This Week's Edition : 7-16-26

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Vol 61 No 40 6 A new report reveals at least 1 out of 10 adults nationally with unpaid medical bills and highlights the disproportionate effects of debt on Black residents, mothers and people with disabilities. (WI File Photo/Robert R. Roberts)

July 16 - 22, 2026

Sports Page 28

Auxiliary Bishop Robert Boxie, the Youngest Prelate in America

By Jada Ingleton and Evan Aldridge WI Content Editor and WI Intern

5 Tzedek DC plans to host a series of 150+ events later this year to inform residents on the Medical Debt Mitigation Amendment Act. (Tatiana Allen/The Washington Informer)

Resident, Advocates Respond to D.C. Council’s Medical Debt Reform

By Tatiana Allen and Sam Plo Kwia Collins, Jr. WI Intern and WI Senior Staff Writer

Long before the D.C. Council’s passage of medical debt reform, Dorothy Paul suffered from panic attacks triggered by a bill she received for her hearing aids.

After appealing for coverage and financial assistance, and

submitting testimony to be read to the council, Paul said she’ll be more informed about her options during future hospital visits.

“It would have been devastating for me because I don't have the funds like that after paying all my monthly bills,” said Paul, a Ward 6 resident whose only income is social

DEBT Page 9

Popular Democracy Commemorates the 14th Amendment with Let’s Get Free Celebration Event Emphasizes Legacy of Resistance, Building Up Next Generation

BISHOP Page 30

5 The newly appointed Robert Boxie, former Catholic chaplain at Howard University, delivers his first remarks as an auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of Washington on July 7 at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Northeast, D.C. (Jacques A. Benovil/The Washington Informer)

The River Road ‘Maafa’ and the Little White Church on the Hill

By Jordan Armstead WI Intern About 20 miles of what is now called River Road in Bethesda, Maryland, once stood the Counselman Tobacco Plantation. Following the Civil War, a community of formerly enslaved Black people bought land on both sides of the road and started growing a self-sustaining community.

MAAFA Page 36

By Tatiana Allen WI Intern 5 Grammy-nominated and DMV native Mumu Fresh performs during the People’s Convention and Let’s Get Free Concert, hosted by the Center for Popular Democracy, on July 9 in honor of the 14th Amendment. (Tatiana Allen/The Washington Informer)

Featuring prayer services, receptions, and outpours of faith, the nation’s capital became a communal sanctuary in honor of the new auxiliary bishops last week.

On Tuesday, July 7, religious leaders and constituents from across the country gathered at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception for former Fathers Gary R. Studniewski and Robert P. Boxie III’s episcopal ordination into the Archdiocese of Washington.

More than ceremonial, the historic moment marked a major mile-

Julia Fernandez stood alongside her trusted comrades wearing a ‘We are CASA’ shirt at the People’s Convention and Let’s Get Free Concert hosted by the Center for Popular Democracy on

FREE Page 5

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3 Reenactors for the 23rd United States Colored Infantry Regiment, including Captain Edward W. Gantt of the U.S. Navy, show military and Juneteenth pride. (Tatiana Allen/The Washington Informer)

JULY 16 - 22, 2026 1

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JULY 16 - 22, 2026 3

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STACY M. BROWN, WI SENIOR WRITER

Questions Persist in Death of Mississippi Football Player Nolan Wells Nolan Xavier Wells left home to celebrate the Fourth of July with friends. Days later, the 18-yearold Mississippi college football player was found dead on a remote barrier island, and his family says too many questions remain unanswered.

Standing alongside civil rights attorney Ben Crump and the Rev. Al Sharpton at the National Action Network’s House of Justice in Harlem, Wells’ relatives publicly called for a full, transparent and timely investigation into the teenager’s death. They urged authorities to release investigative records, witness statements and other findings as the case moves forward.

“A young man left his home to celebrate the Fourth of July with friends, and he never came back. His mother deserves answers, and his family deserves the In Memoriam Dr. Calvin W. Rolark, Sr. Wilhelmina J. Rolark

PUBLISHER Denise Rolark Barnes

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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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STAFF Micha Green, Managing Editor Ron Burke, Advertising/Marketing Director Shevry Lassiter, WIN-TV Producer Ra-Jah Kelly, Digital Asset Manager Lafayette Barnes, IV, Editor, WI Bridge DC Desmond Barnes, WIN Daily Editor Anthony Tilghman, Social Media Strategist ZebraDesigns.net, Graphic Design Mable Neville, Bookkeeper Angie Johnson, Office/Circulation Manager Jada Ingleton, Content Editor REPORTERS Stacy Brown, National Reporter Sam Plo Kwia Collins, Jr., Political/Education Reporter Brenda Siler, Lifestyle Reporter Ed Hill, Sports Reporter Richard Elliott, Reporter Skylar Nelson, Sports Reporter Mya Trujillo, Multimedia Reporter PHOTOGRAPHERS Shevry Lassiter, Photo Editor Ja Mon Jackson, Asst. Photo Editor Roy Lewis, Jr. Robert R. Roberts Anthony Tilghman Abdullah Konte Cleveland Nelson INTERNS Evan Aldridge, Summer Intern Tatiana Allen, Summer Intern Jordan Armstead, Summer Intern Will Deffaa, Summer Intern Razak Diallo, Summer Intern

truth,” Sharpton said. “We are not here to jump ahead of the facts. We are here to demand that the facts come to light, fully, honestly, and without delay. That means a complete and transparent investigation. That means releasing every record. Nolan Xavier Wells was 18 years old with his whole life in front of him, and this family will not be left in the dark. We stand with them, and we will not stop until every question is answered.”

Family members said they still do not know why the Ocean Springs native was left behind on Horn Island or what occurred before his death.

A graduate of Ocean Springs High School and a wide receiver at Southwest Mississippi Community College, Wells traveled by boat to Horn Island on July 4 with

NOLAN Page 14

D.C.-Area Audiences Help Push ‘Michael’ to Record Box Office as Sequel Buzz Builds Moviegoers across the D.C. region helped propel “Michael” to another milestone, as the Michael Jackson biopic surpassed Christopher Nolan’s Oscar-winning “Oppenheimer” (2023) to become the highest-grossing biographical film in history.

The film has earned $977.4 million worldwide after 10 weekends in theaters, cementing its place as the highest-grossing biopic ever made.

Brendan Mack, who attended a showing in the District, described an audience that reacted less like movie patrons and more like concertgoers.

“This movie was more like a concert, one that I never got to see,” Mack said. “I see why it’s the biggest grossing biopic, and of course, it’s Michael Jackson.”

Fans leaving theaters from downtown Washing-

ton to suburban Maryland are already talking about returning for a second viewing and hoping the story continues in a sequel.

When attorney John Branca, co-executor of Jackson’s estate, spoke with The Informer recently, he said the possibility of continuing the story had long been part of the conversation.

“It was always our hope to have the first biopic with a sequel,” Branca told The Informer.

Branca cautioned that nothing has been officially announced. Still, people familiar with the production say interest in another installment is strong, with discussions centering on Jackson’s later years, including the “Dangerous” era, the 1993 Super Bowl half-

MICHAEL Page 25

Defense Asks Judge to Step Aside in Karmelo Anthony Case, Seeks New Trial The attorneys representing Karmelo Anthony have asked that the judge who presided over his murder trial step aside from the case, arguing that an independent judge should decide whether Anthony deserves a new trial.

In filings announced by the Stand With Karmelo Coalition, Anthony’s appellate attorneys submitted a verified motion seeking to recuse Judge John Roach from all remaining post-trial matters. They also filed a motion for a new trial that raises constitutional and legal questions they contend should be considered by a different judge.

“Our appellate team has been retained following the conviction to conduct a fresh, independent review of the trial record,” the coalition said in a statement. “We recognize the profound loss suffered by one young man’s family and the uncertainty facing another, and we extend our respect to everyone whose lives have been forever changed by these events.”

The coalition emphasized their role in working toward next steps in the Anthony case.

“Our responsibility is to determine whether a legal error occurred and to ensure that every issue supported by the record is fully and vigorously presented on appeal,” the Stand with Karmelo Coalition said. “The appellate process exists for precisely this purpose.”

Anthony was convicted June 9 of first-degree murder in the fatal stabbing of Austin Metcalf during a high school track meet in Frisco, Texas, in April. He was sentenced to 35 years in prison later that day.

According to the coalition, the appellate team is serving on a pro bono basis and is reviewing the trial record while preparing Anthony’s appeal.

Russell Wilson of the Law Office of Russell Wilson II in Dallas will serve as lead counsel. The legal team also

ANTHONY Page 5

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FREE from Page 1 July 9, celebrating the 14th Amendment. As she rallied for freedom with people from across the U.S. and fellow members of CASA, an immigrants’ rights advocacy organization, her story emphasized the ongoing fight to protect U.S. citizens.

With Garifuna roots, an Afro-Indigenous group in Honduras, Fernandez arrived in America at the age of 12.

From the time she had her five children and took care of five more, receiving her citizenship wasn’t something that crossed her mind.

“My parents never became citizens of the United States and they retired here.

They actually never believed in a lot of the laws of the U.S.,” said the 62-year old. “But, I decided to change that and I think since I was raised in the United States, I [have seen] the changes politically."

At the age of 60, with the assistance of CASA, Fernandez was able to receive her citizenship but without it, her children were still able to benefit from the joys of their birthright citizenship.

She explained that after many years of living and working in the U.S. with a green card, she was able to witness her daughter graduate from Fordham University in New York City. Yet, her concern for threats on the 14th Amendment had less to do with her own family.

“I thought about the future moms that give birth in this country and they don't know what the outcome [is] going to be,” Fernandez said. “If you're

ANTHONY from Page 4 includes Gary Bledsoe of the Bledsoe Law Firm PLLC and president of the Texas NAACP, Michael L. Ware of the Law Office of Michael Ware, Brooke Cluse of Ben Crump Law, Sean Daredia of Daredia Law Firm and Justin A. Moore of Stafford Moore PLLC. Ware will serve as second chair and Bledsoe as third chair.

The attorneys are based in Dallas, Austin, Frisco and Fort Worth. Cluse practices from Ben Crump Law’s Frisco office, the city where the fatal confrontation occurred.

The filings followed the release of court exhibits by the Collin County court. The materials include police body camera footage from Anthony’s arrest, photographs of the knife introduced as evidence during trial, and

born in a certain country, that's your birth country.

That shouldn't change.”

Fernandez is among the 13,000 individuals from more than 49 affiliate organizations that traveled from 33 states, including Puerto Rico and D.C., to participate in the People’s Convention and Let’s Get Free Concert at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City in Arlington, Virginia. The event was hosted in collaboration with CASA and Spaces in Action to celebrate the 158th anniversary of when the 14th Amendment became a law.

Section 1 of the 14th Amendment, passed on July 9, 1868, guarantees automatic citizenship to children born in America regardless of parents’ immigration or visa status.

The Trump administration challenged the language of the amendment under 2025 Executive Order No. 14,160, titled: “Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship,” in efforts to crack down on illegal immigration. On July 1, just days before the anniversary, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in Trump v. Barbara, striking down the terms of the executive order.

“We did win it, but we didn't get a point on the board. It just reaffirmed something that had already been decided for 150 years that this administration is trying to make us think of [as] something new,” said Demareo Cooper, executive director of Popular Democracy.

Cooper said that citizens and immigrants alike have lost more under the unchecked powers of the executive branch than Supreme Court rulings surveillance video showing Anthony and Metcalf at the track meet before the stabbing.

Judge Roach said the decision to restrict media access during the trial was intended to protect the judicial process.

“I understood the public’s desire to know what happened in the courtroom,” Roach said. “The overwhelming focus on my ruling regarding the media in courtroom was to protect the process, witnesses, and jury.”

If another judge is assigned to the case, that judge would decide the motion for a new trial. If the motion is denied, Anthony’s attorneys are expected to file a direct appeal challenging his conviction.

WI Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

AROUND THE REGION

lead on. For him, the 2026 People’s Convention allowed for the next few months to be critical as to how everyone's voices will be heard and their votes to count.

“This one, particularly, is important because we're at the moment when authoritarians are oligarchs trying to overtake our country,” Cooper said, “overtake our democracy, steal our republic from us.

Limit the number of people who can participate in our democracy.”

A Safe Space, ‘Making Sure We Celebrate Us’

Featuring training sessions and workshops, the People’s Convention equipped participants with tools to fight against what Popular Democracy calls an “authoritarian movement.”

The convention is held every three years to train members in peaceful resistance, building their own democracy networks at home, registering their community to vote and teaching that the people’s true day of independence is July 9.

“It's the amendment that expands democracy to everybody else that's not a landowning white man,” Cooper said. “To women, to immigrant folks, to Black folks, [and] really to white folks who didn't own land. They became

5 More than 13,000 people gather at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City hotel in Arlington for the Let’s Get Free concert as part of Popular Democracy’s People’s Convention on July 9. (Tatiana Allen/The Washington Informer)

more citizens with the 14th Amendment because they were born here.”

The plan is to take this battle all the way to Capitol Hill, particularly with Rep. Analila Mejia (D-NJ) helping to lead the charge.

Mejia, former Popular Democracy’s second co-executive director, announced that she will be serving as a co-chair of the Defend the 14th Amendment Task Force for the House Democratic Caucus.

“I’m defending the 14th amendment. Yours truly going to be heading because when we fight, we win! And in order for us to capture governing pow-

er, we must shake the narrative, shape commands and must defend our home so we could reach Congress,” Mejia said to the crowd.

The concert was headlined by hiphop duo DeadPrez, Mumu Fresh, and Flor De Toloache with special performances by the Syrup Kids, Kemba, Roque Starz and We Are the Poets.

New York native DJ Kay Kay 47, who partially hosted performances, spoke to how the concert was a form of needed rest in times of constant protests. “[The Black Panthers] realized they

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black facts

Billie Holiday (left)

Nelson Mandela (center)

July 16

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1862 – Civil rights activist Ida B. Wells is born in Holly Springs, Mississippi.

1947 – Assata Shakur of the Black Panther Party and the Black Liberation Army is born in New York City.

1977 – Janelle Penny Commissiong of Trinidad and Tobago is the first Black crowned as Miss Universe.

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1862 – Congress passes the Militia Act of 1862, which allowed African Americans to participate as war laborers and soldiers.

1935 – Famed actress Diahann Carroll is born in New York City.

1959 – Legendary jazz singer Billie Holiday dies in New York City at 44.

1967 – Jazz icon John Coltrane dies of liver cancer in Long Island, New York, at 40.

JULY 16 - 22, 2026

SOURCE: BLACK AMERICA WEB

Diahann Carroll (right)

July 21

1864 – The first issue of the New Orleans Tribune — America's first daily Black newspaper — is published.

1896 – The National Association of Colored Women, which later became the National Association of Colored Women's Clubs, is established in Washington, D.C.

July 22

1939 – Jane Bolin becomes the first Black woman to serve as a judge in the United States when she is sworn in as a judge of New York's Domestic Relations Court.

1946 – Actor Danny Glover, best known for his roles in the "Lethal Weapon" series and "The Color Purple," is born in San Francisco.

WI

July 18

1753 – Lemuel Haynes, an influential African American religious leader and first Black minister to serve for a White congregation, is born in West Hartford, Connecticut.

1918 – Nelson Mandela, former South African president of South Africa, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and civil rights icon, is born in Mvezo, South Africa.

July 19

1849 – Joseph Lee, who invented machinery for processing food and became very prominent in the food-service industry, is born in Boston.

July 20

1967 – The first Black Power Conference is held in Newark, New Jersey.

6 JULY 16 - 22, 2026

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AROUND THE REGION FREE from Page 5 needed that leisure; they needed time to rest. In movement spaces, we don't really value rest like that. We’ve got to do better with making sure that we honor us,” DJ Kay Kay 47 told The Informer.

“One of the things I'm looking to bring is the fact that I want people to know [that] this is also a safe space.”

At the Hyatt Regency Crystal City hotel, organizers and advocates brought their little ones to enjoy the evening of entertainment that told a bigger story of the importance of their resistance.

“I'm still raising kids because youngsters are the future and we need to educate our kids about everything that's going on. Their future is in a balance,” Fernandez said. “If we don't get together, we could lose that.”

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As the concert began, audience members could be seen holding signs of the 14th amendment and colorful flags with bold statements like “Let’s Get Free,” “We Belong,” “Abolish ICE,” and “Our Votes, Our Power, Our Future.”

It was a family affair with audience members cheering on each act, some while carrying babies in their arms or children by their side. One of these members was 30-year-old Oceainia Rivers, who traveled to the DMV with her 2-year-old from Brooklyn for the People’s Convention.

“Well, it's important that I pass my knowledge to my son because I'm a Black single mother. I've been [taking]

care of him by myself,” Rivers told The Informer. “I'm with no help, but it is what it is because I do what I do for my baby and make sure that he doesn't settle for less.”

Rivers believed it was important to bring her son along so that his experience could be filled with reminders of where his people have been, and what cause they keep pushing towards.

“Basically just keep reminding our children about who we are and what we've been through,” she continued, “and it goes from generation to generation.”

A graduate of D.C.’s Duke Ellington School of the Arts, Mumu Fresh headlined the stage, highlighting the power behind investing in one's healing in the midst of constant pain.

“When I study all of our movements, [they] were started by young people who were in a lot of pain,” Mumu Fresh said. “So healing is imperative before we can ever even get to justice, we have to fortify ourselves because we are working against an enemy that fights on all levels--- politically, psychologically, mentally, emotionally.”

She began her performance with a rendition of a melody her grandmother sang to her growing up. The artist said her Indigenous roots allowed her to learn the traditions and songs of her people, who were once outlawed from doing so until the Religious Freedom Restoration Act was signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1993.

Other performers like Kemba and Roque Starz led with a political and informative message on how one can navigate an interaction with ICE, as well as calling for Palestine, Venezuela and D.C. to be free.

