This Week's Edition : 4-2-26

Metrorail at 50: Free Rides for Students and Questions about Federal Presence

By Sam Plo Kwia Collins, Jr. WI Senior Writer

As the Washington Metro Area Transit Authority (WMATA) commemorates half a century of Metrorail’s existence, District leaders are celebrating a milestone in their efforts to help young people navigate public transit free of charge.

NaTaya Bond recently participated in that celebration at Fort Totten Metro Station, where D.C. Mayor mom Muriel Bowser, WMATA General Manager-CEO Randy Clarke, and several others highlighted WMATA’s overall distribution of 450,000 Kids Ride Free SmarTrip cards.

“My best part [of the Metro experience] is that it's free for students because it's reliable. We can use it and a lot of people don't have it,” NaTaya, a junior at Calvin Coolidge High School in Northwest, told The Informer. “So [WMATA]

From Boy Scout to Eagle: Maryland Teen Redefines Legacy

By Jada Ingleton WI Content Editor

Achieving the pinnacle of Boy Scouts of America (BSA) felt like a full-circle moment of what was and what’s ahead for Fort Washington, Maryland’s Mark Turner Jr.

After a 12-year journey of service and stewardship, the 20-year-old rang in 2026 with an official Eagle Scout ranking and a reimagined take on what it means to define a legacy.

As for his own, rooted in a lineage of perseverance, Turner told The Informer he sees himself in a culmination of greatness that has shaped his entire life, including the future he’s

EAGLE SCOUT Page 23

By Micha Green, Hamil Harris and Jada Ingleton WI Managing Editor, WI Contributing Writer and WI Content Editor

For many religious and civil rights leaders, this Holy Week marks a time of commemorations not only in the church, but the justice fight: Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday– which also coincides with the 58th anniversary of the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. — and Easter Sunday.

By Sam Plo Kwia Collins, Jr. WI Senior Writer

During the D.C. Council’s March 31 legislative meeting, council members discussed open meeting modifications and safety standards for athletes and spectators at Capital One Arena. The 13-person body also took emergency action to disapprove the purchase of two dozen new pumper trucks for D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services. This edition of The Collins D.C. Council Report focuses on the emergency juvenile curfew extension that never happened, as well as the council’s override of D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s veto of the Full Accountability in Arrest Reporting Emergency Amendment Act.

5 Dr. Barbara Williams-Skinner, president of Skinner Leadership Institute, is emphasizing the power of hope in the Easter message and the call to work toward justice throughout this season. (WI File Photo/Robert R. Roberts) Serving Our Community in the DMV

5 NaTaya Bond, a junior at Calvin Coolidge High School standing between D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Dr. Lewis D. Ferebee and D.C. Department of Transportation Director Sharon Kershbaum, celebrates the future release of a student SmarTrip card featuring her artwork. (Shevry Lassiter/The Washington Informer)

COUNCIL REPORT Page 9

5 Mark Turner Jr. and proud mom, Alyssa King Turner, during his Eagle Scout Court of Honor program in Alexandria, Virginia on Jan. 4. (Courtesy Photo/ Virgil Monroe)

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 $96 per year, two years $168. Papers will be received not more than a week after publication. Make checks payable to:

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In Memoriam Dr. Calvin W. Rolark, Sr. Wilhelmina J. Rolark

PUBLISHER

Denise Rolark Barnes

STAFF

Micha Green, Managing Editor

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REPORTERS

Stacy Brown, National Reporter

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SKYLAR NELSON, WI CONTRIBUTING WRITER; STACY M. BROWN, WI SENIOR WRITER;

UConn Defeats Duke With Mullins’ Last-Second 3-Pointer, Advances to Final Four

By Skylar Nelson WI Contributing Writer

The District took center stage during the NCAA March Madness East Regional, with the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight hosted at Capital One Arena.

5 University of Connecticut (UConn) Huskies head coach Dan Hurley celebrates Braylon Mullins game -winning three-pointer in the teams 73-72 win over the Duke Blue Devils in the March Madness Elite Eight on Sunday, March 30.

(Abdullah Konte/The Washington Informer)

All eyes were on a thrilling East Region field that featured a compelling mix of tradition and stardom. Entering the Sweet 16 was a blue-blood program in the Duke Blue Devils, a modern powerhouse in the University of Con -

necticut (UConn) Huskies, and two Hall of Fame coaches in Rick Pitino of the St. John’s Red Storm and Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans.

But only the UConn Huskies and Duke Blue Devils advanced, facing one another in the Elite Eight on Sunday, March 29.

“Thrilled to welcome the Sweet Sixteen [and] Elite Eight back to Capital One Arena for March Madness,” CEO of Monumental Sports and Entertainment Ted Leonis wrote on X. “One of college basketball’s best weekends… right in the heart of D.C. With our ongoing arena renovations, we’re only raising the bar for fans and teams. Looking forward to another great chapter of college basketball.”

Inside Paris Jackson’s Courtroom War as Estate Slams “False Claims” and Power Grab

While family members and tens of millions of fans brace themselves for the highly anticipated release of the biopic, “Michael,” drama has continued to build behind the scenes as the King of Pop’s only daughter engages in a battle with the executors of her father’s estate.

Behind sealed courtroom doors in Los Angeles, where transcripts remain locked and the public is shut out, the fight over Michael Jackson’s estate has taken a darker and more consequential turn.

While the face of the battle is being hyped as a dispute over accounting, many legal observers and those close to the matter suggest it’s a battle for full control.

And increasingly, those watching closely are asking whether Paris Jackson is at the center of it or being pulled deeper into it.

At the heart of the escalating conflict is her attorney,

Craig Peters, a high-profile trial lawyer whose career has been built on catastrophic injury, wrongful death, and product liability cases. His résumé does not include estate administration, probate litigation, or the management of billion-dollar entertainment assets. Yet he now stands at the center of a legal push targeting one of the most valuable estates in music history.

“This is clearly about Paris’ legal team believing that they can take control of the estate… remove the current executors,” a source told The Informer.

The estate, led by executors John Branca and John McClain, has responded with a filing that reads as both defense and indictment, accusing Paris Jackson’s legal team of ignoring years of disclosures, court-approved decisions, and prior agreements while pushing what it calls false claims

Nationals Secure 10-4 Victory Over Chicago Cubs on MLB Opening Day

The Washington Nationals opened the 2026 Major League Baseball (MLB) season on Thursday, March 26, defeating the Chicago Cubs 10-4 at Wrigley Field.

The Washington Nationals sealed the victory behind home runs from Joey Wiemer, Jacob Young, and Brady House. CJ Abrams delivered a thrilling blow for Chicago, hitting a go-ahead two-run single during Washington’s sixth run in the fourth inning.

Washington’s victory also marked a milestone for manager Blake Butera, earning his first Opening Day victory and the Nation-

UCONN Page 36

JACKSON Page 29

5 Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams and second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. in their 2-11 loss against the Boston Red Sox in July 2025. Abrams delivered a standout performance in the 2026 MLB opener versus the Chicago Cubs on March 26. (Marcus Relacion/The Washington Informer)

Juror Pay Gap in D.C. Courts Targeted in New Bill

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

A measure introduced in Congress seeks to ensure that residents who serve on juries in the District of Columbia’s local courts receive the same compensation as those serving in federal court, a change supporters say would strengthen fairness in a system that relies on ordinary citizens to carry out one of democracy’s most important responsibilities.

“Our jurors deserve equal compensation for this important civic duty that our federal counterparts receive,” said Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D), the District’s nonvoting representative in Congress.

Norton has reintroduced the District of Columbia Juror Pay Parity Act, legislation that would require D.C. Superior Court to pay jurors the same amount provided in federal courts. The bill seeks to ensure consistency in compensation for residents who perform jury service in the city’s local trial court, which handles criminal prosecutions, civil disputes, family cases, and other matters affecting District residents.

In a statement accompanying the legislation, Norton said the District’s courts play a critical role in the daily life of the city and its residents.

“The District of Columbia’s local courts oversee crucial matters that impact our residents and the city,” Norton said.

Under current practice, federal jurors are generally paid a base fee of $50 per day of service. The amount can increase to $60 per day after 10 consecutive days of service

OPENING DAY from Page 4

als’ first Opening Day win since 2021. Butera now becomes the fifth manager in franchise history to win his debut opener, joining Davey Johnson (2012), Matt Williams (2014), Dusty Baker (2016), and Dave Martinez (2018).

“Awesome, so happy for him,” said pitcher Cade Cavalli of Butera’s accomplishment. “I know that the work that him and the

on a petit jury. Federal jurors also receive reimbursement for reasonable transportation expenses such as mileage and parking. For longer proceedings, the higher daily rate may apply after extended service, including after 45 days for grand jurors.

Federal government employees who are called for jury duty typically receive their regular salary instead of the daily juror attendance fee. Courts issue a tax form if a juror earns more than $600 in attendance fees in a calendar year. Jurors may also receive mileage reimbursement at the federal government rate and compensation for meals and lodging when overnight stays are required.

In the District’s local court system, jurors serving in D.C. Superior Court are currently paid $50 per day for service along with a $7 travel subsidy. That brings the daily total to $57, according to information from the court system. Those who report for jury duty but are not selected also receive the same daily amount.

Certain jurors may not receive the attendance payment. Government employees or workers whose employers continue paying their salary during jury service may be excluded from the daily fee. The court also provides services intended to make jury duty more accessible, including free Wi-Fi and child care for children ages 2-and-half and older.

Payments for jurors serving in D.C. Superior Court are generally issued at the end of a trial or provided by check once service is completed.

staff have put in to get us in position to be able to go compete, they're dialed in. And they do so much behind the scenes for us. So it’s just awesome seeing him get his first win, and we got to celebrate him here in the locker room.”

The Washington Nationals are set to face the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field in their final game of the twoday series on Saturday, March 28 at Wrigley Field. The first pitch will be at 2:20 p.m. WI

District residents have complained about the low compensation for jury duty over the years.

“I’m in D.C. where the minimum wage is $17 an hour, so one would think that at the very least pay would be about $136 a day,” social media user Cardo wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Immediately everyone who can’t live off $50 a day for 20 days isn’t able to afford to participate in jury duty, which is basically the majority of adults.”

Norton said the legislation is necessary because Congress maintains authority over the District’s court system.

Under the National Capital Revitalization and Self Government Improvement Act of 1997, Congress assumed responsibility for funding the District’s local courts. The courts themselves remain under congressional authority, and the District government cannot

pass legislation affecting them because the D.C. Home Rule Act bars the D.C. Council from enacting laws related to Title 11 of the D.C. Code, which governs the structure and jurisdiction of the courts.

Title 11 also gives the Board of

Judges of the Superior Court authority to set juror compensation.

Norton told lawmakers that the issue warrants congressional action and urged them to approve the legislation.

“I urge my colleagues to support this bill,” Norton said. WI

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5 District Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton and other local leaders and advocates are pushing back against a House bill that would strip the nation's capital of its ability to enforce traffic laws using automated cameras. (WI File Photo)

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AROUND THE REGION

Democracy," a mural at Hampton University, is born in Chicago.

1932 – World renowned Black cowboy Willie "Bill" Pickett dies at 61 in a Ponca, Oklahoma, hospital after he was kicked in the head by a horse.

1984 – John Thompson becomes the first African American head coach to win a major collegiate championship when his Patrick Ewing-led Georgetown Hoyas defeat the University of Houston 84-75 in the NCAA mens' basketball title game.

April 3

1950 – African American historian, author and journalist Carter G. Woodson, known as the "father of Black History," dies in his Washington, D.C., home of a heart attack at 74.

1961 – Legendary comedian and actor Eddie Murphy is born in the Brooklyn borough of New York City.

1990 – Iconic jazz vocalist Sarah Vaughan dies at her Hidden Hills, California, home of lung cancer at 66.

April 4

1913 – Musician Muddy Waters, who is often cited as the "father of modern Chicago blues," is born in Issaquena County, Mississippi.

1928 – Famed poet, memoirist and civil rights activist Maya Angelou is born in St. Louis.

1968 – Civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated by James Earl Ray in Memphis, Tennessee. He was 39.

April 5

1856 – Educator and famed African American

U.S. Army and the first African American secretary of state, is born in Harlem, New York City.

1951 – The Municipal Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., outlaws segregated restaurants in the city.

April 6

1712 – The New York Slave Revolt of 1712, an uprising in which 23 enslaved Africans killed nine whites and injured another six, begins.

1909 – Black explorer Matthew Henson is among a party of six recognized as the first to reach the North Pole.

April 7

1872 – William Monroe Trotter, civil rights leader and editor of The Boston Guardian, is born near Chillicothe, Ohio. He died on his birthday in 1934 after a fall from the roof of his Boston home.

1915 – Legendary jazz singer Billie Holiday is born in Philadelphia.

1940 – The Post Office Department issues a stamp honoring Booker T. Washington, the nation's first stamp to commemorate an African American.

1949 – Actress Juanita Hall begins a run on Broadway as Bloody Mary in the musical "South Pacific," a role in which she became the first African American to win a Tony Award for Best Supporting Actress.

April 8

1946 – Bob Johnson, an entrepreneur and media magnate who founded Black Entertainment Television, is born in Hickory, Mississippi.

1974 – Baseball great Hank Aaron hits his 715th career home run, breaking Babe Ruth's then-record of 714.

WI

Maya Angelou (left)

Eddie Murphy (center) Sarah Vaughn (right)

AROUND THE REGION view P INT

BY KEITH GOLDEN JR.

What is the center of your Easter message for people in 2026?

THE REV. DR. GEORGE C. GILBERT SR., PASTOR OF HOLY TRINITY BAPTIST CHURCH IN WASHINGTON, D.C. /

“[My theme is: ‘We already have a King.’ There is so much discussion about No Kings Day [protests] around the world, and I wanted to make it known to President Trump that we don't [need] another King to celebrate America’s 250th birthday later this year.”

THE REV. TONY LEE, PASTOR OF COMMUNITY OF HOPE AME CHURCH IN TEMPLE HILLS, MARYLAND /

“Even during bad times and challenging circumstances, we still have hope, and our hope is in Christ Jesus.”

THE REV. WILLIAM BARBER, PRESIDENT AND SENIOR LECTURER OF REPAIRERS OF THE BREACH AND FOUNDER OF MORAL MONDAYS, WHO PREACHED AT HOWARD UNIVERSITY’S RANKIN CHAPEL ON PALM SUNDAY /

“Our message must be clear in this moment: They are not like us. Jesus rode a donkey to make a public stand that they are not like us. Your birth and presence are not an accident –– every donkey is here because God wants them here. The odds of you being born are 1 in 400 trillion. You are a walking miracle. You are part of a ‘Mighty movement of a mighty God.’”

THE REV. DR. BARBARA REYNOLDS / WASHINGTON D.C.

“‘He has risen.’ Those words flowing from Mary Magdalene, who Jesus appeared to first after His Resurrection, are powerful even now. No matter what our situation is today, we are more than conquerors through the blood of Jesus shared for us. The cross Jesus died upon stands not as a weapon of defeat but of transformation and liberation.”

Our staff is made up of writers, just like you. We are dedicated to making publishing dreams come true. Trusted by authors for nearly 100 years, Dorrance has made countless authors’ dreams come true.

AROUND THE REGION

from Page 1

giving this to us for free is actually a lot of help. It opened up the city for me. It allows me to travel, see new things that I want to see.”

As NaTaya gears up for the future release of a SmarTrip card featuring her artwork, she said she’s proud to be among those benefitting from the more-than-a-decade old program. In her remarks at the March 30 Kids Ride Free milestone event, NaTaya shouted out her classmates while reflecting on her travels along the Red Line.

“Shoutout to my fellow Red Line colleagues,” NaTaya said. “Students like me are grateful for free and reliable transportation that helps us show up every day as scholars, athletes, artists, and part of [the] D.C. Public Schools (DCPS) community.”

She later acknowledged the Kids Ride Free program as a critical resource for District families.

“If you needed a ride but your parents couldn't help you, you got free Metro,” NaTaya told The Informer. “You can still get there. It still allows us to still have a life without having to travel by car or using money.”

Looking Back: A Celebration of Safety and Reliability

March 27 marked the 50th anniversary of Metrorail, which started solely as the Red Line between Rhode Island Avenue Metro Station and Farragut North Metro Station. Construction of the 83-station system was completed in 2001 with the launch of the Green Line.

On Monday, NaTaya joined a line-

up of speakers that included: Bowser, Clarke, WMATA Board Chairwoman Valerie Santos, D.C. Department of Transportation (DDOT) Director Sharon Kershbaum, DCPS Chancellor Dr. Lewis D. Ferebee, and Sage Small, an eighth grader who attends Stuart-Hobson Middle School in Northeast.

Santos, who will soon enter her third year as WMATA board chair, extolled the Kids Ride Free program as a mechanism in supporting young people’s extracurricular pursuits.

“Every day, thousands of students depend on Metro to get to school, to their afterschool programs, to jobs, and to get back home safely,” Santos said.

“This program succeeds because families trust that Metro will be there when students need it.”

