Issuu

Winner of more than 20 MDDC Press Association Awards for 2025

AUGUST 2026 HEALTH, WELLNESS & NUTRITION SUPPLEMENT

Start Young, Finish Strong: Choosing Self Care for Long-Term Well-Being TITLE SPONSOR

Serving Our Community in the DMV

Vol 61 No 44

Awaiting Pick Up: Examining the Usage of Detention Centers for Curfew

A Lifeline Within Reach

By Jada Ingleton WI Content Editor

With the juvenile curfew in effect, local leaders, parents and teens alike are not only concerned about young people being out past 11 p.m. They’re worried where youth violators could end up once found on the street after hours: the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS). Under the emergency order, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) would either return individuals under the age of 18 to their homes or hold them within a precinct or facility run by DYRS until a guardian can pick them up. “For my peers,” said Ward 8 teen Atrayu Lee, “I think instead of them understanding that certain things don't have to be a way, they just go along, go outside and get harassed by the police.” The system of utilizing DYRS became a point of conflict for the D.C. Council to permanently pass the Juvenile Curfew Amendment Act of 2025 that went 5 The permanent curfew measure, now in effect, restricts youth from

traveling in busy areas starting at 8 p.m. (Tatiana Allen/The Washington

CURFEW Page 27 Informer)

D.C.’s Youth Entrepreneurship Program Gives Startup Boost to D.C.-Area Students

By William Deffaa WI Intern

DCYEP Page 11

August Health Supplement Center Section

New Bill Brings Mental Health Support Closer to Students

By Tatiana Allen WI Intern

Two young Washingtonians are ready to take their businesses to the next level after concluding the D.C. Youth Entrepreneurship Program (DCYEP) intensive summer program, participating in the Aug. 4 competition at The Gathering Spot D.C., and winning the grand prize of $2,500 to fund their startups. While winners Zaynah Craw-

August 13 - 19, 2026

CONTRIBUTING SPONSORS

With mental health advocacy rising and declining suicide rates to match, a bill that promises to save lives at students’ fingertips is taking shape in a nationwide campaign for youth wellness. The Campus Lifeline Act was introduced to Congress on May 4 as a measurable response to the second-leading cause of death for people ages 15 to 34, tackling suicide with a two-prong approach as cost-efficient as it is youth-led.

Authored by Active Minds, the nation’s largest nonprofit mobilizing youth to transform mental health norms, the bill aims to reimagine a system where psychiatric and emotional resilience is the standard for all, and the hope is to turn ideation into law as soon as next year. “It sets a precedent to have mental health be a normalized conversation in schools, whether it be college campuses or K-12,” said Rohan Satija, a youth mental health activist and supporter of the legislation. “We've built a mental health system

MENTAL HEALTH Page 27

District Youth Continue to Grow through the Game of Chess DC State Chess Federation, HoodSmart Provides Opportunity for Chess Phenom

By Sam Plo Kwia Collins, Jr. WI Senior Staff Writer Nearly two years ago, the US Chess Federation revoked the affiliate status of the DC State Chess Federation, despite what students and community members have described as the organi-

zation’s decades-long record of service to District youth of color. The DC State Chess Federation has since operated outside the auspices of the national chess competition governing body, continuing its mission to embolden young people like Andrea

EDUCATION Page 17

4 D.C. student Khepra Freeman credits Vaughn Bennett with his improvement in the game of chess and his exposure to opportunities to conduct tournaments. (Courtesy Photo) 5 Contestants take the stage with Rosemary Suggs-Evans, director of the Department of Small and Local Business Development. (William Deffaa/The Washington Informer)

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

AUGUST 13 - 19, 2026 1

We Proudly Welcome Our Summer 2026 Interns

Tatiana Allen Report for America Intern Howard University

Evan Aldridge

Multimedia Intern Howard University

Jordan Armstead

William Deffaa

Razak Diallo

Malia Jolley

Editorial Intern University of Maryland

Editorial Intern Elon University

Advertising/Marketing Intern Howard University

Thanks to your generous support, The Washington Informer is able to provide aspiring journalists with meaningful opportunities to learn, report, photograph, and tell the stories that too often go untold. As you meet this summer’s interns, know that your support is helping cultivate the next generation of journalists committed to serving our community with excellence and purpose.

Draia Shelton

Advertising/Marketing Intern Howard University

Your support doesn’t just sustain our newsroom—it helps build the future of Black journalism. Support the Washington Informer Sign Up for WIN Daily

2 AUGUST 13 - 19, 2026

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

CONTENTS

Page 5

Page 18

Page13

Page 6

Page 15 SALE PRICES EFFECTIVE ALL SALE PRICES ARE MEMBER PRICE UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED

Friday, August 14 thru Thursday, August 20, 2026

U R C H OI C

$ ea

Signature SELECT® Carrots • Cooking 1 lb. bag • Baby Peeled 10 oz. pkg. • Shredded or Chips 16 oz. pkg.

LIMIT 2 OF EACH

Signature SELECT® • Spinach 8 oz. pkg. • Garden Salad 12 oz. pkg. • Cole Slaw 14 oz. pkg. • Mini Cucumbers 16 oz. pkg.

U R C H OI C

$ ea

Lay’s Potato Chips, Lay’s Kettle Chips or Sunchips 7-8 oz. bag or Frito-Lay Canned Dip 8.5-9 oz. can or Pepperidge Farm Goldfish 6.6-8 oz. pkg. or Chips Ahoy! Cookies 7-13 oz. pkg. or BelVita Breakfast Biscuits 5-8.8 oz. pkg.

LIMIT 2 OF EACH

249 ea

WHEN YOU BUY 3

DIGITAL ONLY OFFER

FINAL PRICE

U YO

• True Fruit Fruit Cups 7 oz. ctn. • Lemons or Navel Oranges 1 lb. bag • Blueberries or Raspberries 6 oz. ctn.

LIMIT 2 OF EACH

R C H OIC

Celery or Signature SELECT® Green Beans 12 oz. pkg.

Red or Gold Steamer Potatoes 16 oz. pkg. or Yellow Onions 2 lb. bag

R C H OIC

LIMIT 2 OF EACH

R C H OIC

Avocados, Red Bell Peppers, Yellow Bell Peppers, Orange Bell Peppers

Signature SELECT® Whole White Mushrooms 8 oz. pkg. or Bailey Farms Side Kick Peppers 2-4 oz. pkg.

or Red Radishes 16 oz. pkg.

R C H OIC

LIMIT 2 OF EACH

R C H OIC

80% Lean Ground Beef value pack

LIMIT 1 OFFER

DIGITAL ONLY OFFER

$ ea LIMIT 2 OF EACH

399

after digital coupon savings**

$ ea U YO

$ ea LIMIT 2 OF EACH

U YO

$ ea U YO

$ ea LIMIT 2 OF EACH

U YO

$ ea U YO

Signature SELECT® Grape Tomatoes dry pint or Green Onions 5.5 oz. pkg. or Garlic 3 ct. pkg.

R C H OIC

FINAL PRICE

199

after digital coupon savings**

Lucerne® Chunk or Shredded Cheese 6-8 oz. pkg.

LIMIT 3 OFFERS

Prices Effective Friday, August 14 thru Thursday, AUGUST 20, 2026 Unless otherwise noted, offers in this ad are in effect at 6 a.m., Friday thru Thursday midnight at your local Safeway stores. LIMIT ONE COUPON PER ITEM PER DAY PER HOUSEHOLD. Prices and savings vary among store locations. Not all items or varieties available in all store locations. Quantities limited

to inventory on hand and subject to availability. Sales in retail quantities only and we reserve the right to limit quantities sold to per customer. While supplies last. Unless otherwise noted, transactional limits may apply. On Buy One, Get One Free (BOGO) offers, customer must purchase the first item to receive the second item free. BOGO offers are not 1/2 price sales. If only a single item is purchased, the regular price applies. Manufacturers’ coupons may only be used on purchased items, not on free items. All rebate offers are subject to applicable manufacturer’s additional terms. Customer pays for applicable taxes, bottle/can deposit and bag fees, if any, on purchased and free items. We reserve the right to modify or cancel offers and/or correct typographical, pictorial and other ad or pricing errors. Prices for products ordered online generally are higher than in our physical store locations and may vary by fulfillment method chosen. Online promotions, discounts and offers may differ from those in our physical store locations. Offers are void or restricted where prohibited or limited by law and have no cash value. No cash back will be given. **Coupon must be downloaded to your Safeway for U account prior to purchase and is one time use only. Limit 1 offer per household.

21909_081326_SWY_Washington Informer_ROP

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

AUGUST 13 - 19, 2026 3

wi hot topics

STACY M. BROWN, WI SENIOR WRITER BRENDA C. SILER, WI CONTRIBUTING WRITER;

The Search for Answers in Nolan Wells’ Death Enters a New Phase Nearly a month after Nolan Wells was found dead off Mississippi’s Gulf Coast, investigators have completed the state’s autopsy, prosecutors are preparing to present evidence to a grand jury, attorneys on both sides are positioning for possible civil litigation, and state officials are warning the public about fake documents circulating online. Yet one question remains unanswered. What happened during the final hours before the 18-year-old disappeared on Horn Island? A newly completed independent analytical review of photographs, videos, GPS coordinates, and witness accounts concludes that the available evidence still leaves a “material gap” in the timeline between Wells’ last independently corroborated sighting and the reported deparIn Memoriam Dr. Calvin W. Rolark, Sr. Wilhelmina J. Rolark

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER 3117 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E Washington, D.C. 20032 Phone: 202 561-4100 Fax: 202 574-3785 news@washingtoninformer.com www.washingtoninformer.com

4 AUGUST 13 - 19, 2026

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

NOLAN Page 14

41st Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards Bring Gospel’s Biggest Stars to Charlotte

PUBLISHER Denise Rolark Barnes

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER NEWSPAPER (ISSN#0741-9414) is published weekly on each Thursday. Periodicals postage paid at Washington, D.C. and additional mailing offices. News and advertising deadline is Monday prior to publication. Announcements must be received two weeks prior to event. Copyright 2016 by The Washington Informer. All rights reserved. POSTMASTER: Send change of addresses to The Washington Informer, 3117 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E. Washington, D.C. 20032. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. The Informer Newspaper cannot guarantee the return of photographs. Subscription rates are $96 per year, two years $168. Papers will be received not more than a week after publication. Make checks payable to:

ture of the boat that transported him to the island. The 22-page report stresses that it reaches no conclusion about criminal or civil responsibility and instead identifies evidence investigators may still need to resolve unanswered questions. That uncertainty remains even as the official investigation continues. The Mississippi State Medical Examiner has completed the official autopsy, but the findings will not be released publicly. Instead, they will be submitted directly to a Jackson County grand jury along with other investigative evidence. District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath has said that presenting death investigations to the grand jury before releasing findings is standard

5 Gospel artist John P. Kee celebrates the Stellar Awards, coming to Charlotte, North Carolina Aug. 15, with Don Jackson, CEO of the event and his wife Dr. Teresa Hairston Jackson. (Courtesy Photo/Instagram, John P. Kee)

For generations, civil rights battles centered on people: employers who refused to hire qualified Black applicants; banks denying mortgages in minority neighborhoods; landlords steering families away from certain communities. Now, civil rights advocates say the next fight may be against algorithms. As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly involved in decisions affecting jobs, housing, lending, health care and public benefits, a coalition of consumer advocates and civil rights organizations says the Trump administration is making it harder for states to stop technology from repeating decades of discrimination. “Testing and evaluation of AI systems,

including removing bias, make systems more accurate, not less,” said Odette Williamson, director of racial justice advocacy at the National Consumer Law Center. “The FTC’s proposed policy statement creates confusion about how to legally assess bias and discrimination in AI, and it undermines states’ ability to protect consumers from discriminatory AI systems. It should be withdrawn in its entirety.” The warning comes as the administration pursues two separate efforts that critics say could weaken oversight of artificial intelligence. Last week, the National Consumer Law Center filed comments urging the

STELLAR Page 9

Commanders Bring Stefon Diggs Back Home to the DMV, Washington Signs the Four-Time Pro Bowler to a One-Year Deal

The Washington Commanders made another thrilling move this offseason, signing four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Stefon Diggs on Wednesday during the second week of training camp. Diggs is expected to sign a one-year contract that is worth up to $12 million, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. This move gives Washington another dynamic receiving threat to play alongside star wide receiver Terry McLaurin. The star wide receiver and Maryland native took to social media to celebrate his homecoming, while also visiting the University of Maryland in College Park, his alma mater. “Stefon Diggs here. I’m here at the first practice, the first fall practice. [The Terps] out here getting it in man,” he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Shout out to

my Terps and go Commanders. Let’s go.” As one of the NFL’s most accomplished pass-catchers over the past decade, the Maryland native brings elite route-running ability, veteran leadership, and a consistent track record of on-field production. Diggs’ arrival provides third-year quarterback Jayden Daniels with another reliable target as the Commanders continue building their offense around one of the league’s most promising young quarterbacks. Washington entered training camp with uncertainty surrounding its No. 2 wide receiver position. Although rookie Antonio Williams, Luke McCaffrey, Dyami Brown, Treylon Burks, Jaylin Lane, among others, have shown glimpses of promise so

SPORTS Page 28

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

AROUND THE REGION

The Commanders Want More Than a Stadium. They Want a Washington Landmark

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

The Washington Commanders have spent months winning approvals, unveiling renderings and advancing plans for a new stadium at the RFK campus. Now, team executives are offering their clearest picture yet of what they hope will stand at the Ward 7 site by 2030. The goal, Commanders President Mark Clouse said, is not simply to build a new home for the franchise. He wants a stadium that visiting teams dread, fans embrace, and the District can market as a destination for some of the world’s biggest sporting events. “Our goal is to make the most terrifying stadium in the world to come play in,” Clouse said in an interview with Bloomberg Sports. “I want visiting teams to look at their schedule and circle the date they’re coming to D.C. and be terrified by that.” Clouse said the team wants a venue that captures the energy once associated with RFK Stadium while giving Washington a facility capable of hosting the Super Bowl, WrestleMania and the FIFA Women’s World Cup. He also said the architecture should belong unmistakably to the nation’s capital rather than resemble a stadium that could be built anywhere else. With the public vision established, work on the project continues to move through multiple stages. Last month, the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts approved preliminary stadium renderings, while urging the design team to strengthen portions of the east and west entrances before returning with revised plans. During the review, Commission Vice Chair James McCrery reminded designers that the building will stand near some of the country’s most recognizable landmarks. “Your neighbors are the United States Capitol and the Lincoln

Memorial,” McCrery said. “You need to be as powerful.” Transportation planning also advanced last week after the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) Board approved agreements allowing work to begin on improvements to the Stadium-Armory Metrorail station and planning for the proposed Gold Line bus rapid transit route serving the RFK campus. District officials have committed $300 million for station improvements and another $5 million for transit planning. Metro General Manager Randy Clarke has said the transportation upgrades are essential if Washington expects to host events that extend well beyond the NFL season. “Without Metro being ready, the games are not going to work well,” Clarke said. “We’re not going to try to host a Super Bowl. We’re not going to try to host [the] Women’s World Cup. We’re not trying to get Taylor Swift and Beyoncé back here. At the end of the day, Metro is going to be the key to the success.” The franchise has also begun assembling the people it wants associated with the project. The Commanders announced this week that Hall of Fame cornerback Darrell Green will work with Clouse on the stadium project, while Hall of Fame running back John Riggins will return as part of the team’s broadcast and community efforts. Green’s role includes working on plans for the stadium, which is expected to open in 2030. Behind the scenes, Andy VanHorn, the club’s head of real estate, is overseeing the design, construction and broader development surrounding the stadium. The former real estate executive said his responsibilities include coordinating with government agencies and managing the real estate elements tied to what the team has described as one of the

5 As plans continue for the new stadium at RFK campus, Commanders President Mark Clouse wants a venue that visiting teams dread, fans embrace, and the District can market as a destination for some of the world’s biggest sporting events. (WI File Photo/ Ja’Mon Jackson)

D.C. is more than just a federal city. It is a collection of neighborhoods and communities that have nurtured distinctive cultures of creativity, learning, music, food, and sports. Its residents have contributed ideas that have been embraced by the country and have stimulated change.

COMMANDERS from Page 9

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

AUGUST 13 - 19, 2026 5

AROUND THE REGION

black facts

Roberto Clemente (left)

Halle Berry (center)

Aug. 13

Innovative Signage Solutions to help you grow your business

1911 – James B. Parsons, the nation's first Black federal judge, is born in Kansas City, Missouri. 1933 – Joycelyn Elders, the first Black U.S. surgeon general, is born in Schaal, Arkansas.

SILVER SPRING, MD

301.273.3462

Info@Signarama-SilverSpring.com

WASHINGTON, DC-North

202.506.2194

Info@Signarama-DCNorth.com

Maxine Waters (right)

son dies in Greenwood, Mississippi, at 27. 1990 – Tony-winning actress and singer Pearl Bailey dies in Philadelphia at 72.

Aug. 18

1876 – Prairie View A&M University, a historically Black institution, is established in Prairie View, Texas. 1959 – Basketball great Earvin "Magic" Johnson is born in Lansing, Michigan. 1966 – Halle Berry, the first woman of color to win an Oscar for best actress, is born in Cleveland.

1934 – Baseball great Roberto Clemente is born in Carolina, Puerto Rico. 1963 – Civil rights activist James Meredith, the first African American admitted to the University of Mississippi, graduates. 1977 – Stephen Biko, anti-apartheid activist and leader of the Black Consciousness Movement in South Africa, is arrested. He is severely beaten while in police custody and dies of his injuries weeks later.

Aug. 15

Aug. 19

Aug. 14

Official Sign Company of

AUG. 13 - 19, 2026

SOURCE: BLACK AMERICA WEB

1887 – Eatonville, Florida, one of the nation's first self-governing all-Black municipalities and the hometown of famed author Zora Neale Hurston, is incorporated. 1938 – Longtime U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters is born in St. Louis.

1954 – Ralph J. Bunche, the first Black winner of Nobel Peace Prize, named undersecretary of the United Nations. WI

Aug. 16

1887 – African American inventor Granville T. Woods patents electromechanical brake. 1922 – Louis E. Lomax, author and first African American television journalist, is born in Valdosta, Georgia. 2007 – Legendary jazz drummer Max Roach dies in New York at 83.

Aug. 17

1887 – Political leader Marcus Garvey, proponent of the Pan-Africanism movement and founder of the Black Star Line, is born in Saint Ann's Bay, Jamaica. 1938 – Blues icon and famed guitarist Robert John-

6 AUGUST 13 - 19, 2026

Max Roach

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

AROUND THE REGION

view P INT

IF YOU WANT QUALITY WORK, JUST CALL!

Quality Assurance Home Improvement, Inc.

EVAN ALDRIDGE, WI INTERN

As the nation faces threats to teaching and showcasing certain parts of American history from the Trump administration, why is the Smithsonian Institution— which is celebrating 180 years since it was established on Aug. 10, 1846— important in 2026?

“We Stand By Our Name”

Office: 301-512-9668 301-248-3325 FREE ESTIMATES! / Office:

CARLTON STEWARD /

NORTHWEST, D.C.

CHELSEADEE HARRISON / NORTHWEST, D.C.

“I grew up wandering the galleries of the Smithsonian Institution, learning about my country, the world, and by extension, myself. The Smithsonian stewards a special responsibility in our society- maintain a space where EVERYBODY can learn, think, reflect, and be inspired. Spaces that encourage reflection, shared reality, and connection are essential to protecting the American public- and the world- from the violent harms of a limited imagination and limited empathy. The history that the Smithsonian archives brings us together, joyfully. Our collective joy and edification is a critical antidote to fascism and the unceasing attacks on our democracy.”

FINISHED BASEMENT

DECK

“The Smithsonian institution was built on showcasing both beauty and cruelty, through art and history. One doesn’t exist without the other. Why is this administration trying so hard to make us forget both?”