The concert served as a safe space for all ages and backgrounds to enjoy entertainment and artivism that promoted a future where people can be fully liberated.

“We’ve got to get people to start [resisting] these authoritarian attempts to take over our democracy and build a future for ourselves, for our kids, for our great, great, great grandkids,” Cooper said. “That's what we are doing. That's the work.”

WI

5 Executive Director DeMareo Cooper and former Co-Executive Director Analilia Mejia motivate the crowd at the Let’s Get Free concert, promoting their ongoing fight to protect the 14th Amendment. (Tatiana Allen/The Washington Informer)

5 Brooklyn resident Oceainia Rivers with her 2-year-old son. She traveled to the DMV area for the convention to pass on the knowledge and history of the 14th Amendment and the ongoing fight to protect that freedom. (Tatiana Allen/The Washington Informer)

8 JULY 16 - 22, 2026

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AROUND THE REGION

DEBT from Page 1

In 2024, after turning 65 and receiving Medicare coverage, Paul received hearing aids.

She would do so after five visits to MedStar Washington Hospital Center, a $200 payment, and the signing of a financial responsibility waiver. Five months later, MedStar billed Paul $2,400 for the hearing aids while

With enforcement powers granted to DC Health and the D.C. Office of the Attorney General (OAG) through the Medical Debt Mitigation Amendment Act of 2025, health care facilities would be mandated to provide patients with “good faith estimates” about costs before treatment, except in case of emergency.

“Some of this will require DC Health to get better in terms of sharing information with OAG, which is not often an agency that DC Health naturally works with,” Henderson, chair of the council’s Committee on Health, told The Informer. “But because we were so collaborative in the craft[ing] of the legislation, I think everybody has their marching orders for when this legislation finally becomes law.”

Henderson introduced what would

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D.C. Councilmember Christina Henderson Strikes a Balance with Tzedek DC and Local Hospitals

ultimately become the Medical Debt Mitigation Amendment Act of 2025 one year after the D.C. government, in collaboration with the nonprofit Undue Medical Debt, cancelled $42 million in medical debt for more than 62,000 District residents.

Months prior to her legislative action, Tzedek DC, who weighed in on the legislation, published a report showing that at least 1 out of 10 adults nationally had unpaid medical bills.

The report, titled "More Than a BandAid: Systemic Changes to Protect DC Residents from Medical Debt,” highlighted the disproportionate effects of medical debt on Black residents, mothers, and people with disabilities.

The report also showed how medical debt caused delays in necessary care, worsened chronic conditions, and increased the cost of long-term care for the community. Many of Tzedek DC’s recommendations made it into Henderson’s bill.

“My hope is that with this legislation, it does help provide some consumer protection,” said Henderson, chair of the council’s Committee on Health. “Unfortunately, this bill is… not dealing with retroactive debt that is already approved, and we already know that a lot of District residents already have some unpaid medical bills, but hopefully, this will provide some relief going forward.”

As explained in the Committee on Health’s April 7 committee print, the Medical Debt Mitigation Amendment Act of 2025 went through a name change, along with the creation of a new term— health care facility FAP— to clearly designate entities responsible for creating financial as-

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assistance,” Paul said. “We continued to call in [and] eventually they just removed the bill.”

But Paul wouldn’t find out about the resolution until April, when she got her hearing aids repaired. Months earlier, when the hearing aids stopped working, Paul didn’t visit MedStar, out of what she called fear of her debt.

“They probably would have fixed them anyway,” Paul said, “but in my mind I just felt like if I go to have them fixed and they can bring up that ‘you never paid.’ So I was afraid to be turned down because that bill was still on the record.”

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security. “It would have put me in a situation where I would have had to depend on… other people to kind of chip in or maybe, have meals over [at] relatives’ houses every now and then.”

In June, the D.C. Council unanimously approved the Medical Debt Mitigation Amendment Act of 2025.

The legislation, introduced by D.C. Councilmember Christina Henderson (I-At large), requires health care facilities to offer payment plans and financial assistance to low-income patients with unpaid medical bills.

Other provisions prohibit wage garnishment, home liens, land reporting of medical debt to credit reporting agencies. The legislation also limits lawsuits and collection actions, establishes uniform income eligibility criteria for financial assistance, and requires documentation to prove income.

On the bill’s eight-month journey to council approval, Tzedek DC, a public interest center at University of District of Columbia’s David A. Clarke School of Law that Paul contacted for help, counted among the organizations that provided their thoughts on the issue of medical debt relief.

In 2024, after turning 65 and receiving Medicare coverage, Paul received hearing aids. She would do so after five visits to MedStar Washington Hospital Center, a $200 payment, and the signing of a financial responsibility waiver. Five months later, MedStar billed Paul $2,400 for the hearing aids while Medicare sent a letter stating that it wouldn’t cover her purchase.

By then, the 30-day warranty for the hearing aids had long expired.

“If I had known that the hearing aids would have been my responsibility, and that my insurance would not cover it, then I would have had other options,” Paul said.

In his testimony before the council’s Committee on Health last December, Sam Pannell, a policy associate at Tzedek DC, spoke about Paul’s unsuccessful attempts to receive financial assistance from MedStar, saying that the local hospital never confirmed the receipt of her two paper applications.

Paul also told The Informer about her and Tzedek DC staff attorney Jennifer Holloway’s attempt to confirm the accuracy of the email address listed on the application.

She said their requests for information went unanswered.

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DEBT from Page 9 sistance policies and providing such services to patients.

The committee also narrowed the scope of “medical debt” and “medical lending product” in the legislation to only include medical credit cards and installment loans issued specifically for medical services and lending products. After discussion with the DC Hospital Association, the Committee on Health also added a definition of “medically necessary health services” to exclude cosmetic procedures from coverage in the legislation.

Another compromise made it so that health care facilities wouldn’t need to screen every patient for financial assistance eligibility if they: provide “robust” notice of financial assistance programs and proactively screen uninsured patients, those receiving local and federal assistance, those experiencing housing insecurity, and those already deemed eligible for financial assistance within a six-month window.

“I think Tzedek definitely desired for us to go further on some things,” Henderson told The Informer, “wanting to really have something that had teeth and protections for residents and consumers. We had to work with our hospitals in making sure that we could get something that not everybody might have been happy [with], but that everybody was comfortable with moving forward.”

Tzedek DC: Nearly a Decade of Medical Debt Assistance

Tzedek DC was founded in 2017

by Ariel Levinson-Waldman, a civil rights litigator and former senior counsel to the D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine. It’s the District’s first legal services organization sponsored by the local Jewish community.

Though Tzedek DC serves all eight wards, 90% of their clients are Black residents, most of whom live in Wards 7 and 8. Those seeking the agency’s services often have thousands of dollars of medical debt appear on their credit report, making it difficult to apply for housing, employment and other lines of credit.

“Medical debt is held by our Black residents, at least a rate of twice as often as our white residents,” said Levinson-Waldman, Tzedek DC’s founding president and director-counsel, “with all the health equity impacts in terms of people being either barred or too

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NATIONALS.COM/SPECIALS 6 Stephen B. Jefferson Sr., community outreach coordinator for Tzedek DC, continues his extensive educational work throughout the District to offer residents free legal services and methods to tackle medical debt. (Tatiana Allen/The Washington Informer)

anxious to seek the care that they're entitled to.”

In years past, residents with disabilities who were ineligible for traditional credit cards applied for a medical credit card, which, according to Holloway, may carry deferred interest rather than 0% interest as often advertised. She calls the Medical Debt Mitigation Amendment Act of 2025 a step forward in preventing the exploitation of vulnerable communities.

“The bill limits when patients can be offered such medical credit cards,” Holloway explained. “So if anyone's under anesthesia, in the treatment area or if they're receiving treatment, providers cannot help complete the application. It should be fully the patient's decision.”

As Stephen B. Jefferson, Sr. promotes and coordinates more than 150 events this year about the council’s medical debt reform, he told The Informer about the power of being in the know, especially as someone who, more than a decade, struggled to pay debt while fighting cancer.

“Education is always the key,” said Jefferson, Tzedek DC’s community outreach coordinator, “and to be able to table and talk to the community and tell them about the wonderful program we have to combat medical debt has been a huge blessing.”

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PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY Prince George’s Political Updates

2026 Primary Election Results Certified, New Countywide Leadership Changes

By Richard Elliott WI Contributing Reporter

2026 Primary Election Results Certified

The results for the Maryland 2026 primary have been certified, with Maryland reporting a

lower-than-usual voter turnout of about 17%, compared to the 27% turnout in 2024.

In Prince George’s County, the decline was less significant, with 24.53% turnout, compared to 25.23% during the 2024 presidential primary.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D)

secured more than 88% of the vote statewide, with nearly 94% of Prince George’s Democrats voting in favor of his re-election.

He will be facing former Republican Del. Dan Cox in a rematch of the 2022 gubernatorial election.

Moore more than doubled Cox’s vote share in the previous election.

Del. Adrian Boafo (D-District 23) secured roughly 33% of the vote in the crowded primary election to replace longtime Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), who served as a mentor for the politician and endorsed his candidacy.

“At first glance it might not seem obvious, but our stories are actually very similar,” Boafo said of his mentor in his victory speech.

“Steny and I are both the sons of immigrants. We grew up believing in an America that drew our parents across the sea.”

Three New Councilmembers, Changes Countywide

All of the non-term-limited incumbent members of the Prince George’s County Council won

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3 Qiana Johnson, the newly elected Prince George’s Clerk of Court, poses at a Suitland event. (Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer)

their primaries, including appointed members Councilmembers Tim Adams (D-District 4) and Danielle Hunter (D-District 6).

Michelle Garcia (D-District 1), Victor Ramirez (D-District 2), and Tamara Davis Brown (D-District 9) will be joining the council, while Councilmember Sydney Harrison (D-District 9) will move to an at-large seat. Harrison defeated former Board of Education chair Jeana Jacobs by roughly 800 votes in the countywide election.

Law student Kayla Bryant was leading in the race for register of wills on Election Night, but former Board of Education member and Bladensburg Councilmember Jocelyn Route eventually won the election by roughly 4,400 votes as mail-in ballots were counted.

“I am interested in bringing the register of wills office to the community,” Route said in an interview with the Banner. “I envision some type of mobile unit that we can use to go into communities, because there are transportation issues. There are people who just can’t get down to the courthouse.”

Qiana Johnson will serve as the next clerk of court for Prince George’s, defeating incumbent Mahasin El Amin by a margin of roughly 2,200 votes.

Johnson has served as a nonprofit leader since 2017, focusing on re-entry and returning citizens following her 2015 sentencing for theft and conspiracy.

“The voters have entrusted me

with leading one of the most important offices in our justice system, and I don't take that responsibility lightly,” Johnson told The Informer. “This election wasn't just about changing leadership; it was about restoring public trust and making the Clerk's Office a model of accountability and service.”

As she tackles this new role, Johnson shared her goals for the future.

“My vision is to build a Clerk's Office that is transparent, efficient, and accessible to every resident of Prince George's County,” she said.

“I want to modernize operations, strengthen customer service, invest in our employees, and ensure that every person who walks through our doors is treated with dignity and respect.”

In deep-blue Prince George’s, the only competitive local elections will be the Board of Education races.

Terrence Clegg will face off against Caroline Decaire-Goldin in the District 2 Board of Education race, as Ericka K. Bennett and Chandrai Jackson-Saunders compete for the District 9 Board of Education seat.

In District 3, the Board of Education candidates will be Juan Arango-Millan and Jamie McGonnigal, and in District 6, Ashley Kearney and Tyra Bennett. As both races had only two candidates, they were not on the primary election ballot.

Courtney Finklea Green, the president of the South County Democratic Club and former public school teacher, emphasizes education as a tool of uplift. She also served on Sen. Angela Alsobrooks’s education task force during the senator’s time as Prince George’s County Executive.

“Education is the strongest investment a community can make in its future,” Green told The Informer. “Prince George’s County deserves schools that prioritize academic excellence, safe learning environments and equitable access, so every child has the opportunity to thrive.”

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BUSINESS NFL’s Source Program Connects with D.C. Businesses Ahead of 2027 Draft

By William Deffaa WI Intern As the District gears up to host the 2027 NFL Draft, local business leaders gathered at Capital Turnaround in Navy Yard on July 9 to connect with the National Football League ahead of the programming hitting the nation’s capital next spring.

Hosted by the NFL, Events DC, and the Washington Commanders, the event furthers the league’s Source program, launched in 2024 to bridge the gap with businesses in cities where drafts are being held. Rather than solely relying on national vendors, the NFL actively contracts local businesses to provide a range of essential event operations.

“That would be from linens to

photography, to janitorial, to food and beverage. It really spans the gamut. Anything that needs to be seen at an event – that’s what we’re looking for here in this program,” said Myisha Boyce, who leads the NFL Source program.

This approach turns the NFL Draft into more than just an event but an economic catalyst, keeping the financial boost for local communities going even long after the draft itself.

“Beyond the direct economic impact, [local businesses] also making partnerships and they’re networking with local representatives that allow them to grow their business post-event,” said Boyce.

During the 2024 NFL Draft in Detroit, $161.3 million in new spending was brought to the Motor City’s region over the draft day

5 Commanders’ mascot Major Tuddy attends the NFL Source event at Capital Turnaround on July 9. (Shevry Lassiter/The Washington Informer)

festivities, with two-thirds of it being retained long-term, according to a report from Visit Detroit and the Detroit Sports Commission.

April’s NFL Draft in Pittsburgh, brought 164 local businesses through the Draft Source Program, with $17.7 million being spent with businesses based in the Pennsylvania city, according to Visit Pittsburgh.

For next year’s draft in D.C., scheduled for April 29-May 1, the

NFL is working with more than 100 local businesses to help with the draft-day festivities that are estimated to host more than a million fans.

“The local small business is the backbone of the DMV community. So we were so excited to be able to extend our platform to give them the access and the visibility for this economic opportunity,” said Dr. Chanelle Reynolds, the Commanders’ director of culture and engagement.

This will be the first time D.C. is hosting a major NFL event since the

1940 NFL Draft.

For many local entrepreneurs, the NFL’s Source Program and the draft in general offer a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to showcase their businesses to NFL fans from around the world.

“It just feels different because normally we’re the little guy,” said Natasha Kelly, owner of She B Cookin Food Trucks. “It’s just getting in the room, you know, being able to get on the list. And you know, if somebody’s sick, calls in sick and can’t do it, I’m there.”

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PUBLIC NOTICE – IS THIS VEHCLE YOURS?

5 NFL Source Partners attend an event at the Capital Turnaround in Southeast. (Shevry Lassiter/The Washington Informer) 3 NFL Source program leader Myisha Boyce speaks to reporters. (Shevry Lassiter/The Washington Informer)

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a group of friends to celebrate the holiday. According to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, he was last seen on the island around 3 p.m.

His mother, Christine Wonsley, reported him missing later that evening after he did not return to the mainland.

A search involving the U.S. Coast Guard, the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, the National Park Service, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and the United Cajun Navy continued for two days before a National Park Service ranger discovered Wells’ body on the island’s northwestern tip on July 6.

Authorities later confirmed his identity through dental records.

Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter has said the investigation remains active and the cause of the teen’s death has not been determined. His office has asked the public to submit photographs, videos and eyewitness accounts from the northwestern section of Horn Island on July 4, particularly material depicting alleged altercations or showing Wells.

Authorities have also requested information about any arguments or disturbances reported on the island that day.

In the meantime, Wells’ family, activists and his legal team are also working to unpack what happened that Saturday.

“Nolan Wells was a beloved son, teammate and friend who went out to celebrate the Fourth of July and never came home,” Crump said.

“His family deserves answers. They deserve the truth.”

Seeking Answers, Remembering a ‘Kind and Hard-Working Young Man’

Questions have continued to mount over why Wells was the only member of the group who did not return to shore.

In a public statement, Ashlee Cole, a local chancery judge whose son was among those on the trip, said the group experienced mechan-

5 Civil rights attorney Ben Crump is calling for a full, transparent and timely investigation into the death of 18-yearold Nolan Wells. (WI File Photo)

ical problems after their boat began taking on water because of a malfunctioning bilge pump. She said Wells chose to remain on the island and planned to return later with another group.

Crump said his legal team is conducting an independent review while seeking the release of investigative records, witness accounts and autopsy findings.

“We will not rest until every fact about what happened to Nolan on Horn Island is brought into the light,” Crump said, “and we call on investigators to pursue this case with the urgency and transparency this family deserves.”

The civil rights attorney said the family has identified what he described as conflicting witness accounts about Wells’ final hours.

He also questioned the handling of the teenager’s cellphone after it was returned to the family, saying relatives discovered deleted messages, and cited online video that appears to show an altercation before Wells disappeared.

“All we know is Nolan is dead,” Crump said, adding that members of his legal team are interviewing individuals who may have information about the case.

U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) has also called for a full, transparent and timely investigation into the teen’s death. WI Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

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HEALTH Measles Outbreaks Prove Harder to Stop as U.S. Cases Climb, Raising Fresh Concerns in D.C.

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer The United States is on pace to eclipse last year’s surge in measles cases, and public health experts say the virus is becoming increasingly difficult to contain as outbreaks spread beyond isolated pockets of unvaccinated residents into broader communities.

The trend has already reached the nation’s capital. Last month, D.C. health officials investigated a con-

firmed measles case after an infected District resident visited multiple public locations while contagious, including Washington Dulles International Airport and Mary’s Center’s Adams Morgan clinic, prompting an effort to identify anyone who may have been exposed.

As of this week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had confirmed 2,170 measles cases this year in 41 jurisdictions, including the District of Columbia. The total already approaches the 2,289 cases

5 Health experts say measles is becoming increasingly difficult to contain as outbreaks spread beyond isolated pockets of unvaccinated residents into broader communities. (WI File Photo/Robert R. Roberts)

reported during all of 2025. The CDC said 93% of this year’s infections have been associated with outbreaks, and 93% occurred in people who were unvaccinated or whose vaccination status was unknown.