In the post-pandemic era, WMATA, like other institutions, weathered the storm of budget deficits spurred by expiring federal COVID funds. June 30 will mark the end of a fiscal year where, in the absence of fare increases, WMATA has implemented its Better Bus Network design and increased Metrorail frequency.

For Santos, safety and reliability are top priority.

“Parents should feel confident that when their child taps their card, they are stepping into a system designed with safety in mind,” Santos said. “And delivering on that promise takes continuous investment, which includes strengthening our workforce of operators and frontline staff, modernizing our infrastructure and vehicles, and using real-time data to improve service performance.”

The Bowser administration reported that the Kids Ride Free program

funded more than 60 million trips on public transportation. The program, which initially covered only Metrobus rides for D.C. students, expanded under Bowser’s mayoralty to include Metrorail. Throughout much of Kids Ride Free’s existence, DDOT has spent $15 million per year via its administration of the program and collaboration with District public schools, public charter schools, and private schools.

On average, each family saved $810 per year in public transportation costs, according to Bowser administration officials. Programmatic upgrades in recent years allow young people to tap their phones for free rides on the Metro transit system— all part of what Bowser calls the full manifestation of her vision.

“Some of you know that this has been a priority of mine since I was on the council of the District of Columbia. At that time, going [from] neighborhood to neighborhood, door to door, I heard stories from families about how expensive it was for them to get their child to school,” Bowser said on March 30. “Some kids going across town, some kids in their own neighborhood, some families with one child, some families with more, paying for cards to get their kids to school every day.”

With this year’s MySchool DC lottery results out, Bowser stressed the importance of Metrorail access for young people.

“We are proud of the robust system of choice in schools that we have in our city,” she said, “but it also means that we have to have a robust system of ways for them to get there.”

WI Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

5 WMATA Board Chairwoman Valerie Santos extolls the Kids Ride Free program as a mechanism in supporting young people’s extracurricular pursuits. (Shevry Lassiter/The Washington Informer)

But first, a recap of Councilmember Janeese Lewis George’s (D-Ward 4) efforts to address the burden of Pepco’s pay rate increases.

Amid Criticism about Her Opponent, Lewis George Takes on Utility Costs

On March 31, the D.C. Council approved emergency legislation placing a 90-day moratorium on electricity service disconnections. The 8-5 vote came amid the Public Service Commission’s (PSC) attempt to, in the aftermath of an appeals court decision, approve an evidence-based multi-year rate plan.

Councilmember Janeese Lewis George, a 2026 mayoral candidate, led these efforts. Her legislation, titled the Plan Vacatur Interim Protections Emergency Amendment Act of 2026, took shape more than two weeks after she and her opponent, former D.C. Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie, came to blows over the issue of high utility bills during a Free DC candidate forum.

As Lewis George explained on Tuesday, even as PSC goes back to the drawing board, District residents are still subjected to rates that the quasi-judicial body initially approved.

“We've seen thousands of disconnection notices, and hundreds of families are already losing power, all while the legal validity of these rates remains unresolved,” Lewis George said on the dais. “In February alone, hundreds of households had their electricity shut off, and tens of thousands received notices. Nearly a quarter of residents are currently already behind on their electric bills.”

In 2024, the new electricity distribution rates for Pepco went into effect after PSC approved a modified version of Pepco’s “Climate Ready Pathway.” The multiyear-rate plan, which covered 2024 through 2026, allowed for an overall increase of $123.4 million— which translated into an average increase of $10 per month per D.C. household over two years.

However, the D.C. Court of Appeals, at the request of the Office of the People’s Counsel (OPC) and Apartment & Office Building Association of Metropolitan Washington (AOBA), vacated PSC’s approval of Pepco’s new rates. Though the court didn’t find the rates unreasonable or unjust, it deemed an evidentiary hearing necessary to resolve disputes.

PSC has since scheduled such a hearing for May 12. In the interim, OPC

and AOBA are fighting for refunds to customers, in the form of bill credits, and a return to 2023 rates.

Lewis George’s emergency legislation, as approved by the council, includes an amendment by D.C. Councilmember Charles Allen (D-Ward 6) that narrows the moratorium to ratepayers owing less than $1,000.

The council approved that amendment in a 10-3 vote with D.C. Council members Matt Frumin (D-Ward 3), Wendell Felder (D-Ward 7), and Doni Crawford (I-At large) voting in opposition.

The council later approved the legislation, as amended, with Crawford, Felder, Frumin, along with Councilmember Christina Henderson (I-At large) and D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) casting “no” votes.

For Henderson, the moratorium discussion became a question of whether the council was prepared to go where surrounding jurisdictions haven't.

“Right now we have some information…from the PSC in terms of when the next evidentiary hearing is going to be held, but we don't have a timeline in terms of how long it's going to take to resolve the new rates,” Henderson noted. “How long are we prepared to continue? How long are we going to say that a utility cannot be turned off while this is sort of pending?”

On March 26, the council’s Committee on Transportation and the Environment, chaired by Allen, conducted a hearing that focused on: D.C. Water, Pepco, new energy generation in the District, and auto-enrollment of SNAP and TANF recipients in utility discount programs.

The committee, on which Lewis George sits, heard testimony from PSC. In speaking about future plans to hold PSC accountable, Allen said it's about putting the quasi-judicial agency in the hot seat.

“That's good oversight…making

sure that the PSC has to be in front of the Council, answering tough questions,” Allen said. “At the end of the day, who is it that we want the PSC to work for? They're not there to work for the utility companies.”

As the mayoral contest that determines Bowser’s successor rages, questions remain about how Lewis George and McDuffie, the two frontrunners, would tackle quality-of-life issues.

During the March 15 Free DC candidates forum at Matthews Memorial Baptist Church, McDuffie and Lewis George threw jabs at one another. McDuffie criticized Lewis George for her approval of the current PSC members, while Lewis George criticized what some have described as McDuffie’s collusion with utility companies.

According to data collected by the Board of Ethics and Government Affairs, McDuffie had 24 disclosed contacts with Pepco from 2018 up until 2024. During that time, the D.C. Council approved historic climate change legislation that, even with amendments introduced by McDuffie, didn’t allay concerns about utility rate increases. As the Washington City Paper reported in 2023, McDuffie mulled the inclusion of an amendment to the Greener Government Buildings Amendment Act that would exempt D.C.-based construction projects from net-zero standards for the next four years.

Some of McDuffie’s council staffers have also worked on behalf of local utility companies before or after their tenure in the John A. Wilson Building. People in that number include McDuffie’s former chief of staff Corey Arnez Griffin, who’s currently president and chief executive of Global Government and Industry Partners, a lobbying firm with Pepco and Washington Gas as clients.

Others include former chief of staff

COUNCIL REPORT Page 11

5 D.C. Councilmembers Zachary Parker, Christina Henderson, Janeese Lewis George and Brooke Pinto during a November 2025 legislative meeting. The Council is gearing up to deliberate on the juvenile curfew extension in April. (WI File Photo/ Robert R. Roberts)

AROUND THE REGION

March 26, the

CAPTURE THE MOMENt

a

of changemaking

Institute for Politics, Policy and History (IPPH), the evening included a moment of honor for

Who’s Reading

Attendees of PNC Bank’s Black History Month program, Curtea Moore and Laila, read The Washington Informer. (Shevry Lassiter/ The Washington Informer)

“Let

–April 3, 1968 (a day before his assassination)

Held

2026 IPPH America 250 Leadership Awards Ceremony gathered civic and business leaders from across the region, including Blue Strategies CEO Karen A. Tramontano (left) and former D.C. Mayor, the Honorable Sharon Pratt (right), in

celebration

leadership. With the support of Pratt, founding director of the

Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (center). (Robert R. Roberts/The Washington Informer)

Ronan Gulstone, whose professional experience includes a stint as government affairs manager at Washington Gas; and former chief of staff Laisha Dougherty who previously served as senior external affairs manager at Pepco.

McDuffie’s campaign team didn’t provide an on-the-record response to the aforementioned connections to Washington Gas and Pepco, nor his plan, as mayor, to keep utility costs at bay.

The Council Stands against Mayor Bowser in Veto Override

The D.C. Council, once again, stood as a unit as it unanimously overrode Bowser’s veto of the Full Accountability in Arrest Reporting Emergency Amendment Act— one of two bills approved in early March to mandate federal officer transparency.

Last week, Bowser struck down Atlarge D.C. Councilmember Robert White’s bill while signing the other bill— Ward 2 D.C. Councilmember Brooke Pinto’s Body-Worn Camera Transparency for Use of Force Emergency Amendment Act— into law.

Before the council made its veto override official, White explained why one federal officer transparency bill wouldn’t suffice.

“One provision without the other doesn't get the job done,” White said on the dais on the afternoon of March 31. “This was emergency legislation which would not have had to go to

Congress but was vetoed, inviting unnecessary federal attention. With this vote, we signal our commitment to leadership to transparency and to protecting people in this city.”

As White explained, he gathered feedback from the Office of the Attorney General to shape his bill, while unsuccessfully attempting to do the same with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). During the council’s March 3 legislative meeting, White and Pinto reached a compromise that allowed for the unanimous passage of their bills.

In her March 30 letter to the council, Bowser dismissed Pinto and White’s legislation as “dueling public safety measures between opposing candidates.” Despite her opposition to the council’s actions earlier in March, Bowser told her legislative counterparts in previous correspondence that Pinto’s bill didn’t require any new action on MPD’s part. However, as Bowser told The Informer on Monday, White’s bill would be an entirely different undertaking.

“It's an emergency that would require us to make immediate, upon going into effect, changes to MPD,” Bowser said. “It’s not easy to make those types of changes immediately, and so it's not a bill to me that is workable for the Metropolitan Police Department.”

On Tuesday, amid congressional discussions that have brought Department of Homeland Security funding to a standstill, White reaffirmed his commitment to federal officer transparency. He did so as he addressed Bowser's concerns about the load being placed on MPD.

“MPD already documents the name, badge number and agency of every law local law enforcement officer present on the scene for arrest reports and probable cause affidavits,” White said in his remarks. “When an officer uses serious force, this bill simply requires MPD to document to the extent known at the time the same information for federal officers present. If they don't have the information they can note it in the report.”

White’s work on the Full Accountability in Arrest Reporting Emergency Amendment Act happened in the aftermath of three federal officer-involved shootings, one of which was fatal. Family members of that victim, Julian Bailey, advocated for federal officer accountability in the weeks following his early February death.

WI Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

AROUND THE REGION

5 D.C. Councilmember Janeese Lewis George is working to address the burden of Pepco’s pay rate increases. (WI File Photo/Robert R. Roberts)

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY

Van Hollen Moves to Tax Generational Wealth and Reinforce Social Security

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

Democratic Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen has proposed legislation that would raise taxes on the nation’s largest inherited fortunes and funnel the revenue into Social Security, putting renewed focus on how wealth is passed down and who benefits

from federal tax policy.

“[President] Donald Trump and Republicans are fueling the rise of an American aristocracy through their massive tax giveaways for the wealthy— including their cuts to the estate tax that have allowed the country’s richest people to leave increasingly exorbitant sums of wealth to their heirs,” Van Hollen said. “These are handouts to those

who are already well off, given at the expense of investing in shared prosperity for all.”

The measure, titled the “Strengthen Social Security by Taxing Dynastic Wealth Act,” would restore estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer taxes to 2009 levels and direct all resulting revenue into the Social Security

Trust Fund.

Under the measure, the top estate and gift tax rate would increase from 40% to 45%, while the exemption would drop to $3.5 million for individuals and $7 million for married couples. Current law allows exemptions of roughly $15 million for individuals and $30 million for couples, shield-

3 Sen. Chris Van Hollen is proposing legislation to raise taxes on the nation’s largest inherited fortunes and funnel the revenue into Social Security. (WI File Photo/Robert R. Roberts)

ing a far greater share of inherited wealth from taxation.

The bill also sets a lifetime gift exemption at $1 million per individual and keeps in place rules designed to prevent wealthy families from avoiding taxes through generation-skipping transfers.

Beyond tax changes, the legislation would merge Social Security’s Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund and Disability Insurance Trust Fund into a single Social Security Trust Fund. All revenue generated from estate, gift, and related taxes would be deposited into that unified fund.

The proposal comes as lawmakers face mounting pressure to address Social Security’s long-term finances. Without congressional action, the program is expected to face funding gaps in the years ahead, prompting competing

VAN HOLLEN Page 13

Van Hollen Leads Dems Group Warning OPM Changes Could Strip Federal Workers of Due Process Protections

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

Maryland Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen and more than a dozen Senate Democratic colleagues are warning that two proposed rules from the Trump administration’s Office of Personnel Management (OPM) could upend long-standing protections for federal workers, shifting power away from an independent review board and into the hands of political appointees.

In letters submitted during the official comment period, the senators urged OPM to abandon plans that would move appeals involving employee suitability and workforce reductions out of the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) and into OPM itself, arguing the change would erode due process and open the door to political interference.

“We write in strong opposition to the Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) proposed rule, Suitability Action Appeals,” the senators wrote. “While we agree that suitability standards and procedures play a critical role in protecting the federal government, this proposal undermines the statutory framework, independence,

plans that range from benefit cuts to new revenue streams.

Van Hollen’s bill takes direct aim at the estate tax cuts enacted during the Trump administration, which expanded exemptions and reduced the number of estates subject to taxation. Supporters of those cuts have argued they protect family businesses and farms, while critics say the overwhelming benefit goes to the wealthiest households.

“This essential legislation, would strengthen our Social Security system while also greatly reducing inequality,” said Alex Lawson, executive director of Social Secu-

and due process protections that ensure those standards are applied fairly and lawfully.”

The effort centers on two proposals, one covering suitability determinations for federal employees and applicants, and another involving Reduction in Force appeals. In both cases, the lawmakers say the administration is attempting to transfer authority from an independent adjudicator to the same agency responsible for writing and enforcing personnel policies.

Van Hollen was joined on the suitability appeal letter by Sens. Ron Wyden (D) of Oregon, Bernie Sanders (I) of Vermont, Mark Warner (D) and Tim Kaine (D) of Virginia, Richard Blumenthal (D) of Connecticut, Mazie Hirono (D) of Hawaii, Gary Peters (D) of Michigan, Tammy Duckworth (D) of Illinois, Andy Kim of New Jersey (D), and Angela Alsobrooks (D) of Maryland.

At the center of the dispute is the separation established under the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978, which divided personnel policymaking and adjudication between OPM and the Merit Systems Protection Board. Lawmakers say that structure was intentional and designed to prevent coflicts of interest.

rity Works. “Over 220 years ago, founding Father Thomas Paine advocated for using an estate tax to pay for pensions for older Americans and people with disabilities. This bill would make Paine’s vision a reality.”

The legislation would apply to estates and gifts after Dec. 31, 2026, with the creation of a single Social Security Trust Fund taking effect Jan. 1, 2027.

“This legislation ends Republicans’ estate tax giveaway and uses the proceeds to help shore up Social Security, an important step toward ensuring that Americans who work for a living – not just the wealthy few – can have financial security when WI

PRINCE GEORGE’S

4 Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen and more than a dozen Senate Democratic colleagues are warning that two proposed rules from the Trump administration’s Office of Personnel Management could upend long-standing protections for federal workers. (WI File Photo/Robert R. Roberts)

“This separation was not accidental. Congress sought to prevent precisely the structure this rule would create, one where the same agency that promulgates personnel policy also adjudicates claims that those policies were applied improperly or unlawfully,” Van Hollen said. “By transferring suitability appeals from MSPB to OPM, the proposed rule collapses this intentionally designed safeguard and recreates aspects of the system Congress chose to abandon.”

Democrats have warned that under the proposal, OPM would control every stage of the process, from drafting policy to enforcing it and ultimately deciding appeals, placing final authority in the hands

COUNTY

VAN HOLLEN from Page 12

WEALTH Page 16

New Data Shows Women Still Earn Just 81 Cents on the Dollar, With Steeper Gaps for Black Women and Latinas

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

Families across the United States depend on women’s earnings at levels not seen in prior generations, yet new data shows that women working full time, year round continue to be paid less than men in every state, with even wider disparities affecting Black women and Latinas.

According to a newly released fact sheet from the National Women's Law Center, women working full time, year round were typically paid 81 cents for every dollar paid to men in 2024, a decline from prior years that

left women earning a median of $13,570 less annually.

The gap grows larger when all workers are considered. When part-time and part-year workers are included, women were paid just 76 cents for every dollar paid to men in 2024. The data shows that pay inequality is not only persistent, but widening, with serious consequences for families that depend on women’s wages to cover housing, child care, groceries, and other basic needs.

“No matter how you slice it, women in the U.S. who work full time are paid less than men,” the authors stated.

The wage gap affects women across all racial and ethnic groups, but the scale of the disparity varies significantly.

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year-round typically make only 65 cents for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men. When part-time and part-year workers are included, that number drops to 63 cents.

Latinas face an even larger gap. They are typically paid 58 cents on the dollar compared to white, non-Hispanic men in full-time, year-round work.