ADDITION & 4 SEASON SUN ROOM SIONAL PROFES LERS INSTAL home g in A+ Ratinment from improve r Business the Bette r 1252 years Bureau fo ight stra

KITCHEN

ADDITION

Bonded / Insured / Licensed MHCI#86727 / D.C. License #53005449 Lead Paint Removal Certified

KITCHEN

Visit our website today at: www.fortwashingtonhomecontractors.com

$2500 off

Homeowners are you in need of a new roof, kitchen, bathroom? Up to If so, take advantage of our 90 days or 6 months deferred payment plan now for as low as $199 a month. Sunrooms & Additions With this coupon. Not valid with other offers or prior purchases.

NORTHEAST, D.C.

windows • Bay and bow windows Financing Available 90-day Deferment Payment

Purchase today and receive FREE cable outlet and FREE A/C & Heating Unit

CARL THOMAS /

• Bathrooms • Room Kitchen • Bathrooms • Room additions Kitchens • Retaining walls • Sunroomswalls • Carports • Retaining • additions • Porches Roofing •• Siding Decks• • Screen• rooms Carports Complete renovations • Enclosed porches • • Siding Porches • Roofing Basements • Solid virgin vinyl replacement • Complete renovations • Decks• Bay windows and bow windows • All Enclosed porches Basements Additions, Renovations and•decks are fully Solidby virgin replacement inspected countyfinal and DC inspectors.

“The Smithsonian Institution has had the distinguishable responsibility of keeping the most accurate accounts of American and world history. In this climate of erasure, omission, and alternative historical accounts steeped in creative writing, we need those charged with keeping truth to keep it true. Misinformation is more dangerous than racism, sexism, and ageism combined because the misinformed believe they have a cause worthy to fight and -in some cases- die for. We rely on organizations like the Smithsonian to stand in the gap and protect the truths indigenous to the actual human experience.”

15% off Any Service For Senior Citizens Extra 5% Off

With this coupon. Not valid with other offers or prior purchases.

wibridgedc.com

HILARY DANIEL / NORTHEAST, D.C

The Smithsonian’s existence is crucial to educating the country of its past. In a time where history is literally being erased, at the behest of an administration whose main focus has been to whitewash history and minimize the contributions of minorities, The Smithsonian Institution has remained committed to providing the highest level of transparency and ingenuity when curating exhibits and programming centered around highlighting these contributions.”

ABEL YONAS / LAUREL, MD

“I think the Smithsonian is important because it helps preserve American history and gives people a chance to learn different perspectives, especially when there’s so much debate about what history should be taught.”

ADVERTISING PARTNERSHIPS SOLUTIONS Contact us for rates, specifications, and inquiries.

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

INCREASE BRAND EXPOSURE CREATE CUSTOM ENGAGEMENT DATA-CENTERED DECISION MAKING (202) 561-4100 advertise@wibridgedc.com

AUGUST 13 - 19, 2026 7

AROUND THE REGION

D.C. Included in Nationwide Legal Campaign Challenging Federal Immigration Enforcement

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

Become a Published Author with Dorrance. We want to read your book! Our staff is made up of writers, just like you. We are dedicated to making publishing dreams come true. Trusted by authors for nearly 100 years, Dorrance has made countless authors’ dreams come true.

Complete Book Publishing Services FIVE EASY STEPS TO PUBLICATION: 1. Consultation

4. Distribution

2. Book Production 5. Merchandising and Fulfillment 3. Promotion

Call now to receive your FREE Author’s Guide

877-420-7280

or www.dorranceinfo.com/informer

8 AUGUST 13 - 19, 2026

The American Civil Liberties Union and its state affiliates said July 29 they have filed 54 legal claims in 17 states and the District of Columbia accusing the federal government of violence, abuse and other misconduct by federal immigration agents. This launched what the ACLU called one of its largest coordinated efforts to seek compensation for people it says were harmed during immigration enforcement operations. “As more than 50 of these cases show, federal agents’ violence, misconduct and utter disregard for the law is rampant,” Yasmin Cader, the ACLU’s deputy executive director, said in a statement. “President Trump and his law enforcement officers rely on a perceived sense of impunity, but no one is above the law. This administration is making everyone in America less safe and less free. That’s why the ACLU and its affiliates are fighting back at every turn.” The claims were filed under the Federal Tort Claims Act, a law that allows individuals to seek damages from the federal government for certain actions by federal employees. According to the ACLU, the cases include claims filed in Washington as well as across the country on behalf of U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents and nonciti-

5 The American Civil Liberties Union is pursuing 54 legal claims in 17 states and the District of Columbia accusing the federal government of violence, abuse and other misconduct by federal immigration agents. (Courtesy Photo/U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Facebook)

zens who allege they experienced excessive force, unlawful detention, racial profiling, denial of medical care and other violations during encounters with immigration authorities. The organization said the filings represent individual claims rather than a single lawsuit. Each claimant must first exhaust the administrative process before pursuing litigation in federal court if the government denies the claim or does not respond within the required period. The announcement follows the release of a companion ACLU report examining more than 1,200 immigration enforcement incidents in eight states. According to the organization, more than 400 of those incidents involved allegations of misconduct, including excessive force, racial profiling, intimidation and abuse by immigration agents. Among the people represented is Dr. Norma Bowe, a registered nurse and professor of public health at Kean University, who alleges ICE agents assaulted her while she operated a mobile health clinic outside the Delaney Hall

immigration detention facility in New Jersey. “I was violently attacked by ICE agents while I was trying to provide medical care for people visiting their loved ones in Delaney Hall,” Bowe said. “ICE agents are acting like they have impunity and are inflicting harm however and whenever they want; without accountability, more people will get hurt and die. ICE must be held responsible.” The ACLU also pointed to the case of Willy Wender Aceituno, a U.S. citizen from North Carolina, who alleges immigration agents stopped him, shattered his truck window, placed him in a headlock and detained him before confirming his citizenship and releasing him miles from his vehicle. According to the organization, 29 of the people represented in the claims are U.S. citizens, including 12 who allege they were racially profiled or unlawfully detained by federal agents. The ACLU also said 14 clients described abuse while in immigration detention, while another 13 alleged retaliation for exercising First Amendment rights. The organization contends that immigration enforcement activity has accelerated during President Donald Trump’s second term. It cited deaths in ICE custody and recent fatal encounters involving federal agents, while arguing that the claims reveal a nationwide pattern rather than isolated incidents. A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not immediately respond to requests for comment before publication. The ACLU has created an online database identifying where claims have been filed, including the District of Columbia, and says additional filings could follow. “All of us deserve a country, where government officials follow the law, where everyone's freedom and dignity are protected, and where those who abuse their authority are held accountable,” Cader said in a video announcing the lawsuit. WI

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

STELLAR from Page 4 Federal Trade Commission to withdraw a proposed policy statement that the organization says discourages companies from testing AI systems for racial and other forms of bias. Days later, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to examine ways to prevent states from enforcing or adopting AI laws that the administration believes interfere with a national approach to artificial intelligence. Together, those actions have intensified a debate that extends well beyond Silicon Valley. The dispute now reaches into questions that have defined civil rights policy for decades: Who gets approved for a mortgage? Who is hired for a job? Who qualifies for housing? Who receives government benefits? Increasingly, advocates say, software— not people—is helping make those decisions. Artificial intelligence already plays a role in screening job applicants, evaluating loan applications, recommending tenants, detecting fraud, assisting insurers and supporting health care decisions. Consumer advocates argue that when those systems are trained on historical data that contain racial or economic disparities, they can reproduce those outcomes unless developers continually test for bias and correct it. “Opaque AI systems need guardrails and oversight to make sure they do not discriminate against people based on race, age, gender, religion, and many other factors,” Williamson said. The National Consumer Law Center

AROUND THE REGION

argues that the FTC proposal rests on a false premise—that efforts to reduce bias somehow make artificial intelligence less accurate. Instead, the organization says continuous testing is necessary to improve accuracy and comply with existing anti-discrimination laws. It also argues that the commission has failed to show evidence that companies attempting to comply with state civil rights protections are deceiving consumers. “With Congress unwilling to pass legislation protecting people from AI and this administration gutting our consumer protection agencies, states are essential to stop AI from unleashing digital redlining,” Williams continued.

‘States Have a Vital Role in Protecting the Public from… Unknown Risks of AI’

Civil rights organizations have expanded that argument beyond the FTC. In a letter sent to leaders of the House Democratic Commission on AI and the Innovation Economy, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and dozens of national organizations urged lawmakers to reject any proposal that would override state AI protections. The groups called for mandatory bias testing, privacy protections, enforcement authority for federal and state regulators, and preservation of disparate-impact protections under civil rights law. The coalition argued that public concern about AI regulation spans polit-

COMMANDERS from Page 5 franchise’s largest undertakings. While the Commanders continue to outline their plans, many residents near the RFK campus say they remain focused on issues that extend beyond football. During recent public hearings on the District’s draft master plan, neighbors questioned the size of proposed parking garages, whether enough green space would remain and whether transit improvements would keep pace with redevelopment. District planners have said public feedback has already influenced portions of the draft and additional revisions remain under consideration. “I know that our residents are going to just keep pushing until the very end,” Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Ebony Payne said. WI

During recent public hearings on the District’s draft master plan, neighbors questioned the size of proposed parking garages, whether enough green space would remain and whether transit improvements would keep pace with redevelopment.

ical affiliations. It cited polling showing broad support for requiring companies to demonstrate that AI systems used in employment, lending and housing do not discriminate. The organizations also warned that communities of color could face disproportionate economic consequences as AI reshapes the workforce and automates more occupations. The administration has argued that a patchwork of state AI laws could complicate innovation and create inconsistent regulatory standards nationwide. The executive order specifically identifies California’s AI disclosure requirements and Colorado’s law addressing algorithmic discrimination as examples of state measures federal agencies should examine. Technology companies have likewise argued that complying with dozens of different state AI laws could become increasingly difficult as artificial intelligence expands across industries. Advocates counter that states have historically acted first when Congress has

5 Gospel music icon Kirk Franklin will serve as co-host of the 41st Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards in Charlotte, North Carolina, Aug. 15. (Courtesy Photo)

been slow to respond to emerging risks. “States have a vital role in protecting the public from the myriad of known and unknown risks of AI, which can be used to improperly reject people for

credit, jobs, and housing; freeze or steal bank accounts; abuse and share private data; and raise the cost of living through surveillance pricing,” said Lauren Saunders, associate director and director of federal advocacy at the National Consumer Law Center. She said efforts to prevent states from regulating artificial intelligence reverse a long tradition of state consumer protection. “States on a bipartisan basis have been addressing the risks of AI, exercising their role as our first responders and laboratories of democracy, which is critical given Congress’s inability to address the dangers of AI,” Saunders said. “Our Constitution limits the powers of the federal government and preserves the power of the states. The actions that President Trump is directing federal agencies to take to block states from protecting people from current and future AI dangers are reckless, unlawful, and will not stand up to challenge.” WI

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

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

Still redefining power in the District. AUGUST 13 - 19, 2026 9

AROUND THE REGION

The only Indoor garden that grows 30 plants in just 2 sq ft.

CAPTURE THE MOMENt

The Miss Black USA Pageant and Scholarship Foundation returned to Washington, D.C. for its 39th year, featuring women of color competing from across the United States Aug. 8- 9. On the final day of the competition, Harmony Edosomwan of Vermont (center) was crowned the winner, along with a court of runners-up (l-r): Kyara Murray (Miss Black Texas, third runner-up), Arlette Dervil (Miss Black Massachusetts, first runner-up), Tierra Williams (Miss Black New Jersey, second runner-up) and Winslyn Parrish (Miss Black Georgia, fourth runner-up). (Robert R. Roberts/The Washington Informer)

THE GARDYN HOME KIT 3.0 Scan and use code SUNFLOWER at checkout to see latest savings!

Who’s Reading the Informer

GARDYNDEAL.COM/71

Dr. Imani S. Steele, a researcher, brand strategist and author, reads The Washington Informer. (Cleveland Nelson/The Washington Informer)

CALENDAR POST PROMOTE SEARCH

WORDS TO LIVE BY

Use the Washington Informer Calendar to post and promote your event or to plan your week with the area’s best events listing! https://www.washingtoninformer.com/calendar/ #/

10 AUGUST 13 - 19, 2026 3.85 x 5.5 in

“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.” – Nelson Mandela THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

AROUND THE REGION

DCYEP from Page 1

Your local marketing experts with UNLIMITED REACH. Kevin Berrier 443-508-1936 KBerrier@MDDCPress.com 5 Grand prize winners Zaynah Crawley and Tioluwani Fabunmi. (William Deffaa/The Washington Informer)

Throughout the summer, 10 Washingtonians ranging from ages 18-24 used tools, mentorship and real-world experience to create and eventually pitch their business ideas to a panel of local business owners.

EXCLUSIVE LIMITED TIME OFFER!

NATIO

CLOG-FREE GUARANTEE ’S

‘Seven Weeks of Hard Work,’ Making Dreams Realities

The seven-week program was led by the Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD) and aimed to help equip young, aspiring entrepreneurs with early career readiness skills and knowledge to thrive. “Our commitment at the Department of Small and Local Business Development is to develop our business owners, to be a partner to them, not to be the ones to tell them what to do and how to do it, but to understand what they want to do and help them get there,” said Rosemary Suggs-Evans, DSLBD director. “Whether that is starting, whether that is expanding, and sometimes whether it's closing, but we are going to be a part of that journey, and to see these young people, I am in awe.” The D.C. Youth Entrepreneurship Program is also hosted in partnership with the D.C. Department of Employment Services (DOES) through the Marion S. Barry Summer Youth Employment Program (MBSYEP), which provides D.C. youth ages 14 to 24 with experience-building work through selective placements in the private and government sectors. Celebrating 47 years, MBSYEP, renamed in honor of the late former mayor in 2015, provides youth the opportunity to interact

specifically that of her home country Nigeria, to a broader audience without cutting corners in authenticity and quality. “We want to tell a story that embodies the ethos of West African culture on our platform,” Fabunmi said. In addition to the training over the past seven weeks, both winners explained how the funding provides a huge boost for their businesses. “I’m very excited now to be able to use the funds to help share my culture with other people,” said Fabunmi. And for Zaynah, the funds add a much-needed starting boost heading into her freshman year at Stanford. “I can get started with programming, developing and all the AI stuff… it kind of takes weight off my shoulders now that I have funding going into college,” Crawley told The Informer.

BACKED BY A YEAR-ROUND N

ley and Tioluwani Fabunmi have drastically different proposals— an app and jewelry business— the pair found common ground on how they’re going to celebrate the end of the program. “Probably sleep a lot; it’s been a long seven weeks,” said Crawley. “I’ll definitely be resting a lot.” An elated Fabunmi is also ready for some rest and relaxation. “I think I’m going to tell everyone I know first of all,” said Fabunmi, “and then sleep because it has been a lot of hard work to be able to make sure my brand is represented in the way I want it to be.” For Crawley, the grand prize will help her launch Teen Connect, an idea born out of a problem she has witnessed firsthand. Throughout her time in high school, Crawley noticed her classmates' desire to stand out both academically and in their extracurriculars when applying to colleges. The reality for many high schoolers, however, is that internships and other career-building opportunities are hard to come by for people her age, and largely reserved for college students. “I found that this is a much bigger issue,” Crawley told The Informer. “Everyone is saying it’s hard to find opportunities, and it’s even harder to know what opportunities you should apply for.” To address this reality, Crawley created an app that connects teens with internships, mentorship, and employers through an easy-to-use system that helps match opportunities with students’ interests. There are also premium features, including an AI-powered resume builder and a meter on how likely a student is to get an opportunity. For Fabunmi, the funding will allow her to ethically source for her business, Fayola Jewelry, which features hand-crafted pieces. Throughout her time in the jewelry industry and growing up in Nigeria, Fabunmi saw a growing interest in African-inspired fashion, but noticed the limited options available from mainstream brands, inspiring her to bridge that gap. Fabunmi explained the heart of Fayola Jewelry comes from a desire to bring the West African culture,

ER GUA

OFF

FINANCING THAT FITS YOUR BUDGET!1 Promo Code: 285

Subject to credit approval. Call for details.

CALL US TODAY FOR

A FREE ESTIMATE

15% & 10 % YOUR ENTIRE PURCHASE *

5% OFF

TO THE FIRST 50 CALLERS ONLY! **

SENIORS & MILITARY!

OFF

WE INSTALL

YEAR-ROUND! LIFETIME WARRANTY

1-855-995-2490

Mon-Thurs: 8am-11pm, Fri-Sat: 8am-5pm, Sun: 2pm-8pm EST

*For those who qualify. One coupon per household. No obligation estimate valid for 1 year. **Oﬀer valid at time of estimate only 2The leading consumer reporting agency conducted a 16 month outdoor test of gutter guards in 2010 and recognized LeafFilter as the “#1 rated professionally installed gutter guard system in America.” Manufactured in Plainwell, Michigan and processed at LMT Mercer Group in Ohio. See Representative for full warranty details. CSLB# 1035795 DOPL #10783658-5501 License# 7656 License# 50145 License# 41354 License# 99338 License# 128344 License# 218294 WA UBI# 603 233 977 License# 2102212986 License# 2106212946 License# 2705132153A License# LEAFFNW822JZ License# WV056912 License# WC-29998-H17 Nassau HIC License# H01067000 Registration# 176447 Registration# HIC.0649905 Registration# C127229 Registration# C127230 Registration# 366920918 Registration# PC6475 Registration# IR731804 Registration# 13VH09953900 Registration# PA069383 Suﬀolk HIC License# 52229-H License# 2705169445 License# 262000022 License# 262000403 License# 0086990 Registration# H-19114

DCYEP Page 13

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

AUGUST 13 - 19, 2026 11

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY Maryland Lawmakers Urge Federal Regulators to Stop Shifting Data Center Costs to State Ratepayers By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer Maryland’s Democratic congressional delegation is urging federal regulators to stop billions of dollars in electricity transmission costs tied to out-of-state data centers from being passed on to Maryland households and businesses. In a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, U.S. Sens.

Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks and U.S. Reps. Steny Hoyer, Kweisi Mfume, Jamie Raskin, Glenn Ivey, Sarah Elfreth, April McClain Delaney and Johnny Olszewski called on the commission to require PJM Interconnection to revise its cost-allocation rules. They argued that Maryland consumers should not finance infrastructure built primarily to serve hyperscale data centers in neighboring states.

Donate Your Vehicle Call (833) 630-4817 to donate your car, truck, boat, RV, and more today!

How it Works:

1. Contact Us

2. Schedule Pickup

Call (833) 630-4817

We’ll pick up your vehicle for FREE - at a time and place convenient for you.

3. Receive Top Tax Deduction You may qualify for a tax deduction.

■ Support Veteran Nonprofits. ■ Free Pickup & Towing. ■ Top Tax Deduction.

Donate Your Vehicle Today

833-630-4817 www.veterancardonations.org/dnt137

While we appreciate every donation, in some cases, we find that we are unable to accept certain vehicles, watercraft, and/or recreational vehicles due to the prohibitive costs of acquisition. If you have any questions, please give us a call at (833) 630-4817.