Health officials and infectious disease specialists say the growing difficulty in extinguishing outbreaks stems from several factors. Declining childhood vaccination rates have created larger groups of susceptible people, international travel continues to reintroduce the virus into

the United States, and local health departments face the labor-intensive task of tracing contacts and isolating exposed individuals before the virus spreads further.

Various reports suggest that many younger physicians have limited experience diagnosing measles because the disease had become so uncommon for decades.

The virus is among the most contagious infectious diseases known.

According to D.C. Health, it spreads through the air when an infected

person coughs, sneezes or breathes, and can remain in the air for up to two hours after that person leaves an area. About nine out of 10 people who are not immune will become infected if exposed.

District health officials said anyone who was present at the identified exposure sites during the specified times and is not immune should contact a healthcare provider or DC Health.

“People who develop symptoms should stay home, call ahead before seeking medical care, and avoid exposing others,” DC Health officials wrote on its website. “Those who have received two doses of a measles-containing vaccine or were born before 1957 are considered protected. Individuals who have received only one dose are encouraged to speak with their health care provider about completing the recommended two-dose series.”

The District enters the current outbreak with vaccination rates that compare favorably with many parts of the country, although public health officials say there is still room for improvement. WI Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

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to do it, that’s a really bad sign for the rest of the nation as well,” Mark James, founder and managing member of Urban Green, LLC, told The Informer. “I'm hoping that people will keep these things in mind and try to find more innovative ways to create more affordable housing that includes sustainability.”

Urban Green, LLC is one of the multiple home builders in the Washington Metropolitan Area committed to providing Washingtonians with eco-friendly, affordable and resilient residences. By remaining steadfast in its dedication, the company is playing its part in safeguarding the city’s air quality and public health.

Somerset Development Company is another developer dedicated to providing residents with reliable and accessible housing in Washington and Baltimore. In Baltimore, the company focuses on breaking down historical lines of segregation, whereas in Washington, it prioritizes combating the effects of large-scale gentrification.

“We want to be building not just housing that lasts, but a city that lasts,” Patrick McAnaney, Somerset’s DC Development director, told The Informer. “Our goal of green housing, it's not just the environmental mission… but also we think building high-quality green sustainable housing is also building housing that will last long term.”

Green buildings, like the ones both development companies have worked to bring to the city, are environmentally responsible structures that are resource-efficient and use less energy to mitigate the effects of both outdoor and indoor air pollution. Many, if they meet the requirements, are awarded Leadership in Energy and Environ-

mental Design (LEED) certification from the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). Rated on a point-based system, buildings can be ranked as Certified, Silver, Gold or Platinum, the highest of the four.

Unfortunately, the city is experiencing a time when funding for initiatives like these is limited. The Housing Production Trust Fund (HPTF) is a major resource in Washington designed to produce and preserve affordable housing projects. In the 2026 Fiscal Year (FY26) Budget, this trust fund was cut from $100 million to $63 million.

“We've got to find more funding to do the planning for this, so that developers who want to do it but don't know how to… can get [the] support to make it happen,” James told The Informer, “because the end result is healthier buildings for low-income residents who don't have a choice on where they live.”

D.C. Green Bank: Financing the Infrastructure of Tomorrow

While government funding for affordable and green housing projects may be slim, stakeholders in the region, such as D.C. Green Bank (DCGB), are helping advance sustainable and accessible housing. Dedicated to the mission of building a thriving, more equitable city through accelerating the transition to clean energy, this tool provides businesses and institutions with financing solutions that help ease the adoption of eco-friendly systems such as solar energy, energy-efficient buildings, transportation electrification and stormwater resilience.

“What’s really amazing about the District is that the nation’s capital has been pioneering ways to approach that work,” DCGB CEO Brandi Colander told The Informer. “We are really excited to be a part of the ability to help people make those dreams come true by helping them to finance that… in a way that reduces the friction and makes sure we're building the right thing for the long term.” WI Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

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EDUCATION

3 Journalists across the nation are remembering Tony Brown, the founding dean of Howard University’s School of Communications and Hampton University’s Scripps Howard School of Communications and the longtime host of Tony Brown’s Journal, who died on June 17. (Courtesy Photo/Howard University Cathy Hughes School of Communications, Instagram )

Tony Brown’s Vision Helped Make Washington a Capital of Black Journalism Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer Before Tony Brown became one of the most recognizable faces in television, he helped build one of Washington’s most influential institutions for training Black journalists.

Brown, the founding dean of Howard University’s School of Communications and Hampton University’s Scripps Howard School of Communications and the longtime host of Tony Brown’s Journal, died June 17 at his home in Newport News, Virginia. He was 93.

For generations of journalists who studied at Howard and Hampton and later entered newsrooms across the country, Brown’s influence extended well beyond the nearly 40 years he spent in front of television cameras.

He helped shape how Black journalists covered their communities, challenged political power and viewed their responsibility to the public.

“Tony Brown was more than an award-winning journalist; he was a visionary who expanded the role of journalism as a force for education, empowerment, and social progress,” Hampton University Dean Julia Wilson said. “Through his groundbreaking work in the media, he challenged generations to think critically, pursue truth with courage, and tell stories that elevated the Black experience with dignity and excellence.”

Washington became central to Brown’s career in 1972 when he established Howard University’s School of Communications, becoming its first dean. At a time when few journalism schools were led by African Americans, Brown envisioned a program that would prepare Black students not simply to enter the profession, but to influence it.

“We honor the life and legacy of Dean Tony Brown, founding dean of what is now the Howard University Cathy Hughes School of Communi-

cations. As we celebrate our 55th anniversary, we are reminded that his vision laid the foundation for generations of storytellers committed to truth, purpose, and excellence,” Howard’s School of Communications wrote in a post on Instagram. “Rest in power, Dean Brown. Your legacy lives on.”

A Commitment to Black Representation, Education

His work in Washington complemented what millions of Americans watched each week on Tony Brown’s Journal.

The nationally syndicated public affairs program became the longest-running Black news and public affairs series in television history, examining race, politics, education, economics and culture through conversations that mainstream television rarely attempted.

Brown estimated that he interviewed more than 1,000 guests during the program’s run, including civil rights leaders, entertainers, elected officials, scholars and activists whose voices often received little attention elsewhere.

Yet Brown argued that meaningful change required more than increasing the number of Black faces on television.

“When I started out in television, television stations had almost zero producers, zero Black faces on the air,” Brown said while reflecting on his career. “I never dreamed I would ever work in television.”

He consistently called for more Black producers, executives, writers and newsroom leaders, maintaining that editorial decisions mattered as much as those made in front of the camera.

That philosophy guided both his television work and his leadership in higher education.

Brown mentored students who would become reporters, producers, editors and communications profes-

sionals across the country while insisting that journalism should serve communities too often ignored or misrepresented by mainstream media.

His commitment to public service stretched back even further.

In 1963, Brown coordinated the Walk to Freedom in Detroit, led by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The march drew an estimated 125,000 participants and preceded the March on Washington later that summer. At the

event, King delivered an early version of the speech that would later become known around the world as “I Have a Dream.”

Brown also founded Black College Day, promoted economic self-determination through the Council for the Economic Development of Black Americans and authored several books encouraging educational achievement and financial independence.

WI Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

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JULY 16 - 22, 2026 17

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Upcoming Film Screening Sheds Light on Tolbert Assassination in Liberia Local Liberian Community Association Supports Film, Efforts to Unite and Educate Liberians

Williams, who watched “The Assassination of William R. Tolbert,” with her brother John at the Atlanta premiere earlier this year, acknowledged that she had a lot more to learn about her esteemed ancestor’s last moments in hiding.

“He had children on the same floor and knew that their lives were in danger,” Williams told The Informer about President Tolbert. “My father talked about it [in the documentary], how he knew that if he left that protected room, what would happen to him, but he did it because he didn't want the grandchildren that were there to be inflicted with harm.”

By Sam Plo Kwia Collins, Jr. WI Senior Staff Writer As Liberians at home and abroad prepare to celebrate 179 years of nominal independence, there’s at least one daughter of the soil who’s adamant about her countrypeople addressing, and learning from, the circumstances around the assassination of Liberian President William Richard Tolbert, Jr. That woman, Renee Williams, is Tolbert’s great-niece and one of several who’ve watched the documentary, “The Assassination of William R. Tolbert.” In the countdown to D.C. metropolitan area film screenings, she’s calling on local Liberians to revisit one of the darkest days in Liberia’s history.

“I want to see Liberia thrive and unite and not allow ourselves to be divided by things like where you're from and how you get here,” Williams told The Informer. “We can move forward as a country, knowing our rich history, knowing our rich resources as African people, loving ourselves and the importance of loving ourselves, but definitely taking a hard look at the reasons that we got in this place.”

When Williams was a toddler, she and her family escaped Liberia in the aftermath of the military coup that claimed the lives of President Tolbert, and days later, her grandfather, Senator and President Pro Tempore Frank E. Tolbert, along with a dozen other administration officials.

The events of April 12-22, 1980, which brought indigenous Liberian and Master Sergeant Samuel Kanyon Doe to power, laid the foundation for two civil wars that claimed the lives of at least 250,000 Liberians and displaced millions more. Though historians often credit the Rice Riots of 1979 and decades-long tensions between Americo-Liberians and indigenous Liberians as causes of Tolbert’s downfall, the documentary suggests more nefarious forces at play, notably the United States government anxious about Tolbert’s Pan-Africanist and anti-Zionist stance.

For most of her life, Williams sat at the feet of her father, Dr. Richard Tolbert, as he recounted the details of the assasination. The documentary, which

5 A Liberian filmmaker Gerald “GeeBee” Barclay, at the April 22 Memorial Park in Paynesville, Liberia, says he’s on a mission to tell the whole story about President William Tolbert. “The Assassination of William R. Tolbert” follows other films Barclay produced about Liberia.

(Courtesy Photo)

was released in January, came out of filmmaker Gerald “Gee-Bee” Barclay’s engagement with Dr. Tolbert, a family elder who coordinated an annual wreath laying ceremony in honor of the late president.

Dr. Tolbert died in the fall of 2024, months after Barclay met him and documented the ceremony in Liberia. Williams called the documentary a manifestation of, not only Barclay’s efforts, but her father’s insistence on keeping history alive.

“From the time I was a child, I'd seen the footage of the coup, the killings of my grandfather and the other members of the government in Liberia,” Williams told The Informer. “I've been aware of the fact that President Tolbert was assassinated and all the things that surrounded those events from the time I was a child. My father thought it was very important for us to be aware of that.”

In the early morning hours of April 12, 1980, Doe and other members of what would become the People’s Redemption Council broke into the Executive Mansion and killed Tolbert.

Gerald “Gee-Bee” Barclay: A Liberian on a Mission to Tell the Whole Truth

The July 18 screening of “The Assassination of President William R. Tolbert” at Sankofa Video Books & Cafe in Northwest, sponsored by the Liberian Community Association of the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area, has been booked to capacity.

However, Liberians and other community members have an opportunity to catch another screening on July 19 at Holiday Inn Express in Laurel, Maryland.

Barclay, the producer of the film and great-grandson of Liberian President Arthur Barclay, said his latest project about Liberia provides the opportunity for reflection in advance of Liberian Independence Day on July 26.

“The people that come will lead to a strong discussion about leadership, vision, and healing,” Barclay told The Informer.

In 1980, after the military coup, Barclay and his family found refuge in the United States, first moving to Houston before establishing roots in Staten Island, New York. That’s where Barclay spent his formative years and befriended members of the Wu Tang Clan, a relationship that led into his foray into filmmaking.

INTERNATIONAL Page 36

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

The DC Sustainable Energy Utility (DCSEU) Celebrates 15 Years Promoting Clean, Affordable, and Sustainable Energy For The District Through Its Programs And Services Submitted by DCSEU This year the DC Sustainable Energy Utility (DCSEU) celebrates its 15year anniversary, a significant milestone reflecting the organization's commitment to making energy efficiency and clean energy more accessible to every resident and business in the District.

Created by the Clean and Affordable Energy Act of 2008, the DCSEU operates under a performance contract with the District Department of Energy and the Environment (DOEE) as a one-stop resource for energy efficiency and renewable energy services, helping District residents and businesses reduce energy use, costs, and emissions—independent of the District’s local utility providers. Operated since its inception by VEIC, a nonprofit third-party administrator, the DCSEU advances the District's clean energy and climate goals through community-centered initiatives that deliver lasting value to all who call the District home. Funded by the Sustainable Energy Trust Fund (SETF) and the Renewable Energy Development Fund (REDF), the DCSEU has implemented programs for 15 years to make energy savings more accessible as the demand for electrification, energy efficiency, and energy affordability grows.

5 "In 15 years, the District has grown and changed dramatically," said Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) Director Richard Jackson, "and that is in no small part due to the combined efforts of DOEE and the DCSEU focusing on finding renewable energy alternatives to support the District's energy needs. DOEE has been a supportive partner to the DCSEU, and has supported our combined efforts to provide clean, affordable energy to District residents."

es

15 Years of Meaningful Impact from the DCSEU: • $2.2 billion in total lifetime cost savings for DC residents and business-

• $360 million invested in energy efficiency • 10.1 million metric tons of lifetime greenhouse gas emissions prevented • $120 million invested in programming with low-income communities • $99 million invested in local Certified Business Enterprises (CBEs) • More than 300 District residents graduating from the DCSEU’s Workforce Development program • Fifth program year of the Train Green Sustainable Energy Infrastructure Capacity Building and Pipeline Program (SEICBP) This 15-year anniversary comes at a pivotal moment for the District.

Over the past year, the District has experienced the highest unemployment rate in the country, while electricity costs have risen 93.2% over the last five years, and other everyday expenses, such as gasoline and childcare, continue

5 “We are incredibly proud of what we have accomplished over the last fifteen years and grateful for the trust DOEE, the District, and our fellow residents and businesses have put in us,” said Ben Burdick, Managing Director of the DCSEU. “We look forward to continuing to advance clean energy affordability, accessibility, and economic and environmental impacts for years to come and make the District an example other cities and states can follow.”

to rise. With utility prices at record highs, efficiency programs remain a valuable, cost-effective, and readily deployable tool to manage increasing energy demand and increasing energy bills. According to a February 2026 study released by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), “energy efficiency programs save energy for a median cost of only $21 per megawatt-hour. That’s less than half the cost of generating electricity with even the least expensive new gas-fired power plants, which typically range from $45 to $108 per megawatt-hour.”

For a city long defined by its pursuit for autonomy and statehood, the DCSEU represents energy independence in action. Its work prioritizes accessible and affordable energy-efficient and clean energy technologies, while also advancing economic opportunity and local development. To date, the DCSEU has reduced lifetime carbon emissions equivalent to 1.1 billion gallons of gasoline consumed and delivered more than $2.2 billion in lifetime energy cost savings. As communities nationwide work to meet urgent climate goals while keeping energy affordable, the DCSEU’s impact underscores what sustainable energy utilities are capable of across the country.

Looking Ahead

The DCSEU envisions a thriving, equitable District powered by clean, affordable, and reliable energy—one that serves as a national and global model for sustainability, innovation, and climate leadership.

In pursuit of this vision, the DCSEU has continued to advance the transition to a low carbon future. In 2025, the DCSEU launched the country’s first Refrigerant Recovery and Reclamation (RR&R) Pilot Program led by an energy incentive program. Implemented in partnership with Hudson Technologies, this innovative effort tackles

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

one of the most potent sources of greenhouse gas emissions by reducing refrigerant leaks and promoting responsible recovery and reuse.

In pursuit of a clean energy-ready workforce, the DCSEU has had more than 300 DC resident externs graduate from its Workforce Development program, and launched the Train Green initiative to help local contractors and DC residents gain industry credentials to compete in the market. In addition, DCSEU incentive programs played a critical role in advancing energy efficiency and electrification in affordable housing through programs including the Affordable Home Electrification Program (AHEP), Affordable Housing Retrofit Accelerator (AHRA), and the Solar for All program in partnership with DOEE. The DCSEU is proud of its 15 years of impact and remains optimistic about the future. Our programs deliver lasting environmental, health, and economic benefits for the District—creating jobs for DC residents, supporting local businesses, and reducing energy costs for households that need it most. We are honored to do this work and look forward to continuing our strong partnerships to help the District achieve its long-term clean energy and climate goals.

15 years, still thriving.

You want thriving? Try $2.2 billion in lifetime savings for residents and businesses in all eight wards.

Stick with us, DC. Together, we’re making efficiency and clean energy work for more people, creating a healthier, more affordable, more resilient District for all.

DCSEU.com or call (202) 479-2222

Still redefining power in the District.

JULY 16 - 22, 2026 19

Notice of Class Action Settlement Authorized by the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York

— Notice of Class Action Settlement — Si desea leer este aviso en español, llámenos o visite nuestro sitio web.

TO: All merchants in the U.S. who accepted Visa or Mastercard credit or debit cards at any time since December 18, 2020.

This notice (“Notice”) is authorized by the Court to inform you about an agreement to settle the equitable relief claims in a class action lawsuit, called In re Payment Card Interchange Fee and Merchant Discount Antitrust Litigation, No. 05-md-01720 (BMC)(JAM)(E.D.N.Y.). The lawsuit claims that Visa and Mastercard, separately, and together with certain banks, violated antitrust laws and caused merchants to pay excessive fees for accepting Visa and Mastercard credit and debit cards, including by adopting interchange rules and rates, and other network rules, which the lawsuit has claimed constituted unlawful price fixing, unreasonable restraints of trade, and monopolization.

The defendants say they did nothing wrong. They maintain that their business practices are legal, justified, and the result of independent competition, and have benefitted both merchants and consumers. The Court has not decided who is right because the parties agreed to a settlement, which was preliminarily approved by the Court on June 9, 2026.

