The Washington Informer - February 23, 2017

The

Black

Love

VOL. 52, NO. 19 • FEBRUARY 23 - MARCH 1, 2017

Metro Seeks Ways to Decrease Overtime and Absenteeism - Hot Topics / Page 4

Experience

Miss inDon'tACenter natheSection cWIoBRIDGE stia

FEBRUARY 2017 | VOL

3, ISSUE 2

Trump's Immigration Proposals Hit Home in the District

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

President Donald Trump has promised a new immigration and travel ban executive or-

5 Attorney Regina DeMeo, whose family immigrated a half-century ago, has grave concerns about President Donald Trump's immigration policies. / Courtesy photo

Trump Plans Meeting with HBCUs

der that the White House said should withstand the challenges the first ban could not.

That the president has persisted in his stand on immigration has continued to cause anxiety for many undocumented — but productive — aliens.

The owners of Ben's Chili Bowl joined thousands of businesses nationwide on Feb. 16 to support the "Day Without Immigrants" demonstration in protest of the Trump administration's stance on immigration.

While some businesses closed, the owners of the landmark northwest D.C. eatery opened its doors for visitors to enjoy its classic dishes such as the "chili half-smoke."

"We are all immigrants," said the Alis' daughter-in-law, Vida Ali. "A day without immigrants is a day without Ben's Chili Bowl."

5 DC Wave swimmer Pauline Green-Williams competes in the 31st Annual Black History Invitational Swim Meet at the Takoma Aquatic Center on Feb. 18. /Photo by Mark Mahonney

IMMIGRATION Page 11

Photographer’s ‘Stamp Pic’ Now Part of History Lateef Mangum Photo Selected for Dorothy Height Stamp

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer During last year's presidential campaign, Donald Trump famously asked African Americans, "What do you have to lose?"

Now, the 45th president wants to show black America what he has to offer.

The Philadelphia Tribune, an NNPA sister newspaper, reported that Trump's administration will host an "HBCU Fly-In" event

HBCUS Page 46

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

5 HBCU students celebrate their graduation. / Courtesy photo

A photo of the late civil rights leader Dorothy Height, shot by District photographer Lateef Mangum, has now become part of America’s history.

The photograph joins a growing number of “Forever” stamps being issued by the United States Postal Service as the post office honors Black History Month

with its Black Heritage U.S. postage stamps series.

“They [Postal Service] called me and asked me to submit pictures of Dorothy Height who I had photographed many times before and with whom I had even taken a picture,” said Mangum, who has served for more than 20 years as the personal photographer for several District mayors including

STAMP Page 22

Celebrating 52 Years of Service / Serving More Than 50,000 African American Readers Throughout The Metropolitan Area

Now Published by Dr. Charles Vincent

Her Legacy Continues.

In memory of Mickey Thompson Vincent, Founder and Publisher.

Michele Fowlin (Director of the Washington Performing Arts Children of the Gospel Choir) directs the combined Choirs: The Choral Arts Chorus, Washington Performing Arts’ Men and Women of the Gospel Choir, and the Children of the Gospel Choir.

Dr. Charles & “Mickey” Vincent

Ralph Alan Herndon, soloist

Living the Dream...Singing the Dream...

A Choral Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the John F. Kennedy for the Performing Arts

T Canon Preston and Sandi Hannibal

Charles and Martha Baron

Guests of Marilyn Tyler Brown

he Choral Arts Society of Washington (Scott Tucker, Artistic Director) and The Washington Performing Arts Men, Women, and Children of the Gospel Choirs (Stanley J. Thruston, Artistic Director and Michele Fowlin, Music Director, Children of the Gospel Choir) lifted the world in music to commemorate Black History Month. Ms. Ruby Bridges received the 2017 Humanitarian Award. The Award was presented by Dr. Ysaye M. Barnwell, the 2014 Humanitarian Award recipient.

Dr. Marilyn Tyler Brown

Dr. Franklin and Gloria Smith

Ruby Bridges: Recipient of the 2017 Humanitarian Award

Social Sightings - THE MAGAZINE Subscribe www.SocialSightings.com Kendra Handy/Editor Dr. Charles Vincent/Photographer Brian Young/Graphic Designer l

Jay Lakhat and Rachel Williams

2 FEBRUARY 23 - MARCH 1, 2017

Dr. Deborah Evans and Councilman Brandon Todd (Ward 4)

l

Social Sightings-The Column is published in the Hill Rag, DC Mid-City, East of the River Journals, The Washington Informer Newspaper and in the Fairfax, Alexandria, Arlingnton, Loudoun Woman Magazines 2003 © SOCIAL SIGHTINGS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED — DUPLICATION IN ANY FORM REQUIRES WRITTEN PERMISSION | E-mail SocialSightings@aol.com

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FEBRUARY 23 - MARCH 1, 2017 Around the Region...................5-11 PG County................................12-13 Business.................................... 14-15

STORY ON PAGE 30

National.....................................16-17 International..................................18 Black History Month............19-32 WI Bridge..........................center Health .............................................33 Education...................................... 34 OpEd....................................... 35-37 Lifestyle..................................38-43

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Sports..................................... 44-45 STORY ON PAGE 6

Religion.......................................... 47

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around the region

W I HBreak O T the T OCycle P I C of S Women Domestic Violence

SOMETHING NEW EVERYDAY

COMPILED BY D. KEVIN MCNEIR / WI EDITOR AND WILLIAM J. FORD / WI STAFF WRITER

Baker Reappoints Maxwell as CEO for George’s Schools law enforcement.

She said theyPrince threat,” she said.

By Tia Carol Jones

www.washingtoninformer.com

WI Staff Writer

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

had come together to bring a Among the programs Marlow Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. BakerinIIIthe recently sense of uniformity way reapwants to see implemented are pointed Kevin Maxwell23-yearas CEO ofdomestic the county schools,victims the firstand personstricter to restraining order policies, When L.Y. Marlow's violence possibly serve a second term inare nearly 25 years.

Maxwell, a rights for victim's families old daughter told her theconsecutive father survivors treated. more ofcounty her daughter threatened her native, began his education career 1979 at Crossland “She'sin using herteaching own personal to intervene on behalf of a viclife, and the life of their Hills. child, He’sstory, her own painschool to sysHigh School in Temple credited with personal leading the tim, a domestic violence assessshe had to berate push forward,” Davis-Nickens ment unit coupled with further temknew to itssomething highest graduation since the four-year cohort scaling sysdone.

Out inofMaryland her frustration said about training for law enforcement tem began in 2010. Turmoil alsoMarlow. hit in August after a federal with law enforcement's handling Davis-Nickens said anyone agencies, a Child's Life Protecagency wouldn’t give the county more than $6 million toward the school ofsystem’s the situation, she program. decided toMaxwell who became reads Marlow's book will Head Start superintendent, called tion the Act and mandatory counselstart the Saving Promise cam- “get it.” She said she “puts the ing for batterers. chief executive officer in Prince George’s, in August 2013 after state legispaign. case in such a way, the average lators approved grant more to the county executive. The school“If we are ever going to eradi“It seems to beto a vicious cyclepower person can get it.” She said at the cate domestic violence, we must boardwon't will begin a newend contract with Maxwell for approval of at both sides of the coin. that turnnegotiating my family of the day, the book will look a four-year term said.

by JulyMarlow 1. loose,” Marlow help people begin to have a dia- We need to address both the vicshared her story with the audi- logue about domestic violence. tim and the batterer,” Marlow ence at the District Heights Also present at the event was said.

Domestic Violence Symposium Mildred Muhammad, the exlikeCEO to seeand To continue a strategyMarlow to cut would costs, also Metro on May 7 at the District Heights wife of John Allen Muhammad, programs designed to raise General Manager Paul Wiedefeld has announced several Municipal Center. The sympo- who was sentenced to six consec- awareness among children in initiatives aimed at reducing overtime absenteeism. sium was sponsored by the utive life terms without parole public and privateand schools.

She Anjury internal thanneed 100toemployees Family and Youth Services by a Maryland for hisreview role inshowed feels more children be educat-with leave beyond timedomestic limits and another 100 Center of the city of District the Beltway extended Sniper attacks in edthe about violence. under review to determine the proper disposition of their Heights and the National Hook- 2002. Mildred Muhammad is “We have to stop being pasUp of Black Women. employee Thosesive-aggressive who fail to comply may be fired. the founder of After thestatus.

Trauma, with poor chilMarlow has written a book, an organization helps the will Newthat policy changes go about into effect March 1 and will dren domestic violence,” “Color Me Butterfly,” which is a survivors of address domestic violence Marlow said. topics that include unexcused absences that may story about four generations of and their children. has worked to break be taken without pay andMarlow the procedure by which “at-will” domestic violence. The book is “I lived in fear for six years.

Sixterminated the cycle of abuse infor herpolicy family, employees may be immediately abusinspired by her own experiences, years in fear es. is aInlong time. Itevery is and is confident policiesmonthshe addition, department musttheconduct and those of her grandmother, not an easy thing to come out is pushing for will start that ly reviews on overtime and employee schedules. “Every her mother and her daughter. of,” she said. process. day of absence we avoid improves productivity, facilitates She said every time she reads Mildred Muhammad said “I plan to take these policies to better operations and helps prevent overtime,” Wiedefeld excerpts from her book, she still people who want to help a Congress and implore them to said.not “We expect effort to generate about $2 million in bottom-line improvements projectedsaid. in the can believe thethis words came domestic violence victim must change our laws,” Marlow FY18her. proposed from “Colorbudget.”

Me Butterfly” 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. 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,' itfood started WI Free live performances, hand dance lessons, andas a verbal Elaine Davis-Nickens, presia panel discussion moderated by music scholar Mark dent of the National Hook-Up will be among featured ofPuryear Black Women, said there is no activities held at Anacostia High School (1601 16th Street, SE) on Sunday, Feb. consistency in the way domestic 26 for aissues “District of Dance” celebrating and inspired by violence are dealt with by the R&B history of the District. And, of course there’ll be a DJ to spin the tunes.

The presenters of the event include: Washington Performing Arts’ Mars Urban Arts Initiative and the 11th Street Bridge Park. Music from the 50s, 60s and early 70s will be performed by local entertainers including Nu Era, D.C.’s Finest, Shirleta Settles and Mousey Thompson and the James Brown Experience. And if you’re eager to learn the official dance of D.C., complimentary hand dance lessons will be provided by the National Hand Dance Association.

Metro Seeks Ways to Decrease Overtime and Absenteeism

Wilhelmina J. Rolark In Memoriam Dr. Calvin W. Rolark, Sr. Wilhelmina J. Rolark THE WASHINGTON INFORMER PUBLISHER NEWSPAPER (ISSN#0741-9414) is NEWSPAPER (ISSN#0741-9414) is published THE WASHINGTON INFORMER Denise Rolark Barnes published on each Thursday.postage weeklyweekly on Thursday.

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Anacostia High to host free ‘District of Dance’ BHM Event

“

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 Maryland Schools Consider Opening on President’s Day laws.

I will not stop until Public school students usually have the day off on the President’s Day holithese policies passed. day. But that could change next school year based onare legislation from Maryland

“

In Memoriam The Washington Informer Dr. CalvinNewspaper W. Rolark, Sr.

state Delegate Pamela Beidle of Anne Arundel County. According to House Bill L.Y. Marlow 400, schools would also open the Monday after Easter. “Repealing two manPaul Trantham datory public school holidays provides local school systems increased flexibility Roy Lewis, Patricia Little, Travis Riddick in meeting minimum requirements for the number of school days and school hours in the school year,” the legislation states. The bill was proposed after Gov. Larry Hogan instituted an order last year to begin school after Labor Day and end by June 15 to boost the economy by $74 million. Educators have said this 4 / May 15 - 21, 2008 The Washington Informer / www.washingtoninformer.com would force school systems to rearrange school calendars. The House Ways and Means Committee currently has the bill under review which held a hearing Feb. 14. If approved, it would go into effect July 1 for the 2017-18 school year.

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John E. DeFreitas, CIRCULATION Shevry Lassiter,

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H.R. Crawford Remembered as Advocate for the Poor

By Hamil R. Harris WI Contributing Writer Numerous District icons and people on the margins of life paid their final respects Saturday to former Ward 7 Council member H.R. Crawford at the Saint Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Southeast.

Crawford, who died Feb. 10 at 78, moved to D.C. from North Carolina, where he grew up in his father's rooming house and stoked a lifelong passion to help those struggling to make ends meet.

The former council member, considered one of D.C.'s last "godfathers," was a man who knew everybody, and knew how to work connections to help the city's poor for decades.

Rev. Mary E. Ivey, chair of the Access Housing, reflected on how Crawford opened a homeless shelter after he found some sleeping and living under a bridge in Georgetown.

"He had a heart of love for all people at a certain level of life and those trying to find their way," Ivey said.

At a time when the country is so racially polarized, Crawford's "Celebration of Life" was a welcome respite in honor of man who danced on both sides of the political aisle.

Gallaudet University President I. King Jordan forged a close bond with Crawford after both enlisted men were stationed at the Pentagon in the 1950s.

"I was in the Navy and he was in the Air Force," Jordan said. "I was an E4 and he was an E5. The creases in his pants were so sharp it could cut paper."

Crawford, who graduated from Cardozo High School in 1957, served in the Air Force from 1957 to 1965. He attended the D.C. Teachers college, Howard University, Chicago State University and American University, where in 1968 he became the first person of color to obtain a certificate as a Certified Property Manager.

Crawford soon embarked on

a career in public service that included a turn as Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development under President Richard Nixon, a term on the D.C. Council from 1980 to 1992 and serving as chair of the Metropolitan Council of Governments and the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority.

Brian Hawkins, director of the VA Medical Center of Washington, D.C., talked about how Crawford loved veterans and was impatient when veterans were mistreated.

He reminisced about a call he received from Crawford that began, "You are killing veterans..."

In addition to being the principal in Elwood Management and other real estate ventures, Crawford was a developer. D.C. Council member Vincent Gray weeks before he died Crawford was on the phone asking him to complete several projects.

In 1985, he created Access Housing Inc., the Southeast Veterans Service Center and Chesapeake Veterans House in Southeast. He always looked out for and honored veterans through out the year.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and several Council members said that long after Crawford left office, he maintained his ties with the city government to help the District's poorest residents.

"He relished the role of being a former council member," Bowser said. "He reminded me of Marion Barry."

Her sentiments were echoed

by D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, who added during his speech that Crawford was selfless.

"It was never for himself, but for others," Mendelson said.

As she stood on the steps of the church, former Mayor Sharon Pratt called Crawford a class act.

"He was smart, strategic, and he knew how to make things happen and we knew we had to close ranks and follow him," she said.

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5 H.R. Crawford / Courtesy photo

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FEBRUARY 23 - MARCH 1, 2017 5

AROUND THE REGION

WEEK OF FEB. 23 - MAR 1, 2017 FEB. 23

police during a peaceful voting rights march in 1868 – W.E.B. Du Bois, author, sociologist and Marion, Alabama. civil rights activist, is born in Great Barrington, FEB. 27 Massachusetts.

1942 – Haki Madhubuti, author, activist, and 1844 – The Dominican Republic declares its indefounder of the Third World Press, is born in Little pendence from Haiti.

1872 – Charlotte E. Ray, the first black American Rock, Arkansas.

1979 – Frank E. Petersen Jr. is promoted to brig- female lawyer in the United States, graduates from adier general, becoming the first African-American Howard University School of Law. 1897 – Famed opera singer Marian Anderson, general in the Marine Corps. the first African-American singer to perform at the White House and the first African-American to sing with New York's Metropolitan Opera, is born in Philadelphia.

1988 – Figure skater Debi Thomas becomes the first African-American to win a medal in the Winter Olympics.

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The Law Office of Nigel M. Atwell Special Education Lawyer

• • • •

Does your child have a learning or other disability?

Is your child failing in school, especially in reading?

Has the school repeatedly suspended or sent your child home early?

Does it feel like your child’s IEP is not working?

Is your child’s school ignoring your questions or concerns?

Contact The Law Office of Nigel M. Atwell for a free consultation. We serve children in traditional public schools and public charter schools. We specialize in serving low and moderate income families.

Call us at 202.627.6926 Email us at nigel@lawofficeofnigelmatwell.com See us at www.lawofficeofnigelmatwell.com

6 FEBRUARY 23 - MARCH 1, 2017

1984 – Michael Jackson wins eight Grammys for his record-breaking "Thriller" album.

Marian Anderson

BUILD YOUR IMAGE, ONE SIGN AT A TIME

1811 – Daniel Payne, author, educator and integral figure of the African Methodist Church, is born in Charleston, South Carolina.

1864 – Rebecca Lee Crumpler becomes the first African-American woman to earn a medical degree.

1999 – Rapper and singer Lauryn Hill wins five Grammys including Album of the Year, setting a one-night record for a female artist.

MARCH 1

1913 – Famed novelist and scholar Ralph Ellison, author of "Invisible Man," is born in Oklahoma City.

1927 – Singer, songwriter, actor and social activist Harry Belafonte is born in Harlem, New York. WI

FEB. 25

1903 – Albany State University, a historically black college, is founded in Albany, Georgia.

1948 – Civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. is ordained as a minister at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, where his father was a pastor.

1964 – Muhammad Ali, then known as Cassius Clay, defeats Sonny Liston by a 7thround TKO in Miami Beach, Florida, to win the heavyweight boxing championship for the first time.

The Law Office of Nigel M. Atwell Special FEB. 26 Education Lawyer

1926•Does – Boxing greathave Theodore "Tiger" your child a learning or other disability?

Flowers becomes the first black middle•Is your child failing in school, especially in reading? weight champion.

• the school repeatedly suspended or sent your child home early?

1928 Has – R&B legend Fats Domino is born •Does it feel like your child’s IEP is not working? in New Orleans.

1965 – Civil rights activist Jimmie Lee Jackson dies eight days after being shot by Is your child’s school ignoring your questions or concerns?

MUHAMMAD Contact The Law Office of Nigel M. Atwell for a free consultation. We serve children in traditional public schools and public charter schools. We specialize in serving low and moderate income families. Call us at 202.627.6926. See us at www.lawofficeofnigelmatwell.com.

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By Sarafina Wright

How has gentrification affected the District's black communities? ANIKA HOBBS /

WASHINGTON, D.C.

The essence of gentrification should be to beautify the neighborhood and support the community so in that way it's exciting. However, there are concerns of just losing the actual D.C. culture.

I'm not from here, so I'm very hungry to learn that D.C. culture and I don't want to see it lost.

AVERY SMITH /

WASHINGTON, D.C.

It is mandatory that we as a community learn civics and we learn how our society works. We [shouldn't] just go to work and come home and wait to be entertained, I think that's a problem. When we just continue to go after the check and watch TV because we're tired, things will be taken from up under our noses. We give it up.

We have to do more. We have to stop looking at people who ask for money to start a business as if they're an uncle begging for change. We have to support each other.

LYNETTE VOSS /

WASHINGTON, D.C.

It's gentrification, but it's not all bad.

There is an upside to it. When things like this are going on the community, you have to take a stand. Your voice matters, so as long as we take a stand and we're telling the city what we want, and local government is listening to us, it can be a good thing. They are fighting for Barry Farms, they're fighting to stay there, and we're fighting for the spaces we have here. It's our community, and we want to stay here in Anacostia.

MARYAM FOYE /

WASHINGTON, D.C.

I think language is really important and we shouldn't mix up gentrification with displacement. Gentrification means to beautify and anybody can beautify a neighborhood, but to come into a place, kick someone out so you can beautify it and make some money off it? That's a problem. Yes, that's happening here. Yes, that's problematic because statistically, the people who are being impacted the most are of color and East of the river.

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If Your Ad Were Here Someone Would Be Reading It! Contact me, Ron Burke, at 202-561-4100 or rburke@washingtoninformer.com THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

FEBRUARY 23 - MARCH 1, 2017 7

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MLK Library Services to Move During Renovation

5D.C.'s Central Library will close for three years to undergo a major modernization. / Photo by Roy Lewis

By Tatyana Hopkins WI Contributing Writer

The District's central library is slated for modernization in the spring.

The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library will close for renovation after regular business hours on Saturday, March 4.

Denise Rolark Barnes During construction, the liIndependent Beauty Consultant brary's services will be provided www.marykay/drolark-barnes.com across the city at temporary lo202-236-8831 cations, though could take up to two months for interim services to begin, library officials said.

Construction will begin in the summer and is expected to be completed by 2020. However, the nearly three-year renovation project will not disrupt most services.

"The D.C. Public Library is committed to offering library services during construction, especially those services that are to the MLK Library," said (301) 864-6070 unique a DCPL statement. "The overall renovation budget must cover both the costs for the new library and costs for temporary services.

MCCOLLUM & ASSOCIATES, LLC Therefore, the library will not be ADA, Age Discrimination, Benefits, Civil Rights, able to replicate all central library services during construction."

COBRA, Contracts, Deaf Law, Defamation, Disability Law, Most items in the MLK Library Discipline, Discrimination, FMLA, FLSA, FOIA, will be accessible during renoFamily Responsibility, Harassment, HIPPA, OSHA, vation in other branch locations National Origin Discrimination, Non-Compete, or by placing holds that can be Race Discrimination, Rehabilitation Act, Retaliation, picked up at any library.

Its most popular special collecSeverance Agreements, Sexual Harassment, Torts, n upper and lowercase, flush left as indicated on artwork at these point sizes: Consultant name in 11-point Helvetications Neue Bold; will Independent be available at partner Whistleblowing, Wage-and-Hour, Wrongful Discharge n 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. organizations such as the Historit Beauty Consultant: Only Company-approved Web sites obtained through the Mary Kay® Personal Web Site program may be utilized.

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Library Peabody Room. The closure will be used to digitize a huge selection of backlog items, which will be available on the DigDC website within months.

"Many services and items will be available at the 25 branches throughout the city," DCPL said.

The renovated Capitol View Library will reopen in the fall with over 40 public computers and a computer instruction lab. The new West End and Palisades libraries are also scheduled to open in the fall.

Fifty additional laptops will also be dispersed to branch locations to accommodate increased traffic.

Operating hours will expand at all branch locations and an interim retail location, "Library Express," will open at 1990 K Street NW to provide services including an Adult Literacy Resource Center and Center for Accessibility.

It will have a "small collection" of popular books and 30 public computers.

MLK Library's Memory Lab will move to Northeast Library, but plans for relocating the Studio and Fabrication labs are still being finalized, officials said.

MLK services such as the College Information Center, Community Tax Aid, Tango Pratica and video visitation for families with of individuals in the D.C. jail will be held at various library branches.

DC Tech Meet Up and Co-working partners will be suspended.

DCPL will also continue to offer social services throughout its system.

"The DC Public Library provides support to many of the District's most vulnerable populations," the system said. "Many of these services are provided out of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library. It is expected that there will be an increase in use at select library locations when the MLK Library closes. Staff at these locations will receive additional training and support."

Libraries will partner with day shelters to provide service in shelters and programs for homeless people. The Department of Human Services is also working to supplement social services for the homeless population that frequents the MLK Library.

The renovated flagship library will have a transparent entryway, sculpted stairs, an auditorium and conference center, spaces for music and art production, a ground-level café with a patio, newly designed research spaces and a rooftop event space with a terrace.

"The $208 million rehabilitation, once complete, will become the center of activity for the already-vibrant Chinatown area," DCPL said. "The aim is to go beyond a library that is merely transactional — a place where you go simply to checkout a book — to create a library that truly transforms lives, a world-class library for the 21st century." WI

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AROUND THE REGION

By D. Kevin McNeir / WI Editor

The World According to Dominic

“‘Hidden Figures’ Should be Required Viewing for all Americans”

Join the Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia (DCPSC) for a public Town Hall on Modernizing the Energy Delivery System for Increased Sustainability (MEDSIS).

The MEDSIS Town Hall will focus on potential pilot and demonstration projects aimed at modernizing the District’s energy system and how to fund the projects.

Tuesday, February 28, 2017 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Commission Hearing Room, 1325 G Street, N.W., Suite 800 Washington, D.C. 20005 If you want to speak at the Town Hall, please submit your name and organization by email with “MEDSIS Town Hall” in the subject line, to the Office of the Commission Secretary at psc-commissionsecretary@dc.gov by noon, Monday, February 27, 2017.

Live stream the MEDSIS Town Hall at www.dcpsc.org Individuals who need special accommodations, interpretation and/or translation services should inform the Office of the Commission Secretary by 5 p.m. on February 22, 2017, at (202) 626-5150.

Follow the MEDSIS Initiative at www.dcpsc.org/MEDSIS and the DCPSC on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube

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#ModernEnergyforDC

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Hi, I’m Mary MEDSIS.

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the benefits but denied the humanity of the contributors.

