd’s neck for nearly eight minutes. Though the Black Lives Matter movement spread awareness of what is going on everywhere in the nation, it didn’t stop another tragedy in Kenosha, Wis., on Aug. 23 during the evening for a domestic disturbance call noted as “family trouble.” Kenosha Police Department officer Rusten Sheskey discharged his
weapon at 29-year-old Jacob Blake while he was entering his vehicle. Based on video footage, Blake allegedly posed no apparent threat when he was subsequently shot seven times in the back. Blake is paralyzed from the waist, and all officers involved have been placed on administrative leave. “DCI is continuing to review evidence and return the facts of this incident and will turn over investigative reports to a prosecutor following a complete and thorough investigation,” said a police statement. In contrast, only 15 miles away from where Blake was shot multiple times, a 17-year-old white male (Kyle Rittenhouse) armed with a semi-automatic rifle shot and killed two people (wounded another) on Aug. 25 during the protests while the area is under a state of emergency. In cellphone video that surfaced
5 The WNBA Mystics shirts spelled out the name of Jacob Blake in the front and seven fake bullet holes in the back to protest the shooting of Blake who was shot seven times in the back by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin. (Courtesy photo)
over social media, the assailant fired at bystanders trying to stop him after finding out that he allegedly shot and killed someone. In another video shared by Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law President Kristen Clarke, police officers can be heard speaking to a group of white men patrolling the area saying, “We appreciate you guys, we really do” and proceeded to give them water. One of which was a man wielding a rifle that appeared to be the shooter. Rittenhouse then walked up to police officers with his hands raised up as police vehicles driving by him after the curfew hours. He was armed
Basketball Legend Cliff ‘Uncle Cliffy’ Robinson, Dead at 53 WI Staff Report Cliff Robinson, who shot to fame in the NBA more than 30 years ago, has tragically died at the age of 53. The announcement of Robinson’s death – for which no cause was provided – was announced Saturday by his alma mater, the University of Connecticut. “The UConn Basketball family mourns the loss of a legendary player and person, Clifford “Uncle Cliffy” Robinson,” the university tweeted. “Our thoughts and prayers are with Cliff’s family at this difficult time. Robinson launched his basketball career in 1985 at UConn where the 6-foot-10
36 - SEPTEMBER 3 - 9, 2020
forward/center played for four years. He was an integral part of the Huskies winning the 1988 National Invitational Tournament over the Ohio State Buckeyes. Robinson was chosen as an All-Star in 1994 and won the 1992-1993 Sixth Man of the Year Award before going on to play with the Phoenix Suns, Detroit Pistons, Golden State Warriors and New Jersey Nets. However, in recent years prior to his death, he encountered several health problems including a stroke which he suffered in 2017 that resulted in paralysis on the left side of his body. WI
with an automatic weapon. He was arrested at his home in Illinois and charged with first-degree intentional homicide. Kenosha Police Chief Daniel Miskinis in a news conference on Aug. 26 said that the victims might not have been shot and killed if they were not out after curfew hours. “Everyone involved was out after the curfew...I’m not going to make a big deal of that,” said Miskinis. The chief simply said that the shooter “was involved in the use of firearms to resolve whatever conflict was in place.” That series of events led Milwaukee Bucks players to not show up for
their NBA postseason match against the Orlando Magic on Aug. 26. The Bucks had a commanding 3-1 series lead. The NBA then announced that games that night were cancelled. “The NBA and the NBPA today announced that in light of the Milwaukee Bucks’ decision to not take the floor today for Game 5 against the Orlando Magic, today’s three games – MIL-ORL, HOU-OKC and LAL-POR have been postponed. Game 5 of each series will be rescheduled,” said a statement by the league.” The boycott triggered similar action in other leagues as the WNBA, MLB, and MLS postponed games. Even the Washington Football Team canceled their practice. After the Bucks came out of the locker room following their decision not to play, Milwaukee Bucks guard Sterling Brown stood with his teammates behind him wearing black t-shirts and explained why they did not play. “Despite the overwhelming plea for change, the has been no action,” Brown said. “So, our focus today cannot be on basketball.” Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James took to Twitter saying: “F-- THIS MAN!!!!! WE DEMAND CHANGE. SICK OF IT.” However, Atlanta Dream co-owner Kelly Loeffler believes that her players “Don’t have a place in sports” after refusing to play amid the turmoil that happened in Wisconsin. Loeffler has recently denounced the Black Lives Matter movement and penned an open letter insisting
BOYCOTT Page 38
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38 - SEPTEMBER 3 - 9, 2020
5 NBA players boycott the playoffs in protest of the Jacob Blake police shooting in Kenosha, Wisconsin. (Courtesy photo)
BOYCOTT from Page 36 that league commissioner Cathy Engelbert not allow players to don “Black Lives Matter” and “Say Her Name” warmup uniforms before games. “The truth is, we need less—not more politics in sports. In a time when polarizing politics is as divisive as ever, sports has the power to be a unifying antidote,” said Loeffler. “And now more than ever, we should be united in our goal to remove politics from sports.” Though the boycott garnered national attention to the atrocities that occurred over the week, ESPN Senior NBA Reporter Adrian Wojnarowski confirmed that the NBA players took a vote on Aug. 27 to continue
INSTRUCTION from Page 23 tion and gradually go into in-person learning in the fall. Calvert and Worchester counties offered some summer in-person instruction, Salmon said. Gov. Larry Hogan, standing alongside Salmon and Jinlene Chan, acting director of the state’s Health Department, highlighted some of the benchmarks. According to state metrics Thursday, Aug. 25, approximately 23 jurisdictions are below five percent positivity rate of the coronavirus and five cases per 100,000 people. Worchester County on the Eastern Shore remains the only county above a five percent positivity rate. Also, Hogan said the positivity test rate for residents 35 and young-
