34 minute read
Around the Region
SOMETHING NEW EVERYDAY
www.washingtoninformer.com
Visit our updated Web site and give us your comments for a chance to win a gift from The Washington Informer
Email comments to: rburke@ washingtoninformer.com
In Memoriam Dr. Calvin W. Rolark, Sr. Wilhelmina J. Rolark
THE WASHINGTON INFORMER NEWSPAPER (ISSN#0741-9414) is published weekly on each Thursday. PeriodiPUBLISHER Denise Rolark Barnes STAFF cals postage paid at Washington, D.C. and additional mailing offices. News and adThe Washington Informer Newspaper vertising deadline is Monday prior to pubD. Kevin McNeir, Editor Ron Burke, lication. Announcements must be received In Memoriam Advertising/ Marketing Director Shevry Lassiter, two weeks prior to event. Copyright 2016 Dr. Calvin W. Rolark, Sr. Photo Editor Lafayette Barnes, IV, Assistant Photo Editor John E. De Freitas, Sports Photo Editor Dorothy Rowley, Online Editor ZebraDesigns.net, Design & Layout Mable Neville, Bookkeeper by The Washington Informer. All rights reserved. POSTMASTER: Send change of addresses to The Washington Informer, 3117 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E. Washington, D.C. 20032. No part of this publication may be reproduced without Wilhelmina J. Rolark THE WASHINGTON INFORMER NEWSPAPER (ISSN#0741-9414) is published weekly on Thursday. Periodicals postage paid at Washington, D.C. and additional mailing offices. News and advertising deadline is Monday prior to publication. Dr. Charles Vincent, Social Sightings written permission from the publisher. The Announcements must be received two weeks prior to event. Copyright 2000 by The columnist Informer Newspaper cannot guarantee the Washington Informer. All rights reserved. POST MASTER: Send change of addressTatiana Moten, Social Media Specialist Angie Johnson, Circulation return of photographs. Subscription rates are $45 per year, two years $60. Papers will be received not more than a week after publication. Make checks payable to: es to The Washington Informer, 3117 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E. Washington, D.C. 20032. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. The Informer Newspaper cannot guarantee the return of
REPORTERS photographs. Subscription rates are $30 per year, two years $45. Papers will be received Stacy Brown (Senior Writer), Sam P.K. THE WASHINGTON INFORMER not more than a week after publication. Make checks payable to: 3117 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E Collins, Timothy Cox, Will Ford (Prince Washington, D.C. 20032 George’s County Writer), Jacqueline Fuller, THE WASHINGTON INFORMER Hamil Harris, Daniel Kucin, D. Kevin McNeir, Kui Mwai, Dorothy Rowley, Phone: 202 561-4100 Fax: 202 574-3785 news@washingtoninformer.com 3117 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E. • Washington, D.C. 20032 Phone: 202 561-4100 • Fax: 202 574-3785 Brenda Siler, Lindiwe Vilakazi, Sarafina www.washingtoninformer.com E-mail: news@washingtoninformer.com Wright, James Wright www.washingtoninformer.com
PHOTOGRAPHERS Ulrich Fonou, Ja’Mon Jackson, PUBLISHER Shevry Lassiter, Roy Lewis, Jr., Robert R. Roberts, Denise Rolark Barnes STAFF Anthony Tilghman REPORTERS Brooke N. Garner Managing Editor Tia C. Jones, Ed Laiscell, Carla Peay Assistant Managing Editor Odell B. Ruffin, Larry Saxton, Ron Burke Advertising and Marketing Mary Wells, Joseph Young Mable Whittaker Bookkeeper LaNita Wrenn Administration PHOTOGRAPHERS John E. De Freitas Sports Editor Lafayette Barnes, IV, Victor Holt Photo Editor John E. De Freitas, Maurice Fitzgerald, Zebra Designs, Inc. Layout & Graphic Design Joanne Jackson, Roy Lewis, Robert 4 - SEPTEMBER 3 - 9, 2020 Ken Harris /www.scsworks.com Webmaster Ridley, Victor Holt CIRCULATION Paul Trantham
Women Break the Cycle of wi hot topics COMPILED BY WILLIAM J. FORD, WI STAFF WRITER
Domestic Violence CBCF Begins Virtual MGM Laying Off Nearly 800
By Tia Carol Jones Employees law enforcement. She said they threat,” she said. Convention WI Staff Writer had come together to bring a Among the programs Marlow sense of uniformity in the way wants to see implemented are The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation be
When L.Y. Marlow's 23-yeardomestic violence victims and stricter restraining order policies, gan its first ever virtual convention this week due to old daughter told her the father survivors are treated. more rights for victim's families the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Because the usual of her daughter threatened her “She's using her own personal to intervene on behalf of a vicin-person cannot be held in its traditional venue, the life, and the life of their child, story, her own personal pain to tim, a domestic violence assessWalter E. Washington Convention Center in Northshe 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 with law enforcement's handling of the situation, she decided to start the Saving Promise campaign. “It seems to be a vicious cycle that won't turn my family loose,” Marlow said. Marlow shared her story with the audience at the District Heights Domestic Violence Symposium on May 7 at the District Heights Municipal Center. The