Even after the election of America’s first Black president, African Americans continue to be treated by the larger society as footnotes on the pages of life rather than equal citizens.

As we struggle to find a cure for AIDS or cancer, as we seek other means of providing energy before we have depleted the world’s oil supply, as we look for ways to counter the life-threatening greenhouse effect and as we branch out into outer space searching for other lifeforms or planets that could sustain human life, I can’t help but wonder how far we would be if manmade, ignorant paradigms like racism and prejudice were removed from the equation – from our hearts, minds and souls.

Black History Month will be over in a few days and America can once again treat Blacks as if we are invisible – hidden figures that those in power would prefer remain in our own segregated “ghettoes.”

But we can ill afford to allow the clock to be turned back to “the good old days” – the days when “America was great” at the expense of people of color.

This land is our land too and we aren’t going anywhere. Even if some attempt to minimalize our contributions, our sacrifices and the stories retold during Black History Month, we owe it to our ancestors to keep those tales of courage alive and share them with our children – those who one day will determine the direction in which our country and planet will go – and perhaps whether the human race will survive. WI

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As we enter the final week of Black History Month 2017, I am reminded of the reasons that led Dr. Carter G. Woodson to first propose the annual weekly [now monthly] observance that celebrates the contributions African Americans have made to their country and to the world.

I think Woodson hoped to instill a sense of pride in a race of people who had been kidnapped and then subjected to slavery, segregation, Jim Crow, lynching, debasement, ridicule and abject fear – all because of the color of their skin. Unfortunately, many Americans, both Black and white, view the activities connected to Black History Month more as a perfunctory act than a reason to recall and honor the many ways that Blacks have improved the quality of life in the U.S. An even greater tragedy, however, is the tendency by whites to ignore or deny the significance of Blacks’ contributions. Watching the amazing movie that recounts the story of Black female mathematicians hired during World War II to support the then fledgling aeronautics industry, ultimately being used as “human computers” in NASA’s quest to win the Space War provides a real-life example.

The film “Hidden Figures” shook me to my core for several reasons, the most important being the realization that like the women whose lives were featured in the movie, there have undoubtedly been hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of other Blacks who have shared their God-given talents with a country that accepted

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WORDS TO LIVE BY “We’ve kneeled-in, crawled-in, prayed-in, lied-in, slept-in, but still we’re out. If you want to get what you want, we’ve got to start with a contract . . . a covenant, with us.”

– The Honorable Louis Farrakhan, Feb. 26, 2005 10 FEBRUARY 23 - MARCH 1, 2017

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AROUND THE REGION

IMMIGRATION from Page 1 Trump's proposed ban has left those such as Regina DeMeo, a guest-teacher at George Washington University and Georgetown Law School, in a bind, seeking answers for those who've had difficulty securing citizenship.

"Both my parents are immigrants," DeMeo said. "My mother is from Ecuador and my dad is from Spain. They both came here over 50 years ago, and I was born here 44 years ago.

"My parents were never together, and my mother worked hard for many years as a bookkeeper, sometimes working two jobs to make ends meet, while my grandmother stayed home and took care of me," she said.

"My father has lived his entire adult life in Miami, and he runs his own important company. He brings over food from Spain and distributes it to the local restaurants in Miami, often working very long hours and weekends."

Because both of her parents have thick accents, they have sometimes been disregarded, shunned, or been made to feel like they are not Americans, DeMeo said.

"I never had this problem because I do not have an accent, and I had the benefit of scholarships to help me obtain the best education possible," said DeMeo, who has been assisting D.C.-area families for 18 years with custody and divorce matters. "I am outraged at the travel ban and Trump's actions. Even though I am a U.S. citizen, as are both my parents, it is heartbreaking to see what is going on.

"I believe in this country, and our legal system, and therefore I do have faith that this will all be made right," she said. "I am also really inspired by how many people are rallying and raising their voices to promote awareness to causes that are very dear to my heart, including tolerance and respect for immigrants."

After a federal court sided against Trump's immigration travel ban earlier this month, a new proposal that made the rounds contends that the administration considered mobilizing as many as 100,000 National Guard troops to round up unauthorized immigrants, including millions living nowhere near the Mexico border, according to a draft memo obtained by The Associated Press.

Staffers in the Department of Homeland Security said the pro-

DOCUMENTARY & PHONE BANK HELP

SATURDAY FEB.11 7PM breakingheroin.com 5 Regina DeMeo with her father who lives in Miami. / Courtesy photo posal had been discussed as recently as Feb. 17.

The 11-page document calls for the unprecedented militarization of immigration enforcement as far north as Portland, Oregon, and as far east as New Orleans.

Four states that border on Mexico were included in the proposal — California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas — but it also encompasses seven states contiguous to those four — Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana.

Already, the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence said they were very concerned about the Immigration and Customs Enforcement's arrest of a victim of domestic violence in El Paso, Texas last week.

In what should have been a place of refuge from abuse, the victim was the subject of yet another assault, this time on her freedom, the organization said in a news release. As the woman sought a protection order, she was detained in the courthouse

by ICE agents in preparation for deportation.

Her abuser assaulted her yet again, this time by alerting the ICE, the organization noted.

"Threat of deportation is a common abuse tactic; we have seen in this case why it is so effective," said Ruth Glenn, NCADV executive director.

"This tactic is also detrimental to the communities in which they reside. When victims and survivors are unable to reach out to law enforcement to report

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abuse, violent perpetrators can go free."

The coalition has long been concerned that victims and survivors will not seek services and legal protections, such as protection orders, for fear of arrest and deportation, she said.

"If a victim, no matter her standing in this nation, cannot feel safe in a courtroom, we must begin to look even harder at our systems and responses to victims of domestic violence," Glenn said. "It is imperative that ICE and other federal agencies understand the dynamics of domestic violence and the tactics of abusers who use these very strategies to continue the violence."

Among the biggest obstacles facing immigrants is their lack of access to education and they are unaware of what their rights are, DeMeo said.

"They fear speaking out or asking for help, and employers exploit that," she said. "And obviously, they often lack sufficient funds to hire an attorney or pay the necessary fees to apply for citizenship."

DeMeo said that if not for the generosity of others, a stellar education and hard work, she wouldn't be a lawyer or teacher.

"My parents had zero connections to help me in my endeavors," DeMeo said. "So I had to work extra hard to network, use social media to market my ideas, and it's thanks to the media that the last five years have been the sweetest and most rewarding of my life."

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PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY Md. Lawmakers Press for Metro Oversight with Funding in Limbo William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill Maryland lawmakers discussed a bill Thursday to create a commission to improve Metrorail safety, which needs to be done swiftly in order to get back nearly $9 million in federal funding.

The Federal Transit Administration announced Friday the money from fiscal 2017 for Maryland, D.C. and Virginia will be withheld until each jurisdiction approves a safety program for Metro and a group to oversee Metrorail operations.

The legislation, labeled House Bill 285, reviews the makeup of the two Maryland representa-

tives and calls for an alternate on a Washington Metrorail Safety Commission to come from either Prince George's or Montgomery counties.

A companion document — House Bill 119 — states a total of six commissioners will make up the board with two from each jurisdiction approved by the D.C. mayor and governors from Maryland and Virginia.

Although the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689 approves of the bill, spokesman David Stephen testified before the state's Environment and Transportation Committee there should be an amendment.

"Both voting members from Maryland that are appointed by

5Roland Jeter (center), former first vice president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689, chats with Local 689

spokesman David Stephen (right) and Maryland Delegate Cory V. McCray of Baltimore City after a Feb. 16 hearing in Annapolis before the state House's Environmental and Transportation Committee on creating a Metrorail safety commission. / Photo by William J. Ford

the governor be residents of Prince George's and Montgomery [counties]," he said. "We believe that each county should be represented equally at all times."

Delegate Marc Korman of Montgomery County, the lead sponsor of the legislation, said a companion bill in the Senate passed with the legislation that only requires one person reside in Prince George's or Montgomery counties. The Senate passed its version hours earlier before Thursday's hearing in the House.

Delegate Stephen Lafferty of Baltimore County said residents

from Anne Arundel, Frederick and Howard counties mostly use the MARC train system, but are familiar with the Metro system and could possibly serve on the six-member safety commission.

Korman said only 5 percent of the Metrorail ridership in Maryland are commuters who reside outside Prince George's and Montgomery counties.

Lawmakers in the House held a hearing Feb. 9 on House Bill 119 that looks to create a Metrorail commission and manage the transit agency.

A description of the bill high-

Movie Theaters Push to Sell Alcohol in Prince George's

By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill A movie theater company wants adults to get off the couch and back to enjoying the big screen, and one proposal to help do so is to sell alcoholic beverages on its properties in Prince George's County.

Frank Lewis, director of alcoholic operations in AMC Theatres' Leawood, Kansas, office, said the company seeks to conduct a multimillion-dollar renovation project for the AMC Academy 8 in Greenbelt, which Lewis said has lost at least 2 percent of attendance in the past several years.

"This is a situation where we want to come in and create a more upscale environment where we are competing against America's living room," Lewis said. "We have to give a compelling reason to get adults off the couch and back in the movie theaters."

The legislation for this plan in

Prince George's, labeled House Bill 1266, was discussed at a hearing Monday, Feb. 20 before the House Economic Matters Committee in Annapolis.

According to the bill, a company must have at least a $1 million investment and the average daily receipts from the sale of food cannot exceed those of alcoholic beverages.

The legislation states the county would receive $4,575 in fiscal 2018 that includes a $700 processing fee and $3,875 in annual licensing fees in fiscal 2019 and beyond.

Committee Vice Chairman Sally Jameson of Charles County voiced concern about selling alcohol with children at a theater, as the legislation states alcoholic beverages could be sold whenever a movie is playing.

Some movies are shown as early as 10:30 a.m.

Lewis contended AMC already has two locations in Maryland already that sell beer, wine and liquor, one in Baltimore County and an-

12 FEBRUARY 23 - MARCH 1, 2017

other in Wheaton in Montgomery County. A few tables are set aside in the lobby area for patrons to drink the beverages, which cannot be consumed off the premises.

If customers want to simply purchase alcohol, they must purchase a movie ticket.

"As far as our record, we haven't had a minor consume any alcohol," said Lewis, who added the company provides a list of AMC theaters nationwide that have served alcohol without incident.

Delegate Alozno Washington (D-District 22) of Greenbel presented the bill on behalf of the Prince George's County Delegation, which hasn't taken a formal position.

"I am reviewing it right now," he said. "Other counties have done it in the state, so it's not a new piece of legislation. We just have to make sure we reduce the possibilities of there being any minors that consume alcohol in these establishments. We just want to take those proper precautions."

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If approved, the bill would take effect July 1 and permit other theater establishments to apply for a liquor license. In regards to AMC, the company has three other locations in the county — AMC Magic Johnson Theater Capital Centre 12 in Largo, AMC Center Park 8 in Beltsville and AMC Rivertowne 12 in Oxon Hill.

Washington presented two other bills on behalf of the county's delegation that have been highlighted recently. One seeks to change the structure of the county's liquor control board, formally called the Board of License Commissioners, and the other to study how to sell and license alcoholic beverages.

The oversight legislation — House Bill 1317 — was spurred

by County Executive Rushern L. Baker III and comes after federal authorities charged former Prince George's state Delegate and county Councilman William A. Campos, two county liquor control board

lights each commission member and an alternate must have backgrounds in transportation, transit, safety, public finance, or engineering.

Terms are fluctuated with a person serving either a two- or four-year term. An alternate would serve for three years. Each person would receive a $200 per diem "for each day spent on the business of the commission."

Some of their duties: • Implement relevant federal and state laws and regulations to the safe-

METRO Page 28 officials and two county businessmen in bribery scandals last month. If convicted, all five men face up to 15 years in prison.

One of the bill's main items takes away control from the governor and gives it to the county executive to appoint and remove members of the county's liquor board.

Although the board and its office follow state rules and regulations, most of the salaries are covered in the county's budget, except for an executive director that hasn't been appointed in the county for several years.

According to the legislation, the yearly salary for the director would be about $170,000.

The other legislation, House Bill 1324, seeks to create a 17-member commission to study how businesses can sell and regulate the distribution of alcohol in the county. Eleven of those members would be appointed by the governor.

If approved, the commission would be in existence for one year and a month until June 30, 2018. Before the group disperses, it must present a report to the governor by Jan. 1.

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PGCPS BRIEFS

Compiled by Dorothy Rowley WI Staff Writer

BOARD BACKS MAXWELL REAPPOINTMENT

The Board of Education supports Prince George's County Executive Rushern Baker's decision to reappoint Kevin Maxwell to another term as the 130,000-student school system's chief executive officer.

"Dr. Maxwell is moving the system forward and improving student outcomes," board members said in a Feb. 17 statement. "Dr. Maxwell and the Board of Education have more work to do in accelerating student academic growth, addressing educational equity and sharing our successes and challenges with

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY the entire community. As we move forward to provide our students with great opportunities and a rigorous educational experience, the board looks forward to collaborating and engaging with Dr. Maxwell to make our school system one that County residents hold in the highest regard."

Maxwell responded that his was both gratified and humbled by Baker's decision to reappoint him to a second term.

"Prince George's County is my home," Maxwell said. "Prince George's County Public Schools is the place where I was educated and where I began my career. I remain committed to the children of Prince George's County and excited to work alongside my colleagues as we continue our focus on high academic achievement, safe learning environments and effective leadership."

RECORD-HIGH GRADUATION RATE

According to data released from the Maryland State Department of Education, the four-year Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate rose 2.6 percentage points, moving from 78.8 to 81.4 percent.

As a result, the PGCPS rate now

4The graduation rate for PGCPS

has exceeded 80 percent for the first time since the state began tracking such data in 2010. / Courtesy of patch.com

exceeds 80 percent for the first time since the state began tracking cohort data in 2010.

Eight high schools meet the system's goal of a minimum 90 percent graduation rate: Academy of Health Sciences at PGCC (100 percent), Bowie (90.2 percent), Charles H. Flowers (91 percent), DuVal (92.4 percent), Gwynn Park (94.6 percent), Eleanor Roosevelt (91.5 percent), Frederick Douglass (92 percent) and Surrattsville (90.8 percent).

"We have made remarkable progress," said schools CEO Kevin Maxwell. "I am excited about the growth in this important measure.

Our progress reflects not only the dedication of students and staff, but also the strength of new partnerships with families and the community."

TEACHER RECRUITMENT FAIR

PGCPS officials will host a recruitment fair on March 11 to hire dynamic educators from across the

country who believe all children can achieve greatness.

Recruiters for the Teacher Recruitment Fair are looking for talented educators who are committed, focused and hold (or are eligible for) a teacher certificate issued by the Maryland State Department of Education.

In addition to the need for bilingual teachers, teachers are being hired in areas including: Art Education; Early Childhood Education/Preschool Education; Elementary Education; English Education/Reading Language Arts Education; Family and Consumer Sciences; Health Education; Instru-

mental Music Education; Italian Education; Language Immersion; and Physical Education; and Library Media Specialist.

Candidates interested in attending the fair must create a profile and apply through iRecruitment by March 3.

All resumes should include: Two current professional letters of recommendation Unofficial transcript(s) Teaching certificate (if applicable) Praxis or state specific test reports (if applicable WI

Who Will Represent Prince George’s County?

2017 Prince George's County Spelling Bee Presented by The Washington Informer

Watch the county’s best middle school spellers compete for top honors and the opportunity to advance to the national bee March 17, 2017 at 7:00 PM 3800 The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742-1625

Remarks By Prince George’s County Exec Rushern Baker sponsors

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FEBRUARY 23 - MARCH 1, 2017 13

BUSINESS

Love and Money - Five Reasons Talking About Money Can Enhance a Relationship

OneUnited Bank, Black Lives Matter Partner

Aim to Organize Black America's Spending Power

By Sarafina Wright WI Staff Writer A historic partnership between OneUnited Bank, the largest black-owned bank in the country, and the Black Lives Matter movement aims to utilize the $1.2 trillion in spending power of black America by launching the Amir card during Black History Month.

They announced Wednesday, Feb. 8, that the organizations are strong advocates for the empowerment of black people and have taken special care to communicate this focus through their messaging and work.

"We are honored to announce this partnership with Black Lives Matter during Black History Month to focus on our future," said Terri Williams, president and chief operating officer of OneUnited Bank. "We can empower our community by organizing our spending power to support social and economic justice. The #BankBlack movement and the Amir Visa Debit Card provides important tools to garner our spending power and channel it back into our com-

munity to buy black and make America great … for us."

OneUnited Bank launched the #BankBlack challenge at the end of last summer, putting out a call for black people to move their money from traditional banks to black-owned banks, spurred by a slew of unarmed African-Americans killed by police officers.

The movement gained momentum when rapper Killer Mike urged the black community to give a portion of its financial resources to make a tangible difference during a town hall meeting aired on BET. Other celebrities such as Solange, Jesse Williams, Alicia Keys, Beyonce and Queen Latifah have also joined the conversation, according to the bank.

The Amir Visa Debit Card debuted in June at a Bank Black event in Miami featuring an original painting by acclaimed artist Addonis Parker.

"The Amir Visa Debit Card symbolizes the continued fight for justice and the power of the black community's dollars," Williams said.

ONEUNITED Page 42

By Don Gilbert Senior Vice President Wells Fargo Community Development Manager-Mid Atlantic Region Thinking about getting serious? You may be surprised to hear this, but one of the most important things you can do for your relationship is talk about money with your significant other. Talking about money:

MAKES COUPLES HAPPIER

In fact, according to a survey by the American Psychological Association, almost a third of adults with partners reported that money is a major source of conflict in their relationship. Learning how to resolve disagreements about money – and there will be disagreements – is a skill that will be valuable both at the beginning of your partnership and likely for your entire time together.

HELPS COUPLES CONNECT BY UNDERSTANDING WHAT’S GOING ON 5 OneUnited Bank and Black Lives Matter have partnered to create the Amir Visa Debit Card in celebration of Black History Month and to utilize Black America's $1.2 trillion in spending power. / Courtesy of OneUnited Bank

14 FEBRUARY 23 - MARCH 1, 2017

According to Wells Fargo research, about half of couples commingle accounts, while the other half keep separate accounts.

Regardless of what you decide

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with your significant other, both people in a relationship should understand how their financial habits impact and contribute to the life they are building together.

Helps couples track their short and long term financial goals Be open with your significant other about your full financial picture. Financial topics that can help ensure you’re covering your financial bases include: 1. Pay yourself first: Set aside some income for savings, about 5 to 10 percent.

2. Track your spending: Make sure you know where your money is going each month.

3. Create a safety net: Build up emergency savings to cover 3-6 months’ of expenses.

4. Pay down your high-interest debt: Pay down the debt that costs you the most.

5. Pay on time, every time: Pay bills on time to improve and maintain your credit score.

6. Know where your credit stands: Check your credit report annually.

7. Review your insurance annually: Protect what counts by checking coverage annually.

8. Save for a better retirement: Save at least 10 percent of your income each year.

Helps couples afford the “extras” that make life fun Having fun together is important. When couples have a common understanding of how they’ll prioritize and manage their day-to-day finances like housing costs, grocery, and utility bills, it’s easier to figure out where splurges fit in.

Helps avoid financial surprises Being up front about money

issues and sharing complete financial information with your significant other helps avoid financial surprises that can add unnecessary stress to a relationship.

While discussing money may not feel romantic, it certainly is emotional. So how do you get started? Here are tips: 1. Admit the conversation can feel awkward, but commit to having it anyway.

2. Pick a mutually agreeable time. Your candle-lit Valentine’s dinner may not be the right setting. Pre-arranging the conversation will help ensure both people are mentally prepared.

3. Be open with your significant other. Share your values and opinions about spending and savings habits and goals you would like to achieve together.

4. Work at it. Commit to an annual meeting to talk about money, credit, and whether you’re on track to achieve your financial goals.

By opening the lines of communication, you can get on the same financial page before joining financial forces.

(Article written by Wells Fargo Advisors and Consumer Lending) Wells Fargo Advisors is a trade name used by Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC and Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, LLC, Members SIPC, separate registered broker-dealers and non-bank affiliates of Wells Fargo & Company.

Wells Fargo Consumer Lending Group provides products and services through Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. and its various affiliates and subsidiaries. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. is a bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company.

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BUSINESS

Business Exchange

Economics, Not Politics, Is the Real Source of Power

by William Reed To the winner go the spoils.

President Trump has about 4,000 government positions to fill, including some of the most important posts in the U.S. government. He has focused on people with business, instead of government, experience. Some will complain because he has also picked a less racially diverse Cabinet than his predecessors.

Some say African-Americans stand to lose the most during the next four years. As blacks have gained political posts, our economic inequality has increased. Blacks may have political "power," but are still among America's have-nots.

And while blacks across America increasingly cry "woe is me," the rich are making money.

As blacks hope politics will makes their lives better, the wealthy continue taking a bigger piece of the American pie.

The nation's top 1 percent takes home more than 20 percent of all U.S. income. Today, the mega-wealthy — the top 1 percent — holds nearly $8.4 million, or 69 times the median household's $121,000 net holdings.

Most blacks see Donald Trump's election win as driven by forces of ingrained racism and misogyny. Many can't see how Trump's popularity and support reflects a massive sense of loss: real economic loss, perceived cultural loss, and anticipatory loss for their children's

generation. Political leaders and institutions tell blacks "wealth" is "greed" and greed is "bad." Black opinion-molders foretell that Donald Trump's White House "a racist calamity."

Under Trump, the business of America is business. The Donald's Cabinet is be one of most business-heavy in U.S. history Trump's Cabinet picks have more wealth than third of American households combined. The people Trump has nominated to be Cabinet secretaries have spent all or nearly all their careers in the business world, with no significant public office or senior military service on their résumés. This will be more businesspeople with no public-sector experience than any American Cabinet. The wealth they possess, almost $10 billion, is greater than America's 43 million least wealthy households.

The five mega-wealthy businesspeople Trump has nominated are Rex Tillerson, who resigned as Exxon Mobil's chairman and CEO after being named secretary of state; hedge fund investor and Hollywood financier Steven Mnuchin, nominated as Treasury secretary; Wilbur Ross, a Wall Street veteran who invests in distressed companies, nominated for commerce secretary; and Betsy DeVos, a philanthropist and school-voucher activist who is Trump's pick for education secretary, and Andrew Puzder, CEO of CKE Restaurants (which owns the Hardee's and Carl's Jr. chains), who eventually withdrew his nomination as labor secretary.

Economically, Trump, his Cabinet and blacks are worlds apart. His administration looks like America — mostly whites as "bosses" and a few black employees. Among two dozen top offices, most of people nominated are white males. In his "diversity," Trump designated three women and Housing and Urban Development Secretary-designate Dr. Ben Carson to top jobs. Not yet a millionaire, Carson is well on his way. In addition to being a

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physician, Carson is an author and speaker.

The Donald's medium to African-Americans is Dr. Omarosa Manigault White House assistant to the president and director of communications for public engagement. Her annual salary is $172,200. Manigault first came to public attention in 2004 after becoming a participant on NBC's reality TV show "The Apprentice" and soon became the woman

America loved to hate, named

by E! as reality TV's "no. 1 bad girl." In the 1990s, Omarosa worked in the office of Vice President Al Gore during the Clinton administration.

It's time blacks told themselves the truth. In America, blacks are more often "workers" than "chiefs." At thirteen percent of the population, African-Americans own less than 3 percent of the nation's wealth.

The net worth of U.S. house-

holds and nonprofit organizations — the value of homes, stocks, and other assets minus debts and other liabilities — equals $84.9 trillion.

Consider this: The median African-American household's net worth is just over $7,000, compared to $111,000 for white households, according to a study published in August. If we continue with politics as usual, it'll take blacks over 200 years to catch up economically. WI

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FEBRUARY 23 - MARCH 1, 2017 15

NATIONAL Trump Makes First Visit to African-American Museum

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer Already having set up a meeting next week with the leaders of the nation’s historical black colleges and universities and a tentative first meeting with the Congressional Black Caucus, President Donald Trump paid his first visit to the new Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture on Tuesday.

“Today and every day of my presidency I pledge to do everything I can to continue that promise of

freedom for African Americans and for every American,” Trump said and according to CNN, calling his tour “a meaningful reminder of why we have to fight bigotry, hatred and intolerance.”

“We’re going to bring this country together. We have a divided country that’s been divided for many, many years, but we're going to bring it together,” the president said.

Trump also took the opportunity to address the recent spate of anti-Semitic incidents, heeding calls from Jewish leaders and Democrats

5 President Donald Trump and his Administration visit the new Black Museum. / Courtesy Whitehouse.gov

to speak out, CNN reported.

He called the recent threats against Jewish community centers “horrible and painful and a very sad reminder of the work that must still

be done to root out hate and prejudice.”