and play. The postseason will return shortly though all NBA games were postponed on Aug. 27. After the two-day boycott, the NBA released a joint statement with the NBPA announcing that the playoffs will resume Aug. 29. The league’s owners agreed to create a social justice coalition that will consist of “representatives from players, coaches and governors, that will be focused on a broad range of issues, including increasing access to voting, promoting civic engagement, and advocating for meaningful police and criminal justice reform.” Secondly, every city where the league franchise owns and controls the arena property, team owners will convert arenas to voting centers for the 2020 general election to allow
for a safe in-person voting option for communities vulnerable to COVID. Finally, the league announced that they will work with the players and television networks to display advertising spots in each NBA playoff game dedicated to promoting greater civic engagement in national and local elections and raising awareness around voter access and opportunity. “These commitments follow months of close collaboration around designing a safe and healthy environment to restart the NBA season, providing a platform to promote social justice, as well as creating an NBA Foundation focused on economic empowerment in the Black community,” said the NBA in the statement. WI
er now stands at 3.79 percent. The figure stood at 6.7 percent on July 29. On the same day for residents 35 and older, the percentage was 3.8 percent and decreased to about 2.8 percent Thursday. Schools must adhere to these guidelines: physical distancing; face coverings; staying home if showing COVID-19 symptoms; and cleaning and disinfection of classrooms and other parts of buildings. Hogan stressed school systems are permitted by law when it can reopen, but hopes school officials heed his and Salmon’s advice. “The state department of education has asked county school boards to do what other aspects of government have already done and what the private sector…have done and
been doing for months,” Hogan said. “To develop safe and phased plans reopening plans that could help us to begin to put some sense of normalcy back into the lives of our students, parents and teachers, and at the same time, working diligently to keep them safe.” Theresa Mitchell Dudley, president of the Prince George’s educators’ association, said closing schools for the full semester ensures students, teachers and other staff are safe. “Would you rather be safe, or would you rather have the money?” she said. “If there are those resources available, then give us that money to help us decrease the digital divide that exists amongst our students. This is not a game for us in Prince George’s County.” WI
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RELIGION the religion corner WITH LYNDIA GRANT
Turning Pain into Purpose My Tribute to Chadwick Boseman Last week, the world lost an extremely talented actor, one who got a start, much later than usual, he died in his home, with his wife and family by his side; however, he lived a life within a few years which equaled to more than the average person who would live until they were old and gray. This column reminds each of us how important it is to get those things done which have been assigned to our hands to do, it’s called “destiny.” We must not allow anyone in our lives to dictate to us what it is or is not for us to do. When we are sent to this earth, each of us was given a mission by The Creator. It is up to us to listen. We hear this voice telling us our message, yet I wonder how you can ignore that voice. Millions upon millions of people ignore the clear messages we receive. We think this message is too huge for us to accomplish. What they don’t understand is, once the Almighty has given orders you must trust the voice, whether you feel capable of getting that thing done or not. You wouldn’t be given the goal if He was not going to make way for this very thing to happen. One of my personal testimonies to
this very subject is when the Lord told me clearly to begin my radio show. He assured me that He would be there to help me make this goal happen. There were messages that He needed for me to share with listeners; and for the past ten years, He has opened doors that no man can shut! Which leads me back to the shortlived life of Chadwick Boseman? Only forty-three years old, he achieved so much during his last four years. Known for his portrayals of Jackie Robinson in “42” and James Brown in “Get on Up.” He also played the superhero Black Panther in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, best known for his role as T’Challa in “Black Panther.” Boseman died after being diagnosed with colon cancer, four years ago. His costars and friends mourn the loss of their colleague, actor and friend. Actor Denzel Washington said according to E! News, “He was a gentle soul and a brilliant artist who will stay with us for eternity through his iconic performances over his short, yet illustrious career. God bless Chadwick Boseman.” Quietly done, Oscar winning actor Denzel Washington isn’t just a fan of Chadwick, he actually paid for the Black Panther star’s acting classes back in the day, when Boseman was a student in acting classes at Howard University. In an interview with TV host Jimmy Fallon, Chadwick explained
Mt. Zion Baptist Church
how Phylicia Rashad was his teacher at Howard University at the time. She encouraged him to join a summer exchange program to take acting classes at Oxford University. Chadwick told the television audience how he didn’t have the money for the program, so his teacher (Rashad) asked some of her celebrity friends to cover the tuition. He continued by saying, “When I came back, I got a beneficiary letter, and it said Denzel Washington paid for you.” When Denzel attended the Black Panther premiere, Chadwick let Denzel know how grateful he was for financing his acting classes all those years ago. Chadwick Boseman worked during his last few years without mentioning his trials and tribulations. He was determined to turn his pain into purpose. Through chemotherapy and the many requirements of colon cancer, he never said a mumblin’ word, not even to those who acted right beside him. The family said in a statement, “A true fighter, Chadwick persevered through it all and brought you many of the films you have come to love so much, ranging from Marshall to Da 5 Bloods, August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and more – all were filmed during and between countless surgeries and chemotherapy. It was the honor of his career to bring King T’Challa to life in Black Panther. WI
John F. Johnson Reverend Dr.
5101 14th Street, NW / Washington, DC 20011 Phone: 202-726-2220 Fax: 202-726-9089
1306 Vermont Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20005
“A Church with a past to remember – and a future to mold” www.mtzbcdc.org
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Mount Olivet Lutheran Church
Reverend John W. Davis Pastor
Service and Times Sunday Worship Service - 8:00 a.m. & 11:00 a.m. Children’s Church - 11:00 a.m. (1st & 3rd Sundays) Communion - 10 a.m. 4th Sunday Sunday School - 9:15 a.m. (4th Sunday 8:15 a.m.) Prayer Meeting & Bible Study - Wednesday 7:00 p.m.