12 AUGUST 13 - 19, 2026

3 U.S. Rep. Kweisi Mfume is among the Maryland congressional delegates urging federal regulators to stop billions of dollars in electricity transmission costs tied to out-of-state data centers from being passed on to Maryland households. (WI File Photo/Anthony Tilghman)

“As members of the Maryland Congressional Delegation, we write regarding a pressing matter that has the potential to significantly raise energy costs for our constituents,” the lawmakers wrote. “PJM Interconnection LLC’s (PJM) existing transmission cost allocation rules result in the unjust assignment of billions of dollars in costs to Marylanders, contributing to unaffordable electricity bills.” The lawmakers’ letter supports a complaint filed by the Maryland Office of People’s Counsel in FERC Docket EL26-63 challenging PJM’s existing transmission cost-allocation methodology. According to the delegation, the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) has fueled one of the largest transmission build-outs in PJM’s history. Across its three most recent regional transmission planning cycles, PJM has approved approximately $22 billion in transmission projects needed primarily to serve data centers. Under the grid operator’s current rules, roughly $2 billion of those costs have been assigned to Maryland ratepayers rather than to the companies driving the increased electricity demand. “Data centers being built outside of Maryland are driving one of the largest transmission expansions in PJM’s history,” the lawmakers wrote. “Across its three most recent regional transmission planning rounds, PJM has advanced $22 billion in projects needed principally to serve data centers. Under PJM’s current cost allocation rules, roughly $2 billion of those costs have been assigned

to Maryland ratepayers rather than the data centers that are driving the demand.” The delegation warned that unless FERC intervenes, Maryland customers could pay an estimated $1.6 billion over the next decade for those transmission projects. Residential customers would account for approximately $823 million of that total, or about $345 for the average household. “Marylanders are already shouldering the immense burden of skyrocketing electricity costs, and it is unjust and unreasonable to force our constituents to subsidize the energy infrastructure needs of the wealthiest companies in the world,” the lawmakers wrote. They argued that PJM’s cost-allocation rules have failed to keep pace with the unprecedented electricity demands created by AI infrastructure. “PJM’s cost allocation rules have not kept pace with the build out of hyperscale data centers, just one of which can equal the electricity demand of a small city,” the delegation wrote. “PJM’s current rules spread costs broadly across the region regardless of where, and for whom, the underlying projects are actually needed.” The lawmakers also warned that Maryland regulators have no authority to require developers in other states to pay for the transmission infrastructure created by their projects. They said forecasts calling for tens of thousands of additional megawatts of data center demand over the next two decades could leave Maryland

consumers responsible for billions of dollars more in transmission costs. They also raised concerns that customers could be required to pay for projects tied to proposed data centers that ultimately are never built. The fight over who should pay for the nation’s AI infrastructure has intensified as utilities and regional grid operators confront soaring electricity demand from data centers. Public concern has also grown. Gallup found that 71% of Americans oppose AI data centers in their local communities, with concerns centered on energy consumption, water use, environmental effects and rising electric bills. “AI data center[s] should be built in desolate areas like industrial zone[s], commercial area[s], city center[s] where there is no residential use for one reason, [and] electrical waves which will affect babies and kids’ developing brains,” social media user Tyrel Lee posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. “It has the same concern for power plant[s].” The delegation acknowledged that FERC recently directed PJM and five other regional grid operators to justify or revise how they allocate costs associated with serving large electricity users. The lawmakers said those orders address future projects but do not resolve the billions of dollars in transmission costs that have already been assigned to Maryland customers. “We also seek to obtain relief for our constituents from the billions in costs PJM has already assigned, and because most of those costs have not yet appeared on customer bills, timely commission action can prevent much of this harm before it occurs,” the lawmakers wrote. The lawmakers closed by urging the commission to move quickly. “We urge the commission to act expeditiously to provide relief from these costs for Maryland ratepayers, including as requested in OPC’s complaint,” they wrote. “Thank you for your consideration of this important issue that is essential to ensuring just and reasonable energy costs for our constituents.” WI

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

BUSINESS DCYEP from Page 9 with working professionals and gain exposure to various careers. Ten DCYEP participants wrapped the nearly two-month intensive on Aug. 4 at The Gathering Spot in Northwest, D.C., with a pitch competition that featured a variety of businesses— from faith-inspired clothing to financial record keeping services. Judges for the pitch competition included: Jess Randolph, associate creative director of the Anacostia Arts Center and chair of the WACIF Innovation Taskforce; JC Smith, co-owner of the Bailiwick Clothing Company, a D.C.based clothing brand founded in 2015 that celebrates the culture of the DMV; and Keyonna Jones, co-founder and executive director of Congress Heights Arts and

Culture Center, which works to explore and celebrate District culture and the African diaspora. Despite not every contestant winning the grand prize, every participant received at least $500 in funds toward their business ideas. Trezell Ragas, who managed the program, said she is proud of all the students’ perseverance throughout the intensive. “It’s seven weeks of hard work, helping the students come up with their business plans, helping them really understand what it takes to be an entrepreneur and business owner in Washington, D.C.,” said the program manager and owner of Ragas Consulting. “The most thrilling part about working with the youth is helping them realize that anything that they want to become is possible.” WI

Loving Them Means Planning for Them: Why Special Needs Planning Matters By Aimee D. Griffin, Esq When we think about estate planning, most people immediately think about passing down a home, protecting savings, or deciding who receives treasured family heirlooms. But for families caring for a loved one with a disability, estate planning is about something even more important: ensuring that person is cared for long after we are no longer able to do it ourselves. One of the most difficult questions I ask parents and caregivers is, "Who will care for your loved one when you can't?" It is not an easy conversation, but it is one every family deserves to have. Across our communities, many families have devoted their lives to caring for a child, sibling, or parent with special needs. They often assume that leaving an inheritance outright is the best way to help. Unfortunately, that loving gift can unintentionally jeopardize eligibility for critical government benefits such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Medicaid. Thoughtful planning can help avoid that outcome. A properly designed Special Needs Trust allows assets to be used to enhance a loved one's quality of life without unnecessarily disqualifying them from essential public benefits. Those funds can provide for education, therapies, transportation, technology, recreation, personal care, and countless other needs that government programs may not cover. Special needs planning is about far more than money. Families should also think about who will serve as trustee, who understands the individual's daily routines and medical needs, and who shares the family's values and vision. In many cases, it is wise to prepare a Letter of Intent—a personal guide that describes everything from favorite foods and daily schedules to medical providers, religious beliefs, and hopes for the future. While it is not a legal document, it often becomes one of the most valuable gifts a caregiver can leave behind. Planning should also include beneficiary designations on life insurance and retirement accounts, coordination with wills and trusts, and conversations with siblings and other family members who may one day step into caregiving roles. The goal is to create a coordinated plan rather than leaving loved ones to make difficult decisions during a crisis. As life changes, so should the plan. New laws, changes in benefits, evolving family dynamics, and changing medical needs all make periodic reviews essential. Perhaps the greatest gift we can leave is not simply an inheritance, but peace of mind. Special needs planning says to the people we love, "I have thought about your future. I have prepared for your care. I have made sure you will continue to be supported, protected, and loved." Estate planning has never been just about documents. It is about people. It is about preserving dignity, protecting independence, and ensuring that every member of the family has the opportunity to live with security and purpose. Because true love doesn't end with our lifetime—it plans for the next generation of care. Aimee D. Griffin, Esq. Life and Legacy Counselors 1401 Mercantile Lane, Ste 211, Upper Marlboro, MD 20774 5335 Wisconsin Ave NW Ste 440 Washington, DC 20015 1100 N. Glebe Road, Ste 1010, Arlington, VA 22201 www.yourestateplanningattorney.us (855) 574-8481 connects all locations .

5 Contestants and audience members look on during business presentations. (William Deffaa/The Washington Informer)

Support The Washington Informer as we Celebrate 61 Years.

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

Donate online today at wicharities.org Purchase an ad to support our education programs. Email rburke@washingtoninformer.com

AUGUST 13 - 19, 2026 13

NATIONAL AFRICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE DAY Wednesday, August 26 vs.

• 6:45 pm

NATIONALS.COM/SPECIALS

LIMITED EDITION

CHOCOLATE CITY

NOLAN from Page 4 practice in her office. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump said his legal team continues to pursue its own investigation. He said forensic audio specialists are reviewing the complete Sea Tow emergency call from July 4 while ocean engineering experts are examining how Wells’ body ultimately came to be recovered near the northwestern tip of Horn Island. “We want to know how is that possible with the oceanic tides,” Crump said. “You’ve got low tides and high tides ... so it’s not adding up.” Attorney Eric Hertz said discussions also continue regarding a joint forensic examination of cell phones connected to the case; an inspection he expects would include the FBI if it proceeds. Meanwhile, forensic pathologist Dr. Roger Mitchell continues reviewing evidence gathered during the family’s independent examination after previously determining that the cause and manner of death remained undetermined pending additional investigation. The analytical report raises similar concerns about missing information. According to the review, GPS coordinates used during search operations closely match independently supplied mapping data. Multiple photographs consistently depict the same cluster of boats, and social media videos provide additional reference points during the afternoon of

July 4. However, the report concludes those materials alone cannot establish exactly what occurred during the critical period before Wells disappeared. It also cautions that vessel labels contained in the photographs are source annotations rather than independently verified identifications. The report further concludes that timestamps appearing in social media screen recordings cannot be accepted as definitive evidence without access to the original files and associated metadata. It also says the available materials do not independently verify the reported time that Wells’ transportation boat departed Horn Island. Rather than drawing conclusions, the report lists unanswered questions investigators may still need to resolve, including authenticated video metadata, vessel GPS records, complete occupant lists, additional witness statements, and confirmation of when various boats changed position that afternoon. Outside the investigation itself, the case has become increasingly contentious. Three friends who were with Wells before he disappeared have become the focus of a GiveSendGo fundraiser that has raised more than $90,000 for anticipated legal expenses. The fundraising campaign says Warren Hudson, Jax Pitalo and Morgan Seymour have been “wrongly blamed” online and seeks money to defend against

NOLAN Page 15

JERSEY W/ SPECIAL TICKET

Support The Washington Informer as we Celebrate 61 Years. 14 AUGUST 13 - 19, 2026

Donate online today at wicharities.org Purchase an ad to support our education programs. Email rburke@washingtoninformer.com

5 Nolan Wells (center) with his parents Elmore and Christine Wonsley. Questions about Wells’ disappearance and death on Horn Island remain unanswered nearly a month after he was found dead off Mississippi's Gulf Coast. (Courtesy Photo/Instagram, Christine Wonsley)

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

HEALTH First Black Woman to Lead CDC Takes Helm as Agency Faces Public Health Challenges By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer The U.S. Senate has confirmed Dr. Erica Schwartz as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), making the physician, attorney and retired military health leader the first Black woman to head the nation's premier public health agency. The Senate voted 51-44 on Wednesday, Aug. 5 to confirm Schwartz, ending nearly a year without a Senate-confirmed CDC director. She assumes leadership as the agency confronts disease outbreaks, declining public confidence in public health institutions and significant workforce reductions.

NOLAN from Page 14 potential wrongful death litigation while pursuing possible defamation claims. The three men have maintained they cooperated fully with investigators. Crump has dismissed the prospect of competing lawsuits as a distraction, while Wells’ mother, Christine Wonsley, said she intends to continue pressing for answers. “I am asking for answers; that is it, that is all,” she said in a recent social media video.

‘Nolan’s Family, Friends, and… Nolan Himself, Deserve Better’

State officials have also found themselves confronting misinformation. Mississippi Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell warned Sunday that a purported toxicology report circulating on social media is fraud-

"Dr. Schwartz's experience and dedication to public health make her uniquely qualified to lead CDC during this critical time," Georges C. Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, said after the vote. "We congratulate her on her confirmation and stand ready to work with her to strengthen the nation's public health infrastructure and improve the health of all people." The barrier breaking physician served as deputy surgeon general of the United States and chief medical officer for the U.S. Coast Guard. A retired rear admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, she also directed health, safety and workulent and urged the public not to spread it. “The purported toxicology report from Nolan Wells circulating through social media on various outlets is fraudulent,” Tindell wrote. “Nolan’s family, friends, and most importantly, Nolan himself, deserve better.” Officials emphasized that no official toxicology report has been released and urged the public to rely only on verified information from investigators while the case remains active. Public attention has not diminished. Hundreds of miles from Mississippi, members of the New Orleans community gathered for a second-line procession to honor Wells and call for justice. Organizer Reuben Evans said the event was intended both to celebrate Wells’ life and remind his family they were not alone. WI Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

life programs for the Coast Guard, overseeing medical readiness, health care delivery and emergency preparedness for service members and their families. She takes charge of the Atlanta-based agency as federal health officials continue responding to measles outbreaks, foodborne illness investigations and other emerging public health threats while the CDC adjusts to staffing losses and organizational changes over the past year. During her confirmation hearing, senators from both parties questioned Schwartz about how she would preserve the CDC's scientific independence while serving under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose views on vaccines and public health have drawn criticism from many medical and scientific organizations. Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana ultimate-

ly backed her nomination after seeking assurances about her commitment to evidence-based science, while Democrats, including Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, said they remained concerned about the agency's independence. Schwartz becomes the CDC's 22nd director. Her career has included leadership roles in military medicine, public health policy and federal health administration, experience supporters say prepared her to guide one of the nation's most visible health agencies during a period of heightened scrutiny. Benjamin said the CDC's mission remains essential to protecting communities across the country. "We look forward to partnering with Dr. Schwartz to ensure CDC remains a trusted source of science-based guidance that protects the health of every community in America," he said.

5 After Senate confirmation on Aug. 5, Dr. Erica Schwartz is the first Black woman to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Courtesy Photo/United States Coast Guard)

Compassionate Care For Seniors & Caregivers

Let’s create a personalized care plan for you or your loved one. Central Care Services LLC Since 2015, Central Care Services LLC has helped older adults live safely and independently with dignity. We provide reliable, compassionate non-medical support for seniors, caregivers, and families facing rising costs, fixed incomes, and limited access to care. Services Include • Personal care, grooming assistance, partial bathing, dressing, and medication reminders • Companion care, friendly conversation, activities, mail, and phone assistance • Housekeeping, laundry, organizing, and decluttering for a safer home • Errands and transportation, including groceries, prescriptions, dining out, and doctor’s appointments • End-of-life coaching and compassionate family support Support For Caregivers • Get organized and build a dependable support network • Schedule personal time and take a needed

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

break from caregiving duties Who We Serve • Elderly individuals, seniors, caregivers, and families • Fixed-income or low-income clients who may not qualify for other public services • Temporary assistance for those needing extra support Ready to Get Started? Call Central Care Services LLC today to discuss a personalized care plan for you or your loved one. Central Care Services LLC | P.O. Box 41041 Washington, DC 20018 Website: https://centralcareservicesllc.com Email: info@centralcareservicesllc.com Phone: 202-636-3801 | Fax: 1-866-636-2655

AUGUST 13 - 19, 2026 15

OUR

EARTH

Fort Myer to Pay $450,000, Overhaul Operations to Settle D.C. Water Pollution Lawsuit By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer Fort Myer Construction Corporation, one of the region’s largest road paving and infrastructure companies, will pay $450,000 and make extensive upgrades to its Ward 5 maintenance yard under a court-filed settlement resolving a lawsuit alleging the company violated the District’s water pollution laws for years. “We sued Fort Myer because it flouted D.C. laws and polluted D.C. waterways for years, threat-

ening the health and safety of D.C. residents,” District Attorney General Brian Schwalb said. The Office of the Attorney General sued Fort Myer in 2024, alleging the company allowed polluted runoff from its storage and maintenance yard at 2237 33rd Street NE to flow into Springhouse Run, a stream that flows through the U.S. National Arboretum before reaching the Anacostia River. The complaint alleges District inspectors repeatedly cited the company beginning in 2015 and directed it to obtain

5 Fort Myer Construction Corporation will pay $450,000 and make extensive upgrades to its Ward 5 maintenance yard, resolving a lawsuit alleging the company violated the District’s water pollution laws for years. (WI File Photo/Robert R. Roberts)

a required discharge permit, but Fort Myer continued allowing petroleum, soap, salt, sediment and other pollutants to enter the District’s stormwater system. Under the consent order filed Friday in D.C. Superior Court, Fort Myer will pay $225,000 to the District and another

Purchase and Installation of Service Corridor Flooring Services REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) / Bid #25-S-064 The Washington Convention and Sports Authority t/a Events DC is soliciting proposals from qualified contractors to provide Purchase and Installation of Service Corridor Flooring Services at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. This Request for Proposal (“RFP”) has a thirty-five percent (35%) set-aside for a Certified Business Enterprise (CBE) as required under the provisions of “The Small and Certified Business Enterprise Development and Assistance Amendment Act of 2014” (the “Act”), effective June 10, 2014.

$225,000 to the Department of Energy and Environment’s Water Quality Enforcement Fund. “Finally and Thank You,” social media user Jacque Manning wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, in response to Schwalb’s announcement about the settlement. The agreement also requires Fort Myer to: install new runoff control structures, drainage improvements, filters, protective canopies, and oil-water separators; remove decommissioned equipment and vehicles; and complete other improvements intended to prevent future pollution. For at least three years, the company must conduct weekly compliance inspections, perform monthly stormwater testing during qualifying rain events, photograph the site and its

stormwater controls, and submit monthly reports documenting its compliance efforts. The settlement also establishes additional monetary penalties if Fort Myer fails to meet inspection, reporting, or construction deadlines. The consent order resolves the District’s civil claims under the Water Pollution Control Act. Fort Myer denied violating the law, and the agreement states that the settlement is not an admission of liability but was entered into to avoid further litigation. “In addition to holding Fort Myer accountable for the damage it caused, this agreement ensures the company makes much-needed and long overdue changes to its equipment and business practices to protect the District, our environment, and our residents moving forward,” Schwalb said. WI

Interested parties can view a copy of the RFP by accessing Event DC’s e-Procurement website at https://eventsdc.com/about/procurement RFP Release Date: RFP Pre-Proposal Conference: RFP Questions Due Date: RFP Response Due Date:

Key Dates Thursday, August 13, 2026 Wednesday, August 19, 2026, 11:00AM, EST Wednesday, August 26, 2026, 5:00PM, EST Monday, September 14, 2026, 5:00PM, EST

Primary Contact Name: Gerald Green / Deputy Director, Office of Contracts and Procurement Services E-mail: ggreen@eventsdc.com / Phone: (202) 249-3028

16 AUGUST 13 - 19, 2026

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

EDUCATION EDUCATION from Page 1 Nicholson in their quest to master the game and host tournaments of their own. “I figured this was something we could work on together to create something that's better and something that's more authentic,” said Andrea, a decade-long student of the DC State Chess Federation and founder of DC Rising Pawns. Andrea, a rising senior at Girls Global Academy Public Charter School in Northwest, said Bennett conceptualized, and trusted her with, the idea of a girls and women chess tournament. As she recounted, they fleshed out that vision with a renewed vigor after Bennett’s break with the US Chess Federation. “We’re not controlled or we're not used by the US Chess Federation,” Andrea said. “We do want to promote tournaments and promote all women's tournaments like many others do, but we want to create something from the ground up and have a connection with audiences in the D.C. area.” Earlier this summer, DC Rising Pawns hosted the DC Women and Girls Health & Wellness Chess Fair at Bryant Street Market in Northeast. Andrea co-sponsored the event with: DC State Chess Federation; HoodSmart: The Urban STEMulus Project; The Agency at National Harbor Financial Services; Ateya Productions; Kettler Management; and Community Grapevines. Andrea, an Ivy League prospect and tennis player who trains at the same academy frequented by tennis phenom Frances Tiafoe, said she wanted young women at Bryant Street Market to, like she did years before, find value in the lessons that chess teaches. “As I have progressed in life, I've noticed that chess isn't just about tennis. It’s about the lifelong benefits that come with it [like] critical thinking, being able to see moves or see problems and decisions I'll be making 10 years down the line,” Andrea told The Informer. “Being aware of my opponents and what they've done. There's so many benefits and so many things

that chess has helped me with. It’s not just a board game, it's more of a game of life, and it's transitory.”