The long-term consequences are significant. Based on current wage patterns, Latinas entering the workforce today stand to lose $1,344,800 over a 40-year career compared to white, non-Hispanic men.

Black women working full time,

White, non-Hispanic women also experience a gap, earning

about 77 cents for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men in full-time, year-round work, and about 73 cents when all workers are included.

“Extremists are attacking diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, also known as DEI, and are using anti-DEI hysteria to undermine core civil rights protections,” the authors wrote. “For our democracy to work for all of us, not just the rich and powerful few, we must work to counter the rise of authoritarianism and protect the right to vote.”

A woman working full time, year-round stands to lose an estimated $542,000 over a 40-year career due to the wage gap.

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For women of color, the losses are even greater. Black women stand to lose more than $1.1 million over a lifetime, while Latinas face losses exceeding $1.3 million.

Mothers working full time, year round are typically paid 74 cents for every dollar paid to fathers, translating to about $20,000 less per year. Women earn less than men in 94 percent of occupations, and disparities persist across industries and education levels.

“With women paid only 81 cents for every dollar paid to men, it’s clear that we have a long way to go to make the workplace fair for women in the United States,” the authors concluded.

Wage Gap Across the DMV

The disparities are experienced across the District of Columbia region, where the wage gap varies by state and demographic group.

In D.C., women working full time, year round typically make 88 cents for every dollar paid to men. However, Black women earn just 51 cents for every dollar paid to white men.

In Maryland, women earn about 89 cents for every dollar paid to men. Black women earn about 68 cents, while Latina women earn about 50 cents com-

BUSINESS Page 15

5 Congressional leaders protest outside of the U.S. Capitol on March 26, Equal Pay Day 2026, to advocate for closing the gender wage gap. (Courtesy Photo/X, Rep. Robin Kelly)

from Page 14

pared to white men.

In Virginia, women earn about 83 cents for every dollar paid to men. Black women earn about 61 cents, and Latina women earn about 58 cents compared to white men.

The economic consequences extend beyond wages.

For families headed by single mothers and living in poverty, numbers vary with 43.3% in the District, nearly 22.7% in Maryland and 26.1% in Virginia.

“Today is Equal Pay Day, marking how far into 2026 women have to work to earn what men did in 2025,” Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D) of Virginia wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, on March 26. “For moms, women of color and women with disabilities, this day falls even further into the year. Women deserve equal pay for equal work, but for the second year in a row, the pay gap has

widened and women working fulltime, year-round earn 81 cents for every dollar men earn.”

Freedom Fighting for Equal Pay: ‘Pay Us What We Deserve’

Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) and the Democratic Women’s Caucus teamed up to advocate for wage equity on Equal Pay Day 2026.

“On average, women earn just 76 cents for every dollar paid to men—and the gender wage gap is even wider for women of color,” DeLauro wrote on X on March 26, including photos from a protest in support of closing the wage gap. “I won't stop fighting until Congress passes my Paycheck Fairness Act [and] ends this disparity for good!”

Last year, DeLauro and Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) introduced the Paycheck Fairness Act in hopes of strengthening the Equal Pay Act of 1963.

“We are in a cost of living crisis

IT’S TIME

4 Rep. Robin Kelly speaks at the Equal Pay for Equal Work protest on March 26 in Washington, D.C. (Courtesy Photo Photo/X, Rep. Robin Kelly)

– this must end,” DeLauro said in a 2025 statement. “Equal pay for equal work is a simple concept –men and women in the same job deserve the same pay. It is time we make it real it for the millions of American women who are being unfairly undervalued in the workplace.”

Rep. Robin Kelly (D) of Illinois joined the large group of Congressional leaders and activists on March 26, advocating for compensation and employment equity, particularly for women of color.

“It doesn’t matter if a Black woman has a PhD—she still earns less than a man doing the same work,” Kelly wrote on X. “As a Black woman with a PhD, that’s more than concerning. Pay us what we deserve. Period.” WI

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tle procedural safeguards that have governed federal workforce decisions for decades.

of the agency’s director, a political appointee.

“Under this proposal, OPM would draft suitability policies, implement those policies, and adjudicate appeals arising from them,”

Van Hollen noted. “This consolidation makes OPM the policymaker, the enforcer, and the final arbiter.”

Democratic lawmakers also challenged OPM’s assertion that internal divisions within the agency could preserve impartiality, noting that all decision-making chains would still report to the same politically appointed leadership.

“However, in practice, this sepa-

ration cannot play out when both chains ultimately report to you in your politically appointed role as the Director of OPM as the rule clearly states that the Director of OPM will be the final arbiter of appeals,” the senators wrote.

Reduction in Force Appeals

The senators who wrote about suitability action, with the addition of Sens. Michael Bennet (D) of Colorado and Alex Padilla (D) of California, signed a letter addressing Reduction in Force appeals.

The legislators argued that the proposed changes would disman-

“At its core, this proposal undoes Congress’s deliberate separation of personnel policymaking and adjudication of appeals, undermines due process protections for federal employees, and poses heightened risks of politicization given the current administration’s attacks on the nonpartisan civil service,” they wrote. “While framed as an efficiency measure, the rule would instead erode structural safeguards that have anchored the merit-based civil service for decades.”

They pushed back on the administration’s claim that the current system is inefficient, pointing to the MSPB’s quasi-judicial process, which includes hearings, discovery, and a formal record, as essential protections for workers facing layoffs or other personnel actions.

“Particularly in RIF disputes involving complex claims related to the application of retention factors, preferences, or allegations of improper motive, a transparent and independent process is critical to preserve procedural fairness and employees’ rights,” the senators wrote.

The letters also raised concerns about OPM’s capacity to take on the expanded role, noting that its internal Merit System Accountability and Compliance office lacks the independent structure of the MSPB.

“Transferring appeals without evidence of readiness would risk inconsistent determinations, procedural delay, and diminished confidence in outcomes, which are the very issues the proposal claims to address,” the senators wrote.

They added that the proposed rules come as part of a broader set of changes that would consolidate authority within OPM, including appeals involving probationary employees and other personnel matters, at a time when the agency’s workforce has been reduced.

The lawmakers pointed to recent actions by the administration involving federal workers as further WEALTH from Page 13

“At its core, this proposal undoes Congress’s deliberate separation of personnel policymaking and adjudication of appeals, undermines due process protections for federal employees, and poses heightened risks of politicization given the current administration’s attacks on the nonpartisan civil service.”

“Concentrating all these adjudicatory functions within OPM at a time of reduced internal staffing and without demonstrated capacity would create further risk of inconsistent determinations and procedural delays,” the senators wrote.

reason for concern, arguing that independent oversight is critical to protect against political retaliation.

“As members of Congress, we have witnessed firsthand the vital services delivered to the American people by a nonpartisan and highly skilled federal workforce,” the senators noted in the letter. “It is our responsibility to ensure that the civil service remains protected from political retaliation and that it is guaranteed full due process rights. This proposed rule runs counter to those principles. We strongly urge OPM to reject it and instead collaborate with Congress to responsibly manage and modernize federal workforce operations.”

WI

5 A protester during the March 28 No Kings Day rally on the National Mall in downtown D.C. Democratic lawmakers are challenging a set of proposed plans by the Trump administration that they say would erode due process and open doors to political interference. (Ja’Mon Jackson/The Washington Informer)

More Than 120 Nations Support UN Measure Declaring Slavery ‘Gravest Crime Against Humanity’

U.S. Among Three Nations to Oppose

Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

In a show of defiance that has turned heads across the globe, the United States aligned with just two countries, Israel and Argentina, to vote against a United Nations resolution declaring the transatlantic slave trade the gravest crime against humanity.

Introduced by Ghana and backed by 123 nations, the resolution calls for acknowledgment of slavery’s lasting damage and identifies reparatory justice as a step toward addressing centuries of forced labor, displacement, and exploitation.

“Today, we come together in solemn solidarity to affirm truth and pursue a route to healing and reparative justice,” Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama said.

For more than 400 years, millions of Africans were captured, shackled, and transported across the Atlantic, forced into labor on plantations and denied basic

humanity and identity. The resolution details how that system’s scale and duration produced consequences that continue to influence global economic and social conditions.

“The slave trade and slavery stand among the gravest violations of human rights in human history – an affront to the very principles enshrined in the Charter of our United Nations,” United Nations General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock told delegates.

Baerbock emphasized the loss of generations across Africa.

“It was, to put it in colder terms, mass resource extraction.”

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres offered a call to action.

“Now we must remove the persistent barriers that prevent so many people of African descent from exercising their rights and realising their potential,” he declared.

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5 The “Slavery and Freedom” exhibit at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. The U.S. is among three countries to vote against a United Nations resolution declaring the transatlantic slave trade the gravest crime against humanity. (WI File Photo)

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SLAVERY from Page 17

U.S. Rejects Legal Foundation for Reparations

The measure identifies slavery as a defining force in shaping racial inequality and calls on nations to confront those realities through policy, development, and international cooperation.

In opposing the resolution, the United States rejected the legal foundation for reparations tied to slavery.

“The United States does not recognize a legal right to reparations for historical wrongs that were not illegal under international law at the time they occurred,” Ambassador Dan Negrea said in the official explanation of vote.

He also argued that the resolution attempts to rank crimes against humanity and raises concerns about how reparatory justice would be defined and implemented.

The U.S. delegation further stated that the United Nations was not established to pursue what it described as “narrow, specific interests and agendas,” raising objections to mandates associated with the measure.

The vote places renewed attention on domestic actions tied to race, history, and public policy.

Executive orders issued by President Donald Trump direct federal agencies to: dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs; eliminate related offices and positions; terminate equity-focused grants and contracts; and require federal contractors to certify that they do not operate DEI initiatives the administration

An executive order has targeted the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, drawing attention from historians and advocates concerned about federal intervention involving one of the nation’s leading institutions dedicated to Black history.

considers unlawful.

The administration has also taken a series of actions affecting how Black history is represented and supported in federal policy and public spaces.

Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington, D.C., and its ground mural have been removed, a site that had become a focal point during protests against police violence.

An executive order has targeted the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, drawing attention from historians and advocates concerned about federal intervention involving one of the nation’s leading institutions dedicated to Black history.

Federal websites have been altered to remove references to prominent Black historical figures, changes that have raised questions about how history is being presented across government platforms.

Funding decisions tied to the Department of Education have affected historically Black colleges and universities, including

reductions connected to broader rollbacks of diversity and equity initiatives.

At the same time, the administration has elevated figures tied to European colonization.

Shortly after the vote, workers installed a statue of Christopher Columbus near the White House on the grounds of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, replacing a monument that protesters tore down in 2020 following nationwide demonstrations after the killing of George Floyd.

“In this White House, Christopher Columbus is a hero, and President Trump will ensure he’s honored as such for generations to come,” the administration said.

During the United Nations session, Barbados’ Poet Laureate Esther Philips emphasized the importance of considering the resolution.

“There are spirits of the victims of slavery present in this room at this moment, and they are listening for one word only: justice,” Philips said.

WI

Family Caregivers Provide $1.64 Billion in Unpaid Care Each Year in Washington, DC

Submitted by AARP DC

Family caregivers in Washington, DC provide an estimated $1.64 billion worth of unpaid care each year, according to a new report from AARP that highlights the central role caregivers play in the District’s long-term care system.

The report, Valuing the Invaluable 2026, finds that approximately 89,000 District residents provide care for adults—often older parents, spouses, neighbors, or other loved ones—contributing a total of 66 million hours of care annually. If this work were compensated at market rates, it would be valued at $24.75 per hour.

Much of this caregiving allows older adults to remain in their homes and communities, reducing the need for expensive institutional care. Without family caregivers, more District residents would likely rely on nursing homes or other facilities, leading to significantly higher costs for public programs and taxpayers.

“Family caregivers are a major economic force that fill critical gaps in our health care system,” said Louis Davis, Jr., AARP DC State Director. While their contributions now exceed $1.64 billion each year, he noted that caregivers often face serious challenges related to their own health, finances, and overall wellbeing.

The report shows that caregiving has become increasingly demanding as chronic illnesses rise and more medical care shifts into home settings. On average, family caregivers spend 27 hours per week providing care.

Why this matters: Without family caregivers, many more District residents would rely on expensive institutional care, driving significantly higher costs for taxpayers and public programs.

“Family caregivers are a major economic force that fill critical gaps in our health care system,” said Louis Davis, Jr., AARP DC State Director.

“The economic value they provide now exceeds $1.64 billion annually, yet this care often comes at significant cost to caregivers’ health and financial security, and well-being. AARP is elevating this important issue and fighting to wsave family caregivers time and money.”

More than half—57 percent—provide what the report classifies as highintensity care, which includes handson assistance with daily activities such as bathing and dressing, as well as more complex medical tasks like wound care and administering injections.

The findings in the District reflect broader national trends. Across the United States, an estimated 59 million adults provide care to other adults, delivering nearly 49.5 billion hours of care each year.

Nationally, the economic value of family caregiving is estimated at $1.01 trillion annually—a figure that exceeds total Medicaid spending and nearly doubles all outofpocket health care spending.

In response to these challenges, AARP DC has focused its advocacy efforts on policies aimed at supporting caregivers, including protecting paid family leave, securing funding for respite services and memory care programs, and advancing the proposed Credit for Caring Act, which would provide tax relief to family caregivers.

AARP also offers resources to help caregivers navigate the complex landscape of services and support available in the District, connecting families with programs designed to ease the financial and emotional strain of caregiving. To find out more, visit www.aarp.org/caregiving.

Get the caregiving help you need, when you need it.

AARP is here to help you take care of what matters most. Get answers, connect with other family caregivers and find local resources.

To learn more, visit aarp.org/caregiving.

HEALTH

By Jennifer Porter Gore Word in Black

This article was originally published online with Word In Black, a collaboration of the nation's leading Black news publishers (of which The Informer is a member) and edited for clarity.

Middle-aged and aging alumni of the nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) could very well be reaping health benefits decades later, according to a recent study.

Researchers examined a sample of 1,978 Black American adults who

attended college between 1940 and 1980, 35% of which had attended an HBCU. The study also examined college attendees who had also attended high school in a state that has an HBCU.

The study, published on the JAMA Network Open website, found that “HBCU attendance was associated with better cognition compared with PWI attendance for aging Black adults.”

The study also found the positive outcome held for those attending college before and after the landmark Brown v. Board of Education ruling ending racial segregation in schools. Data for this recent study came from the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke study, which had recruited Black and white adults aged 45 years and older, from 2003 to 2007.

A total of 56% of the Black participants lived in the nation’s Stroke Belt — the eight Southern states that have a higher than average number of stroke deaths.

Better Memory, Language, and Overall Cognition

The study finds HBCU alumni outperformed their peers from predominantly white institutions in memory, language, and overall cognition decades later.

The alumni were in school during the 1954 Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education ruling, as well as during and after the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which effectively ended legal racial discrimina-

tion in the nation’s schools.

“HBCU attendees had better cognition across all three of those different time periods,” Dr. Marilyn Thomas, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, said in an interview with The Guardian.

Black adults aged 62 who had attended an HBCU had better memory and cognitive function than those who attended a predominantly white institution.

There are indications that having college education may reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias — also called ADRD.

However, there are still disparities in the rate of cognitive diseases between Black and white college-educated individuals. More than 7 million Americans are living with ADRD.

Further, more than 60% of them are women and Black Americans are at least twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s, the seventh leading cause of death for all Americans, specifically as whites.

Segregation-Ending Policies May Affect Brain Health Longterm

Dr. Thomas and co-authors from Rutgers University, the University of Alabama-Birmingham, Columbia University, Boston University, and Harvard University conducted this study to see if there were different outcomes between HBCU graduates and

of predominantly white institutions.

It appears that when or how participants were exposed to “state-sanctioned racialized education policies” affected the students later in life.

This “exploratory” study is the first of its kind since this one specifically looked at the schools’ environments, while previous studies examined how the number of years of schooling affect cognition.

Thomas describes the study as a “first step,” so it’s likely further studies will be needed to see if other scenarios have affected the alumni. For example, someone who got a bachelor’s degree from a predominantly white institution for undergraduate school, but then attended an HBCU for graduate school may have a different outcome.

“There’s a growing body of evidence demonstrating that those years of schooling differently impact people by race,” Thomas explained. Instead of measuring how many years the participants attended college, this study examined whether attending an HBCU for any length of time was associated with a positive outcome.

“What’s really important about this finding is that it suggests that, yes, culturally affirming spaces actually can help promote and protect cognitive health,” Thomas said. “It’s even more than that because it doesn’t just demonstrate that it’s protective against cognitive health, but the benefits to this exposure last well beyond graduation – these are people at mean age 62. These benefits are long lasting.” WI

5Howard University students celebrate during the 2023 commencement. A new study reveals alumni from historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) outperformed their peers from predominantly white institutions in memory, language, and overall cognition decades later. (WI File Photo/Robert R. Roberts)

The Impact of Transportation on Health Outcomes in Low-Income Communities

Submitted by AmeriHealth Caritas District of Columbia (DC)

Reliable transportation is an important yet often forgotten factor in determining health outcomes. Without consistent access to transportation, individuals, particularly those in low-income communities, face significant challenges in getting necessary medical care. In cities like the District of Columbia where disparities in accessing transportation exist between neighborhoods, the consequences of these challenges can be severe.