(301) 864-6070
Service and Times Divine Worship, Sunday 10:00 a.m. Communion 1st and 3rd Sunday “Friendliest Church in the City” Website: mountolivetdc.org Email: mtolivedc@gmail.com
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SEPTEMBER 3 - 9, 2020 39
RELIGION The Miracle Center of Faith Missionary Baptist Church
Pilgrim Baptist Church
Bishop Michael C. Turner, Sr. Senior Pastor
Rev. Louis B. Jones II Pastor
9161 Hampton Overlook Capitol Heights, MD 20743 Phone: 301-350-2200 / Fax: 301-499-8724
700 I Street, N.E. Washington, D.C. 20002 (202) 547-8849
Service and Times Sunday Worship Times : 7:30 AM 7 10:00 AM Communion: 1st Sunday Sunday School: 9:00 AM Bible Study: Wednesday, 12 Noon Bible Study in homes: Tuesday 7:00 PM Website: www.themiraclecenterFMBC.com Email: Miraclecenterfmbs@gmail.com Motto: “We Walk by Faith, Not by Sight”
Service and Times Worship Sundays: 7:30 & 11:00 AM 5th Sundays: 9:30 AM 3rd Sundays: Baptism & Holy Communion Prayer & Praise: Wednesdays @ Noon & 6:30 PM www.pilgrimbaptistdc.org
Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ
Blessed Word of Life Church
Church of Living Waters
Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church
Rev. Paul Carrette Senior Pastor Harold Andrew Assistant Pastor 4915 Wheeler Road Oxon Hill, MD 20745 301-894-6464 Service and Times Sunday Service: 8:30am& 11:00 AM Bible Study: Wednesday 7:30 PM Communion Service: First Sunday www.livingwatersmd.org
St. Stephen Baptist Church
Rev. Dr. Michael E. Bell, Sr., / Pastor 2498 Alabama Ave., SE - Washington D.C. 20020 Office: (202) 889-7296 / Fax: (202) 889-2198 - www.acamec.org Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 8:00am and 11:00 AM Sunday Church School - 9:15am & Sunday Adult Forum Bible Study - 10:30 AM 2nd & 4th Monday Women’s Bible Study: 6:30 PM Tuesday Jr./Sr. Bible Study: 10:00 AM Tuesday Topical Bible Study: 6:30 PM Tuesday New Beginnings Bible Study: 6:30 PM Wednesday Pastoral Bible Study: 6:30 PM Wednesday Children’s Bible Study: 6:30 PM Thursday Men’s Bible Study: 6:30 PM Friday before 1st Sunday Praise & Worship Service: 6:30 PM Saturday Adult Bible Study: 10:00 AM “The Amazing, Awesome, Audacious Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church”
Third Street Church of God
Dr. Dekontee L. & Dr. Ayele A. Johnson Pastors
Reverend William Young IV Interim Pastor
Bishop Lanier C. Twyman, Sr. Senior Pastor
Rev. Cheryl J. Sanders, Th.D. Senior Pastor
4001 14th Street, NW Washington, DC 20011 (202) 265-6147 Office 1-800 576-1047 Voicemail/Fax
3845 South Capitol Street Washington, DC 20032 (202) 562-5576 (Office) / (202) 562-4219 (Fax)
5757 Temple Hill Road, Temple Hills, MD 20748 Office 301-899-8885 – fax 301-899-2555 Services and Times Sunday Early Morning Worship: 7:45 AM Church School: 9:30 AM Sunday Morning Worship: 10:45 AM Tuesday: 7:00pm/Kingdom Building Bible Institute Wednesday , 12:30 PM Mid-Day Bible Study Wednesday: Prayer/Praise/Bible Study-7:30 PM Baptism & Communion Service: 4th Sunday – 10:30 AM
1204 Third Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 202-347-5889 office / 202-638-1803 fax
Service and Times Sunday School: 9:30 AM Sunday Morning Worship Service: 11:00 AM Communion Service: First Sunday Prayer Service/Bible Study: Tuesday, 6:30 PM www.blessedwordoflifechurch.org E-mail: church@blessedwordoflifechurch.org
Services and Times Sundays: 10:00am Worship Services Bible Study: Wonderful Wednesdays in Worship and the Word Bible Study Wednesdays 12:00 Noon; 6:30 PM (dinner @ 5:30 PM) Sunday School: 9:00 AM – Hour of Power “An inclusive ministry where all are welcomed and affirmed.” www.covenantdc.org
Campbell AME Church
Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 10:00 AM Sunday Church School: 8:45 AM Bible Study Wednesday: 12:00 Noon Wednesday: 7:00 PM Thursday: 7:00 PM “Reaching Up To Reach Out” Mailing Address : Campbell AME Church 2502 Stanton Road SE - Washington, DC 20020
421 Alabama Ave. SE Washington, DC 20032 Phone: 202-746-0113 Fax: 301-843-2445 Service and Times Sunday School: 10:15 AM Sunday Worship Service: 11;15 AM Children’s Church: 11:15 AM Tuesday Bible Study: 6:30 PM Motto : “A Great Commitment to the Great Commandment” Website: www.turningheartschurchdc.org Email: gr8luv4u2@gmail.com
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 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
Reverend Dr. Calvin L. Matthews Senior Pastor 1200 Isle of Patmos Plaza, Northeast Washington, DC 20018 Office: (202) 529-6767 - Fax: (202) 526-1661 Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 7:30 AM and 10:30 AM Holy Communion: 2nd Sunday at 7:30 AM and 10:30 AM Sunday Church School: 9:20 AM Seniors Bible Study: Tuesdays at 10:30 AM Noon Day Prayer Service: Tuesdays at Noon Bible Study: Tuesdays at 7 PM Motto: “A Ministry of Reconciliation Where Everybody is Somebody!” Website: http://isleofpatmosbc.org Church Email: ipbcsecretary@verizon.net
St Marks Baptist Come Worship with us... Dr. Raymond T. Matthews Pastor and First Lady Marcia Matthews St. Mark's Baptist Church 624 Underwood Street, NW Washington, dc 20011 Services and Times Sunday School: 9:00 AM Worship Service: 10:00 AM Wed. Noon Day prayer service Thur. Prayer service: 6:45 PM Thur. Bible Study: 7:15 PM
Reverend Dr. Paul H. Saddler Senior Pastor (Disciples of Christ) 1812 12th Street, NW - Washington, DC 20009 Phone: 202-265-4494 Fax: 202 265 4340 Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 11:00 AM Communion every Sunday: 11:00 AM Sunday School: 10:00 AM Bible Study Tuesday: 12 Noon Pastor’s Bible Study Tuesday: 6:30 PM Motto: “Discover Something Wonderful” Website: 12thscc.org / Email: Twelfthstcc@aol.com
Mount Carmel Baptist Church
Turning Hearts Church Virgil K. Thomas, Sr. Senior Pastor/ Teacher
“Ambassadors for Christ to the Nation’s Capital”
Rev. Dr. Alton W. Jordan Pastor
Isle of Patmos Baptist Church
Twelfth Street Christian Church
Rev. Dr. Henry Y. White 2562 MLK Jr. Ave., SE - Washington, DC 20020 Adm. Office 202-678-2263 Email: Campbell@mycame.org
“We are one in the Spirit” www.ssbc5757.org / E-mail: ssbc5757@verizon.net
Services and Times Sunday School: 9:30 AM Sunday Worship: 11:00 AM Sunday Community Worship Service: 8:30 AM
Crusader Baptist Church
Reverend Dr. Paris L Smith, Sr. Senior Pastor 901 Third Street N.W. Washington, DC. 20001 Phone (202) 842-3411 Fax (202) 682-9423 Service and Times Sunday Church School : 9:00 AM Sunday Morning Worship: 10:10 AM Bible Study Tuesday: 6: 00 PM Prayer Service Tuesday: 7:00 PM Holy Communion: 3rd Sunday 10:10 AM
40 - SEPTEMBER 3 - 9, 2020
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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
Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 10:00 AM Sunday Church School: 8:45 – 9:45 AM Holy Communion: Every First Sunday Intercessory Prayer: Monday – 7:00-8:00 PM Pastor’s Bible Study: Wednesday –7:45 PM Midweek Prayer: Wednesday – 7:00 PM Noonday Prayer Every Thursday
Matthews Memorial Baptist Church
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
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
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. 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 “
Rev. Dr. Kendrick E. Curry Pastor 3000 Pennsylvania Ave.. S.E Washington, DC 20020 202 581-1500 Service and Times Sunday Church School: 9:30 AM Sunday Worship Service: 11:00 AM Monday Adult Bible Study: 7:00 PM Wednesday Youth & Adult Activities: 6:30 PM Prayer Service Bible Study
First Rising Mt. Zion Baptist Church
Mt. Horeb Baptist Church
Rev. Dr. Wallace Charles Smith Pastor
Rev. Oran W. Young Pastor
Rev. Dr. H. B. Sampson, III Pastor
9th & P Street, N.W. - W. D.C. 20001 (202) 232-4288
602 N Street NW - Washington, D.C. 20001 Office:(202) 289-4480 Fax: (202) 289-4595
2914 Bladensburg Road, NE Wash., DC 20018 Office: (202) 529-3180 - Fax: (202) 529-7738 Service and Times Worship Service: 7:30 AM Sunday School: 9:00 AM Worship Service: 10:30 AM Holy Communion: 4th Sunday 7:30AM & 10:30 AM Prayer Services:Tuesday 7:30 PM. Wednesday 12 Noon
www.stmarysfoggybottom.org Email: stmarysoffice@stmarysfoggybottom.org
Service and Times First Sunday Worship Service (one service): 10:00 AM Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Sunday Worship service: 7:45 AM and 10:55 AM Sunday Church School/Bible Study: 9:30 AM Thursday Prayer Service: 6:30 PM
All are welcome to St. Mary’s to Learn, Worship, and Grow.