Looking Back: The DC Women and Girls Health & Wellness Chess Fair

For six hours on June 14, the hundreds of middle and high school aged girls who converged on Bryant Street Market immersed themselves in the game of life as they competed in chess, participated in wellness activities, and engaged in conversation about female wellness. Other aspects of the Women and Girls Health and Wellness Chess Fair included chess lessons from chess streamer Devina D., a pilates session with Clarissa Shepard, line dancing, sound bowl healing, chair massages, beauty services, all under the upbeat, positive music emanating from a live vinyl DJ set. For Ateya Ball-Lacy, the ambiance of women-and-girls centered event met what needs that have been long unmet. “We don't always create a sacred space for women and girls, especially in this society now. It’s almost taboo,” said Ball-Lacy, creator and executive director of HoodSmart: The Urban STEMulus. “What we're doing is really important because women and girls need that sacred space to come together and really to speak to the needs that we have that are very unique as women and girls.” Ball-Lacy and Bennett have a working relationship going back to the early 2000s, when the former’s family attended chess tournaments and events conducted by the latter. The Women and Girls Health and Wellness Chess Fair took place two years after the duo commemorated the Bolling v. Sharpe Supreme Court decision with a chess tournament at Dunbar High School in Northwest. The girls-and-women event, BallLacy said, had a similar formula intended to attract and engage young people while driving home the point about the utility of chess. “While it was a health and well-

ness fair, we were absolutely centering chess,” Ball-Lacy told The Informer. “That’s really important because we know that students who really take up this sport and master it, there's no limit to what they can do, whether it's at the classroom level or just in life in general.” Ball-Lacy said that’s especially the case for young women. “We really want our women and girls to understand that they have access to this, and once they really master chess, they can do so many things,” Ball-Lacy added. “It’s because of the impact that it has on their critical thinking skills, how they interact with each other, how they interact with their community.” The women-and-girls focused event, one of several chess-related functions to take place at Bryant Street Market, was

Andreas’s first under the D.C. Rising Pawns Training imprint. She’s since hosted at least one more event this summer with plans to do more for her peers. “I hope this impact is not just local, but also something that can reach many girls, potentially around the world and the whole U.S.,” Andrea told The Informer. “I have become very passionate about women's rights and women advocacy as something that needs to be addressed, especially being Afro-Latina. Wanting to empower the youth [to know that it] doesn't matter where you come from, what you look like, but rather what you can do if given the opportunity.” WI Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

5 Student-athlete Andrea Nicholson, a tennis player and founder of DC Rising Pawns, is a decade-long student of the DC State Chess Federation. She hosted the DC Women and Girls Health & Wellness Chess Fair at Bryant Street Market in Northeast on June 14. (Courtesy Photo)

THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE STUDY OF AFRICAN AMERICAN LIFE AND HISTORY®

111TH ANNUAL

CONFERENCe

100 SEPT. 23-27, 2026

HAMPTON ROADS, HOSTED IN NORFOLK, VA NORFOLK WATERSIDE MARRIOTT

100 REGISTER FOR THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE

CONTACT THE ACADEMIC PROGRAM COMMITTEE

ADVERTISEMENT OPPORTUNITIES

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

VOLUNTEER AT THE NORFOLK CONFERENCE!

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

AUGUST 13 - 19, 2026 17

INTERNATIONAL PETWORTH PRINTING Your Quality Printers

301 Kennedy Street, NW n Washington, DC

202-291-6565 PRINTING & DESIGN

Color / Black & White Printing n Booklets

n Programs

n Business Cards

n Promotional Products

n Brochures

n Postcards

n Banners

n Posters & Signs

n Canvas Bags

n Tithe Envelopes

n Color Copies

n Contracts & Vouchers n Church Fans n Fax & Scan

n Tickets & Flyers n T-Shirts

OYATO Collective hosted the ROOTS x OYATO, a curated fashion pop-up experience at YOLK Studio in Hyattsville, Maryland, Aug. 8-9. Hundreds of guests filled the exhibit both days to experience stunning collections, shop the designers and celebrate African creative expression. Featured designers included: Lavish, Talensi,IBilola Ogundipe, IBERE, MotherLand Humans, Moelle Zavian, Ara The Brand, Eela Beade, Yaa Chic and Luck by L. The Purpose of the popup was to create a bridge between African fashion brands and the U.S. consumer, retail and media landscape. (Jacques Benovil/The Washington Informer) 5 Holding clothes they hope to purchase, Kristene O., Kyana M., Dr Ajita R., and January W. wait in line for one of two fitting rooms.

n Mugs & Glassware n Notary

10% OFF

BOOKLETS AND T-SHIRTS *NEW CUSTOMERS ONLY*

SEE OUR ONLINE STORE: www.QualityPrintersDC.com 5 Lateefah and Toyin O. pose while shopping.

Traditional Help Buttons

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

A Help Button Should Go Where You Go!

5 Seyi Sowunmi, designer and owner of IBERI, which features clothes all made and produced in Lagos, Nigeria.

To be truly independent your personal emergency device needs to work on the go. 5 Attendees shop the vvarious vendors at ROOTS x OYATO.

Order Now & Receive a FREE Lockbox!

1-800-681-0667

Service availability and access/coverage on the AT&T network is not available everywhere and at all times. Current GPS location may not always be available in every situation.

3 Bukky and Precious O

4 Ndidi Agu of Shuga x Ice

5 Designer Stephanie Amponsah of Yaa Chic, which features items all made in Ghana.

18 AUGUST 13 - 19, 2026

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

Financial Wellness is a Practice: Community Manager Aja Clark in D.C. Shares How to Build a Routine that Lasts Sponsored by JPMorganChase When it comes to personal finance, most of us think about goals—saving for a home, paying off debt, or launching a business. But financial wellness isn’t just about reaching milestones; it’s about the habits and choices we make every day. It’s a practice, and like any practice, it gets stronger with personalized guidance, practical support and trusted resources. Chase Community Manager Aja Clark helps neighbors in D.C. turn financial wellness into a routine that fits your life, providing practical money skills education and support on important money skills like budgeting, saving, building credit, and scam prevention.

Making Financial Wellness Part of Everyday Life

You can start small when practicing financial wellness. It can look like a 10-minute weekly money check-in, setting up automatic savings, asking a question about credit, or joining a workshop to learn how to spot a scam before you get hit. Through local collaborations and free workshops, Community Managers help neighbors build healthy money habits like budgeting, improving credit, planning for homeownership, and protecting against scams—open to everyone in the community, customers and noncustomers alike. We sat down with Chase Community Manager Aja Clark in D.C. to learn more about the impact of their work and the opportunities ahead.

to day. Many people were never taught the basics in a clear, practical way—so when a surprise expense hits or prices rise, it can feel like you’re behind before you even start. As Community Manager, I support D.C. by connecting neighbors, businesses, and local leaders to the right financial resources for their unique priorities. I host workshops at branches and out in the community to help people build money skills that improve their lives, and the lives of their family— whether it’s buying a home, growing a business, or simply feeling more confident about their finances. It is so rewarding to help D.C. build towards a stronger financial future. Every day, I get to engage with people who are working towards their dreams, even when things feel overwhelming. Seeing someone leave a workshop with a new sense of confidence—or hearing that it helped them avoid a scam or start saving for the first time—reminds me that we’re building a stronger region together.

What do you recommend the community does to strengthen their financial wellness

As inflation and rising costs stretch households budgets, the most effective response is a plan you can stick with. By focusing on repeatable habits—setting aside money weekly, building an emergency fund, and putting essentials first—you can cover today’s costs while still saving. • Make a simple budget: A budget is a spending plan that can help protect

both your essentials and your future. A practical budget starts with clarity on what’s coming in, what must go out, and what can be adjusted—then it turns saving into a weekly habit. • Treat savings like a bill: Set aside a small amount every week, even if it’s just a few dollars. Automate it if you can. Consistency is more important than the amount. • Build an emergency fund in phases: Aim for a starter buffer first— enough to cover a surprise expense— then work toward a bigger goal, like a few months of essentials. Even a small amount of money put aside every week can reduce stress and create flexibility when prices move. • Check in weekly: Spend 10 minutes each week comparing your plan to what you actually spent. Adjust as needed, and don’t be hard on yourself if things change—like groceries and transportation, where inflation often shows up quickly. The key is to keep going. Financial wellness isn’t about being perfect—it’s about building a system that helps you handle what life throws at you. 2) What is Chase doing to make it easier for people to strengthen their financial wellness? We’re bringing more financial wellness support and personalized guidance into more neighborhoods. Through the American Dream Initiative, JPMorganChase is doubling the number of Community Centers, hiring 150+ more Community Managers, and expanding our financial education programs with the goal of reaching 5 million people.

Dream Initiative, visit www.jpmorganchase.com/America.

JPMorganChase’s American Dream Initiative is a multi-year effort to expand economic opportunity by scaling evidence-based solutions that help the economy work for more people. JPMorganChase will provide financing, facilitate capital, offer advice, training and tools to help people start and grow small businesses. The firm will also significantly expand investments in proven initiatives that help people find affordable places to live, save and plan for their financial futures, get good jobs, access quality health care, and strengthen local institutions. Explore tools for every financial journey at chase.com/financialgoals and for more information on the American

For informational/educational purposes only: Views and strategies described in this article or provided via links may not be appropriate for everyone and are not intended as specific advice/recommendation for any business. Information has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but JPMorgan Chase & Co. or its affiliates and/or subsidiaries do not warrant its completeness or accuracy. The material is not intended to provide legal, tax, or financial advice or to indicate the availability or suitability of any JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. product or service. You should carefully consider your needs and objectives before making any decisions and consult the appropriate professional(s). Outlooks and past performance are not guarantees of future results. JPMorgan Chase & Co. and its affiliates are not responsible for, and do not provide or endorse third party products, services, or other content. Deposit products provided by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Member FDIC. Equal Opportunity Lender. © 2026 JPMorgan Chase & Co.

1) What led you to the Community Manager role in D.C. and what has been the impact? I’ve always believed that financial knowledge is one of the most powerful tools a person can have. I’ve witnessed firsthand how small, consistent steps can lead to big changes because it impacts the choices you make, the opportunities you pursue, and how much stress you carry day WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

AUGUST 13 - 19, 2026 19

Designing the Next Chapter: Women Gather to Build Their “MastHERpiece” By DC Black MBA Success rarely follows a perfect blueprint. Careers change. Families need attention. Opportunities arrive unexpectedly. Priorities shift. Then, somewhere between professional ambition, personal responsibilities and the many expectations women carry, an important question can get lost, “What am I intentionally building for myself?” That question is at the center of MastHERpiece: Designing a Life with Intention, the 2026 Women’s Symposium presented by the Washington, D.C. Chapter of the National Black MBA Association (DC Black MBA) on Saturday, August 22, at the College Park Marriott Hotel & Conference Center. The symposium encourages women to see themselves as architects of their personal, professional, financial and civic lives and to recognize that creating a fulfilling life requires both vision and intention. “Women spend so much of their lives building careers, families, organizations, communities and opportunities for others. MastHERpiece is an invitation for women to be just as intentional about what they are building for themselves,” said Dr. Carletta S. Hurt, President of DC Black MBA. “We want every woman who joins us to leave thinking differently about what is possible and understanding that she has the power to design her next chapter.” For Kirsten Williams, Esq., a member of the symposium’s Host Committee, gatherings specifically designed for women offer something that professional biographies and social media profiles rarely reveal the journey behind the accomplishment. “We don't often get to see the behind-the-scenes journey the challenges, setbacks, difficult decisions, and lessons learned that shape a leader,” Williams said. “Hearing those experiences helps demystify the path forward and reminds us that success is rarely linear.” That opportunity to exchange knowledge is important, Williams said, but the community created in the process may be even more valuable.

20 AUGUST 13 - 19, 2026

“I've learned throughout my career that no one succeeds alone,” she said. “Every meaningful opportunity I've had has been influenced by someone who believed in me, challenged me, or helped me see possibilities I couldn't yet see for myself.” That belief in community extends beyond traditional networking. Iris Drayton-Spann of Stanton Chase, Kirsten Williams, Esq. also a Host Committee member, sees gatherings like MastHERpiece as opportunities for women to exhale while connecting with people who understand the responsibilities they carry. “These types of events are vital as they provide a safe place for women to engage, share, connect and breathe life into one another,” Drayton-Spann said. “Many times, we as women carry heavy loads work, family, commitments, caregiving and so many other loads.” She believes being surrounded by women willing to Iris Drayton-Spann encourage and invest in one another can provide “balance, comfort, support and real friendship.” That broader understanding of success is reflected throughout MastHERpiece. Panel discussions will explore politics and civic leadership, leadership and professional development, mental wellness, creativity and the arts, and wealth building. Rather than treating these areas as separate parts of a woman’s life, the symposium asks participants to consider how they work together to create a fuller picture. That spirit of reaching back while moving forward may ultimately capture the larger purpose of the symposium. “Success looks different for every woman,” Hurt said. “Our goal is not to tell women what their masterpiece should look like. Our goal is to give them space, resources and community to help them create it.” For Williams, the impact extends beyond any individual participant. “When women come together to share their stories, support one another, and invest in each other's success, we don't just build stronger careers,” she said. “We build stronger organizations, stronger communities, and a stronger future for the next generation of women leaders.” Understanding that the real promise of MastHERpiece is less about what happens inside the room on August 22 and more about what each woman decides to build after she leaves.

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

EDITORIAL

A Profile in Cowardice

Sen. Bill Cassidy Had Every Opportunity to Stand on Principle. Once Again, He Chose Political Expedience At 4:17 a.m. on the morning of Saturday, Aug. 8, the U.S. Senate confirmed Todd Blanche as the 88th Attorney General of the United States. Sen. Bill Cassidy’s (R-La.) decision to support Blanche was more than disappointing— it was a revealing portrait of political cowardice. Cassidy, a physician who once presented himself as an independent voice within the Republican Party, had the chance to draw a line. Instead, he crossed it. Blanche was not merely another presidential nominee. He is a former personal attorney to President Donald J. Trump and has faced serious questions about the U.S. Department of Justice’s independence and judgment. Even Cassidy acknowledged Blanche’s shortcomings but concluded he was the best available choice. With Republican Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (Ark.) opposing the nomination, Cassidy’s support became critical to Blanche’s path to confirmation. This is hardly Cassidy’s first surrender of principle. In February 2025, as a member of the Senate Finance Committee, Cassidy cast the decisive Republican vote to advance Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s

nomination for Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The committee vote was 14–13. Cassidy had publicly expressed serious concerns about Kennedy, particularly given his history of spreading claims widely challenged by public-health authorities. Yet Cassidy ultimately provided the vote that sent the nomination to the full Senate, where Kennedy was confirmed 52–48. The irony is almost painful. Cassidy voted with the Trump agenda an overwhelming majority of the time — 89% to 93% of the time— yet it did not save him. This spring, Trump endorsed Cassidy’s opponent, and Cassidy finished third in Louisiana’s Republican primary, ending his Senate career. One would think that having learned that political appeasement offers no protection, Cassidy might finally find the courage to stand by his convictions. Instead, he has once again chosen to bend rather than stand. Former President John F. Kennedy’s 1957 Pulitzer Prize-winning book “Profiles in Courage” celebrated senators who accepted political consequences for doing

what they believed was right. Cassidy’s record on Secretary Kennedy– and now on Blanche offers a starkly different lesson. If Kennedy gave America “Profiles in Courage,” Cassidy’s latest vote gives us something else: a Profile in Cowardice. Cassidy and all the other senators who supported Blanche’s nomination share this honor with another Profile in Cowardice: Secretary Kennedy, the late President’s nephew. The tragedy is not merely what Cassidy has done to his legacy. It is what happens to a democracy when elected officials repeatedly put political calculation above principle. WI

One would think that having learned that political appeasement offers no protection, Cassidy might finally find the courage to stand by his convictions.

More Black Youth Refuse to be Silenced – It’s Time to Listen to Their Concerns

Sometimes what matters most is not the number of those who show up to participate in acts of civil disobedience, but the sincerity of their sentiments. Such was the case at high noon

Black youth in D.C. say they’re frustrated, fed up, and furious because of being routinely targeted, mistreated, and oppressed by federal and local law enforcement.

on Saturday, Aug. 8, when several dozen young adults converged at the entrance to the Anacostia Metro station. Taking to the mic and with posters in hand, they voiced their concerns. Black youth in D.C. say they’re frustrated, fed up, and furious because of being routinely targeted, mistreated, and oppressed by federal and local law enforcement. However, their biggest gripe is with the mayor and D.C. Councilmembers who have put bandages, in the form of youth curfews, to hide wounds which continue to fester. They wonder why their dreams continue to be deferred based on assertions that their “meet-ups” have led to a rise in criminal acts. In his seminal 1903 collection of essays, “The Souls of Black Folk,” Dr.

W.E.B. DuBois posed the question, “How does it feel to be a problem?” Black youth in Washington, D.C. say they know how it feels. However, more of them are taking proactive steps. Following the lead of other young adults who, in the early days of the Civil Rights Movement, moved forward with conviction, sitting at segregated lunch counters in North Carolina, and riding on buses throughout the Deep South, local youth are organizing, protesting, and standing up for their rights. Many of those who were present on Saturday have joined forces with the Free DC advocacy group with the goal of highlighting the negative impacts that they have suffered as we mark the one-year anniversary of the federal occupancy of the District.

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

TO THE EDITOR “All these opinions of what happened to Nolan and some of them are right and some are wrong as any case but one thing is definitely right he is dead. He was somebody’s child and deserves justice if he was murdered and if it was an accident then why didn’t they take his body to land and notify emergency personnel and his parents? They made themselves suspects from the beginning.” -Sharon Vaught (In reference to the article: “The Search for Answers in Nolan Wells’ Death Enters a New Phase.”) “It’s not just costs. It is what is appropriate use of the National Guard. Administering narcan, providing emergency medical care, law enforcement, assisting lost children – these are not tasks for troops. Washington DC residents pay taxes that are spent (when Congress allows us) to hire police, EMTs, drug rehab workers etc. If we need more, let’s spend a fraction of that money to add more. We don’t need to normalize troops in the street. Troops in the street says North Korea, not freedom to me.” -Noam Stopak (In reference to the article: “Trump’s National Guard Mission in Washington Carries a $1.4 Billion Price Tag as Deployment Extends Through 2029.”) They are afraid, they say, of becoming statistics like Julian Bailey and Nolberto Meza, who died at the hands of U.S. Marshals and U.S. Park Police, respectively. And while local officials claim that Metro Police are not working in concert with the National Guard or ICE agents, youth say that’s now what they're seeing. More youth in D.C. are facing homelessness, unemployment, detainment because of potential immigration law violations, and hopelessness. But as the poet Langston Hughes said in the closing line of one

of his most provocative works: “I, too, am America.” This stands as a sad and tragic commentary for an urban metropolis that was once hailed as “Chocolate City.” One advocate and teacher, who joined the youth during the Free DC rally, shared a chilling observation: “Some teachers see youth as students until 3 p.m. when schools let out for the day – then we see them as threats.” Is this where we are, what we have become, and how we view the next generation? WI

AUGUST 13 - 19, 2026 21

OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnists

Dedrick Asante-Muhammad and Dr. LaShonda Brenson

Why the Senate Must Strengthen Its Leadership Pipeline

The Senate Democratic Diversity Initiative's latest staff diversity survey offers two stories about the U.S. Senate. One is encouraging: Democratic staff is the most diverse (43%) it has been since they began collecting this data, with 40% more staffers of color than in 2017. Yet at the same time, our report, Unrepresented: Black and Latino Leadership Among Senate

Committee Top Staff , highlights a continued deep lack of staff representation in Senate committee leadership positions where legislation is drafted, oversight is conducted, and some of the nation's most consequential policy decisions are shaped. The Joint Center's new report examines who occupies the Senate's most senior committee positions — staff directors, deputy staff directors, chief counsels, general counsels, and policy directors. These positions shape legislative priorities, negotiate

Guest Columnist

The Black August Legacy

"...the definition of fascism is: a police state wherein the political ascendancy is tied into and protects the interests of the upper class — characterized by militarism, racism, and imperialism..." — George Jackson Federal troops on the streets of Washington and throughout the United States. Relentless attacks on

Black political power. Public education dismantled. Attacks on organized labor. Books banned. Black history erased. Health care pulled from millions of people. Protesters criminalized. Record numbers of people killed by police. ICE raids. George Jackson stated it clearly 54 years ago: "Fascism is here." Black people in America have to tell our own history, especially now, as the entire project of telling the truth is under attack. The radical right-wing forces in the United States government are determined to crush our

