WINNER OF THREE SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS D.C. AWARDS Colleges Challenged to Better Accommodate Student Parents Page 24 Vol. 57, No. 16 • February 3 - 9, 2022
‘Commanders’ Becomes the New Name for The Washington Football Team
Official Announcement Caps Off Two-Year Process of Rebranding Initiative Ed Hill WI Sports Writer At long last and after much anticipation, the Washington Football Team finally has a new name – the Washington Commanders. Fans waited patiently for the announcement on the Today Show on Wednesday, Feb 2 with Craig Melvin, NBC anchor and Washington Football Fan Ambassador given the honor to break the news. The announcement also included the new logo and uniform com-
binations along with a video. The rebranding efforts have been in the works essentially since Team President Jason Wright came on board in August 2020. Often long and methodical, the process has been heavily reliant upon fan and alumni feedback. Fury rose exponentially in the last few years from the community and football fans across the U.S., with demands that the team change its name from the 5 The Washington Football Team revealed its new name on Feb. 2, during a press conference at FedEx Field. The team will be known as
CHANGE Page 45 the Washington Commanders. (Abdullah Konte/The Washington Informer)
Judge Rejects Federal Plea Deal for Convicted Killers of Black Jogger Ahmaud Arbery
Judge J. Michelle Childs Heads List of Supreme Court Nominees Will She Become First African-American Woman to Shatter the Glass Ceiling?
Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer
Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer Black women asserted themselves on the frontlines to help push President Joe Biden over the top in the 2020 election. Now, as the nation awaits word on who the president will nominate to fill the newly-vacant Supreme Court seat, there’s little doubt whether an African-American woman will be that pick. Among the few remaining questions: whether that individual will deliver progress on a high court that will maintain its 6-3 conservative advantage. “As a longtime advocate for diversity and inclusion at the high-
SCOTUS Page 16
5 Judge J. Michelle Childs. (Photo courtesy University of South Carolina School of Law
A U.S. District Court judge has rejected a plea deal offered to a white father and son convicted of murdering Black jogger Ahmaud Arbery that would have them serve decades of their life sentences while in federal custody instead of a less desirable state facility. Judge Lisa Godbey Wood nixed the deal for Gregory McMichael, 66, and his son Travis McMichael, 35, during a hearing Monday for
the latter, after prosecutors filed a notice that a deal had been reached to avoid a federal trial slated to begin next week. A hearing scheduled later Monday for the elder McMichael was canceled after the judge said her decision would be the same for both men. Godbey Wood came to her decision after emotional statements from Arbery’s parents and family members, who vehemently opposed the deal.
ARBERY Page 46
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Prince George’s Alsobrooks Join D.C.’s Bowser on Juvenile Carjackings Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks and Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser held a joint press conference to discuss the rise in juvenile carjackings experienced in the District of Columbia and in Prince George’s County on Feb. 2. Prince George’s County Police Chief Malik Aziz and Metropolitan Police Chief Robert Contee discussed law enforcement collaborative initiatives to address crimes that have risen significantly in both areas and along shared borders. Look for our complete coverage in next week’s edition. WI
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Unofficial Results Show Burroughs Ahead in Special Election
In Memoriam Dr. Calvin W. Rolark, Sr. Wilhelmina J. Rolark THE WASHINGTON INFORMER NEWSPAPER (ISSN#0741-9414) is published weekly on each Thursday. Periodicals postage paid at Washington, D.C. and additional mailing offices. News and advertising deadline is Monday prior to publication. Announcements must be received two weeks prior to event. Copyright 2016 by The Washington Informer. All rights reserved. POSTMASTER: Send change of addresses to The Washington Informer, 3117 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E. Washington, D.C. 20032. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. The Informer Newspaper cannot guarantee the return of photographs. Subscription rates are $45 per year, two years $60. Papers will be received not more than a week after publication. Make checks payable to: THE WASHINGTON INFORMER 3117 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E Washington, D.C. 20032 Phone: 202 561-4100 Fax: 202 574-3785 news@washingtoninformer.com www.washingtoninformer.com
PUBLISHER Denise Rolark Barnes STAFF D. Kevin McNeir, Senior Editor, Copy Editor Ron Burke, Advertising/ Marketing Director Shevry Lassiter, Photo Editor Lafayette Barnes, IV, Assistant Photo Editor Dorothy Rowley, Online Editor ZebraDesigns.net, Design & Layout Mable Neville, Bookkeeper Tatiana Moten, Social Media Specialist Angie Johnson, Circulation REPORTERS Stacy Brown (Senior Writer), Sam P.K. Collins, Timothy Cox, Will Ford (Prince George’s County Writer), Hamil Harris, Curtis Knowles, Daniel Kucin, D. Kevin McNeir, Dorothy Rowley, Brenda Siler, Lindiwe Vilakazi, Sarafina Wright, James Wright PHOTOGRAPHERS Shevry Lassiter, Roy Lewis, Jr., Robert R. Roberts, Anthony Tilghman
4 FEBRUARY 3 - 9, 2022
According to unofficial results Tuesday, Feb. 1 from a special general election in Prince George’s County, Edward Burroughs III so far received 145 of the 172 votes casts. About 27 write-in votes came in but the county’s Board of Elections website doesn’t show exactly who received them. Ebony Sunala Johnson, an unaffiliated candidate from Fort Washington, campaigned as a write-in candidate. The county’s election office isn’t scheduled to certify results until Feb. 11. County Council’s District 8 seat became vacant after former council member Monique Anderson-Walker resigned in November to focus on the Maryland gubernatorial primary as a running mate with Comptroller Peter Franchot. The district with 55,699 registered Democrats includes Fort Washington, Oxon Hill and National Harbor. Because Anderson-Walker’s term didn’t expire until December 2022, prospective candidates can run in the 5 Edward Burroughs III. (Photo courtesy of June 28 primary and in the general election Nov. 8. WI Edward Burroughs III Facebook page)
AG Racine Announces Lawsuits to Protect Residents from Dangerous Housing Conditions Attorney General Karl A. Racine recently announced that his office has filed two separate lawsuits against neglectful landlords to protect District residents in Ward 5 and Ward 2 from displacement and remedy hazardous housing conditions. In a lawsuit against the owners and managers of the apartment complex at 65 through 97 Hawaii Avenue NE and 66 and 98 Webster Street NE (“Hawaii-Webster Apartments”) in Ward 5, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) alleges that the complex’s owners have actively neglected the property in an effort to force longtime District residents and working-class
families out of their homes to make way for redevelopment. In a separate lawsuit, OAG alleges that the owners and managers of King Towers, an apartment building in Ward 2 where many of the tenants use housing vouchers, have allowed conditions to deteriorate dramatically and discriminate against physically disabled tenants. In both cases, OAG is seeking court orders to ensure building owners make necessary repairs, restitution for harmed tenants, and penalties for violating District law. “It is illegal and morally repugnant for slumlords and developers to subject District residents to dangerous and unlawful conditions or attempt to force them out of their homes,” Racine said. “We filed these new lawsuits as part of our long-term effort to protect tenants, preserve affordable housing and disrupt the illegal and immoral business model that is driving out long-term residents who deserve to be able to stay in their homes. We will continue to stand up for tenants and hold property owners accountable if they neglect their properties or try to make a quick buck by circumventing tenants’ rights.” WI
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D.C. Statehood Advocates Press on Despite Defeat of Voting Rights Bills James Wright WI Staff Writer Advocates for D.C. statehood say they won’t let the recent defeat of voting rights bills in the U.S. Senate stop them from seeking to make the city the 51st state of the Union. During the week of Jan. 17-20, the U.S. Senate failed to consider the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021 and The Freedom to Vote Act of 2021 because Democrats didn’t have the required 60 votes to bring the legislation to the floor. D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D), a member of the U.S. House of Representatives which passed both bills, said she anticipated the outcome. “The two voting rights bills that failed were put forth on purpose,” Norton said to the Informer. “We knew they would fail. What we are trying to do is galvanize our base for the November midterm elections.” The fate of the voting rights bills serves as a barometer for what a D.C. statehood bill could possibly face in the Senate, DC Vote Executive Director Bo Shuff said. DC Vote works to secure full voting rights in the U.S. Congress for District residents. Norton passed the D.C. statehood bill in the House for the second straight year last April and the U.S. Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee held a hearing in June on a companion bill authored by U.S. Sen. Thomas Carper (D-Del.). Carper’s bill has 46 co-sponsors, the most ever, including the support of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.). However, no Republicans have co-sponsored the bill and Democrat Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) believes the District can only become a state through the constitutional amendment process. Democrat Kyrsten Sinema (Ariz.) and Independent Angus King (Maine) haven’t revealed their thoughts on Carper’s legislation.
STATEHOOD IS ALIVE ON CAPITOL HILL, NORTON SAYS
Norton said D.C. statehood legislation has a chance due to the White House, the Senate and the House controlled by Democrats. However, she did note the possibility of Democrats losing control of the House in November. Nevertheless, she said presently, “statehood is doing well in the Congress.” “We have had two votes in the House supporting statehood and a committee hearing in the Senate and there will be another committee hearing, also,” she said. “I am pleased with the progress we are making and we are determined to move forward.” Dr. Ravi K. Perry, chairman of the Howard University Political Science Department and the new vice chairman of the board of DC Vote, said District residents need to make the case to their fellow Americans for statehood. “It makes no sense to talk about voting rights and not talk about the lack of voting representation in the U.S. Congress for D.C. residents,” Perry said. “We are the only American citizens who pay federal taxes and have military obligations when ordered to do so by the federal government but don’t have full voting representation in the Congress. This is the nation’s capital. We deserve the ability to free exercise our voting rights in this democratic republic.”
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residents and statehood supporters throughout the country. They will be asked to write postcards directly to Maine voters requesting them to call King’s office and request that he cosponsor the D.C. statehood bill. The effort formally launched on Feb. 2. “We believe a steady flow of phone calls to his office will result in him cosponsoring this bill,” Burch said. “We are partnering with Democracy Maine on this project and have their full support.” WI @JamesWrightJr10 4 Eleanor Holmes Norton represents the District in the U.S. Congress. (Courtesy photo)
A NEW STATEHOOD CAMPAIGN UNFOLDS
Josh Burch serves as the organizer and educator for Neighbors United for DC Statehood [NUDS]. He expressed “super disappointment” with the failure of the voting rights bills but said he’ll continue his statehood efforts. Burch’s latest project targets King and NUDS has started a postcard writing campaign to Maine voters. The project will be for District
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FEBRUARY 3 - 9, 2022 5
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black facts
FEB 3 - 9, 2022 SOURCE: BLACK AMERICA WEB
1994 – Avowed white supremacist Byron de la Beckwith is convicted of murdering civil rights activist Medgar Evers in 1963.
FEB. 6
1882 – Famed Black poet and civil rights activist Anne Spencer is born in Henry County, Virginia. 1933 – Walter E. Fauntroy, longtime former delegate to the U.S. Congress and former pastor of the New Bethel Baptist Church in the District, is born in D.C. 1945 – Reggae music icon Bob Marley is born in Jamaica's Saint Ann Parish. 1993 – Tennis great Arthur Ashe dies in New York City from AIDS-related pneumonia at age 49.
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1920 – The Negro National League, one of several organized Black baseball leagues, is founded. 1989 – Bill White is named president of Major League Baseball's National League, becoming the first Black to head a major professional sports league. 1956 – Autherine Lucy enrolls as a graduate student at the University of Alabama, becoming the first African American ever admitted to a white public school or university in the state.
FEB. 4
1913 – Rosa Parks, the "first lady of civil rights," is born in Tuskegee, Alabama. 1997 – Then-Rep. J.C. Watts becomes the first Black selected to respond to a State of the Union Address. 2006 – NFL great Warren Moon becomes the first Black quarterback inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 2007 – Tony Dungy (right) becomes the first African American head coach to win the Super Bowl when his Indianapolis Colts defeat the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI.
1887 – Famed pianist Eubie Blake is born in Baltimore. 1965 – Comedian and actor Chris Rock is born in Andrews, South Carolina. 1974 – The Caribbean country of Grenada declares its independence from the United Kingdom. 1991 – Jean-Bertrand Aristide takes the oath of office as Haiti's first democratically elected president.
FEB. 8
1944 – Harry S. McAlpin becomes the first African American journalist admitted to a White House press conference. 1986 – Oprah Winfrey becomes the first African American woman to host a nationally syndicated talk show.
FEB. 9
1944 – Writer Alice Walker, author of "The Color Purple," is born in Putnam County, Georgia. 1965 – Martin Luther King Jr. meets with President Lyndon Johnson to discuss Black voting rights. 1971 – Pitcher Leroy "Satchel" Paige becomes the first Negro League veteran to be nominated for the Baseball Hall of Fame. 1995 – Bernard Harris becomes the first Black astronaut to walk in space. WI
FEB. 5
1934 – Baseball legend Hank Aaron is born in Mobile, Alabama. 1972 – Bob Douglas, "the father of Black professional basketball," becomes the first African American elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame. 1990 – Barack Obama becomes the first Black elected to Head Harvard's Law Review.
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The World According to Dominic D. Kevin McNeir / WI Senior Editor
Black History: An Epic Saga Whose Truth Remains Untold
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As a proud, card-carrying member of the Black Press for more than 25 years, I have grown to both love and abhor the arrival of February when America, perhaps in an act of penance, holds its annual “lovefest” known as Black History Month. As much as I long to review the annals of African-American contributions, sacrifices and the achievement of “firsts” secured despite overwhelming odds, I still lament the fact that the Black community, for the most part, knows but a small portion of our actual, true, collective history. We are the progeny of a people whose origins and story began on the other side of the world in a place called Africa before our ancestors and therefore our saga, would be forced to reconfigure ourselves and itself in a strange and often frightening new land. Yet, we tend to view the Motherland much like the ancestors of the white “businessmen” who first kidnapped us, destroyed our families, treated us like animals and forced us to work in the industry of chattel slavery. Many of us have willingly embraced tales of Tarzan which only reinforced the
so-called superiority of the whiteskinned, all-knowing savior — much to our detriment. False narratives written by those with pale skin, peaked noses, eyes of blue and green and heads adorned with waves of blond became the norm, serving as the predominant, if not sole foundation of our reconstructed history. These stories asserted that we were “less than,” backwards, inferior, without education, without governments, without positive family structures, lacking any semblance of religion, architecture, philosophy, theology or medical prowess — strangers to both agriculturally- and economically-based ingenuity. All of this, however, has been nothing more than a carefully-constructed lie. Even more, while whites knew and continue to know that they have been ingeniously forcing us to ingest, digest and regurgitate ugly, distorted images that caused Blacks to eventually believe in our own inferiority, four centuries later, many African Americans have yet to awaken from this nightmare. So, while we can rattle off the names of a few “acceptable” Blacks — Martin, Malcolm, Sojourner, Harriet and Thurgood, for example — we do not know the fuller story — the real deal. Even more, I fear that we have little interest in discovering the truth — a path toward knowledge that will be painful, arduous and which will require us to give up “histories” with which many of our people seem to have grown “comfortable.” This is the reality that we continue to swallow hook, line and sinker. In other words, Black history remains an epic saga whose truth remains untold, unknown — and therefore impossible to pass down to subsequent generations. The story that we know, at
least many of us, is no more than a lie, conceived and constructed with ulterior motives, holding an entire race in chains even when the actual chains have long been removed. And so, we have evolved with a narrative that still defines a oncemighty race, stripped of its lineage — beautiful and distinguished by our many “shades of Black” that adorn our skin — hues of Black which grow with intensity in the sunlight bearing colors reminiscent of God’s complete garden of caramel, cocoa, copper, bronze and midnight-blue. I have been a writer for the Black press for more than 25 years and I continue to serve because I know that the work is still incomplete — that the story, our history, has huge empty spaces and places that must be filled in so that we can regain the pride that was once commonplace. Once upon a time, people who did not look like us, who did not live like us, who did not dream like us or believe in the world like us, realized that we were a superior people — a learned community — and they envied us and all that we had accomplished. I would like to think that we would have shared what we knew with “them” and that the world would be a better place today — a kinder world, a safer world, a cleaner world. But in the pursuit of dominance and privilege, humanity has taken giant steps backwards. And we have suffered. It’s Black History Month. Read, listen, reflect, question, surmise and reach a new and different history — then share that truth with others whose only “sin” has been, for hundreds if not thousands of years, that we were a people of a different color. WI Originally published February 2021 in The Washington Informer
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Plans Move Forward for New Grocery Store in Far Northeast D.C. James Wright WI Staff Writer District officials announced on Jan. 27 plans for a new grocery store to be built in Ward 7 on a vacant site located close to the Prince George’s County, Md. border. The store would be located at the intersection of East Capitol Street., N.E. and 58th Street., N.E., across from the Capitol Heights Metro Station in Capitol Heights, Md. Known as the Capitol Gateway Marketplace, D.C. Councilmember Vincent Gray (D-Ward 7) expressed enthusiasm about the new store’s prospects and said he will work to get the process for construction started immediately. “Today, we are setting in motion a significant breakthrough in the long-stalled development of Capitol Gateway,” Gray said. “When this legislation is passed, we will be on the fast track to opening another new grocery store in Ward 7. Though the East End of the District remains underserved, we are making progress to eliminate food deserts and bring equity to residents of Wards 7 and 8 who live with far fewer grocery and shopping options than residents who live west of the Anacostia River.” Gray noted the groundbreaking of the only Lidl store in the District last month that will be part of the Skyland Town Center located in his ward as another example of eco-
5Vincent Gray (D-Ward7) (Courtesy photo)
nomic progress. “We will continue to find public resources and work with partners in the private sector to develop retail options and deliver amenities to residents in underserved neighborhoods,” the councilmember said. Gray will work with the Bowser administration to have the D.C. Council approve seizing the land through eminent domain. When Gray served as District mayor from
AROUND THE REGION
2011-2015, he negotiated a deal with retailer Walmart to build a store on the land. In addition to Walmart, plans had been made for a sit-down restaurant and a mixed-use building with 312 residential units and 18,000 square feet of ground-floor retail uses. However, in 2016, Walmart abruptly withdrew from the project. There’s has been no development of the land since then. Meanwhile, the closest full-service grocery store in the area, a Safeway located in Addison Plaza in Seat Pleasant, Md., closed in July 2016. Both District and Prince George’s County residents patronized the Addison Road Safeway. The D.C. Department of Planning and Economic Development [DMPED] said it has received a preliminary commitment from one of the largest grocers in the Washington metropolitan area to build and operate an approximately 55,000 square feet store that would serve as Capitol Gateway’s anchor. DMPED Deputy Mayor John Falcicchio said the new store will bring fresh food options to the far Northeast area. “Providing access to fresh food and advancing delayed projects are top priorities for Mayor Bowser,” Falcicchio said in a statement. “Food justice is an emergency and together we need to take these immediate, bold actions to deliver it.” WI @JamesWrightJr10
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WORDS TO LIVE BY “We have to do with past only as we can make it useful to the present and to the future. To all inspiring motives, to noble deeds which can be gained from the past, we are welcome. But now is the time, the important time. Your fathers have lived, died … You live and must die, and you must do your work.”
– Frederick Douglass
born this month in Talbott County, Maryland, 1818
10 FEBRUARY 3 - 9, 2022
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Jaren Lockridge Assumes the Helm for Ward 8 Health Council Natalie C. Hockaday WI Staff Writer As a mother, former government employee, director of The Well at Oxon Run Park and now the chair of the Ward 8 Health Council, Jaren Lockridge said she plans to expand resources for Ward 8 residents and make them more accessible. “We are so resourceful and we have such an abundance once we’re able to tap into it and see the value of it,” Lockridge said. The first Ward 8 Health Council Meeting of 2022 kicked off at United Medical Center in Southeast during which Lockridge included in her opening remarks, the request that everyone share their gifts. She clarified her comment, saying the “gifts” represent anything an individual has within and which they can share with the community. “The greatest resource that we have in Ward 8 is our human resources, our people,” she said. “That was on full display in my first meeting as chair of the Ward 8 Health Council.” She said “standing on the shoulders of giants” – something which she frequently realizes and relishes – has humbled her, knowing that others have paved the way in Ward 8 whose contributions will serve as a guide in the work before her.
The council needed a new chairperson after Calvin Smith, the former chair, announced his plan to step down in September 2021. Lockridge, a native of Memphis, Tenn., said community is everything to her. She said she hopes some of her innate southern hospitality and charm have been positively received. She hopes those attributes will be beneficial and she works with neighbors and
“I’m trying to lead by example by understanding firsthand what resources are available when it comes to my own health care team and healthcare system,” she said. “Then, I have to make sure those around me, including our children, are empowered with that same information.
AROUND THE REGION
community leaders to empower the residents of Ward 8. “The beautiful thing about how my life is aligning right now is that it’s bringing my personal and professional capacities and passions into the forefront,” Lockridge said. Health experts and professionals shared the many programs and resources that currently exist and which residents of the ward can now access. But with attendance meager, Lockridge said other methods of sharing that information to a larger audience and in plain language must be found. Communicating health information to the public, Lockridge says, is like code switching and that “when it comes to the subject matter expertise, it can be really jargon heavy.” Prior to working in the non-profit sector, Lockridge worked in government. She said she’ll use her knowledge of how government communicates and apply a version of what she’s learned after retooling it “in a way that’s actually resourceful.” “I’m trying to lead by example by understanding firsthand what resources are available when it comes to my own health care team and healthcare system,” she said. “Then, I have to make sure those around me, including our children, are empowered with that same information.” WI
5 Jaren Lockridge, director of The Well and chair of the Ward 8 Health Council. (Courtesy photo).
MOLANGEE GUINYARD (AGE 91) It is with great sadness that we announce the transitioning of Molangee Guinyard, age 91 from Raleigh, North Carolina on January 15, 2022. Molangee was a loving and devoted Mother, Grandmother, Great Grandmother, Sister, Aunt, great friend to many, and longtime member of the Meridian Hill Baptist Church. Family and friends will gather for ‘A Celebration of Life’ on Saturday, February 5, 2022, 10am (Viewing) 11am (Service) at Marshall-March Funeral Homes, 4217 9th Street NW Washington DC 20011.
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FEBRUARY 3 - 9, 2022 11
PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY Maryland House Approves Legislative Redistricting Plan
Prince George’s District 23 No Longer Divided into Subdistricts William J. Ford WI Staff Writer A new Maryland legislative map recently approved by the House of Delegates doesn’t present drastic shifts for the majority of the state’s second largest jurisdiction of Prince George’s County. For instance, District 47B will remain the state’s only majority Latino district that includes Langley Park and Adelphi currently represented by Del. Wanika Fisher of Hyattsville. A new legislator will assume that seat because Fisher has filed paperwork to run for County Council’s District 2. A major change in the legislative map will be the elimination of sub-
districts in District 23 – an area that mainly stretches north and south and includes Bowie and portions of Laurel and Upper Marlboro. District 23A serves most of the Bowie area and southern Laurel led by Del. Geraldine Valentino-Smith and District 23B further south serving portions of Bowie and Upper Marlboro led by Delegates Marvin Holmes, Jr. and Cheryl Landis. State Sen. Ron Watson (D-Upper Marlboro) represents the entire district. Michelle Davis, a senior policy analyst with the state Department of Legislative Services, during a House committee meeting last month, said Black residents represent about 65%
5 Maryland Del. C.T. Wilson (D-Charles County) speaks in support of a legislative redistricting map during a session Jan. 27 in the House chamber. (Robert R. Roberts/The Washington Informer)
of District 23. “We are looking at a unified District 23 to make sure things are aligned and bring all those communities together,” said James Keenon of Upper Marlboro and one of five candidates who filed for District 23B. “It’s an opportunity right now. There will be three seats to serve the community.” Another District 23B candidate, Kym Taylor of Bowie, said one of the biggest opportunities will be provided for students to apply for scholarships from three delegates versus those in the subdistricts. “Now all of our students have an opportunity to apply for scholarships
to each of their delegates,” she said. “All of District 23 is one big family.” As of Saturday, Jan. 29, two other candidates that filed for District 23B include Jocelyn Collins and Remi Duyile, both of Upper Marlboro. Holmes, elected as a delegate in 2002, also filed paperwork to seek reelection. Monica Roebuck of Bowie remained the only person to file for the District 23A seat. The redistricting process takes place every decade based on shifts in population through U.S. Census data. Maryland’s population of 6.2 million increased last year by 7% from 2010 and ranked fourth in being the most
Black-Owned Dealerships Find their Niche in Prince George’s Businesses Count as Only Black Dealers in Maryland William J. Ford WI Staff Writer
5 Damon Lester stands beside a fleet of Nissans inside his dealership at Nissan of Bowie on Jan. 31. (Robert R. Roberts/The Washington Informer)
12 FEBRUARY 3 - 9, 2022
Of the three sports in which Dan Banister participated during high school, he eventually focused on basketball and played collegiately at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. But the 6-foot-7 forward’s dreams of playing professionally didn’t happen. Banister realized he needed to earn a living and chose the automotive industry. He began at the bottom, earning minimum wage, then seven dollars, selling cars in Charlotte.