Email: sbc@shilohbaptist.org Website: shilohbaptist.org
Service and Times Sundays: 10 a.m. Holy Eucharist with Music and Hymns Wednesdays: 12:10 p.m. - Holy Eucharist
Rev. Dr. George C. Gilbert Senior Pastor
Email Address: admin@pbc712.org
Historic St. Mary’s Episcopal Church The Rev. E. Bernard Anderson Priest
Holy Trinity United Baptist Church
Florida Avenue Baptist Church
Reverend Christopher L. Nichols Pastor
Rev. Dr. Jerryl V. Moody Pastor-Elect
Web: www.mountmoriahchurch.org Email: mtmoriah@mountmoriahchurch.org
St. Matthews Baptist Church
Emmanuel Baptist Church
King Emmanuel Baptist Church
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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 3 - 9, 2020 41
LEGAL NOTICES SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2020 ADM 000350 Ada Lou Marable Decedent Nakia Gray 800 Maine Ave. SW, Suite 200 Washington, DC 20024 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Sherwood Marable, whose address is 5124 South Dakota Ave., NE, Washington, DC 20017, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Ada Lou Marable who died on July 28, 2015 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 2/27/2021. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 2/27/2021, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 8/27/2020 Sherwood Marable Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer
Notice Of An Unregistered Claim By A Private, Living Man, Sovereign By Birth, One Of The People, And Beneficiary In Original Jurisdiction, Coming Now As Grantor/Settlor With NOTICE Of An Unregistered Claim, Or Priority Equitable Rights, Titles And Interests In The WILLIE LAMONT HICKS Estate, MISSOURI State File Number 124-71-62661, Including All Assets, Attributes, Derivatives And Transmutations Thereof. See Also: http://notice.legal-registry.org/PublicNotice.pdf
Notice Of An Unregistered Claim By A Private, Living Man, Sovereign By Birth, One Of The People, And Beneficiary In Original Jurisdiction, Coming Now As Grantor/Settlor With NOTICE Of An Unregistered Claim, Or Priority Equitable Rights, Titles And Interests In The JIMMY EDWARD GILLARD II Estate, NEW YORK State File Number 131-78-094640, Including All Assets, Attributes, Derivatives And Transmutations Thereof. See Also: http://notice.legal-registry.org/PublicNotice.pdf Notice Of An Unregistered Claim By A Private, Living Woman, Sovereign By Birth, One Of The People, And Beneficiary In Original Jurisdiction, Coming Now As Grantor/Settlor With NOTICE Of An Unregistered Claim, Or Priority Equitable Rights, Titles And Interests In The FAITH SPISAK Estate, OHIO State File Number 134-80-021704, Including All Assets, Attributes, Derivatives And Transmutations Thereof. See Also: http://notice.legal-registry.org/PublicNotice.pdf Notice Of An Unregistered Claim By A Private, Living Man, Sovereign By Birth, One Of The People, And Beneficiary In Original Jurisdiction, Coming Now As Grantor/Settlor With NOTICE Of An Unregistered Claim, Or Priority Equitable Rights, Titles And Interests In The DANIEL PATRIC SHEVLIN Estate, PENNSYLVANIA State File Number 186992-1960, Including All Assets, Attributes, Derivatives And Transmutations Thereof. See Also: http://notice.legal-registry.org/PublicNotice.pdf
42 - SEPTEMBER 3 - 9, 2020
LEGAL NOTICES Notice Of An Unregistered Claim Notice of an unregistered claim by a private living woman, sovereign by the grace of God, their name written in the Book of the Tree of Life, beneficiary in original jurisdiction now coming as Grantor/settler with NOTICE of Unregistered Claim, or priority equitable right, title and interest in the JOHN QUE PUBLIC estate, Illinois state file number 112-1954 0097573, including all assets, attributes, derivatives and transmutations thereof. For more on the nature of the claim see http.//notice.legal-registry.org/PublicNotice.pdf. Notice Of An Unregistered Claim Notice of an unregistered claim by a private living man, sovereign by the grace of God, their name written in the Book of the Tree of Life, beneficiary in the divine and ancestral original jurisdiction now coming as Grantor/settler with NOTICE for Unregistered Claim, or priority equitable right, title and interest in the KAMISHA NISHAWN YOUNGBLOOD and Kamisha Nishawn Youngblood estate, State of Illinois file number 112-1972 6016207, et al. This NOTICE prays with agreement an express decree unregistered claim or priority equitable right, title and interest retained also shall not be cloned or mis-taken including, but not limited to: all assets, RB 900908183 US, Case Number 2020CONC000056, Case Number 17 CH 03261 and each Case, RE 024178 475 US, issue RE 024178484 US, RB 900908197 US, RB 900908170 US, RB 900908206 US, RB 900908210 US, RB 900908223 US, all intellectual property, signs and seals or distinguished marks; and, any attributes, hereditaments, subsequent derivatives, heirs and assigns or transmutations thereof, therefrom, therein, thereby or thereon past present and future forever and always, without recourse. In God We Trust Declaration of Nationality Notice of Special Appearance: I am that I am: “Adrian Bogopane ©”, in full life, in propria persona, sui juris, in solo propio, Haqdar by natural issue, the beneficiary and heir of: “ BOGOPANE, ADRIAN ©”, corp. sole Dba.: “ADRIAN BOGOPANE©”, Notice of Special Appearance: I am that I am: Lesley Ann Bogopane ©”, f/k/a “Lesley Ann Jackson©; in full life, in propia persona, sui juris, in solo proprio, Haqdar by natural issue, the beneficiary and heir of: “ JACKSON, LESLEY ANN© , corp. sole Dba.: “LESLEY ANN JACKSON ©”, and “BOGOPANE, LESLEY ANN ©, corp. sole Dba.:”LESLEY ANN BOGOPANE ©”. Collectively having reached the age of majority, being aboriginal to the northwestern and southwestern shores of Africa, the Atlantic Islands, the continental Americas, being duly certified, hereby affirm to declare our tribal intention to be as our pedigree subscribes, as: Moorish American(s), but not citizen(s) of the United States. We declare permanent, and unalienable, allegiance to The Moorish Empire, Societas Republicae Ea Al Maurikanuus Estados, The Constitution for the united States of America, Article III Section 2, The Lieber Code, Hague Conventions of 1899 & 1907, The Geneva Conventions, [United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples], and all natural laws governing moors, and hereby declare and proclaim our Nationality in good faith as: Moorish American(s). Any and all facts contained in this publication, are fully applicable to any and all private tribal issue offspring of Affiants, Nunc pro