symposium was sponsored by the said about Marlow. Davis-Nickens said anyone who reads Marlow's book will “get it.” She said she “puts the case in such a way, the average person can get it.” She said at the end of the day, the book will help people begin to have a dialogue about domestic violence. Also present at the event was Mildred Muhammad, the exwife of John Allen Muhammad, who was sentenced to six consecutive life terms without parole training for law enforcement agencies, a Child's Life Protection Act and mandatory counseling for batterers. “If we are ever going to eradicate domestic violence, we must look at both sides of the coin. We need to address both the victim and the batterer,” Marlow said. Marlow would also like to see programs designed to raise awareness among children in public and private schools. She MGM Resorts International will layoff up to 18,000 furloughed employees including nearly 800 at MGM National Harbor, according to recent news reports. A company executive attributes the job cuts to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. through Oct. 2. Seminars of interest include a session slated for Thursday, Sept. 3 at 1 p.m. on voting during COVID-19 featuring Kristen Clarke, president and executive director, National Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law; NAACP President Derrick Johnson; Sherrilyn Ifill, president and director-counsel, NAACP Legal Defense Fund; and Latosha Brown with the Black Voters Matter Fund. This year’s theme, “Now is Our Time,” will focus on life in America during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, nationwide protests against police brutality on Blacks and a presidential election which features Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) as the first Black womFamily and Youth Services by a Maryland jury for his role in feels children need to be educat“While we have safely resumed operations at many an and first South Asian-American chosen as a vice Center of the city of District the Beltway Sniper attacks in ed about domestic violence. of our properties and have returned tens of thoupresidential nominee. Heights and the National Hook2002. Mildred Muhammad is sands of our colleagues to work, our industry and our “We have to stop being pasUp of Black Women. the founder of After the Trauma, country continue to be impacted by the pandemic sive-aggressive with poor chil
Marlow has written a book, an organization that helps the and we have not returned to full operating capacity,” dren about domestic violence,” “Color Me Butterfly,” which is a survivors of domestic violence MGM CEO Bill Hornbuckle said in a letter to emMarlow said. story about four generations of and their children. ployees provided to CBS MoneyWatch. Marlow has worked to break domestic violence. The book is “I lived in fear for six years. Six Locally, in Prince George’s County, MGM Nathe cycle of abuse in her family, inspired by her own experiences, years in fear is a long time. It is tional Harbor represents the majority-Black jurisand is confident the policies she and those of her grandmother, not an easy thing to come out diction’s biggest revenue generator which includes is pushing for will start that her mother and her daughter. of,” she said. income and real estate taxes. The casino and resort process. She said every time she reads Mildred Muhammad said closed more than three months due to COVID-19 “I plan to take these policies to excerpts from her book, she still people who want to help a and reopened in late June. According to state gaming Congress and implore them to can not believe the words came domestic violence victim must figures, MGM generated more than $8 in June from change our laws,” Marlow said. from her. “Color Me Butterfly” slot machines and table games. be careful of how they go into “I will not stop until these poliwon the 2007 National “Best the victim's life, and understand cies are passed.” Books” Award. “I was just 16-years-old when my eye first blackened and my that she may be in “survival mode”. “Before you get to 'I'm going Tia Carol Jones can be reached at tiacaroljones@sbcglobal.net Lawyer Seeks to Dismiss Charges of Cop in George Floyd Case lips bled,” Marlow said. Elaine Davis-Nickens, president of the National Hook-Up of Black Women, said there is no consistency in the way domestic violence issues are dealt with by “ We have to stop being passive-aggressive with poor children about domestic violence. I plan to take these to kill you,' it started as a verbal WI A defense attorney for one of the Minnesota police officers charged with murdering George Floyd will ask for the charges against his client to be dropped during a hearing scheduled for Sept. 11. According to court documents filed in Hennepin 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 methamphetpolicies to Congress and amine most likely killed him,” according to documents. “Adding fentanyl and methamphetamine to Mr. Floyd’s exTHE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM “ implore them to change our laws. I will not stop until these policies are passed. L.Y. Marlow isting 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.