Nearly 30 years later, Banister owns two Nissan dealerships in Virginia and will celebrate the grand opening of a Ford dealership in Marlow Heights, Maryland on Feb. 11. “I worked [as a] salesperson, sales manager, finance manager, general sales manager and general manager. I did almost everything you could think of at a car dealership,” said Banister, who resides in Chesapeake, Virginia. “If opportunity comes, you need to be ready to go.” He acquired the former Sheehy Ford in April from the family who owned the dealership which had
DEALERSHIP Page 39
diverse state in the nation. The overwhelming Democratic majority in the House of Delegates approving a new legislative map Thursday, Jan. 27. Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, who criticized the map and said there’s been a lack of transparency in the process, cannot use his power to veto this map. That’s why a potential lawsuit filed by Republican voters seems imminent. Nine registered Republicans who include Delegates Kathy Szeliga and Christopher T. Adams filed a lawsuit in December in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court to challenge the new map of the state's congressional districts. After Thursday’s vote, a grassroots organization, Fair Maps Maryland, released a statement saying work continues with attorneys and election experts to prepare a suit in the Maryland Court of Appeals to challenge the legislative map. “As we have said from the start, gerrymandering is voter suppression. Not only is it wrong, it’s illegal, and the Maryland legislature is guilty of it,” said spokesman Doug Mayer, a former communications manager for Hogan. “We will not stop until we have done everything in our power to put an end to gerrymandering in Maryland once and for all.” Before Thursday’s vote, Del. C.T. Wilson (D-Charles County) said a 2002 redistricting map approved by the court resembles the new map. More than 10 years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court chose refrained from intervening in a suit opponents said drew partisan boundaries in the state’s 6th Congressional District. “You can take it to court. The map will be found legally sufficient,” Wilson said. “You can bring a lawsuit up about anything. That doesn’t mean you’re going to win and your argument is going to pass legal muster.” In the meantime, Chief Judge Joseph M. Getty with the state’s Court of Appeals issued a schedule Friday, Jan. 28 for those who want to challenge the legislative map and who must file a petition by 4:30 p.m., Feb. 10. The state must file a response by Feb. 15. A hearing scheduled Feb. 17 will be overseen by retired Judge Alan M. Wilner who will serve as a special magistrate for the legal proceedings. Prospective candidates willing to seek office have until Feb. 22 to file with the state Board of Elections to run in the June primary election. WI @WJFjabariwill
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PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY
Judge Rules Prince George’s County Council Redistricting Plan Invalid County Plans to Appeal Decision William J. Ford WI Staff Writer A Prince George’s County Circuit Court judge ruled a redistricting plan County Council approved in November cannot go into effect. Judge William A. Snoddy wrote in an opinion Monday the council’s vote to approve new district boundaries as a resolution should’ve been enacted as a bill. “Under the County's Charter, a resolution, while having the effect of law, is not a substitute for a law,” Snoddy wrote. “Prince George's County Council shall immediately withdraw the redistricting plan and submit the [three-member county] commission’s plan…” Spokesperson Karen Campbell released a statement on behalf of the
council that it received the court order. Because of the Maryland Board of Election’s Feb. 22 deadline for prospective candidates to file paperwork for the June primary election, “the [judge’s] decision will be appealed immediately.” A group of residents that included Robert Thurston Jr. of College Park filed a lawsuit last week against the county for what they and others who spoke against the council’s plan as gerrymandering and ripping communities apart. Thurston and more than 150 people registered for a public hearing Nov. 16 to speak on the council’s plan. Everyone who spoke opposed the plan decided by a 6 to 3 vote. Some portions of the council plan moved Joint Base Andrews from Dis-
trict 8 into District 9, shift the city of Seat Pleasant from District 7 into District 5 and the town of Edmonston out of District 5 into District 2. One of the main complaints dealt with three more liberal candidates – Eric Olson of College Park, Krystal Oriadha of Seat Pleasant and Tamara Brown of Clinton – sought to possibly run against current council members in Districts 3, 7 and 9, respectively. The council map removed them to neighboring districts. Olson created a website and announced his intentions to run last year. Oriadha officially announced her candidacy for District 7 on Monday night with an endorsement from former council member Monique
PG REDISTRICT Page 14
Countywide Curbside Organics Composting Collection is Here! Residents who receive County provided services AND opt-in the program will be able to mix their food scraps with their yard trim for the weekly Monday yard trim curbside collection. Food scraps must be placed inside the Organics cart. Only residents who opted-in and received the appropriate program materials may put food scraps curbside for collection. Plastic bags are not accepted. If you received a letter from DoE, Opt-In postcards are on the way! Detailed opt-in instructions are on the postcard. •
Use only one option listed to opt-in: 1. Scan the QR code on the postcard using a smart phone; OR 2. Call the telephone number and provide the requested information. 3. Complete the opt-in form online at www.toter.com/princegeorgescounty
Your program materials will be delivered during the Month of April, in celebration of Earth Month. Households will receive collection materials, including a 32-gallon wheeled cart, a 2-gallon kitchen mini bin, a How-To Guide, a refrigerator magnet, and a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). For additional information about food scraps composting email us at pgccomposts@co.pg.md.us or visit mypgc.us/compost.
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FEBRUARY 3 - 9, 2022 13
BUSINESS Regretting the Pre-Pandemic Home Remodel? Experts Say You Shouldn’t Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer Home remodeling during the pandemic became as popular as masks, vaccine debates and sheltering in place. For many, staying at home meant changes became necessary to keep it interesting instead of staring at the same four walls. Reports estimated that year-over-
year spending on home remodeling rose by nearly 10 percent to $357 billion a year from 2019 through 2021. But for those who renovated before pandemic-induced lockdowns, the temptation to redo the renovation came with other costs. Specifically, some spent more money to renovate all over again. Shawn and Ameena Franklin completed an entire renovation of
(Photo courtesy of Moen at Ferguson Kitchen & Lighting Gallery - U-by-Moen)
their Palmer Park, Maryland home in December 2019. In a room vacated by their daughter months earlier, the Franklins installed an office complete with dual computers, a fax machine, file cabinets and a projector and screen for power-point presentations. COVID-19 came shortly after,
PG REDISTRICT from Page 13 Anderson-Walker, who resigned in November before council’s vote to concentrate as a running mate with Comptroller Peter Franchot seeking the Democratic nomination for Maryland governor. Brown released a statement via a text message. “The council did not follow the County’s Charter and the order corrects council’s flawed decision-making,” she said. “This is a victory for democracy and fair representation in the county. My team and I are evaluating how best I can serve the citizens of Prince George’s County in light of all developments.” The three council seats are currently held by Dannielle Glaros (D-District 3) of Riverdale Park, whose term expires in December and voted against the plan; Rodney Streeter (D-District 7) of Hillcrest Heights who wasn’t present for the vote; and Sydney Harrison (D-District 9) of Upper Marlboro, who voted in favor of the plan. Local officials must approve a plan that incorporates updated 2020 Census data for a process done every de-
14 FEBRUARY 3 - 9, 2022
“This is a victory for democracy and fair representation in the county. My team and I are evaluating how best I can serve the citizens of Prince George’s County in light of all developments.” cade on changes in population within the county’s nine districts. The county’s total population increased the fourth highest in Maryland by 12% from 863,420 to 967,201 between 2010 to 2020. Council appointed a three-member redistricting commission last year comprised of the Rev. James Robinson, pastor of Tree of Life Ministries in Clinton; Charlene Dukes, former president of Prince George’s Community College; and David Harrington, president and CEO of the county’s Chamber of Commerce. The commission recommended three major changes to a redistricting plan, such as realigning the more than 6,000 residents in the city of District Heights from District 6 to
District 7; shift nearly 4,100 residents from the Adelphi area from District 1 to District 2; and move 2,205 residents in Glenn Dale from District 3 to District 4, which would nearly combine all of Glenn Dale. The commission approved recommendations Aug. 30 and submitted its proposal to council Sept. 1. Because a plan needed to be approved by Nov. 30, the judge ruled council’s plan as invalid, and the commission’s plan would go into effect. “The County and/or the Council shall immediately cease and desist any publication of the redistricting plan…from public view to the extent practicable and within its control…” the judge wrote. WI
forcing their daughter back home. “It was a renovation we decided on way too soon,” said Shawn Franklin, whose daughter, Ayesha, hit hard times and returned home like so many others. “We had put so much in that room and we only have a two-bedroom home, so we had to re-renovate and the $5,500 we spent kind of went to waste,” Ameena Franklin stated. The Franklins aren’t the only ones who regret their pre-pandemic renovations. Marc and Emily Gethers said they spent more than $75,000 redoing their basement, installing a bar, luxury lounge chairs, a game room and a 90-inch television with movie theater sound. “We thought it would be great to entertain but COVID hit and that meant that we wouldn’t have guests or family in our home,” Emily Gethers said. As year three of the pandemic begins, Marc Gethers said they still haven’t entertained in their new and expensive surroundings. “As it turns out, especially when you consider other needs during the pandemic, we regret such an expensive makeover and now we’re in the process of having to do another renovation,” he remarked. Reed Johnson Jackson, a professional interior designer at Jackson Tile Installation, said he has heard a lot of stories about regrets from clients after renovating their kitchens. “Most of the regrets are actually
not on what was the design or remodeled, rather on how individuals completed the work,” Jackson said. “Since most of the jobs were DIYs during the pandemic lockdowns, some tile installations, for instance, were not done right and have caused problems with leakages or durability.” Jackson concluded: “I think the remodeling they did pre-pandemic is still relevant to today’s reality. It was the execution and proper use of materials that needed correcting.” Stacy Lewis, an interior designer at Eternity Modern, an online store that specializes in mid-century modern furniture and décor, added that a renovation isn’t something that most would want to do twice in a span of just a few years. “It isn’t just about the cost. It’s all the stress that comes with the project,” Lewis said. “When you’ve spruced up your home just before the pandemic, chances are you’ll be stuck with what you have for at least five years.” Lewis added that crying over spilled milk also isn’t helpful. “What’s left to do is to try to make the most of what’s already been done,” she asserted. “As the owner, it is up to you to acknowledge and appreciate the outcome of the renovation. It’s what validates it. If you shift your mindset to see the good in what has already been done, then you need no approval from anyone else.” WI
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BUSINESS
Plans Move Forward for New Grocery Store in Far Northeast D.C. James Wright WI Staff Writer
District officials announced on Jan. 27 plans for a new grocery store to be built in Ward 7 on a vacant site located close to the Prince George’s County, Md. border. The store would be located at the intersection of East Capitol Street., N.E. and 58th Street., N.E., across from the Capitol Heights Metro Station in Capitol Heights, Md. Known as the Capitol Gateway Marketplace, D.C. Councilmember Vincent Gray (D-Ward 7) expressed enthusiasm about the new store’s prospects and said he will work to get the process for construction started immediately. “Today, we are setting in motion a significant breakthrough in the long-stalled development of Capitol Gateway,” Gray said. “When this legislation is passed, we will be on the fast track to opening another new grocery store in Ward 7.
Though the East End of the District remains underserved, we are making progress to eliminate food deserts and bring equity to residents of Wards 7 and 8 who live with far fewer grocery and shopping options than residents who live west of the Anacostia River.” Gray noted the groundbreaking of the only Lidl store in the District last month that will be part of the Skyland Town Center located in his ward as another example of economic progress. “We will continue to find public resources and work with partners in the private sector to develop retail options and deliver amenities to residents in underserved neighborhoods,” the councilmember said. Gray will work with the Bowser administration to have the D.C. Council approve seizing the land through eminent domain. When Gray served as District mayor from 2011-2015, he negotiated a deal with retailer Walmart to build
a store on the land. In addition to Walmart, plans had been made for a sit-down restaurant and a mixed-use building with 312 residential units and 18,000 square feet of ground-floor retail uses. However, in 2016, Walmart abruptly withdrew from the project. There’s has been no development of the land since then. Meanwhile, the closest full-service grocery store in the area, a Safeway located in Addison Plaza in Seat Pleasant, Md., closed in July 2016. Both District and Prince George’s County residents patronized the Addison Road Safeway. The D.C. Department of Planning and Economic Development [DMPED] said it has received a preliminary commitment from one of the largest grocers in the Washington metropolitan area to build and operate an approximately 55,000 square feet store that would serve as Capitol Gateway’s anchor.
5 Land in Ward 7 where a new grocery story could be built. (Courtesy photo)
DMPED Deputy Mayor John Falcicchio said the new store will bring fresh food options to the far Northeast area. “Providing access to fresh food and advancing delayed projects are top priorities for Mayor Bows-
er,” Falcicchio said in a statement. “Food justice is an emergency and together we need to take these immediate, bold actions to deliver it.” WI @JamesWrightJr10
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FEBRUARY 3 - 9, 2022 15
NATIONAL SCOTUS from Page 1 est levels of leadership in our nation, I am looking forward to the president’s appointment of a highly-qualified and experienced jurist to our nation’s highest court,” said Congressional Black Caucus Chair Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio). “We know that when America’s boardrooms, legislatures, and even the Supreme Court start to resemble America, we all benefit,” Beatty said. “I will continue to push in my capacity as a member of Congress and chair of the Congressional Black Caucus to ensure that the president upholds his promise to the American people and that the Senate confirms a Black woman to the Supreme Court without any unnecessary delay.”
CANDIDATE FROM SOUTH CAROLINA RISES TO THE TOP
While the field remains open, The White House has confirmed the can-
didacy of South Carolina U.S. District Judge J. Michelle Childs, who appears to already have Republican support. After graduating from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1992, Childs went to work as an associate attorney at Nexsen Pruet Jacobs & Pollard LLC where she became the first Black female partner in a major law firm in South Carolina. She earned two gubernatorial appointments to become the deputy director of the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (2000-02) and a commissioner on the South Carolina Worker’s Compensation Commission (2002-06). Childs then won election from the South Carolina General Assembly as an at-large Circuit Court Judge (2006-10). Then, in 2010, former President Barack Obama appointed Childs to serve as a U.S. District Court Judge for the District of South Carolina “In law school, you learn early on that your reputation and credibility
Seeking CDL Drivers Monumental Concrete is currently accepting applications for Fulltime CDL Drivers to join our team as Concrete Delivery Professionals (CDP's). CDP's are responsible for the proper delivery of concrete products to our customers and for the safe and proper care and maintenance of equipment assigned to the delivery professional. Must have a Class B CDL (with airbrakes), a clean driving record and a good employment history. MUST BE FLEXIBLE TO TRAVEL LOCALLY TO VARIOUS LOCATIONS AND WORK VARIOUS SHIFTS (SATURDAYS, DAY & NIGHTS) AS REQUIRED BY BUSINESS NECESSITY. Must be able to pass a DOT physical. Must be able to climb and be able to lift up to 100 lbs. several times daily. Must be able to read, write and interpret directions/ read a map.' Please visit our website www.monumentalconcrete.com to print out an application or stop by our office and apply in person: 3 DC Village Lane, SW, Washington DC 20032.
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(Courtesy photo)
will follow you throughout your career,” Childs said in an interview with her alma mater. “Your classmates will be on opposing sides in cases or matters and will be leaders in various firms, agencies and organizations in the state, so you always want to be known for having good character as your reputation can affect your ability to resolve matters
entrusted to you,” she said. In a statement, the White House said “multiple individuals” remain under consideration along with Childs including D.C. Circuit Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, California Supreme Court Justice Leondra Kruger and civil rights attorney Sherrilyn Ifill. Others reportedly being consid-
ered include: 9th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Holly A. Thomas; federal Circuit Court Judge Tiffany P. Cunningham; civil rights attorney and 11th Circuit Court candidate Nancy G. Abudu; 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals nominee Arianna J. Freeman; NYU law professor Melissa Murray; 7th Circuit Judge Candace Jackson-Akiwumi; District Judge Wilhelmina “Mimi” Wright; North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls; and 2nd Circuit Judge Eunice Lee. President Biden said he will make his selection by the end of February. “Our process is going to be rigorous. I will select a nominee worthy of Justice Stephen Breyer’s legacy of excellence and decency,” Biden said. “While I’ve been studying candidates’ backgrounds and writings, I’ve made no decision except one: The person I will nominate will be someone with extraordinary qualifications, character, experience and integrity. And that person will be the first Black woman ever nominated to the United States Supreme Court,” he said. wi
Poll: Black Women Support Nominating Black Woman to Supreme Court
President Biden Pledges to Keep His Campaign Promise Sarafina Wright WI Contributing Writer According to a new poll from
Higher Heights for America, 86% of Black women voters support nominating a Black woman to the Supreme Court.
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The data comes as Justice Stephen Breyer recently announced his retirement from the bench at the end of the summer, opening a seat on the court and with President Joe Biden pledging to nominate a Black woman to the court. In 2020, one of Biden’s campaign promises included putting a Black woman on the U.S. Supreme Court, an historic first. Change Research, Higher Heights for America, the only national organization exclusively dedicated to harnessing Black women’s political power from the voting booth to elected office, conducted a poll of 500 Black women voters in January. When asked about the future of the Supreme Court, an overwhelming majority of Black women voters said they support prioritizing nominating the first Black woman to the Supreme Court when the next seat becomes available. “Black women are a pivotal voting bloc and this polling data
SUPREME Page 39 THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM
NATIONAL
Violent Crimes Against the Homeless Have Worsened During Pandemic Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer Stigmatization remains a dangerous cause of violence. And for one unfortunate group of Americans, the homeless, it has served as a primary reason for such acts whose numbers have spiked throughout the U.S. during the pandemic. “There seems to have always been a stigma around the homeless population and those who aren’t homeless use it as an excuse to justify their opinions and actions,” said Kristen Bolig, the CEO of SecurityNerd, a home protection company. “People attack others like this when they view the ‘others’ as less-deserving of fair treatment or respect, therefore viewing them as less human,” Bolig added. According to experts and advocates, the past year has seen a spike
in violence against people experiencing homelessness. Reports have revealed that the attacks included a beheading in Colorado, a sleeping man lit on fire in the stairwell of a New York City apartment complex and an attack by four juveniles on a sleeping woman in Spokane, Wash. Dozens of acts of violence reported occur daily, not just in the United States. For example, in December in Calgary, police were forced to investigate a string of stabbings where the victims were homeless. “Homelessness ends up being faceless and abstract – not about real people with lives. It’s easy to attack something that isn’t a person, but that’s the easy answer,” said the Reverend Matthew Best, pastor at St. Stephen Lutheran Church in New Kingstown, Pa. “The more complex and challenging answers point to many
things that are in themselves more abstract,” Best added. A report by InvisibleTV, which advocates for the protection of homeless individuals, revealed that between 2019 and 2020, homicides against unhoused individuals skyrocketed in Los Angeles, increasing by a 58 percent margin. Statistics reveal that one-in-five homicide victims in Los Angeles count as a person experiencing homelessness. “This disturbing trend is nothing new, nor is it restricted to a specific locale. Instead, it is happening all across the nation,” InvisibleTV reported. “What’s remarkable about this statistic – aside from the severity of the crime – is how well it mirrors the criminalization of homelessness,” the report continued. For example, homeless people account for precisely one out of every five prison bookings in Seattle.
5 Crimes against the homeless continue to increase. (Photo courtesy StreetSense Media)
The overwhelming majority of such arrests are for non-violent crimes – namely, laws and policies that have been drafted to prevent people enduring homelessness from engaging in life-sustaining activities. Over the past two decades, this type of criminalization has advanced dramatically. “This means that the nation over, we have witnessed inflated
rates of anti-vagrancy legislation,” the report continued. In turn, this has created an environment where unhoused individuals can go to prison for things like sitting, standing, walking, camping, sleeping, soliciting and more. “In times of great distress, scapegoats have been a common way for societies to take their frustration
HOMELESS from Page 46
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africa now
COMPILED BY OSWALD T. BROWN, WI CONTRIBUTING WRITER
$200 Million Fund to Back Growth-Stage Startups in Africa Niklas Adalberth‘s Norrsken Foundation, in the news again barely two months after opening its Norrsken House in Kigali, Rwanda, plans to accommodate thousands of entrepreneurs by next year. This time, the foundation has teamed up with 30 unicorn founders and a couple of seasoned venture capital and private equity investors to 5 Making up the firm’s investment are the general partners, Natalie Kolbe, launch a $200 million fund targeted at African the ex-global head of private equity at Actis; her colleague, Ngetha Waithaka; startups. and Lexi Novitske, the ex-managing partner at Acuity Ventures Platform. The fund, dubbed the Norrsken22 African Tech Growth Fund, has reached its first close of $110 million per a statement seen by TechCrunch. It’s the latest fund launched by Norrsken after closing €125 million impact fund for European startups last March. Hans Otterling, a partner at Northzone, a U.K.-based early VC firm that led the investment in Adalberth’s previous company Klarna, is Norrsken’s founding partner alongside the Klarna co-founder. Making up the firm’s investment are the general partners which include: Natalie Kolbe, the ex-global head of private equity at Actis, a private equity fund investing in emerging markets; her colleague, Ngetha Waithaka; and Lexi Novitske, the ex-managing partner at Acuity Ventures Platform. Novitske told TechCrunch on a call that the firm is speaking to a few DFIs to reach a final close later this year. Before Acuity, Novitske was principal at Singularity Investments. Portfolio companies across both firms include API fintechs such as Mono and OnePipe and exited companies like Flutterwave, Paystack and mPharma. Africa VC funding reached an all-time high in 2021 at over $4 billion – more than what startups on the continent raised in the two previous years combined. Growth and late-stage deals such as $100 million-plus rounds from unicorns Andela Flutterwave, Chipper Cash, OPay and Wave and other companies largely propelled this growth. Nevertheless, according to insights from The Big Deal and Briter Bridges, they were relatively few compared to early-stage deals. WI
caribbean now Bartlett Targets Diaspora with 'Rediscover Jamaica' Campaign Jamaica’s Ministry of Tourism along with hoteliers in Jamaica have partnered to launch a “Rediscover Jamaica” campaign as an initiative to encourage domestic tourism. Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett told members of the diaspora on January 27 that this serves as one of several other innovative strategies that tourism stakeholders are implementing and which will keep the occupancy levels buoyant. The initiative provides staycation packages which allow locals to stay at various hotels at drastically reduced rates. Addressing the monthly online program “Let’s Connect with Ambassador Marks,” hosted by Jamaica’s Ambassador to the United States Audrey Marks, Bartlett explained that the COVID-19 pandemic has presented the most significant and sustained challenge to Jamaica’s tourism product since the development of the sector in the 1950s. He said the disruption to international travel as a result of reduced confidence among travelers within important source markets such as the U.S., Canada and the UK, has required tourism stakeholders in Jamaica find innovative strategies to keep up occupancy levels. “As a complementary strategy to our efforts to promote domestic tourism, we have also increased our focus on another important group of Jamaicans to diversify our tourism product – Jamaicans living overseas. To this end, we are hoping to leverage the collective powers of the diaspora,” Bartlett said. WI
THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM
Submitted by AmeriHealth Caritas District of Columbia Do you ever feel like you could fall asleep in the middle of the day? You are not the only one. In fact, one in three adults in the United States does not get the recommended amount of sleep,1 which is at least seven hours each night for adults.2 When you don’t get enough sleep, you might experience:3 • Trouble focusing • Worse mood • Increased stress • Increased hunger
SLEEP AND HEALTH
Sleep affects more than how you feel the next day. Not getting enough sleep is also linked to several health conditions, including1: • Type 2 diabetes • Heart disease • High blood pressure • Depression It’s never too late to start getting enough sleep. You can start tonight!
The Importance of Sleep
ESTABLISHING A SLEEP ROUTINE
Do you ever have trouble falling asleep? Try setting a regular bedtime and committing to it, even on weekends. It usually takes between 15 and 25 minutes to fall asleep.4 During this time, it can be helpful to set your smartphone aside, do some deep breathing, or visualize yourself in a peaceful environment.3,4
PREPARING FOR DAYLIGHT SAVING
On the second Sunday in March each year, we set our clocks ahead one hour, known as daylight saving time. As a result, we lose one hour of sleep when daylight saving time begins, and you might feel tired while you adjust to the new time. Daylight saving time begins on March 13 this year. To prepare, start going to bed 15 – 30 minutes earlier than you normally do in the week leading up to March 13.5 This will make the adjustment
easier for your body. In addition, try to avoid naps while you are adjusting to daylight saving. Napping makes it more difficult to sleep well at night and to adjust to the time change.5 1. “Sleep and Sleep Disorders,” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/ index.htm. 2. “How Much Sleep Do I Need?” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, https://www.cdc.gov/ sleep/about_sleep/how_much_sleep. html. 3. “Sleep: The Foundation for Healthy Habits,” Mayo Clinic, https://www.mayoclinic.org/ healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/indepth/sleep-the-foundation-forhealthy-habits/art-20270117. 4. “Relaxation Techniques,” National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety, https://www.cdc. gov/niosh/emres/longhourstraining/ relax.html. 5. “Daylight Saving Time: 4 Tips to Help Your Body Adjust,” Cleveland Clinic, https://health.
clevelandclinic.org/daylight-savingstime-change-4-tips-to-help-yourbody-adjust/. 6. “Tips for Better Sleep,” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/ sleep_hygiene.html. All images are used under license for illustrative purposes only. Any individual depicted is a model
Active&Fit Program
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Exercise has many benefits, including sleep! Being physically active during the day can help you sleep better at night, and AmeriHealth Caritas District of Columbia (DC) has a program to help you get moving.6 AmeriHealth Caritas DC offers fitness classes through the Active&Fit program. With Active&Fit, you can join live virtual classes, watch workout videos on your own time, and even get a gym membership. View AmeriHealth Caritas DC’s events calendar online at https://www.amerihealthcaritasdc.com/pdf/member/wellness-center/wellness-calendar.pdf for more information about fitness classes.