tunc. I am: Adrian Bogopane© “, from this day forward, in harmony with my Nationality/Status/Jurisdiction, shall be known as: “ amanya basimane bogopane-el©”. I am “Lesley Ann Bogopane© “from this day forward, in harmony with Nationality/Status/Jurisdiction, shall be known as: “lesley ann bogopane-el ©”. Notice of White Flag Surrender: as “hors de combat pursuant to The Geneva Conventions, Article III, as ministers of the Moorish Empire, and Internationally Protected Persons. Notice of LAWS AND CUSTOMS OF WAR ON LAND (HAGUE, IV), ARTICLE: 45, 46, & 47. Notice of Claim pursuant to Public Law 87-846, TITLE II, SEC. 203. Notice of Bailment Merging of Legal Title with Equitable Title: This order is to preserve legal and equitable title, and to reserve all rights, title, and interest, in the property, Re: 1. DEPARTMENT HOME AFFAIRS / REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA/ CHILD’S ID NO:”, 00709: “Adrian Bogopane ©, to the depositor: “amanya basimane bogopane-el©”nom deguerre: Adrian Bogopane©”, 2. STATE OF CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH: State file number: 14181, “LESLEY ANN JACKSON©”, to the depositor. “lesley ann bogopane-el©”, nom deguerre: “Lesley Ann Bogopane©”. All property of the same issue and amount, in like kind and specie, is to be returned fully intact, as a Special Deposit order of the Depositor/ Beneficiary/ Bailor/ Donor/ Principal/ Creditor. “amanya basimane bogopane-el©”, nom deguerre: “Adrian Bogopane© for: “AETHIOPIA JUS SOLI TRUST”, and or: “lesley ann bogopane-el©”, nom deguerre: “Lesley Ann Bogopne©”, for “Rising Sun Trust”, as special deposit order in lawful money. This special deposit is to be used exclusively for the benefit of: each respective Trust, an Inter Vivos Unincorporated Divine Grantor Trust. This deposit is not to be commingled with general assets of any bank, nor depositary/ trustee/agent/ bailee/ donee/ debtor. This deposit is not limited to, but including: discharge and set off, of any and all outstanding liabilities as accord and satisfaction. Inter alia enact fuit. All Rights Reserved.
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GOP from Page 16 that the president acted quickly to equip first-responders, front-line workers and hospitals with needed supplies to fight the coronavirus. However, even Republicans have responded on the record, criticizing the president over his slow response to the pandemic. President Trump famously downplayed the virus from January until March, even predicting the virus would disappear. The president has also been at odds with his own Coronavirus Task Force and medical experts, many even concluding that his position cost the country lives and time in delayed efforts to develop tests. To date, more than six million Americans have reportedly tested positive for the virus and approximately 184,000 have died. As the convention wrapped up, the sense from many observers remained that Trump has conceded the Black vote. Even worse, he’s embraced divisiveness and ignored African-Americans’ plight. “What’s happening on our streets tonight [protests in the aftermath of the Jacob Blake shooting] and why the NBA suspended playoff games is not part of the RNC story,” former RNC chairman Michael Steele tweeted. “It is happening because of the lack of
FOOD from Page 15 children at-risk of going hungry, anti-hunger advocates called on the U.S. Department of Agriculture [USDA] to continue serving free meals to all students this fall as the economic fall-out from the pandemic continues. At first, the USDA ruled it
On Monday, Aug. 31, the USDA reversed its decision extending the summer meals program to Dec. 31, 2020. would not extend the summer meals program. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue explained the agency’s position in a letter. “While we want to provide as much flexibility as local school districts need during this pandemic, the scope of this request is beyond what USDA currently has the au-
response – the lack of interest or concern.” Frederick Joseph, author of “The Black Friend on Being a Better White Person,” said the GOP convention offered answers on why he and other Black people are hated. “As I’ve sat and watched, it’s become clearer to me than ever that we are in a war of messaging. While the left is far from perfect, the right is quite clearly a machine of nothing but white supremacists and cultural, elitist propaganda,” Joseph stated. “This propaganda, the very idea that one group is inherently better than all others, has been taught to both white and non-white people since childhood. It is the reason people voted for Donald Trump and the reason why 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse murdered two people in cold blood as they protested for racial justice in Wisconsin after the Jacob Blake shooting,” he continued. “What Kyle did makes me sick and my heart aches for the families of those lost but I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge that Kyle was only 17, a mere child.” “How does one so young who has barely seen or felt anything have so much hatred in his heart? Again, the answer lies in the white supremacist propaganda he’s likely been fed since he was very young – the same propathority to implement and would be closer to a universal school meals program which Congress has not authorized or funded.” On Monday, Aug. 31, the USDA reversed its decision extending the summer meals program to Dec. 31, 2020. “As our nation reopens and people return to work, it remains critical our children continue to receive safe, healthy, and nutritious food,” Perdue said. “During the COVID-19 pandemic, USDA has provided an unprecedented amount of flexibilities to help schools feed kids through the school meal programs, and today, we are also extending summer meal program flexibilities for as long as we can, legally and financially.” “This extension of summer program authority will employ summer program sponsors to ensure meals are reaching all children – whether they are learning in the classroom or virtually – so they are fed and ready to learn, even in new and ever-changing learning environments.” WI
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JUSTICE from Page 12 this year in the General Assembly will repeal certain fees in juvenile court proceedings. The law is to go into effect Oct. 1. “Fines and fees are just insidious throughout the Maryland code and they criminalize you for being poor,” he said. Meanwhile, Barron’s state delegate colleagues held its third meeting Thursday, Aug. 27 to work on police