A. What Merchants Will Get from the Settlement

•

During the lawsuit, the Court previously certified an Equitable Relief Class under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23(b)(2) and has now preliminarily approved a settlement of the Class claims (the “Rule 23(b)(2) Class Settlement” or “Settlement”). Under the Settlement, Visa and Mastercard have agreed to substantive changes to the Visa and Mastercard rules applicable to merchants who accept their cards as a form of payment.

The Class includes all persons, businesses, and entities that accept any Visa-Branded Cards and/or Mastercard-Branded Cards in the United States at any time during the period between December 18, 2020 and the date of preliminary settlement approval, or June 9, 2026. The Court has set November 16, 2026 as the date for a final approval and fairness hearing (the “Fairness Hearing”) in connection with the Settlement, after members of the Class have had the opportunity to evaluate the Settlement and exercise their rights, as set forth in the Notice.

Further information regarding the Settlement and the Fairness Hearing will be posted on www.InterchangeEquitableReliefSettlement.com.

Under the Rule 23(b)(2) Class Settlement, Mastercard and Visa will modify certain rules to preserve, establish, or expand the circumstances in which merchants can, among other things, do the following: • • • • •

•

• •

• •

B.

Decline acceptance of Visa- or Mastercard-Branded Commercial Credit Cards and/or Premium Consumer Credit Cards.

Surcharge customers a fee for the use of any Visa or Mastercard-Branded Credit Cards, including based on the type of card used (e.g., a different surcharge for rewards and non-rewards cards).

Offer discounts to customers who do not pay with Visa or Mastercard-Branded Credit Cards, or based on the financial institution that issued the Visa or Mastercard-Branded Credit Card.

Decline acceptance of Visa or Mastercard-Branded Cards at all outlets that operate under the same trade name or banner, even if that merchant accepts those same cards at outlets that operate under a different trade name or banner.

Engage in Pilot Programs whereby they accept Visa or Mastercard-Branded Credit Cards at some but not all outlets operating under the same trade name or banner for a limited duration or test out various acceptance, surcharging and discounting options at some but not all outlets operating under the same trade name or banner, including not accepting Commercial or Premium Consumer Credit Cards, for a limited duration.

Accept some digital wallets at brick-and-mortar locations but decline others and enable some digital wallets for on-line transactions but not enable others, and “steer” among the cards within a digital wallet under the same rules that govern steering among traditional cards.

Receive the benefit of credit interchange rate reductions: Visa and Mastercard will reduce published and negotiated Credit Card interchange rates for U.S. merchants.

Receive the benefit of Credit Card interchange rate caps: The Settlement Agreement reduces and caps “Standard” Consumer Credit Card rates at a specified level and otherwise caps Credit Card interchange rates, such that neither Visa nor Mastercard will increase any of its published Credit Card interchange rates above the rates effective as of March 31, 2025 and each will reduce its network-wide average Credit Card interchange rate to or below the specified level.

Form Merchant Buying Groups that meet certain criteria to negotiate with Visa and Mastercard.

Receive access to a Merchant Education Program, established and administered under the Settlement Agreement, to help understand and maximize the benefits of the rule changes, including how to effectively “steer” in States that restrict surcharging.

Monetary Aspects of the Rule 23(b)(2) Class Settlement

There is no monetary payment to members of the Class in this Settlement. This Rule 23(b)(2) Class Settlement concerns only the Equitable Relief Claims set forth in the lawsuit. Claims for monetary damages arising out of the defendants’ alleged antitrust violations are the subject of a separate settlement for the Rule 23(b)(3) Class. For information concerning the separate Rule 23(b)(3) Cash Settlement Class, please visit the website: www.PaymentCardSettlement.com.

The Settlement does provide for Visa and Mastercard to make certain payments into the Rule 23(b)(2) Class Settlement Escrow Account, which money will be used to pay: • • •

The cost of settlement administration and notice, as approved by the Court, The cost of Merchant Education Program expenses, as approved by the Court, The cost of an Independent Auditor who will ensure that Visa and Mastercard comply with the credit card interchange-rate reduction commitments, and

20 JULY 16 - 22, 2026

Attorneys’ fees and expenses, including any named Class Representative service awards, as approved by the Court.

The money in this fund will be distributed only if the Court grants final approval of the Settlement, and the money for attorneys’ fees and expenses, and service awards to Class Representatives, will be distributed only if the Settlement has become final and all appeals are exhausted, and the Court approves the application for attorneys’ fees and expenses, and Class Representatives’ service awards.

Attorneys’ fees and expenses, and service awards to the Class Representatives: For work done through final approval of the Settlement by the Court, as well as any work they will be required to do in the future, Class Counsel will ask the Court for attorneys’ fees and reimbursement of reasonable and necessary litigation expenses, and any service awards to the named Class Representatives that the Court may award, in an amount not to exceed $206,000,000. The Settlement Agreement requires Visa and Mastercard to pay these fees and expenses separately from the other Settlement financial obligations and they will not reduce any other benefits of the Settlement; members of the Class will not be required to pay any amount toward these fees and expenses.

C. Legal Rights and Options Merchants who are included in this lawsuit have the legal right to Object to the Settlement. The deadline to object is: September 14, 2026. To learn how to object, visit: www.InterchangeEquitableReliefSettlement.com or call toll-free: 877-318-7713.

Note: You cannot elect to be excluded from the Rule 23(b)(2) Class Settlement.

For more information about these rights and options, www.InterchangeEquitableReliefSettlement.com or call toll-free: 877-318-7713.

visit:

D. If the Court Grants Final Approval of the Settlement If the Court grants final approval to the Settlement, members of the Rule 23(b)(2) Class will be bound by the terms of the Settlement and will release all claims against all released parties listed in the Settlement Agreement. The Settlement will resolve and release any claims by payment card acceptors against Visa, Mastercard and other defendants that were or could have been alleged in the lawsuit, including any claims based on interchange or other fees, nosurcharge rules, no-discounting rules, honor-all-cards rules, and any other network rules. The Settlement will also resolve any payment card acceptor claims based upon the future effect of any Visa or Mastercard rules as they were or are in place on December 18, 2020 and up to the Settlement Final Date (as defined in the Settlement Agreement), the modified rules provided for in the Settlement, or any other rules substantially similar to those rules. The release will not bar claims involving certain specified standard commercial disputes arising in the ordinary course of business.

For more information on the release, see the Superseding and Amended Rule 23(b)(2) Class Settlement Agreement at: www.InterchangeEquitableReliefSettlement.com.

E.

The Court Hearing About This Settlement

On November 16, 2026 at 11:00 am ET, the Court will hold a hearing to decide whether to approve the proposed Settlement, Class Counsel’s request for attorneys’ fees and expenses, and service awards for the named Class Representatives. The hearing will take place at: United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York U.S. District Judge Brian M. Cogan 225 Cadman Plaza East Brooklyn, NY 11201 You do not have to attend the Court hearing or hire an attorney, though you may do either at your own expense. The Court appointed the law firms of Hilliard Shadowen LLP; Grant & Eisenhofer P.A.; Freed Kanner London & Millen LLC; and Nussbaum Law Group, P.C. to represent the Class (“Class Counsel”).

F.

Questions?

For more information about this case (In re Payment Card Interchange Fee and Merchant Discount Antitrust Litigation, MDL 1720), you may: Call toll-free: 877-318-7713 Visit: www.InterchangeEquitableReliefSettlement.com Write to the Class Administrator: Interchange B2 Class Administrator, P.O. Box 6340, Portland, OR 97228-6340 or Email the Class Administrator: info@InterchangeEquitableReliefSettlement.com

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

EDITORIAL As they Seek Justice in the Death of Nolan Wells, African Americans Wrestle with the Notion ‘the South is still the South’ It’s been more than a week since the parents of Nolan Xavier Wells, a Black teenager eager to make his mark as a wide receiver on the football team at Southwest Mississippi Community College, received the call that no family ever wants to get.

After leaving home to celebrate the Fourth of July with friends on Horn Island— an uninhabited stretch of wilderness nestled among barrier islands located off the Mississippi coast— the teen’s parents became alarmed after their son failed to respond to calls, and his whereabouts were unknown.

Two days later, the foreboding sense of fear that had undoubtedly haunted Wells’ parents since his disappearance was confirmed: his body had been found by a U.S. Park Service Ranger, face down in the water just off the island’s northwest tip.

The 18-year-old’s friends made it safely back to the mainland. He did not.

Now, Wells’ parents, Elmore and Christine Wonsley, must wait anxiously, hoping to learn what really happened to their son, and

prayerfully find some semblance of peace.

Meanwhile, questions continue to mount. Why didn’t the youth return with his friends? Why didn’t he have his cellphone with him?

Was he involved in an altercation?

Did he remain behind to meet with a girl or someone else?

Further, why did the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office state that no foul play was suspected, even before official autopsy and toxicology reports had been completed?

Mississippi is known for its beauty: magnificent magnolias, lush bayous, cypress swamps, and moss-draped Southern live oak.

But the Magnolia State also bears the ignoble distinction of the highest number of lynchings recorded in America, with an estimated 581 documented victims between the late 19th and mid-20th centuries, according to the Equal Justice Initiative.

As part of the rite of passage for their children as they reach adulthood, Black parents often recount the tragic narrative of 14-year-old

Emmett Till, a Black teenager from Chicago, who, after allegedly whistling at a White woman, was abducted, tortured, and killed on Aug. 28, 1955, in the Mississippi Delta while visiting his relatives.

Mississippi is where three civil rights activists, James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner, were arrested by local police in Neshoba County on June 21, 1964, and later released into the hands of a Ku Klux Klan mob who severely beat Chaney, a 21-year-old Black man, before shooting and killing him and his two White colleagues.

During a news conference on July 10, the Rev. Al Sharpton said while he was reluctant to rush to judgment or speculate that racism may have led to Wells’ death, he admitted, “this does not smell right.”

The truth will eventually come to light, but since the days well before the Civil War, Mississippi has been a dangerous and deadly place for African Americans.

It seems the South is still the South.

WI

Justice Requires the Truth

Independent Investigations are the Only Way to Preserve Public Trust in an Era of Deep Division The deaths of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, who was fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Texas, and Nolan Xavier Wells, the 18-year-old Black college football player whose body was recovered after he disappeared during a boating outing in Mississippi, have once again raised questions that demand answers.

While the circumstances surrounding these two cases are very different, the principle is the same: there must be independent, transparent, and thorough investigations that follow the facts wherever they lead.

This is not simply about two tragic deaths. It is about the state of public trust in America.

We are living in a political climate in which nearly every institution is viewed with skepticism. Govern-

ment agencies, law enforcement, the media, and even the courts are routinely questioned by large segments of the public. Whether justified or not, confidence has eroded to the point that every controversial death is immediately viewed through the lenses of politics, race, ideology, or immigration.

That is precisely why independence matters.

Reports indicate that ICE agents were attempting to apprehend another individual when Salgado Araujo was shot and killed. His family deserves a full accounting of what happened, free from any appearance of institutional bias. Likewise, Wells' family has raised legitimate questions about the events that led to his death after spending time on the water with several friends. Their request for additional scrutiny should not be dismissed as

mere suspicion or speculation. It should be respected as a reasonable demand for transparency.

An independent investigation is not an accusation. It is a safeguard.

If government officials acted appropriately, an impartial review would strengthen public confidence in that conclusion. If mistakes were made— or misconduct occurred— those responsible should be held accountable. Justice works only when the public believes the process is fair, impartial, and free from political influence.

America has learned, often the hard way, that institutions investigating themselves rarely inspire confidence. Families deserve more than assurances. Communities deserve more than press releases. They deserve evidence, transparency, and accountability.

No one should prejudge either

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

TO THE EDITOR “When will you be creating an app that we in the African diaspora can use? I live in the UK, I saw you speaking about the AiSHA app on YouTube, and immediately went to my phone's play store to download it. I’ve been using chat gpt and often thought this is biased towards a European outlook on life! But to my disappointment it said it’s not available in England, where I was born.

Please create an app for people of African descent here.”

- John Houghton (In reference to the article: “Aisha: An AI Chatbot That Centers Blackness.”)

“Thank you for all you do for the community Denise. You are a special valued part of us and we thank you for carrying on your father’s legacy. I’m sure he is looking down on you as a most thankful and proud father.”

-Brenda B. Watkins case. Facts—not rumors, politics, or social media—must determine the outcome. But allowing independent investigators to examine every witness statement, every piece of physical evidence, and every official action is the surest way to establish those facts.

Equal justice cannot depend on a person's race, immigration status, political affiliation, or the agency involved. It must rest on truth.

In a nation already strained by polarization and distrust, independent investigations are not merely procedural exercises— they are essential to preserving the public's faith in justice itself. The families of Salgado Araujo and Wells deserve clear answers. So does the American people. Truth, pursued without fear or favor, remains the strongest foundation upon which justice— and public trust—can stand. WI

JULY 16 - 22, 2026 21

OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnist

Julianne Malveaux

Cruelty Is the Point: Haiti, TPS, and the Politics of Punishment

Haiti is not an abstraction. Haiti is a nation whose pain has too often been treated as policy collateral, a people whose labor is welcomed when needed and whose lives are discounted when convenient. Now, with the Supreme Court allowing the Trump administration to terminate Temporary Protected Status for Haitians and Syrians, more than 350,000 Haitians who have lived

and worked legally in the United States face the possibility of deportation to a country the world knows is in crisis.

Temporary Protected Status is not a gift. It is a recognition of reality. It says that when a country is overwhelmed by violence, disaster, political collapse or humanitarian emergency, deportation is not simply enforcement. It is endangerment. To strip Haitians of this protection now is to pretend that paperwork matters more than human life.

Haiti is facing one of the world's most severe humanitarian crises.

Armed groups control much of the

Guest Columnist

country, violence has disrupted ordinary life, hunger is widespread, and humanitarian assistance remains far short of the need.

So what kind of country sends people back into that? What kind of country says to people who have built lives, paid taxes, raised children, staffed hospitals, opened businesses, cared for elders, cleaned rooms, cooked meals, driven trucks and strengthened communities: your labor was welcome, but your life is disposable?

Cruelty is not an accidental byproduct of this policy. Cruelty is the point.

Haitians have long been punished for being Black, free, defiant and inconvenient. The first Black republic in the world was born of revolt against slavery, and the nations that profited from slavery never forgave Haiti for proving that enslaved people could liberate themselves. France extracted a ruinous indemnity. The United States occupied Haiti. International lenders, foreign governments and domestic elites have repeatedly treated Haiti as a problem to manage, not a sovereign nation to respect; a profit center, not a proud and sovereign nation. The pres-

ent crisis cannot be separated from that long history of extraction, intervention and contempt.

Now that contempt appears in the sterile language of immigration law.

"Temporary" becomes the excuse.

"Protected" becomes the promise broken. "Status" becomes the thin legal thread holding families together.

The Supreme Court's ruling did not create the hatred of Haitian migrants, but it gives official permission to act on it. We have seen the ugliness before.

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Marc H. Morial

The Bicentennial Was Healing. 'Freedom 250' Was a Narcissistic Embarrasment

"The 1976 celebration was a more vital and happy one because of a broad belief that two years earlier the system had worked, and we were celebrating a system that had cleansed itself. We were in a period of renewal and relief, and today we're in a period of fear and loathing. We don't have any reason to celebrate our founding documents,

because we're living in an authoritarian state that is quite different from the one that the founders created." — Jonathan Alter In a proclamation declaring 1976 the Bicentennial Year, President Ford called upon "every man, woman, and child to celebrate the diversity of tradition, culture and heritage that reflects our people and our patrimony."

A half century later, President Trump used the occasion of the nation's 250th anniversary to celebrate Trump.

Guest Columnist

In 2016, a bipartisan act of Congress created the United States Semiquincentennial Commission, branded America250, to "foster shared experiences that spark imagination, showcase the rich tapestry of our American stories, inspire service in our communities, honor the enduring strength, and celebrate the resilience of the United States of America."

In 2025, the Trump administration began diverting funds intended for the nonpartisan commission to "Freedom 250," a public-private

partnership through which donors could purchase access to Trump and millions of dollars could be funneled to Trump allies. Among the events it has planned or produced are a mixed martial arts event held on the White House lawn in June and an IndyCar street race around the National Mall set for August.

On July 5, 1976, President Ford addressed newly naturalized Americans in Virginia: "'Black is beautiful' was a motto of genius which uplifted us far above its intention. Once Americans had thought about it and

perceived its truth, we began to realize that so are brown, white, red, and yellow beautiful ... You came as strangers among us and you leave here as citizens, equal in fundamental rights, equal before the law, with an equal share in the promise of the future."

In a speech to open the sparsely attended Great American State Fair, Trump denigrated immigrants as "murderers, gang members, drug dealers, and dangerous criminals"

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Hazel Trice Edney

Kalshi's 'Segregation Market' Turns Black Suffering Into a Betting Line

How much would you have bet on Rosa Parks moving to the back of the bus? This is the kind of information that Kalshi, a U.S. prediction market, wants to know.

For America's 250th birthday, the market platform rolled out an ad campaign inviting the country to ridiculously and insultingly imagine placing wagers on the color line — a

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segregation market, if you will.

The centerpiece of the campaign, which Kalshi founder Luana Lopes Lara called her "favorite," is a 1946 market: Will Baseball End Segregation? Odds: 0%. A Bob Feller quote sneers that even Robinson lacks "the qualities of a big-league ballplayer."

Click forward, and the year turns to 1947. The market, we are told, has "settled." The color line breaks. Payouts, presumably, are issued.

The romanticization of segregation markets by a multibillion-dollar company currently battling state

law enforcement officials is not only novel but highly insulting to African Americans who literally built America on our backs, from enslavement through civil rights and beyond.

For America's 250th anniversary, the company reimagined our nation's history as a series of gambling questions, each with stylized illustrations. Jackie Robinson's integration of Major League Baseball is one of them. The image Kalshi chose to accompany it depicts young Black men lounging on a stoop, a baseball tossed in the air like a coin. Some

might see it as a pretty picture. It is also, if we are being honest, an obscene and absurd one.