Find us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/amerihealthdc. / Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/amerihealthcaritasdc. / Find us on Instagram at www.instagram.com/amerihealthcaritasdc.
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FEBRUARY 3 - 9, 2022 19
HEALTH D.C. Students Voice Demands for More Mental Health Services Requests Come Amidst Calls for Tougher Penalties for Youth Crimes Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer As District officials and residents continue to debate how best to address violent crime, young people have increased their demands for measures that holistically address their mental and emotional trauma. Since the beginning of the school year, Kendrick Richardson, a youth who attends Theodore Roosevelt High School in Northwest, has spoken out about how, even as the pandemic and dire economic straits have compelled some young people to inflict harm on others, he and his peers still cannot access on-campus mental health services. During a recent online forum with Attorney General Karl A. Ra-
20 FEBRUARY 3 - 9, 2022
cine, Kendrick took his message a step further when he asserted that law enforcement officials haven’t scratched the surface in curbing youth criminal activity. Days later, Kendrick reaffirmed his viewpoint with a call not only for around-the-clock mental health services but after-school activities and year-round employment for pre-teens and teenagers. “We shouldn’t be prosecuting everybody, especially youth,” said Kendrick, an 11th grader who participates in after-school programming coordinated by the Latin American Youth Center in Columbia Heights. “Police officers should get to understand the youth better. Mental health plays a huge role. I know if I was stressed out, seeing my mother going through something
(Courtesy photo)
and I didn’t know how to survive, I would go out and do whatever I could. And COVID-19 doesn’t make things better,” Kendrick said. During a recent news conference, Metropolitan Police Department Chief Robert J. Contee III said 14 out of the 18 carjackings that have occurred this year involved young people. He went on to attribute two-thirds of last year’s carjackings to that demographic while calling for what he described as more robust accountability measures against youth crime. In the aftermath of a D.C. hotel shooting, D.C. Councilmember Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3) tied the increase in crime in that community to the movement of unhoused people into the Van Ness Days Inn
and what she described as the D.C. Department of Behavioral Health’s failure to treat people with mental health issues. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) later refuted that theory. Cheh’s other comments, particularly her call to increase penalties for youth crime, incited fury among teachers and community organizers who said the District’s tough-on-crime approach has further marginalized young people and their families. Within hours, they took to social media to explain how Cheh’s comments shed light on the District government’s dismissal of young Black lives. After two years, the pandemic continues to expose and exacerbate the need for mental health services for young people. While the American Rescue Plan Act has brought an influx of federal funds dedicated to bridging mental health gaps, students said they continue to reel from anxiety brought on by COVID-19 and uncertainty about how safely they can learn while in person. Toward the end of last month, students at Banneker and other District schools protested in the middle of the school day to highlight their qualms about how administrators have communicated the severity of Omicron’s spread. Other issues students have raised involve the lack of after-school activities and administrators’ insistence that they continue to pursue academic excellence even as Dis-
trict schools struggle to consistently maintain COVID mitigation strategies. Liv Birnstad, a DC State Board of Education student representative who attends Capital City Public Charter School, said that she and her peers, like young people at other District schools, often find it difficult to access mental health services during school hours. Since starting her tenure on the state board, Liv has spoken at length about the need to increase access to mental resources and ensure transparency in the decision-making process. Though she expressed appreciation for state board members and school administrators who have attempted to console students, Liv said increasing lines of communication can help put students’ minds at ease. She said schools still have not met that goal, much to the detriment of the young people they’re pushing to excel academically. “Some students find it hard to get motivated and as things get worse, it’s harder to reach out for help,” Liv said. “With Omicron, students are really worried about the increased rate of transmission and that we’re [navigating] in-person learning with no chance for virtual learning. Students know administrators can’t share everything but we hope for more transparency about what’s to come so we can feel secure.” WI @SamPKCollins
THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM
Movement Launches to Encourage Black Breast Cancer Trial Participation
HEALTH Is your home ready for winter?
Sarafina Wright WI Contributing Writer The Black Breast Cancer Alliance and Breastcancer.org said they will launch a new movement dedicated to empowering and educating Black women on the importance of clinical trial participation. The When We Tri(al) movement aims to change the devastating breast cancer mortality rates for Black women who now stand at 41% more likely to die from breast cancer than white women. “Black Breast Cancer isn’t about a month, it’s about a movement. When We Tri(al) aspires not only to save Black lives but to also educate and motivate clinical trial participation among our Black Breasties,” said Ricki Fairley, CEO of TOUCH, The Black Breast Cancer Alliance. “The current drugs are not working hard enough for Black women. I’m on a mission to empower our community with the necessary knowledge to advocate for ourselves within a medical system that too often fails us. We must advance the science. Our When We Tri(al) launch will serve as a moment to hear firsthand how clinical trials can change the game for breast cancer and Black women.” Black women are drastically underrepresented in clinical trials; only 3% of clinical trial partici-
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dcpsc.org/WinterReadyDC pants leading to FDA approval of cancer drugs between 2008 and 2018 were Black. The consequences are dire: Black women miss access to newly emerging and often life-extending treatments. Until more Black women are included in the research, they will continue to face worse breast cancer outcomes, Fairley said. When We Tri(al) remains focused on the urgent need to end these disparities. When We Tri(al) will provide essential tools and information for Black women to confidently take an active role in their care and seek out clinical trial opportunities that could be life-changing,” said Hope Wohl, CEO of Breastcancer.org. “Breastcancer.org is committed to eliminating barriers to health equity including coming together with our advocacy partners to improve representation in research,” Wohl said. “The When We Tri(al) launch is an exciting start to a movement that will lead to crucial change.” Visit www.whenwetrial.org to learn more. WI
Stay Informed!
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FEBRUARY 3 - 9, 2022 21
EDUCATION Black Seeds Calendar Celebrates 45 Years Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer For 45 years, the Black Seeds Historical & Educational Calendar has been a staple in Black homes and businesses across the U.S. and in parts of the world, especially among those committed to affirming their African identity and achieving Pan-African self-determination. As a reservoir of information about Africa and the African diaspora, the calendar has exposed Black people of various ages to the vastness and complexity of the African experience. Within the span of 36 pages,
one takes a trip throughout history starting centuries before the Middle Passage and leading to the present day. The common thread throughout the calendar centers on African sovereignty and various methods through which African ancestors, known and unknown, have been able to achieve it, chattel slavery and colonization notwithstanding. In the 2022 edition, the women and men behind the Black Seeds calendar said their product remains true to that message despite widespread attempts to dilute Black voting power and tailor history to sensitivities of a shrinking white population.
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“There’s work for us to do in all kinds of areas,” said Ronald Wayne Cook, a founding member of Black Seeds, which started in the early 1970s as a volunteer nonprofit organization that provided services to the community. “When we make this calendar, we always try to encourage people to look at different ways to help our people,” Cook said. “There’s a role and a space for everyone. Sometimes we need to read, analyze, then act on it because it’s not always clear what we can or should do. But it’s better to do something and not just talk.”
LONGTIME SUPPORTERS OF BLACK SEEDS SPEAK
In the Black Seeds 45th anniversary edition, people can read articles which highlight voter suppression, grassroots activism in Baltimore, connections between antebellum slave patrols and the modern-day police force and the ongoing movement for reparations. Other highlights include a tribute to the late Pan-African scholar Runoko Rashidi, Black Panther community programming and Ranavalona I, an African queen whose rule in Madagascar spanned throughout most of the 19th century. The calendar also includes an expansive Black reading list and African world statistics in addition to copies of the Black National Anthem and African pledge. After more than 30 years of patronage, local teacher Natalie Oguara considers Black Seeds a living history tool. Oguara, founder and CEO of Sankofa Educators, said she started using the Black Seeds calendar in the early 1990s while teaching at Ujamaa Shule in Northwest. The calendar has since become a constant fixture in her life, so much so that she has copies which go back several decades. “I display it prominently in my house so when we walk past it, we can read and feel empowered daily,” Oguara said. “I am focused and laser-sharp about who I share the Black Seeds calendar with [and] I also give it to family members and clients who've never experienced that. We have to educate ourselves. That’s been tried and true in our time throughout America and even in Africa. We don’t want
5 Leonard Harvey is the founder of the Black Seeds calendar being sold at Blue Nile Herbs, Books, and Spices. (Roy Lewis/The Washington Informer)
others to educate us about our culture,” she said. And despite the ominous shadow of growing gentrification, a diehard cadre of Black institutions remain in the District, many of which continue to support Black Seeds Historical & Educational Calendar. On an annual basis, community members who visit Ujamaa Shule, Blue Nile Botanicals or Roots Public Charter School, among other places, can pick up a copy of the calendar. Dr. Bernida Thompson, founder and principal of Roots PCS, recounted getting her first Black Seeds calendar in the late 1970s, just months after what was then Roots Activity Learning Center opened. Thompson, then a new mother, integrated the calendar into the lessons she taught her child and the children of those responsible for creating and distributing Black Seeds. Decades later, the Black Seeds calendar maintains a presence at Roots for the next generation of Black children eager to learn
about their history. “In order for us to go forward, we have to see what happened so we don’t fall into the same pits,” Thompson said. “Though the calendar can't tell you everything, you have a reading list of almost 100 different books by Malcolm X, John Henrik Clarke, Franz Fanon and other famous historians. If you keep the calendar year after year, then you’re going to have a storehouse full of excellent material about the history of Africans in America and even the diaspora.”
THE CULMINATION OF A GRASSROOTSORIENTED MISSION
The creation of the Black Seeds calendar came on the heels of several years of volunteer grassroots organizing that started during the Black Power era, particularly in the realm of education. Projects included a clothing and GED program and voter education campaigns. Black Seeds orga-
BLACK SEEDS Page 23
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Travel Nurses Make a Difference on America’s Front Lines Natalie C. Hockaday WI Staff Writer After graduating from nursing school at Howard University, Jasmine Greene had no idea that less than one year later, she’d be working in the midst of a health pandemic. “This isn’t something anyone could have anticipated,” she said. Once a staff nurse at Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington and Children’s National in the District, and now a general pediatric nurse at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, the Maryland native became a travel nurse in December 2021. A sizable increase in pay served as the impetus for the change as she discovered that the DMV’s cost of living had become overwhelming. But she also saw that working as a travel nurse also lined up more
5 Clairmont Griffith, travel emergency room nurse. (Photo courtesy Clairmont Griffith)
BLACK SEEDS from Page 22 nizers also coordinated community cleanups, forums, festivals and marches. Before the launch of the Black Seeds calendar, the group, which included members from across the U.S., explored the possibility of creating an independent Black school. And while that vision didn’t come to fruition, Cook and others heralded Black Seeds as a pillar of community education. In staying true to an ethos that centers on year-round Black history educa-
closely with her career goals. “When I left my last job I was trying to keep up with the things that I wanted to do by picking up overtime shifts,” she said. “As a travel nurse, I was doing similar work but making more money for less hours.” Her agency provides stipends for housing and meals as well as a better hourly rate. Still, she often worries about COVID-19. “Of course you want to do what you can to protect your own mental and physical health and want to spend time with your family,” she said. “But seeing the rise in cases is disheartening because you feel so vulnerable.” “It is of course a very difficult job but to hear people's stories and to see people recover is really such a rewarding thing and to be a part of that in any way, shape, or form it's just a beautiful thing to bear witness to,” said Greene who typically works 12-hour shifts. As a travel nurse under contract with the University of Maryland at St. Joseph Medical Center, Clairmont Griffith has witnessed the pandemic unfold from the beginning. “It seems like we never have enough nurses and it’s so important now,” Griffith said. While the procedures for operating through COVID-19 have somewhat relaxed, Griffith said the early days proved hectic. Towards the beginning of the pandemic, Griffith recalls seeing mostly older patients pouring into the emergency room and being hospitalized. Now, he said the patient demo-
graphics have grown more diverse. “COVID does not discriminate,” he said. “It can be anybody and they come at any time.” Originally from England with roots in South America, Guyana and Trinidad, Griffith has transitioned career fields in his 62 years of life. Originally starting off in engineering, he entered the medical profession and has been a nurse for over 20 years. “For me, the one thing that I’ve always enjoyed was helping people and the look on their faces when someone takes a little time to help them,” he said. “You’ve got to give of yourself to help folks who come to you for help because they’re in pain.” The urgent need for nurses across the country has sparked a long-needed conversation over burnout in the medical community. Working lengthy hours while witnessing and experiencing some of the harshest realities of this pandemic has driven experienced nurses out of their once chosen careers. Having a support system remains essential, Griffith explained. And having a life or hobbies outside of the hospital also help. “If you are able to, talk and open up. It’s all right to cry sometimes. It releases a lot of endorphins [and] it does a lot of things for you. I know for men it’s often seen as a sign of weakness. But for me, I don’t care about that stuff.” “One good thing I’ve learned from the hospital, and they make a point of saying it, is we are never alone. We are not doing this on our own. You’ve got people to help you,” Griffith said. WI
tion, volunteers spend much of the year compiling and laying out content for next year’s Black Seeds calendar, even as they distribute mass orders to Black bookstores, restaurants and other areas of commerce throughout the country. In doing so, Cook and his colleagues continue to keep in mind that Black Seeds can be a tool of enlightenment, especially for an upcoming generation of children who remain enamored with social media. “There are people in their 20s
and 30s who grew up with Black Seeds. They have a foundation and have carried on to do great things. I feel confident that they’re grounded in the knowledge of self, even as they continue to develop in this high tech media world,” Cook said. “They’ll use that grounding for our benefit. The challenge is still with the younger ones who never had that grounding. We have to find better ways to keep that information in front of them,” he said. WI @SamPKCollins
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EDUCATION
5 Jasmine Greene, travel nurse. (Courtesy photo)
The competitors at the Winter Olympics in Beijing aren’t just great athletes. They are masters of science. Kid Scoop looks at the science behind winter sports. Each week, Kid Scoop brings students interactive games, activities, puzzles and more in a bright & bouncy, award-winning feature kids and their family members can enjoy together. PUBLICATION DATE HERE
Publication Date: 2-10-22
FEBRUARY 3 - 9, 2022 23
EDUCATION
Group Challenges Colleges to Better Accommodate Student Parents Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer
A dozen young parents will soon launch campaigns on their college campuses that highlight
their unique experiences as college students raising children. These campaigns, part of the “Our Campus, Our Voice” challenge, will call on college administrators to provide a more sup-
5 Briana Whitfield holding a copy of Generation Hope founder and CEO Nicole Lynn Lewis’ book, “Pregnant Girl: A Story of Teen Motherhood, College and Creating a Better Future for Young Families.” (Courtesy photo)
portive environment for student parents. Generation Hope, a local nonprofit for teen parents and their children, coordinated the “Our Campus, Our Voice” challenge to give some of their student parents the chance to amplify their voices and those of others who have experienced difficulty navigating the traditional college setting. Though a number of young parents have matriculated to college with the help of Generation Hope, some, like Sholachauntel Shoda, said they continue to face hurdles in systems that haven’t fully taken into account the special circumstances facing student parents. “When I got accepted to Trinity and applied for EBT, I was told that I couldn’t receive the benefits because I didn’t work full-time or [enroll] in one of their workforce programs,” Shoda said as she explained her inspiration for a virtual seminar that shows student parents at Trinity Washington University in Northeast how to obtain SNAP benefits and other seemingly out-of-reach government resources. Shoda, who will graduate in May, enrolled in Generation Hope and Trinity in 2019 shortly after giving birth to her son and transferring from another college. Although she extolled Trinity administrators and one professor in particular for understanding her situation, Shoda said student parents, especially those who attend school full time, often struggle to meet the demands of their family and academic lives without institutional support. “I told [the university] that I was a full-time student who couldn’t work [but] they couldn’t help me without me being in the workforce,” said Shoda, 23, who’s studying international relations and Africana studies. “That pushed me to figure out things on my own. There are a few [student parents] on campus [and] we’re learning information from each other. Trinity has the resources to help us but I felt like it wasn’t enough.”
HIGHLIGHTING A UNIQUE COLLEGE EXPERIENCE
An Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) report showed
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5 Sholachauntel Shoda with her child. (Courtesy photo)
that one-of-five college students raise children while attending school, with more than half raising children under the age of six. The dropout rate among student parents stands at nearly 52 percent for reasons unrelated to academics. IWPR researchers cite lack of childcare access, financial instability and time constraints as impediments to college completion. For more than a decade, Generation Hope, based in Northeast, has provided emotional support and financial resources for teen parents as they enter college and their children start school. Since its inception, 60 student parents have graduated from college. The nonprofit currently helps more than 120 young mothers and fathers who attend 20 D.C.-area colleges and universities. Last year, Generation Hope received $50,000 from the Black Voices for Black Justice Fund, $30,000 of which founder and CEO Nicole Lynn Lewis used to launch the “Our Campus, Our Voice” challenge. The campaign involves nine schools, including Trinity in Northeast and Howard University and George Washington University in Northwest. “We’re working hard not only
to support these young people but we also [believe] that colleges and universities [should] become more embracing and inclusive of all parents,” Lewis said. “One of the ways to do that is to ask teen and student parents what they think needs to happen on these campuses.”
AN OPPORTUNITY TO FACILITATE GREATER UNDERSTANDING
The protests that erupted in the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder sparked, not only conversation about racial injustice but an influx of funds into groups fighting for racial equity. Generation Hope counts among a slew of Black Voices for Black Justice Fund recipients, including Wildflower Montessori and Dreaming Out Loud, both based in the District. For Briana Whitfield, a 26-yearold Generation Hope alumna and winner of the “Our Campus, Our Voice” challenge, the last few years have revealed the need for institutions to better understand and empathize with people from all walks of life.
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EDITORIAL
How Will They Know Black History? Dr. Carter G. Woodson, the founder of Negro History Week, also founded the Association for the Study of Negro (African American) Life and History (ASALH) in 1926. His mission is fulfilled each February by raising awareness of Black contributions across every sector of American life. His contributions leading to the establishment of the month-long observance in February are often overlooked. Still, his legacy continues through institutional observances in the U.S. and beyond. “He [Dr. Woodson] believed African Americans needed to study, research and promote their history during that time,” Dr. Marvin Delaney, the new president of ASALH told an audience on Tuesday at the virtual kick-off of Black History Month. At Woodson’s 146th birthday celebration in D.C. last December, Dr. Robert Stanton, former director of the National Park Service, quoted Woodson’s colleague Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune who said, “With the power of cumulative facts, Woodson gave us the capacity to move back barriers and broaden our vision of the world and the world’s vision of us.” Woodson repeatedly espoused the importance of promoting Black History by stating, “If we don’t tell them, how will they know?” ASALH continues to carry on Woodson’s Black History Movement by establishing the annual Black History Month theme, hosting month- and year-long events, producing virtual programs on ASALH-TV and publishing books and resources for teachers and students. Essentially, ASALH picked up Woodson’s mantle as it continues to spread African-American history and culture across this country and the world. If Woodson were alive today, he would be less than annoyed by Americans, Whites and Blacks, leading attacks on the teaching of Critical Race Theory in grades K-12, despite their lack of understanding about what it means. Woodson was attacked, too, by racists who espoused the inferiority of Black people. But Woodson’s movement increasingly gained If Woodson were alive momentum and fueled the civil rights movement. today, he would be less Woodson’s many quotes define his beliefs and intentions, one than annoyed by of which states: "If a race has no Americans, Whites and history, if it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a negligiBlacks, leading attacks ble factor in the thought of the world and it stands in the danger on the teaching of of being exterminated." Critical Race Theory Learning and teaching Black History is more than memorizin grades K-12, ing names, dates and facts. Woodson urged, “The mere despite their lack of imparting of information is not understanding about education. Above all things, the effort must result in making a what it means. man think and do for himself.” WI
Readers' Mailbox
The Washington Informer welcomes letters to the editor about articles we publish or issues affecting the community. Write to: lsaxton@washingtoninformer. com or send to: 3117 Martin Luther King Jr Ave., SE, Washington, D.C. 20032. Please note that we are unable to publish letters that do not include a full name, address and phone number. We look forward to hearing from you.
TO THE EDITOR Dear Senior Editor (D. Kevin McNeir): The Ford family would like to thank you for your outstanding tribute in telling Mrs. Evelyn Ford’s story for her 100th Birthday on November 30, 2021. We appreciated the front page news and photos leading up to the story. Roy Lewis, the photographer, did an outstanding job and his presence was duly noted at the celebration at Model Cities Wellness Senior Center in Washington, D.C. on November 30, 2021. The story you wrote, published in the December 2-8, 2021 edition of The Washington Informer (https://www.washingtoninformer.com/evelyn-spriggsford-joins-d-c-s-elite-cohort-of-centenarians/, was a warm and family oriented account of Mrs. Ford’s life in Washington, D.C. I have recently mailed and shared copies of the story you wrote with family and friends. I want to personally thank you for your interest and time in writing a story on my mother, Mrs. Evelyn Spriggs Ford. She was very humble about all the attention she received. She read the story and looked at the photos in awe that someone would recognize her life as being important enough to write about. Sincerely, Pat Ford Neal Third Daughter of Mrs. Evelyn Spriggs Ford
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FEBRUARY 3 - 9, 2022 25
OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnist
Marcela Howell
Empowering Black Communities Ensures We Can Make Our Own Decisions with Dignity
It is no secret that our institutions and health care systems have long failed Black people. We see this in the sky-high rates of Black maternal death, infant mortality and poor health outcomes across the board. And now, we await one of the most consequential Supreme Court rulings that could push one of our health care options entirely out of reach for Black communities across the country. Access to abortion is deeply connected to
the health and economic security for individuals and families. Now is the time for bold action so that the Supreme Court does not deny another of our rights. Since 1973, Roe v. Wade has been the law of the land, and while abortion remains legal in all 50 states, it has never been widely accessible for Black communities, especially those of us working to make ends meet. In 2021 alone, 108 abortion restrictions were enacted, with the impact falling hardest on Black and brown people. For decades anti-abortion lobbyists and politicians have actively
Guest Columnist
worked against us by denying us the agency to determine and control our futures. The ugly truth is that abortion bans are rooted in white supremacy and anti-Black racism and are, by design, crafted to harm Black people. Bans are not about protecting our mothers, children and communities, but further controlling, marginalizing, and disempowering us. Throughout much of its history, the mainstream feminist movement ignored the needs of Black communities. In 1994, Black activists responded to this by creating a visionary framework — reproductive justice
— which is defined as "the human right to control our sexuality, our gender, our work and our reproduction — the right to have children, not have children, and parent the children we have in safe and healthy communities." While activists of color have historically practiced reproductive justice through our grassroots organizing, campaigns and broader social justice work, naming it has helped further focus on the needs of our communities as mainstream leaders have failed to recognize the unique challenges that Black women in particular face when trying to
obtain abortion care. Whether it's traveling long distances because abortion is not accessible in our communities, the inability to pay for abortion care, or facing racism from health care providers who are not invested in supporting our health and well-being, the consequences are steep. Abortion justice is only one part of our liberation, and we must view it within the wider context of racial, economic and environmental justice. The same challenges that prevent people from accessing other
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Marian Wright Edelman
Honoring Delta Sigma Theta President Cheryl Hickmon
On Jan. 20, Cheryl Hickmon, the national president of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., passed away. Delta Sigma Theta is part of the National Pan-Hellenic Council of the "Divine Nine" historically Black Greek letter institutions that for decades have produced a pipeline of community and political leadership.
They are often partners in the Children's Defense Fund's (CDF) mission and work. They were among the first organizations to support the CDF Freedom Schools initiative known as Chapters Beyond Books, a partnership between CDF and the Divine Nine, churches, community groups, faith-based organizations, and chapters of other prominent organizations that has distributed nearly 50,000 culturally-relevant books to children across the country to help mitigate learning loss during
Guest Columnist
the pandemic. Cheryl Hickmon had just been elected as the Deltas' National President in November 2021, carrying on a long legacy of civic involvement and service. She was initiated into the sorority as a student at South Carolina State University in 1982 and spent the next four decades as an active member holding elected and appointed leadership positions at the national, regional and local levels. She served as national first vice pres-
ident, national secretary, Eastern regional director, South Atlantic regional representative, co-chair of the National Scholarship and Standards Committee, co-chair of the National Leadership Academy, co-chair of the National Documents Review and Revision Task Force, and president of the Hartford Alumnae and Alpha Xi chapters before ultimately being elected national president. She was also a member of the NAACP, the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW), the Na-
tional Brotherhood of Skiers, and St. Monica's Episcopal Church. This was all in addition to her work supervising in vitro fertilization labs for andrology and endocrinology at Montefiore's Institute for Reproductive Medicine and Health in New York, where she spoke about how much joy she received helping people with the gift of children. Dr. LaKisha Grant-Washington, the sorority's current Hartford
EDELMAN Page 53
Marc H. Morial
McConnell Twists the Facts in Revealing Comment on Black Voting Rates
"Granted, this is not the bigotry of torches and hoods. No, this rhetorical decoupling of 'African' and 'American,' of Black people from normal human functions, represents 'only' the bigotry of the implicit assumption, the things some people believe without consciously knowing they do — much less in-
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terrogating why they do. For them, white is the default position, the color of generic American-ness and, truth be told, generic human-ness." — Leonard Pitts Jr. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has done everything in his considerable power to enable the wave of racially motivated voter suppression that has swept through state legislatures since the 2020 election. He has led five filibusters against voting rights legislation this
session alone. He continues to deny that voter suppression is a problem. And though there was very little doubt about the reason why it was jarring to hear him admit it so bluntly: Black Americans are not the same as "real" Americans. "African American voters are voting in just as high a percentage as Americans," McConnell blurted in response to a reporter's question about his obstructionism on voting rights.