Police chiefs and sheriffs presented updates on what its departments are doing as use of force training, community policing and positive interactions between students and school resource officers. reform and accountability to transfer into possible legislation when the legislature reconvenes in January. The virtual discussion took place four days after Jacob Blake, 29, got shot seven times from the back by a white police officer in Kenosha, Wis., more than 30 miles south of Milwaukee. Police chiefs and sheriffs presented updates on what its departments are
doing as use of force training, community policing and positive interactions between students and school resource officers. These updates didn’t satisfy a few legislators. “I am disappointed that your recommendations don’t suggest any changes,” said Del. Vanessa Atterbeary (D-Montgomery County), who chairs the work group. “I hope your group hasn’t completely misread the movement in America. Change is a coming. I can’t say how much, but change is a coming.” Del. Darryl Barnes (D-District 25) of Upper Marlboro, said he remains concerned about his welfare and members of the Maryland Legislative Black Caucus. “As a Black man in my community, I can’t run. I can’t quit,” he said. “As soon as I walk out the door, I am a target. That is a fact.” Riverdale Park Police Chief David C. Morris said he respects and understands the community’s angst of police-involved shootings such as George Floyd in Minneapolis. He said there must also be support against “hateful, despicable and harmful rhetoric” toward police officers. “We support and defend the most important right of all: free speech,” Morris said. “However, misperception about facts can be extremely dangerous. Law enforcement agencies are finding it hard to recruit and good people are leaving the profession.” WI
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MARCH from Page 1 ture of the old vanguard, millennials and children still holding the hands of their parents, one of the over-arching messages remained the importance of teaching and inspiring today’s children to pick up the baton in the pursuit of justice for all. In stark contrast to last Friday’s peaceful assembly here in the District, in the city of Portland, officials braced themselves for another bout of violence, arson, arrests, protests and allegations of police brutality. At least one fatal shooting in the city has been confirmed as the protests have continued for nearly 100 days. Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler asked citizens to join him in “denouncing violence” days after a man was shot and killed Saturday as supporters of President Donald Trump clashed with protesters against police violence and racism in the city’s downtown district. “Everyone deserves to feel safe in their community,” Wheeler wrote Tuesday night in a tweet. “But last night saw more senseless violence in Portland.” Meanwhile, also on Tuesday, Donald Trump visited another U.S. city embroiled in its own share of protests and violence, Kenosha, Wis., where he touted his law-and-order message in a city where frustration and anger have risen to unprecedented heights after the recent police shooting of an unarmed Black man, Jacob Blake. Trump ignored the pleas of both the city’s Democratic mayor and the state’s Democratic governor to cancel his plans to visit Kenosha, instead arriving with a small entourage in tow. Some criticize the president for using the visit as a campaign opportunity. During his appearance, he said Kenosha has “been ravaged by anti-police and anti-American riots” and promised to give his full support to law enforcement.
D.C. MAYOR BOWSER FEARS RACE WAR
Officials in Wisconsin and Portland do not stand alone in their criticisms of Trump and the oft-times mixed messages he shares, usually via Twitter. In fact, differing views about how to squash violence and achieve justice for Blacks and other Americans have brought the president and many city leaders, including D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, into stark opposition. Bowser told reporters Monday she fears the country is “descending into a race war.” During a press conference she addressed the violent protests that recently rocked the city, blaming outside agita-
44 - SEPTEMBER 3 - 9, 2020
tors for creating havoc and disrupting peaceful demonstrations over the weekend in the District of Columbia. She criticized Trump’s Twitter retorts about the violence, saying outsiders will not be allowed to start a race war. “We will not tolerate violence of any kind in Washington, D.C.,” Bowser said during a public safety briefing on Monday. “We don’t tolerate it if it’s on the streets between rival crews and we won’t tolerate it against our police officers, the men and women who are charged with keeping our community safe. And we certainly won’t tolerate it against our residents and visitors. Many of our residents are out there protesting themselves and doing so peacefully.” Meanwhile, over the weekend, Trump tweeted about Bowser, saying she should “arrest these agitators and thugs!”
FINAL WORDS FROM THE MARCH ON WASHINGTON
Martin Luther King III, the son of Dr. King, attended Friday’s March with his wife and daughter. He compared the recent gathering to the one led by his father 57 years ago. “All of us are protesting and most are positive,” he said. “Those who don’t think we should be protesting have the right to their views but that’s not important. The key is to mobilize and galvanize as well as change who’s in the White House.” “I think there are enough people in America with consciences. My father once said, ‘a vote-less people is a powerless people.’ I’m convinced that people are going to show up during this election cycle like never before.” The Rev. Al Sharpton, who called for the Commitment March under the banner of his national organization, the National Action Network, said the purpose of returning to the District was to send America a message that could be clearly understood. “We are showing with our bodies in 2020 that enough is enough,” he said on Friday. “When I was at George Floyd’s funeral, I talked with Martin III about this march. We didn’t know how we’d do it but we did it. We want the George Floyd Policing and Justice Act passed. We want the John Lewis Voting Rights Bill passed.” “We didn’t come here for a show. Demonstration without legislation won’t lead to change. We’ve come to let America know that if we can come out in these numbers in the heat, we will also stand in the polls all day long. We didn’t come to start trouble – we’ve come to stop trouble.”