District Residents Protest Police Brutality at National March
By James Wright Goldberg and Griffin listened to WI Staff Writer the program emceed by District na@JamesDCWrighter tive the Rev. Mark Thompson and led by the Rev. Al Sharpton, found
Even though it occurred as a naer of the National Action Network. tional event, District residents were District officials such as D.C. Del. a major element in the 57th AnniEleanor Holmes Norton relayed her versary of the 1963 March on Washthoughts on the march through a ington for Jobs and Freedom Aug statement. Norton served as a staffer 28, with many expressing strong during the 1963 march and noted views on the killing and shooting by the gathering “paved the way for civlaw enforcement of unarmed Afriil rights legislative victories to come.” can Americans. “Today’s march shows the con
According to WTOP all-news ratinuing strength of peaceful protest dio, thousands of people gathered at as a tool to bring about change,” the Lincoln Memorial and National the delegate said. “Out of the 1963 Mall area to participate in the march march came the 1964 Civil Rights and members of the D.C. DemoAct, the 1965 Voting Rights Act cratic Party counted in those numand ultimately the 1968 Fair Housbers. The small D.C. Democratic ing Act. I was among those who contingent walked from the meeting marched for Congress to bring point, the Albert Einstein Memorichange then, as a member of Conal, to the National Mall to hear the gress now I will take today’s march as speakers and ultimately make their a mandate to pass the George Floyd way to the Martin Luther King Jr. Justice in Policing Act.” Memorial, the march’s terminus. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, Claire Goldberg, an active District during a news briefing on Aug. 26, Democrat, said attending the march said she wouldn’t be a speaker at the became a priority for her. march and discouraged District res
“The shooting and killing of Black idents from attending mainly out men haven’t stopped,” Goldberg, 23, of concern for the coronavirus pansaid. “I have attended protests since demic. She did encourage residents the killing of George Floyd and to watch the program digitally or Breonna Taylor and I was going to on television and urged those who make an effort to attend this march, choose to attend to wear masks and especially in light of what happened practice social distancing. to Jacob Blake in Kenosha. If we are Both Norton and Bowser are going to put a stop to these killings, champions of D.C. statehood and we have to keep coming out and the cause didn’t receive mention by protesting until things change. We the major speakers but Adan Garcia, should be out here everyday protestwho sported a 51st state t-shirt, aping what is wrong.” peared not to be concerned.
A few feet away from the D.C. “D.C. statehood not being menDemocrats stood Karl Griffin and a tioned hasn’t bothered me,” Garcia, few of his Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity 29, said. “I think this march is adbrothers. Griffin said he and his fraterdressing something bigger which is nal kin came to the march to address unarmed Black men being killed by broken promises made to African the police around the country.” Americans throughout the years reQuenessa Long, a first-year stugarding civil rights and fair treatment. dent at the Howard University
“We as Black people have had to School of Law, agreed with Garcia endure years of years of tyranny,” that police killings have become a Griffin, 25, said. “Our people have major issue. never been treated right. I am proud “This is a pivotal moment in to say I am part of the Black Lives this day and age,” Long, 24, said. Matter movement to address these “This police brutality has to stop. wrongs. Being a part of the moveThat is why we are coming togethment is a positive and beautiful er.” thing.” 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)
CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) NEED A TEST? GET A TEST.
CALL: 1-855-363-0333
CORONAVIRUS.DC.GOV
VISIT: NeedATestGetATest.com
black facts
FULL-SERVICE SIGN & ADVERTISING SOLUTIONS
Professional VISUAL BRANDING INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS to help grow your business
...because image matters
Call Today! 301-273-3462
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 network television at the time.
SEPT. 4 1908 – Famed author Richard Wright, best known for penning “Native Son” and “Black Boy,” is born in Roxie, Mississippi. 1981 – Grammy-winning singer Beyoncé is born in Houston. SEPT. 5 1947 – Rock musician Buddy Miles, a former bandmate of Jimi Hendrix, is born in Omaha, Ne
braska. 1959 – “Our Nig: Sketches from the Life of a Free Black” by Harriet Wilson, widely considered the first novel written by a Black woman, is published.