More than a century and a half after the 14th Amendment granted Black Americans the full rights of citizenship, many still implicitly — and explicitly — consider "American" synonymous with "white." That's precisely why it's been so easy for states to pass laws that make it harder for Black and brown people to vote. It wasn't merely that Donald Trump lost that fueled the rage of the January 6 insurrectionists. It was
that Black and brown votes were a major factor in that loss. Trump won a majority of white votes and for far too many, including some at the highest levels of state and federal government, those are the only votes that should count. The implicit racism of McConnell's phrasing aside, his statement was blatantly false. Only twice in U.S. history did the Black voting
MORIAL Page 53
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OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnist
Ben Jealous
Celebrating Black Women on the Federal Bench
President Joe Biden's first year in office has brought both triumphs and disappointments. There's no question that the administration has work to do on voting rights and on passing the critical social infrastructure pieces of the Build Back Better plan. But firmly in the "wins" column is the president's extraordinary success nominating and confirming to the federal bench extraor-
dinarily qualified judges with a demonstrated commitment to civil rights, especially Black women judges. This is profoundly important to our legal system, to how justice is administered and to how everyday people experience life in our democracy, whether they ever find themselves in court or not. That's because even though the Supreme Court grabs headlines when it decides a big case, the high court takes only a few cases every year. The vast majority of federal cases is decided in the lower courts, at the circuit and district
Guest Columnist
levels. This is where rulings are made that affect our right to vote, to not be discriminated against in housing or on the job, to access health care, and so much more. Having a strong contingent of Black women judges on these courts means the lived experience they bring — in addition to their stellar legal credentials — is coming into play in deciding cases that will shape all our lives for years to come. The numbers tell a powerful story. A full 65% of President Biden's circuit court nominees have been
people of color. Three quarters have been women, and 42% have been Black women. These statistics break all previous records for inclusion on the critically important circuit courts, whose opinions establish the law in all the states in their region. The president has shown a similar commitment to diversity on the district courts, as well. And all this comes against a backdrop of record-shattering appointments overall: Biden has had more lower federal court judges (circuit and district combined) confirmed than
any other president in his first year, in 60 years. Probe beneath the numbers and you discover even more compelling stories: the personal histories of the Black women tapped by Biden to serve on our highest courts. A distinguished Yale Law School graduate, Candace Jackson-Akiwumi had her pick of high-powered legal jobs. She worked for a while at a prestigious law firm, then quit to become a public de-
tin Luther King Jr., taken from his 1967 book “Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?’’: "We must utilize the community action groups and training centers now proliferating in some slum areas to create not nearly an electorate but a conscious, alert and informed people who know their direction and whose collective wisdom and vitality commands respect. Power is not the white man’s birthright; it will not be legislated for us and delivered
in neat government packages. It is a social force any group can utilize by accumulating its elements in a planned, deliberate campaign to organize it under its own control.” As we witness what is happening today, it becomes obvious that the positions advocated by the Richmond Pilot and Dr. King and other serious Black folks, including Marcus Garvey, Brother Malcolm, Mary McLeod Bethune and Dr. C. Delores Tucker, must be
The first Civil War was not "Northern aggression against the South," but a calculated, armed attack on Ft. Sumter, S.C., a U.S. federal military outpost, with the intent to overthrowing U.S. authority over what became 11 Confederate states in order that slavery be maintained. Confederates were upset that Abraham Lincoln, who was a friend of the abolitionists, had won the election. Less than a month after his election in 1861, the attack was launched. Less than a month after
Lincoln's reelection in 1865, he was assassinated. Lincoln had counseled his countrymen to listen to the "Better Angels" of their souls and bend themselves and the country toward justice for the freed slaves. That was not to be. The country chose instead to pardon the insurrectionists and to withdraw federal troops protecting the freedmen in the South, and to
JEALOUS Page 54
A. Peter Bailey
Black Unity Needed for Serious Black Power
In 1992, I included the following two quotes in columns written for the Richmond Free Press, focusing on the critical need for Black organizations and institutions to become unified if they want to more effectively promote and protect the group interests of our people in this country. The first quote: "Black fraternal, civic and so-
cial organizations should act on suggestions made in the October 1919 issue of the People’s Pilot. Noting the potential power of Black organizations, the Richmond, Virginia-based paper said that ‘The day has come for us to use that power. In every Negro Society at this time, there should be an hour set aside for real, sensible, constructive work so that we can get the best results out of our splendid organizations all over the country. Instead of the old way and old things, we should have a
Askia-At-Large
leading man or woman read a prepared paper on civics, education, the ballot, health, the state government, the church, the suffrage or some other outstanding momentous questions of the hour. We should make these organizations our schoolrooms during these trying times. …" My only problem is economics was left out of their agenda. Otherwise, their position is as needed in 2022 as it was in 1919. A second 1992 column included the following quote from Dr. Mar-
BAILEY Page 54
Askia Muhammad
The Second Civil War is On the Horizon
After cheating and stealing in every election from now until kingdom come, when American Repugnikkkans win power again, they will proceed with all deliberate speed to transform this U.S. constitutional democracy into a fascist dictatorship. Do not pass "Go," do not collect $200. With all deliberate speed. Twice-impeached, one-term for-
mer President Donald J. Trump has promised that if elected, he will issue pardons to the insurrectionists who tried to overturn the election outcome by storming the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. What that means is that The Donald is promising that a vote for him is a vote for the lawless, white supremacist outcome, regardless of any future vote count or any laws to the contrary. The disgusting part about it is that he's not ashamed to boast of his lawless intentions, and
that millions and millions of people will vote for him again, despite the stench emitted each time someone pronounces his name. No more liberal pretense. This is it, this time for all the marbles. Republicans steal it! Game over! Even as some folks in this country strategize about war with Russia in Eastern Europe over Ukraine and war with China over Taiwan; they are promising that a second Civil War is rapidly on its way. Here's the proof.
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ASKIA Page 54 FEBRUARY 3 - 9, 2022 27
Fairlawn Home For Returning Citizens By Aja Beckham / Washington Informer PT 1 of 2 A home for returning citizens collapsed after developers built construction next door. “We’re basically homeless. All of our belongings, some of our personal information as far as birth certificates [and] social security cards are currently, right now inside of the home because the home has been condemned where we can’t go back inside,” says James Hutchings. Hutchings, 40, founded Incarcerated Lives Matter, a program that provides free housing to four returning citizens for up to 6 months, as well as jobs and programming. Hutchings, a returning citizen, launched the housing component of the program last year in June. Hutchings pays $3,300 for monthly rent at the 1614 Good Hope Road residence with funds from the non-profit. The house manager, Donald Murphy, 69, heard the bricks shifting at 7 a.m. on January 5, 2022. “I hollered, ‘We need to get out of the house because it’s collapsing,’” says Murphy. The front door wouldn’t open. The structure had sealed now that the bricks buckled and the structure of the home was disarranged. “Donald came up with the idea of getting out of the window,” says Fredrick Deshield, 46. “The house was vibrating when were exiting out.” The group of returning citizens is now displaced and cannot return to the property. Now, Incarcerated Lives Matter is suing developers for building a 35-unit apartment complex next door and the landlord. On January 24, Attorney Robert Maxwell of Maxwell & Price LLP, says a complaint was filed against 1600 Good Hope Road, Marlboro Construction, and Village Construction for “property damage and constructive eviction.” A complaint was also filed against the landlord, Cynthia Fox, as “the obligation for the residents to not be homeless falls on the landlord.” Attorney Robert Maxwell negotiated temporary housing at an Airbnb and hotel in Navy Yard, but as of January 28, the group has to check-out and find housing on their own.
5 Crystal Patterson, 57, was displaced during the pandemic after the home’s ceiling collapsed during the development of an illegally built school. (Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer)
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5 “I hollered, ‘We need to get out of the house because it’s collapsing,’” says Murphy. (Ja'Mon Jackson/The Washington Informer)
5 Incarcerated Lives Matter is a program that provides free housing to four returning citizens for up to 6 months, as well as jobs and programming. Now residents can’t enter the property for social security cards or birth certificates. (Ja'Mon Jackson/Washington Informer)
Cynthia Fox says she reached out to DCRA and public officials about the condos years ago because the developer didn’t have the proper permits. “I've been fighting for two and a half, almost three years about the 35 condos, and nobody, nobody from the city came to my aid until the house collapsed,” says Cythina Fox. Fox, owner for 31 years, purchased the property after graduating from high school. DCRA has been widely criticized by the D.C. Council and public for longstanding issues. In 2018, D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson introduced a bill that would break up the agency into two, one handling building permits and inspections and the other business licensing and consumer protection. A December 2020 D.C. Council committee report on the bill criticized DCRA for “substandard performance” specifically “housing code enforcement and illegal construction enforcement.” D.C. Council voted unanimously last year to separate the agency, despite that Mayor Bowser previously vetoed the bill. In December, Bowser shared the required transition plan, organizational chart for the separate agencies, and proposed execution deadline of Oct. 2022. Fox is concerned that the damage was “intentional because they’ve been asking me, almost forcing me to sell my house,” she says. “They’ve been asking for two years can they purchase the home.” The day that the structure toppled over was the most recent ask, Fox says. “Even the day that the house was cracking, the dumb developer asked me, ‘Do you want to sell the house now?’” Now Fox and Incarcerated Lives Matter returning citizens can’t return to the home. Hutchings started a GoFundMe to pay for group housing. “They don't have a roof over their heads that could be a trigger to fall back into criminal activity or any other type of mental meltdown,” says Hutchings. “I'm in the talks now, trying to get another house possibly on February first.” STAY TUNED FOR PART 2 IN OUR FEBRUARY 10th EDITION
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BLACK HISTORY month
Nationwide, Redistricting Process Raises the Stakes for Racial Electoral Power Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer The brief explosion in Black political representation in the latter half of the 19th century inspired widespread efforts to disenfranchise Black voters via literacy tests, the grandfather clause and other laws. Despite the best efforts of social justice organizers, attorneys and politicians, such methods continue to be used in the modern era, much to the detriment of Black voters and arguably other marginalized groups clamoring for political power. Gerrymandering, the process by which state officials redraw district boundaries to dilute racial and interest groups’ political power, has grown in popularity as the strategy of choice. Months after President Donald Trump’s (R) reelection efforts fizzled, Republicans continue to consolidate their power at the state and federal level through the redrawing of district maps. In Tennessee, where Republicans have long enjoyed a majority in the state legislature, the new congressional map places two Democratic incumbents, Reps. London Lamar and Torrey Harris, in the same Memphis district. Rural districts would also acquire portions of Memphis and Rutherford, Tenn., both of which are home to a significant portion of Black people and other nonwhite residents. Nashville, located in one of the fastest growing parts of Tennessee, has also been split three ways, prompting longtime Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper (D -TN 05) not to seek reelection. With a successful court challenge looking unlikely, some grassroots organizers like Tamara Bates have set their sights on educating Black voters and laying the groundwork for the 2024 election.
During the latter part of last year, Bates and other members of The Equity Alliance engaged state lawmakers about the BlackPrint, a compilation of policy solutions intended to solidify Black power. They have also been grooming candidates for the state legislature and school board. “We’re playing the long game,” Bates said. “What has happened is reactive, but The Equity Alliance has been ahead as far as tracking the bills and policies coming down the pipeline. We have also been stacking our dominoes for 2024 by building up our bench. There are many people who put their hats in the ring to run for office.”
A GAME THAT HAS GONE ON FOR DECADES
Every decade, after the completion of the Census, states and other jurisdictions undergo a redistricting process to equalize each political district’s population. Whether such actions can be designated as gerrymandering depends on the groups that challenge redistricting map proposals. At a time when portions of the Voting Rights Act have been gutted and efforts to pass new federal voter protection laws have been stunted, the battle to protect Black political power continues at the state level, in the legislatures and in the courts. This week, the federal courts in Arkansas heard a challenge to the state’s redistricting map. The Arkansas Public Policy Panel, Arkansas State Conference and National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) asked U.S. District Judge Lee Rudofsky to block the new map they said dilutes Black political power. Days earlier, Rudofsky refused to recuse himself from the trial despite his
ties to Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson (R) and Attorney General Leslie Rutledge. Similar situations have played out in Prince George’s County, Md., New York, Alabama and North Carolina with challenges coming from Democrats and Republicans. In North Carolina, the state’s supreme court heard a case this week to determine the constitutionality of a redistricting map approved by Republican lawmakers last year. The new map, aptly named the 11-3 map, redistricts the state of North Carolina so that Republicans dominate 11 of the districts. Changes include the splitting of North Carolina’s 1st District, located near the North-Carolina-Virginia border. On the new map, majority-Black districts that include Greensboro and Winston-Salem have also been divided. This incited fury among several Democrats, including Rep. G.K. Butterfield, who in response, announced his retirement in a video last November. A three-judge panel in North Carolina’s lower courts later designated the new map as a form of political gerrymandering. However, it didn’t meet their threshold of a constitutional violation. But Butterfield, first elected to represent North Carolina’s 1st District in 2004, vehemently disagreed. He said for more than 20 years, Republicans, with the use of voter data and mapping software, have manipulated district maps to meet their political interests. Butterfield called it a response to Democrats’ and Black people’s growing political power. He also predicted that the North Carolina Supreme Court would rule against the new map, forcing the state legislature to redraw the boundaries.
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5 Tamara Bates of Equity Alliance Nashville. (Courtesy photo)
“I tell voters to pay attention to what’s happening in your state capital and in Washington, D.C.,” Butterfield said. “What lawmakers are doing today and tomorrow will affect generations to come. You have to be aware, informed and engaged.”
THE POLITICS OF REDISTRICTING ON THE HOME FRONT
The District, an overwhelmingly Democratic city, has racial, economic, social and generational fault lines which the redistricting process exposed, as seen in discussions about the future layout of Ward 5, 7 and 8. Weeks after the approval of the finalized map, members of those communities continue to embrace and navigate their new realities. D.C. Councilmember Trayon White (D-Ward 8) recently conducted the third of several redistricting meetings to determine the next steps in including the more affluent, resource rich Navy Yard community into Ward 8. The expansion of Ward 8 beyond the Anacostia River and into Navy Yard, formerly of Ward 6, not only adds more amenities to Ward 8 but increases the ward’s wealth gap and creates three new ANC seats for Navy Yard residents to fill. In the months leading up to the D.C. redistricting committee’s approval of the new boundary lines, Ward 8 residents mulled over whether the addition of Navy Yard would weaken Black political representation. Conversations also
centered on the racial composition of Ward 8’s ANCs and the likelihood of non-Black people becoming ANC commissioners. However, as ANC Commissioner Jamila White (ANC 8A05) explained, the Ward 8 residents involved in discussions practiced cautious optimism about expanding their community. Even with some concerns about demographic changes, White said that the Ward 8 community members she engaged embraced the opportunity to attract more investment opportunities, create racial cohesion and tackle equity issues plaguing their communities. When it comes racial equity, White said the District government still has a long way to go in prioritizing Black residents. While recounting redistricting hearings she attended last year, she said residents in other parts of the District often expressed their apprehension about merging with majority-Black Ward 7 and 8 neighborhoods. “The way people [from other communities] talked about Wards 7 and 8 was disheartening. They looked down on us so much,” White said. “For D.C. to be one of the most progressive places [in the country], some of the verbal testimony [at the hearings] had undertones of anti-Black racism and a need to not be associated with Black people. It was clear that some people thought they were above us.” WI @SamPKCollins
FEBRUARY 3 - 9, 2022 29
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
U.S. Postal Service Salutes Legendary Sculptor Edmonia Lewis New Stamp Joins Historic Black Heritage Series Sarafina Wright WI Contributing Writer The U.S. Postal Service has honored the legendary sculptor Edmonia Lewis with its latest stamp in the Black Heritage Series. Lewis, the first African-American and Native American sculptor to earn international recognition, took her place as the 45th honoree in the series with stamp art featuring a portrait of Lewis based on a photograph by Augustus Marshall made in Boston between 1854 and 1871. “Edmonia Lewis was a woman of
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great courage, talent and perseverance who broke through gender, race and class barriers,” said Dr. Joshua D. Colin, the Postal Service’s chief retail and delivery officer, who served as the dedicating official. “The Postal Service is proud to honor this great American sculptor with a beautiful commemorative Forever stamp.” Who Was Edmonia Lewis? Lewis, known by an Ojibwe name that translated into English as Wildfire, made and sold crafts for tourists for part of her childhood when she lived with her aunts near Niagara Falls, N.Y. Many details of Lewis’s early life remain unclear and Lewis herself cultivated a deliberate air of mystery about her upbringing, wrote the U.S. Postal Service. Her brother, a successful entrepreneur, appears to have funded
her education – a rare opportunity for a young American woman in the 1850s. Lewis created her earliest known work of the muse Urania at Oberlin College in Ohio. In Boston in the early 1860s, she sculpted clay, plaster and marble busts and medallion portraits of famous men and women. She exhibited and sold plaster-cast replicas at public events. In 1865, Lewis sailed for Europe and settled in Rome where she created marble neoclassical sculptures that often incorporated African-American and Native American subjects. A Roman Catholic, she also made numerous religious sculptures and took commissions for sculptures for churches in Baltimore and Scotland. At the time, her studio became a must-see attraction for American tourists. She continued to sculpt busts of prominent Americans who visited Rome in the 1870s and 1880s
and she frequently returned to the United States to exhibit and sell her work. With more attention to Lewis’s life and career in recent decades, previously unlocated or unknown works have come to light and she has become more widely represented in museums and private collections. “As the public continues to discover the beautiful subtleties of Lewis’s work, scholars will further interpret her role in American art and the ways she explored, affirmed or de-emphasized her complex cultural identity to meet or expand the artistic expectations of her day,” wrote the U.S. Postal Service. The Edmonia Lewis Forever pane of stamps can be purchased at U.S. Post Office locations nationwide. The stamps are being shared with the hashtags #Edmonia Lewis and #BlackHeritageStamps. WI
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Before your next f light, visit some of our African American owned or operated businesses.
And many more!
The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority’s Department of Supplier Diversity’s mission is to promote regional economic development through the maximum utilization of small, local, minority and women-owned businesses. For more information, contact their office at 703-417-8660.
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FEBRUARY 3 - 9, 2022 31
IN MEMORIAM
Former Miss USA Cheslie Kryst, Just 30 Years Old, Commits Suicide Some Fear Depression Led to Beauty Queen’s Decision to End Her Life Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer As a lawyer, Cheslie Kryst worked pro bono for low-level drug offenders, founded White Collar Glam, a fashion blog dedicated to helping women dress professionally for office jobs, and modeled for Express’s retail company. Kryst, who won the 2019 Miss USA pageant and worked as a correspondent for the entertainment news
television show “Extra,” reportedly committed suicide on January 30. Authorities said the beauty queen, 30, jumped to her death from her 29th floor New York apartment. “In devastation and great sorrow, we share the passing of our beloved Cheslie,” the Kryst family wrote in a statement. “Her great light was one that inspired others around the world with her beauty and strength. She cared, she loved,
she laughed and she shined.” The statement continued: “Cheslie embodied love and served others, whether through her work as an attorney fighting for social justice, as Miss USA, and as a host on EXTRA. But most important, as a daughter, sister, friend, mentor and colleague — we know her impact will live on.”
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5 Cheslie Kryst (Courtesy photo)
Hyattsville, Md. Mayor Kevin Ward Allegedly Takes Own Life at 44
Authorities Point to Self-inflicted Gunshot as Apparent Cause of Death D. Kevin McNeir WI Senior Editor Suicide served as the alleged cause of death for Kevin Ward, 44, mayor of Hyattsville, Md. who died on January 25. Authorities discovered his body in an urban area not far from the District. “It is with great sadness that we report that our beloved Hyattsville Mayor Kevin Ward passed away yesterday . . . from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound," a post on the official website for Hyattsville said on Wednesday. While few details have been released confirming the cause or reason behind Ward’s death, the issue of suicide has captured headlines in recent weeks following the reported deaths of Ian Alexander, Jr.,
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26, the son of actress Regina King, Peter Robbins, who served as the voice of “Charlie Brown,” and the sons of both Sinead O’Conner and Michael Madsen. However, suicide does not discriminate between those who may hold celebrity status and those deemed “ordinary people.” It currently counts as the tenth-leading cause of death in the U.S. As the Washington Informer surmised in an editorial published Jan. 27, 2022, which addressed the tragic death of Regina King’s son just days after his 26th birthday in January and the growing prevalence of suicide in the Black community, (https://www. washingtoninformer.com/edito-
WARD Page 36
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A Train Ride to Your Black History Submitted by Amtrak Black History Month is a great time to not only reflect on the important contributions made by so many Americans, but it allows us the opportunity to dream and to learn by immersing ourselves in Black culture. Spanning the East Coast, the Midwest and the West Coast, Amtrak can take you to historic sites rich in Black culture that we should all visit. Black History comes alive at locations like: • Beale Street Historic District, Memphis TN • National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, Cincinnati, Ohio • International Civil Rights Center & Museum, Greensboro, North Carolina • Frederick Douglass National Historic Site, Washington, D.C. • Lincoln Park, Chicago, Illinois • Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, Washington, D.C. • John Coltrane House, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania • Historic Charleston's Religious and Community Buildings, Charleston, SC Amtrak is the best way to visit these places. Instead of traveling by road or air, let Amtrak take you on a journey full of unique experiences in a comfortable and relaxing travel setting. Amtrak connects communities, enabling passengers to reach almost any destination with an easy boarding process, no middle seats and without the stress and hassles of driving. Amtrak is a perfect travel choice for families, groups, and individuals. With comfy seats, private rooms, and lots of options to fit your schedule, Amtrak can safely get you to 500+ destinations nationwide.
A LOOK BACK AT OUR PAST
As America’s Railroad®, Amtrak is the nation’s intercity passenger
rail service and its only high-speed rail operator. Amtrak and its state and commuter partners move people, the economy, and the nation forward. With over 50 years of rich American history, Amtrak has worked to transform a classic form of transportation, preserving those aspects of train travel that are timeless while modernizing other aspects to increase efficiency and comfort. In fiscal year 2019, Amtrak carried more than 32 million customers — proving that America’s longstanding love of travel still includes our classic and storied mode of transportation in its modern form. The Railroad’s role in Black history is evident in the contributions Amtrak’s Pullman porters have made to America on and off the rails. The porters helped other Black families move north by spreading information about opportunities in northern cities; they delivered Black newspapers like the Chicago Defender and the Pittsburgh Courier to people hungry to read about their own stories; they brought music and records back and forth between north and south, spreading cultural movements that would change the nation. From the late 1860s through the late 1960s, Pullman porters served as human guidebooks for Black travelers, a resource for information about safe places to stay and eat as they traveled. Though the term ‘porter’ has been replaced with the more acceptable ‘sleeping car attendant’ their legacy remains an important part of Black History.
Amtrak began nearly 50 years ago, and the times are calling on Amtrak to evolve even further – both inside and outside the company. We do more than simply run trains. We are a customer service and mobility company that provides a safe, modern, and efficient travel experience. To deliver on that promise, we have to be accountable to and for all of our stakeholders, which is why diversity, inclusion and belonging are so integral to our mission. At Amtrak, having a diverse workforce is more than “the right thing to do”; it is a business imperative. Amtrak is proud of its di- that creating that environment is a verse workforce and is committed to complex and multifaceted task. We creating a work environment where cannot do it alone or in a vacuum. diverse backgrounds, experiences So, while we are striving to continuand ideas are welcomed, heard, and ally improve diversity, inclusion and respected. Our goal is to create an belonging in our own culture, we are inclusive environment where all em- also working to drive positive change ployees have a true sense of belong- for our communities, industry, and Amtrak Washington Informer .pdf 1 2/1/22 3:33 PM ing. the country by working with our cusAt the same time, we recognize tomers, suppliers, business partners
and the communities we serve to push us all forward. Whether you’re visiting far-away historic sites or just looking to take a short trip to experience history closer to home. Amtrak is a convenient, safe, and comfortable travel option. Rediscover History. Rediscover America. Just An Amtrak Away.