He was joined at the museum by daughter, Ivanka Trump, Housing and Urban Development nominee Ben Carson and his wife, Candy Carson, Sen. Tim Scott (R-South Carolina), and presidential aide and former “Apprentice” contestant Omarosa Manigault, among others.

The visit was arranged by Manigault, a source familiar with the visit said.

The source added that the visit was originally penciled in for mid-January but was effectively nixed at that time by the Secret Service, citing security concerns.

Trump’s visit to the museum, that opened last September, coincides with Black History Month. Trump first marked the event at the beginning of the month hosting a listening session with what the White House described as African-American leaders.

The attendees did not include leaders from top African-American advocacy groups such as the NAACP or the National Urban League, but instead featured Trump

sitting alongside several of his campaign’s top Black supporters and members of his administration, including Carson and Manigault.

Trump becomes the second member of the first family to attend the months-old museum in just one week. First lady Melania Trump visited the museum last week with Sara Netanyahu, wife of the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Trump made a concerted effort to reach out to African-American voters during the campaign, including through events hosted by his National Diversity Coalition and alongside Carson, the prominent Black neurosurgeon who endorsed Trump after dropping out of the GOP primary race.

But Trump’s Black outreach often came under fierce criticism during the campaign.

With the exception of two visits to predominantly-Black churches – one in Michigan and the other in Ohio – Trump largely delivered his message of outreach to African Americans before overwhelmingly white audiences at political rallies around the country.

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Frederick Douglass Community Center Reopens in Ward 8 Technology Training, Refurbished Computers Available

5 Ward 8 resident learns the art of computer refirbishing. / Courtesy photo

Project Reboot's all-volunteer staff repairs and refurbishes computer equipment donated to their organizaResidents in Ward 8 can now tion, which they then sell to low-inutilize the newly renovated Fred- come families, people with disabilities erick Douglass Community Cen- and nonprofit agencies at a greatly reter, where they can get technology duced price.

Project Reboot will spend four training and purchase refurbished days perInformer week rebuilding equipment computers for as low as $25. Washington The District of Columbia Hous- and two days per week selling their ing Authority (DCHA), Office of work. The group also plans to offer State Superintendent of Education skills development.

"Project Reboot is excited to come (OSSE), Office of the Chief Technology Officer, Byte Back and Proj- to the District of Columbia," said ect Reboot welcomed the commu- Dennis Courtney, president of Capnity to the center on Friday, Feb. 3. ital PC User Group, Inc. and Project The nearly $450,000 renovated Reboot. "We have served D.C. resibuilding now features a community dents for years from our location in and retail space, technology training Rockville. This new location will alarea, refurbished computers for sale low us to serve D.C. residents by providing computers, repair services, and and a commercial kitchen.

"I'm so proud to reopen the doors training all at one location."

The community center will address to the Frederick Douglass Center to the Henson Ridge community another area of the digital divide by and its neighbors," said Adrianne offering free technology training to Todman, DCHA executive direc- the community in partnership with tor. "Not only will this center bring Byte Back.

This organization improves ecothe community together, but it also will provide job training, computer nomic opportunity by providing training, and other opportunities to computer training and career preparation to underserved D.C. residents. inspire this community."

The center's renovation was Byte Back will offer training — from made possible through funding basic digital literacy through certification classes — in the community from OSSE. "OSSE is very much involved room.

The organization will couple this in supporting families and helping their children be successful in training with job readiness and career school," said State Superintendent support services.

"Byte Back is thrilled to partner Hanseul Kang. "We know [now] more than ever that having a work- with the D.C. Housing Authority ing computer in homes benefits and Project Reboot to provide diginot only school children, but their tal training at the Frederick Douglass siblings and parents. We are incred- Community Center," said Elizabeth ibly hopeful that this partnership Lindsey, executive director of Byte among D.C. Government agencies, Back. "With the opening of this cenProject Reboot, and Byte Back will ter, more residents in southeast D.C. begin to address the digital divide in will be able to gain computer skills, the District while expanding edu- confidently apply for jobs online, and cational opportunities for students succeed in digital work environments in the District." WI and parents."

By Sarafina Wright WI Staff Writer

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FEBRUARY 23 - MARCH 1, 2017 17

INTERNATIONAL Compiled by Lauren Poteat / WI Contributing Writer

CIA Blocks Trump's Africa NSC Director Days before Michael Flynn resigned as Donald Trump's national security adviser, his top aide, Robin Townley, was denied security clearance from the National Security Council, effectively ending the aide's tenure with the council.

Townley, the council's senior director for Africa and one of Michael Flynn's closest deputies, was notified Feb. 10 that the CIA rejected his request for an elite security clearance required for service on the NSC. Flynn, under intense scrutiny for his pre-inaugural commu- 5 The CIA blocked a top deputy of Trump's original choice for nications with Russian officials, stepped down National Security Council director. / Courtesy of U.S. blastingthree days later. news.com The NSC's Africa director has a central role in policy formulation, including staffing presidential and NSC leadership and coordinating the many different U.S. departments and agencies. However, the recent rejection is expected to further delay development of coherent policy within the region.

Professor: Forests Can Help Save Nigeria From Recession

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At Home In the Car On a Walk On Vacation At the Park Shopping

A retired agricultural professor said during the 39th annual conference of the Forestry Association of Nigeria that forests are the solution to the county's economic recession.

During the conference — themed "Harnessing the Uniqueness of Forests for Sustainable Development in a Diversifying Economy" — Emmanuel Lucas, a former professor in the Department of Agricultural Engineering at the University of Ibadan, urged tree planting and for government officials to patronize private entrepreneurs engaged in seedling raising.

"Forests are finitely renewable and can supply raw materials for industries; there is no construction material that comes near wood in low energy requirements 5 Forestation may be the solution to Nigeria's economic for exploitation, processing and installation," Lucas woes. / Courtesy of connectnigeria.com said. "While petroleum, cooking gas failed Nigeria, inflicted heavy environmental pollution on the country, forests can take over; it has little negative impact on the country's environment."

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Congo Militia Accused of Killing Over 25 Unarmed Civilians

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In recent military footage leaked by Congolese human rights activists, a squad of what appeared to be uniformed members of the national army of the Democratic Republic of Congo, accompanied by a heavy military truck, recently raised their weapons and killed over 25 unarmed civilians including women and children.

After shooting the civilians, the soldiers then reportedly walked over to the wounded individuals and shot them in the head with assault rifles.

Human Rights Watch, Western diplomats and United Nations officials are reportedly investigating the video.

"The video shows shocking footage of killings and executions of civilians by uniformed personnel," The United Nations Peacekeeping Department said in a statement.

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5Congo Militia kills over 25 civilians.

/ Courtesy of ewn.co.za.com

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BLACK HISTORY MONTH Rahsaan Bernard takes the Baton at THEARC New Executive Director Focused on Improving More Lives in SE

By D. Kevin McNeir WI Editor Upon first meeting the Jamaican-born and convincing articulate Rahsaan Bernard, you’ll find yourself drawn into an engaging conversation with one whose unwavering focus and self-confidence belies his youthfulness.

Now the charismatic father of three brings his love of family, community and youth to the Town Hall Education Arts Recreation Campus [THEARC] in Southeast as the center’s recently-appointed executive director.

And from all reports, the decision to have him take over the

helm of the fast-growing nonprofit has resulted in a win-win situation – particularly, but not exclusively, for those who reside in Wards 7 and 8.

“I am humbled and extremely excited to serve as the leader of this amazing organization especially because this is such a special time for THEARC,” said Bernard, 39, who first came aboard as a consultant and then as the development director for Building Bridges Across the River [BBAR], the umbrella under which THEARC was established, before assuming his current position.

“Even before taking this job, I was responsible for keeping my eye on the mission and securing contributions from our various funders. Now, I’ll

need to consider not only the dollars coming in and our budget but also the productivity of our team. Nonprofits are often impacted by the political climate of the country especially if their funders include the federal government. And while that’s not an issue for THEARC we still must realize that with a new president in the White House, we’re currently in an environment of great uncertainty.”

“Being organized, focused and mission-driven will therefore remain among my top priorities,” said Bernard whose academic degrees include a bachelor of science from the University of Maryland Baltimore County and an MBA with a concentration in strategy from Bowie State University.

THEARC, a 110,000 square-foot campus located east of the Anacostia River in the District’s Ward 8, currently serves as the home of nine nonprofit organizations – collectively providing high-quality educational, health, cultural, recreational and social service programs for free or at a reduced cost.

The new executive director, who came to the U.S. at the age of nine when his mother took a position at one of the country’s leading accounting firms, says projects have already begun that will both increase the number of participants who regularly pass through THEARC’s doors and add to the total of buildings on the campus – therefore allowing more programs to be offered.

“By November we will have 14 nonprofits, four schools and over 200 fulltime employees on our grounds.

Patient visits are expected to surge from 4,000 to somewhere between 10,000 and 12,000 due to the expansion of our children’s health services,” he said proudly.

“THEARC has become a significant contributor to the revitalization of Ward 7 and 8 communities, open-

5 Rahsaan Bernard / Photo by Roy Lewis

ing our doors almost 12 years ago to provide increasingly-requested and sorely-needed services to those who reside east of the river. But others in the District as well as those who live in bordering Prince George’s County have also discovered that we are a real gem – they too are availing themselves of our services and the magnetic effects that come.”

Bernard arrives early each morn-

D.C.’s Newest Museum Tops One Million Visitors On-site Museum Semifinalist for Prestigious Award

WI Staff Report

The District’s newest addition to the incomparable Smithsonian “family,” the National Museum of African American History and Culture [NMAAHC], recently topped the 1 million mark in visitors – reaching the milestone just a little over four months since its Sept. 24th opening.

But there’s more. The museum’s “dwell time” – that is the length of time a visitor stays in a museum – has achieved unparalleled numbers averaging six hours or more on weekends, compared to 75 minutes to two hours for most museums.

“The opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture was a 13year journey to foster a broader understanding of the Black experience in a national and international context,” said Lonnie Bunch, the museum’s founding director.

“It has truly become a place of healing, reconciliation and celebration where people can embrace – not only African-American history and culture – but how that layered history has shaped America’s identity,” he said.

The museum’s diverse features and programming, from 11 inaugural exhibitions showcasing 3,000 objects illustrating Afri-

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can-American history to research and education programs, the Contemplative Court, a theater, store and café, have helped to attract visitors from across the country and throughout the world.

Also of note, with impressively high visitation numbers already achieved, the museum’s restaurant, Sweet Home Café, has been named one of 20 semifinalists now vying for the 2017 James Beard Foundation Awards in the category of Best New Restaurant (Presented by True Refrigeration®).

Sweet Home Café becomes one of only a handful of museum restaurants to have received

this honor. The café offers both refined and down-home cooking intricately linked to the geographic regions that inspired each dish and which reveal stories about African-American culture through food.

Routinely referred to as the “Oscars of Food,” the annual James Beard Foundation Awards, one of the most elite distinctions in the field of culinary arts, honor the country’s most respected chefs, restaurateurs and beverage professionals.

For more information about the NMAAHC, located on the National Mall next to the Washington Monument, visit nmaahc. si.edu or call 202-633-1000. WI

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ing, often before most of his staff members. His office, at least for the moment, has but a few pieces of furniture with photos of his wife and their three young children on the walls. He says he likes it that way since he spends very little time there.

“I expect THEARC to soon become the envy of the entire District – a beacon of light and hope for parents, families and children who have dreams but been unable to see a way to make them come true,” he said. “The accomplishments of the children who are involved with the Boys and Girls Club, who are thespians in our theater program, who are budding photographers or learning the skills of dance are phenomenal.”

“Every young person I’ve met is bright and talented and their involvement here continues to both change the trajectory of their lives and close the achievement gap.

This place has become like a family for many residents. And having someone at the top who looks like them, I believe, serves as an inspiration for our youth.”

“I want to change the narrative that has far too often become associated with our children so they can they can begin to think and dream big,” he said.

WI

FEBRUARY 23 - MARCH 1, 2017 19

BLACK HISTORY MONTH

School for Black Children Celebrates Ninety Years

By William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill

5 The inside of the Ridgeley Rosenwald School in Capitol Heights after renovations were completed in 2011 / Courtesy of Preservation Maryland Association for the Study of African American Life and History

91st Annual

BLACK HISTORY LUNCHEON 2017 National Black History Theme

The Crisis in Black Education

Saturday, February 25, 2017 Washington Renaissance Hotel 999 Ninth Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20001 Emcee Andrea Roane WUSA9

Keynote Speaker The Honorable James E. Clyburn, U.S. House of Representatives

Featured Authors’ Event: 10 a.m. - 12 noon Annual Luncheon: 12:15 p.m.

Gold Individual Patron* $150

Gold Patron Table* (10 seats per table) $1,500

Silver Individual Patron* $125

Silver Patron Table* (10 seats per table) $1,250

General Individual $100

General Table (10 seats per table) $1,000

I cannot attend but I am pleased to enclose a tax-deductible donation to ASALH $___________ For sponsorship and advertising information, please contact ASALH at 202-238-5910 or by email at aedwards@asalh.net *The names of Gold and Silver patrons will be printed in the Souvenir Journal.

Contributions of $50 or more will be acknowledged in our program if received by the January 11 print deadline.

View luncheon updates online at www.asalh.org.

NO TICKETS WILL BE MAILED. GUESTS WILL PICK UP TABLE ASSIGNMENTS AT THE REGISTRATION DESK. ATTENTION: Please complete attendee names on the reverse of this document. Be sure to provide complete information.

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Prince George's County residents can come to a birthday party this month, but the celebration isn't for a specific person.

The Ridgeley Rosenwald School will celebrate 90 years Sunday, Feb. 26, when it first opened as a school for black students. A total of 27 were established in the county, built with money from the Julius Rosenwald Fund, which helped fund the construction of nearly 5,000 black schools in the South during the early 20th century.

Today, the building in Capitol Heights remains in use as a museum for appointment-only tours and community meetings. It is operated in partnership with the county's Department of Parks and Recreation and Prince George's County Alumnae chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. A 2015 documentary about the Rosenwald School has been featured locally and nationwide to highlight a partnership to build schools for black children between Jewish businessman and Sears, Roebuck and Co. owner Julius Rosenwald and Booker T. Washington.

The film by Aviva Kempner, which will be showcased this year at various cities across the country, features interviews with Rosenwald alumni Rep. John Lewis (D-Georgia) and the late poet and activist Maya Angelou.

The late NAACP chairman Julian Bond also gave remarks in the film.

"It's a wonderful story of cooperation between this philanthropist who did not have to care about black people," Bond said. "[Rosenwald] expended his considerable wealth in ensuring that they got their fair shake in America."

The schools were built in 15 states for nearly two decades until 1932. After the Supreme Court ruled in 1954 against segregation in public schools,

many of the buildings were abandoned or demolished.

According to Preservation Maryland of Baltimore, which advocates the maintenance of historical sites and structures throughout the state, about 53 Rosenwald buildings still exist. The organization's website lists details about each building such as location, condition, current use and cost of construction.

Prince George's has nine including the Capitol Heights building — originally called Colored School No. 1 — in Election District 13, which is currently listed in "excellent" condition.

It cost about $5,300 to build the two-classroom edifice in 1927, according to Preservation Maryland. Renovations were completed in 2011 to open as a museum.

The others eight structures are used as churches, lodges, a residence, a shop, a used-car sales office and a Head Start center.

The county has the second-most number of Rosenwald buildings in the state behind Anne Arundel County.

Sunday's program in Capitol Heights will feature presentations to honor graduates of Ridgeley.

The family who owned the small tract of land spells it differently — Ridgley. Arthur and Mary Eliza Dyson Ridgley sold two acres of the land in 1927 to the county's Board of Education. The county used part of a Rosenwald donation to build a new Ridgeley School.

A keynote speech will be delivered by Elizabeth Hewlett, the first woman and first black chairwoman of the Prince George's County Planning Board and the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.

For more information about the event, call 301333-6560, or go to http://bit. ly/2kyUl77. For more on the history of the Ridgely family, go to http://bit.ly/2lixXfi. WI

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When the community works together, the community works A vibrant community depends on the participation of its members. The more diverse their backgrounds, experience and skills, the more unique their contributions to the community can be.

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FEBRUARY 23 - MARCH 1, 2017 21

BLACK HISTORY MONTH

5 The new Dorothy Height Stamp joins the USPS Forever Series. A photo by Lateef Mangum was chosen for the Height stamp. / Courtesy photos

7th Annual African American Heritage Tour

Exploring our Roots

T U

STAMP from Page 1 Adrian Fenty, Marion Barry and Muriel Bowser.

“I knew of her history and how dedicated she was to the civil rights movement, so I submitted a picture that I took when she was 97 and what’s amazing is that she looked so great,” Mangum said.

The hardest part of the journey for the D.C.-based photographer: silence. The postal service mandated that Mangum keep quiet for about a year until last November when he first saw the finished product.

“When I saw the image, I was pleasantly surprised and Dorothy Height looked terrific,” he said.

The 40th stamp in the series honors Height, a tireless activist, who dedicated her life to fighting for racial and gender equality.

She became one of the most influential civil and women's rights leaders of the 20th century.

In 1963, the Height-led National Council of Negro Women joined the Council for United Civil Rights Leadership and she lent her talents and creativity as one of the architects of the August 1963 March on Washington.

Height has been credited with initiating the drive to include

the voices of youth during the March including one up-andcoming leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, John Lewis. She further insisted that there be no time limits for Dr. King’s speech.

Gender equality also served as a priority for Height who fought for the rights of women, particularly women of color.

President John F. Kennedy named her to his Commission on the Status of Women, then chaired by Eleanor Roosevelt.

Height also attended the 1963 White House ceremony where Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act. In 1971, she helped form the National Women’s Political Caucus.

In 1994, President Bill Clinton awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

A decade later, President George W. Bush presented her with the Congressional Gold Medal. In 2009, she joined Barack Obama as a special guest during his Inauguration Ceremony during which he became the nation's 44th president.

“I’m happy and blessed that this photograph actually became a stamp and my family is very happy,” Mangum said.

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The National Museum of African American History and Culture

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Sunday, February 26, 2017 The Boys and Girls Club at THEARC 1901 Mississippi Ave., S.E. WDC 20020 11:00am – 6:00pm | Lunch will be served

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100 BLACK MEN

Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker III welcomes a young guest of the 100 Black Men organization who hosted a viewing of James Baldwin’s “I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO” at the Magic Johnson theaters in Landover, Md., on Sat., February 18. / Photo by Demetrious B. Kinney

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Giving Youth the Keys to Unlock Their Future George Cleveland Vice President of Channel Operations Cricket Wireless

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FEBRUARY 23 - MARCH 1, 2017 23

T:6.1”

Every school year, scholars, parents, media and politicians debate the best way to educate our youth and prepare them for success in a growing global economy. The debate is often centered on whether public, private or charter schools offer the best opportunities for kids to succeed.

Each institution has its own supporters and detractors, successes and failures. One point everyone agrees on is that every student deserves access to a quality education despite their economic situation.

Unfortunately, public schools face multiple challenges that impact our teachers’ ability to effectively educate their students, and the challenges are compounded in economically distressed areas.

As a kid growing up in Macon, GA, I attended both a school located in a lower economic community and one in a more affluent area. These varied experiences helped me understand the important role financial and socio-economic differences play on education.

Hard work and dedication helped bring my vision to life. I serve as vice president of channel operations at Cricket Wireless, a subsidiary of AT&T, where I’m responsible for customer care, training and communications, digital experience and sales operations. I’m proud to represent both AT&T and Cricket. Our employees donate countless dollars and volunteer hours to support organizations like Junior Achievement (JA). JA is redesigning the student learning experience in Georgia, which we hope will serve as a model for schools across the country.

“There is a direct correlation between education and economic development,” said Jack Harris, president & CEO, Junior Achievement of GA. “Through strategic partnerships between JA, school systems and the business community, this model [JA Academy] has the potential to transform education to meet the needs of today's students. Together we can bring innovation to education in order to create more pipelines to economic opportunities for all students.”

The JA Academy is a full immersion “school-within-a-school” model that acts as a joint venture between JA, the local school system, and the business community. It’s designed to provide rigorous standards-based education infused with career readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy. This model ensures that learning is relevant, experiential and authentically connected to the complexities that exist beyond the classroom walls.

This model is working and JA recently announced that the program will launch in Atlanta Public Schools at the start of the 2017 school year. It’s currently operating in two school systems in Metro Atlanta - Fulton County Schools and Gwinnett County Public Schools – and, the first-year results are really encouraging: • Attendance: Chronic absenteeism decreased by 75% in the second semester compared to nonJA Academy students, and overall JA Academy students are present much more frequently than their non-JA Academy counterparts.

• Reading & Math Levels: JA Academy students advanced an average of nearly 3 grade levels in Reading and Math from the beginning of the year, starting from an average level of 6th grade.

• Discipline: Discipline incidents occurred 90% less compared to non-JA Academy 9th grade students, and fell 49% from fall to spring semester amongst JA Academy students.

• Assessments: JA Academy students outperformed their peers in every state milestone assessment for 9th grade – Science, Math, and English Language Arts – while at the same time, the scores for the overall 9th grade students increased from the year before.

The above results are truly impressive. My hope is that the JA Academy will be adopted by more school systems in Georgia and throughout the country. This will take time, patience and commitment. It’s imperative that every child have the opportunity to reach their potential. Until then, I ask that you join me in giving your time and sharing your experience with our youth by serving as a mentor, or volunteering with organizations like JA. Let’s help them locate the keys to unlock their potential and passion to be successful leaders in a growing global economy. We all can make and be a part of history!

BLACK HISTORY MONTH

New Film Honors NBA's First Black Player

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer Three years after Jackie Robinson famously broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball, a 21-year-old from Alexandria, Virginia, became the first African-American to play in the NBA. Now, several current NBA stars including Carmelo Anthony of the New York Knicks and Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs have paid homage to the hardwood pioneer in a new documentary, "The First to Do It: The Life & Times of Earl Lloyd."

Lloyd, who was born in Jim Crow-era Virginia in 1928 to a father who worked in the coal industry and a stay-at-home mother, was drafted in the ninth round of the 1950 NBA Draft by the Washington Capitols.

Known as "The Big Cat," Lloyd debuted on Oct. 31 and scored six points. He would go on to play nine seasons in the NBA with Washington, Syracuse and Detroit where he averaged more than eight points and 6 rebounds.

Throughout the spring, private screenings of the film are scheduled in Detroit, where Lloyd

played and later coached; West Virginia, where Lloyd attended college; Alexandria, Virginia, where he was born; and D.C. and New York.

It's anticipated the film will receive wide release in theaters in April or May, a spokesperson said.

"It is important to make this type of film because it's imperative to know the history of our pioneers, those who pushed the needle forward for us," said Coodie Simmons, one of the film's directors.

"If we don't tell their stories, who else will care enough to tell them?

It's our responsibility as storytellers."

The documentary was also screened Feb. 16 in New Orleans during NBA All-Star Weekend.

Directed by Simmons and Chike Ozah, and produced by Arka Sengupta, the film boasts an executive producer list that includes Anthony, Parker and teammate Kawhi Leonard, and retired All-Star Michael Finley.

On Oct. 31, 1950, Lloyd stepped onto the court with the Washington Capitols and became the first African-American to play in the NBA. He went on to become the first African-American to win a NBA championship with the Syracuse Nationals, and the first

African-American head coach in the NBA for the Detroit Pistons.

Lloyd, who died in 2015 at the age of 86, was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003.

When asked what was his most important achievement in basketball, he replied, "Getting there."

The film recounts Lloyd's journey, from growing up in deeply segregated Alexandria, Virginia, to witnessing the first black president of the United States.

The film also tells the story of how the modern game was formed, from the dominance of the Harlem Globetrotters to the introduction of the 24-second clock.

Additionally, it examines the legacy of desegregation in America and the ongoing role basketball has played in its inner cities.

"The story of Earl Lloyd needed to be told, in a way that would reach today's young generation of basketball fans," said Sherrie Deans, executive director of the NBPA Foundation, which producers said provided a substantial grant for the making of the film.

"He is one of the founding fathers of what the NBA has become today, paving the way and setting an example for athletes both on-

5 Earl Lloyd became the first Black player in the NBA in 1950.

/ Courtesy photo

and off-court. His legacy isn't just a part of black history, it is a part of American history, and we are proud to be involved in this film."

It is important to learn from Lloyd, who represented a model citizen and lived a life worth dissecting, Ozah said.

"His journey alone tells us about our progress or lack thereof in America, which is relevant now

more than ever," he said. "Earl's story should never be forgotten simply because of his contributions, not just as a basketball player but as a human being whose life touched so many others. Earl Lloyd planted a seed that grew into the type of tree that a lot of people can continue to eat from."