Guest Columnist

bipartisan agreements, oversee federal agencies, advise committee chairs and ranking members, and manage hundreds of professional staff. African Americans, who comprise nearly 12% of the U.S. population, hold only 2.7% of Senate committee staff director positions and only 2.4% of other senior committee leadership positions. Latina/o Americans are similarly underrepresented in these top policymaking roles despite representing nearly one in five Americans. These disparities matter because committee leadership is one of Con-

gress's most important talent pipelines. Staff directors and policy directors often become executive branch officials, agency leaders, judges, and future congressional chiefs of staff. When Black and Latina/o professionals are consistently absent from these positions, the effects extend far beyond a single committee — they shape the future leadership of the federal government itself. Importantly, this challenge is bipartisan. Democratic committees have made substantially more progress in diversi-

fying their overall staffs than Republicans, and Senate Democrats deserve credit for leading Congress in publicly releasing workforce demographic data over the past decade. Transparency has allowed researchers, advocates, and Senate leadership to measure progress and identify continuing challenges. To date, Senate Republicans have yet to publicly release any data on the diversity of their staffs. But transparency has also revealed that representation becomes far thin-

demands that we free our political prisoners and celebrate our freedom fighters, often erased from the pages of mainstream media and dialogue about Black history. Founded 47 years ago by Khatari Gaidi and other activists held prisoner in California's prison system, the month is a time to reflect and learn about the legacies of Black revolutionaries and rededicate ourselves to the protracted struggles against white supremacy, colonialism, capitalism and imperialism. In 1979, the Black August Organizing Committee, through revolutionary

leaders like Mama Ayanna Mashama, brought Black August to communities beyond the prison walls to commemorate how we resist oppression every day as part of a continuum of freedom fighting. This year's Black August will serve as an anchor for the coming months, which will inevitably require our resistance. In August, we will host a lecture series called Black August Sessions that will eventually become a permanent educational and cultural resource. The

ASSANTE/BRENSON Page 37

Monifa Bandele

movements, criminalize our leaders, gut our hard-won voting rights protections, eliminate the holidays and commemorations we fought hard for, and edit our history right out of the textbooks. We refuse to be erased. We will fight to protect and expand the days and months dedicated to naming and celebrating all Black history. Black August is a month that commemorates and recommits our communities to radical resistance. It honors the life, leadership and legacy of George Jackson, murdered by prison guards in August 1971. It also

BANDELE Page 37

Anthony Tilghman

Back to School Means Showing Up: Every Child Deserves an Advocate

As another school year begins, families across our communities are shopping for notebooks, backpacks and school supplies while preparing children for new teachers, new classrooms and new opportunities. At my house, those preparations include my daughter, Amari. Like every parent, I want her to begin the school year with confidence,

22 AUGUST 13 - 19, 2026

excitement and the opportunity to succeed. But being Amari’s father has taught me that preparing for school is about far more than checking items off a supply list. It is about making sure the adults entrusted with our children understand who they are, how they learn and what they need to succeed. That lesson applies to every family. Every child deserves adults who recognize their strengths before focusing on their struggles. Every parent and caregiver deserves to feel like a valued partner in their child’s education. And

every educator deserves the opportunity to build relationships with families before challenges arise. As a father and former educator, I believe the beginning of the school year offers one of our best opportunities to establish those partnerships. Families can start by introducing themselves to teachers, attending open houses and orientation events, and asking how communication will take place throughout the year. A simple conversation at the beginning of the school year can help prevent misunderstandings later.

For families of children receiving special education services, early communication is especially important. Parents and caregivers should review their child’s Individualized Education Program, or IEP, or Section 504 plan and understand the accommodations, services and goals designed to support their child. But a child does not need an IEP or 504 plan for a family to have questions, concerns or valuable information to share. Communication should never begin with a crisis.

Schools should not wait until a child is struggling academically, socially or behaviorally before reaching out. Likewise, families should not wait until report cards arrive to become engaged. Strong relationships are built through consistent communication, mutual respect and shared accountability. As a former educator, I understand the demands teachers face at the beginning of a school year. They are preparing classrooms, learning new

TILGHMAN Page 37

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Guest Columnist

Charlene Crowell

Student Loan Borrowers Duped Into High-Cost Loans Receive $23B in Relief

A federal appeals court last month issued a ruling erasing $23 billion in student loan debt for an estimated 450,000 borrowers duped by false promises made by more than 150 for-profit colleges. The debt ruling for full settlement relief came on July 17 in a unanimous decision by a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit in the case known as

Sweet v. McMahon. "It makes clear that the federal government cannot simply disregard borrowers' rights and its own legal obligations without consequence," said Eileen Connor, the president and director of The Project on Predatory Student Lending, an advocacy organization that brought the lawsuit in 2019. The case centered on a federal rule known as borrower defense to repayment that protects defrauded student loan borrowers who incurred massive debts on false promises and misrepresentations. The ruling found that

more than 150 for-profit colleges used high-pressure sales tactics in their recruitment that targeted Black and Latino borrowers, veterans and other low-income consumers to extract the maximum amount of federal loans, Pell grants and veterans' benefits with each enrollment. Connor shared that one student's loan debt swelled from $250,000 to roughly $400,000 while she waited for the Education Department to decide on her borrower defense claim. The case showed that these for-profit schools lured students with promises of

Guest Columnist

high-paying careers in an array of disciplines including beauty culture, culinary arts, computer technology, court reporting and photography. Other for-profits solicited graduate-level students in business management, law and medicine. Among these institutions are many of the largest and well-known for-profit schools like Capella University, three DeVry-branded schools, ITT Technical Institute, Keller Graduate School of Management and the University of Phoenix. A complete list of schools represented in the settlement is avail-

able at https://studentaid.gov/sites/default/files/sweet-v-cardona-school-list. pdf. Full settlement relief means that the federal student loan(s) associated with the borrower's attendance at the school will be discharged. Further, the Education Department will refund any amounts paid on those loans, and the credit report entries for those loans will be deleted from the borrower's credit report. The settlement includes borrower defense applications filed on

Almost nobody is being hired. Outside a few industries, almost nobody is being fired either. If you have a job, you are probably safe. If you need one, the door will not open. Then came the number that would have gotten King out of his chair. The unemployment rate went down. It fell from 4.2 percent to 4.1 percent. That happened because 264,000 people left the labor force. They did not find work. They stopped being counted. You are counted as unemployed only

if you have no job and you looked for one in the last four weeks. Stop looking, and you are not counted as unemployed. You are not counted at all. Nearly 6 million Americans say they want a job and are not counted. They are not lazy. They stopped looking because looking stopped working. They did not stop wanting a job. They stopped believing one was coming. Thirty years ago I crisscrossed this country arguing against NAFTA.

CROWELL Page 38

Ben Jealous

Count Them. Then Hire Them.

Three weeks before he was killed, Martin Luther King Jr. stood up in a high school gym in Michigan and argued with a number. It was March 1968. The government said unemployment in the Black community was 8.8 percent. King said it was almost twice that. Not because anybody was cooking the books.

The country felt good about jobs that spring. The national unemployment rate was 3.6 percent, near the lowest since the Korean War. Washington called that full employment. King was telling them the number was hiding people. He explained how the count worked. It counted people out of work and still looking. It did not count the people who had stopped looking. He described them plainly. People who had lost hope. People who had so many doors shut in their faces that they quit knocking.

Guest Columnist

"These people are considered the discouraged," he said. Add them back, he argued, and the true figure was closer to 16 or 17 percent. That was 58 years ago. The count still works much the same way. Presidents have come and gone. The count has not changed. Last week the government released the July jobs report. The country lost 23,000 jobs. It corrected May and June, erasing 103,000 jobs we thought we had. Over the past year we have averaged about 34,000 new jobs a month.

JEALOUS Page 38

Stephen Oduntan

One by One: The Slow Disappearance of Black Voices in Mainstream Media

Stephen A. Smith rarely struggles for words. One of the most recognizable voices in sports media, he has built a career on passionate opinions and unfiltered commentary. But when ESPN parted ways with Ryan Clark, Smith's reaction was strikingly simple. "It hurts. It really does," Smith said. Smith called Clark "arguably the

best NFL analyst in America" and said he opposed ESPN's decision. At the same time, he acknowledged that layoffs have become an unavoidable reality across the television industry. "The bosses know I'm not happy about this decision," Smith said. "But it's also important that myself and anybody else in the world of business be grown-ups and understand that these are the kind of things that happen when layoffs happen." Clark's departure followed the exits of several nationally recognized Black media personalities, including Joy

Reid at MSNBC and Don Lemon at CNN. It also came after Clark publicly reflected on his years at ESPN, saying there were times he felt he "couldn't be too Black." While each departure occurred under different circumstances, together they have renewed questions about the future of Black representation in mainstream media and whether the industry's changing landscape is reducing the number of Black voices on the nation's most influential platforms. Networks have cited restructuring or layoffs, or in some cases have

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

declined to publicly explain personnel decisions. Some journalists have pointed to workplace culture, while others argue the changes reflect broader economic forces reshaping the media business. Dr. Al Reynolds, a communications professor who studies both media and business, said the conversation cannot begin with race alone. Before examining who is leaving mainstream media, he said, it is necessary to understand the economic forces transforming the industry itself. "From the business side, there

are three things they can't argue," Reynolds said. "One is the economic contraction of traditional television. People aren't going to their traditional sources to be entertained anymore." Audiences have increasingly shifted away from traditional broadcast and cable television to streaming and digital platforms such as Netflix, Paramount+, BET+, YouTube and TikTok, Reynolds said. As viewers have migrated, advertisers have followed, reducing the revenue that once sup-

ODUNTAN Page 38 AUGUST 13 - 19, 2026 23

LIFESTYLE 2026

Washington Informer Weekend Checklist WASHINGTON INFORMER'S

SEPT 2–6, 2026 | LABOR DAY WEEKEND | WASHINGTON, DC

BUY TICKETS NOW! DCJAZZFEST.ORG

Things To Do, DMV! By Jordan Armstead WI Intern

DEE DEE BRIDGEWATER QUARTET "WE EXIST!" • JOSHUA REDMAN QUARTET • KURT ELLING & YELLOWJACKETS CELEBRATE WEATHER REPORT • KES • CORY HENRY & THE FUNK APOSTLES • NATE SMITH • DONALD HARRISON • EMMET COHEN: MILES AND TRANE AT 100 FEAT. TIVON PENNICOTT, JEREMY PELT, YASUSHI NAKAMURA AND JOE FARNSWORTH EMMET COHEN TRIO • BILL FRISELL TRIO FEAT. THOMAS MORGAN & RUDY ROYSTON DANILO PÉREZ TRIO: PANAMONK FEAT. BEN STREET & ADAM CRUZ • ETIENNE CHARLES & CREOLE SOUL • JANELLE GILL WITH SPECIAL GUEST AMINA CLAUDINE MYERS • MS. LISA FISCHER • ORRIN EVANS TRIO • MICHELE ROSEWOMAN AND QUINTESSENCE • NASAR

Get ready to fly high, laugh and eat with this weekend’s DMV events. Don’t miss the various opportunities to reconnect, try out new experiences and dive into what the DMV has to offer this weekend. Check out a handful of the many events happening this weekend and be sure to dive into the Washington Informer Calendar for more.

ABADEY AND SUPERNOVA • BRANDON WOODY'S UPENDO • AFRICAN RHYTHMS ALUMNI QUINTET: RANDY WESTON CENTENNIAL • CHELSEY GREEN • JASON MARSALIS CHRISTIE DASHIELL • JAZZDC ALLSTARS DIRECTED BY PAUL CARR • CHUCK BROWN BAND BEN WILLIAMS BAND • ISAIAH COLLIER “COLLIER PLAYS COLTRANE” • BUTCHER BROWN EKEP NKWELLE • ALFRED YUN • ALLYN JOHNSON TRIO • B3 SUMMIT VOL.2 WITH CHARLES COVINGTON, MIKE LEDONNE, LENNY ROBINSON, AND DAVE MANLEY • CHARLES RAHMAT WOODS • CORCORAN HOLT QUINTET • DAN MURRAY • DOMAS ŽEROMSKAS ELSA NILSSONBAND OF PULSES • FELIX CONTRERAS • FRAN VIELMA • HANNAH MARKS HEIDI MARTIN ENSEMBLE • JOE BROTHERTON • JOSÉ ANDRÉ QUARTET • JOSÉ LUIZ MARTINS • KENNY RITTENHOUSE • LAURA ANGLADE • LUKE STEWART'S SILT TRIO MARSHALL KEYS AND SOULFUL PATH • NEXT JAZZ LEGACY • PUREUM JIN & THE EMPRESS RICARDO TOSCANO • SAKOBI • SHACARA ROGERS • SHAREL CASSITY • SON CUBANO SUBTERRANEO • TOMMY CECIL TRIO • DC JAZZPRIX FINALS: AMINA SCOTT QUINTET, BOKANI DYER TRIO, JAMES FERNANDO TRIO, LUTHER S. ALLISON & POIESIS ARTIST LINEUP SUBJECT TO CHANGE

Thursday, Aug. 13

Tomato Party 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. | Free but donations are encouraged Common Good City Farm, 300 V Street NW Washington, D.C., 20001 Summer is the perfect season to enjoy fresh tomatoes. Come enjoy an evening at Common Good City Farm, taste different tomato varieties, try various dishes and more! At this FREE event guests can eat their hearts and bellies full of tomato-ey foods and enjoy tomato-themed crafts and games. This event also serves as a back- toschool fundraiser to support local youth with supplies and to bolster

Common Good's programming! Attendees may give back to the community through a monetary donation to support food access and youth programs and/or bring new school supplies to help the local youth start their school year fresh!

Friday, Aug. 14

All-Star Comedy Show 6 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. | Free Cabin John Regional Park, 7400 Tuckerman Lane Bethesda, MD, 20817 Montgomery Parks’ All-Star Comedy Show will feature a lineup of local comedians from Improbable Comedy, food trucks, and local craft drinks at Cabin John Regional Park. Explore the park, purchase food and drinks from local vendors and find a seat before the show begins. The show will kick off with an allstar lineup of comedians at 7 p.m. DC Hot Air Balloon Festival 5 p.m. - 10 p.m. | Children for $13.20, Adults for $24.87

THINGS TO DO Page 31

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER IS PROUD TO BE AN OFFICIAL MEDIA PARTNER OF THE DC JAZZFEST

Support The Washington Informer as we Celebrate 61 Years. 24 AUGUST 13 - 19, 2026

Donate online today at wicharities.org Purchase an ad to support our education programs. Email rburke@washingtoninformer.com

5 The DC Hot Air Balloon Festival promises to be a full evening experience attendees will never forget, with laser shows, giant hot air balloons and family-friendly fun. (Courtesy Photo)

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

THINGS TO DO from Page 24 Rosecroft Raceway, 6336 Rosecroft Drive Fort Washington, MD, 20744 Get ready for unforgettable nights of Hot Air Balloons, music, food, family fun, and incredible memories at the legendary Rosecroft Raceway! Take a ride in a REAL tethered Hot Air Balloon and experience the excitement from above. Plus, enjoy food trucks, music, amazing photo opportunities and the spectacular Hot Air Balloon Glow & Laser Light Show.!

Saturday, Aug. 15

LIFESTYLE

will be announced closer to the event, previous editions of Panda Fest have included lion dances, sugar painting, paper cutting, calligraphy, and K-pop dance performances. Back-to-School Backpack Giveaway! 11 a.m - 1 p.m|Free Glenarden Branch, 8724 Glenarden Parkway Glenarden, MD, 20706 Get ready for the new school year with a brand-new backpack filled with school supplies, courtesy of Grind Hard, Dream Big and their community partners! Backpacks will be available while supplies last. Children must be present to receive a backpack, with a limit of one backpack per child.

Panda Fest DC 2026 10 a.m - 10 p.m| $16.92 6th Street NW & Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, D.C., 20004

Sunday, Aug. 16

Panda Fest will make its D.C. debut this summer with a twoday celebration of Asian cuisine, culture and community set in the heart of the nation’s capital. Festivalgoers in D.C. can expect a wide range of Asian street food and specialty dishes from local and nationally recognized vendors. Beyond food, the festival features a curated marketplace, featuring more than 40 vendors showcasing crafts, apparel, accessories, and artisanal goods inspired by Asian heritage. Cultural programming spans traditional art demonstrations, contemporary dance, theatrical showcases, and nonstop live entertainment. While the final lineup

With this interactive concert experience, fans get to perform their favorite karaoke songs in front of a roaring crowd, and share the spotlight with surprise guests, which have included Sisqo, LeBron James, Ne-Yo, 2 Chainz, Chance the Rapper, and many more. Trap Karaoke celebrates all genres of music including hip-hop, R&B, Afrobeats, Gospel, and more. Whether you sing bad or you sing good, just come to sing your heart out! WI

Trap Karaoke: Silver Spring 7 p.m to 11 p.m.|$54.28 $78.39 The Fillmore Silver Spring 8656 Colesville Road Silver Spring, MD 20910

The Phillips Collection Juried Exhibition NOW ON VIEW The exhibition is organized by The Phillips Collection and curated by Tie Jojima, Curator of Global Contemporary Art, The Phillips Collection, and Tsedaye Makonnen, Guest Curator. Made possible through the generous support of Akio Tagawa. With critical support from the Carolyn Alper Fund for Contemporary Art, the Frauke de Looper Trust, and the Marion F. Goldin Charitable Fund.

PhillipsCollection.org 1600 21st Street, NW, Washington, DC (Dupont Circle)

5 A Panda themed Asian food festival will be debuting its first time in DC, showcasing Asian culture, local businesses and food vendors. (Courtesy Photo

Support The Washington Informer as we Celebrate 61 Years.