Let me say plainly what this ad asks us to imagine: It asks us to imagine a world in which Americans in 1946 could have logged on and wagered on whether an entire race of ballplayers would finally be allowed to earn a living at their craft. A market in which Branch Rickey's conscience and Jackie Robinson's dignity were data points, and the 15-to-1 vote of white owners to preserve the color line was pricing information.

Kalshi asks us to imagine a world in which the question "Will Black men be treated as human beings?" was simply a gaming line you could take action on.

This is not a celebration of history.

It is a belittling of our suffering and our achievements thus far.

The company will say I am missing the point, that the campaign honors a country that defied its own worst instincts. But look again at what is actually being sold. Kalshi is not

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OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnist

Dr. John E. Warren

The Two July Fourths — Which Did You Celebrate?

It was like "A Tale of Two Cities": the best of times and the worst of times.

It was the best of times for the hundreds of immigrants who were sworn in as U.S. naturalized citizens across this great land.

Their swearing-in was a manifestation of the provision of the 14th Amendment creating citizenship

for persons not born in this country — a provision of the Constitution just as important as citizenship by birth.

This is the provision President Trump tried to get the U.S. Supreme Court to nullify in the birthright citizenship case, which the court rejected.

While many recited the words of the Declaration of Independence, stating: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with

certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed …"

Many among us are being denied those very rights today, as evidenced by armed troops on the streets of our cities and federal agents killing and imprisoning immigrants, citizens and anyone who appears to be out of step with this administration.

Guest Columnist

The celebrations, parades and millions of dollars spent on fireworks led many of us to remember and question those events with the immortal words of Frederick Douglass, who raised his rhetorical question during the 1852 celebration of the 76th anniversary of America's independence: "What, to the American slave, is your Fourth of July? …"

Today, 174 years later, the question is still all too real.

For those of us concerned about the police state and the kingship

Donald Trump would establish, let's take heart in the fact that today we have tools Douglass did not have. In addition to the Constitution with its 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments, the only thing we lack to make change is the will to get involved and do so.

Let's start right where we live.

Let's start with the issue of making sure that each of us can vote, register and prepare to do so.

Let's take another look at how

Those men did not suffer as long as Black men, women, Native people or others shut out of democracy. Their exclusion still reveals the old fault line.

Power rightfully belongs to the people.

Yet wealthy interests have often tried to keep too much of it for themselves.

Some people profit from our forgetting. If we forget that landless white men once had to fight for the vote, we can miss the pattern when it returns in new clothes.

Benjamin Franklin saw the absurdity. He told the story of a man whose vote depended on owning a jackass

worth enough money to qualify him.

When the animal died, the man lost the vote. Franklin asked the obvious question: "In whom is the right of suffrage? In the man or in the jackass?"

Thomas Paine gave the moral answer. "Man did not enter into society to become worse than he was before, nor to have fewer rights than he had before, but to have those rights better secured."

There is irony in President Trump's love of President Andrew Jackson.

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Ben Jealous

Nation That Forgets Its History Is Bound

Voting rights is back in the news because some people are still trying to decide whose votes deserve trust. In Georgia, the Justice Department and FBI under President Donald Trump have reopened questions around Fulton County's 2020 election records after agents seized hundreds of boxes of ballots. The Associated Press reports the FBI has assigned 260 analysts and

operations staff to review them.

Fulton County includes most of Atlanta and sits at the heart of Georgia's transformation. It has a large Black electorate, growing Latino and Asian American communities, and many newer residents drawn by the Atlanta region's jobs and universities.

It voted against President Trump. Yet Georgia's 2020 result was not some partisan rumor. Local officials counted the ballots. The state counted them three times, including once by hand. Republican officials certified the result. Each count confirmed the

same outcome. That matters because vote suppression has often followed the same pattern: discredit the voters, divide the people, deprive enough citizens of the ballot, and move power upward.

The country has largely forgotten one of its earliest broad voting rights victories: the campaign to end property qualifications for white men. In many states, a man could be white, free, taxed, armed and called to defend the Revolution — and still be denied the vote because he did not own enough property.

Guest Columnists

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Beverly Moran and LaToya B. Parker

The Head of Household Illusion: The Tax Break That Skips the Mothers It Was Built For

The head of household filing status is popularly understood as a tax break for single mothers, a modest acknowledgment that raising children alone costs more than doing it with a partner. That image is not wrong exactly. Roughly 79% of head of household filers are women, and the status was created in 1951 specifically to ease the tax burden on unmarried

taxpayers supporting dependents. Roughly 21 million tax returns claim the status, about 1 in every 7 returns filed. But the way head of household is designed contradicts the way it is perceived. Rather than targeting need, it distributes its largest benefits to the filers who need it least. And the mismatch is no longer academic, because the status itself is now a target.

Consider income. Drawing on IRS Statistics of Income microdata, researchers found that in 2011 a taxpayer at the 25th percentile of the

income distribution filing as head of household saved about $23 a year, while a taxpayer at the 75th percentile saved $1,573, a 68-fold gap. The mechanism is structural rather than incidental. Head of household status works by raising the income thresholds at which higher tax brackets apply, so the benefit accrues only after a filer's income has climbed above them. Low earners have crossed few or none. The Tax Policy Center estimates that only about 8% of the lowest-income families with children benefit from the status at all, since

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many owe no federal income tax to offset in the first place.

Race and gender compound this mismatch. The IRS collects no information on filers' race or sex, which is why this dimension is rarely measured directly and is usually inferred instead. Census data that simulates tax filing status closes that gap. Black people constitute 25.5% of all head of household filers, roughly 1.8 times their 14% share of the general population. Black filers claiming the status are 84.5% female. Black women alone make up 21.6% of all head of

household filers in the country. The group most associated with the policy's image is overrepresented among its filers, while the design ensures the smallest benefits flow to those with the least income.

This pattern is not new to tax scholarship. In 1996, Moran and Whitford showed that seemingly race-neutral provisions rest on household patterns that are demographically more common among white married couples than Black

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LIFESTYLE

3 The Black Art Today Foundation presents“Convergence,” exploring the complexity and importance of the whole, at Gallery B on Sunday, July 19. (Courtesy Photo)

11600 Lockwood Drive, Silver Spring, MD 20904

Washington Informer Weekend Checklist WASHINGTON INFORMER'S

Things To Do, DMV!

By Jordan Armstead WI Intern July has just started, and the DMV is doing it right with this weekend’s feature of cookouts, art exhibits and festivals.

Check out a handful of the many events happening and dive into the Washington Informer Calendar for more.

Thursday, July 16

Gather on the Green: The Cookout 5 p.m. –8 p.m. | Free Concord Historic Site, 8000 Walker Mill Road, Capitol Heights, MD 20743

Come out to the Concord Historic Site on the third Thursday of each month for Black joy, celebration, and gathering – set to the tune of classic cookout songs and line dances.

This free summer concert series is guaranteed fun for the whole family, featuring spades, games, and a double-dutch workshop led by the Bowie branch of the 40+ Double Dutch Club. Folks can also enjoy an outdoor exhibit on the history of African American family reunions, while experiencing the DMV’s hot new mobile party series, Groove Haul.

Celebrate community, Black history, and have a good time!

July in the Galleries with Curator Zsudayka Nzinga Terrell 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. | Free Artists & Makers Studios, 11810 Parklawn Drive, Rockville, MD 20852

Food and Farm Fridays at THEARC Noon – 2 p.m. | Free THEARC Farm, 1901 Mississippi Avenue SE, Washington, D.C., 20020

Artists & Makers Studios is pleased to host curator Zsudayka Nzinga Terrell for the month of July.

Following a First Friday opening on July 10, the exhibit will run through the 30th, placing narratives that are often separated in exhibitions in direct conversation.

Curated by Terell, featured D.C.-area artists include: Quaran Ahmad, Tiya Ayele, D’Mia Yaa Bonner, Neysa Wellington, and many more.

Building Bridges aims to increase the quality of life in Ward 8 through this free food event happening every Friday. Thanks to THEARC Farmers, residents can enjoy harvested vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers from their network of farms in Southeast, D.C.Join the Capital Area Food Bank as they donate thousands of pounds of fresh produce, while D.C. Central Kitchen hands out prepared meals.

Friday, July 17

2026 DC Asian Pacific American Film Festival 6 p.m. – 10 p.m. | $15.00 $20.00 Alamo Drafthouse DC Bryant Street, 630 Rhode Island Avenue NE, Washington, D.C., 20002 The 24th edition of the DC Asian Pacific Film Festival (DCAPAFF) explores the intersection of Indigenous and AANHPI (Asian American, Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander) communities, and features new and repertory films, some of which rarely screen for the public.

The festival will highlight works created in solidarity between Native American and Asian American filmmakers.

All screenings will be followed

by Q&As.

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Saturday, July 18

3rd Annual Summers in White Oak Block Party Noon- 3 p.m | Free with registration required White Oak Garden Apartments,

Join Infinite Legacy for an afternoon of fun, community and wellness. Infinite Legacy, an organization that saves lives through organ, eye, and tissue donation in the D.C. metropolitan area, and District 5 Montgomery County Councilmember Kristen Mink invite parents, children and community members to the Third Annual Summers in White Oak Block Party.

Get access to free health screenings, food and backpacks, while supplies last.

Sunday, July 19

"Convergence" by The Black Art Today Foundation 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.| Free Gallery B, 7700 Wisconsin Avenue Suite E, Bethesda, MD 20814 Gallery B is pleased to present "Convergence” by The Black Art Today Foundation.

Convergence is an exploration of the creative intersections that occur when distinct artistic voices, styles, and mediums collide.

Rather than viewing art through the lens of solitary creation, this exhibition celebrates the dynamic dialogue of collaboration and the striking contrasts of deliberate juxtaposition.

It is a testament to the idea that the whole can be radically different—and profoundly more complex—than the sum of its parts.

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5 The Gather on the Green cookout promises family fun at the Concord Historic Site in Capitol Heights, Maryland, featuring games such as spades, a double-dutch workshop and more. (Courtesy Photo)

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MICHAEL from Page 4 time performance, his marriages, relentless media scrutiny and the extraordinary demands that accompanied worldwide fame.

“But there is clearly more story to be told,” a studio source added.

The box office numbers suggest audiences agree. “Michael” had already become the highest-grossing musical biopic after surpassing “Bohemian Rhapsody” (2018). It now sits atop all biographical films worldwide and is widely expected to become only the second film released in 2026 to cross the $1 billion mark.

For many Washington-area viewers, the film’s success comes as little surprise.

Similarly to Mack, Alethea Brooks, 44, watching “Michael” alongside her children and mother, said many audience members couldn’t resist singing along with Jackson’s biggest hits.

She laughed as she recalled repeatedly whispering to her moth-

LIFESTYLE

er, “Mom, this is not a concert.”

“He was a superstar, a superstar to superstars,” she said of Jackson.

“I certainly see why it’ll pass $1 billion. It just proves that there will never again be another King of Pop. It’s impossible that we will experience another Michael Jackson.”

A Potential Sequel?

Directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring Jackson’s nephew, Jaafar Jackson, in the title role, “Michael” traces the entertainer’s rise from his childhood with the Jackson 5 through his emergence as the King of Pop. Colman Domingo and Nia Long portray Joe and Katherine Jackson.

Should Lionsgate move forward with another film, there would be no shortage of material. The first installment concludes before many defining chapters of Jackson’s adult life, leaving untouched the record-setting Dangerous World Tour, the Super Bowl performance watched by more than 130 million

5 As box office sales continue for “Michael,” numbers reveal the D.C. region helping to propel the film to the highest-grossing biopic ever made. (Courtesy Photo)

viewers, his humanitarian work, fatherhood and the final decades of a career that remained one of the most scrutinized in modern entertainment.

“I’m looking forward to the second movie that we all know is coming,” Brooks said.

For now, neither Branca nor the studio has confirmed a sequel. The

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box office, however, has delivered a powerful argument that audiences are not finished with Michael Jackson’s story.

Jeffrey Jacobs, who saw “Michael” at Regal Majestic in Silver Spring, said the production captured the scale and excitement that made Jackson one of the world’s biggest entertainers.

“Showing the Victory Tour, ‘BAD’ and Pepsi commercial brought back so many memories and Jaafar doesn’t come across as being a Michael impersonator like so many people often do when they try to dance like Michael or portray him,” Jacobs said.

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wi book review "Never Tell a Black Girl How to Black Girl: Essays"

by Amena Brown c.2026, Tiny Rep Books $30 320 pages

Terri Schlichenmeyer WI Contributing Writer Some things can really make you cross.

People telling you your business, for instance. People asking questions they have no reason to know. Folks who criticize your hair or clothes or life.

These things would set anyone off; they'd be the last straw for anybody. As in the new book, "Never Tell a Black Girl How to Black Girl" by Amena Brown, some folks just cross the line.

In a way, it's a matter of grammar.

Depending on how you say it, "Black Girl is a noun and a verb," says Brown. A Black Girl can be a Black Girl… and she can Black Girl. Brown herself has done it "in six countries."

Growing up in North Carolina, she Black Girled her hair her entire life.

Her grandma made her sit for box braids when she was small, telling Brown that she was "tenderheaded." Later, Brown had relaxed hair, until she "went broke" and couldn't afford the process anymore. That was when she got acquainted with her natural hair — although she returned to box braids at least once, and loved them all over again.

As the child of a strict Pentecostal mother, Brown was a "late bloomer."

She didn't drink alcohol until she was in her 20s. She was chaste when dating and she was a better church girl than a party girl. After she left the church, she began experimenting with wine first, then cocktails. She learned to cook, reasoning that the path to finding love started in a kitchen, one that happened to be her grandmother's. And yes, love did eventually come in the form of a red-headed white man who was her friend before he became her boyfriend before he became her mother-sanctioned, grandma-approved husband.

Overall, says Brown, there is no right method to do this.

"There are so many ways to Black Girl, which means the way you Black Girl is beautiful, and the way I Black Girl is beautiful too."

Looking for a collection of addictive, can't-read-just-one essays that'll make you laugh but that also feel like author Amena Brown is peeking at your life? Want a book that speaks to every corner of your existence?

Yeah, then you want "Never Tell a Black Girl How to Black Girl."

You know how it is when you spot something so profound, so right, that you just have to call your friends and read it out loud to them? That's what you'll find here: truth told with humor that's also oozing with warmth. Add honesty that's smart and bold and practically begging for a "Heck, YES!" and you've got your new favorite book.

The essays here are short enough to read in a few minutes, but compelling enough to make you want more, so give yourself room. This is a book for 20- and 30-somethings, but also for their mothers and grandmas who can handle respectful irreverence and surefooted playfulness. Can men enjoy "Never Tell a Black Girl How to Black Girl"? Sure, but it's more for women, cross your heart.

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horoscopes

LIFESTYLE JULY 16 - 22, 2026

ARIES The confrontation you've been avoiding all week is smaller in person than it ever was in your head.

A skill you picked up purely out of necessity is quietly becoming the thing people now count on you for.

Something you rushed past on Monday deserves one more look before you file it away for good. The patience you've been trying to fake all week finally arrives, right on schedule. Lucky Numbers: 4, 22, 58 TAURUS The routine you've quietly kept intact this month is doing more work than anyone gives it credit for. A bill or number you skimmed past too fast last week is worth a second, slower look before Friday arrives. Something you agreed to out of obligation is turning into the part of your week you actually enjoy.

The rest you've been treating as a luxury is closer to a requirement than you'd like to admit. Lucky Numbers: 11, 34, 60 GEMINI The question you keep rewording instead of asking outright is simpler than the version stuck in your head. An old acquaintance reappears this week with a piece of information that reframes something from months ago entirely. Something you started as a passing interest is quietly outpacing the project you called your priority. The distraction you've been scolding yourself for all week is actually pointing you somewhere useful. Lucky Numbers: 8, 29, 63 CANCER The distance you've kept from a noisy situation this month was protective, not avoidant — trust that difference. A promise made lightly a few weeks back is about to ask considerably more of you than expected. Something you've shielded from outside opinion has finally grown sturdy enough to hold up under it. Lucky Numbers: 13, 31, 69 LEO The credit you've been chasing out loud has already been given privately — you just haven't noticed it yet. A plan you set aside out of caution earlier this year deserves a fresh second look under new information. Something you built to impress somebody else is starting to matter to you on its own terms. Lucky Numbers: 17, 42, 75 VIRGO The list you keep revising instead of acting on has already told you what it needs to. A correction you've been quietly putting off will cost far less now than it will in a few weeks' time. Something you've been quietly handling behind the scenes is about to need a visible decision, so have your reasoning ready.

The rest you keep postponing as a reward is actually closer to a requirement. Lucky Numbers: 15, 40, 72 LIBRA The compromise you offered out of habit wasn't necessary this time — the other side was ready to meet you halfway. A relationship that's stayed pleasant but surface-level for months now is clearly signaling it can hold something heavier. Something you left open-ended a while back is drifting toward a close whether or not you name it. Lucky Numbers: 6, 37, 80 SCORPIO The trust you quietly pulled back from a fading situation was the right call, formal announcement or not. A skill you've kept deliberately in reserve all along is about to be the one someone finally asks you for. Something left unfinished on purpose is finally safe to complete without being misread. Lucky Numbers: 19, 48, 85 SAGITTARIUS The freedom you've been waiting on someone else to grant was never really theirs to give or withhold. A connection built entirely on convenience is proving far sturdier than the ones you built on deliberate effort. Something you finished weeks ago is still quietly paying off, if you bother to check. Lucky Numbers: 9, 46, 71 CAPRICORN The effort you consider invisible is the most visible thing in the room to the people actually paying attention. A conversation you've rehearsed only in your head all week will land better spoken plainly than performed. Something you took on as a small favor has quietly become a real credential — claim it.