WI

D.C. Women's Group Sends Message to Former First Lady

By Lauren Poteat WI Contributing Writer Amid a nation's uncertainty regarding the future of women's rights, DC Women In Politics — an organization de-

voted to sharpening the political, educational, and economic skills of all females — prepares to send Michelle Obama a motivational message.

In celebration of the Obamas' return to D.C. after recently de-

parting from the White House, the organization on March 14 will personally deliver an oversized thank-you card with a message of continued support and a call to action to the former first lady.

Anita Shelton, founding

member of the organization and longtime District resident and political activist, expressed her enthusiasm for presenting the token of appreciation and detailed what the note should symbolize for the immediate future.

"Our organization brings together a diverse group of women representing all wards of the city and recognizes moving ahead women and children," said Shelton, 72. "Knowing that these two causes are also very near and dear to Mrs. Obama, provides the organization an opportunity to tell the former first lady that we are here to offer an arm of support in advocacy for these two concerns and also help to shape her agenda."

Two critical items that DC 3 Zillah F. Jackson-Wesley, Sylvia

Bennett, Vanilla Jackson-Crawford and Anita Shelton of DC Women In Politics prepare a welcome card to former first lady Michelle Obama. / Photo by Roy Lewis

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Women In Politics hopes that Obama will specifically address are the miseducation of girls in schools and mental and physical health of both women and children.

Though the organization was spearheaded by various prominent black female D.C. political activists, the organization — which has now grown to over 300 members and over 2,000 regular participants since its inception in 2014 — attributes its success to women all across the city, recognizing a void in female leadership roles and political offices despite routinely accounting for the majority of D.C. voters.

"This is not just a women's group, this is a women's rights group," Shelton said. "We are political and we are supporting women and we are dedicated to women who are interested in running for elected offices and to promoting the election of women to public offices and holding them accountable, for the betterment of D.C." WI

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M G M N AT I O N A L H A R B O R C E L E B R AT E S BL ACK HISTORY MONTH W E C E L E B R A T E T H E L E A D E R S H I P, C O U R A G E A N D V I S I O N O F T H E INSPIRING AFRICAN AMERICANS WHO OVERCOME ADVERSIT Y O N T H E I R PA T H S T O A C H I E V E M E N T. M G M N AT I O N A L H A R B O R . C O M

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FEBRUARY 23 - MARCH 1, 2017 25

T:9.5”

A heritage of greatness.

T:12.375”

Photograph by Alan Karchmer/NMAAHC

© 2017 Comcast. All rights reserved.

Comcast is proud to sponsor this year’s annual African American Heritage Tour.

Join us at the National Museum of African American History and Culture as we celebrate Black History Month. Be a part of the very experiences that have shaped our culture.

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FEBRUARY 23 - MARCH 1, 2017 27

BLACK HISTORY MONTH

The many faces of Maya Angelou. / Courtesy photos

PBS Documentary Recounts the Life of Maya Angelou ‘And Still I Rise’ Premieres as Black History Month Offering

By D. Kevin McNier WI Editor The U.S. broadcast premiere of the documentary “Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise,” aired on Tuesday, Feb. 21 on PBS, serving as a fitting contribution to America’s annual observance of Black History Month.

The first feature documentary on the author/activist features exclusive interviews with Angelou, Oprah Winfrey, Common, Bill and Hillary Clinton and others.

Throughout the year, #InspiringWomanPBS, an online campaign, will continue to provide similar documentaries that can be viewed at pbs.org/american-

METRO from Page 12 ty of the Metrorail system; • Conduct inspections, examinations and testing of the property, electronic information and other equipment of the Metrorail system; and • Prepare and publish an annual safety report of the Metrorail system.

One of the bill's provision opposed by the union would allow

masters.

Angelou, referred to as “a redwood tree with deep roots in American culture,” led a prolific life. As a singer, dancer, activist, poet and writer, she inspired generations with lyrical, modern African-American thought that pushed boundaries. Best known for her autobiography “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” she gave people the freedom to think about their history in a way they never had before.

PBS Distribution also released the film on DVD on Feb. 21 with additional bonus features and on Digital HD February 22.

Filmmakers Bob Hercules

and Rita Coburn Whack trace Angelou’s incredible journey, shedding light on the untold aspects of her life through never-before-seen footage, rare archival photographs and videos and her own words.

From her upbringing in the Depression-era South and her early performing career (1957’s “Miss Calypso” album and “Calypso Heat Wave” film, Jean Genet’s 1961 play “The Blacks”) to her work with Malcolm X in Ghana and her many writing successes, including her inaugural poem for President Bill Clinton, “Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise” reveals hidden facets of her life during some of America’s most defining mo-

the commission to direct Metro officials to suspend or disqualify an employee who may have violated safety regulations.

The union disagrees because the legislation doesn't explain the criteria used to analyze any alleged infraction and "takes away an employee's right to due process," Quincey Jones, an executive board shop steward with Local 689, said at a hearing.

A program to improve safety began after the 2009 Fort Totten collision of two trains that resulted in nine deaths and dozens of injuries.

The FTA oversight was temporary until the three jurisdictions all approved similar legislation. Once it's done and the administration agrees to certify each safety program, the withheld funds will be released.

WI

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ments.

The film also features exclusive interviews with Angelou, her friends and family, including Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, Common, Alfre Woodard, Cicely Tyson, Quincy Jones, Hillary Clinton, Louis Gossett, Jr., John Singleton, Diahann Carroll, Valerie Simpson, Random House editor Bob Loomis and Angelou’s son, Guy Johnson.

“It was a unique privilege to be the first filmmakers to tell Dr. Angelou’s full story and exciting to uncover stories that most people hadn’t heard,” said co-director and co-producer Bob Hercules.

“The film reflects on how the events of history, culture and the arts shaped Dr. Angelou’s life, and how she, in turn, helped shape our own worldview through her autobiographical literature and activism,” said co-director and co-producer Rita Coburn Whack.

“It is bittersweet that [she] takes her rightful place in the American Masters series posthumously,” said executive producer Michael Kantor. “We are fortunate that Bob and Rita captured these insightful inter-

views with her just prior to her death so we can all learn from her wisdom firsthand.”

With the documentary on Angelou, American Masters launches a year-long online campaign, #InspiringWomanPBS, based on themes central to Angelou’s life: artistic expression, academic success, active community engagement and acceptance of difference.

People can share stories of inspirational women in their own lives via text, images or videos on the American Masters website (http://pbs.org/americanmasters) or via Tumblr, Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #InspiringWomanPBS. Funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, #InspiringWomanPBS is the latest example of American Masters and WNET’s commitment to educate and entertain audiences beyond broadcast.

“Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise” premiered to critical acclaim at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival where it won the Audience Award before eventually winning 17 awards on three continents and being nominated for an NAACP Image Award.

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pepco.com

ENERGIZED BY

A PROUD HISTORY. Black History Month continues to inspire the best in all of us. We pledge our energy and efforts to the future of the communities we serve. © Pepco, 2017

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FEBRUARY 23 - MARCH 1, 2017 29

BLACK HISTORY MONTH

Making a Dream Come True

By Rushawn Walters Howard University News Service As a young girl growing up in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, a small town of 44,000 and a few hours away from Boston, Stephanie Wilson says she spent her nights looking up into the sky wondering what was there.

But it would take a conversation with an astronomy professor to light the flame that would lead her to pursue engineering and a future as a NASA astronaut – making three flights aboard a U.S. space shuttle into space.

“It really started a thought process about what other opportunities were available and what were some other ways that I could function in aerospace,” she said.

She entered Harvard University in the fall of 1984, receiving a bachelor of science degree four years later in engineering science.

Her first job would be with the Martin Marietta Astronautics Group in Denver as a loads and

dynamics engineer.

Wilson later earned a master of science degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas where she researched the control and modeling of large, flexible space instruments, much like the structures and devices used at NASA. Next for Wilson – becoming a member of the Attitude and Articulation Control Subsystem at a Pasadena lab focusing on the Galileo – the unmanned spacecraft that would study Jupiter and its moons.

Then, in April 1996, Wilson accepted an invitation from NASA as an astronaut candidate and reported to Johnson Space Center in August for two years of training.

“A lot the choices I made were broad because they would allow me many opportunities,” she said.

Keeping her eye on the prize and taking advantage of every opportunity, she completed her first spaceflight on the Space Shuttle Discovery in 2006, logging almost 13 days and becoming the second African-American woman to fly into space.

By 2010, she would add two

more expeditions into space to her belt.

The astronaut says she credits God and her upbringing for all the opportunities and accomplishments in her nearly 30-year career.

“I think my faith played an essential role,” she said. “I also think my family, friends and teachers played a part as well because they always encouraged me to go for my dreams.”

Wilson received the NASA Distinguished Medal, both in 2009 and 2011, an honorary doctorate of Science from Williams College and the Harvard Foundation Scientist of the Year Award, among her many honors.

She remains with NASA, currently working in the branch for operations of the International Space Station, NASA’s habitable artificial satellite that’s in low orbit around the Earth.

“I do believe I found my purpose in life,” she said. “I have to remind myself that God is in control. I might not understand his plan, but he does have one. I hope people will see that anything is possible.” WI

Passion for Math, Science lead to Outer Space

By Rushawn Walters Howard University News Service During grade school in Chicago, Joan Higginbotham said says she always enjoyed math and science.

“I remember becoming fascinated with electronics and messing around with things at home,” Higginbotham said.

But she had no idea that her

inquisitiveness would develop into achieving a college degree in electrical engineering from Southern Illinois University, a career with NASA and even a ride into outer space aboard a space shuttle.

“I wanted to be very good at my job and for people to see me as very competent,” she said.

After college, she says she’d hoped to secure employment with IBM where she had interned for

two summers. However, while IBM didn’t need more electrical engineers, NASA did.

“Unbeknownst to me, they got all our résumés and out of the blue one day a manager called me up and offered me a choice of two positions at Kennedy Space Center,” she recalled.

Higginbotham said she believed the job offer to be a prank – then she realized it was the real deal and

5 NASA Astronaut Stephanie Wilson. / Courtesy photo

quickly accepted a position as a payload electrical engineer in the Electrical and Telecommunications Systems Division at the Center.

She says she had achieved her goal to become an electrical engineer adding that becoming an astronaut had never entered her mind.

“I was very content,” she said.

“I kept on getting promotions and moving up the ladder. Then one day my manager suggested that I’d make a good astronaut.”

She eventually followed her manager’s advice and in August 1986, began training as an astronaut candidate. After over a decade of study, she joined six other crewmembers of the space shuttle Discovery, taking off on Dec. 9, 2006.

She used one word to describe the experience: indescribable.

“It was incredible,” she said.

“It is just one of those things that you absolutely have to experience yourself. “I was sitting with Christer Fuglesang and another crewmember and when we took off we joined hands and raised them in joy and euphoria.”

During her 12 days in space, Higginbotham operated the robot3 Astronaut Joan Higginbotham

(right) and fellow colleauge. / Courtesy photo

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ic arm space shuttle, used to hold crew members while doing work in space and to move cargo, such as satellites.

“It was probably one of my tensest moments because you have this huge piece of equipment with this 70-foot long arm worth billions of dollars,” she said. “You had a precious life at the end of the arm. So, you’re just tense the entire time and really focused on what you’re doing.”

After her career with NASA, Higginbotham switched gears and worked in the oil industry.

Today she’s employed by the hardware chain store Lowe’s as director of supplier diversity where she ensures that more of Lowe’s suppliers are minority and woman-owned.

Higginbotham, who has both become a role model and made history, says she only wanted to be a good person, contribute to society and make her parents proud of her.

“My family was my biggest inspiration,” she said. “I have an incredible mom, dad and siblings who were always supportive of me. As a Black female astronaut, I hope my life shows other women of color they don’t need to be pigeonholed into a particular career and that they can pretty much do whatever they want.” WI

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BLACK HISTORY MONTH

Black Swim Hopes to Open Olympic Lanes

25th Annual Celebration of Arlington’s African American History Saturday, February 25, 2017: 1-6 p.m.

Charles Drew Community Center, 3500 23rd Street

13-and-under boys baseball team sponsored by Arlington County’s Negro Recreation Section, 1948 to 1962

The Original Mt. Olive Baptist Church in 1938

African American volunteer company at Fire Station No. 8 in Hall’s Hill

(Photo by Arlington County Library)

(Photo by Arlington County Library)

ENTERTAINMENT!

FREE ACTIVITIES!

Live music, spoken word, dance and more!

Make & Take crafts Face painting & balloon art

Hall of History with photos and artifacts from Arlington’s Historically African-American Churches and Organizations

DELICIOUS FOOD, COOL VENDORS

Visit parks.arlingtonva.us, search “Feel the Heritage Festival”

We can provide reasonable modifications for people with disabilities upon request. Podemos proveer modificaciones razonables conforme la Ley de Personas con Incapacidades (ADA) con previo aviso al 703-228-3329. TTY 711.

DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION

5 Swimmers from around the country compete in the 31st Annual Black History Invitational Swim Meet at

the Takoma Aquatic Center on Feb. 18. / Photo by Mark Mahonney

By Tatyana Hopkins WI Contributing Writer The 31 annual Black History Invitational Swim Meet took place last weekend in the District. The unique event continued to expand its mission to offer an alternative activity to African-American children.

The meet was cofounded in 1987 in honor of Black History Month by the D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) and the United Black Fund (UBF), then headed by William Rumsey and Calvin Rolark respectively. Today, both agencies continue to support the event.

This year’s theme was “Rise Above the Wave.”

The meet has grown from a local competition to one now hailed by USA Swimming, the national governing body for the sport of swimming. It is the largest minority swim competition.

“Dr. Calvin Rolark and Dr. William Rumsey began this historic swim meet with the hope that it would nourish self-reliance, the spirit of fair play, the willingness to try in youth and parents,” said United Black Fund President Barry LeNoir.

LeNoir said the meet wants to continue opening up doors for young athletes, not just in securing summer jobs as lifeguards, but as champions of the sport.

“We have new hopes at the UBF,” Lenoir said. “We want a world champion from the young Washingtonians that call themselves the D.C. Wave.”

The Black History Swim meet is a USA Swimming sanctioned event. The city’s year-round competive team, D.C. Wave Swim Team, is also a registered team with USA Swimming and participated in the event.

“We want to create a pathway to the Olympics,” said Lashley.

“Our athletes that swim and perform well, their times can count for whatever progression they have.”

“Swimming is a priority for this government,” Lashley said.

“The resources that have been provided to this agency to provide support and opportunities for our young people to take part in the sportsmanship and citizenship have been phenomenal.”

He said with the new resources the agency has seen participation triple in the District’s competitive summer swim teams, record breaking pool attendance and has achieved zero drownings in the city’s public pools in the past two years. The year-round competitive team, D.C. Wave Swim Team, that the agency once though about cutting in half grew from 100 swimmers to 250 swimmers with a waitlist of over 100.

According to DPR, D.C. has the nation’s largest public pools per capita.

The Black History Swim Meet has already seen one Olympic champion. 2008 gold-medalist, Cullen Jones competed in the meet in 1997 and 1998, where he ranked last in his final event.

During the three-day meet athletes ranging from ages 5-18 competed in standard swim

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event such as the individual medley, freestyle, butterfly, relays and back and breast strokes. More than 1,000 competitors attended this year with teams from Los Angeles, Atlanta, Detroit, Cleveland, New York and other cities across the country.

Manny Banks, a diversity manager with USA Swimming said the Black History Meet makes his job easier. Responsible for drawing participants from all backgrounds to the sport on a national level, Banks said the meet is important to expanding its diversity.

“You make my life a lot easier from a national perspective,” Banks said. “In today’s climate, conversation is important; conversation on inclusion are important, and that conversation happens at the Black History Swim Meet.”

“In 1987, the Black kids couldn’t swim in the same swim meet as the White kids,” said DRP Aquatics Director Tyrell Lashley. “The agency had no choice but to create its own.”

Lenoir and other organizers want to continue to “fill in the gaps.” They assure efforts will be concentrated in the District’s most vulnerable communities.

“DPR is undertaking a special initiative to engage youth in Wards 7 and 8 in swimming programs,” LeNoir said. “The kids who have the greatest need were the kids who caused Calvin and Bill to come up with this idea.”

The meet is also a part of the D.C. One Fund Campaign.

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Black History Year.

You heard it here first.

If you ever thought February was too short to celebrate Black history, we think you’re on to something. At Southwest®, we celebrate Black History Month 365 days a year. Through our committed relationships, we proudly support the many communities we call home.

Southwest is the official airline of the Washington Informer African American Heritage Tour.

Southwest values our relationships with community organizations making the world a better place.

Tuskegee Airmen • NAACP ACT-SO • National Great Blacks In Wax Museum • The Bernard and Shirley Kinsey Foundation for Arts and Education • Advocates USA

© 2015 Southwest Airlines Co.

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The

Black

Love

Experience

in Anacostia FEBRUARY 2017 | VOL 3, ISSUE 2

FEBRUARY 2017 | VOL 3, ISSUE 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS

EDITOR’S LETTER If you haven't heard of the Anacostia Arts Center you are truly missing out! The venue offers unique shops, wellness, art and more. Last weekend the center held its original program the Black Love Experience for the fourth year with a sold out crowd.

Anika Hobbs, the owner of boutique Nubian Hueman speaks with us about what inspired her to start the affair that brings Black millennials east of the river to Anacostia.

3 4 5 6 7

Around the District: What to do this Weekend Married Couple Brings Coffee and Art to Bloomingdale Neighborhood HBCU Grads Launch Alkaline Water Company

They Will Donate a Portion of Sales to Alma Mater

PUBLISHER Denise Rolark Barnes

PHOTOGRAPHER Dejah Greene

The Black Love Experience Like Nothing Else in DC

Anacostia Arts Center Celebrates African Diaspora

The Black Love Experience 2017

ON THE COVER LAYOUT

Get to know the supreme hair braider and artist Shani Crowe from Chicago, responsible for Solange’s coiled hairstyles who performed a live artist talk at the Experience.

Dominiqua S. Eldridge

In the name of Black Love check out two couples striving to make a difference in their community using two everyday staples coffee and water.

Don't miss our Around the District feature with fun things to do this weekend featuring music, comedy and Black history.

Keep up with us on social media! If you’re a writer/photographer and you want to be a part of the Bridge team email me at swright@washingtoninformer.com.

Follow me on Twitter and Instagram at Sarafinasaid.

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Interdisciplinary artist Shani Crowe performs a live artist talk at the Black Love Experience on Saturday, Feb. 18, at the Anacostia Arts Center in Southeast. /Photo by Mayowa Ojo.

www.facebook.com/wibridgecommunity

Web: http://washingtoninformer.com/news/wi-bridge/

@InformerBridge www.twitter.com/informerbridge

Email: wibridge@washingtoninformer.com

WashInformerBridge www.instagram.com/washinformerbridge

WI BRIDGE | 2

Sarafina Wright Jade James-Gist WI Bridge Staff

FEBRUARY 2017 | VOL 3, ISSUE 2

Around the District: What to do this Weekend

By WI Bridge Staff

DC Black History Film Festival 2017 Macy’s Celebrates Black Brandon T. Jackson: Live History Month Comedy Show Thursday, February 23 at 5:30 p.m.

Macy’s Metro Center, 4th Floor, Intimates Department 1201 G Street NW

Join host Crissle West - writer and co-host of the podcast, The Read - for a celebration of Black Art and Expression, featuring a panel discussion with Pages Matam - international writer, performer and Director of Poetry Events for Busboys and Poets, Desiree Venn Frederic - writer, installation artist and founder of Nomad Yard, and Christoph Jenkins - founder and CEO of Fighting Cancer with Poetry, Inc.

Thursday, Feb. 23 - 26 at 7:30 p.m.

DC Improv 1140 Connecticut Ave NW Two item minimum General admission $20.

18 & over

Sunday, February 26 at 2:00 p.m.

The Lincoln Theatre 1215 U St NW The DC Mayor’s Office on African American Affairs, Urban Film Review & Lamman Rucker Present the annual 2017 DC Black History Film Festival. The event is a day-long viewing of independent features, shorts and documentaries of the African diaspora past and present. The festival offers a short film and essay contest for Washington, DC area high school students.

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony Live at The Fillmore Saturday, February 25 at 9:00 p.m.

The Fillmore Silver Spring 8656 Colesville Rd, Silver Spring, MD 20910 $30

After the discussion, enjoy light refreshments, live performance by Black Alley and haiku poets. Plus, twin artists Rachel and Rebecca Crouch will paint live.

RSVP at www.macys.com/celebrate.

The St. Gregory Hotel Celebrates the 89th Academy Awards: Hollywood Glamour Night Sunday, February 26 at 7:00 p.m.

The St. Gregory Hotel 2033 M Street NW The St. Gregory Hotel will be rolling out the red carpet for a night of glitz and Hollywood glamour to celebrate the 89th annual Academy Awards, which honors the best actors and films of 2016. Guests will be able to watch the awards ceremony on large projector screens in the hotel ballroom, while sipping Hollywood-inspired cocktails and enjoying passed hors d’oeuvres courtesy of Tredici Enoteca.

This black-tie affair also includes a step-and-repeat, door prizes for “best dressed” and a live jazz band that will be preforming an eclectic mix of covers in the newly renovated Lobby Lounge.

Additionally, the first 150 guests will receive a complimentary glass of Champagne upon arrival.

For tickets visit www.stgregoryhotelwdc.com.

3 | WI BRIDGE

FEBRUARY 2017 | VOL 3, ISSUE 2

Married Couple Brings Coffee and Art to Bloomingdale Neighborhood

By Jade James-Gist WI Bridge Contributor

The home of Creative Grounds DC located at 1822 N. Capitol St. NW in the Bloomingdale neighborhood. / Courtesy photo.

This Spring, a husband and wife duo will open Creative Grounds DC, a space for art education, community collaboration and coffee in their Northwest neighborhood of Bloomingdale.

The program includes pioneering artists and art educators like Sam Gilliam and Alma Thomas who lived and worked in the District.

In Sium’s opinion, the Bloomingle neighborhood has pockets of wonderful cultural communities that have yet to coalesce.

Asmara Sium and Kenn Blagburn said their hoped for success in this venture goes beyond serving customers – “it is for our children, for a dream realized and for all that is yet to come.”

As a real estate professional, Blagburn handles all Department of Consumer Regulatory Affairs related issues and as a former nonprofit professional, Sium brokers deals with vendors, oversees staffing and will manage the day to day operations.

“We have our ‘lanes’ so to speak, and we know that progress in one area, is progress for all areas,” Sium said.

Adding to the family business dynamic, the couple’s children are intimately involved in every step of Creative Grounds DC from the art classes, to the name of the coffee bar itself – every aspect of the venture is created by and geared for family, art, and community.

“Bloomingdale has been a great place

WI BRIDGE | 4

“We are all ships that pass in the night,” she said.

Owners of Creative Grounds DC, Asmara Sium and Kenn Blagburn with their children Khalab and Samra. / Photo courtesy of Asmara Sium.

to raise our kids,” Sium said. “The only missing piece has been indoor organized activities for children.”

The family strongly believes in the healing and transformative power of art, especially in the lives of children.

The vision was in part born to satisfy the community’s need for enriching activities for children, something dear to Sium, who is currently drafting an arts education curriculum that celebrates famous art movements throughout history.

Sium, a first-generation Eritrean and Blagburn, an eighth-generation Washingtonian believes in forging a collective identity to build stronger, healthier and more viable communities.

Ultimately, they hope to encourage a larger cultural community of Bloomingdale businesses and families.

“Ken and I are excited to open our space to the public in the Spring,” she said. “Art is healing, transformative and for children, the developmental benefits of arts practice serves as the basis for all learning.”

FEBRUARY 2017 | VOL 3, ISSUE 2

HBCU Grads Launch Alkaline Water Company They Will Donate a Portion of Sales to Alma Mater

By Sarafina Wright

WI Bridge Editor-in-Chief Married couple and proud HBCU [Historically Black Colleges and Universities] graduates who have seen success in the grocery retail industry doesn't want to forget the schools that gave them their start.

Allen and Subriana Pierce, co-founders of PhURE Water, an electrolyte enhanced, 9.5 Ph alkaline water bottle line will give a portion of the earnings to their respective HBCUs. “Always, but especially in these economic times, it is important for every HBCU alumni to find ways to support their alma maters,” Allen, North Carolina Central University alum said.

Subriana Pierce Photo courtesy of Navigator Sales.

“We are very pleased that the launch of PhURE Water includes a pledge to donate a portion of each bottle sold.”

On Thursday, Feb. 16, the company announced its deal with Albertsons, a grocer with stores across 35 states and the District of Columbia.

Adding to their resume that includes retailer Walmart, PhURE Water will be available on the shelves this month in 16.9oz, 1 Liter and 1.5 Liter bottles.