Barriers to health care

Transportation challenges are a major reason many people miss or delay medical appointments. A 2017 study found that about 5.8 million Americans postponed health care because of transportation barriers.1 Low-income populations are more severely affected, as they are more likely to rely on public transit or do not have their own vehicles.

In the District, transit service disparities can add to these barriers. While the Metro and bus system widely serve residents across the city, those in lower-income neighborhoods often experience longer waiting times, fewer routes, and unreliable service.

The health consequences of transportation challenges

Lack of transportation has direct and indirect effects on health outcomes. When people cannot get to appointments, chronic conditions can go unmanaged, leading to complications that require emergency care. Missing preventive care increases the chances of undiagnosed diseases progressing to advanced stages. Those who depend on public transit for medical appointments may be forced to reschedule or not receive care altogether.

Emergency room visits and hospitalizations have become more common among people with transportation barriers. People in low-income populations without reliable transportation are more likely to use the ER for conditions that could have been managed with regular outpa-

tient care, which can lead to poor health outcomes.2

Overcoming transportation hurdles

Addressing transportation barriers on a large scale requires policy changes and system improvements led by policymakers. However, there are cost-effective, practical strategies that can be used to navigate these challenges in your daily life:

• Schedule appointment times around the best availability. Schedule your doctor’s appointments during times when public transit is the most reliable. Try to avoid late evenings or weekends.

• Use public transit tools. Apps like Google Maps or Transit can help you plan the quickest and most reliable Metro or bus routes, showing real-time schedules and alerts.

• Explore no-cost or discounted transit programs. Check if you qualify for reduced fare programs offered by companies like Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) for low-income residents, seniors, or people with disabilities.

Understanding transportation barriers is a step toward health equity. You can help yourself by staying informed, planning ahead, and using your local transportation options to reduce the impact of these barriers on your health.

Sources

1. Muhieddine Labban, MD, et al., “Disparities in Travel-Related Barriers to Accessing Health Care From the 2017 National Household Travel Survey,” JAMA Netw Open, Vol. 6, No. 7, July 27, 2023, https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2807664. Victoria Udalova et al., “Who Makes More Preventable Visits to the ER?” United States Census Bureau, January 20, 2022, https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2022/01/who-makes-more-preventable-visits-to-emergency-rooms.html

All images are submitted by AmeriHealth Caritas District of Columbia and are used under license for illustrative purposes only. Any individual depicted is a model

Easy rides for better health with AmeriHealth Caritas DC

When getting to your health care provider feels out of reach, AmeriHealth Caritas DC can help you access the care you need with reliable transportation. Whether it’s for a routine doctor’s appointment or a hospital discharge, transportation benefits are available to enrollees at no cost.

Arranging your ride is easy — just provide your enrollee ID number, name, contact information, appointment date, and pickup location. Our team can also help you schedule a preferred method of trans-

portation, such as a Metrobus, van, wheelchair van, or stretcher van. For routine appointments, it’s best to schedule your ride at least 48 hours in advance, not including weekends or holidays.

Don’t let transportation challenges stand between you and the care you need. To schedule a ride or for more information about transportation benefits, call 1-800-315-3485 or visit our website at www.amerihealthcaritasdc.com.

EARTH OUR

Cherry Blossoms in Peak Bloom: A Reminder to Protect ‘Our Earth’

By Mya Trujillo and Robert R. Roberts WI Contributing Reporter and WI Photographer

For environmental activists, the pink and white blanket of blossoms that adorn the National Mall annually not only represent the change of season and the significance of cultural exchange, but also symbolize a commitment to prioritizing tree health and abundance across the city.

“As we mark 250 years of American independence, the cherry blossoms remind us of our nation’s enduring strength and the responsibility we share to care for the places that tell our story,” said Jessica Bowron, National Park Service comptroller, exercising the delegated authority of the director, in a March 5 statement.

As the planet’s environmental

ate and protect the beauty born from the Earth’s soil, particularly with the changing dates of peak bloom. This year the cherry blossoms reached peak bloom on March 26, while in 2025 it was on March 28 and in 2024 on March 17, according to the National Park Service.

“Despite spanning time zones and oceans, the cherry blossoms in D.C. and Hiroshima tell the same story. Warmer temperatures and changing weather patterns have triggered earlier and more sporadic bloom seasons,” Brandi Porter of Casey Trees wrote in March 2025. “What does that mean for our environment? Early blooming throws off the natural life cycles between the trees and the pollinators that rely on them, like birds and in-

sects. This disruption can cause migratory wildlife to miss the window to find a reliable food source.”

While the cherry blossoms are highlighted in the name of international friendship, climate advocates emphasize that the trees should also be celebrated in the name of collective responsibility and action toward a greener, more sustainable and environmentally conscious future.

“For generations, these blooms have symbolized hope and the cyclical nature of life,” Porter continued. “Now, as climate change alters their patterns, they demonstrate how our environment is changing and the importance of protecting it.” WI

THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA HOUSING AUTHORITY

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) SOLICITATION NO.: 20-2026 ADMINISTRATIVE HEARING OFFICERS

The District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) requires licensed, qualified professionals to provide Administrative Hearings and related services required for residential housing grievances for the Office of Fair Hearings (OFH).

SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS will be available Monday, March 30, 2026, solicitation documents will be posted to our e-procurement system Housing Agency Marketplace at: https://ha.internationaleprocurement.com/requests.html?company_id=506

Respondents must log in to view this RFP for all related documents. It is the respondent’s responsibility to check the Housing Agency Market Place site regularly to stay current on all available documents as this is the primary communication site solicitation.

PROPOSAL RESPONSES ARE DUE ON OR BEFORE Friday, May 1, 2026, at 12:00 PM

Email LaShawn Mizzell-McLeod, Contract Specialist (OAS) at LMMCLEOD@dchousing.org for additional information.

EDUCATION

Page 1

building for himself now.

“I want people to think my name and…think about the things I did –– what did I do around campus, how did I treat people, how was the person,” said Turner, a Morehouse College sophomore.

“You want to leave a good legacy, and I feel like there's more to [it].”

Culminating a trek that began in 2012 with Pack 1515, Turner joins less than 6% of all Boys Scouts of America, and fewer than 0.01% of African Americans, in holding the Eagle Scout honor.

For proud mom and Howard University alumna Alyssa King Turner, the moment amplifies a mission as personal as it was about serving others.

“It's that diversity of development and the different things that Scouting offers that put him in a rare category, especially to achieve the top level,” she told The Informer. “He was a leader in our Jack and Jill chapter, he had to be a leader in scouting. All of those things are the little pieces that put together the total person.”

Alongside his late father, a former assistant scoutmaster whose name he carries, Turner Jr. leveraged the traditions of acquired skill development and leadership through kayaking, camping, hiking, and service projects, totaling 27 badges by the time he was 18. When he wasn’t addressing food

insecurity through the Scouting for Food initiative, the business major led and organized 29 volunteers in an Eagle Project in 2023, erecting benches in the milking barn of Maryland’s Oxon Hill Farm and boosting 236 community hours in the process.

Reflecting on what propelled him the farthest, and even brought him back to BSA after nearly quitting in 2020, Turner mustered up one theme of his story.

“I would say it’s resilience,” he told The Informer. “After my father passed, it was kind of like, ‘This is one thing we had together; I don't really want to do it anymore.’ But I've been resilient in a lot of ways in my life that have helped me get to where I am now. If I didn't continue and finish, it would have just been a disservice to him and his legacy, and how I saw the whole way of scouting.”

Setting the Bar of Service and Education

An admittedly “pro-HBCU mom,” King Turner honed in on the value of prioritizing spaces that center character development and leadership – from Scouting for America to historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and Greek-letter organizations.

For the 60-year-old Bison and member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the benefits of inclusivity and discipline stretch

beyond campus walls and time spent there, carrying forward the very foundation these institutions represent.

“To be in a nurturing yet challenging environment that will push you to your limits with the love and the caring and the ability to be that leader prepares you – bar none – to be in the real world,” she explained. “What environments you put yourself in have a tremendous significance on who you are going to be as a human being.”

Much like her own childhood, King Turner told The Informer community engagement and activism was the norm for the Fort Washington household. Be it hitting the pavement with communal outreach, or hopping from back-to-back meetings via Zoom, a day in the life centered on illuminating a generational call to service and advocacy.

More than that, it set the bar that continues to drive the Eagle Scout today.

“I couldn't even remember if it was a chicken or egg situation, it's what I always grew up seeing,” he told The Informer. “Even now in college, when I'm not doing anything, I feel like there's something I should be doing, and that’s me joining clubs or different organizations. I want to do something with my time.”

With two years under his belt at Morehouse, he seconded the power of collective belonging and identity that HBCUs offer – even touting opportunities to meet other honorees of BSA’s highest ranking.

As for what’s next, set to the backdrop of a limitless sky, Turner offered a simple plan.

“These next two and a half years in college, getting a job, and being successful,” he said with a smile, “I think that's all I can really think about right now.” WI

Photo of Michael Bahsil by Chris Banks

5 Maryland native Mark Turner Jr. is among less than 6% of all Boy Scouts of America (BSA) members who hold the ultimate Eagle Scout ranking, marked with a Court of Honor program on Sunday, Jan. 4. (Courtesy Photo/Virgil Monroe)

EAGLE SCOUT from

5 In his final leap to achieving the Eagle Scout honor, Mark Turner Jr. (black jacket) organized and led dozens of volunteers in erecting benches throughout the milking barn of Maryland’s Oxon Hill Farm in November 2023. (Courtesy Photo)

Xfinity Mobile Born ready to roam

A Tarnished Honor at the Twain Table

Bill Maher’s Acceptance Sparks Uncomfortable Questions About Legacy, Legitimacy, Silence

The choice to honor Bill Maher with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor would usually be a simple acknowledgment of a long, provocative comedy career. But these are not ordinary times.

The honor now comes from the once named John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, which has been reshaped and renamed under the influence of President Donald J. Trump and a handpicked board, raising serious questions about the institution's integrity and the award’s true meaning.

What does it say that Maher— who has built a career on critiquing power, hypocrisy, and political overreach— would accept such an honor in this context?

The Mark Twain Prize is not just another accolade; it is connected to an institution meant to embody artistic independence and cultural stewardship. When that institution becomes politicized, the symbolism of the award changes. Acceptance, then, is not

neutral. It risks signaling tacit approval or, at the very least, indifference to the forces reshaping it.

Even more concerning is the larger context: the decision to put Trump’s name on a memorial originally dedicated to John F. Kennedy, a leader whose life was cut short by assassination on Nov. 22, 1963.

For many, this isn’t just a branding move—it’s a serious distortion of historical memory. The Kennedy Center was established as a living tribute to a president who championed the arts and public service. To erase that legacy for political reasons seems deeply inappropriate to critics.

Maher is no stranger to controversy, nor should he be expected to boycott every flawed institution. But this moment calls for judgment. When cultural honors become entangled with political agendas, those who accept them inevitably become part of the story.

The question isn't whether Maher deserves recognition — it's whether this, given the circumstances, is a recognition worth having. WI

What does it say that Maher — who has built a career on critiquing power, hypocrisy, and political overreach — would accept such an honor in this context?

It’s Time for the Spirit of SNCC to Rise Again

During Easter weekend in April 1960, a group of students at Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina— who just months earlier had initiated lunch counter sit-

Often overlooked is the essential role that then SNCC

Chairman Stokely Carmichael and others played in facilitating the launch of the allBlack Lowndes County (Alabama) Freedom Organization in 1965, which later evolved into the Black Panther Party.

its— formed the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) in efforts to coordinate nonviolent direct-action protests to end segregation.

Guided by civil rights organizer Ella Baker, the young activists, led by Diane Nash, John Lewis, Marion Barry, Julian Bond, Bernard Lafayette, and James Bevel, focused on grassroots organizing, determined to secure a more vibrant and autonomous voice in the civil rights movement.

SNCC quickly became a force within the movement, organizing voter registration drives, Freedom Rides, and direct-action initiatives throughout the South, all while remaining fiercely independent, despite the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King’s hopes that they would take over the youth component of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC).

Unfortunately, by 1965, the once united organization began to splinter into factions, distracted

by divisive issues, which included internal challenges to the group’s original commitment to nonviolent tactics and SNCC’s willingness to allow white activists to participate.

Still, young people’s participation in the civil rights movement was essential to the achievement of many of its goals – most notably the quest for equal rights for African Americans. However, the vision that SNCC’s leaders had for Black America was not limited to those espoused by King or more traditional voices within the movement.

Often overlooked is the essential role that then SNCC Chairman Stokely Carmichael and others played in facilitating the launch of the all-Black Lowndes County (Alabama) Freedom Organization in 1965, which later evolved into the Black Panther Party.

Two years later, H. Rap Brown and SNCC formed an alliance with the Black Panther Party and

TO THE EDITOR

“It’s encouraging to see strong participation and competitive races. More choices usually mean a healthier democracy. But I completely agree: voters should focus on real track records and results, not just endorsements or popularity.”

- David (In reference to the article: “Looking Ahead at the 2026 Primary Election, Challengers State Their Case.”)

“How are these national organizations engaging with local organizations and community residents?

-Valarie (In reference to the article: “‘We Will Fight Until Hell Freezes Over’: Urban League, Allies Roll Out Democracy Guide Ahead of 250th Anniversary.”

expelled its white members. By 1973, SNCC no longer existed.

More than six decades since its founding, the nation is in the middle of multiple justice fights– as people push back against the elimination of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and violent and threatening interactions with federal authorities, such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Now, in this pivotal year in America, as the nation is at war with Iran, the partial government shutdown continues, the econ-

omy in a tailspin, and civil rights under attack, the best way to stem the tide of white supremacy and fascist ideology may come through the energy and creativity of youth. Perhaps it’s time to resurrect the spirit of SNCC. After all, Black youth have proven that they are formidable leaders, hardworking team players and understand a lot more than older adults often give them credit.

Youth could prove to be the silver bullet we need, if we’re willing to listen to them. WI

OPINIONS/EDITORIALS

Guest Columnist

The People Are Not Subjects

communities like these, residents gathered in parks and town squares carrying handmade signs and a message that sits at the heart of the American story.

This country does not have kings.

Last Saturday, millions of Americans took to the streets under a simple banner: "No Kings." More than 3,000 protests were organized across the country. Demonstrations filled not only the expected places — Washington, New York, Chicago — but also towns that rarely see political marches: Midland, Michigan; Casper, Wyoming; McMinnville and Tillamook, Oregon. In

At first glance, the slogan sounds almost quaint, something lifted from a civics textbook. The United States fought a revolution to rid itself of monarchy, and the idea that one person should stand above the law is supposed to be foreign to the American political tradition.

But the people who gathered last Saturday were not simply protesting a

Guest Columnist

Julianne Malveaux

personality or even a presidency. What they expressed was something deeper — a growing sense that the political system increasingly serves the powerful while ordinary Americans are told there is nothing left for them.

That contradiction is visible almost everywhere.

Congress can assemble $200 billion for war with remarkable speed, even as American troops once again find themselves with boots on the ground in an undeclared conflict, yet student borrowers are told that meaningful relief is unrealistic or unaffordable. Housing

costs continue their relentless rise while wages struggle to keep pace. Millions of Americans carry student debt that will shape their financial futures for decades.

Even the people who keep the country's basic systems operating often live with the greatest economic insecurity. Transportation Security Administration workers, the people who check our bags and scan our boarding passes, offer a telling example. During government shutdowns or political standoffs, these workers are often required to keep showing up for work even when their paychecks are delayed.

The Save America Act is a Throwback to Jim Crow Voter Suppression

Trump administration's voter suppression legislation will keep millions of Americans from voting.

"The SAVE Act is not an election security bill — it is a voter suppression bill, full stop. ... The CBC will not sit back while extremists continue to strip away access to the ballot box for our communities, and we are calling on every Senator to reject this assault on our democracy and stand up for the integrity of our elections." —

Congressional Black Caucus Analysis after analysis shows that the

The fight for fairness will never be easy. Fairness is the quality of making impartial, just and equitable decisions, free from bias, discrimination or dishonesty. It involves providing equal opportunities and adhering to fair rules, often balancing individual circumstances to ensure just outcomes. It means making decisions by being open-minded and objective.

But pointing out that the bill will disenfranchise huge swaths of the electorate will not deter its proponents — because mass disenfranchisement is the goal.

The president has repeatedly acknowledged that broad participation in elections would disadvantage his party. Sen. Mike Lee of Utah even circulated polling showing his party poised to lose its Senate majority, arguing the bill could "turn this around." Earlier this

month, the president privately assured allies the bill would "guarantee" victories not only this year, but for "every election for a long time." He is so committed to restricting the electorate — especially Black Americans — that he scuttled a bipartisan deal to stabilize the nation's airports, holding TSA funding hostage to force passage of the bill. If enacted, the bill now before the Senate would prevent more eligible citizens from registering to vote than any legislation in American history. Its impact would fall hardest, as always, on Black Americans.