1960 – Leopold Sedar
Senghor is elected as the
first-ever president of Senegal. SEPT. 6 1988 – Lee Roy Young becomes the first Black member of the Texas Ranger Division.
SEPT. 7 1930 – Legendary jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins is born in New York City. 1986 – Nobel Peace Prize winner and anti-apartheid activist Desmond Tutu (top) becomes the first Black Archbishop of Cape Town, South Africa.
Stacey Brown
“Chief Image Builder”
stacey@signarama-silverspring.com
8930 Brookville Rd Silver Spring, MD 20910 signarama-silverspring.com
MBE/DBE Certi ed | Woman-Owned Business SEPT. 8 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.
BEYONCÉ
SEPT. 9 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
view P INT
BY SARAFINA WRIGHT
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?
LEJUAN CHISM /
OMAHA, NEBRASKA My son was sad about Kobe and sad about this, but he didn’t start crying because he understands this is a true part of life and it hurts. He knows that Chadwick Boseman was an important man, playing an important role that inspired people.
KIM WORTHY /
WASHINGTON, D.C. This was very sad news. 2020 has been a devastating year.
TROY WRIGHT /
ATLANTA, GEORGIA I’m so hurt and devastated but inspired to fight my cancer and chemotherapy -- and still look like a million dollars and WIN IF YOU WANT QUALITY WORK, JUST CALL!
Quality Assurance Home Improvement, Inc. “We Stand By Our Name”
FREE ESTIMATES! / Office: 301-248-3325
DECK FINISHED BASEMENT Kitchens • Bathrooms • Room additions • Retaining walls • Screen rooms • Carports Sun rooms • Carports • • Porches • Roofing • Siding Decks • Complete renovations • Enclosed porches • Basements Solid virgin final replacement Solid virgin vinyl replacement windows • Bay and bow windows Financing Available 90-day Deferment Payment
ADDITION & 4 SEASON SUN ROOM
PROFESSIONAL INSTALLERS A+ Rating in home improvement from the Better Business Bureau for 15 years straight 17 KITCHEN ADDITION
Bonded / Insured / Licensed MHCI#86727 / D.C. License #53005449 Lead Paint Removal Certified
KITCHEN
Visit our website today at: www.fortwashingtonhomecontractors.com
$2500 off Sunrooms & Additions Up to 15% off Any Service Did you know if you invest in a Room Addition installed properly on your home it will increase the value of your home up to 100% or more? At Quality Assurance Home Improvement, we do the job right. We recently installed (2) two-story Room Additions that increased the value of our client’s home from $289,000 to $589,000. Every addition we installed including Sun Rooms and Renovations have always Purchase today and receive FREE cable outlet and FREE A/C & Heating Unit With this coupon. Not valid with other offers or prior purchases. For Senior Citizens Extra 5% Off With this coupon. Not valid with other offers or prior purchases. increased the home owner’s value which resulted in a great return on their investment. Invest in your home today and let the professionals at Quality Assurance Home Improvement expand your living area and increase the value of your home. We stand by our name “Quality Assurance”
Call us today at 301-248-3325 to schedule an appointment for a free estimate.
All Work is Done in Compliance to DC and MD Codes Homeowners are you in need of a new roof, kitchen, bathroom?
If so, take advantage of our 90 days or 6 months deferred payment plan now for as low as $199 a month.
TERRI CLARKE /
QUEENS, NEW YORK 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.
(301) 864-6070 EMPLOYMENT LAWYERS
MCCOLLUM & ASSOCIATES, LLC ADA, Age Discrimination, Benefits, Civil Rights,
COBRA, Contracts, Deaf Law, Defamation, Disability Law, Discipline, Discrimination, FMLA, FLSA, FOIA,
Family Responsibility, Harassment, HIPPA, OSHA, National Origin Discrimination, Non-Compete,
Race Discrimination, Rehabilitation Act, Retaliation, Severance Agreements, Sexual Harassment, Torts,
Whistleblowing, Wage-and-Hour, Wrongful Discharge
SERVING MARYLAND, DC, & NORTH CAROLINA www.jmlaw.net (301) 864-6070 jmccollum@jmlaw.net
BY D. KEVIN MCNEIR / WI EDITOR / @DKEVINMCNEIR
It’s still hard to believe that Mi- chael Jackson, the undisputed “King of Pop,” has been gone for more than a decade – his sudden death on June 25, 2009 still shroud- ed in mystery and controversy.
Equally surprising, at least from this writer’s perspective, is the rela- tive 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 unprecedent- ed 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 be- tween 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 forev- er maintained a special place in my heart and soul.