The founders tout that PhURE is one of the fastest growing alkaline waters on the market, deriving the name from “Ph,” which characterizes the balance and purity of their water.

“Our passion and vision is for a world where clean, safe and affordable drinking water is readily available to everyone,” Subriana, Spelman College alumna said.

“We want to impact lives by helping to improve their health and build strong, safe communities while maintaining our core values. One body, one bottle at a time.”

Along with their venture into the grocery business, the couple launched Navigator Sales and Marketing, a Los Angeles based, national retail broker.

The Pierce’s started this family owned business to consult and represent companies in navigating the retail and consumer package goods industry.

Navigator claims that they aim to bring healthy alternatives to the marketplace.

Allen Pierce Photo courtesy of Navigator Sales.

They currently represent over 20 brands like Renpure Hair Care, American Cleaning Supply, Sugar 2.0, The Real Co., Deep River Snacks and Obrigado, a premium coconut water company.

Most recently they’ve has success in expanding Old Trapper Beef Jerky, and Hallmark’s Cards multi-cultural lines including VIDA and Mahogany.

“We are excited to provide full-service integrated solutions: sales, marketing, merchandising and distribution to our portfolio of clients,” Allen, co-managing partner, Navigator Sales and Marketing said.

“We are a one-stop shop.”

PhURE Water bottle Photo courtesy of Navigator Sales.

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FEBRUARY 2017 | VOL 3, ISSUE 2

The Black Love Experience Like Nothing Else in DC

Anacostia Arts Center Celebrates African Diaspora

By Sarafina Wright

WI Bridge Editor-in-Chief Young, Black entrepreneurs, artists and creatives took over the best hidden secret in Southeast for a night of Black excellence.

The Anacostia Arts Center transformed into the Black Love Experience on Saturday, Feb. 18 to celebrate the beauty of people in the African diaspora with workshops, live performances and a live artist talk featuring Shani Crowe.

Anika Hobbs, owner of Nubian Hueman, a boutique located inside the center and the brain-child behind the event said in it’s fourth year it continues to get bigger and better.

“In the beginning, four years ago, I knew that February is one of the slowest months in retail, so I thought why don't we have something to bring people in,” Hobbs said.

“I kept thinking that there are so many creatives of color in D.C. and if we all get together how exciting that would be.”

Boutique owner Anika Hobbs, and visionary behind the Black Love Experience speaks with the WI Bridge about her involvement in the event. /Photo by Roy Lewis.

“Each year it got bigger,” she said.

Hobbs characterizes the Black Love Experience as a conglomerate of things like live art, live music, commerce, panels and workshops that she believes is good for the local community.

“It’s exciting to see the sold out crowd being introduced to Anacostia.”

“We wanted to take the Blackest part of D.C. and bring folks over east of the river to see that there are really cool things happening over here.”

Hobbs invited interdisciplinary artist Shani Crowe for a live artist talk given her success and popularity, most notably for being the hands behind singer Solange Knowles’s creative braids in her recent Saturday Night Live performance.

“My most popular work is photographic, which depicts braids that I’ve done. I also do collages, drawings, paintings and visual work, which is what I studied in undergrad at Howard,” Crowe said.

Crowe, who started getting clients at age 12 said that even though braiding is not her full-time job, she always maintains her gift because of the connection she has made with women.

“For anybody that is an outsider and they want a peak into Black hair culture, they have to understand that hair is a lot deeper

WI BRIDGE| 6

Interdisciplinary artist Shani Crowe shows off her craft braiding a model's hair for her live artist talk at the Black Love Experience on Saturday, Feb. 18, at the Anacostia Arts Center in Southeast. /Photo by Roy Lewis.

than the superficial for Black people,” she said. “Hair is an outward expression of who we are.”

FEBRUARY 2017 | VOL 3, ISSUE 2

The Black Love Experience 2017

The Anacostia Arts Center in Southeast. /Photo by Sarafina Wright.

A visual artist freestyle paints the store front of Nubian Hueman boutique at the Black Love Experience on Saturday, Feb. 18. /Photo courtesy of the Black Love Experience.

Partygoers enjoy the vibe at the Black Love Experience on Saturday, Feb. 18. /Photo by Roy Lewis.

The Black Love Experience on Saturday, Feb. 18 at the Anacostia Arts Center. /Photo by Roy Lewis.

The Black Love Experience on Saturday, Feb. 18 at the Anacostia Arts Center. /Photo by Mayowa Ojo.

The Black Love Experience on Saturday, Feb. 18 at the Anacostia Arts Center. /Photo courtesy of the Black Love Experience.

7 | WI BRIDGE

H E A LT H What Blacks Need to Know About ALS

note the three words that make up ALS. "Amyotrophic" refers to muscle and nourishment — when a muscle has no nourishment, it atrophies or wastes away.

"Lateral" identifies the area in an individual's spinal cord where portions of the nerve cells that signal and control the muscles are located.

As the area degenerates, it leads to scarring and hardening — or "sclerosis" — in the region.

ALS has been shown to have a genetic basis and finding genes that causes ALS will help scientist learn how to treat it, yet African-Americans don't often volunteer for genetic re-

search studies, Brigance said.

Without African-American DNA in research studies, it's unclear how blacks contract ALS, which could potentially leave the community out of the equation when effective treatments for the diseases are developed, he said.

It also hinders scientists from learning everything about the disease regardless of ethnicity.

NIH needs comprehensive information about DNA from all backgrounds to know more precisely how the disease works so the foundation and the NIH are seeking an increase in enrollment in research studies.

"I would tell anyone diagnosed that

even though they have been diagnosed with ALS, it doesn't have to be a death sentence," Brigance said. "Will there be changes and lifestyle adjustments?

Yes, but living life is still possible.

"I'm not saying living with ALS is easy by any stretch of the imagination — quite the opposite," he said. "It will test every fiber of your being. However, I also believe that those who walk this journey with ALS have a certain intestinal fortitude and fight to accomplish whatever they put their minds to. Life has a way of preparing us for every trial through previous life experiences."

For more information or to contribute, visit www.brigancebrigade.org. WI

UMC RECOGNIZES FEBRUARY IS HEART HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH

5 O.J. Brigance and wife Chandra with former President Barack

Obama / Courtesy photo

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

The Brigance Brigade Foundation, a Maryland-based nonprofit, has announced a partnership with the National Institutes of Health ALS Research Lab to expand research on the racial and ethnic differences among cases of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

Despite the over-sampling for minority populations with ALS, the percentage of African-American cases reported is not proportionate to the population, foundation officials said.

"ALS is not spoken about in the African-American community because there are not a lot of African-Americans who are diagnosed with ALS," said O.J. Brigance, who spent a decade fighting the disease and as an activist on behalf of families with ALS. The National ALS Registry gathered data from Oct. 19, 2010, to Dec. 31, 2011, and found that 12,187 individuals were living with ALS, a disease more common among whites, males, non-Hispanics, and those aged 60 to 69.

The study revealed that white men and women were twice as likely to have ALS than black men and women; and males had a higher rate than females across all races - with four in 100,000 ever being diagnosed with ALS. "In 2007, one of the first symptoms I experienced was a loss of

strength in my right arm," Brigance said. "I was playing racquetball and noticed I didn't have the same power in my swing.

"I also started having twitching in my muscles, which I later learned were called fasciculation's," he said. "I didn't have any family history of ALS. I am what they call a sporadic case, which makes up 95 percent of cases.

"There are also familial cases of ALS, which account for the remaining 5 percent of cases," he said, noting that ALS is a disease that is diagnosed by process of elimination.

Brigance and his wife, Chanda, started the Brigance Brigade foundation in 2008 to help with the expenses that were not covered by insurance, but were critical to everyday quality of life.

While other organizations raise money for research, Brigance said they didn't know of any that focused on patient services.

"We were seeing these medical bills roll in and wondered how families pay for this," he said. "That was the impetus for us starting the Brigance Brigade," he said. "I am not saying raising money for research is not important. However, we also need to help those living with ALS right now."

Classified as an orphan disease occurring in a small portion of the population, ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.

Officials at the ALS Association

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FEBRUARY 23 - MARCH 1, 2017 33

EDUCATION DCPS

BRIEFS Compiled by Dorothy Rowley WI Staff Writer

CHANCELLOR VISITS DEAL MIDDLE SCHOOL

On his first official day as the new DCPS chacellor, Antwan Wilson Mayor accompanied Mayor

Muriel Bowser to Alice Deal Middle School in Northwest where they surprised Teacher of the Year Jan Schuettpelz.

The visit was part of the time Wilson has spent getting acquainted with the DCPS community since his confirmation in November by the D.C. Council. He has also met with students and teachers in 18 schools throughout the city.

"Not only is Chancellor Wilson an experienced leader, he is a role model for our students," Bowser said during the Feb. 1 visit to Deal.

"His success shows that with hard work, they too can achieve whatever they set out to do."

Wilson joins DCPS as graduation and enrollment rates continue to rise. The system remains the fastest-improving urban school district in the country.

"I am excited to be in DC and to

5 Ketcham Elementary School teacher Camille Townsend is a former DCPS "Standing Ovation" award recipient. / Courtesy photo

have the opportunity to work with such a passionate and committed community," Wilson said. "I have spent the past few months hearing ideas from students, families and community members, and now I am excited to get the work started."

TEACHER OF THE YEAR

Jan Schuettpelz, a 7th-grade science teacher at Deal Middle School in Northwest, has been named DCPS Teacher of the Year.

Schuettpelz was honored at a surprise ceremony on Feb. 1 at the school, where she received accolades from Mayor Muriel Bowser.

Schuettpelz is credited with going the extra mile to bring real-life experiences into her classroom. She also supports her students both inside and outside of the classroom with after-school tutoring and small-group lunches.

'WALKABILITY PREFERENCE'

Learn more at MySchoolDC.org.

Mayor Muriel Bowser visited DC Bilingual Public Charter School in Northeast on Jan. 30 where she kicked off "Education Week" in the city.

During the event, Bowser announced the establishment of a "walkability preference" in D.C.'s school lottery, which will enable a public charter elementary school to offer a preference in admission to families living within a half-mile of the school, and more than a halfmile away from their DCPS-zoned school.

The optional preference goes into effect for the 2018-19 school year.

DEADLINES GRADES 9–12: February 1 | GRADES PK3–8: March 1

STATE OF PRE-K IN D.C.

IMAGINE YOUR POSSIBILITIES. CHOOSE YOUR SCHOOL. START HERE. DC’s common application and lottery for public and public charter schools is still accepting applications for the 2017-18!

Applying to high school and missed the deadline?

Submit a post-lottery application online today.

34 FEBRUARY 23 - MARCH 1, 2017

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

The Office of the State Superintendent of Education has released its 2016 pre-kindergarten report, "The State of Pre-K in the District of Columbia," which highlights the District's leadership in pre-K access and investment.

Of the estimated 16,753 3and 4-year-old children in D.C., 12,910 were enrolled in public

pre-K programs in fiscal 2016 — an increase of nearly 300 children since fiscal 2015.

"Access to high-quality pre-K is critical to the success of our young people," said Mayor Muriel Bowser.

"This report demonstrates the progress we are making in delivering early childhood services to District residents, across every ward. We will continue building an even stronger foundation for families that ensures a pathway to the middle class."

The report also shares for the first time, data on the health, development, and school readiness of pre-K 4-year-old students using the Early Development Instrument, which showed that 73 percent are developmentally ready for kindergarten.

'STANDING OVATION'

Twenty-nine DCPS teachers, administrators, staff, and schools have been named "Standing Ovation" award winners by the school system and the DC Public Education Fund for their dedication and excellence.

Each of the winners will be honored at the annual Standing Ovation ceremony March 23 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, where they will also be awarded cash prizes totaling $230,000.

"Each student is successful at DC Public Schools because of great principals, great teachers, and great staff who educate, mentor, and help our young people get a great education," said Chancellor Antwan Wilson. "I'm honored to celebrate 29 outstanding members of the DCPS family who work each day to deliver on our promise of an excellent education."

WI

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EDITORIAL

OPINIONS/EDITORIALS

Have Historic Civil Rights Groups Lost Their Relevancy?

During the second half of the 20th century, civil rights and religious-based organizations like the NAACP, the National Urban League, CORE, SNCC and the SCLC led the way in advocating for equality, justice and the more humane treatment of African Americans.

However, in recent years, some (Blacks) have contended that these venerable groups have either entered into unfamiliar terrains where former strategies simply do not work, or they’ve abandoned their decades-old, focused agendas that addressed the survival and advancement of the Black community. In either case, they seem to have lost their relevancy.

But are the critics correct in their observation? We think each organization must be taken individually and critiqued on its own merit. However, we’d admit to at least the following: 1) if the original mission or purpose has since been achieved, maybe it’s time to close the doors; 2) without the influx and encouragement of younger members being invited into the fold, even the most successful organizations tend to become an entity more fitting for reminiscing on the past than retooling for the future; and 3) many of our leaders seem reluctant to mentor youth, finding it even harder to step down from the pedestal and release the baton.

The recent turn of events in America involving “police, protests and pistols” illustrate that we are far from reaching a point where race doesn’t matter.

In fact, with various lines being drawn in the sand over things like religious preference, educational attainment, sexual orientation and class and gender differences, we must recognize that it’s impossible to force the “square pegs” that represent America’s hallowed diversity into “one-dimensional round pegs.”

We need both “old school” and “new Jacks” to put aside their differences and get their hands dirty, together. Meanwhile, maybe, just for a moment or two, we can skip the obligatory black-tie parties, baked chicken dinners and salutes to ourselves. There’s just too much work to be done. WI

The Black Press is NOT the Enemy of Any American Citizen Since kicking off his campaign for president, Donald Trump has frequently provided entertainment as he criticized the media. He’s jabbed with reporters who dared to question him – sometimes connecting with uppercuts and knockout blows.

Now, just over one month since becoming our 45th president, he’s continued to use his favorite form of communication, Twitter, to launch an all-out assault on mainline media including the New York Times, CNN, NBC, ABC and CBS. He recently tweeted that while they aren’t his enemy, they are “the enemy of the American People.”

We wonder, while we weren’t on his posted list, if the Black Press is guilty as well, if for no other reason than by “association.” Before your affirmative response goes viral, we must say we were only posing a rhetorical question to generate discussion. Since the founding of America, the role of the press, no matter what the ethnicity, philosophy, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, or economic status of its owners or audience, has been to uncover and then share the truth with other citizens.

The Black Press was founded in 1827, however, because “truth” often existed along a slippery slope, primarily influenced and shaped by race. Still, the media, in all its forms, has continued to exist, if for no other reason, as John McCain recently said, “to preserve democracy – even if that means assuming an “adversarial position” which pits the media against the president.

As members of the media, specifically the Black Press, we understand our role and have carried it out in exemplary fashion since the very first edition of “Freedman’s Journal,” published by its editors so African Americans would have a voice and could “plead our own cause.”

McCain is correct. Censoring the freedoms given to the press opens the door for dictators.

The press may not agree with everyone on everything and we may even have interests to which we are particularly attracted. But we, and certainly not the Black Press, are not the enemy of America. WI WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

TO THE EDITOR My Grandmother was a Devout Republican Thank you for the front-page article, “Black Republicans: No Longer the Elephant in the Room,” by D. Kevin McNeir.

Although I am a Democrat, my grandmother, now deceased, was a lifelong Republican. She used to tell me and my sisters that she would always vote for a Republican over a Democrat, no matter who they were. What really blew me away was when she told us she didn’t even vote for President Roosevelt during the Great Depression. She was a true Republican saying that where she grew up Democrats were the nastiest and most untrustworthy people around.

They took anything they wanted and never gave anything back. In her later years when she read things like Black Republicans were Uncle Toms, or the Republican Party was ignoring Blacks, she would say, “nonsense, they don’t know what they are talking about.” She believed that Republicans’ principles were more in line with what she believed in: faith in God, maintaining a strong family and the importance of hard

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work. When I read your article, it made me think of my grandmother and reminded me of how much I miss her.

Gerald Johnson Alexandria, VA

Informer’s Black History Section is the Best I have really been enjoying the Black History Month Section in The Washington Informer this month. Every week I have been learning something new about African-American history. My favorite part is the calendar. There is not another place where you can find out all of the happenings in and around the DMV; it is just superb. Thank you, Washington Informer.

When it comes to providing information for and about us, you are the best!

Alisa Worthington Washington, DC

FEBRUARY 23 - MARCH 1, 2017 35

OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnist

By Julianne Malveaux

Painful Documentaries and Hard Choices

I usually don't pay much attention to the Academy Awards unless African-American actors are nominated and win or unless African-American themed films have an opportunity. This year, I am paying much attention, with "Fences," "Hidden Figures" and "Moonlight" among the nominees for Best Picture, and Denzel Washington ("Fences"), Ruth Negga ("Loving"), Mahershala Ali ("Moonlight"), Viola

Davis ("Fences"), Naomie Harris ("Moonlight") and Octavia Spencer ("Hidden Figures") up for best actor/actress or supporting actor/actress roles.

To be sure, I think that there should have been more nominations for "Hidden Figures," and that Denzel should have been nominated for a directing award.

But we all know the Academy "ain't fair." Let's see what the outcomes are.

One of the more difficult choices may be the choice for Best Documentary. Two films

Guest Columnist

that rocked my world have both been nominated. Raoul Peck's "I Am Not Your Negro" was riveting and had me sitting at the edge of my seat. James Baldwin had always been a searing critic of race matters in these United States. To see his wit and wisdom come to life reminded me of how passionately he cared, and how wittily he responded, to some of the questions too often raised about black life. To hear Samuel Jackson's voice-over of Baldwin's words, and to combine that with some of the Peck-inspired visu-

als, is absorbing. The multimedia experience raises questions about stereotypes that reign in film, even in cartoons, and how these stereotypes shape the way African-Americans are perceived and treated in our nation. I have never experienced such silence in the theatre — a few uh-hums, but none of the whispered conversation typical of a movie experience. I've seen the documentary once, and plan to see it again, both because I was a big Baldwin fan, and also because the movie is sharing immutable facts that

many would like to forget.

The other film nominated for Best Documentary is Ava DuVernay's "13th," an examination of the relationship between the 13th Amendment to the Constitution (the one that outlaws involuntary servitude, except when one is convicted of a crime) and the current system of mass incarceration. DuVernay is masterful in connecting stereotypes of black people to the way the criminal justice system treats us, in weav-

MALVEAUX Page 53

By Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr.

Trump's Tough Talk Won't Fix Chicago Donald Trump is fixated on what he describes as the "carnage" going on in Chicago, suggesting that if Chicago's horrendous homicide rate doesn't come down, he'll "send in the feds." At his recent press conference, he announced plans to create "a task for reducing violent crime in America, including the horrendous situation — take a look at Chicago and others —

taking place right now in our inner cities."

During his campaign, Trump suggested that he knew the answer for solving the crime problem in Chicago: "How? By being very much tougher than they are right now." He claimed he met with a couple of top Chicago police officers and one said, "I'd be able to stop it in one week," if they could take the gloves off.

Trump apparently has no idea of just how harsh Chicago police have been on young Af-

Guest Columnist

rican-American men. His comments above came in the wake of the protests over the use of force by the police, including the murder of Laquan McDonald that was caught on camera and covered up.

Why is the homicide rate so high in Chicago? Actually, it came down earlier in this decade as it did in other cities but has spiked in recent years.

Trump defines the situation correctly when he says there are two Chicagos. "There's one Chicago that's incredible,

luxurious and all — and safe.

There's another Chicago that's worse than almost any of the places in the Middle East that we talk about, and that you talk about every night on the newscasts."

Chicago is the most segregated large city in the country. Poverty is concentrated in poor, largely African-American neighborhoods. With concentrated poverty and grotesque youth unemployment, drugs and guns spread and crime and homicide follow.

Trump doesn't say how Chicago got that segregated.

It wasn't an accident. Housing segregation was enforced by urban planning, restrictive zoning and housing covenants.

Violence frustrated efforts to push integration. The result is two cities, segregated and massively unequal. In the neighborhoods of concentrated poverty in Chicago, nearly half of the young black men are neither in school nor employed. A

JACKSON Page 53

By Lauren Victoria Burke

Why Trump Is Lying About Voter Fraud and Crime

There are two subjects in particular that the Trump administration lies about the most: crime and voting.

During a recent interview on ABC'S "This Week With George Stephanopoulos," Trump senior adviser Stephen Miller lied about voter fraud during the 2016 elections.

"And you have 14 percent of noncitizens, according to academic research, at a minimum,

are registered to vote, which is an astonishing statistic," Miller said.

That statement is simply false.

Miller couldn't produce a single shred of evidence when Stephanopoulos pressed him on the subject.

But Miller was just repeating what his boss said shortly before the election.

At a rally in Cleveland on Oct. 23, then-presidential candidate Donald Trump said that "14 percent of noncitizens are registered to vote."

36 FEBRUARY 23 - MARCH 1, 2017

President Trump entered office lying about voter fraud and threatening an investigation.

Civil rights leaders have called for an investigation of voter suppression during the 2016 presidential election. More recently, the lying crossed over into the topic of an increased "crime wave" that doesn't exist. Now, the lies about a vast American crime wave and record levels of illegal voting seem to be coming together.

On Jan. 23, during a meeting with members of Congress

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and the White House, President Trump lied about voting again.

He and Miller, who was sent out on all the Sunday morning talk shows on Feb. 12, appear to be lying for two reasons. First, Trump can't come to terms with the fact that Hillary Clinton received almost three million more votes than he did, and second, the Trump administration appears to be laying the groundwork to justify a new law that would make it harder for people to vote, particularly minorities.

Trump's attorney general, for-

mer Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, has a history during his time as an assistant U.S. attorney of prosecuting African-Americans who were registering too many other African-Americans to vote. Having provided no explanation or apology for his past prosecutions, particularly that of the late Albert Turner Sr., there's no reason to believe that Sessions won't pick up where he left off in Alabama in the 1970s.

Even though, Sessions' past

BURKE Page 53

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OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnist

By James Clingman

'Production Minus Sales Equals Scrap'

A good friend of mine, Mitch Melson, made the above statement when we worked at Special Market Services in Chicago during the mid-1980s. It is so appropriate as we continue our four-part series on how to make black history in addition to just celebrating it. During that same period the reality of product distribution became even clearer with the development of P.O.W.E.R. (People Organized and Working for Economic Rebirth), a

sales/distribution partnership between The Nation of Islam and Johnson Products in Chicago.

Another point of clarity for me back then was the American Health and Beauty Aids Institute that featured "The Proud Lady" logo on its product labels to denote they were made by black people. Those efforts, along with Dick Gregory’s Bahamian Diet Drink and its difficulty in getting shelf space in major stores, highlighted the need and advantages of having our own distribution network.

Then in 1999, I met Ken Bridges who, along with Al Wellington,

founded the MATAH Network, in an effort to assure that black-manufactured products did not become scrap, but would instead be distributed throughout the United States via what they called "The Black Channel." MATAH was a "people, a movement, and a business" — a new paradigm in the distribution of blackmade products. At its zenith MATAH carried some 300 different products.

MATAH helped get my first two books in distribution with its monthly "auto-ship" program, a consciousness-raising component dedicated to sending out books, tapes and products

Guest Columnist

to those who signed up for this special value.

When Ken Bridges was killed by the D.C. sniper — the morning after he and other black business partners and supporters had consummated a multimillion-dollar deal to advance the MATAH Network — the reality of having a black-owned distribution channel was stymied and began to fade into a fond memory.

Now, during this Black History Month, as we reflect on MATAH, P.O.W.E.R., and AHBAI, we see those "pyramids" that were built by our contemporaries, and we see how

they "made" black history. The same issues apply regarding our current willingness to make black history in addition to just celebrating it, which is a great segue into what Ashiki Taylor and Franklin Mayfield are doing with their effort called "BAM!" As former MATAH associates, Taylor, a regional supervisor, and Mayfield, the website developer and host for the site, got back together and created a means to connect black manufacturers of products with consumers throughout this country. Their overall

CLINGMAN Page 54

By George H. Lambert Jr.

Will a Robot Take Your Job?

One of the significant and lasting effects of the 2008 recession in the U.S. was the resulting loss of millions of jobs. The economic meltdown hammered primarily middle-class Americans as the economy went into a free fall. When President Obama took office in 2009, the economy was peeling off jobs at the rate of more than 700,000 a month.

This catastrophe was accompanied by at least a decade of stagnant wages, the move by businesses to cut back on

employees' hours and benefits to maximize profits, the outsourcing of jobs overseas, the loss of well-paying manufacturing, auto and factory jobs and the widespread changes to the job and work landscape.

The pain is real.