At the core of the bill is the myth of widespread voter fraud — a myth built on racist tropes that have endured since Reconstruction. After the Civil War, white supremacists claimed newly enfranchised Black citizens were inherently suspect voters: "unfit," "illegitimate," or easily bribed or manipulated. These lies justified poll taxes, literacy tests and arbitrary "character" assessments for generations. Today's fearmongering about "illegal voting" is simply the modern version of those same racist narratives.

The SAVE America Act revives these

Eventually they receive their back pay. But back pay does not erase the damage done in the meantime. Rent is still due on the first of the month. Credit card bills arrive on schedule. Utility companies expect payment whether Congress is functioning or not. When paychecks stop, many TSA workers must borrow from family, miss payments or fall behind on bills. Late fees accumulate. Credit scores drop. The government may eventually restore their wages, but it cannot restore

Page 45

tactics by requiring specific proof of citizenship — either a U.S. passport or a certified birth certificate and government-issued photo ID. More than 21 million Americans lack easy access to those documents, and Black Americans disproportionately face the bureaucratic and financial hurdles required to secure them. Many Black citizens born in segregated hospitals hold older or non-standardized documents that may not meet the bill's strict criteria. Black women, who change their legal

When people say they are anti-DEI, they are telling us they do not believe in fairness. They are exposing themselves as individuals who do not believe everyone deserves an equal opportunity to succeed. They are revealing the degree to which they are willing to accept dishonest tactics that are developed to hold back women and people of color. The anti-DEI initiative has proven to be an effective offense ploy waged in the culture war against the Black community. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who serves as

the president's top defense official, knows he sits in a perfect position to dismantle all racial fairness throughout the military ranks. Before his appointment by the Trump administration, Hegseth wrote books critical of the U.S. military as "woke" while suggesting that diversity throughout the ranks had weakened the force. Having such a person, lacking character and integrity, in a high-ranking position of power is dangerous. As a result of the policy influence given to Hegseth and others like him, the culture war has

become a war without end. It is an everlasting conflict meant to reshape societal norms in ways that will negatively impact the careers of future service men and women. Hegseth has said repeatedly that he is determined to change a culture corrupted by "foolish," "reckless" and "woke" leaders from previous administrations. We are constantly told that the Department of Defense, sometimes referred to as the Department of War, is now controlled by meritocracy. While meritocracy is a system in which power and positions are

assigned based on individual ability, talent and achievement rather than social background, wealth or nepotism, it still requires a fair promotion system. Meritocracy, in the true sense, still means that everyone has an equal chance to succeed regardless of background, race and gender. Today, about 43% of the 1.3 million troops on active duty are people of color. But those leading the military are overwhelmingly white and male. The New York Times reported that

Page 45

Marc H. Morial

MARSHALL

MALVEAUX

David W. Marshall

Guest Columnist

Guest Columnist

The Real Work Begins After the IEP Meeting

there was a clear plan in place. And for a moment, it felt like there was.

The meeting happened. Services were outlined. Everyone agreed.

When my daughter, Amari, was diagnosed with autism, I stepped into a world I wasn't fully prepared for, one filled with meetings, evaluations, and a process that can feel overwhelming for any parent.

Like so many families, I walked into our IEP meeting with hope.

Hope that my child will finally get the support she needs. Hope that

But what I and so many other parents have learned is this: The real challenge doesn't happen in the meeting. It begins after it.

Because once that IEP is signed, parents don't just go back to being parents. We take on another role.

We start checking if services are actually being delivered.

We follow up when communication is unclear — or doesn't

come at all.

We document what should already be happening.

Over time, it becomes a second full-time job.

And the question I keep coming back to is simple: Why are parents responsible for making sure a legally binding plan is followed?

An IEP is not a suggestion. It's a commitment.

Yet too often, services are inconsistent, delayed, or missed entirely, without clear communication unless a parent speaks up. And when that

happens, the burden shifts from the system to the family.

That burden doesn't fall equally.

Some parents have the flexibility to send emails during the day, attend follow-ups, and push for answers. Others are working long hours, juggling multiple responsibilities, or still trying to understand the system itself.

But every child deserves the same level of support — regardless of their parent's capacity to fight for it.

This isn't about blaming educators. Many are doing everything they can under real constraints of shortag-

Could 2028 Be the Year the People Finally Pick the President?

This year, America marks 250 years since the Declaration of Independence.

That should make us proud. It should also make us honest.

When my son was 11, we walked the Lexington battlefield in Massachusetts. As we crossed that ground, I told him our family descends from the youngest

person to carry a musket there that day. He was just a boy. He stood in a different unit from his father. Father and son, both there. Father and son, both fighting for freedom. Father and son, both fighting for the right of a people to govern themselves.

Then I looked at my son and said: He was only two years older than you are now.

That moment has stayed with me.

So has another truth. Our roots in the Revolution run through

both Massachusetts and Virginia. We also descend from Richard Bland of Virginia, who argued for the rights of the colonies before independence was declared.

So this year, as we mark 250 years since the Declaration, we should ask a simple question: Have we finished what those brave men, women and children started?

Not yet.

We elect our mayors by popular vote. We elect our governors by popular vote. But we still do not count every vote equally when we

choose our president.

Try explaining that to a child. It is awkward.

Because democracy rests on a simple idea: the person with the most votes should win. One person, one vote.

Today, that is not how presidential politics works in practice.

A few swing states get most of the attention. The rest of the country is pushed aside. Millions of Americans in red states and blue states alike are told, in effect, that their votes matter less in the one race

With Expanded DCTAG, More D.C. Students Can Dream Big

When I started to get college acceptances as a senior at Benjamin Banneker High School, I was so excited — until I saw the tuition cost.

The reality of paying for college can feel overwhelming, even for families who plan and save. I was one of them. I grew up in Ward 7 in a city of opportunities.

I studied abroad in high school in Costa Rica. And I got my first job at 14 through the Marion Barry Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP), where I earned a paycheck and gained valuable work experience.

But when it came to higher education, the price tag seemed like a locked door. I wondered if I would have to scale back my dreams. My parents and I searched far and wide for any scholarship we could find. That's when the DC Tuition Assis-

tance Grant (DCTAG) program changed everything.

I worked with my parents to fill out the application on the DC One App, gathering all of our documents and working with the program staff at the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE). I spoke with Mr. Lincois Anderson so many times that he felt like family.

I wondered at the time if I would be one of the thousands of D.C. students awarded a DCTAG grant for college. It gave me hope.

It would mean that I could choose the school that fit my goals, not just my budget, and that my hard work in high school would truly matter after all.

I made sure to do tons of research to decide which college would be the best fit for me. When I learned about the social work program and internship opportunities at Norfolk State University (NSU), it quickly became my number one choice. Getting that acceptance letter was such a proud and emotional moment. It

es, limited resources, and increasing demands.

But we have to be honest: when services aren't delivered consistently, the system isn't working the way it should.

Every missed service matters.

Every delay matters.

And every time a parent has to step in just to make sure the basics are covered, trust in that system starts to erode.

As a father, I don't want to spend

that belongs to all of us.

That is not fairness. That is neglect.

There is another way.

It is called the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. It does not end the Electoral College. It uses it the way the Constitution allows. The Constitution gives state legislatures the power to decide how their electoral votes are awarded. Under this plan, states agree to give their electoral votes

JEALOUS Page 46 EVANS Page 46

made everything feel real. I started to receive other scholarships and things were moving in the right direction. But I still fell short of my financial goal. College was just out of reach. My DCTAG award was the critical last piece of financial support I needed to enroll at NSU. When I got the DCTAG award it was a huge relief and motivation. It made attending NSU feel possible and confirmed that I was

Ben Jealous

TILGHMAN Page 46

Guest Columnist

Anthony Tilghman

Armoni Evans

Guest Columnist

Washington Informer Weekend Checklist

WASHINGTON INFORMER'S

LIFESTYLE Things To Do, DMV!

By Kree Anderson WI Intern

From the rhythmic flow of tai chi and jazz, to the creative energy of poetry, open mics and knitting clubs, there is an experience for every interest and to create connections across the Washington metropolitan area.

Dive into the DMV’s weekend highlights with this curated event snapshot and for more fun, head over to the Washington Informer Calendar!

Thursday, April 2

Spring Bingo

2 p.m. - 3 p.m.| Free Oakton Library, Meeting Rooms

1 & 2, 10304 Lynnhaven Place, Oakton, VA, 22124

Have fun with the whole family playing various rounds of springthemed bingo games.

The Hour: Poetry Open Mic

7 p.m. | Free Union Market, 1309 5th Street NE, Washington, D.C., 20002

Sign up on-site to share work aloud at The Hour’s newest open mic series curated by award-winning poet María Fernanda.

Friday, April 3

Good Friday Live Experience

4 p.m. - 5:45 p.m.; 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. | Free Cornerstone Church, 16010 Annapolis Road, Bowie, MD, 20715

Join Cornerstone Church for the Good Friday Experience, an immersive musical production that intertwines drama, music, and dance to bring the timeless story of the Gospel to life, and offers a transformative and powerful time to worship, reflect, and celebrate.

Jazz In the Park - Celebration of Jazz Appreciation Month

5 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. | Free Eastern Market Metro Park, 701 Pennsylvania Avenue SE, Washington, D.C., 20003

Attend a night filled with smooth tunes and good vibes at

3 María Fernanda, an awardwinning poet, is hosting an open-mic session at Union Market on April 2, where presenters will be able to express their creativity and passions. (Courtesy Photo)

art and form of meditation. This class is led by Master Nick Gracenin, who has a 46-year career as a teacher of Qigong, Tai Chi, Chinese Yoga (Dao Yin), and Chinese Martial Arts, and was awarded medals for U.S. Teams at six world championships for Chinese Martial Arts.

Align and Ascend with Dr. Z and Kamal Ben Ali 10 a.m. | Free Busboys and Poets, 5331 Baltimore Avenue, Hyattsville, MD, 20781

Eastern Market Metro Plaza Park.

Get ready to groove to the sounds of talented jazz musicians as the event celebrates Jazz Appreciation Month in style.

Saturday, April 4

Extreme Cleanup at Glenmont Local Park

10 a.m. - 12 p.m. | Free Glenmont Local Park, 3201 Randolph Road, Silver Spring, MD, 20906

Join Rock Creek Conservancy and Montgomery Parks for a litter removal restoration event in Rock Creek Park.

Tai Chi

9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. | $34.58

Omni Shoreham Hotel, 2500 Calvert Street NW, Washington, D.C., 20008

Enjoy a low-impact, mind-body exercise that originated in China in the 12th century as a martial

3 Centreville Regional Library is featuring a knitting club where participants can gather to craft, chat, and share patterns on April 5. (Courtesy Photo)

Learn from Dr. Zayd Abdul-Karim (Dr. Z), CEO of the Universal Self-Leadership Institute and a certified transformational mindset coach and facilitator, and Kamal Ben Ali, co-owner of D.C.’s historic Ben’s Chili Bowl, entrepreneur, community leader, and motivational speaker, for an inspiring morning focused on personal growth and leadership.

Sunday, April 5

Early April Bird Walk: Bright Pond

7:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. | Free Park in the cul-de-sac at the end of Bright Pond Lane, Reston, VA, 20191

Beginning and expert birders are invited to search for birds in some of Reston's most beautiful natural areas.

Knit Pickers: Knitting Club for All Levels

6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. | Free Centreville Conference Room, 14200 Street Germain Drive, Centreville, VA, 20121

Whether bringing a project to share progress, or exploring a new idea for inspiration, no pattern or project is too small or simple for Knit Pickers Knitting needles, yarn, and patterns are provided. WI

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into the public.

“Ms. Jackson and her attorneys are once again abusing the courts and the legal system by making a series of false allegations as part of a media campaign to distract from their legal setbacks and the inherent weakness of their case,” estate attorney Jonathan Steinsapir told The Informer.

The filing itself goes further, accusing her attorneys of making “headline-grabbing, yet false, accusations” and raising “specious concerns over issues previously addressed and resolved,” while increasing costs to the estate.

That tension has now spilled beyond the courtroom.

Just a day after the most recent closed hearing on March 24, where, according to sources familiar with the proceedings, no ruling was issued and the judge appeared to side with the executors on scheduling matters, a firm representing Paris publicly claimed that she had secured a major legal victory.

The firm asserted that the pop star’s daughter had forced the estate to disclose four years of financial documents, covering 2022 through 2025, after years of delay, and that the court had imposed a strict disclosure schedule going forward.

But according to multiple sources, that account is not accurate.

Paris’s team “didn’t win anything,” the source said, adding that the court simply approved the timeline proposed by the estate.

That gap between what was said publicly and what occurred inside the courtroom has only intensified scrutiny of the strategy driving the case.

And that scrutiny is increasingly focused on Peters.

Sources familiar with the matter say there is growing concern that Peters is not simply representing Paris Jackson but positioning himself within a larger power struggle over the estate. Some go further, suggesting that he may be exploiting her vulnerabilities to press forward in a case that, on its face, centers on a fraction of the estate’s value.

That fraction is approximately $625,000 – money paid as bonuses to lawyers who have represented the estate on various matters. Not only has the estate become the most successful of its kind, but it has not stopped battling numerous claims that have arrived almost daily since the King of Pop’s 2009 death.

“That’s a rounding error,” one

source said of the $625,000 bonuses.

“It’s one-tenth of 1% of the Sony deal. This isn’t about the money.”

The numbers surrounding the estate make that point unavoidable.

Since the “Thriller’ singer’s death, the estate has generated more than $3 billion and is now valued at roughly $2 billion. In 2024, Sony Music Group paid at least $600 million for a 50 percent stake in Jackson’s publishing and master’s catalog, placing the value of those assets as high as $1.5 billion.

Even before that deal, the estate generated approximately $75 million annually.

In their filing, the executors dismantle the claims made by Paris’s legal team in detail.

On the issue of cash management, the filing explains that most of the estate’s cash was tied up under an IRS lien connected to a tax dispute involving roughly $700 million.

Those funds were held in an escrow account and could not be freely invested.

Until at least mid-2021, there was a real possibility that much or all that money would be owed to the federal government. Under those conditions, the executors argue placing the funds into the stock market would be irresponsible.

Paris Jackson’s attorneys suggested allocating 60% of that cash to stocks and 40% to bonds, a proposal the estate calls “a wildly reckless proposition,” noting that fiduciaries do not risk funds reserved for taxes and that such a move would likely have been blocked by the IRS.

They also point to the economic reality at the time.

“The Executors do not control the Federal Reserve,” the filing states, referencing the near-zero interest rates that defined 2021. WI

Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

JACKSON

5 Paris Jackson is at the center of a legal battle with her late father’s estate. (Courtesy Photo)

Explore the Roots of a Civil Rights Icon in D.C. Premier of ‘Young John Lewis: Prodigy of Protest’

By D. Kevin McNeir WI Contributing Writer

Before freedom fighters emerge as changemakers, they were children– a notion that intrigued award-winning playwright, director, and actor, Psalmayene 24 to create “Young John Lewis: Prodigy of Protest,” running until May 3 at the Atlas Performing Arts Center in Northeast, D.C., and presented by Mosaic Theater Company.

A hip-hop-based musical directed by Reginald L. Douglas and with music by Grammy-nominated artist Koyaki, the new play not only reveals the roots of the title character, civil rights icon and late congressman, but honors his legacy as the nation navigates, political and societal division and continued racial inequities.

“Sadly, we’re still dealing with a lot of the same kinds of obstacles, problems, and roadblocks that John Lewis often encountered in his life, especially as he entered adulthood,” Psalmayene 24, often called “Psalm,” told The Informer. “Sure, they may have had a different face or façade, but prejudice and the inhumane treatment of others based simply on their being different remains a disturbing element of American society.”

For the playwright, diving into

Lewis’ life not only offered insight for the play, but personal inspiration.

“He was an activist guided by the revolutionary belief that kindness, nonviolence, and peace represent the best ways to counter hate,” said Psalmayene 24, referencing the late activist and Georgia politician who died in 2020.

The artist first debuted the musical in Atlanta in June 2025, before bringing it to the District. After gaining a deeper appreciation for the late civil rights leader’s journey, the playwright made some alterations.

“We’ve made some changes since the Atlanta show including a new composer whose music embodies the spirit of the civil rights movement and accentuates the various themes that shape the play,” he said. “We’ve also deepened the relationships between the characters, added lesser-known nuances that were integral to Lewis’ character. And of course, I wanted to honor Lewis, who was often referred to as the ‘Conscience of Congress.’”

While playing such a well-known figure presents challenges, Michael Bahsil-Cook, who portrays the title character, said he relishes all that comes with portraying the iconic civil rights leader.