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

Negar Ahkami Sobia Ahmad Mark Armbruster Hannah Atallah Aliana Grace Bailey Sasha Baskin Diego Borgsdorf Kara Braciale Danyela June Brown Thea Canlas Adam Chamy Christina Chan Aishwariya Chandrasekar Alexandra Chiou Se Jong Cho C.S. Corbin Pamela Crockett Mary Early Erin Fostel Cianne Fragione Emily Francisco Kyle Hackett Leslie Holt Kei Ito Savannah Faith Jackson Omari Jesse David Joo Khin Don Kimes Sharon Cheuk Wun Lee Madyha Leghari Ringo Lisko Joey Mánlapaz Aynex Mercado Margaret Murphy Danielle Mysliwiec Abdulrahman Naanseh Javaid Nayyar Jhon Ochoa Katie O’Keefe Nami Oshiro Mojdeh Rezaeipour Gail Shaw-Clemons Alexandra Silverthorne Anne C. Smith Bria Sterling-Wilson Melissa Sutherland Moss Paloma Vianey

Donate online today at wicharities.org Purchase an ad to support our education programs. Email rburke@washingtoninformer.com AUGUST 13 - 19, 2026 25

LIFESTYLE

wi book review "Searching for Jane Crow: Black Women and Mass Incarceration in America From the Auction Block to the Cell Block" By Talitha L. LeFlouria c.2026, Beacon Press $32 / 224 pages Terri Schlichenmeyer WI Contributing Writer Was she prepared? She was about to be taken away, a slave, a prisoner. Did she know that shackles would make her wrists ache, that they'd always be too tight? Her home, her children — what else went through a newly incarcerated Black woman's mind as she was led away? As in the new book "Searching for Jane Crow" by Talitha L. LeFlouria, would today's answers be any different than they were in 1845? Two summers ago, LeFlouria visited the Orleans Justice Center in New Orleans to interview some of the women imprisoned there, to listen and share, and she had an epiphany. She was meant to share "courageous" stories from incarcerated women. One tale she heard along the way gave her urgency. A California woman told LaFlouria that when she went to prison, she was stripped and humiliated, physically searched before being dressed in a uniform that identified her as "Property of…" She was given a number, and was chained around her ankles and wrists — echoing treatment received by a million-plus enslaved people bound more than a century ago, "one-third" of whom were women. That brought LeFlouria quickly up short: "I immediately noticed the deep historical influence of slavery's legacies on mass incarceration," she says. She began researching, and discovered "slave jails" that were basic warehouses for enslaved people. Food was scarce there, she says; the floors were filthy, and space was tight. These jails "originated in the early 19th century," and "played a key role in introducing profit-based incarceration …" as women were held there long-term by their owners, who rented them out for housework, fieldwork, or sex work. There were several large, and very infamous slave jails, LeFlouria says, and the Klan was involved in at least one. The jails were confusing and frightening. If a woman ever somehow got free, she often feared that she might end up there again. Then, as now, mere freedom didn't protect her from re-incarceration in the prison system. "Searching for Jane Crow" is a hard book to pin down. On one hand, it can feel like an old-fashioned Victorian drama, with embellished 21st-century floridity mixed with 19th-century-based stories. Yes, the original language is authentic but continuing it beyond real documentation gives it an unnecessarily bedecked feeling, especially given the overwhelming severity of the situations that author Talitha L. LeFlouria shares. And yet, every single point lands square in this book, every bit of research is solid, every story is unforgettable. LeFlouria makes her comparisons clear here, and it's hard to look away and even harder not to notice other indignities and inequalities. Once you're good and shocked, then, she shifts to an activist stance, with advice for changing the status quo in the prison system, for helping already-incarcerated Black women to avoid recidivism, and to ensure that children are properly cared for while their mothers are in jail. Stick with this book, despite its bumps, and you'll be astounded by a new way of seeing the prison system. Read "Searching for Jane Crow" and just prepare yourself. WI

26 AUGUST 13 - 19, 2026

horoscopes

AUG. 13 - 19, 2026

ARIES A coworker takes credit for something small on Monday, and letting it slide costs you nothing. You'll finally fix the thing around the house you've stepped over for a month. A text goes unanswered longer than it should, and the silence isn't about you. Your energy peaks Thursday, so schedule anything demanding for then, not Friday. A stranger's dog changes your whole afternoon for the better, in ways you won't be able to explain later. Lucky Numbers: 8, 29, 44 TAURUS Your cooking, not your talking, wins someone over this week. A subscription or bill you forgot about finally gets canceled, and it feels better than it should. Weather ruins one plan and improves another entirely by accident. You'll catch yourself humming a song you haven't thought about in years. Lucky Numbers: 11, 26, 49 GEMINI A group chat argument you're not even part of somehow drains your whole Tuesday. You'll learn something about a hobby you gave up years ago that makes you want to pick it back up. A parking spot, a seat, a table — small logistics go unusually well this week. Someone quotes you incorrectly and it's funnier than correcting them would be. Lucky Numbers: 14, 31, 66 CANCER A recipe passed down in your family turns out slightly wrong, and the corrected version is better. You'll spend more on something practical than you meant to, and not regret it. A photo resurfaces that you'd forgotten existed, and it changes your evening plans a little. Your instinct to check on someone turns out to be exactly right timing. Lucky Numbers: 6, 33, 58 LEO A performance review, formal or not, goes better than the nerves suggested it would. You'll overpack for something and use exactly one extra item, which somehow justifies it. A rumor about you turns out to be flattering instead of damaging. Your patience with a repetitive task runs out faster than usual on Monday. Someone you barely know remembers a detail about you that surprises you, and it's oddly touching. Lucky Numbers: 2, 27, 52 VIRGO A spreadsheet, checklist or plan you built saves someone else's week, not just yours. You'll misplace something obvious and find it somewhere obvious you already looked. A compliment about your appearance catches you more off guard than one about your work would. Your car, phone or laptop needs attention before it becomes an emergency — deal with it early, before Friday if possible. Thursday's weather actually cooperates with your plans for once. Lucky Numbers: 19, 42, 60 LIBRA A group decision falls entirely on you by default, and you handle it fine. You'll reread an old message and see it completely differently than you did at the time. A meal out costs more than expected but tastes like it was worth it anyway. Someone's tone on the phone tells you more than their words do. Lucky Numbers: 9, 24, 45 SCORPIO A password reset, an app update or some minor tech headache eats more time than it deserves. You'll say no to something without over-explaining, and it feels good. An old song comes on at exactly the right moment. Someone's compliment has a slight edge to it; don't dignify it with a reaction. A plant, pet, or garden project needs more attention than you've been giving it lately. Lucky Numbers: 16, 38, 71 SAGITTARIUS Directions, whether from a map or a person, lead you somewhere better than intended. You'll spend more time outdoors this week without really planning to. A joke lands with the wrong person and it's not worth apologizing twice for. Your calendar has one too many things on Saturday — cut one now. A childhood memory gets triggered by something completely unrelated and it sticks with you for the rest of the day. Lucky Numbers: 3, 21, 64 CAPRICORN A deadline moves up without warning, and you're more ready than you thought. You'll fix something mechanical yourself instead of calling someone, and it actually works. A compliment from a superior means more than it should, and that's fine. Your grocery budget stretches further than expected this week. Lucky Numbers: 13, 35, 57 AQUARIUS A new gadget, app or shortcut someone shows you changes a small routine for good. You'll get invited somewhere you weren't expecting and should actually go. A disagreement about facts turns out to be a disagreement about something else entirely. Your internet or phone connection fails at an inconvenient moment, then fixes itself. A conversation with someone much younger teaches you something you didn't expect to need. Lucky Numbers: 7, 30, 53 PISCES Music you put on as background actually changes your whole mood this week. You'll clean one drawer or closet and feel disproportionately better afterward. A voicemail or old email surfaces that says more now than it did then. Your sense of direction, literal or otherwise, works better than expected on Friday. Lucky Numbers: 5, 28, 63

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

CURFEW from Page 1

MENTAL HEALTH from Page 1

into effect on July 16. The bill passed with two modified amendments, one introduced by D.C. Councilmember Brianne K. Nadeau (D-Ward 1), who is against using detention centers to hold curfew violators, as she believes it will only further drive up the youth recidivism rate. “All evidence suggests that exposing children to a carceral environment and treating them like criminals can lead to actual criminal behavior that negatively impacts youth, their families and our community,” Nadeau said in a statement. Curfew violation is legally classified as a status offense or a non-criminal action due to a minor’s age. However, following the ruling, Bowser declared emergency Order 2026-086 and 2026-091, expanding the program of sending youth in violation of the curfew into the custody of DYRS. Records of the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice have shown that MPD sending youth who violate curfew to the Youth Service Center has been occurring since Fiscal Year 2023. According to DYRS, youth are temporarily housed on the non-secure side of the center to be supervised by trained staff and provided meals and recreational activities. Although the curfew violators are separated from committed youth, advocates like Penelope Spain believe the process still introduces them to the criminal justice system. “You're going into a locked Sally port, where you are going to be processed through doors that open on one side, close you into a box, and then open on the other side,” she explained to The Informer. “You are in a jail-like experience.” As the curfew further becomes a permanent part of District life, Lee’s mother, Charlene Golphin, considers removing him from activities and work opportunities that would require him to be out past the curfew. “I try to tell him to make sure he makes the curfew, but in some cases he cannot make the curfew because he is working. His school is over now, but he had different school events that he was attending, trips that did not end until after the curfew time,” said Golphin.

that's mostly reactive and not proactive. We wait for young people to reach a crisis point and then we intervene. This [shows] that mental health is a conversation that should be had, and we should be coming forward and sharing our stories as youth.” If passed, the Campus Lifeline Act has two core priorities. First, federally mandates that the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline be visible on the back of student IDs across all public institutions nationwide. The other component expands the Garrett Lee Smith Campus Suicide Prevention Program (GLS), the only federal program dedicated to mental and behavioral health for college students, to allow grantees to fund student-led early intervention and outreach efforts. Notably, the congressional bill stands apart from the legislation introduced in 2022, which designated 988 as the new three-digit code –– formerly 10 –– for a nationwide suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline, but left implementation protocol up to the states. “That can honestly be the matter between life and death,” Satija told The Informer. “It's such a simple fix, but it's so powerful because it shows students every single day… that they have a list of resources for them to use at any time, and when they're in a crisis, they don't have to take on the added responsibility of searching for a lifeline online.” Anika Rahman, director of policy at Active Minds, says the demand is not just about expanding self-help resources. “It's more like expanding what is possible,” she continued. “When we rely on a couple of tools, it's relying on a few leaders to spread the word and be the main messenger in their community versus the legislation and law. When it's passed, a larger population is impacted by and benefits from it versus just certain schools and silos.” That vision rang throughout the nation’s capital on July 16, as hundreds of youth and young adult mental health advocates gathered on Capitol Hill in Northwest for the inaugural National Hill Day, and later at Hilton Arlington Rosslyn The Key for the 2026 Active Minds Mental Health Conference. Featuring federal advocacy, shared lived experiences, and even

Detention Centers Become Shelters for Curfew Violators, Racial Disparities Persist

5 Community organizers and youth leaders continue to seek activities and safe spaces for teens to avoid contact with MPD and National Guard troops. (Tatiana Allen/The Washington Informer)

For Golphin and Lee, and many Black families across the District, staying safe and out of DYRS custody amid the youth curfew comes with an additional concern: race. “You have to spend money to be [in commercial areas]. And even beyond that, when you're there, I feel like you’re profiled,” Atrayu said. “If you're a group of teenagers and you're Black, no matter how disruptive or not disruptive that you are, the police are there.” In 2025, 116 youth were admitted to DYRS to await an arranged pickup either from a parent, guardian, or a representative from Child and Family Services (CFSA). Out of that total, 112 were African American youth, who waited an average of two hours to be released from custody. These findings reveal racial disparities. According to a 2025 report by the Council for Court Excellence (CCE), Black males disproportionately make up the vast majority of committed youth-- with 86% committed in 2023. Further, while African American youth make up 52% of the young people in the District, as of May 21, 2025, all those held at the youth services center were Black. African American youth make up 52% of all youth in D.C. By the end of May 2026, 18 youth had been admitted into DYRS custody, with 16 of them being African American. A significant spike between June 15 and June 22 showed 10 youth admitted to DYRS. Parents like Golphin are working to keep their children from adding to those numbers. “The reason why I feel like it's a lose situation [is] because if your children are doing things to better themselves,” Golphin told The Informer. “And if you cannot go pick them up or have somebody pick them up so they won't be involved in getting caught up with

the curfew, then they go to jail and then you can go to jail.” Further, as the curfew mandate continues, there are concerns about whether the current DYRS infrastructure— from space to staff— will be enough to appropriately care for youth out past 11 p.m. “Whether you're seeing other young people who are charged with offenses or not, you are in a carceral situation to then be processed through, say, for a health screening or into a holding cell where you're basically going deeper into this facility that is a jail.” said CEO of Open City Advocates and former public defender Penelope Spain.

DYRS Faces Further Challenges Amid Staff Shortages, Overcrowding

Despite the care DYRS has been able to give to curfew violators at this time, the department continues to face challenges of staff shortages, overcrowding and educational programming. “We have a good bit of turnover among our staff. Some of it is through the nature of the work,” DYRS Director Sam Abed said. “It is very difficult work particularly for our frontline staff, the YDRs (youth development representatives), where I believe we experience the highest amount of turnover. We also have a good deal of mandatory overtime which contributes to the burnout.” The staffing shortage leads to other difficulties. Attorney Anya Kreider of Disability Rights DC, visits DYRS facilities to speak with youth about their experience. What she is often told is that, due to a shortage of staff groups, youth may stay inside their rooms more than others. However, this system violates D.C. Code 24-912. WI Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

one-on-ones with congressional representatives, Varsha Penumalee, 20, said the day of action showed how youth empowerment and long-term wellness collide, and the benefit is a community empowered to create the health system they see fit. “This is a gap that I want to see changed. Regardless of where you live or where you come from, you deserve access to life-saving care,” Penumalee told The Informer. “One thing that we noted in Active Minds is that the states that have this legislation already passed and have a higher volume of calls to 988 actually have an even greater decrease in suicide rates. The idea is ultimately that we're saving young people, which to me is a very obvious goal.”

988: Creating Healthier Spaces for Students

What started as a student-led call in Ohio over a decade ago has since transformed into a national push for enhanced mental health visibility, according to the bill of honor at the inaugural National Hill Day. “You cannot have national change unless you have people with lived experience who can speak to why these policies actually matter, and I think that's what Hill Day was really about,” Penumalee said, “providing that platform for people from all of these different smaller groups, whether they have that access or [not], to share why these policies and these national changes really matter.” Since its introduction in 2022, the impact of 988 looks like more than 15 million calls, 4 million chats, and 3 million texts; an average call volume increase of 95% nationally within the first two years of development; and an 11% decline in suicide rates among 15- 34-yearolds, according to a recent study published in JAMA, which represents 4,372 lives saved. Meanwhile, the concept of the 988 Lifeline on student IDs originally started in 2012 with two scholars in the Active Minds chapter at the University of Dayton, driving a cause that has since expanded to several schools across the nation— including in Texas, Virginia, and, as of January 2026, Louisiana, among others— and is now taking on federal attention. WI Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

AUGUST 13 - 19, 2026 27

SPORTS

3 Venus Williams (USA) during a July 27 doubles match. (Abdullah Konte/The Washington Informer) 6 Alexandra Eala (PHI) swings at the ball during the women’s singles final on Aug. 3. (Marcus Relacion/ The Washington Informer)

A Look Back at the 2026 Mubadala Citi Open By Abdullah Konte, Marcus Relacion and Jacques Benovil WI Photographers A host of the world’s top Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) players competed at the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center in Rock Creek Park from July 25-Aug. 3. In 2023, the Citi Open combined with the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic to create the Mubadala DC Open, the fifth largest professional tennis event in the United States and the only combined ATP-WTA 500 level tennis tournament in the world. Co-founded by Arthur Ashe, Donald Dell, and John A. Harris in 1969, the tournament is the fourth-longest run-

ning pro tennis event in the U.S. and the longest-running tournament in a public park. This year players and Taylor Fritz were victorious in the weeklong competition, which was extended a day this year due to a rain delay on the date of the originally scheduled championship. In addition to the action on the court, the 2026 Mubadala Citi Open also honored former District First Lady Cora Masters Barry, founder and executive director of the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center, founded in 2001. The award named Barry as one of the “Heroes of the Game,” and celebrated her decades of creating opportunities for District youth on and off the court. WI

3Frances Tiafoe (USA) during a July 27 match against Terence Atmane (FRA). (Abdullah Konte/The Washington Informer) 3Naomi Osaka (JPN) during a July 2026 press conference. (Jacques Benovil/ The Washington Informer)

DIGGS from Page 4 far in training camp, none have firmly established themselves as a clear complement to McLaurin. The Commanders had also been linked to San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk throughout the offseason, but ultimately put the rumours to rest by bringing the Maryland native back to the DMV. With Diggs in Washington, the Commanders have one of the top wide receiver corps in the NFC headed into this upcoming NFL season. After finishing 5-12 last season, the team is signaling as a strong contender,

while surrounding Daniels with proven talent. “I’m really happy with what we've done in the offseason, throughout the offseason. Our staff did a great job working together and identifying guys that would help us both offensively and defensively,” said Commanders General Manager Adam Peters, “but just like with any other room, any other place, if we have ways to get better, we're always going to look into that and really assess…if it's the right move for our team or not. And if we do think it is, then we’re not afraid to do that.” WI 3 Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs looks to make a play on Commanders’ linebacker Jamin Davis in Washington’s 37-3 loss to Buffalo at FedEx Field on Sept. 24, 2023. (Abdullah Konte/ The Washington Informer)

28 AUGUST 13 - 19, 2026

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

CAPTURE the moment

The inaugural Krewe of Pyros Mardi Gras Parade, took place on Saturday, Aug. 8, New Orleans-style culture, brass bands, and floats from Chinatown Park down 7th Street to Anthem Row in downtown Washington, D.C.. The free public event was followed by the Fiyah Festival featuring Mannie Fresh. (Robert R. Roberts/ The Washington Informer)

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

AUGUST 13 - 19, 2026 29

RELIGION

3 The Rev. Cleveland B. Sparrow, Sr., a civil rights leader and former associate minister of Vermont Avenue Baptist Church in Northwest, D.C., leaves a legacy of kindness and social justice ministry in the wake of his June 26 passing. He died at 89 years old. (Courtesy Photo)

Remembering Rev. Cleveland B. Sparrow, Sr. By Hamil Harris WI Contributing Writer As a pastor, civil rights activist, and family man, among various titles, the Rev. Cleveland B. Sparrow, Sr., lived a lifetime of kindness and passion that illuminated until his death on June 26. A bivocational minister, he started out driving D.C. Transit, now Metro, in the 1960s, while forging paths to some of the civic democracies that stand today. More than that, loved ones reflect on the faith leader as a spiritual force who nurtured people across denominational lines, all in pursuit of a world more just and spiritually correct. “We miss him tremendously. Not just for the civic and social work he

did, but we miss him because he was a great brother. He was a great preacher,” said the Rev. George Gilbert Sr., lead pastor of Holy Trinity Baptist Church in Northeast, D.C. “And he was a tremendous help to the Vermont Avenue Baptist Church, where Dr. John R. Wheeler was pastor.” Deemed one of the church’s historic leaders, Sparrow was one of the last pastors to start under the late Rev. Dr. Rev. Dr. Chasteen T. Murray, who became pastor of Vermont Avenue Baptist Church in 1929. What stands today as a notable site, earned its ranks through decades of service as a civil rights organizing hub since its founding in 1866. The church hosted transformative leaders like the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther

King, Jr., education champion Nannie Helen Burroughs, and Sparrow himself, who returned to the sanctuary as associate minister in 1980. “Vermont Avenue was one of the leading churches in the city back then,” Gilbert told The Washington Informer. “We won't ever have that kind of leadership again.” Born June 11, 1937, Sparrow grew up in Virginia until he went off to college and seminary, where the Covington High All-American continued pursuing his love for football. After graduating with a bachelor’s in Computer Science, the Virginia Union University alumnus set his sights on the Department of the Navy, working as a Computer Specialist on many projects— one of which was to automate the payment process for the Navy. The feat was so successful that it covered the Navy and the Department of Defense. Fast forward some years, and gigs from home improvement at Hechinger's to ordained Baptist ministry, it wasn’t long before Sparrow found his calling in faith justice work. “A lot of people try to be politically correct, but it is important to be spiritually correct,” the late faith leader once said at a prayer breakfast. “We can lay aside politics for a few hours; we [must] break down spiritual divisions.”