In the midst of the dizzying upward spiral of the stock market, record profits for big business like oil companies, Big Pharma, banks and other financial entities, regular families are constrained by economic forces that have left them looking at prosperity from afar, stressed out, working harder but bringing home less real wages. There's also real concerns about if young people, dis-

Askia-At-Large

placed employees and older Americans will have a place in the new economy.

In 2017, Americans generally still have not fully recovered from the devastation wrought by the twin specters of massive unemployment and the national housing meltdown. In fact, the 2016 presidential elections turned on intense voter anger and frustration on the right, middle and left, primarily over the loss of earning power and related issues.

Those anxieties and concerns bled over into the elections. And those who were drowning frantically clutched at straws and grabbed onto the candidate most likely to fulfill the promise of

more jobs.

Anyone who seeks to take care of themselves and their families can relate to the desire to make a decent/living wage or salary. What is a job? At its simplest, it is satisfaction, reaching shared goals with colleagues, fulfilling personal and organizational missions, providing self-esteem, money in your pocket, independence, self-sufficiency.

But we live in uncertain times.

Many of the traditional guideposts and moorings that we used to depend on have shifted or disappeared. That has left large swaths of Americans rudderless and those like politicians and business executives and managers who

aren't forward-thinking unable to provide a way forward.

Yet, where some see a terrifying dystopian landscape, others see change, opportunity and vehicles for transformation.

Such is the case for robots and artificial intelligence.

Politicians across the ideological spectrum have promised to bring back millions of well-paying jobs to the United States, but that's easier said than done. Futurists, economists, digital and other tech experts are warning of a new reality that most Americans may not be

LAMBERT Page 54

By Askia Muhammad

Blacks Should Strive for NOI's Longevity, Success The Nation of Islam was born in Detroit on July 4, 1930, when a man from Mecca, Arabia, introduced himself to the 149,111 black residents in the section of town called "Black Bottom." The man, W. Fard Muhammad sold silk door-to-door and introduced a new identity, a new religion — Islam — to the residents.

Fard Muhammad introduced himself as "The Saviour," and he said that the names black folks were wearing were not their true names, but the names inherited from the last slave

masters who owned the various individuals. In the three years and four or five months The Saviour was among the people, he converted many to his faith, and he gave "original" Islamic names — like Kareem, Shareef and Muhammad — to more than 25,000 people.

Ironically, Detroit and its suburbs are where the largest concentration of Muslim immigrants in the United States now reside.

Meanwhile, the black population in Detroit has multiplied, and spread over the entire city and the white population has mostly fled. Now, 562,949 of the city's 677,116 inhabitants are black,

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more than 83 percent.

Among those who attended the meetings Fard Muhammad held in the homes of his converts was Clara Evans Poole. She was so excited at what she learned that she convinced her husband Elijah Poole to attend a meeting with her. The family had moved from Sandersville, Georgia, with their five children, joining the great black migration from the agricultural South to find jobs in the industrial Rust Belt.

Elijah joined the movement, quickly became Fard Muhammad's chief lieutenant and was given the name Kareem. When Fard Muhammad left mysteriously in 1934, Elijah Kareem

announced that he had been left in charge of the "Lost Found Nation of Islam in the Wilderness of North America," and that henceforth he would be known as Elijah Muhammad. From that humble beginning has grown one of the most powerful movements in U.S. black history: the spiritual birthplace of Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, Imam Warithudeen Muhammad and Louis Farrakhan, among tens of thousands more.

After more than 44 years of leadership, Elijah Muhammad departed the scene in 1975, and his son and successor Warithudeen led the socalled "Black Muslim" movement

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in to orthodox Islamic doctrine and away from his father's message. Three years later, Farrakhan, National Representative of Elijah Muhammad and successor to Malcolm X as leader of the powerful Harlem Mosque No. 7, determined that he would revive the movement, in strict conformity to Mr. Muhammad's original teaching.

In 2017, more than 30,000 attended this year's "Saviour's Day" convention, which celebrates Feb. 26, 1877, the birthdate of Fard Muhammad, The Saviour.

Brenda Jones, president of the De-

ASKIA Page 54

FEBRUARY 23 - MARCH 1, 2017 37

LIFESTYLE Howard U. Celebrates 150-Year Legacy

By Tatyana Hopkins WI Contributing Writer On March 2, 1867, President Andrew Jackson signed into law a bill granting Howard University a charter, creating educational opportunities for those, primarily African-Americans, who would not have access to it otherwise.

The university's first motto and seal read "equal rights and knowledge for all," and throughout its history, Howard University graduates have represented an assortment of races and ethnic backgrounds, and both genders.

Even among its very first students were females.

"This bore witness to the true essence of Howard University and its primary mission to educate those who otherwise would not have access to higher education," said university President

Wayne A. I. Frederick in a statement.

Original plans for the university in the year prior to its opening mapped out a small institution for preachers and teachers of color.

"These goals — seemingly limited compared to the Howard University that we know today — likely resulted from deeply rooted doubts, based in part upon the lack of knowledge concerning the academic prowess of African-Americans, and that before the Civil War, African-American men and women could benefit from higher education," Frederick said.

Instead, it finally opened its doors in May 1867 with a total of six departments including normal, collegiate, theological, law, medical and agriculture.

Today, the private research institution is comprised of 13 schools and colleges. Howard

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5 HBCU graduates celebrate. / Courtesy photo

University is the number one producer of African-American Ph.Ds. and undergraduates who matriculate to earn Ph.Ds. in STEM areas, as well as a top producer of African-American Peace Corps volunteers. It has produced four Rhode Scholars, nine Truman Scholars, two Marshall Scholars, one Schwartzman Scholar, 22 Pickering Fellows and over 60 Fulbright Scholars.

It also boasts a robust list of notable faculty and former students who shaped academics, business, entertainment and politics. Historic and contemporary figures alike from the university have made impactful contributions to society, including the first African-American Supreme Court Justice, Thurgood Marshal; Black Power Movement

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leader Stokely Carmichael; Harlem Renaissance novelist Zora Neale Hurston and current California Sen. Kamala Harris.

Despite its many successes, in recent times the university has been labeled as a strained institution dealing with funding issues, staff cuts and infrastructure repair.

Though Howard receives the highest amount of federal funding of any historically black institution with $221 million, a 2017 Department of Education budget report showed that in 2016 the university budget cut it close.

The university has $656 million in revenues and $655 million worth of expenditures.

Tuition and fees constituted 42 percent of the university's

budget in fiscal 2015, though nearly half of its undergraduate students come from families whose household incomes make less than $40,000. The system has a $613 million endowment and an $822 million operating budget for fiscal 2016.

Named president in 2014 after serving as interim president and provost, Frederick presides over the university and the Howard University Hospital. Last year he appointed a student ombudsman, set up a program that partially reimbursed students graduating on track and even launched a last-minute fundraising campaign in 2015 to help seniors who owed money.

Frederick has also face controversy in some of his administration decisions including enacting a stricter tuition payment policy, halting a policy that allowed students to graduate with six or less incomplete credits, the longterm lease of the beloved dorm Meridian Hill Hall and the possible selling of possibly the nation's only black-owned public broadcast station, WHUT. Frederick has said he wants to end the university's dependence on tuition and guarantee an education regardless of a student's income. According to his plan, that means diversifying revenue streams by monetizing some of the school's real estate, finding entrepreneurial opportunities and increasing philanthropy income, including from alumni.

"Even in the midst of the challenges we face, this institute on is committed to producing the students and innovative ideas that our country needs," he said. WI

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LIFESTYLE

Gospel Icon Richard Smallwood to Be Honored as Living Legend

5 Richard Smallwood is a composer, music director, pianist and arranger. / Courtesy of BET.com

By Lauren Poteat WI Contributing Writer In recognition and salute to dynamic individuals who have made great strides in his or her perspective careers, Emmanuel Seventh-day Adventist Church will honor gospel legend Richard Smallwood with its 17th annual Living Legend Award.

Set to take place Saturday, Feb. 25, at 18800 New Hampshire Avenue in Ashton, Maryland, at 6 p.m., the event will pay homage to the eight-time Grammy-nominated singer, who not too long ago battled a deep depression.

Born the only child of a single mother whose stepfather he described as "physically abusive," the longtime gospel singer recounted his experience with depression and how his faith and resolve in God helped to bring him into a positive place.

"Sometimes, depression is anger turned inward," Smallwood told an audience during a November church conference in Charlotte, North Carolina, QCityMetro reported. "When you're a kid, you don't have anything you can say. You can't retaliate.

You certainly can't talk back if you live in a black household. …

Way back then, nobody knew what depression was, certainly not in the black community. You just sort of dealt with it."

Despite his tremendous talent, Smallwood said he frequently felt insecure about his abilities, often comparing himself to other gospel artists who appeared to have far greater commercial success.

After years of being sad for "no apparent reason," Smallwood was diagnosed with clinical depression in 2002 at the age of 54.

Apprehensive to taking medications for fear of "walking around in a coma, coked up or like a zombie," Smallwood, with the help of a Christian psychiatrist, began to get the help that he needed, medication included.

Though Smallwood has now been off medication since 2010, an achievement he attributes to professional therapy, he advises others who may be suffering from depression to "get help."

Despite his years of pain, Smallwood said since going public with his diagnosis, he is sometimes approached by strangers who simply want to thank him for giving voice to an illness often shrouded in shame.

"So God has sort of made it a little more obvious and clear to me why it was I was dealing with this," he said. "Because ministry sometimes extends beyond what we think our ministries are. Sometimes God stretches us to take us to other places so that we can help other people.

"It's not been an easy road, but certainly, I am grateful for it, because, as the old hymn says, 'If I can help somebody as I pass along, then my living shall not be in vain," Smallwood said. "So as we grow and mature, God reveals to us more what our purposes are. We are all here for a purpose. You are all preordained to do certain things. And it may not come when you are in your 20s and 30s. It may come later. But God will open the doors and create the pathways so that you can walk in your purpose." WI

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FEBRUARY 23 - MARCH 1, 2017 39

LIFESTYLE

Education Experts Take a Closer Look at ESSA

By Tatyana Hopkins WI Contributing Writer The D.C. State Board of Education [SBOE] held its monthly public meeting Wed., Feb. 15 at the Old Council Chambers, honoring the Teacher of the Year and listening to two panels as they considered potential policy changes of tantamount impor-

tance to District school children.

The SBOE honored Elizabeth Dewhurst as the District’s 2017 Teacher of the Year. Dewhurst is a reading intervention teacher at Stuart-Hobson Middle School in Northeast.

The SBOE also heard from several panels of experts regarding the draft of the Every Student Succeeds Act [ESSA] accountability plan.

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draft concerning what is the more “high quality and objective data” to use in determining a school’s one-to-five-star rating.

Jeff Schimdt, a panelist and Ward 3 resident, charged that the existing individual subgroup goals are “academic racial profiling,” and called for a readjustment of subgroups based on previous levels of proficiency.

“All races aren’t treated equally in our country, therefore it’s incredibly important for us to be recognizing and acknowledging whether our system is actually serving students of all races equally,” said Ward 1 SBOE member Laura Wilson Phelan.

Other experts expressed concerns about whether academic achievement should solely represent a school’s rating, or whether an index showing a school’s well-roundedness should influence its rating.

They also discussed how matters of proficiency versus growth could cause issues with school ratings.

Upcoming ESSA community meetings will be held at Brookland Middle School (Feb. 22), Capitol Hill Arts Workshop (Feb. 27), the Department of Employment Services (Feb. 23) and the Anacostia Library (Feb.28).

The SBOE also heard from experts regarding OSSE recommendations to update city-wide physical education standards which were last approved in 2008.

All panelists argued in favor of a modernized approach to physical education not centered around competition, but a comprehensive set of standards to be adopted from SHAPE America that include motor skills and emotional intelligence. WI

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groups of students.

The plan requires annual SBOE approval and meaningful public consultation from public and charter school officials and families. A draft plan was released by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) and collection of public comments will continue through February.

A special SBOE vote on the final plan is scheduled for Wednesday, March 22. It is to be submitted to the U.S. Department of Education by April 3.

The District has made some progress in education outcomes for students. Its public schools have sustained progress on state assessments in recent year and the high school graduation rate has increased steadily.

However, its Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers scores from last school year showed that only about one-quarter of D.C. students were on track for college and job readiness. Outcome gaps also exist between specific groups of students.

Only 17 percent of economically disadvantaged students were on track for college and career readiness in mathematics, compared to 54 percent of their peers who are not economically disadvantaged.

Only six percent of students in special education were on track.

“All parents want a high-quality school, but the sad fact of the matter is not all parents have access to a high-quality school right now,” said Ward 6 SBOE member Joe Weedon. “We need to move forward with measuring academic achievement.”

None of the panelists disagreed with the need for a city-wide accountability system, but addressed concerns with the most recent

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JOE WEEDON / Ward 6 SBOE

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LIFESTYLE

Sony Touts Impressive Animation Lineup for 2017-18 Films

By Eunice Moseley WI Contributing Writer My invite to the special presentation of the Sony Picture Animation film releases for 2017-18 showed me what an impressive lineup they have in store. So impressive, in fact, I left with my spirit soaring in hopes of a better year, content-wise, than the industry has had in the recent past.

The 2017-18 roll call: "Smurf 3: The Lost Village" (April 7); "Puppy," Sony's first animated short-film (Aug. 5); "The Emoji Movie" (Aug. 4); "The Star" (Nov. 10); "Hotel Transylvania 3" (Sept. 21, 2018); and "Spider-Man" (Dec. 21, 2018).

"I am impressed with the talent," said Sony Animation President Kristine Belson of the casts of the upcoming projects.

"I am excited about this project," said "Smurfs" director Kelly Asbury. "It's a new version of the Smurfs … capturing the original comic book Smurf of 1958 by Peyo."

The 3-D animation has Smurfette, voiced by Demi Lovato, on a search for her purpose. All the other blue Smurfs — except for Smurfette, who was created by the evil Gargamel (Rainn Wilson) — has an "adjective" purpose such as Clumsy (Jack McBrayer), Brainy (Danny Pudi), Grouchy (Jake Johnson) and Nosey (Kelly Asbury). While searching for her purpose, Smurfette discovers a lost Smurf village and the fight is on to protect the village from

Gargamel, who wants to steal the Smurf power.

Other Smurfs include Julie Roberts (Willow, the leader of the secret Smurf village), Gabriel Iglesias (Jokey), Ariel Winters (Lily), and Michelle Rodriguez (Storm).

"It's a story that connects with people. They help us share our feelings," said Tony Leondis director of "The Emoji Movie." "There is this one Emoji with a lot of feelings and he thinks he is a freak because everyone else has one."

"The Emoji Movie" is about a 15-year-old boy named Alex, voiced by Jake T. Austin, whose emojis are competing to be his favorite — a spot currently held by Smiley, voiced by Maya Rudolph. "'The Star' is the greatest story never told from an animal's view," said director Tim Reckart about the animated film. "A donkey sees a star. The Dove, his best friend, they go on a journey to see where the star leads."

Bo breaks away and ventures out to follow his dream. Gina Rodriguez is the voice of Mary; Zachary Levi is Joseph; Steven Yeun is the Donkey Bo; Aidy Bryant is Ruth the abandoned sheep; Keegan-Michael Key is the Dove; Kelly Clarkson is Leah the know it all horse; Anthony Anderson is Zach the boat; Kristin Chenoweth is the mouse that witnesses the big moment and is the storyteller; Oprah Winfrey is Debra the camel; Tyler Perry is Cyrus the camel; Tracey Morgan is Felix the

camel; Ving Rhames is Thaddeus the dog; Gabriel Inglesias is Rufus the dog, Kristopher Jefferson is the old donkey, and Christopher Plummer is King Herrod.

"Drac is sad and Mavis thinks he needs a vacation, but he is lonely. … Then he falls in love with the ship's captain," said director Genndy Tartakovsky ("Star Wars") about the storyline of "Hotel Transylvania 3," starring Adam Sandler as Drac, Selena Gomez as Mavis and Andy Samberg as Jonathan, the human.

5 The Smurfs / Courtesy photo

Sony Pictures Animation for the first time will release an animation short film, "Puppy," a spinoff of "Hotel Transylvania."

Also directed by Tartakousky, the new film centers on about "Hotel's" Dennis, who gets a huge pet. It will be partnered with the "Emoji" movie.

The "Spider-Man" animation will star Miles Morales — not Peter Parker. The Marvel character, created by Brian Michael Bendis, is African-American and Hispanic. The animation will be executive-produced by Chris Miller and Phil Lord ("Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs") and directed by Bob Persichetti and Peter Ramsey.

"Anyone can wear that mask," said Phil Lord about the message of "Spider-Man," slated for release Dec. 21, 2018.

For more information about the Sony lineup, visit www.

SonyPicturesAnimation.com. WI

Motown Legend Mary Wilson Still Reigns ‘Supreme’

By D. Kevin NcNeir WI Editor Mary Wilson, one of the three founding members of the legendary Supremes, brought her own style of showmanship to the District for a four-day, one-woman performance that concluded Sunday, Feb. 19 at the historic Blues Alley in Georgetown. And while she’ll be 73 in March, a point she proudly emphasized, she looked great, quickly endeared herself with her audience and effortlessly belted out a song list that featured jazz, Latin, blues and pop classics including several No. 1 hits from the Motown days when she, Diana Ross and Florence Ballard reigned. Yes, Mary Wilson is still soulfully and memorably “a Supreme.”

WI

© 2016 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

5 Mary Wilson / Coutesy of MaryWilson.com

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STARTS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24 CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS FOR THEATERS AND SHOWTIMES

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FEBRUARY 23 - MARCH 1, 2017 41 WASHINGTON INFORMER

LIFESTYLE

City Officials to Congress: Hands Off D.C. Wrestling With GOP for Control

By Sarafina Wright WI Staff Writer D.C. officials are calling on Washingtonians to help them stand up against Congress as the federal 3Panelists discuss DC soveregnity.

/ Photo by Lateef Mangum

government tries to usurp the autonomy of the District.

Council member Elissa Silverman asserted that Congress needs to leave D.C. alone.

"The days since January 20, have been long and taxing on our city, on our country, and, indeed, on ourselves," Silverman said. "But in this challenging time, I have been uplifted by the activism and engagement of D.C. residents and others across the country and the world.

"The District of Columbia and our residents are particularly vulnerable, and we will need to work together as a community to protect the policies our city values," she said.

Silverman said in a recent newsletter that Republicans in Congress are working to repeal the Death with Dignity Act passed by the D.C. Council and signed by the mayor, loosen the city's gun-control laws and restrict the use of local funds for reproductive health services in the District.

"That's why I joined with our Congressional Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton on Capitol Hill last week, along with Mayor Bowser, Chairman Mendelson, and other colleagues, to tell Congress to let locally elected officials do the job that our voters asked us to do and to leave us alone," Silverman said.

D.C.'s status as a sanctuary for immigrants makes the city a target for Congress and the White House, city officials fear.

"The District will remain a sanctuary city despite threats and bullying by Congress, and we will not support any legislation this new administration puts forth that forces residents to live in fear of their safety or well-being," she said.

Silverman called for residents to attend rallies, community and strat-

ONEUNITED from Page 14 OneUnited Bank said everyone who receives an Amir Visa Debit Card will also receive correspondence on how to use the card to donate to the Black Lives Matter movement.

"Black economic power is a critical piece of the Black freedom struggle," said Melina Abdullah, an organizer for Black Lives Matter. "Our partnership with OneUnited Bank during Black History Month honors

42 FEBRUARY 23 - MARCH 1, 2017

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egy meetings and call, tweet, email Republican lawmakers with the message of "Hands off DC." On Friday, Feb. 10, DC Vote, joined by 27 national, regional and local groups, delivered a letter to the U.S. House of Representatives, asking for Congress to respect the local autonomy of Washington and end the attacks on self-determination in governance.

"Representative Chaffetz, Representative Smith and Senator Rubio have all decided that local control and self-governance should matter greatly when it involves their constituents," said Bo Shuff, director of advocacy for DC Vote. "However, when it comes to the 670,000 people who call the District home, they seek to overturn the decisions we've made for ourselves through our elected leadership. It doesn't make sense."

Shuff asserted that since the beginning of the 115th Congress, three attacks on D.C. home rule have been introduced by several members of Congress. This follows on the heels of more than 25 efforts introduced under the guise of oversight of the District of Columbia in 2016.

Shuff said they are, in fact, direct attacks on the right to equal representation that should be afforded to every D.C. resident.

"D.C. has passed balanced budgets for more than 20 years and we contribute more in federal taxes than 21 other states," Shuff said.

"Last November, 86 percent of D.C. voters supported the only permanent solution to ending our second-class citizenship: Statehood.

However, because we have no vote in Congress, they have decided to run roughshod over our rights. DC Vote has always and will continue to fight back against this oppression and work to move the cause of equality for D.C. forward." WI the legacy of freedom fighters who walked before us, like Ida B. Wells, the architects of Black Wall Street in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and others who encouraged us to utilize our dollars intentionally as a means of making ourselves, our families and our communities strong."

Funmilola Fagbamila of Black Lives Matter agreed, calling the partnership "an important step towards building black futures and harnessing our collective economic power." WI

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LIFESTYLE

wi book reviewA

Horoscopes

ARIES Changes could happen quickly. You might feel a strong urge to act independently. While this can be exhilarating, it could also cause trouble further down the line. You may be tempted to forget about your responsibilities, but others will be sure to remind you. A spiritual realization could prove empowering. Lucky Numbers: 5, 6, 20

"The Lost Eleven"

by Denise George and Robert Child c.2017, NAL Caliber $28 ($37 Canada) 416 pages

TAURUS If you've had enough of someone's behavior, the coming days could see

you venting your anger. But is this wise? It might not be, if you want to keep this person as lover or friend. Opting for a heart-to-heart talk first might be the better way to go.

The weekend's Solar Eclipse could ring in the changes regarding your social scene. Lucky Numbers: 2, 16, 29

GEMINI If you decide to renege on any commitments or promises, especially concerning finances, it might not help you. Though duties can be tiresome, doing what's expected of you can help you maintain your reputation and security. If you crave adventure, plan to do something that gives you a real adrenaline rush. An exciting opportunity could open up for you this weekend. Lucky Numbers: 4, 12, 17 CANCER The focus is on forging ahead with a plan that could put your career on a

The Lost Eleven

new track. However, someone might feel left out. This could be a turning point for this relationship. Also, with a Solar Eclipse in your sector of adventure on Sunday, new horizons may beckon and encourage you to leave the past behind. Lucky Numbers: 27, 35, 36

LEO Work commitments and responsibilities could seem to weigh heavily on you at

By Terri Schlichenmeyer WI Contributing Writer You are on a need-to-know basis.

You're told only what's relevant, and nothing more. Rumors, innuendo, extra little details, none of that's important; only what you need is what you get. But read "The Lost Eleven" by Denise George and Robert Child, and you may wonder what else you're missing.

Hitler reportedly did not want the 1936 Olympics in his Berlin. Not a sporting man, he didn't see the point, until he was told that the games might be a good chance to showcase his Aryan athletes. He acquiesced, and openly seethed when African-American star Jesse Owens snatched medals away from Hitler's all-German track team.

Thousands of miles away, Owens' achievements made a strong impression on young George Davis, who puffed with a patriotic pride that lingered and carried him to the recruitment office when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. Against his father's wishes, Davis joined the Army.

But serving Uncle Sam didn't protect a man from Jim Crow.

At the beginning of the war, said George and Child, fewer than 4,000 African-Americans were enlisted in the military. Most landed in racially segregated noncombat units, tasked with "menial labor" well behind the front lines, which rankled them. Many were eager to see action, and were denied it but Davis and his fellow soldiers at Camp Gruber, Oklahoma, got what they wished for: their 333rd Field Artillery Battalion was ultimately trained to operate the new 155 mm Howitzers.

They were going overseas.

From Normandy in late June 1944 to France and Brittany, the 333rd and 969th Battalions did what they were sent to do. By September 1944, they were on their way to SchĂśnberg, Belgium, to a "Ghost Front," called so because it was "quiet." Once there, men of both battalions heard German rockets and believed that the sounds were recordings meant to fool them into believing German troops were nearby.

But in the early morning hours of Dec. 16, the gun noise was authentic.

The 333rd, unprepared and ill-equipped, was under attack‌ Some three years ago, and nearly 70 years after their bloody capture, a House of Representatives Resolution finally gave the 333rd Field Artillery Battalion the "official" recognition it deserved (Belgium had lauded them in 2007). Even so, their story is rarely mentioned in World War II history.

It's not much better told here.

I had such high hopes for it: "The Lost Eleven" could have become a classic, a story that WWII buffs and historians might happily reference. Instead, it's marred by pages and pages of fictionalized conversations, imagined emotions and recreated actions that make this book more novel than not. One could say that it moves the story along, but not very well; the conversations are borderline-insulting to a reader's intelligence, and the imagined emotions felt like so much pandering.