The private standard you hold yourself to deserves to be said aloud before someone else lowers it. Lucky Numbers: 23, 55, 82 AQUARIUS The idea you floated as a hypothetical is being taken seriously by people who don't deal in hypotheticals — adjust accordingly. A pattern you've quietly pinned on someone else has a piece that traces directly back to you. Something you dropped because the timing felt wrong now has timing that's quietly resolved itself. A partnership that looks complicated on paper is the simplest version of what you've been trying to do alone. Lucky Numbers: 10, 43, 69 PISCES The edge you keep approaching and backing away from has solid ground on the other side, not a drop. Someone generous nearby is waiting for you to say exactly what you need from them. Something you've called temporary has lasted long enough to be named permanent, and naming it will clarify what's next. An instinct you doubted back in the spring turns out to have been right — carry it forward. Lucky Numbers: 5, 33, 64

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SPORTS Mystics Rally Late In Fourth Quarter To Secure Thrilling 84-79 Victory Over Storm

By Skylar Nelson and Marcus Relacion WI Contributing Writer and WI Photographer The Washington Mystics saved their best basketball for the final quarter, rallying past the Seattle Storm with a dominant fourth-quarter performance to earn an 84-79 victory on Sunday, July 12. Washington turned the game around. Washington turned the game around with their surge defense, holding Seattle to just 28.6% while outscoring the Storm 20-11 in the final quarter.

Mystics center Shakira Austin led the team with 27 points, shooting 10-of-18 from the field, two-offour beyond the arc, while recording five rebounds, one assist, and one block against the Storm.

“I [saw] that they were in a good groove,” said Austin. “Seattle had [come] out and we were down for a little bit and I just knew that the team was going to need me. And

just for myself, being able to be dependable is something I continuously work on everyday.”

The comeback was fueled by 10 of Austin’s points as guard Sonia Citron added 19 points, and forward Kiki Iriafen topped it all off recording a double-double of 12 points and 13 rebounds.

Storm guard Natasha Hiedeman led Seattle with a staggering 31 points. Hiedeman got to a fast start and consistently carried the Storm offensively throughout the first three quarters. However, Washington’s defense limited her to just four points in the fourth quarter, which opened the door for the Mystics to have such a riveting comeback.

“It’s just about stacking those days and taking confidence from that…

We may not have won as many games as we wanted, although we are thrilled to get [the 84-79 victory over the Storm],” said Washington Mystics Head Coach Sydney Johnson, “and thrilled about the progress that we've made.” WI

5 Mystics forward Michaela Onyenwere looks at the scoreboard in the team’s 84-79 win over the Seattle Storm on July 12. (Marcus Relacion/The Washington Informer)

5 DMV native and tennis star Francis Tiafoe sits courtside ahead of the 2026 Mubadala DC Open, as the Mystics defeated the Seattle Storm 84-79 at CareFirst Arena on July 12. (Marcus Relacion/The Washington Informer) 3 Mystics forward Michaela Onyenwere looks at the scoreboard in the team’s 84-79 win over the Seattle Storm on July 12. (Marcus Relacion/ The Washington Informer)

5 Mystics guard Georgia Amoore looks to move along the perimeter to make a play as Storm defenders settle into position. (Marcus Relacion/The Washington Informer) 3 Mystics guard Sonia Citron looks to bank in a shot in the team’s 84-79 win over the Seattle Storm on Sunday, July 12 at CareFirst Arena. (Marcus Relacion/The Washington Informer)

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CAPTURE the moment

The Town of Capitol Heights marked the successful completion of its 2026 STEM Program with a celebration at the Capitol Heights Community Center. Students were recognized for their hard work and dedication after completing hands-on learning experiences in robotics, coding, drone technology, 3D printing and science.

Families, friends and community leaders came together to celebrate their achievements and the bright future ahead.

(Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer)

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RELIGION BISHOP from Page 1 stone for Boxie –– former Catholic chaplain of Howard University who is now the youngest prelate in America.

“It’s a rare occasion where one gets a glimpse of one's entire life before them. I see my past, my present…and I see my future here in the Archdiocese of Washington,” Boxie, 45, told the room in Northeast, D.C. “All of you are a special reminder of my journey here today. I look forward to growing with you as fellow disciples of Jesus Christ, serving you with all humility and joy.”

Studniewski and Boxie were appointed by Pope Leo XIV, the first American to lead the Catholic Church, and formally consecrated

by Cardinal Robert McElroy, along

with co-consecrators Cardinal Wilton Gregory and Bishop Mark Brennan.

Succeeding former prelate, the Most Rev. Roy E. Campbell Jr., the two new auxiliary bishops will assist McElroy in numerous administrative duties along with a group of auxiliary bishops.

Atop the pulpit of the basilica, Boxie doubled down on his pledge –– all of which includes leading with collaboration and morality first.

“I have the privilege to experience the various expressions of faith that make up this archdiocese. And I look forward to visiting your communities to learn from you,” Boxie said in his remarks at the mass, “to listen to your stories, to discern together how the Holy Spirit calls

3 Auxiliary Bishop Robert Boxie prays over an attendee following his episcopal ordination on July 7. (Jacques A. Benovil/The Washington Informer)

each of us to deeper communion.”

For Donna Crawford-Townsend, a member of St. Augustine Catholic Church, Boxie’s record is nothing short of a glimpse of the promise he holds for the community as a whole.

“I have firsthand witnessed him working with the students at Howard University for years. I think the legacy that he’s going to bring is open-mindedness,” Crawford-Townsend told The Informer.

A ‘Moment of Hope’ for the Catholic Church

From the official papal ambassador (Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia) to various bishops, priests, and deacons, the sanctuary was packed with supporters on July 7.

Among the local African American parishes present include: Northwest, D.C.’s Saint Martin De Tours Catholic Church and St. Augustine Catholic Church — where Boxie was a member prior to seminary; the Basilica of Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Norfolk, Virginia; and supporters from the prelate’s stomping grounds of the Howard University campus ministry.

“The number of Black bishops has been dwindling,” said Deacon Robert White Sr., father of D.C. Councilmember Robert White and a member of Saint Martin De Tours Church in Washington. “That’s exciting for us…to [quote the Broadway musical] “Hamilton,” [to have] someone in the room where it happens.”

In a recent interview with Thrive Magazine, home to Boxie’s native Lake Charles, Louisiana, the bishop

30 JULY 16 - 22, 2026

outlined his new roles to include outreach oversight related to cultural diversity, youth and young adults, special needs, ecumenical and interfaith relations, as well as other ministries.

He also serves as archdiocesan vicar for cultural communities and Sceniality, where he will assist with the archdiocese’s revitalization efforts in the local Black Catholic community, including staffing and resource allocation.

Maryland resident Okezie Nwoka said the appointment demonstrates a faith system moving towards the priorities that Boxie exemplified himself.

“Bishop Boxie actually tackled one of the most primary or salient issues I think any bishop could tackle, which is representation,” Nwoka, who attended the July 7 Mass, told The Informer in a statement. “It’s important to address the concerns of the people universally, and not just elevate [one group] over that of other people.”

Age aside, the appointment marks a triumphant moment for Black representation at large.

As the first new African American prelate since 2017 (when Campbell was appointed), Boxie recognized the ancestral giants of the Black Catholic clergy during his remarks at Mass, including the Holy Seven, Father Augustus Tolton, Sister Thea Bowman, Bishop Harold R. Perry, and Bishop Leonard Olivier.

Further, Boxie is the first member of the Divine Nine –– comprised of the historically Black Greek-letter Organizations –– to hold this position within the Catholic Diocese.

“And by God's grace, if he becomes a cardinal, he will be able to

vote for the Pope for the next 35 years,” Deacon White continued.

Northeast D.C. resident Earline Davis touted the work of a faith leader whose reach extends beyond a single sector. From building intergenerational spaces to the Black community serving as his “pride and joy,” Davis said Boxie captures a broader purpose that will prove useful in this new role.

“He has the world and the energy to do and to meet the people where they are,” she told The Informer.

While nodding to his partnership with Studniewski, Boxie said he’s ready to chart the path of righteousness and opportunity –– living as the blueprint that walks the talk.

“If you've ever thought about a priest as your religious vocation, this is your sign to take the next step…

If you have ever felt discouragement from the church or challenged by the world in which we live, let this be a moment of hope,” Boxie declared to all young people.

In passing his mantle forward, Cardinal McElroy’s word to the wise boosted solace and inspiration in the joys of episcopacy, which he said can invoke a new vision for the Church of today and tomorrow.

“At every moment, Jesus says in today's Gospel: 'I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give to you,'” said the now-retired archbishop in his homily. “Let this profound hope and conviction be your ultimate source of joy as you begin your episcopal ministry, and let it be the source of joy for all of us in this blessed Archdiocese of Washington." WI

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

the religion corner

RELIGION

WITH LYNDIA GRANT

The Lesson of the Tumbleweed

A tumbleweed is the perfect symbol for a modern spiritual crisis.

Unlike deep-rooted trees, a tumbleweed breaks off from its base once it dies, becoming a detached, hollow shell. Without roots to hold it in the ground, it loses all control over its direction. It is entirely at the mercy of the shifting winds.

In this week's column, we examine a spiritual and psychological crisis playing out in the lives of many people today — one driven by different types of winds, including: The Wind of Ignorance: Many people today live like the tumbleweed, rolling from one ideology, trend or relationship to the next. They go whichever way the wind blows because they lack a foundation of divine knowledge. Without spiritual truth or a firm moral anchor, they cannot discern reality from deception. They mistake the movement of tumbling for actual progress, when in reality there is no telling where they may end up — there is no guidance in this wind of ignorance.

The Wind of Trauma: For others, the root was broken long ago by childhood trauma, such as sexual abuse by family members, neighbors, church members and even pastors — predators of every kind. Unhealed wounds and severe emotional neglect frequently manifest as mental illness later in life. This internal chaos shatters a person's sense of stability. It leaves them highly vulnerable to psychological and spiritual drifting, desperately searching for any wind that promises relief.

Regardless of which wind may have tossed your life around, here is some scriptural guidance to help you stay rooted: • Ephesians 4:14: "Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching ..."

• Jeremiah 17:7-8: "But blessed is

the one who trusts in the Lord ... They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream."

• Proverbs 24:3-4: "By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures."

• Isaiah 61:3: "To bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair."

My goal in sharing this column is to offer steps for how a victim of trauma's winds — and others — can overcome the drifting life.

Let's first look at some real-world icons.

Oprah Winfrey • During Oprah's tumbleweed phase: Winfrey has spoken publicly about surviving severe childhood poverty, unstable housing and family abuse, leaving her rootless and traumatized as a teenager.

• The structural shift: She gained strict household discipline, high reading requirements and rigid personal boundaries while living with her father in Nashville — structure she has credited with turning her life around.

• Her scriptural anchor: Proverbs 3:11-12 — embracing the structure of loving discipline to find your path.

Jay-Z (Shawn Carter) • In Jay-Z's tumbleweed phase: He was left to drift through the highstakes, chaotic and lawless environment of street drug dealing.

• The structural shift: Jay-Z channeled his survival instincts into a strict corporate blueprint, establishing financial literacy and independent business structures.

• His scriptural anchor: Proverbs 24:3-4 — building a secure house through strategic wisdom and knowledge.

Tyler Perry • In Tyler Perry's tumbleweed phase: He survived brutal childhood physical and sexual abuse, leading to severe depression, school expulsion and periods of homelessness.

• The structural shift: He began using structured writing schedules as psychological therapy, taking full ownership of his creative production routines.

• His scriptural anchor: Isaiah 61:3 — trading the ashes of trauma for a structured garment of praise.

Your Anchored Blueprint: A ThreeStep Rooting Guide You Can Use Daily 1. The anchoring morning routine To break the tumbleweed cycle, you must win the first hour of the day through rigid, nonnegotiable spiritual habits.

• First 15 minutes: Silence, prayer and Scripture reading. Do not touch your phone. Anchor your mind in eternal truth before the culture throws its wind at you.

• Next 15 minutes: Journaling.

Write down any lingering anxiety or trauma triggers from yesterday to clear the emotional baggage from your mind.

• Final 30 minutes: Physical discipline — a structured workout, stretching or a planned, healthy meal to establish command over your physical vessel.

Your Anchored Sanctuary

"Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord ... They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream." — Jeremiah 17:7-8 My truth: I am no longer a tumbleweed blown by trauma, ignorance or mental chaos. I accept divine discipline. I build a daily structure. My roots run deep into eternal truth.

Concluding prayer Heavenly Father, I confess that for too long I have lived like a tumbleweed, allowing the unhealed wounds of my childhood, the winds of mental exhaustion and a lack of divine knowledge to blow me off course. I cut ties with the spirit of drift today. I repent of going wherever the world pushes me.

WI Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

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JULY 16 - 22, 2026 31

RELIGION The Miracle Center of Faith Missionary Baptist Church Bishop Michael C. Turner, Sr. Senior Pastor 9161 Hampton Overlook Capitol Heights, MD 20743 Phone: 301-350-2200 / Fax: 301-499-8724 Service and Times Sunday Worship Times : 7:30 AM 7 10:00 AM Communion: 1st Sunday Sunday School: 9:00 AM Bible Study: Wednesday, 12 Noon Bible Study in homes: Tuesday 7:00 PM Website: www.themiraclecenterFMBC.com Email: Miraclecenterfmbs@gmail.com Motto: “We Walk by Faith, Not by Sight”

Blessed Word

Pilgrim Baptist Church Rev. Joel R. Limerick Pastor

Rev. Dr. Paul Carrette Senior Pastor

700 I Street, N.E. Washington, D.C. 20002 (202) 547-8849

4915 Wheeler Road Oxon Hill, MD 20745 301-894-6464

Service and Times In Person Worship: Sunday @ 9:30 A.M. Streaming: Sunday @ 9:30 A.M. www.pilgrimbaptistdc.org Prayer & Study: Wednesday @ 12 Noon and 7:00 P.M.

Service and Times Sunday Service: 10:00 AM Bible Study: Wednesday 7:30 PM Communion Service: First Sunday

www.pilgrimbaptistdc.org

Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ

Dr. Dekontee L. & Dr. Ayele A. Johnson Pastors

Reverend William Young IV Pastor

4001 14th Street, NW Washington, DC 20011 (202) 265-6147 Office 1-800 576-1047 Voicemail/Fax

3845 South Capitol Street Washington, DC 20032 (202) 562-5576 (Office) / (202) 562-4219 (Fax)

Service and Times Sunday School: 9:30 AM Sunday Morning Worship Service: 11:00 AM Communion Service: First Sunday Prayer Service/Bible Study: Tuesday, 6:30 PM www.blessedwordoflifechurch.org

Mount Carmel Baptist Church

901 Third Street N.W. Washington, DC. 20001 Phone (202) 842-3411 Fax (202) 682-9423 Service and Times Sunday Church School : 9:00 AM Sunday Morning Worship: 10:10 AM Bible Study Tuesday: 6: 00 PM Prayer Service Tuesday: 7:00 PM Holy Communion: 3rd Sunday 10:10 AM themcbc.org

Services and Times Sundays: 10:00am Worship Services Bible Study: Wonderful Wednesdays in Worship and the Word Bible Study Wednesdays 12:00 Noon; 6:30 PM (dinner @ 5:30 PM) Sunday School: 9:00 AM – Hour of Power “An inclusive ministry where all are welcomed and affirmed.” www.covenantdc.org

Mount Olivet Lutheran Church

Service and Times Sunday Early Morning Worship 8:00 AM Sunday School 9:30 AM Sunday Morning Worship 11:00 AM Tuesday: 7:00 PM – Kingdom Building Bible Institute Wednesday: 12:30 PM – Mid-Day Bible Study Wednesday: 7:00 PM – Evening Bible Study Baptism - 3rd Sunday – Communion 4th Sunday Free Food Giveaway – Every Tuesday, 11:00 am – 3:00 pm “We are One in the Spirit” www.ssbcmd.org | secretary@ssbcmd.org

Campbell AME Church

2562 MLK Jr. Ave., SE - Washington, DC 20020 Adm. Office 202-678-2263 Email: Campbell@mycame.org

Service and Times Divine Worship, Sunday 10:00 a.m.

Communion 1st and 3rd Sunday “Friendliest Church in the City” Website: mountolivetdc.org Email: mtolivedc@gmail.com

Dr. E. Gail Anderson Holness - Senior Pastor Rev. Ali Gail Holness-Roland Assistant & Youth Pastor

32 JULY 16 - 22, 2026

Bishop Lanier C. Twyman, Sr. / Senior Pastor 5757 Temple Hill Road, Temple Hills, MD 20748 Office 301.899.8885 – Fax 301.899.2555

1306 Vermont Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20005

Rev. Dr. James Coleman Pastor

Website: www.allnationsbaptistchurch.com All Nations Baptist Church – A Church of Standards

St. Stephen Baptist Church

Rev. Terrance M. McKinley Senior Pastor

Adams Inspirational A.M.E. Church

Service and Times Sunday Church School – 9:30 AM Sunday Worship Service – 11:00 AM Holy Communion – 1st Sunday at 11:00 AM Prayer – Wednesdays, 6:00 PM Bible Study – Wednesdays, 7:00 PM Christian Education / School of Biblical Knowledge Saturdays, 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM, Call for Registration

www.livingwatersmd.org

John F. Johnson Reverend Dr.

All Nations Baptist Church

2001 North Capitol St, N.E. - Washington, DC 20002 Phone (202) 832-9591

Church of Living Waters

12801 Old Fort Road • Ft. Washington, MD 20744 Office (301) 292.6323 • FAX (301) 292.2164 Service and Times Sunday Worship 10:15 am Sunday Church School 11:00 am Youth Sunday every 4th Sunday Prayer Call @ Noon every Tuesday & Thursday 978.990.5166 code: 6166047# Virtual Bible Study Wednesday Facebook & Zoom 7:00 pm “A Growing Church for a Coming Christ” www.adamsinspirationalamec.org

Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 10:00 AM Sunday Church School: 8:45 AM Bible Study: Wednesday: 12:00 Noon, Wednesday: 7:00 PM, Thursday: 7:00 PM “Reaching Up To Reach Out” Mailing Address : Campbell AME Church 2502 Stanton Road SE - Washington, DC 20020

Emmanuel Baptist Church Rev. Christopher L. Nichols Pastor 2409 Ainger Place SE Washington, DC 20020 / Office: (202) 678-0884 “Moving Faith Forward” 0% Perfect . . . 100% Forgiven!