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AMTRAK’S COMMITMENT TO THE FUTURE
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Connecting Amtrak’s past with our future is important. Amtrak has renewed its commitment to diversity, inclusion and belonging with a sense of optimism and hope. The past year and a half of living through a pandemic has been challenging, but it has also been revealing. We are in a time of transformation. Our country has changed in many ways since
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FEBRUARY 3 - 9, 2022 33
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
NNPA’s Chavis Tells D.C. Black History Audience to ‘Push Forward’
President and CEO for Nation’s Black Press Delivers Timely Message James Wright WI Staff Writer The leader of the trade association of Black newspapers told a virtual audience on Feb. 1 that African Americans must “push forward” in the struggle for civil and voting rights and the Black Press will assist them by chronicling their efforts. Dr. Benjamin Chavis, president and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association [NNPA], served as the keynote
speaker for the DC Black History Celebration Committee Virtual Black History Month Kickoff. He repeated the editorial call of the first Black-owned newspaper in the U.S., Freedom’s Journal, founded March 16, 1827 by Samuel Cornish and John Russwurm. “We wish to plead our own cause, too long others have spoken for us,” Chavis said, quoting a line of the editorial Cornish and Russwurm published. “It was important what they said because while there may have been
people who were our allies and sympathetic to our cause, their information about us may not have been accurate and not as forceful as it should be,” he said. District historian Chuck Hicks has organized the DC Black History celebration for many years. In addition to Chavis’s speech, poet Marvin Bowser performed “Lift Every Voice and Sing” as a poem and The Black Workers Center Chorus sang the familiar song. Former D.C. Councilmember Frank Smith talked about the lat5 Dr. Benjamin Chavis. (Courtesy photo)
est developments with the African American Civil War Memorial which he manages while D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D) updated the audience on the latest news regarding D.C. Statehood. D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) spoke about honoring the history of Black parents who sought to desegregate the District’s school system in the 1940s and 1950s and in a video message, Michael Curtis, the deputy head of the European Union delegation to the U.S., delivered remarks praising the committee and its efforts. Hicks honored Black worker’s rights advocate Luci Murphy and social justice photographer and documentary producer Phil Portlock for their years of work and activism. Ward 8 political and civic activist Aaron Holmes served as the moderator and the host of the event. Washington Informer Publisher Denise Rolark Barnes introduced Chavis to the audience. Chavis noted how Black newspapers have been in existence for 195 years. He said the Black Press’s origins occurred in concert with other African-American institutions. “Along with the Black Press we have the Black church, the Black family, Black colleges, Black civil rights organizations and progressive movements that have carried our people,” he said. “We have made a lot of progress as a people in 195 years. The Black Press has
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continued to advocate and amplify the cause of Black America.” However, Chavis warned the audience of being complacent in the face of right-wing resistance. “We must not allow the forces of oppression and reactionary policies to hold us back,” he said. “We must push forward.” He said voter suppression exists in states including Texas, Georgia, Florida and even Virginia “which is right across the river.” “Things are slipping backward in Virginia,” Chavis said. He called for the District to become the 51 state and said if city residents had two senators “the voting rights bills and the George Floyd bill would have become law.” Chavis said District residents, however, need to vote in higher percentages in their elections and encouraged a massive voter turnout in the November general election. “They are saying that we are going to lose the House and the Senate in November because that is the historic trend,” he said. “I don’t believe that. What happens in 2022 affects what could happen in 2024. We cannot get sidetracked about issues such as critical race theory. We must turn out and vote in 2022. What is our plan?” Chavis observed that while celebrating Black History Month “is a good thing, we have to remember that the Black Press celebrates Black history every week and every day.” WI @JamesWrightJr10
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STUDENTS from Page 24 Whitfield will host a book club where students and staff members will read Lewis’ book, “Pregnant Girl: A Story of Teen Motherhood, College and Creating a Better Future for Young Families.” In 2018, she graduated from George Washington University with a bachelor’s degree in exercise science and a minor in public health. During her freshman and sophomore years, Whitfield’s grades plummeted as she, on a scholarship which didn’t pay for family housing, struggled to take care of her infant son in a tumultuous home environment. Though she would later find her footing after joining Generation Hope, Whitfield lamented having to explain to professors the parental obligations that kept her from turning in assignments on time. In an environment where so few full-time students had children, Whitfield said she felt ostracized for going to college while caring for a child. “Generation Hope encouraged me to let my teachers know about
my parenting status. I was a novelty [so teachers] either didn’t care or pitied me; I didn’t like that,” Whitfield said. “They were unaware about how to handle my situation. [That’s why] I would like to discuss trends [in the book club] and what GW can do as a campus to help students who have children.” WI @SamPKCollins
“Generation Hope encouraged me to let my teachers know about my parenting status. I was a novelty [so teachers] either didn’t care or pitied me; I didn’t like that,” Whitfield said.
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
Black History Month Opens with Over a Dozen Bomb Threats at HBCUs Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer
More than a dozen historically Black colleges and universities received bomb threats on Tuesday, February 1. The threats, the second in two days, arrived on the first day of Black History Month. Howard University in Washington, D.C., again found itself the target of such ominous threats. The school issued a shelter-in-place order on Tuesday. “A bomb threat against the university is being investigated,” read a 3:29 a.m. alert from Howard University. “All persons on campus are advised to shelter in place until more information is available.” The school later issued an all-clear. The University of the District of Columbia, Morgan State University and Coppin State University in Baltimore; Fort Valley State University in Fort Valley, Georgia; Kentucky State
As we celebrate Black History Month in February, we recognize and honor the accomplishments of so many who have helped shape the face and future of our nation.
University in Frankfort, Kentucky; Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans; Edward Waters University in Jacksonville, Florida; Alcorn State University in Lorman, Mississippi and Mississippi Valley State University in Itta Bena, Mississippi; Spelman College in Atlanta; Jackson State University in Jackson, Mississippi; and Tougaloo College in Tougaloo, Mississippi, all reported bomb threats.
In a statement, Morgan State University President David K. Wilson expressed his sorrow upon confirming that the school had received a bomb threat, adding that some had questioned the veracity of the threat. “Unfortunately and sadly, it is,” he said. “The campus is being searched building-by-building this morning with our residential halls being searched first.” WI
5 Howard University. (Courtesy photo)
HARRIET TUBMAN FREDERICK DOUGLASS
BLACK HISTORY MONTH DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR,
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FEBRUARY 3 - 9, 2022 35
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
KRYST from Page 32
Tributes poured in through social media and other outlets for the beauty queen known for wearing her crown atop her naturally curly hair. “Such incredibly sad news,” Bernice King, the daughter of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King, tweeted. “Depression creates deep despair and an overwhelming illusion that there’s no way forward in life,” King said. “Remember, looking good and doing good doesn’t equal feeling and thinking good.” Officials at Miss Universe also tweeted their devastation. “We are devastated to learn about the loss of Miss USA 2019, Cheslie Kryst. She was one of the brightest, warmest and most kind people we have ever had the privilege of knowing,” pageant officials tweeted. “Our entire community mourns her loss and our thoughts and prayers are with her family right now.” The 68th Miss USA, Kryst was born in Jackson, Michigan to Rodney
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Kryst and April Simpkins. She was raised by her mother and stepfather, David Simpkins and had four brothers and one sister. In 2013, Kryst won the 1L Trial Bar Competition Finals and graduated from the University of South Carolina with a bachelor’s degree in marketing and human resource management. A track and field star, Kryst turned her attention to law and beauty pageants. She began work at the Poyner Spruill firm as an attorney in civil litigation. In 2016, she earned fourth runner-up at the Miss North Carolina USA pageant. Then, in 2018, she finished in the top 10 in the Miss North Carolina USA competition, also earning her law degree from Wake Forest University School of Law. She won the Miss North Carolina USA title one year later and then became a correspondent for EXTRA. “She was sunshine personified,” said her friend, CBS journalist Nathaniel Burleson. WI
WARD from Page 32 rial-suicide-of-regina-kings-sonmay-bring-critical-attention-toproblem-among-young-blacks/), suicide has reached unprecedented heights among Black youth, particularly Black girls. Worldwide, suicide represents the fourth-leading cause of death for adolescents ages 15-19. A host of warning signs can be found for those who may be more likely to consider, attempt, or die by suicide including: mental, mood or anxiety disorders; alcohol or other substance use; hopelessness; family history, job or financial loss; and a history of abuse or trauma. And while there remain treatments for those dealing with suicidal thoughts, including medication or psychotherapy, and while one can recover with the proper treatment, it’s imperative that if you believe you know someone who may be in danger of commit-
5 Kevin Ward. (Courtesy photo)
ting suicide, that you immediately reach out for help on their behalf. Contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline for assistance
at www.suicidepreventionlifeline. org or call them, 24 hours a day, at 800-272-8255. WI @mcneirdk
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When the story being told is personal to the storyteller, it makes an emotional connection. And when their story is your story as well, then the connection is even stronger. Just say, “Black Experience,” into your Xfinity Voice Remote and enjoy the largest curated Independent Black Film Collection on demand, plus new and classic TV shows, blockbuster movies, and much more. Xfinity, where Black History is always on. Sign up today at xfinity.com/blackexperience
Restrictions apply. Not available in all areas. Requires Xfinity TV with X1 and compatible TV box or Xfinity Flex and Xfinity Internet. ©2022 Comcast. All Rights Reserved. Based on review of curated content between September and December 2021.
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Who tells the story makes the difference
LIFESTYLE Jazz Great Christian McBride Honors Civil Rights Legends
3 Bassist, composer and bandleader Christian McBride presents his civil rights suite, “The Movement Revisited,” at the Kennedy Center on Feb. 4. A seven-time Grammy winner, McBride puts to music the words of Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, Martin Luther King, Jr. and President Barack Obama. (Courtesy photo)
‘The Movement Revisited’ Serves as a Lesson in American History Brenda C. Siler WI Contributing Writer While interpreting milestones from the civil rights movement can be a daunting task, Christian McBride has proven himself equal to the challenge with “The Movement Revisited” – an inspiring, four-part composition slated
for performance at the Kennedy Center on Feb. 4. McBride's epic production gives us words from Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and President Barack Obama. Accompanying those words will be the 17-piece Christian McBride Big Band.
“This piece was not written to make a definitive history or statement on Black history,” said seven-time Grammy winner McBride during our recent conversation. “If you look at a specific time in our country's history, there have always been some Black people who have been very important in keeping us afloat,” he said. For the Kennedy Center performance, the words from civil rights icons will be voiced by: Keith David (Greenleaf, The Thing); Tamara Tunie (Law and Order: SVU, Spring Awakening); Vondie Curtis-Hall (Chicago Hope, Daredevil); and Dion Graham (Malcolm X, The Wire). Vocalist Alicia Olatuja, the Howard Gospel Choir and Choir Director J.D. Steele will round out the ensemble.
3 Bassist, composer and bandleader Christian McBride presents his civil rights suite, “The Movement Revisited,” at the Kennedy Center on Feb. 4. A seven-time Grammy winner, McBride puts to music the words of Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, Martin Luther King, Jr. and President Barack Obama. (Courtesy photo)
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GROWTH OF THE MOVEMENT
“The Movement Revisited,” commissioned in 1998 by the Portland (Maine) Arts Society, initially began as a piece for a quartet and gospel choir. It grew in scope in 2008 when the L.A. Philharmonic asked McBride to revise and enlarge it for their upcoming season. American race history from the 50s through the 70s served as McBride's inspiration for the suite. “When I was growing up, these pieces came from my grandmother's huge collection of Jet and Ebony magazines,” said McBride recalling a staple of many Black homes. “I didn't necessarily learn a lot of history from Scholastic Books.” Seeing Black people covered in two national magazines from Johnson Publishing, a Blackowned company, became tools for McBride to see history through a different lens. Along with picking up more facts from school and his family, he said he created the suite
around voices which spoke to his spirit. A CD of the suite, recorded on the Mack Avenue Records in September 2013, would not be released until nearly seven years later due to legal matters. “We knew that it was going to be a task getting clearance rights to use the actual words of the historic people featured in the suite,” said McBride, host of “Jazz Night in America” on National Public Radio. Since its formative years in 1998, McBride’s suite has followed a meandering path – similar to the way the country has moved. “In 1998, one could say it might have been called ‘peacetime,’” McBride said. “That's why it was called ‘The Movement Revisited.’ I don't know if we revisit. We are creating new movements.” For tickets, visit https://www. kennedy-center.org. WI
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SUPREME COURT from Page 16 lays out why the time is now for a Black woman justice on the Supreme Court,” said Glynda C. Carr, president and CEO of Higher Heights. “Black women have shown how powerful our activism and organizing can be in politics, yet we are still grossly underrepresented in leadership on every level. There are zero Black women on the Supreme Court, zero Black women in the Senate, zero Black women governors and zero Black women have ever served as president of this country,” Carr said.
DEALERSHIP from Page 12 been in the same location along Branch Avenue for 52 years. Some 80 employees work at Banister Ford with about 125 vehicles in stock. Banister represents one of the only two Blacks who own car dealerships in Prince George’s County. In fact, they’re the only two Blacks with dealerships in the entire state of Maryland. Damon Lester, owner of Nissan of Bowie who also acquired his dealership in April, said he tried 16 times to become a car dealer. “It is very crushing to be told no 16 times,” he said. “It’s very challenging. But it proves I know how to help people become dealers [because] I tried for several years.” Unlike Banister, Lester doesn’t have a typical automobile background. He’s not only a certified public accountant but he has served as the
“There is no doubt that Black women are uniquely qualified to lead in these roles and we call on President Biden to address this major gap in representation,” she said. On Jan. 28, Black women leaders from numerous organizations sent a public letter to President Biden thanking him for honoring his promise to nominate the first Black woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court by the end of February 2022. “Once again you are seizing this moment in history to lead with a vision of America at its best and ensuring that the leadership of president of the National Association of Minority Automobile Dealers, based in Largo, for 20 years. Out of the 18,000 dealerships nationwide, 1,200 are minority-owned with 266 owned by Blacks. More stats: 95% of all minority dealerships represent first-generation owners who compete against fourth and fifth generation-owned businesses. In the D.C. area, they include Koons, Darcars and Ourisman. “When we look at minority dealerships, particularly Black dealers, 99% of us are in our first 30-year mortgage,” Lester said. “We haven’t been able to create multi-generational wealth that would establish our family name and legacy – but we’re on the way.” To read the rest of the story, check out The Washington Informer’s Feb. 17 edition in our Black History Month section. WI @WJFjabariwill
our democracy reflects a diversity of lived experiences at the highest levels,” the letter said. The group said there exist numerous highly-qualified Black women jurists and attorneys to nominate for the Supreme Court. Among them: federal and state judges; former law clerks with legal experience at the district, appellate, and supreme court levels; noted law professors from public and private institutions; partners in prominent law firms; federal, state and local prosecutors; and public defenders. “The combination of outstanding credentials, character and lived experience as Black women more than ensure you will be successful in selecting a nominee who is more than worthy of a lifetime appointment to our highest court,” the letter said. “Further, we are urging the U.S. Senate to fulfill its constitutional responsibility by swiftly holding the hearings and bringing your nominee, once announced, to the floor for a confirmation vote.” WI
LIFESTYLE
(Courtesy photo)
Great seats for $32!
Book by Nolan Williams, Jr. and Nikkole Salter; Music and Lyrics by Nolan Williams, Jr.; Directed and Choreographed by Robert Barry Fleming
March 18-May 14, 2022 5 Dan Banister with his family last year at Bannister Ford of Marlow Heights. His family from left to right: wife, Beverly Banister; and their children, Daniel Duncan Banister, Jr., and Jordan Danielle Banister. (Photo courtesy Dan Banister)
Season Sponsor: Chevron Lead Underwriter: ConocoPhillips Underwriters: Centene Charitable Foundation, The Home Depot, KPMG LLP, Meta, United Parcel Service
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Alvin Ailey Dance Theater Returns Celebrating its Founder’s Gift to the World D. Kevin McNeir WI Senior Editor
The acclaimed Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has returned to the District with performances continuing now through Feb. 6 at the Kennedy Center Opera House stage. Led by Robert Battle on his 10th anniversary as artistic director, audiences will be swept away with seven performances featuring a mix of new productions, a D.C. premiere and enduring favorites. During the Center’s 50th anniversary season, Ailey marks its seventh decade and 50-year relationship with the Center. The dance company first took to the stage during the Center’s 1971 opening performance of Leonard Bernstein’s MASS, which significantly featured the commission of new choreography by Alvin Ailey. Since then, the company has had a long-standing impact on the world of modern dance and a unique role in celebrating the African-American cultural experience. The company’s performances include 13 works along with Alvin Ailey’s American masterpiece, “Revelations,” which will be performed as the finale for all seven programs. In addition, two of the
works were created on video during the COVID-19 pandemic and later staged in-person. Highlights include the following: In its D.C. premiere, Ailey Resident Choreographer Jamar Roberts’ “Holding Space” examines the ways in which we are taking care. The ensemble work asks: in what ways we can collectively accommodate one another to better traverse this new and unprecedented terrain? Another premiere comes with “For Four,” a work created on video during the pandemic and later staged in person and set to a Wynton Marsalis jazz score. It captures the pent-up energy of a world cooped up during the pandemic. “Cry,” last seen at the Kennedy Center in 2019, represents Ailey’s beloved classic dedicated to “all Black women everywhere – especially our mothers.” The 16-minute solo, first danced by Judith Jamison, has three parts: the first set to Alice Coltrane’s “Something about John Coltrane,” the second to Laura Nyro’s “Been on a Train” and the last with the Voices of East Harlem singing “Right On, Be Free.” Ailey’s masterpiece, “Revelations,” was choreographed when he was only 29. It serves as an intimate
LIFESTYLE
(Photos courtesy Alvin Ailey Dance Theater)
reflection inspired by childhood memories of attending services at Mount Olive Baptist Church in Texas. Additionally, it’s undergirded with the work of writers James Baldwin and Langston Hughes. It’s set to a suite of traditional spirituals and explores the emotional spectrum of the human condition, from the deepest of grief to the holiest joy. It should be noted that “Revelations” has been seen by more people around the world than any other modern work. More about this visionary choreographer who used his artistry to celebrate his African-American heritage and to change American dance and culture, can be seen on the new documentary film AILEY, streaming on PBS and Hulu thru February 11. Dancers from the Greater Washington Area include: Ghrai DeVore-Stokes, Jermaine Terry, Samantha Figgins, Jacqueline Green, Courtney Celeste Spears, Corrin Rachelle Mitchell and Miranda Quinn. For more about Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, visit alvinailey. org. For tickets, visit www.kennedy-center.org. WI
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ISRAEL BAPTIST CHURCH INTERIM PASTOR JOB VACANCY Israel Baptist Church 1251 Saratoga Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20018 Israel Baptist Church is prayerfully seeking an Interim Pastor, who will be responsible for carrying out the ministerial duties of the congregation, as well as prepare the congregation for the individual that will be selected as the next Senior Pastor. If you are interested, please go the church’s website @ www. israelbaptistchurch.org and click on the Interim Pastoral Job Vacancy link for detailed information and to apply. Deadline: Opening Date: Tuesday, February 1, 2022 Closing Date: Wednesday, March 2, 2022 Have questions? Email Interimpastor@israelbaptistchurch.org
FEBRUARY 3 - 9, 2022 41
© 2022 by Vicki Whiting, Editor Jeff Schinkel, Graphics Vol. 38, No. 11
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Cutting Down on Drag
he people who compete in the Winter Olympics are more than great athletes. They are also masters of science. Gold Medal athletes know about the science of a fall line, drag and friction. Find the definition of each of these words on the page. Write the definition in the Gold Medal Dictionary.
While we don’t always feel air, we are always moving against it. The faster we move, the more we can feel the air rushing past us. Air is actually slowing down our motion. This is called drag.
Standards Link: Life Science: Reading Comprehension: Follow simple written directions.
Standards Link: Vocabulary Development: Use a dictionary or context clues to find the meaning of words.
Fall Line
Downhill skiers crouch with their chests to their knees. They try to be very small, so that only a little of their body is in contact with the air. This lessens the drag. Skiers who have the least amount of drag will ski faster.
Competitors in downhill skiing, the luge and bobsled races look for the fall line. The fall line is the quickest way down a hill. When a sled moves away from the fall line, the athlete must steer to correct the path, losing energy and speed. Add up the numbers following each bobsled track. The animal athlete with the lowest number has found the fall line and wins the gold! Standards Link: Physical Science: When forces on an object are unbalanced, the object will change its velocity (i.e., it will speed up, slow down or change direction).
Drag Racers
Look at the three skiers. They are all skiing down the fall line. The one with the least drag will win. Circle the skier you think will win. To find out each skier’s time, add up the numbers above each skier. The skier with the fastest time wins the gold! Standards Link: Number Sense: Calculate sums to 30.
What is Friction?
Friction is the rubbing of one object or surface against another. Place your two palms together with your palms only lightly touching each other. Slide your palms back and forth against each other. There is only a little friction and your hands move easily. Push your palms tightly together and try to move them back and forth. It will be harder to move your palms because there is a lot of friction and that slows the motion. Now put soap and water on your hands. This will reduce the friction and your hands should move together faster. Athletes wax skis, boards and runners to lower friction and help them go faster. Standards Link: Science: Identify forces that can act on an object, including friction.
42 FEBRUARY 3 - 9, 2022
The athlete who did the best job waxing their board will win this race. (The lowest number is the fastest time.)
Each of these animal athletes won an event on this page. Draw a line from each gold medal to its winner.
SCIENCE MEDAL ATHLETES OLYMPICS BOBSLED SKIER SPIRIT FRICTION DRAG FALL LINE GOLD LUGE KNEES RACERS
G O F O D T L B U C
G K T A I G O L D O A A L R L B L E C S
R E I K S L O N C M
D P O L Y M P I C S
S R E C A R E L P E
E D S E E N K D T G
N O I T C I R F A U S E T E L H T A I L
Standards Link: Letter sequencing. Recognize identical words. Skim and scan reading. Recall spelling patterns.
Science Behind the Scenes
The communities that host the Olympic games must respect the environment. Look through the newspaper for ways people protect the environment. Can you find any ideas for protecting the environment during the games?
Standards Link: Earth Science: Know ways in which humans can change ecosystems.
Look through the newspaper to find pictures and words that represent the above words. Make a Spirit of the Olympics poster with your findings. Standards Link: Visual Arts: Understand and apply media techniques and processes.
National Hero
Who is your favorite national hero? What is it about this person that you admire most? What character traits does this person have?
THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM
Standards Lin Follow simple
Complete the in the word S horizontal ro be used once have been fil
LIFESTYLE
wi book review "Immortal Valor: The Black Medal of Honor Winners of World War II" By Robert Child c.2022, Osprey Publishing/ Bloomsbury $30 288 pages Terri Schlichenmeyer WI Contributing Writer You'd need that pin to get in. Put it on your chest and you'd get access to an exclusive club. The pin tells the world what you did, that you were elite, that you acted with honor. If you earned the pin, you'd wear it with pride. In "Immortal Valor" by Robert Child, it's a beribboned thing that you'd definitely deserved. Almost since the birth of this country, soldiers who have exhibited bravery above and beyond their normal duties have been given medals for military merit. Says Child, almost 3,500 Medals of Honor have been awarded so far in the history of America; "Less than 3 percent … have been awarded to … African Americans …" Of the 500 Medals of Honor awarded for service during World War II, just seven of them went to Black soldiers. That may not be a surprise. Racism was an everyday occurrence then and Black soldiers "knew only segregation" which "meant inequality." Even so, the men in this book didn't let racism stop them from serving their country. It didn't stop them from exceptional acts. Charles Thomas was working at Ford in Dearborn, Michigan, when he was drafted into the Army. In the midst of battle in Climbach, France, Thomas was injured but continued to lead his men. If Vernon Baker hadn't seen much racism at home in Wyoming, he surely saw it after he enlisted in the Army. It was never as blatant, though, as it was when a white officer was given credit "for the actions [which Baker] performed …" Willy James was killed trying to reach "his fatally-wounded platoon leader." Edward Allen Carter Jr. was 15 years old and living in Shanghai with his missionary family when he volunteered to fight with the Chinese; four years later, he visited the American embassy and asked to be assigned to Abyssinia with the American troops. George Watson lost his life attempting to save one. Ruben Rivers went into the Army with his younger brother. John Fox left a prestigious college to attend one with an ROTC program, so strong was his desire to serve … So what makes these men unique? Author Robert Child explains the rest of the story: in 1993, a study showed that these men didn't get the honors for which they were recommended. It took another four years before they finally received their medals, more than five decades after wars' end. Child tells readers how this happened; he also says that other men are still waiting. That all makes "Immortal Valor" part irritation, part history. The former lies waiting, wrapped in small biographies of those men, Jim Crow tales, and stories of valor so long unrecognized. The latter could be a bit of a challenge for civilians: along with tales of American society, it's a lot of battles-and-dates information that, even so, pulses with adrenaline, blood, screams, and jaw-dropping bravery. Go into "Immortal Valor" knowing this and you'll burst with outrage and pride at nearly every word. Especially for veterans and their families, this is a book to pin down. WI
horoscopes
FEB 3 - 9, 2022
ARIES When the week starts, you'll be drawn to checking off things on your to-do list that can be accomplished best with your significant other, a close work colleague, or your best friend. Although you trust your own instincts and abilities, you feel working one-on-one to cross the finish line can provide a more fulfilling experience and end result now. Lucky Numbers: 5, 31, 44 TAURUS You could suffer from a tendency to want to enjoy yourself a bit too much at the beginning of the week. You can have flirty fun with your special someone and maybe even shrug off your daily grind by seeing where the moment takes you, but make sure to do it in a measured way to prevent burnout. Later, you might be inspired to research then take on a whole new approach to an ongoing wellness concern. Lucky Numbers: 1, 2, 6 GEMINI You'll have a burning desire to get in touch with your most playful, carefree side at the week's start. Consider activities that make you feel like a kid (like dancing) or like you're falling in love again (like visiting a particular date spot), and find a way to weave them into your schedule. Giving in to these urges has you feeling fulfilled emotionally. Lucky Numbers: 7, 10, 15 CANCER When the week begins, you might find yourself fantasizing about planning a long-distance trip and meeting a potential lover or sharing a whole new experience with a current sweetheart. Let yourself revel in these imaginative thoughts, because you could very well manifest them into reality. Later, you'll want to spend quiet time close to home. Lucky Numbers: 3, 25, 36 LEO You're sure to notice an uptick in the sheer volume of messages and invites you receive early in the week. You could be torn between putting your social butterfly networking skills to use and feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the noise, wanting to crawl into your cave to take care of yourself above all else. Just be sure to be prudent about the conversations you have and the invites you accept and you can strike the right balance. Lucky Numbers: 23, 29, 37 VIRGO You could be inclined to tackle a major undertaking with loved ones as the week starts out. Whether it's a family party you want to plan or a redecorating project, your tendency could be to take on too much in a short period of time. Striving for a more measured approach can keep everyone firing on all cylinders. Later, the cosmos provides an ideal opportunity to brainstorm new forms of cash flow and ideas to make money. Whatever resonates now is a seed you'll do well to plant and watch grow. Lucky Numbers: 2, 13, 50 LIBRA A burst of confidence and energy makes it easier to pursue bold wellness goals in the beginning of the week. Although you might want to do everything from stepping up your workouts to eating cleaner and meditating more, and anything you want to achieve is possible, you'll do well to zero in on the aims you feel most passionate about. Lucky Numbers: 11, 12, 44 SCORPIO Proposing a grand-scale pitch to higher-ups might be in the cards at the start of the week. You'll be feeling especially confident and fortunate, which can translate to a winning presentation. Later, you'll do well to take a step back from the daily grind to reflect on your needs and dreams, reassessing whether your goals are still relevant. Lucky Numbers: 3, 13, 14 SAGITTARIUS You might gravitate to group projects and bouncing creative ideas off of friends and colleagues at the week's start. Collaborating with others fuels your imagination, and it can feel like there's really no limit to what you can achieve if you're working alongside passionate people who are on the same page in terms of their vision. Lucky Numbers: 19, 21, 40 CAPRICORN When the week starts, the stars are infusing your closest relationship with an urge to open up more, sharing big-picture dreams and desires. Allow yourself to get carried away creatively as you exchange ideas. You could very well end up taking your connection to the next level. Later, you'll be fired up to take your existing professional path to the next level. Lucky Numbers: 4, 18, 23 AQUARIUS As the week begins, you could get caught up in daydreams related to shifting gears on the job or pursuing a dream venture. Allow yourself to be playful and imaginative, then write down a game plan. It might not be as wild as you initially thought. Later, you'll do well to set an intention related to honing your skill set. You'll be reflecting on the talents you're most passionate about and then taking a step in whatever direction allows you to develop them further. Lucky Numbers: 13, 23, 42 PISCES At the week's start, find time to bolster your emotional and physical bond with your partner or a potential significant other. Not only are you craving this kind of deep connection building right now, but you have a new sense of confidence that makes it even more possible to share what you want, ensuring you'll receive and delight in it. Lucky Numbers: 9, 15, 18
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FEBRUARY 3 - 9, 2022 43
CAPTURE the moment
For more photos, visit www.washingtoninformer.com
The Howard University Gallery of Art of the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts at Howard University dates from 1870 when it was known as the Historical Picture Gallery. The new exhibition, "Family Reunion: Portraits by Timothy J. Clark," will be on display from January 22 through March 7. (Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer)
44 FEBRUARY 3 - 9, 2022
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SPORTS CHANGE from Page 1 Redskins, citing its disrespect for Native Americans. Wright, the first African American hired as team president in NFL history, compiled an executive leadership team to work on the renaming and rebranding process in concert with ownership. The team agreed that the name would not include any Native American imagery, would not be Wolves or Redwolves and would be one that represents the DMV region. Longtime fans offered their views on the anticipated announcement.
“I am just happy that we finally have a name,” said Romanda Noble-Watson, a native Washingtonian who currently resides in South Carolina. “The name gives us a different type of branding but for me, I am going to support the franchise, no matter what the name.” Kip Smith, Director of Athletics at the School Without Walls, offered his perspective. “Personally, I root for the name in from of the nickname. It is similar to the reaction when the Bullets became the Wizards. After a while, fans became comfortable with the change and now it is rarely mentioned. I’m a Washington fan. Pe-
The team agreed that the name would not include any Native American imagery, would not be Wolves or Redwolves and would be one that represents the DMV region.
5 Washington Football Team former players and executives at a press conference revealing the name change to Washington Commanders at FedEx Field on Feb. 2. (Abdullah Konte/The Washington Informer)
riod,” he said. Native Washingtonian Chris Henderson said the time for change had come long ago. “The name change is long overdue,” said Chris Henderson, 26, who said he’s followed the team for as long as he can remember. “I am happy that they recognized that there was a need for change. What better time than
for 2022 to start the new year and the Super Bowl week? Hopefully, it will reinvigorate the loyal fans from the past and propel the new generation of fans,” Henderson said. Gary Williams, a former season ticketholder and fan since 1992, offered his perspective. “I hope that it will change the culture but I am not so sure that
Black Speed Skater Erin Jackson Gets a Rare Second Chance Friendship Leads to Opportunity to Compete in Winter Olympics Ed Hill WI Sports Writer The 2022 Winter Olympics officially gets underway, Feb. 4 and continues through Feb. 20 in Beijing, China. And already there’s been a strange twist of events in the sport of speed skating. Erin Jackson (left), the first African-American medalist in speed skating and ranked No. 1 in the world in the 500 meters, was recently eliminated when she slipped and finished third in the qualifying round event at the Winter Olympics. Because the rules state that only the two top finishers count as those who will represent the team, it initially appeared that Jackson, who won a bronze medal in the 2018 Games and was the favorite to win gold this time around, had been eliminated. Then, in a case of unprecedented
sportsmanship, Jackson received a reprieve and second chance when her teammate and close friend, Brittany Bowe, exercised her position as the winner and relinquished her spot to Jackson. Jackson would have a chance to compete. Since Bowe finished first in the event, the rules allowed Jackson to secure the required second spot. “Erin has earned her right to be on this 500-meter team,” said Bowe, who will be competing in the 1,000 and 1,500 and counts as a three-time Olympian. “She is ranked No. 1 in the world and no one is more deserving than her to get an opportunity to bring Team USA a medal. It is my honor to give her that opportunity,” she said. Jackson has a resume that represents one of the most impressive in the history of the sport but she struggled to find the appropriate words to express her joy.
“I am beyond grateful, humbled and just happy,” Jackson said. “I have grown up with Brittany and have known her my whole life. She has been a mentor and friend to me.” Jackson has been competing in speedskating since the age of eight. She qualified for the World Games in 2017 in Wroclaw, Poland where she competed in inline speed skating in various distances on road and track. She also qualified to compete in the 500 meters long track speed skating event at the 2018 Winter Olympics. In November 2021, she won her first 500 meters speedskating World Cup races in Poland with
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two records making her the first African-American woman to win in the World Cup. WI
a name change is the solution,” he said. “It starts at the top. I was just watching a piece on the 30year anniversary of the glory year of the Super Bowl run. It is different from the culture we are seeing now. Hopefully, the new branding will change that. We will see.” For Kenyan McDuffie, Ward 5 Councilmember, the name change has been something for which he’s been advocating far too long. He also led the charge to change the name of his alma mater, Woodrow Wilson High School, which while approved by the D.C. Council, must still be officially adopted. “As a city and a country, we can’t sweep our dark history under a rug or hide from it. But we can eliminate imagery, icons and names that are hurtful or that honor historic figures unworthy of our respect,” he said. WI Editor’s Note: Joe Theismann, a Washington Football Team franchise legend, in a recent interview with Damon Amendolara for CBS Sports, apparently spoiled the surprise, even posting comments Theismann shared on his Twitter page which alluded to the name “Commanders” being a great possibility. Then, late Tuesday, Feb. 1, during an evening news broadcast, a reporter announced that the Washington Football Team’s store already had a sign inside which read “Commanders.” Looks like the cat had already escaped from the bag. But who can keep a secret these days given the power of social media?
FEBRUARY 3 - 9, 2022 45
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5 Ahmaud Arbery (Courtesy photo)
deal was offered “only after the victims’ attorneys informed me that the family was not opposed to it.” “The Justice Department takes seriously its obligation to confer with the Arbery family and their lawyers both pursuant to the Crime Victim Rights Act and out of respect for the victim,” Clarke said. Before the judge’s decision Monday, Arbery’s family lashed out at the plea agreement that would have allowed Arbery’s killers
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The McMichaels and a neighbor, William “Roddy” Bryan, 52, all convicted last year of murdering Arbery in 2020, were sentenced earlier this month in a Georgia court to life sentences, though Bryan would be eligible for parole after 30 years. The three men also face federal hate crime charges, though the deal struck with the prosecutors would have allowed the McMichaels to serve the first 30 years of their sentences in federal prison in exchange for admitting their actions were racially motivated. Godbey Wood said the father and son have until Friday to decide whether to withdraw their guilty pleas and begin trial next Monday or risk receiving harsher sentences than the plea agreement called for. No deal was announced for Bryan. Kristen Clarke, assistant attorney general for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, said that while the department respected the court’s decision, the plea
to dodge the harsher conditions of a state prison for decades. “The United States Department of Justice has gone behind my back to offer the men who murdered my son a deal to make their time in prison easier for them to serve,” Cooper-Jones said in a statement. “I have made it clear at every possible moment that I do not agree to offer these men a plea deal of any kind. I have been completely betrayed by the DOJ lawyers.” Family attorney S. Lee Merritt referred to federal prison as “a country club compared to state prison.” He said federal prisons are less populated, have better funding, and are “generally more accommodating” than state lockups. The McMichaels received life sentences without the possibility for parole in a Glynn County, Georgia, court for murdering Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man jogging through their neighborhood. The McMichaels and Bryan, who are all white, claimed they were attempting to confront Arbery about suspected burglaries and trespassing in their neighborhood. WI
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and heave it on someone who is a cause or can be considered another,” Best said. “Combine this with the stress of our polarizing partisanship over the last several years, add in economic stresses and mounting debt and all these stresses have an impact. If they aren’t dealt with, they produce responses from people. So, some people are capable of healthy responses to stress, and some are not.” Bolig concluded that homelessness’s stigma must cease. “When people start viewing others this way, whether subconsciously or not, they can much easily resort to violence, having diminished their empathy or remorse for the population they have learned to belittle,” she said. WI
5 The Homeless Encampment on K Street DC before it was shutdown. (WI File Photo/Anthony Tilghman)
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Stay Informed! www.washingtoninformer.com
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RELIGION the religion corner WITH LYNDIA GRANT
A Teachable Moment on Critical Race Theory
The D.C. Democratic Women's Club (DCDWC), under the leadership of President Jeannette Mobley, is hosting their annual Black History Month event. The public is invited to participate in virtual panel discussion on critical race theory, or CRT, on Tuesday, Feb. 8 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Visit the Club's website (www. dcdemocraticwomensclub.com) to find the Zoom link. Here's your chance to get a scholarly understanding of what CRT really is. Confirmed panelists include: - Ayo Sakai, facilitator. - Sharon Pratt, attorney and former mayor of Washington, D.C. - Rev. George Holmes, a political and social activist. - Frank Smith, former D.C. Council member and the founder of the African-American Civil War Memorial Freedom Foundation. - C. Patrick Burrowes, a historian specializing in Liberia. - Emira Woods, who specializes in foreign policy and history. The Brookings Institution wrote in a November story that Fox News has mentioned "critical race theory" 1,300 times in less than four months. Why? Because CRT has become a new boogeyman for people unwilling to acknowledge our country's racist history and how it impacts the present. Opponents fear CRT admonishes all white people for being oppressors while classifying all Black people as hopelessly oppressed victims. Not true! These fears have kicked off lengthy discussions at school board meetings and at state legislatures from Tennessee to Idaho, suggesting a ban on teachings about racism in classrooms.
There is a fundamental problem with this, and that is, these narratives about CRT are grossly over-exaggerated. Scholars and activists who discuss CRT are not arguing that white people living now are to blame for what people did in the past. They are saying that white people living now have a moral responsibility to do something about how racism still affects all of our lives today. Supporters of CRT bans often quote Martin Luther King Jr.'s proclamation that individuals should be viewed by the content of their character instead of the color of their skin, ignoring the context of the quote and the true meaning behind it, which the King family disagrees with. "I don't think we can ignore race," says Martin Luther King III. "What my father is asking is to create a climate where every American can realize his or her dreams. Now what does that mean when you have 50 million people living in poverty?" Bernice King doubts her father would seek to ignore differences. "When he talked about the beloved community, he talked about everyone bringing their gifts, their talents, their cultural experiences," she says. "We live in a society where we may have differences, of course, but we learn to celebrate these differences." A Brookings Institution assessment of anti-CRT legislation found
that nine states — Idaho, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Arizona and North Dakota — have passed such legislation, while Arizona's legislation was overturned in November by the Arizona Supreme Court. "None of the state bills that have passed even actually mention the words 'critical race theory' explicitly, with the exception of Idaho and North Dakota," the institute wrote. "The legislations mostly ban the discussion, training, and/or orientation that the U.S. is inherently racist as well as any discussions about conscious and unconscious bias, privilege, discrimination, and oppression." The D.C. Democratic Women's Club is located in the District of Columbia and was chartered in 1966. It has at the heart of its existence the goal of preparing and training women for elected office and supporting Democratic candidates and the party. The Club’s website shows all officers and committee chairs, including Kim Greenfield Alfonso and Valca Valentine, who co-chair the event. Saymendy Lloyd and myself are co-chairs of planning. DCDWC is a member group of the National Federation of Democratic Women, which is recognized by the Democratic National Committee. WI
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Adams Inspirational A.M.E. Church Dr. E. Gail Anderson Holness / Senior Pastor Rev. Ali Gail Holness-Roland / Assistant & Youth Pastor 12801 Old Fort Road • Ft. Washington, MD 20744 Office (301) 292.6323 • FAX (301) 292.2164 Service and Times Sunday Worship 10:15 am Sunday Church School 11:00 am Youth Sunday every 4th Sunday Prayer Call @ Noon every Tuesday & Thursday 978.990.5166 code: 6166047# Virtual Bible Study Wednesday Facebook & Zoom 7:00 pm “A Growing Church for a Coming Christ” www.adamsinspirationalamec.org
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FEBRUARY 3 - 9, 2022 47
RELIGION The Miracle Center of Faith Missionary Baptist Church
Pilgrim Baptist Church
Bishop Michael C. Turner, Sr. Senior Pastor
Rev. Louis B. Jones II Pastor
9161 Hampton Overlook Capitol Heights, MD 20743 Phone: 301-350-2200 / Fax: 301-499-8724
700 I Street, N.E. Washington, D.C. 20002 (202) 547-8849
Service and Times Sunday Worship Times : 7:30 AM 7 10:00 AM Communion: 1st Sunday Sunday School: 9:00 AM Bible Study: Wednesday, 12 Noon Bible Study in homes: Tuesday 7:00 PM
Service and Times Worship Sundays: 7:30 & 11:00 AM 5th Sundays: 9:30 AM 3rd Sundays: Baptism & Holy Communion Prayer & Praise: Wednesdays @ Noon & 6:30 PM
Website: www.themiraclecenterFMBC.com Email: Miraclecenterfmbs@gmail.com Motto: “We Walk by Faith, Not by Sight”
www.pilgrimbaptistdc.org
Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ
Blessed Word of Life Church
Church of Living Waters
Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church
Rev. Paul Carrette Senior Pastor Harold Andrew Assistant Pastor 4915 Wheeler Road Oxon Hill, MD 20745 301-894-6464 Service and Times Sunday Service: 8:30am& 11:00 AM Bible Study: Wednesday 7:30 PM Communion Service: First Sunday www.livingwatersmd.org
St. Stephen Baptist Church
Rev. Dr. Michael E. Bell, Sr., / Pastor 2498 Alabama Ave., SE - Washington D.C. 20020 Office: (202) 889-7296 / Fax: (202) 889-2198 - www.acamec.org Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 8:00am and 11:00 AM Sunday Church School - 9:15am & Sunday Adult Forum Bible Study - 10:30 AM 2nd & 4th Monday Women’s Bible Study: 6:30 PM Tuesday Jr./Sr. Bible Study: 10:00 AM Tuesday Topical Bible Study: 6:30 PM Tuesday New Beginnings Bible Study: 6:30 PM Wednesday Pastoral Bible Study: 6:30 PM Wednesday Children’s Bible Study: 6:30 PM Thursday Men’s Bible Study: 6:30 PM Friday before 1st Sunday Praise & Worship Service: 6:30 PM Saturday Adult Bible Study: 10:00 AM “The Amazing, Awesome, Audacious Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church”
Third Street Church of God
Dr. Dekontee L. & Dr. Ayele A. Johnson Pastors
Reverend William Young IV Pastor
Bishop Lanier C. Twyman, Sr. Senior Pastor
Rev. Cheryl J. Sanders, Th.D. Senior Pastor
4001 14th Street, NW Washington, DC 20011 (202) 265-6147 Office 1-800 576-1047 Voicemail/Fax
3845 South Capitol Street Washington, DC 20032 (202) 562-5576 (Office) / (202) 562-4219 (Fax)
5757 Temple Hill Road, Temple Hills, MD 20748 Office 301-899-8885 – fax 301-899-2555 Services and Times Sunday Early Morning Worship: 7:45 AM Church School: 9:30 AM Sunday Morning Worship: 10:45 AM Tuesday: 7:00pm/Kingdom Building Bible Institute Wednesday , 12:30 PM Mid-Day Bible Study Wednesday: Prayer/Praise/Bible Study-7:30 PM Baptism & Communion Service: 4th Sunday – 10:30 AM
1204 Third Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 202-347-5889 office / 202-638-1803 fax
Service and Times Sunday School: 9:30 AM Sunday Morning Worship Service: 11:00 AM Communion Service: First Sunday Prayer Service/Bible Study: Tuesday, 6:30 PM
Services and Times Sundays: 10:00am Worship Services Bible Study: Wonderful Wednesdays in Worship and the Word Bible Study Wednesdays 12:00 Noon; 6:30 PM (dinner @ 5:30 PM) Sunday School: 9:00 AM – Hour of Power “An inclusive ministry where all are welcomed and affirmed.” www.covenantdc.org
www.blessedwordoflifechurch.org E-mail: church@blessedwordoflifechurch.org
Campbell AME Church
Twelfth Street Christian Church
Rev. Dr. Henry Y. White 2562 MLK Jr. Ave., SE - Washington, DC 20020 Adm. Office 202-678-2263 Email: Campbell@mycame.org Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 10:00 AM Sunday Church School: 8:45 AM Bible Study Wednesday: 12:00 Noon Wednesday: 7:00 PM Thursday: 7:00 PM “Reaching Up To Reach Out” Mailing Address : Campbell AME Church 2502 Stanton Road SE - Washington, DC 20020
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
Turning Hearts Church Virgil K. Thomas, Sr. Senior Pastor/ Teacher 421 Alabama Ave. SE Washington, DC 20032 Phone: 202-746-0113 Fax: 301-843-2445 Service and Times Sunday School: 10:15 AM Sunday Worship Service: 11;15 AM Children’s Church: 11:15 AM Tuesday Bible Study: 6:30 PM Motto : “A Great Commitment to the Great Commandment” Website: www.turningheartschurchdc.org Email: gr8luv4u2@gmail.com
48 FEBRUARY 3 - 9, 2022
Mount Carmel Baptist Church
“We are one in the Spirit” www.ssbc5757.org / E-mail: ssbc5757@verizon.net
www.thirdstreet.org Live Stream Sunday Worship Service begins @ 12:00 noon www.thirdstreet.org
800 I Street, NE - Washington, DC 20002 202-548-0707 - Fax No. 202-548-0703 Service and Times Sunday Morning Worship: 11:00 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sunday Sunday School: 9:45 AM Men’s Monday Bible Study: 7:00 PM Wednesday Night Bible Study: 7:00 PM Women’s Ministry Bible Study: 3rd Friday -7:00 PM Computer Classes: Announced Family and Marital Counseling by appointment E-mail: Crusadersbaptistchurch@verizon.net www.CrusadersBaptistChurch.org / “God is Love”
Greater Mt. Calvary Holy Church Bishop Alfred A. Owens, Jr.; Senior Bishop & Evangelist Susie C. Owens – Co-Pastor 610 Rhode Island Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002 (202) 529-4547 office • (202) 529-4495 fax
Sunday Worship Service: 8:00 AM and 10:45 AM Sunday Youth Worship Services: 1st & 4th 10:45 AM; 804 R.I. Ave., NE 5th 8 AM & 10:45 AM; Main Church Prayer Services Tuesday – Noon, Wednesday 6:00 AM & 6:30 PM Calvary Bible Institute: Year-Round Contact Church / Communion Every 3rd Sunday The Church in The Hood that will do you Good! www.gmchc.org / emailus@gmchc.org
Reverend Dr. Calvin L. Matthews Senior Pastor 1200 Isle of Patmos Plaza, Northeast Washington, DC 20018 Office: (202) 529-6767 - Fax: (202) 526-1661 Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 7:30 AM and 10:30 AM Holy Communion: 2nd Sunday at 7:30 AM and 10:30 AM Sunday Church School: 9:20 AM Seniors Bible Study: Tuesdays at 10:30 AM Noon Day Prayer Service: Tuesdays at Noon Bible Study: Tuesdays at 7 PM Motto: “A Ministry of Reconciliation Where Everybody is Somebody!” Website: http://isleofpatmosbc.org Church Email: ipbcsecretary@verizon.net
St Marks Baptist Come Worship with us... Dr. Raymond T. Matthews Pastor and First Lady Marcia Matthews St. Mark's Baptist Church 624 Underwood Street, NW Washington, dc 20011 Services and Times Sunday School: 9:00 AM Worship Service: 10:00 AM Wed. Noon Day prayer service Thur. Prayer service: 6:45 PM Thur. Bible Study: 7:15 PM
Reverend John W. Davis Pastor 5101 14th Street, NW / Washington, DC 20011 Phone: 202-726-2220 Fax: 202-726-9089 Service and Times Sunday Worship Service - 8:00 a.m. & 11:00 a.m. Children’s Church - 11:00 a.m. (1st & 3rd Sundays) Communion - 10 a.m. 4th Sunday Sunday School - 9:15 a.m. (4th Sunday 8:15 a.m.) Prayer Meeting & Bible Study - Wednesday 7:00 p.m. “A Church with a past to remember – and a future to mold” www.mtzbcdc.org
headline and photo for Mount Olivet LIF - MALCOLMXLutheran Church DAY John F. Johnson Reverend Dr.