From D.C. and Beyond, ‘He Broke Down Barriers’

While a prominent figure in D.C.’s religious and political circles circa 1980s and 1990s, the foundation was laid in throughout his 20s. The Civil Rights Movement saw leaders like Sparrow, King, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, and former Rep. Adam

30 AUGUST 13 - 19, 2026

Clayton Powell, Jr. collaborate across various causes. Meanwhile, on the home front, he was no stranger to local activism with the support of the Rev. Dr. Walter Fauntroy, the District’s first modern delegate in the House who helped pave the way for the Home Rule Act of 1973, and celebrated former District Mayor Marion Barry. Driven by a passion for equality, Sparrow’s humility shone through the endeavors he spent a lifetime championing. He served in roles such as chairman of the National Black Coalition for Traditional Values and an early leader of the local Moral Majority, which tackled issues from D.C. Home Rule to racial discrimination. “He was a social activist and committee chairman for about 15 years, and he covered everything that needed to be covered,” Gilbert Sr. said, highlighting the reverend’s active engagement in D.C. Council meetings. “He made sure that we could go down to the [John A. Wilson Building] and talk to the city council members.” On the local front, he also held ranks as a Prince Hall Mason, a participant in Civil Air Patrol (CAP), a team member for the Civil War Memorial on U Street as well as the DC 495 Project, and a regular on WYCB Radio with the late Lucille Banks Robinson Miller. His theological roots blossomed with a master's from the Howard University School of Divinity, plus the Washington Baptist Seminary, where he earned his PhD under the guidance of the Rev. John Fowler. Much like his father, the young Sparrow went on to serve at multiple churches in the region, including: First Baptist Church in Southeast

(interim pastor); associate minister of Vermont Avenue Baptist Church; and his very own Sparrow World Baptist Church of Jesus Christ, which moved to a mission-based institution to assist with food and clothing drives and global alignment for challenges in Africa and Europe, to name a few. In addition to the missionary work, the self-titled church held 5 a.m. services every Sunday. “Whether it was the holidays, especially Thanksgiving and Christmas, birthday celebrations, or simply being together at Vermont Avenue Baptist Church on Sundays…those moments are treasures that I will carry forever,” Millena Gay, director and Sparrow’s great-niece wrote in a tribute post on July 9. “Being so far away from everyone in California can be quite challenging at times. But when I did come home he always had encouraging words and told me to just keep on going!” If he wasn’t lobbying on Capitol Hill or the John A. Wilson building, the civil rights leader could often be found near the White House and the National Press Club, said local admirers, or attending the Missionary Baptist Ministers Conference of Washington D.C. & Vicinity every Monday until health challenges began. While celebrated for his role in driving momentum to make Juneteenth a federal holiday, McCoy remembers Sparrow long before he was a pastor and seminarian. “Rev. Sparrow guided me through an important part of my life,” McCoy, president of the Washington Baptist Seminary, told The Informer. “He crossed denominational lines and broke down barriers.” He shared what it was like working with Sparrow for DC Transit in 1969, recalling a time he complimented the reverend on his driver’s belt, only for him to turn around and purchase one for McCoy a few weeks later. “He was the kindest person,” McCoy continued, “and I admired that about him.” WI Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

the religion corner

RELIGION

WITH LYNDIA GRANT

How to Tell When Your Breakthrough Is Here

There is a moment many of us have lived through, a moment so dark, so heavy, so uncertain, that we could not imagine anything good coming from it. I remember my own season, when my darkest days came, it should have been a sign that my breakthrough had come. I did not see it that way at the time. I saw only the darkness. Allow me to share a very personal story with you; it happened about 35 years ago; my husband had choked me so many times, I can't even count them. One day, he pulled the car off the road, parked, got out and came to my side of the car to choke me. Though he did not do it that time, I still remember the desperation I felt in that moment; it was a desperation that made me consider things I never thought I'd consider. I know it sounds harsh, but anyone being abused over long periods of time will begin to feel that way too. It is called self-preservation, which is the first law of nature. I did not yet understand that the darkness was not the absence of my breakthrough; it was the doorway to it. Shortly after that experience, my now ex-husband left the family for good. He didn't announce that he was leaving; he took my suitcase and everything of his, and caught a plane back to Los Angeles, where we once lived as a family. That was the last time I ever

had to deal with his choking. He is now in his fourth marriage; we are still on speaking terms; I have forgiven him. We are conditioned to believe that breakthrough looks like light, ease and celebration. But if you study the Word, and if you study your own life, you will find that breakthrough is almost always preceded by pressure. The very thing that feels like it is breaking you may actually be the thing that is birthing you.

promises, "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (KJV). When you feel a calm you cannot logically explain in the middle of chaos, that is not denial; that is indeed a sign.

Consider Job. Before his restoration, before God gave him twice what he had before, Job endured loss upon loss, grief upon grief. Scripture tells us, "And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before" (Job 42:10, King James Version). The restoration came after the darkest chapter, not instead of it. Another servant who proves this point is Joseph, sold by his own brothers, imprisoned on false charges, forgotten in a dungeon for years. And yet Joseph himself later said to those very brothers, "But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive" (Genesis 50:20, KJV). His darkest days were not a detour from his purpose. They were the road to it. So how do you tell when your breakthrough is here? Here is what I have come to know, both through Scripture and through living: - The pressure intensifies right before the release. Just as a woman in labor feels the greatest pain right before the child is born, your greatest struggle often comes right before your greatest victory. Don't mistake the intensity for defeat. - Your peace doesn't match your circumstances. Philippians 4:7

• You are being tested in your obedience. Small, faithful, unglamorous acts, prayer, patience, integrity, showing up, it all tends to precede the miracle. "And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not" (Galatians 6:9, KJV).

•Doors close that used to be open. What no longer works for you is not punishment. It is redirection. God is clearing the old to make room for the new.

• You start to see differently, before anything changes. Faith always shows up before evidence. 2 Corinthians 5:7 reminds us, "For we walk by faith, not by sight" (KJV). If your vision is shifting even while your situation looks the same, that shift is the beginning of your breakthrough. I shared part of my own testimony because I want you to know, if you are in your darkest days right now, as I was, that darkness is not the final word. It may, in fact, be the very sign that your breakthrough is closer than you have ever imagined. Psalm 30:5 tells us, "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning" (KJV). Here is where you must hold on. Keep praying. Keep showing up. Your breakthrough may not look like what you expected; it may look like your darkest day. But sometimes, the darkest day is simply the breakthrough, still becoming. WI

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

AUGUST 13 - 19, 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 AUGUST 13 - 19, 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

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

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

Join us for our live broadcast every Friday at Noon!

facebook.com/WashingtonInformer youtube.com/WashingtonInformerTV • X: @WashInformer Hosted by

Denise Rolark Barnes - Publisher of The Washington Informer WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

AUGUST 13 - 19, 2026 33

LEGAL NOTICES

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

2025 ADM 001451

2026 ADM 000725

2026 ADM 000494

2026 ADM 000076

2026 ADM 000736

George Edward Thomas Sr. aka George Edward Thomas Decedent

Georgia Carol Johnson Herron Decedent

Maria Elena Rosales-Norwood Decedent

Michael Ignatius Mason Decedent

LaShana D. Miller 5425 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 600 Chevy Chase, MD 20815 Attorney

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

Louis Rine aka Louis Edward Rine aka Louis E. Rine Decedent

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

Date of first publication: 7/30/2026

Carolivia Herron, whose address is 6514 Seventh Street, NW, Washington, DC 20012, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Georgia Carol Johnson Herron who died on October 25, 2022 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 1/30/2027. 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 1/30/2027, 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.

George Edward Thomas Jr. Personal Representative

Date of first publication: 7/30/2026

Brian L. Kass, whose address is 4301 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 434, Washington, DC 20008, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Maria Elena Rosales-Norwood who died on December 9, 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 1/30/2027. 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 1/30/2027, 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.

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS George Edward Thomas Jr., whose address is 9338 Clifford Dr., White Plains, Maryland 20695, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of George Edward Thomas Sr. aka George Edward Thomas who died on 11/16/2023 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 1/30/2027. 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 1/30/2027, 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 Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2026 ADM 000750 Montressa Butler Decedent Edward M. Biggin 200A Monroe Street, Suite 110 Rockville, MD 20850 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Sherri Butler, whose address is 5129 A Street, SE, Washington, DC 20019, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Montressa Butler who died on November 25, 2025 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 2/6/2027. 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 2/6/2027, 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: 8/6/2026 Sherri Butler Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

34 AUGUST 13 - 19, 2026

Carolivia Herron Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

Date of first publication: 7/30/2026 Brian L. Kass Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Carol Ann Crane, whose address is 345 Elmcroft Blvd., Apt. 5205, Rockville, MD 20850, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Louis Rine aka Louis Edward Rine aka Louis E. Rine who died on October 30, 2025 with a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 2/6/2027. 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 2/6/2027, 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: 8/6/2026 Carol Ann Crane Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Nicole S. Mason, whose address is 2217 Quincy Street, NE, Washington, DC 20018, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Michael Ignatius Mason who died on April 14, 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 2/6/2027. 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 2/6/2027, 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: 8/6/2026 Nicole S. Mason 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

2026 ADM 000749

2025 ADM 001058

2026 ADM 000755

2026 FEP 000103

Virgie Mae Wiley Decedent

Michael Gregory Shane Sr. Decedent

October 21, 2022 Date of Death

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

Meredith Gusky 600 14th Street, NW, 5th Floor Washington, DC 20005 Attorney

Devin M. Roberson aka Anee Johnson Decedent

Harriet T. Wiley and Crystal Y. Wiley, whose addresses are 413 34th Street, NE, Washington, DC 20019 and 5009 40th Place, Apt. 404, Hyattsville, MD 20781, were appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of Virgie Mae Wiley who died on August 29, 2015 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 2/6/2027. 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 2/6/2027, 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: 8/6/2026 Harriet T. Wiley 413 34th St., NE, Washington, DC 20019 Crystal Y. Wiley 5009 40th Place, Apt.404 Hyattsville, MD 20781 Personal Representative

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Andrew Brian Shane, whose address is 6122 1st Place, NE, Washington, DC 20011, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Michael Gregory Shane Sr., who died on February 25, 2015 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (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 2/6/2027. 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 2/6/2027, 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: 8/6/2026 Andrew Brian Shane Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Gary Roberson & Lavonda Roberson Faulkner, whose addresses are 7023 Groveton Drive, Clinton, MD 20735 & 543 Hampton Drive, North Augusta, SC 29860, were appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of Devin M. Roberson aka Anee Johnson who died on 10/14/2023 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 2/6/2027. 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 2/6/2027, 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.

Robert Earl Jones Name of Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS Nichelle M. Jones whose address is 4260 Suitland Rd., Apt. 204, Suitland MD 20746 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Robert Earl Jones, deceased, by the Orphans Court for Prince Georges County, State of Maryland, on July 22, 2026. Service of process may be made upon Monique S. Patrick 809 20th Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002-4101 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: 239 Rock Creek Church Road, NW, Washington, DC 20011. Claims against the decedent may be presented to the undersigned and filed with the Register of Wills of the District of Columbia, 515 5th Street, NW, Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001 within 6 months from the date of first publication of this notice.

Date of first publication: 8/6/2026

Gary Roberson Lavonda Roberson Faulkner Personal Representative

Nichelle M. Jones Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Washington Informer

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

LEGAL NOTICES

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

2026 ADM 000805

2026 ADM 000842

2026 ADM 000711

2026 ADM 000813

2026 ADM 000740

Gloria Moselle Lamar Sperry aka Gloria M. L. Sperry Decedent

Pearl E. Wood Decedent

Lottie B. Stevens aka Lottie Bryant Stevens Decedent

John A. Harris., Sr. aka John Alfred Harris Decedent

Philippe Bregeon Decedent

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

Valerie J. Edwards 1800 M Street, NW, Suite 450N Washington, DC 20036 Attorney

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

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Deborah Ruth Kemere, whose address is 6802 40th Avenue, University Park MD 20782, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Gloria Moselle Lamar Sperry aka Gloria M. L. Sperry who died on 6/13/2026 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 2/13/2027. 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 2/13/2027, 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: 8/13/2026

Clarence Wood, whose address is 5615 Ashburn Terrace, Frederick, MD 21703, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Pearl E. Wood who died on 3/26/2026 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (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 2/13/2027. 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 2/13/2027, 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: 8/13/2026 Clarence Wood Personal Representative

Deborah Ruth Kemere Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Andria Lynette Barbee, whose address is 12704 Redgrave Drive, Upper Marlboro, MD 20774, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Lottie B. Stevens aka Lottie Bryant Stevens who died on 2/13/2024 with a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 2/13/2027. 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 2/13/2027, 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

Date of first publication: 8/13/2026

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Andria Lynette Barbee Personal Representative

Washington Informer

TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

John Alfred Harris Jr., whose address is 4723 Bromley Avenue, Suitland, MD 20746, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of John A. Harris., Sr. aka John Alfred Harris who died on March 4, 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 2/13/2027. 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 2/13/2027, 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: 8/13/2026 John Alfred Harris Jr. Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Christina Reed, whose address is 2712 Wisconsin Ave., NW, #511, Washington, DC 20007, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Philippe Bregeon who died on 8/30/2025 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 2/13/2027. 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 2/13/2027, 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: 8/13/2026 Christina Reed 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

2026 ADM 000773

2026 ADM 000783

2026 ADM 000775

2026 ADM 000712

2026 ADM 000756

Erma J. Smith Decedent

Stephen Thomas Baird aka Stephen Thomas Linden Baird Decedent

Robert Shawn Thomas Decedent

Louise B. Hall Decedent

Adam Milczynski Kaas Decedent

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

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

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

Rocquelle A. Jeri, Esq. 1419 Perrell Lane, Bowie, MD 20716 Attorney

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

Jordan La’shell Thomas, whose address is 4919 A Street SE, #301, Washington, DC 20019, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Robert Shawn Thomas who died on March 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 2/13/2027. 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 2/13/2027, 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.

Andrea Streat, whose address is 3466 Hearthfire Court, White Plains, MD 20695, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Louise B. Hall who died on 4/29/1997 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 2/13/2027. 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 2/13/2027, 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: 8/13/2026

Jordan La’shell Thomas Personal Representative

Andrea Streat Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY

Washington Informer

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

Vanessa D. Brown, whose address is 2977 Eutaw Forest Dr., Waldorf, MD 20603, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Erma J. Smith who died on January 11, 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 2/13/2027. 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 2/13/2027, 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: 8/13/2026 Vanessa D. Brown Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Aubrey Arthur Baird, whose address is 3402 39th Place, Brentwood, MD 20722, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Stephen Thomas Baird aka Stephen Thomas Linden Baird who died on March 22, 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 2/13/2027. 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 2/13/2027, 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: 8/13/2026 Aubrey Arthur Baird Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Nicolaus Milczynski Dominguez, whose address is Rio Alzania 23, 10 C, Pamplona, Country of Spain, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Adam Milczynski Kaas who died on July 2nd 2022 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 2/13/2027. 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 2/13/2027, 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: 8/13/2026 Nicolaus Milczynski Dominguez Personal Representative

Nicole Stevens Register of Wills

Washington Informer

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

AUGUST 13 - 19, 2026 35

LEGAL NOTICES SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2026 ADM 000604 Eva Essie Mae Shanks Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Samuel Shanks & Benjamin Shanks, whose addresses are 5731 Kansas Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20011 and 215 Colton St., Upper Marlboro, MD 20774, were appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of Eva Essie Mae Shanks who died on May 9, 2024 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before 2/13/2027. 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 2/13/2027, 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: 8/13/2026 Samuel Shanks Benjamin Shanks Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 2026 FEP 000104 July 6, 2006 Date of Death Bessie L. Lomax Name of Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS Lee Johnson whose address is 12711 Candlewood Way, Hudson, FL 34667 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Bessie L. Lomax, deceased, by the Orphans Court for Prince Georges County, State of Maryland, on 7/21/2006. Service of process may be made upon Sharon Legall, Esq., 1455 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20004 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 estate. 1224 5th Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002. Claims against the decedent may be presented to the undersigned and filed with the Register of Wills of the District of Columbia, 515 5th Street, NW, Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001 within 6 months from the date of first publication of this notice. Date of first publication: 8/13/2026 Lee Johnson Personal Representative Nicole Stevens Register of Wills Washington Informer

CL ASSIFIED

Reader Advisory: The National Trade Association we belong to has purchased the following classifieds. Determining the value of their service or product is advised by this publication. In order to avoid misunderstandings, some advertisers do not offer employment but rather supply the readers with manuals, directories and other materials designed to help their clients establish mail order selling and other businesses at home. Under NO circumstance should you send any money in advance or give the client your checking, license ID, or credit card numbers. Also beware of ads that claim to guarantee loans regardless of credit and note that if a credit repair company does business only over the phone it s illegal to request any money before delivering its service. All funds are based in US dollars. 800 numbers may or may not reach Canada.

ATTENTION DIABETICS with Medicare. Get a FREE Talking Meter and diabetic testing supplies at NO COST, plus FREE home delivery! Best of all, this meter eliminates painful finger pricking! Call 888-421-1874

MobileHelp America's premier mobile medical alert system. Home or away. For safety & peace of mind. No long term contracts, free brochure! 888-489-3936

MEDIABIDS MISCELLANEOUS Become a Published Author. We want to Read Your Book! Dorrance Publishing-Trusted by Authors Since 1920. ions are currently being reviewed. Comprehensive Services: Consultation, Production, Promotion and Distribution. Call for Your Free Author`s Guide 1-877-420-7280 or visit http:// dorranceinfo.com/informer Two great new offers from AT&T Wireless! Ask how to get the new iPhone 11 or Next Generation Samsung Galaxy S10e ON US with AT&T's Buy one, Give One offer. While supplies last! CALL 1-877-370-2155 Get DISH Satellite TV + Internet! Free Install, Free HD-DVR Upgrade, 80,000 On-Demand Movies, Plus Limited Time Up To $600 In Gift Cards. Call Today! 1-855-402-3370 SAVE 67% PLUS 4 FREE BURGERS - The Favorite Feast - ONLY $49.99. ORDER Today 1-888-318-1190 Use Code 48643VFW or www.OmahaSteaks.com/ ffmb93 Do you know your Testosterone Levels? Call 888-692-5146 and ask about our test kits and get a FREE Trial of Progene All-Natural Testosterone Supplement Diabetes/Cholesterol/Weight Loss Bergamonte, a Natural Product for Cholesterol, Blood Sugar and weight. Physician recommended, backed by Human Clinical Studies with amazing results. Call today and save 15 percent off your first bottle! 866-640-5982 ATTENTION DIABETICS with Medicare. Get a FREE talking meter and diabetic testing supplies at NO COST, plus FREE home delivery! Best of all, this meter eliminates painful finger pricking! Call 888-421-1874 READERS & MUSIC LOVERS. 100 Greatest Novels (audio books) ONLY $99.00 (plus s h.) Includes MP3 Player & Accessories. BONUS: 50 Classical Music Works & Money Back Guarantee. Call Today! 1-866-680-1822 Any laptop repaired just $79. Macs too. REALLY! FREE Fedex shipping! $69 extra for screen or motherboard replacement. CALL Authorized Laptop Repair Specialists 1-866-437-6184 Ever Consider a Reverse Mortgage? At least 62 years old? Stay in your home & Increase cash flow! Safe & Effective! Call Now for your FREE DVD! Call Now 888-420-4716 READERS & MUSIC LOVERS. 100 Greatest Novels (audio books) ONLY $99.00 (plus s h.) Includes MP3 Player & Accessories. BONUS: 50 Classical Music Works & Money Back Guarantee. Call Today! 1-866-680-1822 Personalized holiday gifts for Everyone on your list! Save 20 percent off qualifying products from Personal Creations! To redeem this offer, visit www.PersonalCreations.com/Beauty or Call 1-888-732-0679 Diabetes/Cholesterol/Weight Loss Natural Product for Cholesterol, Blood Sugar and weight. Physician recommended, backed by Human Clinical Studies with fast acting results within 30 days. Call to hear about our special offer 866-640-5982

36 AUGUST 13 - 19, 2026

SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY BENEFITS. You WIN or Pay Us Nothing. Contact Disability Group, Inc. Today! BBB Accredited. Call For Your FREE Book & Consultation. 888-649-5110 Attention Joint & Muscle Pain Sufferers: Clinically proven all-natural supplement helps reduce pain and enhance mobility. Call 888-760-5952 to try Hydraflexin RISK-FREE for 90 days. HEAT YOUR HOME FOR 5¢ AN HOUR! Portable infrared iHeater heats 1000 sq. ft. Slashes your heating bills by 50%. FREE Shipping too! Use claim code 6239 WAS $499 NOW $279 Call 1-866-784-5182 ACP CLASSIFIED NETWORK

Aging roof? New homeowner? Storm damage? You need a local expert provider that proudly stands behind their work. Fast, free estimate. Financing available. 877-461-0698 Have zip code ready when calling! Water damage cleanup & restoration: A small amount of water can lead to major damage in your home. Our trusted professionals do repairs to protect your family & home value! 877-318-6832. Have zip code ready! Professional lawn service: Fertilization, weed control, seeding, aeration & mosquito control. Free quote. Ask about first application special! 877-484-8583

AUOTOS Donate Your Car to Veterans Today! Help and Support our Veterans. Fast - FREE pick up. 100% tax deductible. Call 800-245-0398

DIRECTV Stream - Carries the most local MLB games! Choice Pkg $89.99/mo for 12 mos Stream on 20 devic-es. HBO Max included for 3 mos w/ Choice Package or higher. No contract or hidden fees! Restrictions apply. IVS 866-859-0405

MISCELLANEOUS TOP DOLLAR PAID for old vintage guitars! Gibson, Fender, Martin, Grecsch, Rickenbacker, Epiphone, Etc. 1930’s to 1980’s. Call 866-433-8277

Wesley Financial Group, LLC timeshare cancellation experts over $50 million timeshare debt/fees cancelled in 2019. Free info package. Free consultations. Over 450 positive reviews. 833-308-1971

Reach millions of homes nationwide with one easy, affordable buy in the ADS Network! For more information www.communitypublishers.com/ category/all-products

Bath & shower updates in as little as 1-day! Affordable prices - No payments for 18 months! Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Senior & military discounts available. 1-877-543-9189

Peace of mind & early detection - Now more than ever, it’s important to get screened for Stroke & Cardiovascular Disease risk. Life Line Screening is simple & painless. 833-970-4172

Prepare for power outages today - Generac Home Standby Generator. Receive free 5-Year warranty w/ qualifying purchase. 855-948-6176 to schedule free quote. It’s not just a generator. It’s a power move.