Service and Times Sunday: Worship Service – 9:00 AM & 11:00 AM 3rd Sunday: Unity Service – 11:00 AM (Only One Service) Sunday School: 10:00 AM Monday: Unity Bible Study – 5:00 PM Call-In Number: (646) 749-3112/ Access Code: 971155757 Tuesday: Prayer Service – 6:00 PM & Family Bible Study – 7:00 PM Call-In Number: (872) 240-3212/Access Code: 164695965 Wednesday: Noonday Worship – 12:00 PM Thursday: Adult Bible Study – 7:00 PM Call-In Number: (646) 749-3112/Access Code: 843069541 Friday: Impact Focus (Online) – 7:30 PM Saturday: Children's Church (Online) – 6:00 PM Website: www.ebcwdc.org

Third Street Church of God Rev. Cheryl J. Sanders, Th.D. Senior Pastor

Isle of Patmos Baptist Church Reverend Dr. Calvin L. Matthews Senior Pastor

1204 Third Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 202-347-5889 office / 202-638-1803 fax

1200 Isle of Patmos Plaza, Northeast Washington, DC 20018 Office: (202) 529-6767 - Fax: (202) 526-1661

Services and Times Sunday School: 9:30 AM Sunday Worship: 11:00 AM Sunday Community Worship Service: 8:30 AM

Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 7:30 AM and 10:30 AM Holy Communion: 2nd Sunday at 7:30 AM and 10:30 AM Sunday Church School: 9:20 AM Seniors Bible Study: Tuesdays at 10:30 AM Noon Day Prayer Service: Tuesdays at Noon Bible Study: Tuesdays at 7 PM Motto: “A Ministry of Reconciliation Where Everybody is Somebody!”

Website: http://isleofpatmosbc.org Church Email: ipbcsecretary@verizon.net

“Ambassadors for Christ to the Nation’s Capital” www.thirdstreet.org Live Stream Sunday Worship Service begins @ 12:00 noon www.thirdstreet.org

Mt. Zion Baptist Church

Reverend John W. Davis Pastor 5101 14th Street, NW / Washington, DC 20011 Phone: 202-726-2220 Fax: 202-726-9089 Service and Times Sunday Worship Service - 8:00 a.m. & 11:00 a.m.

Children’s Church - 11:00 a.m. (1st & 3rd Sundays) Communion - 10 a.m. 4th Sunday Sunday School - 9:15 a.m. (4th Sunday 8:15 a.m.)

Prayer Meeting & Bible Study - Wednesday 7:00 p.m.

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

Pennsylvania Ave. Baptist Church Rev. Dr. Kendrick E. Curry Pastor 3000 Pennsylvania Ave.. S.E Washington, DC 20020 202 581-1500 Service and Times Sunday Church School: 9:30 AM Sunday Worship Service: 11:00 AM Monday Adult Bible Study: 7:00 PM Wednesday Youth & Adult Activities: 6:30 PM Prayer Service Bible Study

Holy Trinity United Baptist Church Rev. Dr. George C. Gilbert Senior Pastor 4504 Gault Place, N.E. / Washington, D.C 20019 202-397-7775 – 7184 Service and Times Sunday Church School: 9:30 AM Sunday Worship Service : 11:00 AM The Lord’s Supper 1st Sunday Prayer & Praise Services: Wednesday 7:00 PM Bible Study: 7:30 PM Saturday before 4th Sunday Men, Women, Youth Discipleship Ministries: 10:30 AM

Greater Mt. Calvary Holy Church Bishop Alfred A. Owens, Jr. Senior Bishop & Evangelist Susie C. Owens – Co-Pastor 610 Rhode Island Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002 (202) 529-4547 office • (202) 529-4495 fax

Sunday Worship Service: 8:00 AM and 10:45 AM Sunday Youth Worship Services: 1st & 4th 10:45 AM; 804 R.I. Ave., NE 5th 8 AM & 10:45 AM; Main Church Prayer Services Tuesday – Noon, Wednesday 6:00 AM & 6:30 PM Calvary Bible Institute: Year-Round Contact Church / Communion Every 3rd Sunday The Church in The Hood that will do you Good! www.gmchc.org / emailus@gmchc.org

Shiloh Church of God 7th Day Elder Jonathan M. Carson Senior Pastor

5701 Eastern Avenue, Hyattsville, MD 20782 Phone: 301 559-5262 Service and Times Sabbath Worship @ 1:00 pm in-person/FB/Zoom Tuesday - Prayer@ 7:30 pm on Zoom Wednesday - Bible Study@ 7:30 pm on Zoom Friday - Sabbath School@ 7:30 pm on Zoom Web: shiloh7thday.org Email: shiloh7thdaycomm@gmail.com "A culturally diverse church of edification, deliverance and transformation"

Place your church ad here!

Contact Ron Burke rburke@washingtoninformer.com

A Christ Centered Church htubc@comcast.net

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RELIGION Zion Baptist Church

Israel Baptist Church Rev. Lance Aubert Senior Pastor

Rev. Keith W. Byrd, Sr. Pastor 4850 Blagdon Ave, NW - Washington D.C 20011 Phone (202) 722-4940 - Fax (202) 291-3773 Service and Times 9:00 a.m. – Sunday School 10:15 a.m. – Worship Service Wed. Noon: Dea. Robert Owens Bible Study 7 PM Pastor’s Bible Study Ordinance of Baptism 2nd Sunday, Holy Communion 4th Sunday Mission: Zion shall: Enlist Sinners, Educate Students, Empower the Suffering, Encourage the Saints, And Exalt our Savior. (Acts 2: 41-47) www.zionbaptistchurchdc.org

St. Luke Baptist Church

1251 Saratoga Ave., NE Washington, DC 20018 (202) 269-0288 Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 10:45 AM Sunday School: 9:15 AM Holy Communion1st Sunday: 10:45 AM Prayer Service: Wednesday at 6:30 PM Bible Study: Wednesday at 7:00 PM Bible Study: Tuesday at 10:30 AM

Mount Moriah Baptist Church Dr. Lucius M. Dalton Senior Pastor

Rev. Aubrey C. Lewis Pastor 1415 Gallatin Street, NW Washington, DC 20011-3851 P: (202) 726-5940 Service and Times Sunday Worship: 11:00 AM Sunday School: 9:15 AM Holy Communion: 11:00 a.m., 3rd Sun. Bible Institute: Wednesday - 1:30 PM Prayer Meeting: Wednesday - 12:00 Noon

Rehoboth Baptist Church

1301 North Carolina Ave. N E Washington, D C 20002 202 543 1318 - lincolnpark@lpumcdc.org www.lpumcdc.org Service and Times Sunday Worship: 10:00 AM Holy Communion: First Sunday 10:00 AM Sunday School: 9:00 AM Bible Study: Wednesday @ 12 noon and 6:30 PM Motto: "Faith On The Hill"

Eastern Community Baptist Church Damion M. Briggs Pastor

Elder Herman L. Simms Pastor 5606 Marlboro Pike District Heights, MD 20747 301-735-6005

Apostolic in Doctrine, Pentecostal in Experience, Holiness in Living, Uncompromised and Unchanged.

The Apostolic Faith is still alive –Acts 2:42

“Where God is Praised, Christ is Obeyed, and People are Loved”

New Commandment Baptist Church Rev. Stephen E. Tucker Senior Pastor

Service and Times Sunday Worship Services: 7:45 AM and 10:45 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sundays at 7:45 AM & 10:45 AM Sunday School: 9:30 AM Prayer & Praise Service: Tuesdays at 12 noon & 6:30 PM Bible Study: Tuesdays at 1 pm and 7 PM Youth Bible Study: Fridays at 7 PM Web: www.mountmoriahchurch.org Email: mtmoriah@mountmoriahchurch.org

Service and Times Early Morning Message: 7:30 AM Sunday Morning Worship Service: 10:00 AM Sunday Church School: 9:00 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sunday 7:30 AM & 10:00 AM Prayer, Praise and Testimony: Wednesday 7:00 PM Bible Study: Wednesday 7:30 PM

Service and Times Sunday Worship: 11 AM Sunday School: 10 AM Wednesday Mid-Week Worship, Prayer & Bible Study: Wed. 7 PM

The Reverend Canon Michele Hagans Priest

621 Alabama Ave., S.E.- Washington, D.C. 20032 P: (202) 561-1111 - F: (202) 561-1112

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

Promised Land Baptist Church

Dr. Joseph D. Turner Senior Pastor

Service and Times Sunday Apostolic Worship Services 11:00 A.M and 5:00 PM Communion and Feet Wash 4th Sunday at 5:00 PM Prayer/Seeking: Wednesday at 8:00 PM

13701 Old Jericho Park Road Bowie, MD. 20720 (301) 262-0560

“Real Worship for Real People” Website: www.easterncommunity.org Email: ecc@easterncommunity.org

Matthews Memorial Baptist Church

2616 MLK Ave., SE - Washington, DC 20020 Office 202-889-3709 - Fax 202-678-3304 Service and Times Sunday Worship Service: 9:30 AM Holy Communion: 1st Sunday 9:30 AM Sunday School: 8:15 AM Bible Study: Wednesdays at Noon Baptism: 4th Sunday 9:30 AM

8213 Manson Street Landover, MD 20785 Tel: (301) 322-9787 Fax: (301) 322-9240

Rev. Curtis l. Staley Pastor

Motto: “Where God is First and Where Friendly People Worship”

Rev. Richard B. Black Interim Pastor

Sermon On The Mount Temple Of Joy Apostolic Faith

1636 East Capitol Street, NE Washington, DC 20003 Telephone: 202-544-5588 - Fax: 202-544-2964

Historic St. Mary’s Episcopal Church

Service and Times Sunday Service: 10:00 AM Sunday School for all ages: 8:30 AM 1st Sunday Baptism: 10:00 AM 2nd Sunday Holy Communion:10:00 AM Tuesday: Bible Study: 6:30 PM Prayer Meeting: 7:45 PM

Lincoln Park United Methodist Church

“A Church Where Love Is Essential and Praise is Intentional”

First Rising Mt. Zion Baptist Church

Website address: www.mmbcdc.org

Peace Baptist Church Rev. Dr. Michael T. Bell 712 18th Street, NE Washington, DC 20002 Phone 202-399-3450/ Fax 202-398-8836 Service and Times Sunday Early Morning Prayer & Bible Study Class: 8:00 AM Sunday School: 9:00 AM Sunday Morning Worship Service: 10:00 AM Wednesday Service: 12:00 PM “The Loving Church of the living lord “ Email Address: admin@pbc712.org

Mt. Horeb Baptist Church

Rev. Oran W. Young Pastor

Rev. Dr. H. B. Sampson, III Pastor

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

602 N Street NW - Washington, D.C. 20001 Office:(202) 289-4480 / Fax: (202) 289-4595

Service and Times Sunday Worship 10:30 am Zoom: zoom.us/;/2028828331 Bible Study: Wednesday 7:00pm Communion Every First Sunday

Service and Times Adult Sunday School: 8:00 AM Sunday Worship Services: 9:30 AM Youth/Young Adult Sunday School 12:00 PM Midday Prayer & Bible Study: Wednesday 11:30AM Evening Prayer & Bible Study: Wednesday 7:00 PM Laymen's League: Thursday 7:00 PM

2914 Bladensburg Road, NE Wash., DC 20018 Office: (202) 529-3180 - Fax: (202) 529-7738 Service and Times Worship Service: 7:30 AM Sunday School: 9:00 AM Worship Service: 10:30 AM Holy Communion: 4th Sunday 7:30AM & 10:30 AM Prayer Services:Tuesday 7:30 PM. Wednesday 12 Noon

Rev Kevin A. O'Bryant Pastor

"Serve, teach and Live by precept and example the saving grace of Jesus Christ."

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

Email: Froffice@firstrising.org Website: www.firstrising.org “Changing Lives On Purpose “

Email:mthoreb@mthoreb.org Website:www.mthoreb.org For further information, please contact me at (202) 529-3180

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JULY 16 - 22, 2026 33

LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

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

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

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

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

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

2025 ADM 000340

2026 ADM 000636

2026 ADM 000630

2026 ADM 000628

2026 ADM 000653

Estate of David Brunson

Linda Nellums Decedent

Mary Louise Lyles Decedent

Lecora Nickens Decedent

Thomas Wade Decedent

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

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

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

Lynette Holiday, whose address is 5224 Eastern Ave., NE, Washington, DC 20011, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Linda Nellums who died on August 12, 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 1/2/2027. 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 1/2/2027, 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.

William M. Lyles/Kim M. Lyles, whose addresses are 8908 Doris Drive, Ft. Washington, MD 20744 / 3638 Monte Carlo Pl., District Hgts., MD 20747, were appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of Mary Louise Lyles who died on 12/20/2024 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 1/2/2027. 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 1/2/2027, 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.

James Larry Frazier, Esq. 918 Maryland Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002 Attorney

NOTICE OF STANDARD PROBATE Notice is hereby given that a petition has been filed in this Court by Eugene Latson 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.

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 a supervised personal representative Date of first publication: 7/2/2026 Peter Mann 1350 Connecticut Avenue, NW, #606 Washington, DC 20036 Petitioner/Attorney: TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

Date of first publication: 7/2/2026 Lynette Holiday Personal Representative

Date of first publication: 7/2/2026 William M. Lyles Kim M. Lyles Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Gale P. Pace, whose address is 12002 Deka Road, Clinton, MD 20735, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Lecora Nickens who died on April 10, 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 1/9/2027. 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 1/9/2027, 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: 7/9/2026 Gale P. Pace Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Clarisa Wade, whose address is 3298 Ft. Lincoln Dr., NE #505, Washington, DC 20018, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Thomas Wade who died on July 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 1/9/2027. 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 1/9/2027, 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: 7/9/2026 Clarisa Wade Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

Washington Informer

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

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

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

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

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

2026 ADM 000679

2025 ADM 000994

2026 ADM 000656

2026 ADM 000648

2026 ADM 000044

Kaye Bonner Williams Decedent

Paul F. Wood aka Paul Frederick Wood Decedent

Mary Ann Floto Decedent

James C. Thompson Decedent

Thelma R. Jordan Decedent

Augusto D. Macedo 1629 K Street, NW, Suite 300 Washington, DC 20006 Attorney

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

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

Matthew C. Floto, whose address is 5407 Carolina Place, NW, Washington, DC 20016, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Mary Ann Floto who died on 1/30/2025 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 1/9/2027. 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 1/9/2027, 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.

Antonionette D. Segwick, whose address is 615 Oneida Street, NE, Washington, DC 20011, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of James C. Thompson who died on 6/1/2014 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding.

Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 1/9/2027. 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 1/9/2027, 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.

Brian L. Kass 4301 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 434 Washington, DC 20008 Attorney

Date of first publication: 7/9/2026

Date of first publication: 7/9/2026

Matthew C. Floto Personal Representative

Antonionette D. Segwick Personal Representative

Date of first publication: 7/9/2026

TRUE TEST COPY

TRUE TEST COPY

Tycia Haight Personal Representative

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

Washington Informer

Darrel S. Parker, Esq. 5335 Wisconsin Ave., NW, #440 Washington, DC 20015 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Cheryl Rene Lyles, whose address is 9410 Summer Sun Lane, Pearland, TX 77584, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Kaye Bonner Williams who died on April 10, 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 1/9/2027. 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 1/9/2027, 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: 7/9/2026 Cheryl Rene Lyles Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Tycia Haight, whose address is 15719 John Diskin Circle, Woodbridge, VA 22191, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Paul F. Wood aka Paul Frederick Wood who died on 2/3/2021 with a Will and will serve without Court supervision.

All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 1/9/2027. 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 1/9/2027, 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.

TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Brian L. Kass, whose address is 4301 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 434, Washington DC 20008, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Thelma R. Jordan who died on March 22, 2020 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding.

Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 1/16/2027. 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 1/16/2027, 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: 7/16/2026 Brian L. Kass Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

Washington Informer

34 JULY 16 - 22, 2026

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

LEGAL NOTICES SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2026 ADM 000698 Deborah Yvonne Walker Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Karen Walker Poole, whose address is 400 Jefferson Street, NE, Washington DC 20011, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Deborah Yvonne Walker who died on April 15, 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 1/16/2027. 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 1/16/2027, 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: 7/16/2026

TRUE TEST COPY

Washington Informer

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SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2026 FEP 000089 12/24/2023 Date of Death Saundra Brown Asante Name of Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS Ruby Smith whose address is 11206 King Gallahan Court, Clinton Maryland 20735 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Saundra Brown Asante, deceased, by the Circuit Court for Prince Georges County, State of Maryland, on March 8, 2024.

Service of process may be made upon Darchelle Young 2619 Bowen Road SE, Apt 103, Washington DC 20020 whose designation as District of Columbia agent has been filed with the Register of Wills, D.C. The decedent owned the following District of Columbia real property: 1329 Adams Street NE, Washington, DC 20018. 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.

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

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Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Ruby Smith Personal Representative

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JULY 16 - 22, 2026 35

MAAFA from Page 1

INTERNATIONAL from Page 18

The Macedonia Baptist Church— a literal church on a hill— remains an eye-catching relic of a once-thriving Black neighborhood, now nestled near a Chase Bank and across the street from an Extra Space Storage.

“Every Sunday, miraculously all these Black people would show up, and I was curious as to why only on Sundays would I finally start seeing a lot of Black people in this area,” Dr. Coleman-Adebayo told The Informer, remembering her first moments on River Road.