901 Third Street N.W. Washington, DC. 20001 Phone (202) 842-3411 Fax (202) 682-9423
1306 Vermont Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20005
themcbc.org
“Ambassadors for Christ to the Nation’s Capital”
Rev. Dr. Alton W. Jordan Pastor
Isle of Patmos Baptist Church
Mt. Zion Baptist Church
Reverend Dr. Paris L Smith, Sr. Senior Pastor
Service and Times Sunday Church School : 9:00 AM Sunday Morning Worship: 10:10 AM Bible Study Tuesday: 6: 00 PM Prayer Service Tuesday: 7:00 PM Holy Communion: 3rd Sunday 10:10 AM
Services and Times Sunday School: 9:30 AM Sunday Worship: 11:00 AM Sunday Community Worship Service: 8:30 AM
Crusader Baptist Church
Service and Times Divine Worship, Sunday 10:00 a.m. Communion 1st and 3rd Sunday “Friendliest Church in the City” Website: mountolivetdc.org Email: mtolivedc@gmail.com
THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM
RELIGION Shabbath Commandment Church Bishop Adrian A. Taylor, Sr. Pastor 7801 Livingston Road Oxon Hill, MD 20745 301-534-5471 Service and Times Sabbath School 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 AM Service 11:00 AM Praise & Worship Preaching 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM Motto: “A Church Keeping It Real for Real.” Website: Shabbathcommandmentchruch.org Email: Praisebetoyhwh@gmail.com
Zion Baptist Church Rev. Keith W. Byrd, Sr. Pastor 4850 Blagdon Ave, NW - Washington D.C 20011 Phone (202) 722-4940 - Fax (202) 291-3773 Service and Times 9:00 a.m. – Sunday School 10:15 a.m. – Worship Service Wed. Noon: Dea. Robert Owens Bible Study 7 PM Pastor’s Bible Study Ordinance of Baptism 2nd Sunday, Holy Communion 4th Sunday Mission: Zion shall: Enlist Sinners, Educate Students, Empower the Suffering, Encourage the Saints, And Exalt our Savior. (Acts 2: 41-47) www.zionbaptistchurchdc.org
St. Luke Baptist Church Rev. Aubrey C. Lewis Pastor 1415 Gallatin Street, NW Washington, DC 20011-3851 P: (202) 726-5940 Service and Times Sunday Worship: 11:00 AM Sunday School: 9:15 AM Holy Communion: 11:00 a.m., 3rd Sun. Bible Institute: Wednesday - 1:30 PM Prayer Meeting: Wednesday - 12:00 Noon
All Nations Baptist Church Rev. Dr. James Coleman Pastor 2001 North Capitol St, N.E. - Washington, DC 20002 Phone (202) 832-9591 Service and Times Sunday Church School – 9:30 AM Sunday Worship Service – 11:00 AM Holy Communion – 1st Sunday at 11:00 AM Prayer – Wednesdays, 6:00 PM Bible Study – Wednesdays, 7:00 PM Christian Education / School of Biblical Knowledge Saturdays, 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM, Call for Registration Website: www.allnationsbaptistchurch.com All Nations Baptist Church – A Church of Standards
Israel Baptist Church
1251 Saratoga Ave., NE Washington, DC 20018 (202) 269-0288 Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 10:45 AM Sunday School: 9:15 AM Holy Communion1st Sunday: 10:45 AM Prayer Service: Wednesday at 6:30 PM Bible Study: Wednesday at 7:00 PM Bible Study: Tuesday at 10:30 AM
Dr. Lucius M. Dalton Senior Pastor
2324 Ontario Road, NW Washington, DC 20009 (202) 232-1730 Service and Times Sunday School: 9:30 AM Sunday Worship Service: 11:00 AM Baptismal Service: 1st Sunday – 9:30 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sunday – 11:00 AM Prayer Meeting & Bible Study: Wednesday -7:30 PM “Where Jesus is the King”
Dr. Earl D. Trent Senior Pastor
2409 Ainger Pl.,SE – WDC 20020 (202) 678-0884 – Office / (202) 678-0885 – Fax “Moving Faith Forward” 0% Perfect . . . 100% Forgiven!
623 Florida Ave.. NW - WDC. 20001 Church (202) 667-3409 / Study (202) 265-0836 Home Study (301) 464-8211 / Fax (202) 483-4009
Service and Times Sunday Worship: 8:00 AM & 10:45 AM Baptism/Holy Communion: 3rd Sunday Family Bible Study Tuesdays – 6:30 PM Prayer Service: Tuesdays – 8:00 PM www.emmanuelbaptistchurchdc.org
Sermon On The Mount Temple Of Joy Apostolic Faith
Lincoln Park United Methodist Church Rev. Richard B. Black Pastor
Elder Herman L. Simms Pastor
1301 North Carolina Ave. N E Washington, D C 20002 202 543 1318 - lincolnpark@lpumcdc.org www.lpumcdc.org
5606 Marlboro Pike District Heights, MD 20747 301-735-6005
Service and Times Sunday Worship: 10:00 AM Holy Communion: First Sunday 10:00 AM Sunday School: 9:00 AM Bible Study: Wednesday @ 12 noon and 6:30 PM
Service and Times Sunday Apostolic Worship Services 11:00 A.M and 5:00 PM Communion and Feet Wash 4th Sunday at 5:00 PM Prayer/Seeking: Wednesday at 8:00 PM Apostolic in Doctrine, Pentecostal in Experience, Holiness in Living, Uncompromised and Unchanged. The Apostolic Faith is still alive –Acts 2:42
New Commandment Baptist Church
Eastern Community Baptist Church Damion M. Briggs Pastor
Rev. Stephen E. Tucker Senior Pastor
8213 Manson Street Landover, MD 20785 Tel: (301) 322-9787 Fax: (301) 322-9240
13701 Old Jericho Park Road Bowie, MD. 20720 (301) 262-0560
Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 7:45 AM and 10:45 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sundays at 7:45 AM & 10:45 AM Sunday School: 9:30 AM Prayer & Praise Service: Tuesdays at 12 noon & 6:30 PM Bible Study: Tuesdays at 1 pm and 7 PM Youth Bible Study: Fridays at 7 PM
Service and Times Early Morning Message: 7:30 AM Sunday Morning Worship Service: 10:00 AM Sunday Church School: 9:00 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sunday 7:30 AM & 10:00 AM Prayer, Praise and Testimony: Wednesday 7:00 PM Bible Study: Wednesday 7:30 PM
Service and Times Sunday Worship: 11 AM Sunday School: 10 AM Wednesday Mid-Week Worship, Prayer & Bible Study: Wed. 7 PM
Rehoboth Baptist Church
Reverend Peter R. Blue Sr. Pastor
Rev. Curtis l. Staley Pastor
2001 Brooks Drive District Heights MD. 20744 240.838.7074
621 Alabama Ave., S.E.- Washington, D.C. 20032 P: (202) 561-1111 - F: (202) 561-1112
Service and Times Sunday Worship Experience: 10:15am Sunday School: 9:00am Holy Communion: 3rd Sunday Morning Noontime Bible Study: Tuesday @ 12:00pm Prayer Meeting/Bible Study: Tuesday @7:00pm Theme: "Building On A Firm Foundation"
Service and Times Sunday Service: 10:00 AM Sunday School for all ages: 8:30 AM 1st Sunday Baptism: 10:00 AM 2nd Sunday Holy Communion:10:00 AM Tuesday: Bible Study: 6:30 PM Prayer Meeting: 7:45 PM
Email: revprbstmbc@gmail.com Website: www.stmatthewsbaptist.org
Motto: “Where God is First and Where Friendly People Worship”
“Real Worship for Real People” Website: www.easterncommunity.org Email: ecc@easterncommunity.org
“A Church Where Love Is Essential and Praise is Intentional”
Foggy Bottom - Founded in 1867 728 23rd Street, NW - Washington, DC 20037 Church office: 202-333-3985 - Fax : 202-338-4958
Shiloh Baptist Church
Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 10:00 AM Sunday Church School: 8:45 – 9:45 AM Holy Communion: Every First Sunday Intercessory Prayer: Monday – 7:00-8:00 PM Pastor’s Bible Study: Wednesday –7:45 PM Midweek Prayer: Wednesday – 7:00 PM Noonday Prayer Every Thursday
Matthews Memorial Baptist Church
4504 Gault Place, N.E. / Washington, D.C 20019 202-397-7775 – 7184 Service and Times Sunday Church School: 9:30 AM Sunday Worship Service : 11:00 AM The Lord’s Supper 1st Sunday Prayer & Praise Services: Wednesday 7:00 PM Bible Study: 7:30 PM Saturday before 4th Sunday Men, Women, Youth Discipleship Ministries: 10:30 AM A Christ Centered Church htubc@comcast.net
Christ Embassy DC
Dr. Joseph D. Turner / Senior Pastor 2616 MLK Ave., SE - Washington, DC 20020 Office 202-889-3709 - Fax 202-678-3304 Service and Times Early Worship Service: 8:00 AM Worship Service: 11:00 AM New Member’s Class: 9:45 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sunday, 11:00 AM Church School: 9:45 AM Wednesday 12:00pm Bible Study Prayer, Praise and Bible Study: 7:00 PM Saturday Bible Study: 11:00 AM Baptism 4th Sunday: 11:00 AM
Kelechi Ajieren Coordinator 6839 Eastern Avenue, R1 Takoma Park, MD 20912 (202) 556-7065 Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 10:00 AM Wednesday Bible Study: 7:00 PM Friday Evening Service: 7:00 PM ; Last Friday “…Giving Your Life a Meaning”
“Empowered to love and Challenged to Lead a Multitude of Souls to Christ”
Peace Baptist Church
www.Christembassydc.org Christ.embassy.dc@hotmail.com
Pennsylvania Ave. Baptist Church
Rev. Dr. Michael T. Bell
Rev. Dr. Kendrick E. Curry Pastor
712 18th Street, NE Washington, DC 20002 Phone 202-399-3450/ Fax 202-398-8836 Service and Times Sunday Early Morning Prayer & Bible Study Class: 8:00 AM Sunday School: 9:00 AM Sunday Morning Worship Service: 10:00 AM Wednesday Service: 12:00 PM “The Loving Church of the living lord “
3000 Pennsylvania Ave.. S.E Washington, DC 20020 202 581-1500 Service and Times Sunday Church School: 9:30 AM Sunday Worship Service: 11:00 AM Monday Adult Bible Study: 7:00 PM Wednesday Youth & Adult Activities: 6:30 PM Prayer Service Bible Study
First Rising Mt. Zion Baptist Church
Mt. Horeb Baptist Church
Rev. Dr. Wallace Charles Smith Pastor
Rev. Oran W. Young Pastor
Rev. Dr. H. B. Sampson, III Pastor
9th & P Street, N.W. - W. D.C. 20001 (202) 232-4288
602 N Street NW - Washington, D.C. 20001 Office:(202) 289-4480 Fax: (202) 289-4595
2914 Bladensburg Road, NE Wash., DC 20018 Office: (202) 529-3180 - Fax: (202) 529-7738 Service and Times Worship Service: 7:30 AM Sunday School: 9:00 AM Worship Service: 10:30 AM Holy Communion: 4th Sunday 7:30AM & 10:30 AM Prayer Services:Tuesday 7:30 PM. Wednesday 12 Noon
www.stmarysfoggybottom.org Email: stmarysoffice@stmarysfoggybottom.org
Service and Times First Sunday Worship Service (one service): 10:00 AM Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Sunday Worship service: 7:45 AM and 10:55 AM Sunday Church School/Bible Study: 9:30 AM Thursday Prayer Service: 6:30 PM
All are welcome to St. Mary’s to Learn, Worship, and Grow.
Email: sbc@shilohbaptist.org Website: shilohbaptist.org
Service and Times Sundays: 10 a.m. Holy Eucharist with Music and Hymns Wednesdays: 12:10 p.m. - Holy Eucharist
Rev. Dr. George C. Gilbert Senior Pastor
Email Address: admin@pbc712.org
Historic St. Mary’s Episcopal Church The Rev. E. Bernard Anderson Priest
Holy Trinity United Baptist Church
Florida Avenue Baptist Church
Reverend Christopher L. Nichols Pastor
1636 East Capitol Street, NE Washington, DC 20003 Telephone: 202-544-5588 - Fax: 202-544-2964
Web: www.mountmoriahchurch.org Email: mtmoriah@mountmoriahchurch.org
St. Matthews Baptist Church
Rev. Daryl F. Bell Pastor
Motto: "Faith On The Hill"
Mount Moriah Baptist Church
Emmanuel Baptist Church
King Emmanuel Baptist Church
WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER
Service and Times Sunday School for All Ages: 8:00 AM Sunday Worship Services: 9:30 AM Midday Prayer & Bible Study: Wednesday 11:30AM Evening Prayer & Bible Study: Wednesday 7:00 PM Laymen's League: Thursday 7:00 PM Email: Froffice@firstrising.org Website: www.firstrising.org “Changing Lives On Purpose “
Email:mthoreb@mthoreb.org Website:www.mthoreb.org For further information, please contact me at (202) 529-3180.
FEBRUARY 3 - 9, 2022 49
LEGAL NOTICES
LEGAL NOTICES
LEGAL NOTICES
LEGAL NOTICES
In God We Trust. Declaration ov Nationality. Notice ov White Flag Surrender. Notice ov Special Appearance: i am that i am: " Virgil Morgan Butts, Virgil-Morgan Butts © ", in full life, in propria persona, sui juris, in solo proprio, Haqdar by natural issue, the living beneficiary and heir ov: “VIRGIL MORGAN BUTTS, VIRGIL-MORGAN BUTTS, & BUTTS, VIRGIL MORGAN, et al," corporate sole D.b.a.: " VIRGIL M BUTTS, VIRGIL BUTTS, V MORGAN BUTTS, & V M BUTTS © ", having reached the age ov majority, be aboriginal to the northwestern and southwestern shores ov Africa, the Atlantic Islands, the continental Americas, be duly certified, hereby affirms to declare my tribal intention to be as my pedigree [sub]scribes, a moorish American; not a Citizen of The U.S. nor The United States; i declare & proclaim permanent and unalienable, allegiance to the Moorish Empire, Estados al-Marikanos, Societas Republicae Ea Al Maurikanuus Estados, the Constitution for the united States ov North America, 1789 / 1791, Article III Section 2, The Lieber Code, Hague Conventions ov 1899 & 1907, The Geneva Conventions, [United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples], and all natural laws governing moors, i do hereby declare and proclaim my nationality in good faith, a moorish American. i am that i am: "Virgil Morgan Butts, Virgil-Morgan Butts, & Virgil M Butts © ", from this day forward, in harmony with my Nationality / Status / Jurisdiction, shall know to be: " virgil-morgan butts bey © " in red ink, in capitis diminutio nolo. Know; fidelity to my lawful consort, crystal-felita bey, whom i wed in holy matrimony on Gregorian calendar day 31, accounting month May, year 2019, under authority ov the almighty divine creator Allah, upon this land, know to be al morocco, by way ov delaware republic. Notice ov White Flag Surrender: as "hors de combat", pursuant to The Geneva Conventions, Article III, as a minister ov The Moorish Empire, and Internationally Protected Person. Notice ov: LAWS AND CUSTOMS OF WAR ON LAND (HAGUE, IV), ARTICLE: 32, 45, 46, & 47. Notice ov Claim pursuant to Public Law 87-846, TITLE II, SEC. 203. Notice ov Bailment Merging ov Legal Title with Equitable Title: This order is to preserve legal and equitable title, and to reserve all rights, title and interest in the property, Re: COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA: STATE FILE NUMBER: 101705-1969 " VIRGIL MORGAN BUTTS© ", is as a special deposit order conveyed to "el hammett butts divine Trust©". All property ov the same issue and amount, in like kind and specie, is to be returned fully intact, as a Special Deposit order ov the Depositor / Beneficiary / Bailor / Donor / Principal / Creditor: " virgil-morgan butts bey©, in red ink, in capitis diminutio nolo Nom De guerre: " Virgil Morgan Butts, Virgil-Morgan Butts, & Virgil M Butts © ", as a special deposit order in lawful money. This special deposit is to be used exclusively for the benefit ov: "el hammett butts divine Trust © ", an Inter Vivos Unincorporated divine Grantor Trust. This deposit is not to be commingled with general assets ov any bank, nor depositary / trustee / agent / bailee / donee / debtor. This deposit is including but not limited to: discharge and set off ov any and all outstanding liabilities as accord and satisfaction. Full Faith and Credit shall be given in each State to the public Acts, Records, & judicial proceedings ov every other State. Inter alia enact fuit. All Rights Reserved. Deo volente.
In God We Trust. Declaration ov Nationality. Notice ov White Flag Surrender. Notice ov Special Appearance: i am that i am: " Crystal Felita Laws, Krystal Felita Laws, Kristal F. Laws & Crystal-Felita © ", in full life, in propria persona, sui juris, in solo proprio, Haqdar by natural issue, the living beneficiary and heir ov: “CRYSTAL FELITA LAWS, KRYSTAL FELITA LAWS, KRISTAL F. LAWS & CRYSTAL-FELITA, et al," corporate sole D.b.a.: " CRYSTAL F LAWS, KRISTAL F. LAWS, CRYSTAL LAWS, KRYSTAL LAWS, KRYSTAL F LAWS & CRYSTAL-FELITA© ", having reached the age ov majority, be aboriginal to the northwestern and southwestern shores ov Africa, the Atlantic Islands, the continental Americas, be duly certified, hereby affirms to declare my tribal intention to be as my pedigree [sub]scribes, a moorish American; not a Citizen of The U.S. nor The United States; i declare & proclaim permanent and unalienable, allegiance to the Moorish Empire, Estados al-Marikanos, Societas Republicae Ea Al Maurikanuus Estados, the Constitution for the united States ov North America, 1789 / 1791, Article III Section 2, The Lieber Code, Hague Conventions ov 1899 & 1907, The Geneva Conventions, [United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples], and all natural laws governing moors, i do hereby declare and proclaim my nationality in good faith, a moorish American. i am that i am: "Crystal Felita Laws, Krystal Felita Laws, Kristal F. Laws & Crystal-Felita© ", from this day forward, in harmony with my Nationality / Status / Jurisdiction, shall know to be: " crystal-felita bey © " in red ink, in capitis diminutio nolo. Know; fidelity to my lawful consort, virgil-morgan butts bey, whom i wed in holy matrimony on Gregorian calendar day 31, accounting month May, year 2019, under authority ov the almighty divine creator Allah, upon this land, know to be al morocco, by way ov delaware republic. Notice ov White Flag Surrender: as "hors de combat", pursuant to The Geneva Conventions, Article III, as a minister ov The Moorish Empire, and Internationally Protected Person. Notice ov: LAWS AND CUSTOMS OF WAR ON LAND (HAGUE, IV), ARTICLE: 32, 45, 46, & 47. Notice ov Claim pursuant to Public Law 87-846, TITLE II, SEC. 203. Notice ov Bailment Merging ov Legal Title with Equitable Title: This order is to preserve legal and equitable title, and to reserve all rights, title and interest in the property, Re: COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA: STATE FILE NUMBER: 18906-R, & 104201-1964 " CRYSTAL FELITA LAWS, &, KRYSTAL FELITA LAWS© ", is as a special deposit order conveyed to "el wesley laws divine Trust © ". All property ov the same issue and amount, in like kind and specie, is to be returned fully intact, as a Special Deposit order ov the Depositor / Beneficiary / Bailor / Donor / Principal / Creditor: " crystal-felita bey©, in red ink, in capitis diminutio nolo Nom De guerre: " Crystal Felita Laws, Krystal Felita Laws, Kristal F. Laws & Crystal-Felita© ", as a special deposit order in lawful money. This special deposit is to be used exclusively for the benefit ov: "el wesley laws divine Trust © ", an Inter Vivos Unincorporated divine Grantor Trust. This deposit is not to be commingled with general assets ov any bank, nor depositary / trustee / agent / bailee / donee / debtor. This deposit is including but not limited to: discharge and set off ov any and all outstanding liabilities as accord and satisfaction. Full Faith and Credit shall be given in each State to the public Acts, Records, & judicial proceedings ov every other State. Inter alia enact fuit. All Rights Reserved. Deo volente.
In God We Trust. Declaration of Nationality. Notice of White Flag Surrender. Notice of Special Appearance : I am that I am: " Tony Shawn Lewis© ", in full life, in propria persona, sui juris, in solo proprio, Haqdar by natural issue, the beneficiary and heir of: " LEWIS, TONY SHAWN© ", corp.sole Dba.: " TONY SHAWN LEWIS© ", having reached the age of majority, being aboriginal to the northwestern and southwestern shores of Africa, the Atlantic Islands, the continental Americas, being duly certified, hereby affirms to declare my tribal intention to be as my pedigree subscribes, as a: Moorish American, but not a citizen of the United States. I declare permanent, and unalienable, allegiance to The Moorish Empire, Societas Republicae Ea Al Maurikanuus Estados, The Constitution for the united States of America, Article III Section 2, The Lieber Code, Hague Conventions of 1899 & 1907, The Geneva Conventions, [ United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples ], and all natural laws governing moors, and hereby declare and proclaim my nationality in good faith as a: Moorish American. I am that I am: " Tony Shawn Lewis© ", from this day forward, in harmony with my Nationality / Status / Jurisdiction, shall be known as: " aadil aahga muhammad© ". Notice of White Flag Surrender: as "hors de combat", pursuant to The Geneva Conventions, Article III, as a minister of The Moorish Empire, and Internationally Protected Person. Notice of: LAWS AND CUSTOMS OF WAR ON LAND ( HAGUE, IV), ARTICLE: 45, 46, & 47. Notice of Claim pursuant to Public Law 87-846, TITLE II, SEC. 203. Notice of Bailment Merging of Legal Title with Equitable Title : This order is to preserve legal and equitable title , and to reserve all rights, title, and interest, in the property, Re: Health, Pennsylvania Department Of; COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH; State File Number: 048157-1979, " TONY SHAWN LEWIS© ", is as a special deposit order conveyed to " Nml Family Trust© ". All property of the same issue and amount, in like kind and specie, is to be returned fully intact , as a Special Deposit order of the Depositor / Beneficiary / Bailor / Donor / Principal / Creditor: " aadil aahga muhammad© ", nom deguerre: " Tony Shawn Lewis© ", as a special deposit order in lawful money. This special deposit is to be used exclusively for the benefit of : " Nml Family Trust© ", an Inter Vivos Unincorporated Divine Grantor Trust. This deposit is not to be commingled with general assets of any bank, nor depositary / trustee / agent / bailee / donee / debtor. This deposit is not limited to, but including: discharge and set off, of any and all outstanding liabilities as accord and satisfaction. Inter alia enact fuit. All Rights Reserved. Deo volente.
In God We Trust. Declaration of Nationality. Notice of White Flag Surrender. Notice of Special Appearance : I am that I am:" Deanne Sophia Lorne © ", in full life, in propria persona, sui juris, in solo proprio, Haqdar by natural issue, the beneficiary and heir of: " LORNE, DEANNE SOPHIA © ", and “JERNIGAN, DEANNE SOPHIA “, corp. sole Dba.: " DEANNE SOPHIA LORNE © ", DEANNE SOPHIA JERNIGAN © ”, having reached the age of majority, being duly certified, hereby affirms to declare my tribal intention to be as my pedigree subscribes, as an: American National, but not a citizen of the United States. I declare permanent, and unalienable, allegiance to the united States of America, The Lieber Code, Hague Conventions of 1899 & 1907, The Geneva Conventions, and all natural laws governing We the People, and hereby declare and proclaim my nationality in good faith as a: " Israelite ". I am that I am: " Deanne Sophia Lorne © ", from this day forward, in harmony with my Nationality / Status / Jurisdiction, shall be known as: " dana bit ashayah © ". Notice of White Flag Surrender: as " hors de combat ", pursuant to The Geneva Conventions, Article III, as a minister of Ahayah’s covenant: Law of the People, and Internationally Protected Person. Notice of: LAWS AND CUSTOMS OF WAR ON LAND ( HAGUE, IV), ARTICLE: 45, 46, & 47. Notice of Claim pursuant to Public Law 87-846, TITLE II, SEC. 203. Notice of Bailment Merging of Legal Title with Equitable Title : This order is to preserve legal and equitable title , and to reserve all rights, title, and interest, in the property, Re: N/A : N/a , " DEANNE SOPHIA LORNE © ", “DEANNE SOPHIA JERNIGAN © “, is as a special deposit order conveyed to "Deanne Lorne Trust © ". All property of the same issue and amount, in like kind and specie, is to be returned fully intact , as a Special Deposit order of the Depositor / Beneficiary / Bailor / Donor / Principal / Creditor: " dana bit ashayah © ", nom deguerre: "DEANNE SOPHIA LORNE ©” and “DEANNE SOPHIA JERNIGAN © ", as a special deposit order in lawful money. This special deposit is to be used exclusively for the benefit of : " Deanne Lorne Trust © ", an Inter Vivos Unincorporated Divine Grantor Trust. This deposit is not to be commingled with general assets of any bank , nor depositary / trustee / agent / bailee / donee / debtor. This deposit is not limited to, but including: discharge and set off, of any and all outstanding liabilities as accord and satisfaction. Inter alia enact fuit. All Rights Reserved. Deo volente.