JOHN LEWIS Page 33

5 Former Georgia Congressional Rep. John Lewis serves as the inspiration for the D.C. premiere of “Young John Lewis: Prodigy of Protest,” which runs until May 3 at the Atlas Performing Arts Center in Northeast, D.C. (Courtesy Photo)

DIRECTOR

CHARON P.W. HINES

Dear Seniors,

As we welcome the month of April, we also welcome the beauty and renewal that comes with a new season. Spring is a time of growth, fresh starts, and reflection on how we care for ourselves and the world around us. April offers several important reminders about health, balance, and community, including World Health Day, Stress Awareness Month, and Earth Day. Together, they remind us that caring for our own well-being and caring for the planet go hand in hand.

Health is more than just doctor’s visits, it is about how we feel physically, mentally, and emotionally every day. This month recognizes Stress Awareness

Live Boldly –April 2026 Message from Department of Aging and Community Living

Month. This reminds us that stress can impact our health if we do not take time to manage it. Fortunately, there are many simple ways to combat stress and restore balance in our lives. Activities such as taking daily walks, practicing deep breathing or meditation, spending time with loved ones, listening to music, or enjoying a favorite hobby can help bring calm and clarity. Staying socially connected is also one of the best ways to protect your mental well-being. Even small moments of relaxation, like sitting outside in the sunshine, can make a meaningful difference.

One of the best places to support your physical and emotional health is right here in the community through our Senior Wellness Centers. These centers provide opportunities for older adults to stay active, engaged, and connected. From fitness classes and health screenings to social activities and educational workshops, the centers are designed to help you live healthier and more fulfilling lives. I invite you to join us at any of our six locations around the city.

Ward 1

Bernice Fonteneau

Senior Wellness Center

3531 Georgia Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20011

Phone: (202) 727-0338

Wards 2 and 3

Around Town Satellite Wellness Program

4125 Albemarle Street, NW, Washington, DC 20016

Phone: (202) 895-9485

Ward 4

Hattie Holmes Senior Wellness Center

324 Kennedy Street, NW, Washington, DC 20011

Phone: (202) 291-6170

Ward 5

Model Cities Senior Wellness Center

1901 Evarts Street, NE, Washington, DC 20018

Phone: (202) 635-1900

Ward 6

Hayes Senior Wellness Center

500 K Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002

Phone: (202) 727-0357

Ward 7

Washington Seniors Wellness Center

3001 Alabama Avenue, SE, Washington, DC 20020

Phone: (202) 581-6010

Ward 8

Congress Heights Senior

One of the best places to support your physical and emotional health is right here in the community through our Senior Wellness Centers.

Wellness Center

3500 Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue, SE, Washington, DC 20032

Phone: (202) 563-7225

April also encourages us to think beyond ourselves and consider the environment around us. As we celebrate Earth Day on April 22nd, we reflect on this year’s theme: “Our Power, Our Planet.” This message reminds us that protecting the Earth is a shared responsibility. Simple actions like recycling, conserving energy, planting flowers or trees, and keeping our neighborhoods clean can have a lasting impact on our community.

I encourage you to care for yourselves and the lives around you. When we take steps to nurture our health, manage stress, eat well, and protect our environment, we strengthen not only ourselves but our entire community. Here’s to a healthy, peaceful, and vibrant April.

In Service,

Charon P.W. Hines  Director, Department of Aging and Community Living

5 On April 12, the DowntownDC BID will present Jazz & Blossoms in partnership with Words Beats & Life, transforming Franklin Park into a lively spring playground of music, arts, and community. Jam out to live performances, get hands-on with creative workshops, and try something new — whether it’s roller skating, double dutch, or just soaking in the grooves. This all-day, family-friendly festival is your ultimate escape from springtime. Come for the music, stay for the magic, and let spring bloom in every beat!

The Tony Award-winner in an intimate setting

Chuck D Releases Rap Central Station Spring 2026

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

Chuck D, known as the architect of hip-hop resistance, has released the Spring 2026 edition of Rap Central Station, a vinyl-sized print magazine that rejects the churn of digital culture and puts the voice of the artist back at the center.

Built like a record to hold, flip, and live with, the quarterly publication arrives as both artifact and argument, a deliberate slowdown in an era that rarely pauses.

“Scrolling ain’t reading,” Chuck declared. “Texting ain’t writing.”

That line is printed like a manifesto across the project, and helped turn the debut issue into an instant collector’s piece. Thousands of copies moved through record shops during Hip Hop 50 celebrations, and the message landed with force.

“Now that’s so dope,” one social media user said when the legendary rapper teased the December 2025 issue.

The Spring 2026 issue pushes harder.

Front and center is Busta Rhymes, anchoring the cover story titled “The Times and Rhymes of Busta,” a deep dive that strips away mythology and replaces it with lived history.

The cover art by Amy Cinnamon of the Madurgency Collective places Busta in a lineage, surrounded by figures who built the

culture and carried its weight. De La Soul appears holding a portrait of Trugoy. A Tribe Called Quest stands with Phife’s image. Spliff Star is right there beside Busta, exactly where the culture has always placed him.

Inside, the pages move like crates in a seasoned DJ’s hands.

Rah Digga, Fab Five Freddy, DJ Divine, and photographer Ernie Paniccioli all contribute to a publication that refuses spectacle and sticks to substance.

Reporting stretches beyond U.S. borders, with dispatches from Ghana and Senegal, while more than 500 records are logged across the Art Rap Charts.

No gossip. No theatrics. Just documentation.

“Get off the digital plantation,” Chuck asserts. “Get planted.”

“Get off the digital plantation,” Chuck asserts. “Get planted.”

That directive, delivered in Chuck’s unmistakable cadence, brings home the mission. Rap Central Station does not chase first-week numbers or algorithm spikes

“We focus on the midlife and the long tail, the part of a song, an album, an artist that algorithms abandoned,” Chuck D said.

Produced with Silverback Publishing, the magazine runs quarterly and leans into a format that mirrors vinyl culture. Twelve by twelve. No shortcuts. Artists write their own reviews, reclaiming authorship over their work and pushing back against narratives that have long been shaped by outsiders.

“A magazine like this isn’t nostalgic, it’s logic,” Chuck explained. “Digital speed scrolls in and out. Tangible media makes you stop, digest, listen, and engage. Past present and future get the utmost respect and treatment.”

That philosophy runs through every page. From the editorial “You Got a Letter from The Editor” to features curated by Kyle Eustice, the issue reads like a corrective, a refusal to let hip-hop be reduced to trending fragments and disposable content.

Pre-orders for the Spring 2026 edition are open, and if the first run is any indication, it won’t sit still for long.

“Hip-hop never left,” Chuck D noted. “It just needed a place to be read again.” WI

5 Chuck D’s Spring 2026 edition of Rap Central Station features Busta Rhymes, offering a deep dive into the rapper’s journey that strips away mythology and replaces it with lived history. (Courtesy Photo)

“I use several techniques when I take on a role but in this case it started with an intensive study of the script,” he said. “I had to understand the intention of the characters, what mattered in their lives and then consider how I felt when I was entering manhood. Lewis was profoundly impacted by the murder of Emmett Till. So, I had to harness my own emotions and personal response as I sought to represent Lewis on stage.”

Inspiration from a Late Civil Rights Icon, Teaching the Next Generation

For Psalmayene 24, exploring the young Lewis emphasized the civil rights leader’s commitment to addressing inequities.

“John Lewis was very sensitive – profoundly so – and when he witnessed acts of injustice, he both addressed and attempted to correct them,” the artist explained.

Learning the late freedom fighter’s story inspired Psalmayene 24 and Mosaic Theater to include a season-long outreach component of the musical, taking the cast and crew beyond the theater and into schools, community centers and places of worship throughout the District. He hopes to show young people that, like Lewis, who first realized his lifelong passion for activism at just 18, they too can make a difference within their communities — and they’re never too young to get started.

“We’ll be hosting several reflection sessions that focus on various themes in the play which we believe will resonate with people, both young and old,” the playwright said, adding that he hopes people will be inspired by Lewis’ “Good Trouble” mantra. “The response to the production has been amazing and we’re doing our best to make this play, this musical, leap off the stage and into the community.”

4 Mosaic Theater Company presents Michael Bahsil-Cook as John Lewis during his college days and into his late 20s in the D.C. premier of “Young John Lewis: Prodigy of Protest,” running until May 3 at the Atlas Performing Arts Center in Northeast, D.C. (Courtesy Photo)

Bahsil-Cook said he marvels at how much Lewis accomplished despite being so young and hopes that others will be encouraged by his life and example.

“The fight isn’t over until we secure equality, peace and liberation for every human on the planet,” the actor told The Informer. “And young people have a role to play. Perhaps knowing more about John Lewis will help them better understand that the choice is theirs: to accept the status quo, the current state of the world, or decide to work to be the change they want to see.”

Douglas said learning Black history can serve as a source of inspiration for the next generation looking to continue freedom fights of today.

“We forget that many of the activists we honor today began when they were quite young,” he explained. “It had to take incredible courage for them to confront a system that was so opposed to granting them the same rights as whites. Even now, when I think about it, I am still moved.”

The director hopes local young people not only learn about Lewis’ life, but see themselves in his story.

“As we engage with more of D.C.’s youth, we want them to really understand that John Lewis was not all that different from them. And he certainly was not superhuman or possessed special powers,” he continued. “But he was a man who was courageous enough to be his authentic self.”

WI

Good Friday Evening Service

April 3, 2026 | 7 PM

Experience a contemplative Good Friday Evening service with readings and music from across centuries and traditions.

This service offers a peaceful space to pause and reflect on the sacrifice of Jesus.

Learn more about the National Cathedral’s Lent, Holy Week and Easter offerings at cathedral.org/Lent

Featuring beautiful, poignant music from the Cathedral Contemporary Ensemble. Passes not required Livestream available

JOHN LEWIS from Page 30

review wi book

"The

Remarkable Life of Reed Peggram: The Man Who Stared Down World War II in the Name of Love"

By Ethelene Whitmire

c.2026, Viking / $30 / 308 pages

Terri Schlichenmeyer WI Contributing Writer

You couldn't escape it.

When you fell in love, that was it: you were there for good. Leaving your amour's side was unthinkable, turning away was impossible. You'd do anything for that person you loved — even, as in the new biography, "The Remarkable Life of Reed Peggram" by Ethelene Whitmire, you'd escape toward danger.

On Aug. 28, 1938, Reed Peggram boarded a ship from Hoboken, New Jersey, hoping to "become a proper gentleman" and fulfill his dreams. A prolific writer and Harvard scholar of comparative literature, he'd recently been awarded the Rosenwald Fellowship, which put him in the company of literary stars like Du Bois, Hurston, and Hughes.

Both Peggram's mother and grandmother were then domestic workers, and they had big expectations for him. Reed himself was eager to study abroad, for professional and personal reasons; he was "determined to become a French professor and an accomplished linguist" and "He also hoped to find love."

What better place to do it than in Paris?

Outgoing and confident, Peggram made friends easily and had no trouble moving "through the world of his white male peers." Where he faltered was in his lack of funds. He relied on the kindness of his many friends — one of whom introduced Peggram to a "man who would become so pivotal in his life," a Danish man named Arne.

Peggram and Arne had a lot in common, and they began to enmesh their lives and dreams of living in the United States. But there were complications: homosexuality was largely forbidden, World War II was in its early stages, and it quickly became apparent that it was dangerous to stay in Europe.

And yet, Peggram loved Arne. He refused to leave without him and so, while most visiting Black Americans fled the war in Europe, "Reed was trying to stay."

There's so much more to the story inside "The Remarkable Life of Reed Peggram," so much to know about Reed himself. Problem is, it's a long haul to get to the good stuff.

In her introduction, author Ethelene Whitmire explains how she came to this tale and yes, it needs telling but probably not with the staggering number of inconsequential details here. Peggram moved homes a lot, and many people were involved in keeping him in Europe. That alone can be overwhelming; add the fact that costs and other monetary issues are mentioned in what seems like nearly every page, and you may wonder if you'll ever find the reason for the book's subtitle.

It's there, nearly halfway through the book, which is when the tale takes a tender, urgent turn — albeit one with determination, rashness, and a dash of faux nonchalance. Also, if you're expecting an unhappily-ever-after because, after all, it's a World War II tale, don't assume anything … Reading this book will take a certain amount of patience, so skip it if you don't have that fortitude. If you're OK with minuscule details and want a heart-pounder, though, "The Remarkable Life of Reed Peggram" might be a good escape. WI

horoscopes

LIFESTYLE

APRIL

2 - 8, 2026

ARIES The fire that carried you through March hasn't cooled — it's concentrated now. A decision you've been circling finally demands a landing; plant your flag and move. Someone in your orbit is mistaking your confidence for arrogance and the distinction matters; make it clear through action, not explanation. A long-dormant creative instinct stirs this week — don't interrogate it, just follow where it leads. What you start imperfectly now beats what you perfect in place. Lucky Numbers: 6, 29, 54

TAURUS Patience is your gift and this week it costs you something if you're not careful — there's a difference between steady and stuck, and you're flirting with the line. A financial thread you've left dangling finally demands attention; the answer is simpler than the avoidance has been. Someone who's been circling your trust is ready to earn it; decide whether you're ready to let them try. Lucky Numbers: 8, 34, 61

GEMINI The version of the story you've been offering publicly and the one running privately have diverged far enough to create friction — close the gap this week. An intellectual opportunity arrives disguised as a minor obligation; don't dismiss it before you look closely. Someone who knows you well offers a criticism wrapped in affection; take the criticism. Lucky Numbers: 4, 36, 67

CANCER The emotional labor you've been absorbing without complaint has a ceiling, and this week you brush it — let that be information rather than a crisis. A domestic matter that's been hovering in the background requires a real decision, not another temporary fix. Someone who rarely asks for help finally does; the timing is inconvenient and the answer is still yes. Lucky Numbers: 13, 42, 70

LEO The recognition you've been angling for arrives in a form you didn't expect — receive it without renegotiating the terms. A creative collaboration that stalled resumes with new energy if you're willing to cede some control; the result will justify it. Someone tests your instinct for drama this week — decline the invitation. Lucky Numbers: 18, 40, 65

VIRGO The plan you've revised eleven times is good enough — release it. Perfectionism is protecting you from feedback that would actually help, and some part of you knows this. A relationship you've mentally categorized as low-maintenance needs tending; visit it before it needs repair. Someone leans on your analytical clarity this week and what they actually need is your gut, not your spreadsheet. Trust it. A small financial adjustment compounds quietly in your favor this month. Lucky Numbers: 20, 47, 72

LIBRA The peace you've been brokering between two others has a cost that's finally showing; step back and let them negotiate their own terms. A decision you've framed as either/or has a third option you haven't considered — look again with fresh eyes. Begin. Lucky Numbers: 9, 38, 60

SCORPIO The walls that have kept you safe have also kept something out that you actually want — this week requires a deliberate opening. A professional move you've been timing with surgical precision may be overthought; the window is now and waiting costs more than moving. Someone you trust surprises you with a vulnerability you didn't anticipate; meet it with the same currency. What you've been rebuilding in private is ready for one witness. Choose carefully. Lucky Numbers: 2, 44, 57

SAGITTARIUS The restlessness you've been managing is trying to tell you something specific — stop managing it long enough to listen. A commitment made in optimism is being tested by reality; renegotiate honestly rather than quietly underperform and hope no one notices. Someone challenges your version of events and they have a point worth absorbing; the update costs you nothing and gains you credibility. Lucky Numbers: 21, 49, 76

CAPRICORN The results you've been waiting on are taking shape beneath the surface; your patience is doing exactly what it's built to do. A dynamic at work has shifted in your favor and requires you to act before someone else defines the terms. Someone younger is asking the right questions — answer them honestly and note what the asking reveals. Lucky Numbers: 15, 45, 78

AQUARIUS The idea that's been circling your mind for weeks lands this week with enough clarity to act on — write it down before it cycles back out. A group dynamic you've been watching from a comfortable distance is asking for your direct participation; the timing has shifted in your favor. Someone reframes a problem you'd given up on and the new frame fits; acknowledge it openly and build from there. Lucky Numbers: 24, 51, 73

PISCES The intuition you second-guessed last week was correct — trust it with more conviction and stop looking for permission. A creative undertaking that felt self-indulgent is actually the most productive thing you can do right now; give it real hours, not leftovers. Someone near you is carrying more than they've said; ask the question you've been too polite to raise. Lucky Numbers: 17, 53, 79

SPORTS

UConn

Powers Past Duke with Stunning 73-72 Victory, Capped by Mullins 3-Pointer

The No. 2 seed UConn Huskies delivered one of the most thrilling comebacks in NCAA Tournament history on Sunday night.

“Obviously that's an epic, just another chapter in the UConn-Duke NCAA Tournament dramatics,” said Dan Hurley,UConn’s head coach.

“Obviously a really tough way for their season to end. I thought they played great. I thought they punched us in the mouth with incredible force.”

The Huskies erased a 19-point deficit, bewildering the Duke Blue Devils, the No. 1 overall seed, 73-72. Not only was it a top highlight of the 2026 March Madness run but it was an Elite

Eight finish. With just 0.4 seconds remaining, freshman wing Braylon Mullins drilled a fearless, deep three-pointer off a Duke turnover.