Originally from Detroit, Coleman-Adebayo moved to D.C. to accept a position as a professor at American University. She began attending Sunday service at the Macedonia Baptist Church and noticed that much of the Black congregation did not live in the surrounding community.

After becoming a member of the church and then First Lady, she was asked to take up a social justice ministry. Her first assignment was to attend a Maryland-National Capital Parks and Planning Commission (MNCPPC) meeting and to sign off on a sector plan for the property across the street from her church, where a governmental agency assured her that there was no cemetery.

At first, being unaware of the possible existence of a cemetery, Coleman-Adebayo remembers Harvey Matthews, a former resident, speaking out about the plans. “[Matthews] said, ‘I’m not sure where you are getting this information from, but there is a cemetery across the street from my church, and I used to play in that cemetery as a child because the parks in Montgomery County were segregated,’” Coleman-Adebayo recalled.

Public spaces in Montgomery County, for example, Glen Echo Park (the park referred to by Matthews), did not become desegregated until a few years after the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

“A number of our members from the River Road community remembered and spoke at the meeting about not being able to play or even walk through the park,” Coleman-Adebayo told The Informer.

The educator and community leader told The Informer that once MNCPPC staff were faced with questions about the existence of the cemetery and its human remains, they dismissed any further discussion on the matter. Coleman-Adebayo, an experienced whistleblower against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), picked up on a sense that the

“The Assassination of President William R. Tolbert” follows Barclay's production of several film projects, including those about the civil wars that rocked Liberia in the 1990s and early 2000s, and the Ebola outbreak that overwhelmed the country’s fragile health care infrastructure between 2014 and 2016.

Those watching the Tolbert assassination film on July 18 and July 19 will hear straight from: Dr. Tolbert; surviving Tolbert cabinet member Elwood Dunn; Neh Dukuly-Tolbert, Liberian diplomat and wife of the late Liberian Finance Minister Stephen Tolbert; Liberian warlord-turned-clergyman Joshua Blahyi; and Niels Hahn, author of “Two Centuries of US Military Operations in Liberia.”

Barclay, who returned to Liberia as an adult for the first time in 2004, started production of the Tolbert film during the 2024 wreath laying ceremony that marked the April 22 execution of the 13 Tolbert cabinet members.

He called the 21-month project a cathartic experience, one that allowed him to revisit a pivotal moment in his life.

“A lot of people have their own versions of the story. I was 11 years old, and I didn't really understand what was going on, and then a lot of the history wasn't documented,” Barclay told The Informer. “All of the people who watch the film are going to walk away knowing these are the things that are attributed to it, whether it be the colonial introduction in the early-tomid 1800s, all the way to involvement with the CIA and other outside forces leading to the destruction.”

Tolbert, a descendent of formerly enslaved African Americans who immigrated to Liberia in the 1870s, served as vice president during the presidency of William V.S. Tubman.

By the time of his assassination, he made a name for himself as the first African president of the Baptist World Alliance, and the second Americo-Liberian president fluent in an indigenous Liberian language.

After Tubman’s death in 1971, Tolbert assumed the helm of Liberia, later winning re-election in 1975. The hallmarks of his presidency included his attempt to bring more indigenous Liberians into the government, his insistence on presidential term limits, the establishment of the Economic Community of West African States, severance of ties with Israel, and, much to the chagrin of the U.S., Liberia’s Cold War-era alliance with the Soviet

36 JULY 16 - 22, 2026

5 Babe Mosi Matsimela holding the Juneteenth and Pan-African flags. (Tatiana Allen/ The Washington Informer)

organization was trying to hide something.

“I told the staff, ‘No, the conversation was not over, because there are members of my church who are unaccounted for,’” Coleman-Adebayo said, “and I wanted to [say], ‘Tell me right now where the members of my church are located.’”

She started researching the history of River Road and the church’s connection to Moses Cemetery, which inspired her to start The Bethesda African Cemetery Coalition (BACC).

“This is a fight for land. We believe that this land should belong to the Black community because our family members, our descendants, were buried in this land,” Coleman-Adebayo told The Informer. “If it had been a dog cemetery, a Jewish cemetery, a white cemetery, they would have stopped immediately, but because there were Black people, they decided, ‘What’s more important? Our private business or respecting the remains of these Black people?’”

A ‘Maafa’ Protest to Remember Those Buried at Moses Cemetery

On the Wednesday before Juneteenth, the Bethesda African Cemetery Coalition hosted a “Maafa” protest against current developments on the Moses Cemetery through the Virginia-based R.W. Murray Co. The word “maafa” is a Kiswahili term popularized by scholar Dr. Marimba Ani in 1988 to mean "genocide” or “terrible tragedy.”

Further, it is meant to describe centuries-long atrocities associated with the Trans-Atlantic and East African slave trades, alongside the generational effects of systemic racism.

“Who we are in the context of that fact [the maafa], we are survivors of genocide,” Coleman-Adebayo told The Informer, “and then we can start

to need to think about what that means in terms of how we move forward and understand our history as a basis for future strategic planning. ” The Bethesda African Cemetery Coalition used the term to refer to what is happening at Moses Cemetery, where the remains of formerly enslaved people were either destroyed due to and/or buried underneath new residential developments.

In a celebration ahead of Juneteenth, church members and activists gathered to share traditional African American hymns, prayers, speeches, stories, and recent updates regarding the Moses Cemetery.

Protest participants included members of Macedonia Baptist Church and BACC, as well as reenactors representing the 23rd United States Colored Infantry Regiment. This regiment was known as the first Black troop to fight in direct combat against General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, which was organized at Camp Casey in late 1863.

The reenactors were also present to honor members of the historic regiment buried in Mose Cemetery, including Private Charles Brown and soldier H.H. Brown, who was at the Battle of the Crater during the Civil War, said Coleman-Adebayo.

“The same children that were kidnapped from Africa, one, two generations later become the United States Colored Troops,” Dr. Coleman-Adebayo told The Informer.

H.H. Brown was reported to have survived the bloody battle before moving back to Bethesda River Road, having a family of seven, and being buried in the now-disturbed burial site.

Meanwhile, Private Charles Brown, also part of the U.S. Colored Troops and buried in Moses, had a similar story to H.H. Brown.

WI Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

Union, China, and Cuba.

Tolbert also called on members of the Americo-Liberian elite to invest more of their wealth to expand Liberia’s middle class and foster economic self-determination. Domestically, he called for an audit of, and payment of back taxes from, Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, which, since the early 20th century, exploited indigenous labor and extracted several pounds of rubber from Liberia.

However, as Barclay pointed out, much of the mainstream media focus on Tolbert’s presidency is on the Rice Riots of 1979, during which Liberian military forces killed more than 40 protesters who took to the streets in response to an increase in the price of rice, a Liberian food staple.

“If the Western media gets a hold of your story, they can twist it and turn you into a monster before you even know it,” Barclay said while emphasizing the importance of his film project. “This is a perfect example of us controlling our narrative. ‘60 Minutes,’ who did a piece on Tolbert a few months before he was assassinated, used propaganda to get people to go against their own president.”

As Barclay explained, the struggle continues to help Liberians expand their understanding of Tolbert’s assassination. During the April 14 screening in Liberia, for instance, Barclay encountered viewers who, as he recalled, wanted to avoid conversation about actors, internal and external, who fanned the flames of armed conflict and have yet to be held accountable.

“There are people who still want to believe that Tolbert needed to be killed… but they failed to look at what hands were at play in the destruction,” Barclay said. “I got some pushback from people wanting me to shape my narrative to fit their agenda. There are people who…played a part in the destruction…but didn't want the light to shine on them.”

The D.C. Metropolitan Liberian Community Makes Stride in Bridging the Gap

This year, the theme for Liberian Independence Day, as dictated by the Government of Liberia, is “Honoring Centuries of Shared History” — an allusion to Liberia’s establishment by freed African Americans who repatriated to West Africa with the assistance of the American Colonization Society during the early 19th century. WI Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

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MALVEAUX from Page 22

and they are overwhelming. But they do not tell the whole story. Behind every number is a family deciding whether to pack, hide, fight or pray. Behind every number is a child who may know no home but the United States. Behind every number is an employer wondering who will show up for work, a landlord wondering whether a tenant can stay, a congregation wondering whether its members will disappear. Behind every number is a disabled elder wondering whether the care attendant will come to bathe her, feed her and help her live with dignity.

TPS holders are often described as if they are temporary people. They are not. They are people with temporary legal protection, many of whom have been here for years or decades because the conditions that displaced them have not been resolved. Temporary status can become a permanent limbo. It allows people to work but not fully settle, to contribute but not fully belong, to live under the shadow of a government decision that can turn a lawful worker into a deportable person.

That shadow is now darker.

We should be honest about what this is. It is not simply immigration enforcement. It is not simply administrative discretion. It is a choice to make

vulnerable people more vulnerable. It is a choice to destabilize families and communities. It is a choice to ignore Haiti's suffering while benefiting from Haitian labor. It is a choice to act as if Black migrant lives are expendable.

The United States has legal power.

That has never been in doubt. The deeper question is whether it has moral sense. Haiti has been punished for its freedom, exploited for its labor, burdened by debt, occupied, stereotyped and scapegoated. Sending Haitians back into danger continues that long, ugly pattern.

But cruelty does not have to have the last word. Congress can act. The administration can halt deportations.

Communities can protect their neighbors. Churches, unions, employers, advocates and people of conscience can refuse to let Haitian families disappear quietly into deportation machinery. At minimum, this country should extend TPS, halt deportations to Haiti and create a path to permanence for people who have already built their lives here. The opposite of cruelty is not sentiment. It is solidarity, organized and insistent.

WI Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

MORIAL from Page 22

scandal seems unthinkable today.

Not only did a congressional committee vote unanimously to subpoena audiotapes that exposed the president's guilt, but members of the president's own party also stood ready to vote for his impeachment and conviction, and urged him to resign.

But the reforms passed in the wake of the scandal did not anticipate a future president willing to flout institutional norms and test the limits of every available safeguard.

In his Bicentennial speech, Ford

asked, "Are the institutions under which we live working the way they should? Are the foundations laid in 1776 and 1789 still strong enough and sound enough to resist the tremors of our times? Are our God-given rights secure, our hard-won liberties protected?"

Fifty years later, these questions no longer sound like a celebration of American resilience — they stand as an urgent test of whether our democracy can still summon the courage, accountability and civic faith that once enabled it to correct its own course. WI

Nor is there any accounting, in Kalshi's tidy timeline, for the Black ballplayers who did not get their April 15: the men of the Negro Leagues who aged out before the door opened; the pitchers whose arms gave out in exhibition games in Jim Crow towns; the families whose fathers came home from segregated buses too tired to play catch. History did not "settle" in 1947. It shifted, painfully, and left a great many people uncompensated on the losing side of a market they never chose to enter.

I do not object to Kalshi as a business. I object to the instinct — in-

creasingly common in this economy — that treats every human question as a market question, and every market as a stage on which we may now perform the past. The trouble with Lopes Lara's "favorite campaign" is not simply that it is offensive, though it is. It is that it reveals a worldview in which nothing is sacred enough to be exempt from the wager.

We are 250 years into this experiment — not counting the 157 years, starting in 1619 and leading up to 1776. Within those 407 years, we should have learned by now that some things must no longer be for sale — including Black dignity. WI

Haitians have been accused of disease, criminality, dependency and disorder.

They have been stereotyped, detained, deported and scapegoated. During the 2024 campaign, Springfield, Ohio, became a national symbol of anti-Haitian hysteria after false claims about Haitians eating pets were amplified for political gain. That lie was not just ridiculous; it was dangerous. It turned neighbors into targets.

Springfield tells another story. Haitians came there to work. They filled jobs. They opened businesses. They joined churches. They enrolled children in schools. They helped revive a struggling city. After the court's ruling, many now face fear and uncertainty. Even Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, reportedly called ending Haitian TPS a mistake, pointing to the conditions in Haiti.

That matters. Because the question is not whether Haitians belong in Springfield, or Boston, or Miami, or New York, or Washington, D.C. The question is whether the United States will acknowledge that Haitians already belong here because they are already here, already contributing, already woven into the fabric of our communities.

The numbers tell part of the story,

and bragged about eliminating racial justice initiatives.

In 1976, the nation was struggling to recover from one of the most notorious episodes of presidential corruption in our history up to that point: a political espionage program, illegally funded by donor contributions, which the Nixon administration tried to cover up by destroying evidence, obstructing investigators and bribing burglars.

The bipartisan resolve with which Congress confronted the Watergate

EDNEY from Page 22

marveling at Jackie Robinson. Kalshi is marveling at the profit that would have been available to any speculator willing to take the "yes" side against a country that hated him.

And there was so much hate, and so much to lose. Robinson received death threats mailed to his home.

He was spiked on the base paths, spat on in the dugout, refused hotel rooms that his white teammates could freely enter. There is no line on a prediction market for what that costs a man. There is no ticker for what it costs the country that made him pay.

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numbers like never before in all that we do.

Let's create our own fireworks that will last all year long with our involvement and collective agree-

ment to help ourselves before we expect others to do so — and in all this, let's make a lasting reality out of the change Frederick Douglass envisioned. WI

JEALOUS from Page 23

The tools change. The purpose often does not. Property requirements became poll taxes. Poll taxes became literacy tests. Literacy tests gave way to purges, ID rules, closed polling places and attacks on early voting, same-day registration and mail ballots.

The burden comes as paperwork, deadlines, long lines, missing names and ballots questioned after the people have spoken. A poll tax charged money. A long line charges time. Cutting early voting can tax people who do not control their schedules. Restricting mail ballots can tax seniors, disabled voters, rural voters and caregivers.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson spent his life widening the meaning of the many.

He urged young people to hold "a diploma in one hand" and "a voter registration card in that other hand."

Education and the ballot. Knowledge and power.

I come to this history as a son of the Revolution, the abolitionist movement, and the Southern populist tradition that rose in the decades after the Civil War and united working men across color lines. My great-great-grandfather, Edward David Bland, was born enslaved and died a Virginia legislator.

He helped build the Readjuster Party, a post-Civil War, multiracial voting rights movement that brought together Black men who had been enslaved and white men who had fought for the Confederacy. Their cause was schools, fairer taxes, debt relief, vot-

ing rights and democracy. When they gained power, they abolished Virginia's poll tax.

After they were broken, Virginia's ruling Democrats wrote a new constitution in 1902 that brought the poll tax back with literacy tests and other barriers. Black voters were almost wiped out as a political force. White voting was cut roughly in half. The old ruling class knew whose coalition it was trying to prevent from rising again.

Imagine if every schoolchild learned that the poll tax was not only an attack on Black voting power but also on poor white voting power. We might see the trick more clearly when it returns in new clothes.

The Democratic donkey did not come from Franklin's parable. It came from Jackson's enemies calling him a jackass, an insult he embraced and cartoonists later made stick. Still, the echo is hard to miss.

If Democrats keep the jackass, they should remember Franklin's question.

The right was never in the jackass. It was never in the deed, the poll tax, the ID card, the Tuesday work schedule, the mailbox or the database.

The right is in the people. Every generation that won more democracy ultimately did so by resisting efforts by the few to divide the many. That is our work now: remember the history, reject the division, and defend the vote for every one of us.

WI

design flaw to that lineage. Its benefit does not scale with the number of dependents a filer supports. A parent raising one child receives the same benefit as a parent raising four, unlike the Child Tax Credit or the Earned Income Tax Credit. Family size determines how far a household's income must stretch, and any analysis of how the tax code treats Black families that fails to account for it will get the story wrong.

The political stakes are current rather than historical. Project 2025 called for eliminating the status outright, and a Senate bill drafted by the Niskanen Center would raise taxes on roughly two-thirds of single-parent households to help fund an expanded Child Tax Credit. That trade deserves scrutiny, because the credit as currently designed already leaves out many children in the lowest-in-

come families, whose parents earn too little to receive the full amount.

Head of household survived last year's One Big Beautiful Bill Act, but the Earned Income Tax Credit shows how little that guarantees. A precertification requirement aimed at the credit was stripped from that same law on procedural grounds, and it is already back on the target list as the next reconciliation package takes shape. Unmarried taxpayers, filing head of household or single, receive roughly three-quarters of all Earned Income Tax Credit dollars, so the credit crackdown and the repeal proposals converge on the same families.

Provisions that support single parents do not leave the chopping block.

They wait on it.

WI Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

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Jackson and his allies built the Democratic Party with a founding promise: government should answer to the landless many, not merely the propertied few.

Jackson's democracy was badly bounded. It excluded Black people, women and Native people. His politics also embraced slaveholding white supremacy. Still, he saw one danger clearly. In his veto of the national bank, he warned that "the rich and powerful too often bend the acts of government to their selfish purposes."

That warning fits this moment.

Vote suppression has often worked by discrediting voters, dividing working people against one another, and depriving the many of their full voice so some rich and powerful people can bend government toward themselves.

That was much of the logic of monarchy: divide and conquer. It was much of the logic of Jim Crow: tell poor white people their enemy is Black freedom. It was true in the 1820s. It was true in the 1920s, when immigrants from predominantly Catholic countries like Ireland and Italy were cast as threats to real America.

It is true today, when immigrants from predominantly Catholic countries like Haiti and Mexico are made into scapegoats again. Tell rural voters their enemy is city voters. Tell Election Day voters their enemy is mail voters.

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ones, so a nominally neutral rule produces racially disparate outcomes without ever mentioning race. The pattern begins with marriage itself.

As of 2024, 48% of Black adults had never married, compared with 29% of non-Black adults, so a code in which marriage frequently delivers a tax bonus averaging more than $3,000 while the unmarried head of household receives $23 at the bottom of the income scale is not neutral in effect. For Black women raising families on a single income, it is double jeopardy. They are penalized once by a benefit structure that pays the most to the highest earners, and again by a code built around a household form they are statistically least likely to occupy.

Head of household adds a further

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