5 The Reverend Al Sharpton leads the Commitment March to fight for criminal justice reform on Friday, August 28 with some of the families who have lost loved ones to police brutality. The march, under the rallying call ‘Get Your Knee Off Our Necks,’ coincided with the 57th anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s 1963 March on Washington at the Lincoln Memorial. (Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer)
“It’s time for a new conversation. We denounce the looting and violence that have occurred during protests across the country. But we haven’t heard the president or others denounce the shooting
of Black men and women. When will you speak against wrongful and deadly shootings of innocent Blacks at the hands of the police?” “Tall, short, dark, light . . . Black lives
matter. And we won’t stop until Black lives matter to everybody,” Sharpton concluded. WI Contributing Writer Hamil Harris contributed to this report. WI
COST from Page 21
ABUSE from Page 11
lem. Almost 30 percent of American adults, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, did not fill a prescription last year as directed because of cost. That was before the global Covid-19 pandemic,” Gabriel Levitt, president of PharmacyChecker.com, wrote in an email to the Washington Informer. “While the uninsured problems are worse, tens of millions of uninsured Americans report problems paying for prescription drugs. Now, there are over five million newly uninsured and many more millions at risk of losing their insurance,” Levitt stated. Dr. Giuseppe Aragona, a general practitioner and family doctor at prescriptiondoctor.com, said COVID-19 has turned the healthcare industry upside down. “From a medical perspective, healthcare is currently up in arms with all the new changes that are needing to be made. For anyone who needs to be seen by someone, I would recommend looking into a telehealth service, as these can usually be faster than more traditional services,” Dr. Aragona said. “Unemployment will make it harder for people to have access to these needs, so do everything you can to get help in these times. Never put going to the doctor off if it is important, as your life is worth more than the insurance. The pandemic will only be around for so long, so there is no need to fear.” WI
For more than two decades, Safe Shores has been on the front lines, providing intervention, hope, and healing for children and families affected by abuse, trauma, and violence as the only CAC in D.C. The pandemic and issues with the air conditioning in their building have caused a decrease in service opportunities, worrisome because the center is saving lives. “ Interestingly, in some regards, remote services have made Safe Shores more accessible to many of our clients because transportation is not an issue,” says Cole. Child abuse is deadly. In 2018, an estimated 1,770 children died from abuse and neglect in the United States. It’s paramount that the community has access to CACs as they heal more than 200,000 kids each year. They offer 210,113 kids science-backed counseling and therapy services to help them recover from trauma and avoid the lifelong impacts of trauma. Kids with problem sexual behaviors get help at CACs. Treatments offered for children and youth with problematic sexual behaviors are successful. They also educate more than 2 million people each year, helping prevent abuse. Safe Shores does not work alone. They serve as the hub of a team of public and private partners that includes D.C.’s Child and Family Services Agency, Children’s National Health Center, the Metropolitan
Police Department, the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C. Safe Shores continues to do all they can to provide quality service to child victims by quickly shifting to tele forensic interviewing, telehealth programs and contacting their families through virtual platforms like Zoom. Natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina have historically caused devastating havoc in children’s lives, like how this pandemic will for years to come, Booth said. “We need to have a full-scale plan to address the compounded trauma that children are experiencing as a result of this pandemic – knowing that trauma shows up differently in each child and therefore having a tailored, clinically sound and culturally-sensitive response to offer each child for their healing. We need to be mindful that a child can heal, BUT it requires intentionality and will on the part of adults and resources to do the work of healing well and fully.” The District’s Child and Family Service Agency takes reports of child abuse and neglect 24 hours a day, seven days a week at (202) 671SAFE. The hotline is to protect and get help for child victims and those at risk. Laws are in place that require mandatory reporting for health practitioners, police officers, educators, and human service workers. A regular citizen may also call 911 and Marylanders to call Child Protective Services (410) 361-2235. WI
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MALVEAUX from Page 26 rested for cursing at a white man. He bailed himself out. He had it like that and attempted to head home when a white mob attacked, beat and lynched him. The cabal may have been as many as 300 strong. The sheriff asked the mob to let the law take its course, but they preferred to physically destroy a prominent man, undoubtedly the source of considerable economic envy. How’s that for lawlessness, Trump, Pence, Giuliani? With all the RNC talk of fear, there was no reference to how Black men and women feel when they get behind the wheel of a car and drive in a rural area. Because of our double standard, white fear matters more than Black fear. We often are told that lynchings occur when Black men “violate” white women. That isn’t the case! Many Black men were killed or lynched because they had too much money, like
WILLIAMS from Page 26 nessed when we began to accept ourselves understand how WE embraced the beauty of our natural selves and reject the images of European beauty. We rejected “processed” hair, straightening combs and skin-lightening creams. Many can still remember the pride and self-confidence that surged through their bodies upon first hearing James Brown singing, “Say it Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud.” Many are now consumed with concern about the impact of another “noise” influencing our communities. Throughout the ugliness of our 400-
ELLIS from Page 26 someone help me to understand why, all of a sudden, the CDC is changing course in midstream, and now discouraging testing? Hospital and death records show that Black people, Latinos and Native Americans are disproportionately suffering and dying from severe disease; nationwide, Black people are dying at 2.5 times the rate of whites. Black and brown communities face higher rates of diabetes, heart disease, and other conditions that worsen the COVID-19 prognosis. People of color are also more likely to live in crowded neighborhoods and have low-wage, essential jobs where social distancing is difficult or impossible. As reported recently in The Washington Post, “many scientists say such infection bursts--probably sparked by
Anthony Crawford. After the lynching, a newspaper editorialized, “the black must submit to the white, or the white will destroy him.” No one was arrested, tried, or convicted for this lynching. However, a “civic meeting” voted to tell the Crawford family that they had to leave Abbeville within a month, and their property was seized. Two of the mobsters who participated in the lynching were named executors of Crawford’s estate! The tight-knit family was scattered, their wealth appropriated by the lawless and disordered. Thousands of Black people experienced the same loss of life and property as Anthony Crawford, of people expelled from “sundown towns” on a ruse of Black men and women lynched because they were “insolent.” The fact that Black people could accumulate, even in the face of the history of lynching, intimidation, and property appropriation, is a refutation of the white presumption of Black inferiority. That
history is at the root of the contemporary racial wealth gap. Our 45th president waxed eloquent on our nation’s history without mentioning our nation’s foundational flaws because “we build the future, we don’t tear down the past.” He suggests we should “embrace history.” The history of racism, predatory capitalism, and exploitation cannot be embraced. When statues and monuments celebrate that sickness, there are those prepared to tear them down in the name of justice. His name was Anthony Crawford. Say his name. For too many Black people, law and order meant lawlessness and disorder. Nobody at the RNC bothered to mention this history of lawlessness while disparaging peaceful protestors. The double standard of law and order is as clear today as 104 years ago when envious and evil white people lynched Anthony Crawford. And no one can speak of unity until our nation acknowledges its exploitative past. WI
year experience, our musical artists provided us with music that was uplifting and projected positive outcomes. I believe the recent introduction of gangsta rap has had a profoundly negative impact on our community. With rare exceptions, our music pronounced respect for self and others, but something influenced our people to believe it okay to denigrate each other. Some rappers even stooped to denigrating their mothers, grandmothers and women in general. The genre promotes the thinking that violence is the preferred method of conflict resolution. Lyrics normalize profanity which creates conflict and difficulties in school and the workplace.