Childhood Lessons Learned at Playtime with the Jackson Five
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, en- gaged 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 ad- dition 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 num- bers 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 in- cluding Motown’s quickly emerg- ing 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 some- thing else in common – both had in their employ the same caregiv- er who meticulously and lovingly watched each family’s children, along with others.
That’s how I met Michael Jack- son, 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 be- come part of the normative land- scape 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 hard- wood 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 en- counter and which would swallow one day devour him whole?
One thing I can state with little equivocation – I am the more for- tunate between us. After all, even given unprecedented privilege, I believe life with the “silver spoon” afforded Michael far less than it ul- timately provided. WI
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
5 Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt serves as the District’s director of health. (WI File Photo/Shevry Lassiter)
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
DESIGNER EYEWEAR
PHONE: 202-526-0300 FAX: 202-526-0233
EYE EXAMS:
Tues, Thurs & Fri: 11am-3:30pm walk ins available
STORE HOURS:
Mon - Fri: 9am - 5:30pm Closed for lunch: 12:30pm - 1:10pm
25% OFF OF SELECT FRAMES WITH MENTION OF THIS AD FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED AT YOUR SERVICE FOR OVER 40 YEARS Accepting United Health PPO, HSCSN & DC Medicaid (Straight only) 3610 12th Street, NE - Washington, DC 20017
Become a Published Author with Dorrance. We want to read your book!
Our staff is made up of writers, just like you. We are dedicated to making publishing dreams come true. Trusted by authors for nearly 100 years, Dorrance has made countless authors’ dreams come true.
Complete Book Publishing Services
FIVE EASY STEPS TO PUBLICATION:
1. Consultation 2. Book Production 3. Promotion 4. Distribution 5. Merchandising and Fulfillment
Call now to receive your FREE Author’s Guide 877-420-7280 or www.dorranceinfo.com/informer
Lung Cancer? Asbestos exposure in industrial, construction, manufacturing jobs, or the military may be the cause. Family in the home were also exposed. Call 1-866-795-3684 or email cancer@breakinginjurynews.com. $30 billion is set aside for asbestos victims with cancer. Valuable settlement monies may not require filing a lawsuit.
Denise Rolark Barnes
Independent Beauty Consultant www.marykay/drolark-barnes.com 202-236-8831
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)
net
Please set all copy in upper and lowercase, flush left as indicated on artwork at these point sizes: Consultant name in 11-point Helvetica Neue Bold; Independent Beauty Consultant in 9-point Helvetica Neue Light; Web site or e-mail address in 9-point Helvetica Neue Light; phone number in 9-point Helvetica Neue Light. To the Independent Beauty Consultant: Only Company-approved Web sites obtained through the Mary Kay ® Personal Web Site program may be utilized. WORDS TO LIVE BY
Who’s Reading the Informer?
Ollie Williams, a deacon at the First Baptist Church of Highland Park in Landover, Maryland, reads the Washington Informer. (Roy Lewis/ The Washington Informer)
Need Help Getting Social Security Disability Benefits? We Can Help!
Steady monthly income depending on your paid in amount A lump sum payment of benefits owed from back-pay Annual cost of living increases
• We simplify the process & strive for quick claim approval
• Starting the process is easy and takes only minutes to complete
855-549-3119
Helping thousands get the benefits they deserve
Bill Gordon & Associates, a nationwide practice, represents clients before the Social Security Administration.
Bill Gordon & Associates, a nationwide practice, represents clients before the Social Security Administration. Member of the TX & NM Bar Associations. Mail: 1420 N W St Washington D.C. O ce: Broward County, FL. Services may be provided by associated attorneys licensed in other states. Member of the TX & NM Bar Associations. Mail: 1420 NW St Washington D.C. Office: Broward County Florida.
Services may be provided by associated attorneys licensed in other states.