Add that to the unnecessarily gory ending (which felt out-of-place in the tone of the rest of the book), and I say pass on "The Lost Eleven." If you want to learn about these brave African-American soldiers, there are much better ways. WI WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

FEB 23 - MAR 1, 2017

this time. A decision you make on impulse, such as telling off your boss or goofing off instead of getting back to work, could be something you come to regret later. You might need to be honest about what you want at this time. Lucky Numbers: 16, 24, 31

VIRGO Lust versus romance could be a choice this week and the reason you feel confused when it comes to a budding relationship. A powerful physical attraction could be encouraging you to get personal right away. On the other, a desire to get to know this person better over time as the romance builds also seems desirable. Lucky Numbers: 5, 8, 28 LIBRA Is someone trying to drag you out of your cozy rut? It could seem like it in the days ahead. With a powerful influence showing up, you could resent the presence of someone who stirs up feelings in you that you'd rather avoid. But the more you resist their efforts, the harder they may try to capture your attention. Lucky Numbers: 4, 13, 32

SCORPIO What you want to do and what you should do may be two different things this week. In fact, you might be willing to do anything to break out of a schedule that has become boring and staid. The thing is that you can't completely get away from your responsibilities, which you may discover in the coming days. Lucky Numbers: 9, 19, 24 SAGITTARIUS Try to go easy with your finances over the days ahead, as there could

be a tendency to splurge on the spur of the moment, which could undo all the hard work you've put in recently to get your finances back into shape. If you need to let off steam, plan for something enjoyable that won't cost a fortune. Or opt for a break that's filled with adventure but that leaves you with cash to spare. Lucky Numbers: 5, 10, 13

CAPRICORN A desire for change at home could encourage some radical decisions.

With Mars powering through your domestic sector, it might be a good chance to clear away clutter or make more extensive changes to your place. In the coming days, an even bigger opportunity could arise that involves a move or perhaps extending or remodeling your property in some way, all good. Also, a Solar Eclipse in your communication sector could bring interesting news your way. Lucky Numbers: 11, 18, 50 AQUARIUS You're likely to say exactly what you think this week, which could be liberating, especially if you've held your tongue for some time. And with Mars making some key aspects, it might be impossible to keep quiet. Be careful how you express yourself, though, especially of you want to stay on good terms with certain people. You could go too far without meaning to, and this could be upsetting. This weekend's Solar Eclipse in Pisces could make you sensitive to others' feelings. Lucky Numbers: 12, 21, 25 PISCES As the Sun continues to power through your sign, you may be ready to get moving on a plan that has deep personal meaning for you. And while money could be a factor, it might be more important to you to bring this dream to life rather than worry about your financial status. You might need to strike a balance, however, so you don't jeopardize your security. This weekend's Solar Eclipse in your sign could boost your efforts in this regard. Lucky Numbers: 19, 30, 48

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

FEBRUARY 23 - MARCH 1, 2017 43

SPORTS Howard Men Crush North Carolina A&T

5 Howard Bison guard James Miller drives past North Carolina A&T Aggies forward Davaris McGowens in the first half of Howard's 84-53 win at Burr Gymnasium in Northwest on Saturday, Feb. 18. / Photo by John E. De Freitas

3 Howard Bison forward Solomon Mangham looks for help in the first half of Howard's 84-53 win over North Carolina A&T at Burr Gymnasium in Northwest on Saturday, Feb. 18. / Photo by John E. De Freitas

D.C.'s Peterson Defeats Avanesyan to Become Two-Division Champ D.C.'s Lamont Peterson (353-1, 17 KOs) narrowly edged WBA regular welterweight world champion David Avanesyan (22-2-1, 11 KOs) Saturday in Cincinnati in an entertaining 12-round unanimous decision (115-113, 116-112 twice) to become a two-division champion.

In a Showtime Championship Boxing co-feature at Xavier University's Cintas Center, Peterson attacked on the inside instead of working off his jab, as was largely his game plan when he unified the 140-pound division.

Avanesyan and Peterson traded body punches and uppercuts, but it was Peterson who was more fluid and effective in the second half of the fight. Peterson committed to the body in the later rounds, connecting on 98 shots to the body over 12 rounds.

Both fighters connected on 40 percent of their total punches, but Peterson connected on 39 percent of his power shots compared to 29 percent for Avanesyan.

"I was expecting to pick up where I left off," Peterson said of his 16-month layoff. "That

may seem like a long time, but if you're in the gym it's not a long time. I took some steps forward tonight. We're looking to get back in camp and keep moving.

"I expected to put pressure on him the way he did," he said of Avanesyan. "I didn't think he would fight back as hard as he did. He showed he's a champion and shows he's at this level. I want to fight anyone in the welterweight division now."

Avanesyan admitted it was a close fight but thought he did enough to get the decision.

"I thought that I was landing my punches more cleanly while his punches were being blocked," Avanesyan said. "Lamont is very good but I thought the judges were impressed with his movement, but I had the power."

In the co-feature, Adrien Broner and Adrian Granados battled in a close, back-andforth matchup, with the four-division world champion Broner eking out a split decision victory in his hometown of Cincinnati.

WI

4 / Photos courtesy of Stephanie Trapp – SHOWTIME

44 FEBRUARY 23 - MARCH 1, 2017

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SPORTS

Lady Bison Down Aggies at Home

3 Howard Bison guard Jasmine Hill takes on North Carolina A&T

Aggies guard Shantell Bostick in the first quarter of Howard's 69-61 win at Burr Gymnasium in Northwest on Saturday, Feb. 18. / Photo by John E. De Freitas

6 Howard Bison forward Sydni Johnson is defended by North Carolina

A&T Aggies forward Quenswayla Story in the second quarter of Howard's 69-61 win at Burr Gymnasium in Northwest on Saturday, Feb. 18. / Photo by John E. De Freitas

5 Howard Bison forward Erin Blaine is double-teamed in the first quarter of of

Howard's 69-61 win over North Carolina A&T at Burr Gymnasium in Northwest on Saturday, Feb. 18. / Photo by John E. De Freitas

5 North Carolina A&T Aggies forward Quenswayla Story drives past Howard

Bison forward Star Fitzgerald-Greer in the third quarter of Howard's 69-61 win at Burr Gymnasium in Northwest on Saturday, Feb. 18. / Photo by John E. De Freitas

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HBCUS from Page 1 with leaders from historically black colleges and universities on Tuesday, Feb. 28.

The daylong event, which takes place the same day that Trump will address a joint session of Congress, will be hosted by Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Rep. Mark Walker (R-N.C.), whose wife attended Winston-Salem State University, an HBCU in North Carolina.

The meeting is expected to include discussions about opportunity, strengthening relationships and the importance of HBCUs, in addition to a luncheon and wrap-up tour at the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

"For decades, our nation's HBCUs have graduated amazing and talented individuals who have gone on to achieve remarkable accomplishments," Scott said in a statement. "From Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison and famed writer Langston Hughes, we have seen how HBCU grads have shaped the direction of our country."

Paris Dennard, a GOP political commentator and consultant, said while speaking to African-American leaders in the Roosevelt Room at the White House on Feb. 1 for the kick-off of Black History Month, he discussed job creation, infrastructure in inner cities and HBCUs with Trump.

"I think (Trump) was very concerned about HBCUs as a whole," he said.

"He asked direct questions about the state of HBCUs currently and asked inquisitively what is the Harvard of HBCUs. Because there were two or three graduates in the room, they all chimed in and said Howard University."

"For decades, our nation's HBCUs have graduated amazing and talented individuals who have gone on to achieve remarkable accomplishments."

SEN. TIM SCOTT / (R-S.C.)

Omarosa Manigault, the director of communications for the Office of Public Liaison in the administration, is an alumnae of Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio, and Howard University in Washington, D.C. She will participate in the "fly-in" along with Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), Reps. Bradley Love (R-Ala.) and Mia Love (R-Utah) and former Rep. J.C. Watts (R-Okla.).

Additionally, the schedule includes Cheryl Smith, vice president of Public Policy and Government Affairs at the United Negro College Fund and Johnny Taylor, the president of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF).

"I think this is a good move, and it makes sense," said Dennard, also the director of strategic communications for the TMCF. "Most likely it will be Republican officials who have an impact on HBCUs especially since they

are the majority in the House, Senate, and at the federal level," Dennard said.

Dennard noted HBCU funding was cut under President Barack Obama, while changes were made to the Pell Grant, making it harder for low-income students to obtain monies.

Last year, the Obama administration said it invested $4 billion in HBCUs in seven years and created the White House Initiative on HBCUs. "You don't have a lot of presidents going to HBCUs," said Renee Amoore, a Pennsylvania Republican who has worked with Trump's transition team. "This dialogue started before (Trump) was president. He's big on diversity inclusion," Amoore said.

Dennard said the HBCU planning session, as well as the appointment of U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, shows Trump's commitment to education.

Previously, DeVos met with Wayne A.I. Frederick, president of Howard.

"We had a robust discussion around the many challenges facing higher education and the important role of HBCU," DeVos said in a statement. "Howard University plays a unique and valuable role in the fabric of our higher education system, and I am honored to help celebrate its 150th anniversary. I look forward to visiting many schools across our great country and continuing the discussion on how we can increase access to affordable, quality higher education."

Randy Robinson, a Philadelphia Republican strategist, said he believes it's a fantastic move.

"I hope Sen. Tim Scott, HBCU leaders and presidents have a serious agenda and a frank conversation," Robinson said.

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46 FEBRUARY 23 - MARCH 1, 2017

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RELIGION THE RELIGION CORNER

The Griffin Firm, PLLC

It Does Take a Village!

Gamma Phi Delta Sorority Inc.'s Delta Pi chapter is celebrating 25 years of providing service to the community, from donating Thanksgiving baskets to needy families to collecting new and gently used coats for the annual coat drive, to donating an entire day of food, fun and games to seniors, grooming youth and indeed, raising funds to give scholarships! It is such a blessing to assist parents with the education of children, especially those who may not otherwise make it to college.

There are many organizations, clubs and churches working to host fundraisers to give scholarships to needy students, including Delta Pi. These students remind me of the stages of the beautiful butterfly.

During the early years, there is a struggle, when many parents of our community may not be sure how the child will make it to college. This period reminds me of the caterpillar, which crawls around on its belly!

For example, I was just trying to figure out how to get my son to Morehouse College in Atlanta.

My car wasn't able to take him and we didn't have the money to fly, but a dear friend happen to call that very moment, and worked out free Amtrak tickets for both of us. Her son worked for Amtrak, and he could get us buddy passes!

Not such a glamorous life trying to figure these things out, is it? But it is a necessary step along the road to becoming a beautiful butterfly. That son of mine, who suffered along with his mother, graduated from Morehouse College in 1998, then went on to the Turning Hearts Church

University of Maryland and got his master's degree in finance. He is now a vice president at a one of the largest banks in the world!

Let us take a look at how the butterfly comes to be. The caterpillar is the long, worm-like stage of the butterfly or moth. It is the feeding and growth stage. As it grows, it sheds its skin four or more times to enclose its rapidly growing body.

The pupa is the transformation stage within which the caterpillar tissues are broken down and the adult insect's structures are formed. The adult is the colorful butterfly. What a lovely species!

When you compare the struggles many families are experiencing, that would fit the caterpillar stage. But in my case, the hardest times are behind me. Now my son can "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee," as the late Muhammad Ali said. We are both enjoying our butterfly status!

If you enjoy attending wellplanned luncheons, come to The Camelot by Martins in Upper Marlboro for our Butterfly luncheon on Saturday and hear a dynamic message by attorney Georgia Goslee, who made an unsuccessful but historical bid for Circuit Court judge in Baltimore.

You will enjoy her message, as she shares how you can move your life to a higher level.

If you join us, you will hear from dynamic women to be honored for Women's History Month, as well as enjoy the ambiance and food.

Support our scholarship fund so other students can make it through college and finally obtain that job that they desire.

The proceeds will also support

The Rev. E. Bernard Anderson Priest

4275 4th Street, S.E. Washington, DC 20034 Phone: 202-746-0113 Fax: 301-843-2445

Foggy Bottom - Founded in 1867 728 23rd Street, NW - Washington, DC 20037 Church office: 202-333-3985 - Fax : 202-338-4958

Motto : “A Great Commitment to the Great Commandment” Website: www.turningheartschurchdc.org Email: faithdefender@verizon.net

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Estate planning and probate Medicaid planning Elder law Business and succession planning/ coaching Workshops and seminars on legacy creation for economic strength

Aimee D. Griffin, Esq., The Griffin Firm, PLLC with Lyndia Grant the chapter's community service projects, as we feed the homeless and donate to needy children and families throughout the D.C. area. Join me, our President Alicia Anderson and the illustrious members of the chapter from throughout the Eastern region as we enjoy a day of fun, fellowship and purpose!

WI

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Historic St. Mary’s Episcopal Church

Virgil K. Thomas, Sr. Senior Pastor/ Teacher

Service and Times Sunday School 8 – 9 AM Worship Service 9 – 11 AM Tuesday Night Bible Study 6:30 – 8:00 PM Wednesday Daytime Bible Study 11 AM – 12:30 PM

Committed to providing services and supports to increase the capacity of individuals, businesses, and communities.

Service and Times Sundays: 10 a.m. Holy Eucharist with Music and Hymns Wednesdays: 12:10 p.m. - Holy Eucharist www.stmarysfoggybottom.org Email: stmarysoffice@stmarysfoggybottom.org All are welcome to St. Mary’s to Learn, Worship, and Grow.

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RELIGION The Miracle Center of Faith Missionary Baptist Church Bishop Michael C. Turner, Sr. Senior Pastor 9161 Hampton Overlook Capitol Heights, MD 20743 Phone: 301-350-2200 Fax: 301-499-8724

Service and Times Sunday Worship Times : 7:30 a.m. 7 10:00 a.m.

Communion: 1st Sunday Sunday School: 9:00 a.m.

Bible Study: Wednesday, 12 Noon Bible Study in homes: Tuesday 7:00 p.m.

Website: www.themiraclecenterFMBC.com Email: Miraclecenterfmbs@gmail.com Motto: “We Walk by Faith, Not by Sight”

Pilgrim Baptist Church Rev. Louis B. Jones II Pastor 700 I Street, N.E. Washington, D.C. 20002 (202) 547-8849 Service and Times Worship Sundays: 7:30 & 11:00am 5th Sundays: 9:30am 3rd Sundays: Baptism & Holy Communion Prayer & Praise: Wednesdays @ Noon & 6:30pm www.pilgrimbaptistdc.org

Church of Living Waters

Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church

Crusader Baptist Church

Rev. Paul Carrette Senior Pastor

Rev. Dr. Michael E. Bell, Sr., Pastor

Rev. Dr. Alton W. Jordan Pastor

Reverend Dr. Calvin L. Matthews Senior Pastor

Harold Andrew Assistant Pastor

2498 Alabama Ave., SE - Washington D.C. 20020 Office: (202) 889-7296 Fax: (202) 889-2198 - www.acamec.org

800 I Street, NE - Washington, DC 20002 202-548-0707 - Fax No. 202-548-0703

4915 Wheeler Road Oxon Hill, MD 20745 301-894-6464

Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 8:00am and 11:00am Sunday Church School - 9:15am & Sunday Adult Forum Bible Study - 10:30am 2nd & 4th Monday Women’s Bible Study: 6:30pm Tuesday Jr./Sr. Bible Study: 10:00am Tuesday Topical Bible Study: 6:30pm Tuesday New Beginnings Bible Study: 6:30pm Wednesday Pastoral Bible Study: 6:30pm Wednesday Children’s Bible Study: 6:30pm Thursday Men’s Bible Study: 6:30pm Friday before 1st Sunday Praise & Worship Service: 6:30pm Saturday Adult Bible Study: 10:00am “The Amazing, Awesome, Audacious Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church”

Service and Times Sunday Morning Worship: 11:00am Holy Communion: 1st Sunday Sunday School: 9:45am Men’s Monday Bible Study: 7:00pm Wednesday Night Bible Study: 7:00pm Women’s Ministry Bible Study: 3rd Friday -7:00pm Computer Classes: Announced Family and Marital Counseling by appointment

1200 Isle of Patmos Plaza, Northeast Washington, DC 20018 Office: (202) 529-6767 - Fax: (202) 526-1661

Service and Times Sunday Service: 8:30am& 11:00am Bible Study: Wednesday 7:30pm Communion Service: First Sunday www.livingwatersmd.org

E-mail: Crusadersbaptistchurch@verizon.net www.CrusadersBaptistChurch.org “God is Love”

Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ

St. Stephen Baptist Church

Third Street Church of God

Dr. Dekontee L. & Dr. Ayele A. Johnson Pastors

Drs. Dennis W. & Christine Y. Wiley Pastors

Bishop Lanier C. Twyman, Sr. Senior Pastor

Rev. Cheryl J. Sanders, Th.D. Senior Pastor

Bishop Alfred A. Owens, Jr.; Senior Bishop & Evangelist Susie C. Owens – Co-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

1204 Third Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 202-347-5889 office 202-638-1803 fax

610 Rhode Island Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002 (202) 529-4547 office • (202) 529-4495 fax

Service and Times Sunday School: 9:30am Sunday Morning Worship Service: 11:00am Communion Service: First Sunday Prayer Service/Bible Study: Tuesday, 6:30pm

Services and Times Sundays: 10:00am Worship Services Bible Study: Wonderful Wednesdays in Worship and the Word Bible Study Wednesdays 12:00 Noon; 6:30pm (dinner @ 5:30pm) Sunday School: 9:00am – Hour of Power

Blessed Word of Life Church

www.blessedwordoflifechurch.org E-mail: church@blessedwordoflifechurch.org

Campbell AME Church Rev. Dr. Henry Y. White 2562 MLK Jr. Ave., SE - Washington, DC 20020 Adm. Office 202-678-2263 Email: Campbell@mycame.org Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 10:00 am Sunday Church School: 8:45 am Bible Study Wednesday: 12:00 Noon Wednesday: 7:00 pm Thursday: 7: pm “Reaching Up To Reach Out” Mailing Address Campbell AME Church 2502 Stanton Road SE - Washington, DC 20020

Mt. Zion Baptist Church

“An inclusive ministry where all are welcomed and affirmed.” www.covenantbaptistdc.org

Services and Times Sunday Early Morning Worship: 7:45am Church School: 9:30am Sunday Morning Worship: 10:45am Tuesday: 7:00pm/Kingdom Building Bible Institute Wednesday: Prayer/Praise/Bible Study-7:30 pm Baptism & Communion Service: 4th Sunday – 10:30am

Services and Times Sunday School: 9:30am Sunday Worship: 11:00am Prayer Meeting and Bible Study: Wed. 7:30pm

“We are one in the Spirit” www.ssbc5757.org E-mail: ssbc5757@verizon.net

www.thirdstreet.org

“Ambassadors for Christ to the Nation’s Capital”

Greater Mt. Calvary Holy Church

Sunday Worship Service: 8 AM and 10:45am Sunday Youth Worship Services: 1st & 4th 10:45am; 804 R.I. Ave., NE 5th 8 AM & 10:45am; Main Church Prayer Services Tuesday – Noon, Wednesday 6am & 6:30pm Calvary Bible Institute: Year-Round Contact Church Communion Every 3rd Sunday The Church in The Hood that will do you Good! www.gmchc.org

Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 7:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.

Holy Communion: 2nd Sunday at 7:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.

Sunday Church School: 9:20 a.m.

Seniors Bible Study: Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m.

Noon Day Prayer Service: Tuesdays at Noon Bible Study: Tuesdays at 7 p.m.

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: 9:00am Worship Service: 10:00am Wed. Noon Day prayer service Thur. Prayer service: 6:45pm Thur. Bible Study: 7:15pm

Twelfth Street Christian Church Reverend Dr. Paul H. Saddler Senior Pastor (Disciples of Christ) 1812 12th Street, NW - Washington, DC 20009 Phone: 202-265-4494 Fax: 202 265 4340 Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 11:00 am Communion every Sunday: 11:00 am Sunday School: 10:00 am Bible Study Tuesday: 12 Noon Pastor’s Bible Study Tuesday: 6:30 pm Motto: “Discover Something Wonderful” Website: 12thscc.org Email: Twelfthstcc@aol.com

Mount Carmel Baptist Church

Rev. John W. Davis Pastor

Joseph N. Evans, Ph.D Senior Pastor

5101 14th Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20011 202-726-2220/ 202-726-9089

901 Third Street N.W. Washington, DC. 20001 Phone (202) 842-3411 Fax (202) 682-9423

Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 8:00am and 11:00am Sunday School: 9:15am Holy Communion 4th Sunday 10:00am Prayer and Bible Study Wednesday 7:00pm TV Ministry –Channel 6 Wednesday 10:00pm

Isle of Patmos Baptist Church

Service and Times Sunday Church School : 9:00am Sunday Morning Worship: 10:10am Bible Study Tuesday: 6: 00pm Prayer Service Tuesday: 7:00pm Holy Communion: 3rd Sunday 10:10am themcbc.org

gsccm.administration@verizon.net

48 FEBRUARY 23 - MARCH 1, 2017

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RELIGION Shabbath Commandment Church

All Nations Baptist Church

King Emmanuel Baptist Church

Bishop Adrian A. Taylor, Sr. Pastor

Rev. Dr. James Coleman Pastor

Rev. Daryl F. Bell Pastor

7801 Livingston Road Oxon Hill, MD 20745 301-534-5471

2001 North Capitol St, N.E. - Washington, DC 20002 Phone (202) 832-9591

2324 Ontario Road, NW Washington, DC 20009 (202) 232-1730

Service and Times Sabbath School 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

Service 11:00 a.m. Praise & Worship Preaching 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

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 Sunday Worship Service: 10:15AM Sunday School: 9:00am Monday: Noon Bible School Wednesday: Noon & 7PM: Pastor’s Bible Study Ordinance of Baptism 2nd Holy Communion 4th Sunday Mission Zion Baptist Church 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 a.m.

Sunday School: 9:15 a.m.

Holy Communion: 11:00 a.m., 3rd Sun. Bible Institute: Wednesday - 1:30 pm Prayer Meeting: Wednesday - 12:00 Noon

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

Dr. Earl D. Trent Senior Pastor

Rev. Dr. George C. Gilbert Senior Pastor

2409 Ainger Pl.,SE – WDC 20020 (202) 678-0884 – Office - (202) 678-0885 – Fax “Come Grow With Us and Establish a Blessed Family”

623 Florida Ave.. NW - WDC. 20001 Church (202) 667-3409 Study (202) 265-0836 Home Study (301) 464-8211 Fax (202) 483-4009

4504 Gault Place, N.E. Washington, D.C 20019 202-397-7775 – 7184

Service and Times Sunday Worship: 7:30am & 10:45am Baptism/Holy Communion: 3rd Sunday Family Bible Study Tuesdays – 6:30pm Prayer Service: Tuesdays – 8:00pm www.emmanuelbaptistchurchdc.org

“Where Jesus is the King”

Lincoln Park United Methodist Church

Sermon On The Mount Temple Of Joy Apostolic Faith

Rev. Dr. Diane Dixon Proctor 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 - lpumconthegrow@gmail.com www.lpumcdc.org

5606 Marlboro Pike District Heights, MD 20747 301-735-6005

Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 10:00 A.M. Sunday School: 8:30 A.M. Holy Communion1st Sunday: 10:00 A.M. Prayer Service: Wednesday at 6:30 P.M. Bible Study: Wednesday at 7:00 P.M.

Service and Times Sunday Worship: 10: am Holy Communion: First Sunday 10: am Sunday School: 9: am Bible Study: Wednesday @ 12 noon and 6:30pm Motto: “A CHURCH ON THE GROW”.

Mount Moriah Baptist Church

Eastern Community Baptist Church

Service and Times Sunday Apostolic Worship Services 11:00 A.M and 5:00 P.M Communion and Feet Wash 4th Sunday at 5:00 P.M Prayer/Seeking: Wednesday at 8:00 P.M. 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

Dr. Lucius M. Dalton Senior Pastor

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

“Real Worship for Real People” Website: www.easterncommunity.org Email: ecc@easterncommunity.org

Salem Baptist Church

Holy Trinity United Baptist Church

Florida Avenue Baptist Church

Rev. Dr. Clinton W. Austin Pastor

Rev. Dr. Morris L Shearin, Sr. Pastor

Web: www.mountmoriahchurch.org Email: mtmoriah@mountmoriahchurch.org

St. Matthews Baptist Church

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

Emmanuel Baptist Church

“A Church Where Love Is Essential and Praise is Intentional”

Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 10:00 a.m.

Sunday Church School: 8:45 – 9:45 a.m.

Holy Communion: Every First Sunday Intercessory Prayer: Monday – 7:00-8:00 p.m.

Pastor’s Bible Study: Wednesday –7:45 p.m.