“ [It’s] still a loss of words,” said Mullins. “[I’m] still processing all of what just happened.”

It was the first shot Mullins made beyond the arc all night, giving UConn its first lead since the opening minute. The shot didn’t just win the game, it etched Mullins’ name into the history books of March Madness.

The Huskies looked dead in the water late in the first half, trailing 44-25 and misfiring on nearly every attempt from deep.

“I just thought we were a little bit on our heels,” said Hurley. “We didn't get after them and try to pressure them or make them uncomfortable. I just think that we probably…gave a little bit too much respect to their individual players.”

They opened with a dismal 1-for-

18 from three-point range, but instead of folding, they clawed their way back with grit, defense, and dominance in the paint.

At the heart of the rally was senior center Tarris Reed Jr., who delivered a powerhouse performance with 26 points (10-16 FG), nine rebounds, three assists, and a defensive presence that the Blue Devils simply couldn’t solve.

“Honestly, it was just trying to win

at this point. It could be my last college basketball game, and they were just like, go for it all,” said Reed. “Coach told us before the game, you've got to swing for the fences, go as hard as you can.”

Huskie guards Solo Ball and Silas Demary Jr. provided clutch plays down the stretch, while redshirt senior forward Alex Karaban knocked down a critical three-pointer in the final minute to pull UConn within one.

Late Equalizer Denies a Spirit Victory Holding Washington to a 1-1 Draw With The Utah Royals FC in Second Home Game

By Skylar Nelson WI Contributing Writer

A fast and long-awaited breakthrough wasn’t enough for the Wash-

ington Spirit, who were held to a 1-1 draw by the Utah Royals FC at Audi Field on March 25 after surrendering a game-changing equalizer.

“I think we created a lot of chances

and as we keep getting more comfortable, and more reps those chances will go in,” said defender Tara Rudd. “Going forward we’re going to get as many chances as we can from the start of the game so that they can’t get themselves involved in the end.”

In their second home game of the season, Washington looked sharp from the opening whistle, bringing intensity on both sides of the ball.

The team’s breakthrough came early on in the 18th minute, when midfielder Rebeca Bernal netted her first goal for the club, off a deflected effort from forward Sofia Cantore. That gave the Spirit a thrilling 1-0 lead that sent sparks throughout Audi Field.

The Spirit’s momentum was fueled by a series of key defensive plays and attacking chances. Midfielder Deborah Abiodun made an early statement in the match with a diving block in the box, while defender Lucia Di Guglielmo followed the trend with a slid-

ing stop to deny Utah of any scoring chance. Goalkeeper Sandy Maclver also delivered a highlight moment, tipping a dangerous shot onto the crossbar to preserve the Spirit’s lead.

Washington continued to press offensively, creating opportunities to extend their advantage. Star forward Trinity Rodman made her 100th regular season appearance at Audi Field. She found space in the box, but her shot went over the bar. Forward Rosmande Kouassi forced a save early on in the second half as the Spirit dominated possession.

Despite controlling much of the match, the Spirit couldn’t put the game out of reach, allowing the Royals to capitalize a late push. In the 84th minute, Royals’ forward Mina Tanaka took advantage of a Washington defensive turnover, slotting home a decisive goal to make it 1-1. WI Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

3 University of Connecticut (UConn) Huskies senior center Tarris Reed Jr. celebrates Braylon Mullins’ game-winning three-pointer in the team’s 73-72 win over the Duke Blue Devils in the March Madness Elite Eight on Sunday, March 30. (Abdullah Konte/ The Washington Informer)

Duke briefly regained their footing behind freshman forward Cameron Boozer who answered with a bucket, making the score 72-69 with under 30 seconds left.

But in a moment that will haunt the Blue Devils, a pass from freshman guard Cayden Boozer was deflected in the closing seconds, setting the stage for Mullins’ UConn miracle.

The collapse was historic and brutal. Teams seeded No. 1 were 134-0 alltime when leading by 15 or more at halftime, until now.

In a moment of heroics destined for memory, Mullins carried UConn to the Final Four in Indianapolis just miles from his hometown of Greenfield, Indiana. Already a McDonald’s All-American, he’ll now return home a legend after delivering one of the greatest shots the Elite Eight has ever seen.

For Duke and head coach Jon Scheyer, it marks a second straight year of postseason heartbreak after another blown double-digit lead.

Meanwhile, UConn’s head coach, once again, proved his program’s championship DNA after a masterclass second-half.

“It takes a strong team. It takes a tough team. It takes strong men. It takes a bunch of players that let us coach them, let us coach them hard. That starts in June,” Hurley said.“We run a very intense program. We put a lot of pressure on them on a daily basis to do the right things…to be prepared because that's what it takes to win games like this.”

The No. 2 seed UConn Huskies are set to face the No. 3 seed The Fighting Illini of the University of Illinois on Saturday, April 4 in Indianapolis, Indiana. TipOff is set for 6:09 p.m. EST. WI

5 Midfielder Rebeca Bernal celebrates scoring her first club goal with defender Esme Morgan (left), forward Sofia Cantore (middle), and defender Tara Rudd (right) in the Spirit’s 1-1 draw against the Utah Royals on March 25. (Marcus Relacion/The Washington Informer)

CAPTURE the moment

Founded by former D.C. First Lady Cora Masters Barry, the 20th Annual Blacks in Wax took place on March 28 at THEARC Theater in Southeast, D.C. The event, annually presented alongside Southeast Tennis and Learning Center (SETLC) scholars, celebrates the rich history and culture of over 60 prolific, iconic African American heroes from the worlds of sports, entertainment, history, politics, and literature. (Robert R. Roberts/ The Washington Informer)

RELIGION

sure that everyone can flourish.”

As the nation navigates war with Iran, a partial government shutdown, threats to civil rights, and social, economic, racial and political division, faith leaders are emphasizing the power of the Easter message and King’s legacy to inspire work toward justice and peace.

“This narrowly focused idea that, ‘if you flourish, I can't,’ that ‘if whites make it, Blacks can't,’ that's neither the message of Jesus nor the message of King,” said Dr. Barbara Williams-Skinner, president of the Skinner Leadership Institute. “When we have a $1 billion a day for a war, but not $6 a day for a child, food through SNAP, or the elderly to have Medicaid; when we have money right now for the detention centers, but we don't have money for the homeless, Easter is a reminder that we have everything we need as a nation, that God has blessed America to make

Despite racial disparities, conflict across the world, and attacks on marginalized communities, there’s hope, Williams-Skinner said, particularly as she considered King’s dream of a more just and united society.

“King spoke about the ‘beloved community.’ And that community is characterized in the word ‘shalom.’ Shalom simply means that nothing is missing or broken. America has more than enough— nothing is missing or broken,” she said. “King would be horrified that we would find the money to send more men and women to war, but we still have people who literally cannot go to work, because they can't afford $4 of gas. King’s telling all of us that our nation can be better.”

Facing challenges through faith is not new and a critical part of the paschal feast, the trusted advisor and public policy strategist noted.

“Jesus was teaching and preaching during a time of Roman oppression,

when there was great darkness for people who were poor, and who were orphaned, widows, and the like,” she said, before offering a charge. “The Easter message is to be the love of Jesus, every day, wherever we are, to break out of our political bondage, our political tribes, and our racial and cultural tribes, and to reach out to people who don’t look or vote, or think like us…It’s breaking out of the darkness.”

‘Finding the King in All of Us’

The Rev. Thomas Bowen, general secretary of the Progressive National Baptist Convention, said celebrating Easter while acknowledging King’s assassination offers an important lesson about the world.

“Easter is God’s decisive answer to every misuse of power: what is crucified in truth will rise again,” Bowen, Earl L. Harrison minister for social justice at Shiloh Baptist Church, told The Informer. “As we mark the 58th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we are reminded that even when truth is struck down, it does not stay buried.”

Nearly six decades after he was assassinated, Williams-Skinner said it’s important to acknowledge King, not just as a means of honoring the fallen civil rights leader, but to remember the legacy he left even after his death on April 4, 1968, at the age of 39.

“He was in Memphis uplifting the poorest of the poor workers— sanitation workers,” she said. “[This reminds] us that we still have an opportunity to uplift the 46 million people living below the poverty level today... to lift up the same cause of sacrificing our time and energy, to help those who can't help themselves.

His death over these decades echoes to us: what are we doing today to speak up for those who can't speak for

themselves? It's finding the King in all of us.”

With upcoming midterm elections and looming federal legislation that could be detrimental and divisive for millions of Americans, Williams-Skinner explained it’s time for all people to step up.

One notion on her radar in particular is challenging congressional approval of the SAVE Act, a bill aligned with generational themes of voter suppression, including: jeopardizing mailin ballots and voter eligibility for those without government-issued identification, as well as for the estimated 69 million women who changed their name through marriage or divorce.

“That's what your vote is about, and that's what we can do to honor King on April 4 –– use our vote as our voice,” she continued, delivering a passionate plea to readers. “We have an opportunity to stop whining about the leadership, the direction of the country, and exercise our citizenship right. It only took a few votes to get the Civil Rights Act. It only took a few votes to get the Voting Rights Act.”

The president of the Skinner Leadership Institute highlighted the time of spiritual renewal as a reminder of the infinite power of God’s light and might, even amid continued justice work.

“[Jesus] died, and he was in the grave, and then he rose again, so that we have the ability today to rise above the darkness of our time,” she said. “We need leaders who will not keep looking for another King-type superhero, but understand that the power of God is in every single one of us to be that light.”

An Easter Message of Hope, Justice and Light

Despite a challenging and divisive time for the country and world, faith leaders across the DMV are emphasizing that Easter offers messages of optimism, liberation and progress in 2026 and beyond.

“Our Easter message is about hope in uncertain times,” said the Rev. Henry P. Davis, pastor of First Baptist Church Highland Park. “With everything happening in the world––from war to government instability––we’re reminding people that the resurrection of Jesus proves God can bring life out of what feels lost. What’s been buried isn’t broken––God can still raise it.”

During the March 27 Stateswomen for Justice Luncheon, hosted annually at the National Press Club, Award-winning journalist, author, and minister, the Rev. Dr. Barbara Reynolds set the tone of faithful resistance.

“I just want to thank God for preparing us to continue the fight our ancestors wanted,” said Reynolds told the room of community leaders, activists, policymakers and religious figures. “He has equipped us with brilliance and boldness. We’re fully loaded.”

Thus, she later told The Informer she encourages all followers of Christ to move with the resistance instilled by the “power of his blood,” particularly amid this moment of religious observance.

“For all of us who are suffering from personal hurts or from the cruelty and pain of those at the head of the U.S. government, we will rise above it through our faith,” Reynolds later told The Informer. “He was crucified and rose again, and no devil nor demonic forces on Earth can hold believers down because as he rose, so shall we.”

WI Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

5 The Rev. Thomas Bowen, social justice minister at Shiloh Baptist Church and general secretary of the Progressive National Baptist Convention, uses his faith to work toward true freedom and equity. (WI File Photo/Shevry Lassiter)

EASTER from Page 1

5 The Rev. Dr. Barbara Reynolds speaks at the Stateswomen for Justice Luncheon at the National Press Club in March 2023. (WI File Photo/Roy Lewis)

But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream! — Amos 5:24

Greetings, Religion Corner followers, as we remember that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was killed this week in 1968, on April 4. Let us walk through this season of remembrance. My spirit is stirred by the legacy of those who didn't just talk about faith but lived it out in the streets. My heart is full as I look at our city this week. We are living in a time that demands more than just a "Sunday morning" faith. It requires a Monday-through-Saturday commitment to the justice the Lord calls for in His Word. This week, Washington, D.C., just witnessed a powerful surge of community action that reminds us we are the ones we've been waiting for.

Just this past weekend, we saw millions across the nation, including a massive presence here in the District, take part in the "No Kings" March. As thousands crossed Memorial Bridge into D.C., their message was clear: power belongs to the people, and we must stand against any rising tide of authoritarianism. It reminded me of the spirit of young Claudette Colvin, an African American teenager who, at just 15 years old, refused to bow to the unjust laws of her time on March 2, 1955. She was the first to say "no" on those Montgomery buses, long before the world knew the names of others. Her courage was the spark that eventually ignited the flame for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose sacrifice we solemnly remember every April 4.

Nine months later, Rosa Parks,

the religion corner

WITH LYNDIA GRANT

Remembering MLK: Don't Just Mourn the Man, Move the Mission

a seasoned NAACP secretary, continued the fight against segregation by refusing to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus on Dec. 1, 1955, building upon the earlier, pioneering stand of Claudette Colvin. Her arrest acted as a catalyst, transforming a spark into a widespread, community-driven movement that fundamentally challenged unjust laws.

But the work doesn't stop at the protest. This week, we must turn our attention to the local fight for dignity and respect. The Free DC campaign is a grassroots movement dedicated to defending Washington, D.C.'s Home Rule and securing full democratic rights, including statehood, for its 700,000 residents. While the "Free D.C." slogan dates back to civil rights organizing in the 1960s led by Marion Barry, the modern iteration launched in January 2025 as a direct response to increased federal interference in local affairs. The core goals and principles of the movement operate on the belief that D.C. residents deserve the right to self-determination without congressional overreach, with its strategies rooted in global pro-democracy research.

The new version of the "Free DC" campaign is mobilizing right now, starting with a movement about building the power necessary to protect our neighborhoods from a hostile administration that seeks to ignore the voices of D.C. residents.

Scripture tells us in Proverbs 31:8, "Speak up for those who cannot

speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute." This is why we must also keep a close eye on our local governance. The D.C. Council just recently finished its Performance Oversight Hearings for 2026, and last week's focus included critical issues like education and public works. Whether it's advocating for safer streets or ensuring our children have the resources they need to thrive, your testimony could have made a difference — in fact, your action would have been a form of prayer in action. You still can help; keep up with the same oversight hearings, which will be scheduled for 2027.

As we prepare for the anniversary of Dr. King's transition this week, let us not just mourn the man, but move the mission. Dr. King was taken from us at the Lorraine Motel at 6:01 p.m., but his dream cannot be killed by a bullet if we keep it alive in our works.

We are not where we have been for the past 150 years — things have changed. Each of us must do our part to turn this ship around; if not, all of us will go down with the ship! Join a meeting, testify at a hearing, or support the Free DC Project. Let your faith be felt in the halls of power and on the corners of our streets. Let me conclude this week's column with Isaiah 1:17: "Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow."

WI

Church with a past to remember – and a future to mold” www.mtzbcdc.org

Mount Carmel

Foggy Bottom - Founded in 1867 728 23rd Street, NW - Washington, DC 20037 Church office: 202-333-3985 - Fax 202-338-4958

Service and Times Sundays: 10 a.m. Holy Eucharist with Music and Hymns Wednesdays: 12:10 p.m. - Holy Eucharist www.stmarysfoggybottom.org Email: stmarysoffice@stmarysfoggybottom.org

Rev Kevin A. O'Bryant

401 Van Buren St., NW, Washington D.C. 20012 Office (202)-882-8331

Service and Times Sunday Worship 10:30 am Zoom: zoom.us/;/2028828331 Bible Study: Wednesday 7:00pm Communion Every First Sunday "Serve, teach and Live by precept and example the saving grace of Jesus Christ."

Email: Froffice@firstrising.org Website: www.firstrising.org “Changing Lives On Purpose “ The Rev. E. Bernard Anderson

All are welcome to St. Mary’s to Learn, Worship, and Grow.

Website: Theplbc.org Email: churchclerk@theplbc.org

Sermon On The Mount Temple Of

Mt. Horeb Baptist Church

Rehoboth Baptist Church

First Rising Mt. Zion Baptist Church

Historic St. Mary’s Episcopal Church

Promised Land Baptist Church

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2026 ADM 000198

Katherine Alice Koffman Decedent

Graner S. Ghevarghese 600 14th Street NW, Suite 500 Washington, DC 20005

Attorney

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Ann Elizabeth Koffman, whose address is 5849 Walnut Springs Blvd, Sylvania, OH 43560, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Katherine Alice Koffman who died on 3/9/2023 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 9/19/2026. 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 9/19/2026, 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: 3/19/2026

Ann Elizabeth Koffman

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

2026 FEP 000028

2/10/2025

Date of Death

Daphne Dulce Minott

Name of Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Franklin E. White, Jr., whose address is 14433 Jaystone Drive, Silver Spring, MD 20905 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Daphne Dulce Minott, deceased, by the Orphans Court for Prince Georges County, State of Maryland on November 17, 2025.

Service of process may be made upon Registered Agents, Inc. 1717 N Street NW, Suite 1, Washington, DC 20036 whose designation as District of Columbia agent has been filed with the Register of Wills, D.C.

The decedent owned District of Columbia personal property. Claims against the decedent may be presented to the undersigned and filed with the Register of Wills of the District of Columbia, 515 5th Street, NW, Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001 within 6 months from the date of first publication of this notice.