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
2021 ADM 001416
2021 ADM 001651
Janice Marie Stewart Decedent Colline Silvera 7731 Belle Point Dr. Greenbelt, MD 20781 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Brenda Carroll, whose address is 5016 Silver Hill Ct., Apt. 102, District Heights, MD 20747, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Janice Marie Stewart who died on March 9, 2020 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before July 20, 2022. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before July 20, 2022, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: January 20, 2022 Brenda Carroll Personal Representative
TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer
50 FEBRUARY 3 - 9, 2022
Robert Kweku Abam Yaasi Decedent Joey N. Ofori, Esq. 11215-B Lockwood Drive Silver Spring, MD 20901 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Francesca Yaasi and Joana Oteng Yaasi, whose addresses are 6846 Lost Thickett Dr., Houston, TX 77085 & 1511 Laurel Wood Way, Frederick, MD 21701, were appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of Robert Kweku Abam Yaasi who died on September 9, 2021 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 7/20/2022. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 7/20/2022, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 1/20/2022 Francesca Yaasi Joana Oteng Yaasi Personal Representative
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION
NOTICE OF EXISTENCE OF REVOCABLE TRUST Diane Della-Loggia whose address was 3525 Chesapeake St., NW, Washington, DC 20008 created a revocable trust on July 28, 2005, which remained in existence on the date of her death on September 23, 2020, and Nicholas A. Mueller, whose address is 21806 Princeton Street, Hayward, CA 94541, is the currently acting trustee, hereinafter the Trustee. Communications to the Trust should be mailed or directed to the following: Valerie Edwards at Antonoplos & Associates, 1725 DeSales St., NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20036 The Trust is subject to claims of the deceased settlor’s creditors, costs of administration of the settlor’s estate, the expense of the deceased settlor’s funeral and disposal of remains, and statutory allowances to a surviving spouse and children to the extent the deceased settlor’s residuary probate estate is inadequate to satisfy those claims, costs, expenses, and allowances. Claims of the deceased settlor’s creditors are barred as against the Trustee and the trust property unless presented to the Trustee at the address provided herein on or before June 20, 2022 (6 month after the date of the first publication of this notice.) An action to contest the validity of this trust must be commenced by the earliest of (1), September 23, 2021 (one year from date of death of deceased settlor) (2) June 20, 2022 (6 months from the date of first publication of this notice) or (3) Ninety days after the Trustee sends the person a copy of the trust instrument and a notice informing the person of the trust’s existence, of the Trustee’s name and address, and of the time allowed for commencing a proceeding. The Trustee may proceed to distribute the trust property in accordance with the terms of the trust before the expiration of the time within which an action must be commenced unless the Trustee knows of a pending judicial proceeding contesting the validity of the trust or the Trustee has received notice from a potential contestant who thereafter commences a judicial proceeding within sixty days after notification. This Notice must be mailed postmarked within 15 days of its first publication to each heir and qualified beneficiary of the trust and any other person who would be an interested person within the meaning of D.C. Code 20-101(d).
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Date of First Publication: January 20, 2022 Nicholas A. Mueller Signature of Trustee TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills
Washington Informer
Washington Informer
In God We Trust. Declaration of Nationality. Notice of White Flag Surrender.
Notice of Special Appearance : I am that I am:" Christopher
Ladonta Foster© ", in full life, in propria persona, sui juris, in
solo proprio, Haqdar by natural issue, the beneficiary and heir of: " FOSTER, CHRISTOPHER LADONTA© ", corp.sole Dba.: "
CHRISTOPHER LADONTA FOSTER© ", having reached the age
of majority, being duly certified, hereby affirms to declare my
tribal intention to be as my pedigree subscribes, as an: American National, but not a citizen of the United States. I declare
permanent, and unalienable, allegiance to the united States of
America, The Lieber Code, Hague Conventions of 1899 & 1907, The Geneva Conventions, and all natural laws governing We the People, and hereby declare and proclaim my nationality in good faith as a: " Ohioan ". I am that I am: " Christopher Ladonta Foster© ", from this day forward, in harmony with my Nationality / Status / Jurisdiction, shall be known as: "
christopher foster© ". Notice of White Flag Surrender: as " hors
de combat ", pursuant to The Geneva Conventions, Article III, as a minister of yhwh's covenant: Law of the People, and Internationally Protected Person. Notice of: LAWS AND CUSTOMS OF WAR ON LAND ( HAGUE, IV), ARTICLE: 45, 46, & 47. Notice of
Claim pursuant to Public Law 87-846, TITLE II, SEC. 203. Notice of Bailment Merging of Legal Title with Equitable Title : This
order is to preserve legal and equitable title , and to reserve all
rights, title, and interest, in the property, Re: " Cleveland Metropolitan: ", " CHRISTOPHER LADONTA FOSTER© ", is as a special
deposit order conveyed to " Bender Family Trust© ". All property of the same issue and amount, in like kind and specie, is to be
returned fully intact , as a Special Deposit order of the Depositor / Beneficiary / Bailor / Donor / Principal / Creditor: " christopher foster© ", nom deguerre: " Christopher Ladonta Foster© ", as a special deposit order in lawful money. This special deposit is to
be used exclusively for the benefit of : " Bender Family Trust© ", an Inter Vivos Unincorporated Divine Grantor Trust. This deposit is not to be commingled with general assets of any bank ,
nor depositary / trustee / agent / bailee / donee / debtor. This
deposit is not limited to, but including: discharge and set off,
of any and all outstanding liabilities as accord and satisfaction.
2022 NRT 000001 Diane Della-Loggia Name of Deceased Settlor
LEGAL NOTICES
Inter alia enact fuit. All Rights Reserved. Deo volente.
In God We Trust. Declaration of Nationality. Notice of White Flag Surrender. Notice of Special Appearance: I am that I am: "Jadili Damu Johnson© ", in full life, in propria persona, sui juris, in solo proprio, Haqdar by natural issue, the beneficiary and heir of: " JOHNSON, JADILI DAMU© ", corp.sole Dba.: " JADILI DAMU JOHNSON© ", having reached the age of majority, being aboriginal to the northwestern and southwestern shores of Africa, the Atlantic Islands, the continental Americas, being duly certified, hereby affirms to declare my tribal intention to be as my pedigree subscribes, as a: Moorish American, but not a citizen of the United States. I declare permanent, and unalienable, allegiance to The Moorish Empire, Societas Republicae Ea Al Maurikanuus Estados, The Constitution for the united States of America, Article III Section 2, The Lieber Code, Hague Conventions of 1899 & 1907, The Geneva Conventions, [ United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples ], and all natural laws governing moors, and hereby declare and proclaim my nationality in good faith as a: Moorish American. I am that I am: " Jadili Damu Johnson© ", from this day forward, in harmony with my Nationality / Status / Jurisdiction, shall be known as: " jadili damu johnson el© ". Notice of White Flag Surrender: as "hors de combat", pursuant to The Geneva Conventions, Article III, as a minister of The Moorish Empire, and Internationally Protected Person. Notice of: LAWS AND CUSTOMS OF WAR ON LAND ( HAGUE, IV ), ARTICLE: 45, 46, & 47. Notice of Claim pursuant to Public Law 87-846, TITLE II, SEC. 203. Notice of Bailment Merging of Legal Title with Equitable Title: This order is to preserve legal and equitable title, and to reserve all rights, title, and interest, in the property, Re: California Department Of Health: 104-75-280185, " JADILI DAMU JOHNSON© ", is as a special deposit order conveyed to " Heal And Feel Trust© ". All property of the same issue and amount, in like kind and specie, is to be returned fully intact, as a Special Deposit order of the Depositor / Beneficiary / Bailor / Donor / Principal / Creditor: " jadili damu johnson el© ", nom deguerre: " Jadili Damu Johnson© ", as a special deposit order in lawful money. This special deposit is to be used exclusively for the benefit of: " Heal And Feel Trust© ", an Inter Vivos Unincorporated Divine Grantor Trust. This deposit is not to be commingled with general assets of any bank, nor depositary / trustee / agent / bailee / donee / debtor. This deposit is not limited to, but including: discharge and set off, of any and all outstanding liabilities as accord and satisfaction. Inter alia enact fuit. All Rights Reserved. Deo volente. Notice of Reference: 0112358-13
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2021 ADM 001626 Roberta Boone Decedent Colline Silvera Robinson Kirlew & Associates 7731 Belle Point Dr. Greenbelt, MD 20770 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Kirksty Jacqueline Prescott, whose address is 2325 West Longview Dr., Woodbridge, VA 22191, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Roberta Boone who died on 9/9/2021 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before July 27, 2022. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before July 27, 2022, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: January 27, 2022 Kirksty Jacqueline Prescott Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer
THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM
LEGAL NOTICES SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2021 ADM 001699
LEGAL NOTICES SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2021 ADM 001649
Estate of Bertha J. Boone aka Bertha James Boone
Gary Fitzpatrick Decedent
NOTICE OF STANDARD PROBATE Notice is hereby given that a petition has been filed in this Court by Dannie J. Boone for standard probate, including the appointment of one or more personal representatives. Unless a responsive pleading in the form of a complaint or an objection in accordance with Superior Court Probate Division Rule 407 is filed in this Court within 30 days from the date of first publication of this notice, the Court may take the action hereinafter set forth. Admit to probate the Will dated January 26, 2007 exhibited with the petition upon proof satisfactory to the Court of due execution by affidavit of the witnesses or otherwise Date of first publication: 1/27/2022 Stephanie L. Royal, Esquire 5335 Wisconsin Ave., NW #440 Washington, DC 20015 Petitioner/Attorney: TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer
Louvenia Williams, Esq. 9701 Apollo Drive, #301 Largo, MD 20774 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Ronald A. Fitzpatrick, whose address is 81824 Contento, La Quinta CA 92253, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Gary Fitzpatrick who died on October 16, 2021 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 7/27/2022. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 7/27/2022, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 1/27/2022 Ronald A. Fitzpatrick Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
2022 ADM 000008
2021 ADM 001685
Diane Della-Loggia Decedent
Lynda Jones Decedent
Valerie Edwards, Esq. 1725 DeSales St., NW Suite 600 Washington, DC 20036 Attorney
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Nicholas A. Mueller, whose address is 21806 Princeton St., Hayward, CA 94541, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Diane Della-Loggia who died on September 23, 2020 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 8/3/2022. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 8/3/2022, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 2/3/2022 Nicholas A. Mueller Personal Representative
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Ade Soudan, whose address is 2356 Peachwood Cir, NE, Atlanta, GA 30345, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Lynda Jones who died on 9/28/2021 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 8/3/2022. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 8/3/2022, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 2/3/2022 Ade Soudan Personal Representative
TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills
LEGAL NOTICES
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
2020 ADM 000666
2021 ADM 1690
2021 ADM 001574
Rachel M. McCrea Decedent
Wanda Barnes Decedent
Bertha L. Williams Decedent
Kathlyn Scott, Esq. 1629 K Street, NW Suite 300 Washington, DC 20006 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Sean McCrea, whose address is 923 4th Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Rachel M. McCrea who died on March 27, 2020 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (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 7/27/2022. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 7/27/2022, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 1/27/2022 Sean McCrea Personal Representative
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Dewayne Barnes, whose address is 7107 Greenvale Parkway, Hyattsville, Maryland 20784, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Wanda Barnes who died on March 3, 2021 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 8/3/2022. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 8/3/2022, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 2/3/2022 Dewayne Barnes Personal Representative
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Nicole Stevens Register of Wills
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Victoria L. Williams, whose address is 1330 S Street SE, Washington, DC 20020, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Bertha L. Williams who died on February 20, 2019 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before August 3, 2022. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before August 3, 2022, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: February 3, 2022 Victoria L. Williams Personal Representative
TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer
Washington Informer
Washington Informer
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2022 ADM 000017 Yvonne Thorne Decedent Donald R. Marlais, Esq. 411 10th Street NE Washington, DC 20002 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Korie Twiggs, whose address is 9401 Lanae Lane, Manassas Park, VA 20111, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Yvonne Thorne who died on May 7, 2004 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 8/3/2022. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 8/3/2022, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 2/3/2022 Korie Twiggs Personal Representative
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2022 ADM 000018 Ernest W. Ghee, Jr. Decedent Donald R. Marlais, Esq. 411 10th Street NE Washington, DC 20002 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Waltergerard Ghee, whose address is 1126 48th Street NE, Washington, DC 20019, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Ernest W. Ghee, Jr. who died on August 25, 2021 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 8/3/2022. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 8/3/2022, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address, and relationship. Date of first publication: 2/3/2022
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Waltergerard Ghee Personal Representative
Nicole Stevens Register of Wills
TRUE TEST COPY
Washington Informer
Nicole Stevens Register of Wills
Washington Informer
Nicole Stevens
WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER
Washington Informer
In God We Trust. Declaration of Nationality. Notice of White Flag Surrender. Notice of Special Appearance : I am that I am: " Ronald James Shermen Chrichlow© ", in full life, in propria persona, sui juris, in solo proprio, Haqdar by natural issue, the beneficiary and heir of: “RONALD JAMES SHERMEN CHRICHLOW ", corp. sole Dba.: " RONALD CHRICHLOW© ", having reached the age of majority, being aboriginal to the northwestern and southwestern shores of Africa, the Atlantic Islands, the continental Americas, being duly certified, hereby affirms to declare my tribal intention to be as my pedigree subscribes, as a: Moorish American, but not a citizen of the United States. I declare permanent, and unalienable, allegiance to The Moorish Empire, Estados al-Marikanos, Societas Republicae Ea Al Maurikanuus Estados, The Constitution for the united States of America, Article III Section 2, The Lieber Code, Hague Conventions of 1899 & 1907, The Geneva Conventions, [ United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples ], and all natural laws governing moors, and hereby declare and proclaim my nationality in good faith as a: Moorish American. I am that I am: “ Ronald James Shermen Chrichlow ", from this day forward, in harmony with my Nationality / Status / Jurisdiction, shall be known as: " ronald james shermen chrichlow ". Notice of White Flag Surrender: as "hors de combat", pursuant to The Geneva Conventions, Article III, as a minister of The Moorish Empire, and Internationally Protected Person. Notice of: LAWS AND CUSTOMS OF WAR ON LAND ( HAGUE, IV), ARTICLE: 32, 45, 46, & 47. Notice of Claim pursuant to Public Law 87-846, TITLE II, SEC. 203. Notice of Bailment Merging of Legal Title with Equitable Title : This order is to preserve legal and equitable title , and to reserve all rights, title, and interest, in the property, Re: STATE OF NEW YORK : STATE FILE NUMBER: 156-91-065171 " RONALD JAMES SHERMEN CHRICHLOW © ", is as a special deposit order conveyed to “Ronald Chrichlow Trust ". All property of the same issue and amount, in like kind and specie, is to be returned fully intact , as a Special Deposit order of the Depositor / Beneficiary / Bailor / Donor / Principal / Creditor: " ronald chrichlow, nom deguerre: " Ronald James Shermen Chrichlow", as a special deposit order in lawful money. This special deposit is to be used exclusively for the benefit of : “Ronald Chrichlow Trust ", an Inter Vivos Unincorporated Divine Grantor Trust. This deposit is not to be commingled with general assets of any bank, nor depositary / trustee / agent / bailee / donee / debtor. This deposit is not limited to, but including: discharge and set off, of any and all outstanding liabilities as accord and satisfaction. Inter alia enact fuit. All Rights Reserved. Deo volente.
FEBRUARY 3 - 9, 2022 51
LEGAL NOTICES
CL ASSIFIEDS
In God We Trust. Declaration of Nationality. Notice of White Flag Surrender. Notice of Special Appearance : I am that I am: “Brittney Alexandra Chrichlow© ”, f.k.a., “ Brittney Alexandra English© ”, in full life, in propria persona, sui juris, in solo proprio, Haqdar by natural issue, the beneficiary and heir of: “BRITTNEY ALEXANDRA ENGLISH© ”, corp.sole Dba.: “BRITTNEY ENGLISH© ”, and “ “BRITTNEY ALEXANDRA CHRICHLOW © ”, corp.sole Dba.: “ BRITTNEY CHRICHLOW© ” having reached the age of majority, being aboriginal to the northwestern and southwestern shores of Africa, the Atlantic Islands, the continental Americas, being duly certified, hereby affirms to declare our tribal intention to be as our pedigree subscribes, as: Moorish Americans, but not a citizens of the United States. We declare permanent, and unalienable, allegiance to The Moorish Empire, Estados al-Marikanos, Societas Republicae Ea Al Maurikanuus Estados, The Constitution for the united States of America, Article III Section 2, The Lieber Code, Hague Conventions of 1899 & 1907, The Geneva Conventions, [ United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples ], and all natural laws governing moors, and hereby declare and proclaim our nationality in good faith as: Moorish Americans. I am that I am: “ Brittney Alexandra Chrichlow© ”, from this day forward, in harmony with my Nationality / Status / Jurisdiction, shall be known as: “ brittney chrichlow© from this day forward, in harmony with our Nationality / Status / Jurisdiction, shall be known as: “ Brittney Chrichlow© ”. Notice of White Flag Surrender: as "hors de combat", pursuant to The Geneva Conventions, Article III, as a minister of The Moorish Empire, and Internationally Protected Person. Notice of: LAWS AND CUSTOMS OF WAR ON LAND ( HAGUE, IV), ARTICLE: 32, 45, 46, & 47. Notice of Claim pursuant to Public Law 87-846, TITLE II, SEC. 203. Notice of Bailment Merging of Legal Title with Equitable Title : This order is to preserve legal and equitable title, and to reserve all rights, title, and interest, in the property, Re: STATE OF NEW YORK : STATE FILE NUMBER: 136314, document registration no. 295 “ BRITTNEY ALEXANDRA CHRICHLOW© ”, is as a special deposit order conveyed to “Brittney Chrichlow Trust© ”. This is also a separate order to preserve legal and equitable title, and to reserve all rights, title, and interest, in the property. All property of the same issue and amount, in like kind and specie, is to be returned fully intact , as a Special Deposit order of the Depositor / Beneficiary / Bailor / Donor / Principal / Creditor / Trustee: “ brittney chrichlow© ”, nom deguerre: “ Brittney Alexandra Chrichlow© ”, as a special deposit order in lawful money. this special deposit is to be used exclusively for the benefit of: “ Brittney Chrichlow Trust© ”, an Inter Vivos Unincorporated Divine Grantor Trust”, All deposits are not to be commingled with general assets of any bank, nor depositary / trustee / agent / bailee / donee / debtor. All deposits are not limited to, but include: discharge and set off, of any and all outstanding liabilities as accord and satisfaction. Inter alia enact fuit. All Rights Reserved. Deo volente.
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HOWELL from Page 26 vital services also arise when people need an abortion. Abortion funds across the country have been a lifeline for countless communities as they help eliminate the geographic, financial, and other barriers to accessing care, but this should not be our reality when abortion is legal in all 50 states. As other states move to pass copycat bills modeled after Texas' six-week abortion ban, we need to urgently change course. Abortion is rooted in freedom. When abortion is available and affordable, we are more able to make our own decisions about whether and when to start or expand our families. This gives us the opportunity to make important decisions about our health, to care for
EDELMAN from Page 26 Alumnae Chapter president, told a reporter her friend and mentor had "always been a change-maker": "She made friendships and partnerships with state legislators that made sure that when there were issues that needed to be spoken about that represented the Black community, she was that voice, or helped us to be the voice. … I think we would do her the most justice of continuing her legacy by always making sure that we are serving the community as she would have had us to do." National First Vice President Elsie Cooke-Holmes told another interviewer, "Her legacy will be really
MORIAL from Page 26 rate meet or exceed the white rate: 2008, and 2012, when President Obama was elected and reelected. In 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court
Historically high Black and brown voter turnout in some jurisdictions did help swing the 2020 election, but nationally the Black rate lagged the white rate by seven percentage points.
our families, to pursue our dreams, and to live in thriving communities. When abortion is accessible, we see its positive impact for generations, but when it is pushed out of reach, it causes irreparable harm to the emotional, financial and physical health of those who are forced to carry a pregnancy against their will. Even If the Supreme Court upholds Roe later this year, it will still not be enough. From the grassroots activism on the ground to the politicians making decisions about what we can and cannot do with our bodies, this is why we need to support efforts to ensure all people have real access to abortion. Abortion care that is covered by insurance, that is nearby, and without unnecessary waits, or asking neighbors to spy on us, or
any other efforts to interfere with our decisions. In short, access to abortion care, just as other health care, should not depend on where we live or who sits in power in our state capitals. Black women have always been visionary leaders at the helm of all forms of social justice in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. We have fought for a better, brighter future because we know it is our birthright. This is why we continue to demand that our elected officials do more for us — to make abortion accessible and affordable to all who need it. Abortion access is about much more than our legal rights; it is about our humanity, dignity and freedom — and we deserve to be free. WI
wanting to make sure that we go to higher heights, wanting to make sure that we continue and got to our higher heights of impacting the world." The sorority called Cheryl Hickmon an "ideal Delta," and said she "is remembered not just for being a leader but for being a true sister who embodied integrity, grace, and the noble spirit of fortitude." All of these are wonderful tributes for a leader who spent tireless hours working with her sorors and others to serve her community and lift those around her to "higher heights" so they too could make a difference. She will be deeply missed. WI
The sorority called Cheryl Hickmon an "ideal Delta," and said she "is remembered not just for being a leader but for being a true sister who embodied integrity, grace, and the noble spirit of fortitude."
gutted the Voting Rights Act with its decision in Shelby County v. Holder, opening the floodgate for voter suppression in states and counties previously covered by the preclearance provisions of the act. Within 24 hours of the ruling, Texas announced that it would implement a strict photo ID law. Two other states, Mississippi and Alabama, also began to enforce photo ID laws that had previously been barred because of federal preclearance. In the 2014 midterm election, the first after Shelby, Black voter turnout lagged white turnout by almost four and a half percentage points. Historically high Black and brown voter turnout in some jurisdictions did help swing the 2020 election, but nationally the Black rate lagged the white rate
by seven percentage points. But even if Black Americans had voted "in just as high a percentage as [white] Americans" in 2020, legislators across the county — including McConnell — are working overtime to make sure that doesn't happen in 2022 and beyond. In 2021, at least 19 states passed 34 laws restricting access to voting, according to the Brennan Center. At least 13 bills restricting access to voting already have been pre-filed for the 2022 legislative session in four states and 152 restrictive voting bills in 18 states will carry over from 2021. Senator McConnell knows all this. He knows that he holds the power to put a stop to it, and he refuses. We don't need to hear him suggest that Black Americans aren't "real" Americans to know where his loyalty lies. WI
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JEALOUS from Page 27 fender, representing people who could not afford a lawyer. In that role, she helped expose the government's use of "phony stash houses," a way to trap people into committing crimes they would not otherwise commit. Today she serves as the only Black judge on the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago. Similarly, Yale alumna Eunice Lee spent 20 years at Manhattan's Office of the Appellate Defender, representing poor people in New York City convicted of felonies. Today she is a judge on the Sec-
ond Circuit Court of Appeals in New York. And Ketanji Brown Jackson, a Harvard Law graduate, devoted years of her career to public service, including representing low-income people in Washington, D.C., as a public defender. She also served on the U.S. Sentencing Commission, where she worked to end the unjust discrepancy between sentences for crack and powder cocaine. Today she serves on the D.C. Circuit and is often talked about as a future Supreme Court nominee. The paths to confirmation for these women and their fellow
BAILEY from Page 27
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On the campaign trail, President Biden promised to name the first Black woman to the Supreme Court, and Justice Stephen Breyer's retirement paves the way for that to occur.
nominees were tainted by attacks, racist and otherwise. The rightwing press criticized these nominees as "radical liberals." The Senate Judiciary Committee asked Jackson and Jackson-Akiwumi point-blank at their confirmation hearings if race would play a role in their judicial decision-making. And far-right conservatives did everything they could to delay their confirmation. But all of them prevailed, with dignity, grit and grace, the qualities that so many accomplished Black women have shown in the face of adversity. And the story is still being written. On the campaign trail, President Biden promised to name the first Black woman to the Supreme Court, and Justice Stephen Breyer's retirement paves the way for that to occur. Soon, we may see that woman take a long-overdue and rightful seat on the nation's highest court; I look forward to celebrating that beautiful and momentous day. WI
acted upon if we are to ever move from having a limited degree of Black influence to a serious degree of Black Power. I will repeat Dr. King's position on power: "It is a social force any group can utilize by accumulating its elements in a planned, deliberate campaign to organize it under its own control." WI
ASKIA from Page 27 return land confiscated from the treasonous Confederates, and to deny the promised 40 acres and a mule to the freedmen. Today, those same conditions exist among those white supremacists who are resisting the democratization of the country and the growing Black influence, and the demographic shifts in the population, rendering white folks the "minority" population in the U.S. So, the second Civil War is the solution. The handwriting is clearly on the wall. Barbara Walter, a University of California professor and an expert on civil conflicts, recently wrote about the political volatility in the U.S. since the Jan. 6 insurrection, which dropped the country into what she defines as "the anocracy
Power is not the white man’s birthright; it will not be legislated for us and delivered in neat government packages.
zone." She told CNN that the riot had made the deadly risks from The Donald's lies "impossible to deny and ignore." "Anocracies are neither fully democratic nor fully autocratic; their citizens enjoy some elements of democratic rule (e.g., elections), while other rights (e.g., due process or freedom of the press) suffer," Walter wrote in The Washington Post. "In the last weeks of Donald Trump's presidency, the respected Center for Systemic Peace (CSP) calculated that, for the first time in more than two centuries, the United States no longer qualified as a democracy. It had, over the preceding five years, become an anocracy." A second Civil War, they believe, will bring about the changes they desire. These revelations astound me. For all my adult life, I believed fervent-
ly that the arc of the moral universe was indeed bending toward justice, toward Our Cause, as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. reminded us. What a fool I was. I must have been in a fantasy world because, somehow, I envisioned white people coming to their senses, and doing right by us, their former slaves. Madness. The imperial America which white people are yearning for, is set for destruction, and they refuse to let it go. The Better Angels of White America are being wrestled into submission by the Donald Trumps, the Mitch McConnell's. These narcissistic jingoes are fighting for domination among themselves, expecting that the trounced Republicans will fall in line to rule over the remaining have-nots and Blacks. They operate with obscene confidence, arrogance, hubris. WI
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