Midweek Prayer: Wednesday – 7:00 p.m.

Noonday Prayer Every Thursday

Matthews Memorial Baptist Church Dr. C. Matthew Hudson, Jr, Pastor 2616 MLK Ave., SE - Washington, DC 20020 Office 202-889-3709 - Fax 202-678-3304 Service and Times Early Worship Service: 7:30a.m Worship Service: 10:45a.m.

New Members Class: 9:30a.m.

Holy Communion : 1st Sunday -10:45a.m Church School: 9:30a.m.

Prayer, Praise and Bible Study: Wednesday 7p.m Bible Study : Saturday: 11a.m.

Baptism: 4th Sunday – 10:45a.m “Empowered to love and Challenged to Lead a Multitude of Souls to Christ”

Peace Baptist Church Rev. Dr. Michael T. Bell 712 18th Street, NE Washington, DC 20002 Phone 202-399-3450/ Fax 202-398-8836 Service and Times Sunday Morning Worship Service: 7:15 am & 10:50 am Sunday School: 9:30am Wednesday Prayer & Testimonies Service: 7:30pm Wednesday School of the Bible: 8:00pm Wednesday - Midweek Prayer Service: 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Service and Times 9:30AM. Sunday Church School 11:00 Am. Sunday Worship Service The Lord’s Supper 1st Sunday Wednesday 7:00pm Prayer & Praise Services 7:30pm. Bible Study Saturday before 4th Sunday Men, Women, Youth Discipleship Ministries 10:30am A Christ Centered Church htubc@comcast.net

Christ Embassy DC

Kelechi Ajieren Coordinator 6839 Eastern Avenue, R1 Takoma Park, MD 20912 (202) 556-7065 Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 10:00 A.M. Wednesday Bible Study: 7:00 P.M. Friday Evening Service: 7:00 P.M. ; Last Friday “…Giving Your Life a Meaning” www.Christembassydc.org Christ.embassy.dc@hotmail.com

Pennsylvania Ave. Baptist Church Rev. Dr. Kendrick E. Curry Pastor 3000 Pennsylvania Ave.. S.E Washington, DC 20020 202 581-1500 Service and Times Sunday Church School: 9:30 A.M. Sunday Worship Service: 11:00 A.M. Monday Adult Bible Study: 7:00 P.M. Wednesday Youth & Adult Activities: 6:30 P.M. Prayer Service Bible Study

“The Loving Church of the living lord “ Email Address pbcexec@verizon.net

Shiloh Baptist Church

First Rising Mt. Zion Baptist Church

Mt. Horeb Baptist Church

Rev. Dr. Maxwell M. Washington Pastor

Rev. Curtis l. Staley Pastor

Rev. Alonzo Hart Pastor

Rev. Dr. Wallace Charles Smith Pastor

Rev. Oran W. Young Pastor

Rev. Dr. H. B. Sampson, III Pastor

Worshiping Location Knights of Columbus - 1633 Tucker Road Fort Washington, MD 20744 (240) 838-7074

621 Alabama Ave., S.E.- Washington, D.C. 20032 P: (202) 561-1111 - F: (202) 561-1112

917 N St. NW - Washington, DC 20001 (202) 232-4294

9th & P Street, N.W. - W. D.C. 20001 (202) 232-4288

Service and Times Sunday Service: 10 am Sunday School for all ages: 8:30 am 1st Sunday Baptism: 10: am 2nd Sunday Holy Communion:10 am Tuesday: Bible Study: 6:30 pm Prayer Meeting: 7:45 pm

Service and Times Sunday Morning Prayer Service: 8:00 a.m.

Sunday Church School: 9:15 a.m.

Sunday Morning Worship: 10:40 a.m.

Third Sunday Baptismal & Holy Communion:10:30 a.m.

Tuesday Church At Study Prayer & Praise: 6:30 p.m.

Service and Times First Sunday Worship Service (one service): 10:00 a.m.

Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Sunday Worship service: 7:45 a.m. and 10:55 a.m.

Sunday Church School/Bible Study: 9:30 a.m.

Thursday Prayer Service: 6:30 p.m.

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 a.m.

Sunday School: 9:00 a.m.

Worship Service: 10:30 a.m.

Holy Communion: 4th Sunday 7:30 a.m. & 10:30a.m.

Prayer Services:Tuesday 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday 12 Noon

Motto: “Where God is First and Where Friendly People Worship”

The Church Where GOD Is Working....

And We Are Working With GOD

Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 10:00 am Sunday School: 9:00 am Holy Communion 3rd Sunday Morning Prayer / Bible Study: 6:15 pm - 7:20 pm (Tuesday) Theme: “The Kingdom Focused Church” Matthew 6:33 and Mathew 28:18-20, KJV Email: stmatthewsbaptist@msn.com Website: www.stmatthewsbaptist.org

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

Email: sbc@shilohbaptist.org Website: shilohbaptist.org

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

Service and Times Sunday School for All Ages: 8:00 a.m.

Sunday Worship Services: 9:30 a.m.

Midday Prayer & Bible Study: Wednesday 11:30 a.m.

Evening Prayer & Bible Study: Wednesday 7:00 p.m.

Laymen's League: Thursday 7:00 p.m.

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.

FEBRUARY 23 - MARCH 1, 2017 49

LEGAL NOTICES SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2017 ADM 60 Rachel A. Banks Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Gail Shaw Clemons, whose address is 3012 P Street, SE, Washington, DC 20020, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Rachel A. Banks who died on December 11, 2016 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding.

Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before August 9, 2017. 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 August 9, 2017, 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: February 9, 2017 Gail Shaw Clemons Personal Representative

LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division

Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration Number 2004 ADM 1442 Estate of

Inez J N Elliott aka Inez Josephine Nicholas Elliott

Deceased NOTICE OF STANDARD PROBATE Notice is hereby given that a petition has

been filed in this Court by Juanita M. Elliott for

standard probate, including the appointment of one or more personal representative. Unless

a complaint or an objection in accordance with Superior Court Probate Division Rule 407 is

filed in this Court within 30 days from the date

of first publication of this notice, the Court may take the action hereinafter set forth.

In the absence of a will or proof satisfactory to the Court of due execution, enter an

order determining that the decedent died

intestate appoint an unsupervised personal representative.

Date of first publication: February 9, 2017

Jacqueline Jones Moore

7605 14th Street, NW Washington, DC 20012 Petitioner/Attorney

TRUE TEST COPY

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

Administration No. 2017 ADM 52

Administration Number 2016 ADM 1477

Administration No. 2016 ADM 1493

Administration No. 2017 ADM 47

Heber Bowers Decedent

Estate of Anna Arlene Murray Deceased

A. Witcher aka Annie A. Witcher aka Annie Arethia Witcher Decedent

Roberta Sue Kronheim Decedent

NOTICE OF STANDARD PROBATE

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

Michelle Lanchester, Esq. 601 Pennsylvania Ave., Suite 900, South Building Washington, DC 20004 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Eugene Bowers, whose address is 7805 Muncy Road, Hyattsville, MD 20785 was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Heber Bowers who died on December 22, 2016 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before August 9, 2017. 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 August 9, 2017, 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.

Notice is hereby given that a petition has been filed in this Court by Denise McPherson for standard probate, including the appointment of one or more personal representative. Unless a complaint or an objection in accordance with Superior Court Probate Division Rule 407 is filed in this Court within 30 days from the date of first publication of this notice, the Court may take the action hereinafter set forth.

Admit to probate the will date November 16, 2016 exhibited with the petition upon proof satisfactory to the Court of due execution by affidavit of witnesses Date of first publication: February 9, 2017 Denise McPherson 7329 8th St., NW, Washington, DC 20012 Petitioner/Attorney TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer

Washington Informer

Yolanda Witcher Edwards, whose address is 2207 Iverson St., Temple Hills, MD 20748, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of A. Witcher aka Annie A. Witcher ala Annie Arethia Witcher who died on May 4, 2014 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding.

Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before August 16, 2017. 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 August 16, 2017, 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: February 16, 2017 Yolanda Witcher Edwards Personal Representative

Date of first publication: February 9, 2017 Eugene Bowers Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills

TRUE TEST COPY

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Gary D. Weinstein, whose address is 3307 Parkside Terrace, Fairfax, VA 22031, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Roberta Sue Kronheim who died on December 7, 2016 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding.

Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before August 16, 2017. 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 August 16, 2017, 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: February 16, 2017 Gary D. Weinstein Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer

Washington Informer

Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

Administration No. 2016 ADM 1360

Administration No. 2016 ADM 1284

Administration No. 2017 ADM 55

Administration Number 2017 ADM 142

Vertrube B. Taylor Decedent

George A. Ballard Decedent

Joseph C. Scott Decedent

Lawrence E. Rubin 8404 Georgia Avenue Silver Spring, MD 20910 Attorney

Brett Cohen 7910 Woodmont Avenue, Suite 1430 Bethesda, MD 20814 Attorney

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

Estate of Christopher B. Powers aka Christopher Bruce Powers Deceased

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

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

Keith R. Taylor, whose address is 700 Whittier Street, NW, Washington, DC 20012, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Vertrube B. Taylor aka Vertrube Best Taylor who died on October 4, 2016 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding.

Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before August 9, 2017.

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 August 9, 2017, 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.

Brett Cohen, whose address is 7910 Woodmont Avenue, Suite 1430, Bethesda, MD 20814, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of George A. Ballard who died on August 13, 2015 without a Will, and will serve with Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before August 9, 2017. 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 August 9, 2017, 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: February 9, 2017 Keith R. Taylor Personal Representative

Date of first publication: February 9, 2017 Brett Cohen Personal Representative

NOTICE OF STANDARD PROBATE

Cardell Scott, whose address is 5156 H Street, SE, Washington, DC 20019, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Joseph C. Scott who died on May 14, 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., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before August 9, 2017. 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 August 9, 2017, 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.

Notice is hereby given that a petition has been filed in this Court by Luke B. Powers for standard probate, including the appointment of one or more personal representative. Unless a complaint or an objection in accordance with Superior Court Probate Division Rule 407 is filed in this Court within 30 days from the date of first publication of this notice, the Court may take the action hereinafter set forth.

Date of first publication: February 9, 2017

Peter Antonoplos 1725 DeSales Street, NW, Ste. 600 Washington, DC 20036 Petitioner/Attorney

Cardell Scott Personal Representative

Order Deborah Matthews, Esq. who is alleged to have custody of the will dated December 31, 2014 to deliver it to the Court.

In the absence of a will or proof satisfactory to the Court of due execution, enter an order determining that the decedent died intestate appoint an unsupervised personal representative.

Date of first publication: February 16, 2017

TRUE TEST COPY TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills

Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer

Washington Informer

Anne Meister

Register of Wills

LEGAL NOTICES

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills

LEGAL NOTICES

TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer

50 FEBRUARY 23 - MARCH 1, 2017

TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

Administration No. 2017 ADM 35

Administration No. 2017 ADM 69

Administration Number 2017 ADM 174

Randolph Johnson Decedent

Constance V. Bradshaw Decedent

Aimee D. Griffin 5335 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, Suite 440 Washington, DC 20015 Attorney

Michelle Lanchester, Esq. 601 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Suite 900, South Building Washington, DC 20004 Attorney

Estate of Muriel Williams Deceased

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Claudia H. Payne, whose address is 3607 Burleigh Drive, Mitchellville, MD 20721, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Randolph Johnson who died on June 22, 1997 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before August 16, 2017. 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 August 16, 2017, 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: February 16, 2017 Claudia H. Payne Personal Representative

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Andrea J. Bazemore, whose address is 4704 New Kent Drive, Upper Marlboro, MD 20772, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Constance V. Bradshaw who died on November 16, 2016 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before August 23, 2017. 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 August 23, 2017, 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.

NOTICE OF STANDARD PROBATE Notice is hereby given that a petition has been filed in this Court by Stephanie Rones for standard probate, including the appointment of one or more personal representative. Unless a complaint or an objection in accordance with Superior Court Probate Division Rule 407 is filed in this Court within 30 days from the date of first publication of this notice, the Court may take the action hereinafter set forth.

Admit to probate the will date October 19, 1986 exhibited with the petition upon proof satisfactory to the Court of due execution by affidavit of witnesses Date of first publication: February 23, 2017 Stephanie Rones 2218 Randolph St., NE Washington, DC 20018 Personal Representative: TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer

Date of first publication: February 23, 2017 Andrea J. Bazemore Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills

TRUE TEST COPY

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

Administration No. 2017 ADM 97

Administration No. 2017 ADM 111

Administration No. 2017 ADM 70

Anna S. Saunders Decedent

Carolyn Juanita Mickens Decedent

Barbara J. Williams Decedent

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

Elana E. Strom, Akman & Assoc., PC 2560 Huntington Ave., #202 Alexandria, VA 22303 Attorney

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

Date of first publication: February 16, 2017 Roy A. Saunders Kathleen Saunders-Mitchell Personal Representatives

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Nicole Mickens, whose address is 6716 W. Forest Road, #204, Landover, MD 20785, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Carolyn Juanita Mickens who died on October 31, 2016 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding.

Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before August 23, 2017. 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 August 23, 2017, 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: February 23, 2017

Willie Fred Williams, whose address is 2240 S. Street, SE, Washington, DC 20020, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Barbara J. Williams who died on January 12, 2014 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding.

Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before August 23, 2017. 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 August 23, 2017, 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: February 23, 2017 Willie Fred Williams Personal Representative

Nicole Mickens Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

TRUE TEST COPY

TRUE TEST COPY

Washington Informer

Anne Meister Register of Wills

Anne Meister Register of Wills

Washington Informer

Washington Informer

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

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Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer

Roy A. Saunders and Kathleen SaundersMitchell whose addresses are 1338 Downing St., NE, Washington, DC 20018 and 3808 Asquith Court, Springdale, MD 20774 were appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of Anna S. Saunders who died on November 1, 2016 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before August 16, 2017. 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 August 16, 2017, 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.

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LEGAL NOTICES

Anne Meister Register of Wills

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can-Americans much to celebrate, and these nominations are also reminders that momentary visibility is not the same thing as structural change. How many African-Americans can actually green-light a movie? How many compelling stories, like that depicted in "Hidden Figures," will never be movies because of misperceptions about American audiences and racial material?

When will African-American history be viewed as American history and savored all year instead of only in February? Kudos to Raoul Peck and Ava DuVernay. Their films make the case that documentaries about African-American life and history can reach broad audiences.

WI

Photo

ing voices of luminaries like Angela Davis, Michelle Alexander, and Jelani Cobb with footage of police violence in Ferguson, Missouri, and in using the voices of the formerly incarcerated to examine the system. When I saw "13th," I sat next to a sister who sobbed her way through the last moments of the movie. "13th" leaves much to sob about, much to shake one's head about, much to become enraged and energized about. The adage "follow the money" is never more pointed than it is when we look at issues of mass incarceration. Predatory capitalists are making profits on everything from maggot-infested meals to telephone calls, and in-

mates and their families are the losers. This movie is a call to action.

There is much overlapping material in these two films, and I'd not advise anyone to see both films on the same day. Both films enrich us, and I'd be hard-pressed to say which is better than the other. I hope that the Academy chooses one of the two, and will be most chagrined if they duck the choice and go with one of the other nominations. Even if neither film is chosen, I'm grateful that, at this moment in our history, we have films that remind us where we have been, what our challenges have been, and that the struggle, indeed, continues.

This year's Academy Award nominations gives Afri-

COMMUNICATIONS

JACKSON from Page 36 dire new study from the University of Illinois at Chicago's Great Cities Institute reported that over 80 percent of Chicago's African-American 16to 19-year-olds have no jobs.

This is a recipe for violence, gangs and trouble.

Some blame gangs and the easy access to guns and drugs.

But this is confusing symptoms and causes.

"Where do gangs come from? You can't divorce the gang problem from the problem of deep concentrations of poverty," says Robert J. Sampson, author of "Great American City: Chicago and the Enduring Neighborhood Effect."

Racially segregated, impov-

BURKE from Page 36 statements and actions as a prosecutor in Alabama are clear, the public perception of Sessions the man is mixed.

Turner's son, Albert Jr., issued a statement endorsing Sessions, calling him "someone with whom I and others in the civil rights community can work if given the opportunity."

Still, American history of the disenfranchisement of African-American (and other minority) voters is also clear. In the late 1800s, it was a poll tax, literacy tests and other requirements that black voters were unlikely to meet. Today it's voter ID, closing polling places, cutting Sunday voting and purging voting rolls.

The continued strategy used by present-day Republicans is still the "Southern Strategy" — they've just added Hispanics to the list of targets. The Immi-

erished communities suffer from having no jobs, no hospitals, poor schools, mean streets, environmental toxins and inadequate housing. The persistence of violence and concentrated poverty in Chicago comes, Sampson concludes, from "extensive social and economic segregation."

The solution to crime and homicides in Chicago isn't tougher police tactics. Chicago police are already infamous for how tough they are. The solution is a deconcentration of poverty along with revitalization of impoverished neighborhoods. Jobs for young people make a dramatic difference. We need mixed-income housing throughout the metropolitan area. Experiments that moved people from impov-

erished Englewood to affluent suburban neighborhoods proved remarkably successful. Revitalization of urban neighborhoods and breaking down walls of segregated living patterns requires leadership — from the city and from the federal government.

If Trump truly wants to succeed in reducing homicides in Chicago, he should not only be meeting with the mayor and the governor but also with other elected officials, ministers and community leaders — offering a major plan to rebuild those neighborhoods and put people, particularly young people, to work — while opening up mixed-income housing across the metropolitan area.

WI

gration Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids started only two days after Attorney General Sessions was sworn-in.

"The crackdown on illegal criminals is merely the keeping of my campaign promise. Gang members, drug dealers & others are being removed!" Trump tweeted on Feb. 12.

Trump tweeted about his "crackdown on illegal criminals" a day after El Paso ICE spokeswoman Leticia Zamarripa stated that, "ICE regularly conducts targeted enforcement operations during which additional resources and personnel are dedicated to apprehending deportable foreign nationals."

Many immigrant rights advocates knew the raids were not routine before anyone communicated anything.

"The President is lying when he says deporting immigrants is about fighting crime," Rep. Luis Gutierrez wrote on Feb. 10. "The

President wants to show off and it appears he has unleashed the Department of Homeland Security to kick-out large numbers of immigrants and anyone they encounter, without much oversight, review or due process."

Gutierrez, who represents parts of Chicago, continued: "There is very little official information on what appears to be a new Trump deportation initiative. Homeland Security is deporting moms … under the smokescreen of criminal or anti-terror actions."

Republicans have lost the popular vote over two presidential elections since 2000. The demographics in the country are becoming more black and brown and researchers estimate that the share of white voters will fall a few percentage points every four years.

Trump, Stephen Miller and many others in the Republican Party are well aware of the math. WI

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rally black consumers and producers.

In essence, BAM is an online black channel of distribution that keeps your products from becoming scrap.

One principle of Ma’at is Reciprocity, so this is also a call for black manufacturers to spend some money as well. As we purchase your products, you should purchase advertising on the BAM website, black radio and black print media. Be willing to sponsor events in some form or another, and buy other black products yourself. A reciprocal mindset is a conscious mindset, and creates a multiplier effect where one dollar spent has the effect of three dollars spent.

This is a way to make our own history in 2017. It is easy and painfree. Stop celebrating so-called black "spending power" of $1.2 trillion and start using it to create wealth for black

people. Redirect more of your consumption dollars to products made by black people. Make your pledge, and keep it. And for all of you black producers out there, list your companies on the BAM website and let us know what retail outlets carry your products, thus, making it easier for us to keep our pledges. Go to www.blackamericanmade.com and sign up.

BAM has created a no-excuses way for us to put our money where our mouths are by adding more blackmade products to our household product mix. Hot sauce, barbecue sauce, diapers, sneakers, paper products, laundry detergent, baby food, ice cream, beer and thousands of other products are made by black people.

Make black history by purchasing as many as you can. Clingman Out. BAM! WI

LAMBERT from Page 37

ment and productivity enhancement through technology.

In lay terms, this means retraining.

The U.S. is quickly becoming an information-have and have-not economy.

As analysts at the U.S. Department of Labor point out, "in the information-based, skills-intensive economy of the 21st century, one thing is clear: knowing means growing."

Employment analysts note that the fastest growing jobs as we move into this new century include computer engineers, paralegals, dental hygienists, desktop publishing specialists, securities and financial sales workers and systems analysts.

It's a balancing act with technology and globalization acting as double-edged swords. They are creating more opportunities for those who gain access if they have the training and tools they need to hone and sharpen their skills, though the subsequent effect on the supply of lower-end jobs is still unclear.

So going forward, elected officials need to be willing to invest in the new

workforce by allocating money to pay for retraining; policymakers, labor leaders, educators and others must think out of the box as they devise solutions that speak to the challenge of imparting on workers the skills needed to successfully navigate the new economy; and workers must be willing to jump in to make the changes.

Labor Department analysts point out that perhaps the greatest challenge to American workers is the reality that technology combined with rising globalization is presenting a range of new challenges. As the number of high-paying jobs increases, they said, well-paid, low-skilled jobs are becoming harder to find. Globalization has made it easier for businesses to choose low-skilled workers at lower pay in other parts of the world.

And technology has rendered many jobs obsolete here at home.

This illustrates the importance of making job security a priority by equipping all Americans with the tools in the form of education and cutting-edge high-tech skills. WI

in the tradition of the "freedom fighters, martyrs and revolutionaries" of the past, including Denmark Vesey, Nat Turner, W.E.B. DuBois, Martin Luther King Jr. And, he said, "If it weren't for the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan," standing up and re-establishing the teaching of Mr. Elijah Muhammad, "there wouldn't be any us."

"God's physical presence among us has been made known," said Farrakhan's National Assistant and Student Minister Ishmael Muhammad, the son of Mr. Elijah Muhammad. Armed with the knowledge of "the person Allah," members of the Nation can even awaken other Muslims who know only "the name of Allah," Hillary Muhammad, the NOI's European regional minister who's based in London said.

Such knowledge, Hillary Muhammad emphasized, is vital, because black folks anywhere on earth without that proper understanding of who God is, who they are, and who the devil is do not have sufficient determination to

break the chains that bind us.

The Europeans were able to take the land from the Africans because "their desire to enslave the black man was greater than our desire to be free."

The desire, the determination, the work and the success of the Nation of Islam in the U.S. for nearly 87 years without interruption, is the modern exemplar of the needed departure from the "luxury" life of the post-Civil Rights age, into living the life that's needed to raise up a cadre of black people who are determined to take back the lives which were destroyed by slavery; and take back the land which was stolen from the black man in Africa.

It is that mindset, that way of thinking which makes the Nation of Islam practically the only viable way forward for black liberation, the only way which does not lead once again to the trap of expecting white people who want to see blacks in perpetual misery, do for black people, what black people can do for themselves. WI

prepared for. Experts at the World Economic Forum are predicting what they call a "Fourth Industrial Revolution," which will be characterized by unprecedented "developments in genetics, artificial intelligence, robotics, nanotechnology, 3D printing and biotech."

By 2020, they say, more than five million jobs once performed and handled by human beings will be taken over by robots in the form of artificial-intelligence systems and machines. If it's any consolation, Digital Trends' Lulu Chang reports, the impact will be short-term.

Chang and others say that the jobs most at risk at being replaced by machines are the "administrative and routine white-collar office" jobs and slated to disappear are in the manufacturing, construction, production and extraction industries.

So what to do?

Some solutions — mostly middleto long-term — include what job experts call variously, upskilling, redeploy-

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objective is to give greater visibility to black manufacturers, and to get black consumers to pledge to spend incremental amounts each month on products made by black people, thus, redirecting a significantly higher amount of our money toward one another.

To paraphrase Amos Wilson, during Black History Month, black folks celebrate the inventions of our ancestors who actually "made history." We remember George Washington Carver, Jan Matzeliger, Elijah McCoy, Granville T. Woods and others, but what will our history-making legacy be today? Make history by highlighting and purchasing the black-manufactured products of our contemporaries. BAM brings that opportunity, only this time by using technology to get the word out and to

troit City Council, addressed the audience at Detroit's Joe Louis Arena, the first and only major city sports arena named to honor a black athlete. She wants Muslims, and all black people in the U.S., to consider recolonizing Detroit.

"When the Nation of Islam comes home, crime goes down," Jones said.

"Come home to Detroit and help us build."

Black folks in general, and Nation of Islam members in particular should consider moving to Detroit and purchasing a house — or more than one — where real estate prices have long been depressed, even underpriced, she advised.

The Nation of Islam has a well-deserved reputation for uncompromising militant rhetoric and action. Student Minister Nuri Muhammad of Muhammad Mosque in Indianapolis, for example, declared that the NOI stands

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56 FEBRUARY 23 - MARCH 1, 2017

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