– Ana Julia Cooper (1858-1964), Voices from the South
AROUND THE REGION
Why Child Abuse Reports Have Plummeted
During the COVID-19 Pandemic “There are strategies and safeguards that can be put in place even By Brigette Squire a D.C. Children’s Advocacy Center, with on-line learning,” informs WI Writer in N.W. Cole.” Our school systems must @SquireBrigette The National Children’s Alliance support teachers by quickly equipstates that in the District, the drop ping them with the skills and tech
Nearly 700,000 children are was smaller — only 3 percent betools to spot and report abuse and abused and neglected in the U.S. cause social isolation is more diffito allow children to be able to ineach year. With family discord at an cult for children living in a city than dicate they need help in ways that all-time high due to overall instain more rural areas of the country. don’t place them in further danger. bility, one could’ve predicted child Social isolation for children The delivery of academic content, abuse and neglect reports to spike. heightened due to school closures. frankly, is secondary at this point to
According to the National ChilAccording to federal data, educastudents’ safety and wellbeing.” dren’s Alliance, 40,000 fewer chiltors were responsible for 21 percent Nationally, neglect is the most dren nationwide between January and June of this year compared to last year took a staggering 21 percent of the 4.3 million referrals made to child protective services in 2018. “Some children are in greater dancommon form of abuse. Neglect is some cases includes a parent napping while children under the age 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) plummet. ger due to the social isolation since the of eight are playing. Proper child suthem or break up the family. The know their abuser, who is frequently
“Statistics tell us that 1 in 10 traditional mandated reporting system pervision requires full responsiveness truth is that getting help can protect a trusted adult. children will be sexually abused by designed to keep them from harm has and presence, according to the law. children from further harm and as“Consider what it might feel like their 18th birthday and in some been largely disabled,” says Cole. Children must not be left alone in sist the family in overcoming probfor a child to have her life turned upcommunities that rate is much Also, virtual teaching 25 to 30 situations where they may get hurt. lems,” states Rudy Davis, an adult side down by violence and betrayal, higher, we believe that number of students decreases the ability to deNeglect is considered a misdemeanvictim of child abuse and raised in having her reality shattered by somechildren who are brought to Safe tect abnormal behavior in one child. or, and the parent or guardian is subfoster care. one, perhaps someone she knows,” Shores is the tip of the iceberg,” exSome school districts have sought to ject to a fine or 30 days in prison. In 2019 Safe Shores saw 1,529 according to Cole. pressed Michele Booth Cole, J.D. train staff on how to spot potential “People fear that reporting child children and their families. In 90 Executive Director at Safe Shores, signs of abuse on-line. abuse or neglect will fall back on percent of these cases, the children ABUSE Page 44
10 % OFF * orders of $999+ 15 % OFF * orders of $1999+ 20 % OFF * orders of $4999+ Excludes Dream Mattress Studio.
Prices shown reflect final discounts*. OR 60 MONTHS
NO INTEREST † On qualifying purchases totaling $999 or more with your Value Plus or Signature Plus credit card made between 9/1/20–9/7/20. Equal monthly payments required for 60 months. †See below page for details.
OVER 115 STORE LOCATIONS
Happy Labor Day
3colors
First Time Ever!
FREE Ottoman, Recliner, or Chaise
Cordelle Ottoman
Cordelle Rocker Recliner Cordelle Chaise
FIND YOUR NEAREST STORE AT VCF.COM
Your choice with purchase of Cordelle 2-Piece Sectional $ 1099 98 Accent pillows included.
$ 300 SAVINGS
CALL 1-888-751-8552
Prices are in effect from receipt of ad through 9/7/20 and are subject to change. Value City Furniture (VCF) is not responsible for typographical errors. Assortments vary by location. See store for details regarding all warranties. Other restrictions may apply. See store associate for details. *Promotions and Discounts are not valid towards Art Van Liquidation, Top Deals, Doorbusters, previous purchases, gift cards, delivery charges, or Pure Promise. Beautyrest Black and Beautyrest Hybrid cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotions or discounts. Selection may vary by store. † Offer applies to single-receipt qualifying purchases. Subject to credit approval. Minimum monthly payments required. See stores for details. Stores will accept but not require a down payment equal to sales tax and delivery charges at time of purchase to reduce the total amount financed and possible interest charges. Maximum period of repayment for applicable sales tax and delivery charges is 12 months even if a longer period of repayment applies to the total purchase. No interest will be charged on the promo purchase and equal monthly payments are required to the initial promo purchase amount divided equally by the number of months in the promo period until promo is paid in full. The equal monthly payment will be rounded to the next highest whole dollar and may be higher than the minimum payment that would be required if the purchase was a non-promotional purchase. Regular account terms apply to non-promotional purchases. For new accounts; Purchase APR is %29.00; Minimum Interest Charge is $2. Existing cardholders should see their credit card agreement for their applicable terms. While we strive for 100% accuracy in our price listings and product descriptions, we understand that errors may occur. In cases where errors occur, we expressly reserve the right to correct errors that do not accurately reflect the intended offer or description. Pricing error corrections may result in a refund or cancellation of orders. Refunds will be credited to the original payment method.