Date of first publication: 3/19/2026

Franklin E. White, Jr. Personal Representative

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2026 ADM 000203

Isaac C. Payne Decedent

Deborah D. Boddie, Esq. PROBATELAWDC 1308 Ninth Street, NW, Suite 300 Washington DC, 20001 Attorney

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Carla V. Payne-Raindrop, whose address is 115 Cavenrock Court, Frederick, Maryland 21702-5118, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Isaac C. Payne who died on May 17, 1999 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 9/19/2026. 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 9/19/2026, 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: 3/19/2026

Carla V. Payne-Raindrop 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 2026 ADM 000216

Daryl Franchot Bell Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Carolyn Virginia Jackson-Bell, whose address is 1735 33rd Place SE, Apt 204, Washington, DC 20020, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Daryl Franchot Bell who died on 12/13/2025 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 9/19/2026. 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 9/19/2026, 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: 3/19/2026

Carolyn Virginia Jackson-Bell 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

2026 ADM 000193

Shanti Cole Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Beverley Bailey, whose address is 132 Jefferson Street, NW, Washington DC 20011, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Shanti Cole who died on 1/12/2026 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 9/19/2026. 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 9/19/2026, 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: 3/19/2026

Beverley Bailey 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

2025 ADM 000713

Fletcher Joseph Cambell Decedent

Alecia R. Watson 3682 King Street, #3233 Alexandria VA, 22302 Attorney

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Alecia R. Watson, whose address is 3682 King Street, #3233, Alexandria, VA 22302, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Fletcher Joseph Cambell who died on March 17, 2025 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 9/19/2026. 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 9/19/2026, 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: 3/19/2026

Alecia R. Watson 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

2026 ADM 000185

Robert Henry Kubal Decedent

Valerie B. Geiger, Esq. 4084 University Drive, Suite 202A Fairfax, VA 22030

Attorney

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Edwin Robert Kubal, whose address is 1433 Decatur Street, NW, Washington DC 20011, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Robert Henry Kubal who died on 2/2/2024 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 9/19/2026. 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 9/19/2026, 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: 3/19/2026

Edwin Robert Kubal 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

2025 ADM 000683

Raleigh Lipford Decedent

Andrew T. Richardson, III 1629 K Street, NW, Suite 300 Washington, DC 20006 Attorney

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Yvonne Hayes-Lipford, whose address is 5539 5th Street, NE, Washington, DC 20011, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Raleigh Lipford who died on May 3, 2024 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 9/19/2026. 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 9/19/2026, 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: 3/19/2026

Yvonne Hayes-Lipford 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

2026 ADM 000155

Yola DePenaloza aka Yolanda Ortiz Mattos Decedent

Murray D. Scheel DC Bar Pro Bono Center 901 4th Street NW Washington, DC 20001

Attorney

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Maria Vania Fenner, whose address is 11850 NE Chateau Dr. Woodburn, OR 97071, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Yola DePenaloza aka Yolanda Ortiz Mattos who died on 7/19/2020 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 9/19/2026. 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 9/19/2026, 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: 3/19/2026

Maria Vania Fenner 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

2026 ADM 000247

Jaemohn Cloyd Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Kadija T. Ash, whose address is 5809 5th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20011, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Jaemohn Cloyd who died on November 5, 2025 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 9/26/2026. 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 9/26/2026, 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: 3/26/2026

Kadija T. Ash 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

2026 ADM 000239

Edward Berko Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Richmond Berko, whose address is 10006 Branch View Ct, Silver Spring, MD 20903, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Edward Berko who died on April 18, 2024 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 9/26/2026. 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 9/26/2026, 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: 3/26/2026

Richmond Berko Personal Representative

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2025 ADM 001098

Ana Lidia Bermudez Decedent

Raquel Jimenez, Esq. 1101 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite 801 Washington, DC 20036 Attorney

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Maritza C. Hernandez, whose address is 3020 11th Street NW, Washington DC 20001, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Ana Lidia Bermudez who died on 11/16/2024 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 10/02/2026. 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 10/02/2026, 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: 4/2/2026

Maritza C. Hernandez Personal Representative

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2026 ADM 000246

Evelyn B. Kemp Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Gary Kemp, whose address is 1391 Pennsylvania Ave., SE, Unit 243, Washington DC 20003, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Evelyn B. Kemp who died on 1/26/2026 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 9/26/2026. 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 9/26/2026, 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: 3/26/2026

Gary Kemp 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 2026 ADM 000279

Carl S. Kelly Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Carletta Kelly Jones, whose address is 3649 Elder Oaks Blvd., Apt 2204, Bowie MD 20716, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Carl S. Kelly who died on 7/24/2002 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 10/2/2026. 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 10/2/2026, 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: 4/2/2026

Carletta Kelly Jones 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

2026 ADM 000258

Lillie Davis aka Lillie M. Davis

Decedent

Bradley A. Thomas, Esq. 1629 K Street, NW, Suite 300 Washington DC 20006-1631 Attorney

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Michelle Davis-Montague, whose address is 250 W. Tulpehocken Street, Philadelphia, PA 19144, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Lillie Davis aka Lillie M. Davis who died on 4/25/2025 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 10/2/2026. 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 10/2/2026, 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: 4/2/2026

Michelle Davis-Montague 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 2026 ADM 000281

Ivan Russell Lee Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Glenda A. Lee, whose address is 618 I Street NE, Washington, DC 20002, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Ivan Russell Lee who died on 3/4/2025 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 10/2/2026. 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 10/2/2026, 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: 4/2/2026

Glenda A. Lee Personal Representative

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2026 ADM 000283

Charles Manago aka Charles R. Manago, Sr. Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Chiquita Manago Haywood, whose address is 8924 Simeon Court, Upper Marlboro, MD 20772, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Charles Manago aka Charles R. Manago, Sr. who died on 11/21/2025 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 10/2/2026. 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 10/2/2026, 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: 4/2/2026

Chiquita Manago Haywood 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

2026 ADM 000251

Manita Telfort Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Manouchka K. Massillon, whose address is 639 Columbia Road, NW, Washington, DC 20001, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Manita Telfort who died on 1/10/2023 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 10/2/2026. 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 10/2/2026, 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: 4/2/2026

Manouchka K. Massillon 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

2026 ADM 000232

Amanda Pineda Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Marisol Pineda, whose address is 4408 1st Place, NE #24, Washington, DC 20011, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Amanda Pineda who died on February 28, 2026 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 10/2/2026. 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 10/2/2026, 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: 4/2/2026

Marisol Pineda

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

2026 ADM 000284

Samson A. Dixon aka Samson Adrian Dixon Decedent

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Samson A. Dixon Jr., whose address is 4713 Bass Pl., SE, Washington DC 20019, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Samson A. Dixon aka Samson Adrian Dixon who died on May 9th 2024 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 10/2/2026. 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 10/2/2026, 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: 4/2/2026

Samson A. Dixon Jr.

Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

LEGAL NOTICES

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Probate Division

Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2026 ADM 000303

Estate of Willie Haynes Sr.

NOTICE OF STANDARD PROBATE

Notice is hereby given that a petition has been filed in this Court by Evelyn Haynes 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 10/17/19 exhibited with the petition upon proof satisfactory to the Court of due execution by affidavit of the witnesses or otherwise

In the absence of a will or proof satisfactory to the Court of due execution, enter an order determining that the decedent died intestate appoint an unsupervised personal representative

Date of first publication: 4/2/2026

Evelyn Haynes 35 Galveston Place, SW, Apt. A Washington, DC 20032

Petitioner/Attorney:

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131

2026 ADM 000287

Carrie M. Dodson Decedent

Jerry L. Hunter, Esq. 5335 Wisconsin Ave., NW, Suite 440 Washington, DC 20015

Attorney

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Terry Dodson, whose address is 14663 Endsley Turn, Woodbridge, VA 22193, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Carrie M. Dodson who died on June 23, 2023 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 10/2/2026. 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 10/2/2026, 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: 4/2/2026

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MALVEAUX from Page 26 the late fees, damaged credit or weeks of financial anxiety.

Seen in that light, the chant of "No Kings" carries meaning beyond constitutional symbolism. It reflects a concern that power in a democracy is supposed to flow upward from the people rather than downward from those who wield it.

One striking feature of last Saturday's demonstrations was not just their size but their geography. Protests appeared not only in traditional centers of activism but also in smaller communities that rarely host large demonstrations. Residents assembled in Casper, Wyoming, a city in one of the nation's most reliably Republican states. Demonstrators gathered in Midland, Michigan, a community where presidential elections often tilt conservative. In

MORIAL from Page 26

names at higher rates, face additional burdens because name-matching requirements often force them to track down decades-old marriage or divorce paperwork.

And even those already registered are at risk. The bill requires voter-roll purges every 30 days — reinstating a tactic that southern officials once used to erase Black voters with bureaucratic precision. Purged voters will not know they've been removed until they show up at their polling place. They will have no fallback: the bill bans universal mail voting, even in states that already conduct secure all-mail elections. Black voters, who tend to face longer lines, fewer polling locations, inflexible work schedules and transportation barriers, will be disproportionately harmed.

For nearly two centuries, voter-fraud accusations have been a political weap-

from Page 26

Defense Secretary Hegseth blocked the promotion of two Black men and two female Army officers who were on track to become one-star generals. According to the Times article, Hegseth pressed senior Army leaders, including Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll, to remove the four names from the list of about three dozen officers, most of whom are white men. Driscoll refused, citing the officers' decades-long records of exemplary service. It is customary that after a service board approves a list of colonels to be promoted to general, the defense secretary is not supposed to intervene, military officials say. Despite standard procedures, Hegseth removed the four names from the

Oregon towns like McMinnville and Tillamook, people rallied far from Portland's familiar protest culture.

That matters. When demonstrations appear in smaller towns and politically mixed communities, they often signal something larger than partisan disagreement. They suggest that frustration with the direction of the political system is spreading beyond the usual activist circles.

None of this guarantees policy change. Protest movements rarely produce legislative victories overnight. What they do reveal, however, is the mood of the country.

And the mood right now is uneasy.

Americans are watching enormous sums flow toward military conflict even as economic pressures mount at home.

Housing prices strain household budgets, student debt continues to shadow

on — but never a factual one. In 18 years, Sedgwick County, Kansas, identified just 18 non-citizens on its voter rolls — none proven to have knowingly registered, and only five ever cast a ballot. Kris Kobach, who defended the Kansas law, likewise failed to uncover fraud as vice chair of the Trump administration's 2017 "Election Integrity" commission, which ended in embarrassment and without evidence.

False claims of voter fraud fueled the fake-elector plot and the Jan. 6 attack, but more than 60 post-election lawsuits yielded no evidence of widespread wrongdoing — let alone the kind alleged to justify this legislation.

The rhetoric promoting the SAVE America Act is steeped in the white-nationalist "Great Replacement" conspiracy theory — the idea that expanding multiracial participation threatens white political dominance. As Washington Post analyst Philip Bump ob-

list and announced that President Trump had approved his new list of 29 Army colonels for promotion.

"If these reports are accurate, Secretary Hegseth's decision to remove four decorated officers from a promotion list after having been selected by their peers for their merit and performance is not only outrageous, it would be illegal," Sen. Jack Reed said in a statement. What message does this send to the public about the military's ability to remain apolitical and free from society's cultural wars? What message does this send to minorities and women currently in the military who have hopes of moving up the career ladder based on merit? And will there ever be another Gen. Colin Powell or Gen.Charles Q. Brown? Both were Black officers

younger generations, and workers performing essential public roles — from airport security to public transit — often live paycheck to paycheck while keeping critical systems running.

Under those circumstances, people inevitably begin to ask whom the system ultimately serves. When government appears able to mobilize vast resources for some priorities while struggling to address the economic burdens facing ordinary citizens, the distance between democratic ideals and everyday experience becomes difficult to ignore.

The United States rejected monarchy in 1776.

Last Saturday, in thousands of towns and cities across the country, Americans gathered to remind the nation of a principle that still defines democracy.

The people are not subjects. WI

served, the bill effectively turns that racist conspiracy into law.

The bill's financial burdens, documentation requirements and bureaucratic traps are nothing less than a 21st-century resurrection of the poll taxes and literacy tests that defined Jim Crow. Its design mirrors the logic of Plessy v. Ferguson: create barriers that disproportionately harm Black citizens, then insist the rules are "neutral."

America has seen this strategy before. We know who it targets. We know what it's meant to prevent. And we know that the myth of voter fraud — rooted in racist lies about Black political participation — has always been a tool to silence Black voters.

The SAVE America Act is simply the latest incarnation of that long, shameful tradition. And like every discriminatory scheme before it, it belongs on the scrap heap of history.

WI

appointed as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the highest-ranking military officer in the U.S. Armed Forces. Gen. Brown was abruptly fired from that role by Hegseth without explanation.

Brown is an example of Black excellence. He is now a retired U.S. Air Force general who served as the 21st chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and, prior to that appointment, served as the 22nd chief of staff of the Air Force. Like so many other Black service men and women, Brown came from a proud military family. His father, Charles Sr., served for 30 years in the Army, rising to the rank of colonel. His paternal grandfather, Robert E. Brown, was drafted into

MARSHALL Page 46

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MARSHALL

TILGHMAN from Page 27

my time monitoring whether promises are being kept.

I want to spend that time supporting my daughter, helping her grow, learn, and thrive.

That's what parents are supposed to do.

An IEP is more than paperwork. It's a promise.

And our children and our families deserve a system that keeps it.

WI

JEALOUS from Page 27

to the candidate who wins the most votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. No constitutional amendment is needed.

Virginia is now close to joining. The bill has passed both houses of the General Assembly. If Gov. Abigail Spanberger signs it, Virginia would become the 19th jurisdiction in the compact, joining states such as Vermont, Delaware, Maine and Illinois. Virginia is not some side note in this story. It is one of the places where the American idea of self-government first took root. If Virginia joins now, it will not be breaking with the founding. It will be honoring it. That is not a radical idea. It is an

from Page 27

making the right decision.

Now, I'm halfway through my freshman year and really enjoying my social work classes. I've made lifelong friends, joined student organizations, connected with mentors, and grown from the experience of living away from home. None of this would have been possible without the support of DCTAG. It has opened doors to experiences that will define my future long after I've graduated.

In January, Mayor Bowser announced that the DCTAG award limit has increased from $10,000 to up to $15,000 — a bold step that will help even more students like me. College costs continue to

MARSHALL from Page 45

the U.S. Army during World War II and served in the Pacific Theater, including Hawaii and Saipan. For many Black households, the military was not just a job but a family tradition handed down from one generation to the next. It also served as a

I want to spend that time supporting my daughter, helping her grow, learn, and thrive.

That's what parents a re supposed to do.

American one. And it should not belong to one party.

This is not about helping Republicans. It is not about helping Democrats. It is about trusting the people.

That idea is not left-wing or right-wing. It is not urban or rural. It is not Black or white.

It is patriotic.

Of course, there are still obstacles. More states would need to join. Lawmakers would need to act. Courts may weigh in. None of this is certain.

But history does not move only when success is guaranteed. It moves when people decide that something is right.

And what better time than now?

What better way to honor

rise, and programs like DCTAG are lifelines for families who want their children to succeed. I'm excited that when I apply for tuition support for my sophomore year, I'll be eligible to receive even more money to support my education and make my career dreams come true. We need to protect and strengthen this investment in D.C.'s youth.

I am deeply grateful to Mayor Bowser for investing in programs that support students like me and make Washington, D.C., such a great place to grow up. Whether it's the Mayor's Opportunity Scholarship, dual enrollment programs, or years of advocacy alongside other partners for an increase in DCTAG, these efforts

pathway to Black prosperity and the middle class.

When Hegseth denied four officers their rightful promotion, it was a painful and personal reminder to the two Black men and two women that discrimination within ranks and the Pentagon is still alive. It also serves as an unwelcome message to

America's 250th birthday than by taking one more step toward becoming the democracy we have always said we are?

The people who stood at Lexington did not risk their lives so future generations could accept minority rule. They did not fight so Americans would shrug when the person with the most votes loses.

They fought for freedom. They fought for self-government.

They fought for the right of the people to decide their own future. It is time to finish what they started.

Let the people decide.

Let the majority rule.

WI

level the playing field and send a clear message to D.C. students: Your dreams matter, and we're investing in you.

My D.C. education prepared me for the opportunities that DCTAG made possible. And I can't wait to return home to the District after graduation and serve the city that has invested so much in me.

I hope my experience can help make every D.C. student believe that their college goals are possible. So make sure you apply for DCTAG and every other opportunity that D.C. has to offer us. With programs like this, the door to higher education is open. Let's make sure it stays that way.

WI

young Blacks from JROTC students to college graduates who believed the military glass ceiling was already broken. It is clear with this current administration that promotion to the highest ranks will never be about merit or fairness. It's all about white males.

WI

EVANS

April 11

11 AM – 1:30 PM 7th to 17th Streets of Constitution Ave NW

Don’t miss DC’s most beloved springtime Parade featuring giant balloons, stunning floats, electrifying performances, and 12 marching bands, including the Ballou High School Majestic Marching Knights.

Enjoy the Parade for free along 9th to 15th Streets! Grandstand tickets are also available.