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Vol 61 No 46 4 D.C. Councilmember Robert White, Democratic candidate for District delegate, announces plans to dispatch residents to canvass on behalf of congressional allies running in midterm races. (Robert R. Roberts/ The Washington Informer)
August 27 - September 2, 2026
Capture the Moment Page 33
Kay Family & OAG Reach Agreement in Settlement Dispute
Six Years Later, Neighborhood Officials, Local Clergy Reflect on Deon Kay’s Police-Involved Death By Sam Plo Kwia Collins, Jr. WI Senior Staff Writer
Defend DC: D.C. Councilmember Robert White to Take Statehood Fight on the Road
Tennessee Rep. Justin J. Pearson Stands Up for D.C. in His Own Congressional Race By Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer
Through what’s dubbed Defend DC, White plans to dispatch District residents to other congressional districts As Democrats fight for control of the U.S. House, D.C. to canvass on behalf of Democratic allies running in midCouncilmember Robert White is entering a new phase of his term races. Their victories, he noted, could potentially D.C. delegate campaign, this time looking outside of the Belt- shift power in the U.S. House while strengthening the way to amass support for D.C. statehood. DEFEND DC Page 9
The March on Washington Starts in the Pews Message to Clergy for 63rd Anniversary: ‘We Are Called Again’
By Jada Ingleton WI Content Editor With thousands expected at Lincoln Memorial Aug. 28, a fight for democracy is poised to take over the very grounds where the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once shared his dream with America. Led by the National Action Network (NAN) and Drum Major Institute, the 2026 March on Washington: Defend the Vote stands to emulate the mission of 63 years ago, when a quarter
MARCH Page 34
5 The National Action Network (NAN) and the Drum Major Institute are hosting a revival of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on Aug. 28, featuring clergy, civil rights leaders, and activists like NAN founder, the Rev. Al Sharpton, and Martin Luther King III, both pictured center at the 60th anniversary of the march in 2023. (WI File Photo/Robert R. Roberts)
WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER
With the six-year anniversary of Deon Kay’s police-involved death on the horizon, the Kay family has finalized a settlement agreement with D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb, thus ending what’s been described as a months-long disagreement about a suitable dollar amount. For Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Dascha Cleckley, this development provides some sort of closure, not only for the Kay family, but Congress Heights residents.
“It doesn't even make the community feel safe, but at least it acknowledges the fact that there was a wrong,” said Cleckley, who’s in her fourth year as a representative of Single-Member District 8C03. “So many times, things happen in the community,...and it's swept up under the rug, so I think that’s a move in the right direction.” Years after Kay’s death, as federal law enforcement officers and National Guard troops walk the streets of Congress Heights alongside D.C. police officers, and activists fight the launch of a new
DEON KAY Page 31
In D.C., Better Asthma Care May Start at Home
Local Experts Look Beyond the Clinic to Help Washingtonians Breathe Easier By Mya Trujillo WI Multimedia Reporter Various conditions in Washington already make breathing difficult for many, but in a city that is disproportionately affected by asthma, with rates higher than national averages, those factors become even more hazardous. Luckily, medical institutions and researchers in the nation’s capital are working diligently to advance sustainable, multi- 5 IMPACT D.C., one of the city’s leaders in treating pediatric asthma, turns 25 years old in fall 2026. The infaceted asthma care. According to the Centers tervention clinic prioritizes education to empower families
ASTHMA Page 15
and children with asthma across Washington. (Courtesy Photo/IMPACT D.C. Asthma Clinic, Instagram)
AUGUST 27 - SEPTEMBER 2, 2026 1