Asked to justify their “art,” some say, “It’s the only way we can make money.” Some report their white managers and producers tell them the filthier they are about Black people, the more money they’ll make. Denigrating our humanity becomes the norm and through this genre our worth comes into questionable value. Meanwhile, white promoters get the “gold.” Joseph Goebbels, Hitler’s Minister of Propaganda said, “If you repeat a lie often enough, people will believe it, and you will even come to believe it yourself.” OUR wounds are badly in need of healing! Our first step is to stop lying to ourselves! WI
a single, highly infectious individual who may show no signs of illness and may unwittingly share an enclosed space with many others--are driving the pandemic.” It’s no secret that Black and Latino people are more likely to live in densely populated inner cities and neighborhoods, in cramped, multigenerational homes, exposing them to more people, thus more opportunity to infect or be infected. On top of that, the same families are, in essence, being forced to send their children back into schools, only magnifying the potential for children and young people to expose older relatives. There are two reasons, and only two reasons, to conduct COVID-19 testing during this pandemic: to confirm that people with symptoms are actually infected with COVID-19; and to detect the virus in people who have been infected, but don’t know it, because they
don’t have any symptoms. The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine has estimated that just 10 percent of people may be responsible for 80 percent of novel coronavirus cases! So, what is it that the CDC is saying to the rest of us? There’s not a lot more “evidence” we need to see from the ever-changing guidelines; the neglected communities who have carried a disproportionate burden of the infection, sickness, and the deaths; or now the seemingly blatant ignoring of the need for testing in light of the obvious vulnerability, to realize that in many ways, we — as we historically have been — are on our own. Remember, I’m not a doctor. I just sound like one! Take good care of yourself and live the best life possible! WI
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COOPER from Page 27 Trump’s daughter, Ivanka, is a federal employee. Yet, she introduced her father for his acceptance speech from the South Lawn. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is also a federal employee. Despite this, he endorsed the President for reelection while on official business and foreign soil, at the expense of all taxpayers. When White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows was asked about convention conflicts with the Hatch Act, he replied, “Nobody outside of the Beltway really cares. They expect Donald Trump is going to promote Republican values, and they would expect that Barack Obama, when he was in office, that he would do the same for Democrats.” There are three problems with his answer: First, it is clear that Meadows
ASKIA from Page 27 nation of Sanders before the vote that had already been decided. Rather than keeping silent, the Biden campaign sucked-up to the AIPAC-lobby and condemned Women’s March co-founder Linda Sarsour, who was a speaker invited to appear before the Muslim Caucus because she is a strong supporter of Palestinian rights. Truth be told, nobody gives a rat’s patootie about the tiny Muslim vote, but in important swing states like Michigan, and Wisconsin, and Ohio, those few thousand Muslim votes could make the difference in the Electoral College outcome. For his part, Trump is boldly and unabashedly courting the white, tribal, armed vigilante vote. He congratulated an anti-Semitic, Islamophobic QAnon candidate who won the Republican primary to represent the district
PETERSON from Page 45 at school. How much leeway do students have to take time for themselves, mourn, and be given proper mental health resources without fear of repercussion such as having to withdraw from an institution or failure of a course? This burden is not just on university administrators but also on professors, while everyone is being affected by this virus, will professors hold space for students and their mental health? Mandatory class meeting times, strict deadlines and even harsher punishments are not needed during this time of unknown effects of this new virus.
believes that the president is above the law. Second, President Obama appreciated and respected the U.S. Constitution, throughout his eight-year presidency. He was also a law-abiding citizen before seeking elective office and remains so. Third, under President Obama, COVID-19 would not have gotten out of control, therefore, there would have been no need for both political conventions to have been virtual. That’s the difference between competence versus incompetence. It is not a political statement, just a factual one. During the Ebola crisis, only two people died in this country. Comparatively, during the two weeks of the Democratic and Republican conventions, over 10,000 Americans died from the coronavirus. Anyone remember Trump’s 2016 claim, “I alone can fix this?” During his speech, President Trump
said, “There will be a COVID-19 vaccine by the end of the year, and maybe sooner.” Another lie. Name one respected expert who considers this statement to be truthful. Certainly not, for example, Dr. Anthony Fauci, one of the world’s most respected epidemiologists. From the very beginning of this once-in-a-generation crisis, the president has repeatedly lied about this pandemic and the country’s preparation for it. His lies and lack of preparedness have resulted in the unnecessary deaths of approximately 200,000 Americans and the permanent loss of millions of jobs. “Donald cares for no one or anyone other than himself,” says Mary Trump. Yet, Trump’s House of Lies remains standing, for at least another sixty-one days. It needs to fall … no masks and all… now. WI
where his Mar-A-Lago resort is located. When asked, he refused to condemn the race-haters, declaring: “I hear they like me.” The Ku Klux Klan has already formally endorsed Trump, and polls show that more than 50 percent of White voters intend to vote for Trump. Instead of investing resources to go “all-in” on getting out the Black vote, the youth vote, the progressive vote, Biden is wincing at the label that he is a threat to the lily-white suburbs, and that his moderate, neo-liberal policies will lead the country to socialism. Biden is making the Clinton mistake, believing that he can appeal to enough “reasonable” White voters in battleground states like Pennsylvania, to craft a victory. Silly Biden. Obama was able to get away with his wimp-ism—kicking his Pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright to the curb; claiming to be a Constitutional scholar, but never once citing that the Constitu-
tion (Article VI Clause 3) says explicitly that there shall be “no religious test” for office, when the haters incorrectly charged Obama with being a Muslim. Obama got away with his 2008 wimpism (And I ought to know. I’ve got the “receipts,” the photo of him with Minister Louis Farrakhan that would have doomed his campaign). But Biden is a man with 70 years of absolute White Privilege behind him. What’s he got to be “skeered” of? Trump, the bully? Or does he just agree with the white-tribe rhetoric himself? If Biden doesn’t quickly “grow a pair” he won’t win, not that he can’t win, but he will need to awaken the sleeping giant and produce an overwhelming voter turnout—mail-inballots or not--in every single state! He will need to excite something other than a loathing for the “deplorable” Mr. Trump, otherwise, he won’t win. WI
When institutions first went online, many struggled with the motivation to work, depression, lack of space to concentrate on school tasks and mental disorders like ADHD that prevent one from concentrating or learning online. With no in-person support system, many students have not had the chance to grieve and process their emotions properly. Soon they will be asked to go back to school, but how can one succeed with the trauma of COVID on their shoulders? Nevertheless, during the horrible experience that is COVID, many students have been able to persevere and come together to help each other. From sharing online games to group-
watched parties over zoom, students have found ways to create an online community. Still, while colleges expect students to pay thousands of dollars during a global pandemic. In that case, they must step up and treat their students better, and that means providing proper mental health resources and not underfunded health centers. Dealing with the loss of physical contact and loss of lives is enough to disrupt one’s life completely. We are in constant survival mode, and if colleges want to justify why students should still pay thousands of dollars in tuition, they need to be ready to help and hold space for their students, especially the more vulnerable ones. WI
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