Need cash quickly? We buy houses in any condition. Get a fair cash offer within 24 hours! Call today. Liz Buys Houses: 833-359-4707 End your tax worries today. Let us make your tax problem our priority. Scared, stuck with high tax amounts? Our A+ tax professionals can help. Free consultation. Priority Tax 855-959-2267 Consumer Cellular - same reliable, nationwide coverage as large carriers. No long-term contract or hidden fees, free activation. All plans unlimited talk & text starting at just $20/mo. 877-751-0866 Become a published author. We want to read your book! Dorrance Publishing trusted since 1920. Consultation, production, promotion & distribution. Free author`s guide 877-729-4998 or dorranceinfo.com/ads No more cleaning gutters. Guaranteed! LeafFilter backed by no-clog guarantee & lifetime warranty. Call 1-833-610-1936 to schedule FREE inspection/ estimate. Get 15% off your entire order. Military & Seniors get additional 10% off. Limited time. Restrictions apply, see rep for details. Inflation at 40-year highs. Interest rates are up. Credit cards, medical bills, car loans. Have $10k+ in debt? Call National Debt Relief to find out how to pay off your debt for much less than you owe! Free quote: 844-955-4930 SunSetter. America's Number One Awning! Instant shade at the touch of a button. Transform your deck or patio into an outdoor oasis. Up to 10-year limited warranty. Save $350 today! 855-914-1148 Home break-ins take less than 60 seconds. Don't wait! Protect your family, home, assets now for as little as 70¢/day! 877-907-0316 Jacuzzi Bath Remodel can install a new, custom bath or shower in as little as 1-day. Limited time, waving all installation costs! Additional terms apply. Subject to change & vary by dealer. Ends soon. 844-501-3208 Pest control: Protect your home from pests safely. Roaches, Bed Bugs, Rodent, Termite, Spiders & more. Locally owned & affordable. For service or inspection today! 877-916-2103 Have zip code ready!

Dental insurance from Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. 400+ procedures. Real dental insurance - not a discount plan. Free info kit! 855526-1060 www.dental50plus.com/ads #6258 MID ATLANTIC COMMUNITY PAPERS ASSOCIATION CLASSIFIED NETWORK (MACNET) ANNOUNCEMENT Need customers from the states of PA, OH, NY, NJ, DE, MD, WV, VA, and DC? Reach 1.4 million households with community papers. MACnet gives you a large advertising reach that still feels local. No need to call each paper on your own. Run one message across multiple markets. Contact Alyse 484-269-6367 info@macnetmedia.com Donate your car, truck, boat, RV and more to support our veterans! Schedule a FAST, FREE vehicle pickup and receive a top tax deduction! Call Veteran Car Donations at 1-877-327-0686 today! Become a Published Author. We want to Read Your Book! Dorrance Publishing-Trusted by Authors Since 1920 Book manuscript submissions currently being reviewed. Comprehensive Services: Consultation, Production, Promotion and Distribution Call for Your Free Author`s Guide 1-866-482-1576 or visit dorranceinfo.com/macnet AUTO DONATIONS/AUTOS WANTED Get a break on your taxes! Donate your car, truck, or SUV to assist the blind and visually impaired. Arrange a swift, no-cost vehicle pickup and secure a generous tax credit for 2026. Call Heritage for the Blind Today at 1-844-320-2804 today! FINANCIAL SERVICES Inflation is at 40 year highs. Interest rates are way up. Credit Cards. Medical Bills. Car Loans. Do you have $10k or more in debt? Call NATIONAL DEBT RELIEF and find out how to pay off your debt for significantly less than what you owe! FREE quote: Call 1-866-272-0492

CL ASSIFIED www.dental50plus.com/macnet #6258 Don’t let the stairs limit your mobility! Discover the ideal solution for anyone who struggles on the stairs, is concerned about a fall or wants to regain access to their entire home. Call AmeriGlide today! 1-844-317-5246 HOME IMPROVEMENT Safe Step. North America’s #1 Walk-In Tub. Comprehensive lifetime warranty. Top-of-the-line installation and service. Now featuring our FREE shower package and $1600 Off for a limited time! Call today! Financing available. Call Safe Step 1-833-356-1954 Prepare for power outages today with a Generac Home Standby Generator. Act now to receive a FREE 5-Year warranty with qualifying purchase. Call 1-855-465-7624 today to schedule a free quote. It’s not just a generator. It’s a power move. Replace your roof with the best looking and longest lasting material – steel from Erie Metal Roofs! Three styles and multiple colors available. Guaranteed to last a lifetime! Limited Time Offer – up to 50% off installation + Additional 10% off install (for military, health workers & 1st responders.) Call Erie Metal Roofs: 1-855-338-4807 Jacuzzi Bath Remodel can install a new, custom bath or shower in as little as one day. For a limited time, waiving ALL installation costs! (Additional terms apply. Subject to change and vary by dealer. (Offer ends 12/27/26.) Call 1-844-826-2535 MISCELLANEOUS DIRECTV OVER INTERNET - Get your favorite live TV, sports and local channels. 99% signal reliability! CHOICE Package, $84.99/mo for 12 months. HBO Max and Premium Channels included for 3 mos (w/CHOICE Package or higher.) No annual contract, no hidden fees! Some restrictions apply. Call IVS 1-866-629-6086 Do you know what’s in your water? Leaf Home Water Solutions offers FREE water testing and whole home water treatment systems that can be installed in as little one day. 15% off your entire purchase. Plus 10% senior & military discounts. Restrictions apply. Schedule your FREE test today. Call 1-866-996-1526 WANTED WANTED! MOTORCYCLES & MINI BIKES! ANTIQUE AND CLASSIC. Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Yamaha, Triumph, BSA, and other foreign models. $$PAYING CA$H$$ 717-577-8206 KRMiller1965@ yahoo.com BUYING CLASSIC CARS, TRUCKS, SUVs **American and Foreign** Any Condition. Buying entire car collections. $$PAYING CA$H$$ Please call 717577-8206 KRMiller1965@yahoo.com MARYLAND STATEWIDE CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING NETWORK FOR SALE Prepare for power outages today with a Generac Home Standby Generator. Act now to receive a FREE 5-Year warranty with qualifying purchase. Call 1-855-993-0969 today to schedule a free quote. Its not just a generator. Its a power move. Get Boost Infinite! Unlimited Talk, Text and Data For Just $25/mo! The Power Of 3 5G Networks, One Low Price! Call Today and Get The Latest iPhone Every Year On Us! 855-977-5719 REAL ESTATE OR REAL ESTATE TO BUY We Buy Houses for Cash AS IS! No repairs. No fuss. Any condition. Easy three step process: Call, get cash offer and get paid. Get your fair cash offer today by calling Liz Buys Houses: 1-866-541-7929 SERVICES DENTAL INSURANCE from Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. Coverage for 400 plus procedures. Real dental insurance - NOT just a discount plan. Do not wait! Call now! Get your FREE Dental Information Kit with all the details! 1-855-337-5228 www.dental50plus.com/MDDC #6258

HEALTH/MEDICAL DENTAL INSURANCE from Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. Coverage for 400 plus procedures. Real dental insurance - NOT just a discount plan. Do not wait! Call now! Get your FREE Dental Information Kit with all the details! 1-877-553-1891

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

ASSANTE/BRENSON from Page 22 ner at the highest levels of authority. Some Democratic committees continue to have no Black staff at all. Others have very few Black staff despite overseeing policy areas with profound implications for Black communities. Similar challenges exist for Latina/o representation across numerous committees. Some offices point to deputy communications directors, deputy policy directors, or other senior advisers as evidence of diversity within their leadership teams. Those contributions should be recognized. But they are not substitutes for representation in the positions that formally direct committee operations, manage legislative strategy, supervise staff, and exercise final decision-making authority. The challenge before the Senate is therefore less about entry-level hiring than leadership development.

BANDELE from Page 22 objective is not simply to document Black August but to create a living archive that continues advancing the work of the movement throughout the year. Black people know fascism. We are the descendants of generations of people whose lives and movements were controlled by violent, ruthless, state-sanctioned institutions. We had no legal authority over our own bodies. By law, we could not vote, protest, learn, have families or live free. We did not have the basic rights afforded human beings. Through military agents of the government and white slavers backed by the laws of the nation, any opposition to our

TILGHMAN from Page 22 names, developing lessons and working to meet the needs of many students at once. Families should recognize those challenges. Schools should also recognize what families bring to the table. Parents and caregivers know what excites their children, what worries them, how they learn and what support helps them thrive. That knowledge should be welcomed as an important part of the educational partnership. Fathers also have an important role to play. Too often, fathers become part of the conversation only after something has gone wrong. We should be present from the beginning. Attend orienta-

Congress should also deepen its commitment to transparency. For 10 years, Senate Democrats have set the standard by publicly releasing demographic information about committee and personal office staff. The next step is releasing disaggregated demographic data by position. Understanding who serves in mid-level and senior leadership roles would provide a much clearer picture of whether the Senate is building equitable pathways into its most influential policymaking positions. Senate Republicans should likewise begin publicly reporting staff demographic data so progress can be measured across both parties. Ultimately, this conversation is about strengthening one of the nation's most important democratic institutions. Congress functions best when it draws upon the broadest possible range of talent and lived experience. Committees responsible for banking, health care, agriculture, edu-

cation, housing, taxation, foreign affairs, and the judiciary make decisions affecting every community in America. Leadership teams that better reflect the entire nation are more likely to recognize emerging challenges, ask different questions, and identify policy solutions that might otherwise be overlooked. The Senate has demonstrated that progress is possible. Overall workforce diversity has improved substantially over the past decade because leaders chose to measure it, prioritize it, and publicly report it. Now the Senate must apply that same commitment to the positions where leadership, influence and policymaking authority are concentrated. The breadth of experience and people in the nation should be reflected not only throughout committee offices, but also around the tables where America's laws are written. WI

oppression, attempts to end our enslavement, or organized political dissent to white supremacists' rule over our bodies was violently and brutally suppressed. We remember that even after chattel slavery, after we defeated the old systems, new institutions sprang up to continue the project of our forced labor, subjugation and mass incarceration. We remember because our parents and grandparents lived through it. We remember because 1965 wasn't that long ago. And we remember because the fights continue as the institutions that force or exploit our labor continue. We remember because the state is still killing us. Black people fight fascism. Black

August tells the story of those freedom fighters who used every tool available. It celebrates the births of Mutulu Shakur (August 1950) and Marcus Garvey (August 1887). It tells the story of the Nat Turner Rebellion (August 1831) and the Haitian Revolution (August 1791), the Watts uprisings (1965), and the beginnings of the Attica Rebellion (September 1971). It acknowledges the Ferguson uprising (2014), salutes the Montgomery boat brawl (August 2023), and tells the story of a people who refuse oppression and demand freedom by any means necessary. WI Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

tion when possible. Introduce yourself to teachers. Read school communications. Ask questions. Volunteer when you can. Let your children see that their education matters to you. Children notice who shows up. One of the greatest lessons my daughter, Amari, has taught me is that advocacy is not always loud. Sometimes it means listening carefully, asking a thoughtful question, sending a follow-up email or simply being present for a meeting. Advocacy is not about looking for conflict. At its best, it is about creating partnerships, seeking solutions and making sure children have what they need to succeed. As families prepare for the first day of school, we should remember that one of the most valuable things we can

give our children cannot be purchased at a store or placed inside a backpack. It is our presence. When families, educators and communities work together, children benefit. They gain stronger support systems, greater confidence and more opportunities to reach their potential. So, as another school year begins, let us commit to schools where families feel welcomed, educators feel supported and every child, regardless of ability, background or circumstance, is encouraged to learn, grow and succeed. A backpack can carry the supplies a child needs for school. But it takes all of us to help carry a child toward success. Every child deserves an advocate. WI

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

AIRLINE CAREERS Get FAA approved maintenance training at campuses coast to coast. Job placement assistance. Financial Aid for qualifying students. Military friendly. Call Aviation Institute of Maintenance

800-481-7894

AUGUST 13 - 19, 2026 37

CROWELL from Page 23

The Bath or Shower You’ve Always Wanted

IN AS LITTLE AS A DAY

1000 OFF

AND

No Payments & No Interest For 18 Months **

OFFER EXPIRES 6.30.2023 *Includes product and labor; bathtub, shower or walk-in tub and wall surround. This promotion cannot be combined with any other offer. Other restrictions may apply. This offer expires 6/30/23. Each dealership is independently owned and operated. **Third party ﬁnancing is available for those customers who qualify. See your dealer for details. ©2023 BCI Acrylic, Inc.

CALL NOW (844) 791-1618

or before Nov. 15, 2022, as well as borrowers whose applications for borrower defense discharges were pending as of June 22, 2022. Any amounts paid to the Education Department on those loans will be refunded. These actions will be taken 90 days from the court's decision to notify affected borrowers that they will receive full relief. Until this relief is provided, lenders cannot make any efforts to collect on these loans. Earlier research by the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) probed the value of for-profit colleges and universities and posed the question, "Do Students of Color Profit from For-Profit College?" Its eye-opening findings include: Black and Latino students enroll in for-profit colleges at much higher rates

JEALOUS from Page 23

Subscribe!

There are many reasons to SUBSCRIBE to The Washington Informer. Most importantly, it’s all about YOU!

I prefer to subscribe for 1 year at $96.

I prefer to subscribe for 2 years

Corporate lobbyists said we sounded like Chicken Little. Two decades and 63,000 shuttered factories later, every exaggeration they accused us of had come true. Those factories did not close on Black towns or white towns. They closed on both. King saw it coming. He wrote in 1967 that there were twice as many white poor as Negro poor in America. So he was not just giving a speech that night. He was building something. He had marched to desegregate the lunch counter. That fight was won. The fight left was whether a man could afford what was on it. In December 1967 he announced the Poor People's Campaign. The de-

Name:

ODUNTAN from Page 23

Address:

ported large television news operations. "Because of the economic contraction, you have corporate consolidation and cost-cutting," Reynolds said. "If your viewers aren't there, your advertisers aren't there. If your advertisers aren't there, then you can't pay your talent to be on those platforms anymore." Those financial realities help explain why media companies are making difficult personnel decisions, Reynolds said. But they do not fully explain why those departures matter. "It doesn't matter whether they fired [Clark] or whether they laid him off," Reynolds said. "The effects of it are the same." As prominent Black personalities

City, State, Zip: PAYMENT METHOD: Pay at https://www.washingtoninformer.com/subscription/ or scan the QR Code My Check is enclosed (to The Washington Informer) Bill me later Charge my:

Visa

AMEX

Credit Card Number Expiration Date Signature Mail check to: Subscription Department The Washington Informer 3117 Martin Luther King Jr Ave., SE Washington, DC 20032

38 AUGUST 13 - 19, 2026

Discover

than other students, which puts them at risk of high student loan debt, default and failure to graduate. Students who attend for-profit colleges are more likely to need to borrow for their education and tend to borrow more than their peers at public or private nonprofit schools. Students who attend for-profit colleges are also less likely to graduate, more likely to default on their student loans and may face poor employment outcomes. An African American student at a for-profit college will borrow at the highest rates almost twice as frequently as African American students at a public college (35% vs. 19%), regardless of income. As early as 2012, a two-year investigation by the U.S. Senate's Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee revealed that for-profit colleges collected over $30 billion annually

in federal funds, making up 25% of Department of Education student aid and nearly half of military and veteran educational benefits. The committee also found that more than half of the students who enrolled in 2008-2009 withdrew by mid-2010, and these attendees accounted for nearly half of all federal student loan defaults. More recently, CRL issued this summer a new policy brief calling on Congress to use its authority to respond to the continuing student loan crisis: "Congress should eliminate the new borrowing limits that will push students towards higher-cost private loans, or worse, make education completely inaccessible. Congress should also restore and maintain adequate funding to the Department of Education, investing in programs like subsidized loans and Pell grants that help lower- and middle-income borrowers." WI

mand was jobs or income for all. He meant to bring the poorest families in America to Washington and set them where the country could not look away. Not only Black families. White families out of the mountains. Mexican American families. Native families. Puerto Rican families. One caravan left Chicago on May 8, 1968. King never saw it. He was killed in Memphis on April 4. The campaign went on without him and mostly failed. They built a camp on the National Mall and called it Resurrection City. Rain turned it to mud. Police cleared it in June. No jobs bill passed. Nobody got a guaranteed income. But King was right about the count. He is still right. A country that stops counting people finds it

easy to forget them. There will be plenty of arguing about these numbers. Arguing has never hired anybody. Only people hire people. So here is what I ask of you. If you run a business, interview the person your software screened out. Ask about the gap in the work history instead of assuming the worst. If you know somebody who quit looking, walk with them back to the door. Say their name to somebody who is hiring. If you belong to a church or a union or a lodge, find out this month who among you is out of work. Do not stop at praying for them. Make the call. Dr. King argued with a number because he knew a number can hide a person. Count them. Then hire them. WI

disappear from major platforms, Reynolds said the consequences extend far beyond the careers of individual journalists. "When there are fewer prominent Black personalities with authority, as well as the resources, to be on these large platforms that have natural distribution to shape the mainstream conversation, then you have less of a voice in those spaces," he said. Award-winning entertainment journalist Keith L. Underwood agreed that economics is reshaping the media industry. But he said an equally important transformation is taking place among audiences themselves. Rather than relying on a handful of nationally recognized journalists and civil rights leaders, Black Americans now consume information across countless digital platforms, creating a media

landscape that is more fragmented — and, in many ways, more difficult for any single voice to influence. "I think the landscape is changing," Underwood said. "People have so many different ways of getting their news, whether it be television, radio, social media, or word of mouth." "It's not like it used to be when you had civil rights leaders who were the generalized voice of the people," he said. "That's gone." Underwood said that fragmentation has increasingly given way to celebrity-driven news and viral culture. "It's become more focused on the gossip," Underwood said. "Celebrity scandal has become our news because those same voices are not there." WI Read more on washingtoninformer.com.

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

WHERE

THE

MONEY

GOES.

Thanks to the support of our players, the Maryland Lottery contributed $667.2 million to Maryland’s schools, public health and safety initiatives and other state programs in Fiscal Year 2025. We also paid more than $1.67 billion in prizes to players. Not bad. We’d like to think we generated a few million smiles as well. When you play, everybody wins. Learn how to play within your limits at mdlottery.com/playresponsibly. For help, call 1-800-GAMBLER. Must be 18 years or older to play.

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER

AUGUST 13 - 19, 2026 39

HOPE

“It’s worth it to have your life back.”

FROM A DC EX-SMOKER

— Will O., Trinidad

DC’s personalized, free program gives you a 60% better chance at quitting for good. • Coaches • Medications • Daily support See Will’s story, and find out what’s right for you.

1-800-QUIT-NOW

40 AUGUST 13 - 19, 2026

.org

THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM